Rogue: a novella

7

I can see the question on Thalia's face every time she looks at me. She knows that there is something on my mind, something heavy. But she doesn't try to get me to talk about it. Not yet anyway, but I can tell she is trying to figure it out on her own.

I wonder if she has? Has she figured out that I think we should move on; go to a human territory far away and live among them?

A part of me wants to just drop the idea all together. Our life here is simple and great - aside from some missing wolves here and there.

And this is where the carousel comes back around. We don't know what happened to them. It could all be a coincidence and they just decided not to come back. My gut says otherwise, but with no proof, well I'm stuck at the crossroads.

But watching Thalia with Finn, rubbing her belly, my resolve stays firm.

"Goodnight, little baby," Finn holds Thalia's belly between her hands, pressing her ear just above the belly button, "Yup, she's a girl. Definitely a girl,"

Thalia laughs, her hand running over her belly as she looks to me. It's a discussion we've had many times.  Finn is convinced it's a girl, whereas I feel it's a boy.

Thalia doesn't want to tell us what she thinks, worried that her mother's intuition will sway our vote.

Out here as nomads, we don't have the technology that pack wolves have access too. If we were back there, we would be able to do a sonogram and see the baby. We could still, if we did it in the human territory, but that can be expensive for people like us and somehow this is more fun. I'm still watching the symptoms, and doing checkins to make sure that she's on track for a healthy delivery in a few months.

If at any point, i begin to feel something is off i will drag her to the human territory if I had to.

"How can you be sure?" Thalia teases, leading Finn to her bed after helping braid her hair back.

She may be twelve now, and growing like a weed, but Thalia still sings her lullaby's when she has nightmares, still braids Finn's hair after she showers. I've always been able to hear the two giggling like sisters but pretend not to hear.

I've always admired their relationship and even now, respect it. A few months ago when she turned twelve, I worried about what would happen with her becoming a teenager especially knowing that she'll be shifting into her wolf in a few years?

Would she rebel against Thalia and I? Resent us for things we couldn't give her or the way we live? But then there are moments like this; where the world around me consists of only her happiness and when I glance at Finn, seeing how she looks at us - I know she feels the same.

The world is nothing more than the people in this room. Come hell or high water and there is nothing that can come our way we can't overcome as a family.

Finn looks like she is thinking hard as she stares intently at Thalia, while she climbs into bed. Her brow is furrowed but finally, like a light switch, she smiles over at me.

"Nope, it's a girl," her head lays down on the pillow, "it will be three against one. Sucks to be you, Luca,"

"We'll see," I smirk, walking over and pressing a soft kiss to her head, "Goodnight, Kid,"

Honestly, I wouldn't mind being out numbered by my girls. Watching the three of them bond with little things like brushing their hair or painting their nails- it's enough to make me hope the baby is a girl.

I can almost see her in my minds eye. My dark hair with Thalia's brown eyes - a laugh that makes me feel lighter than air.  I can't help the smile that slips to my face just thinking about the daughter that I could have in just a few short months.