Born in Fire

Chapter Twenty-Two

*Kalama*

I looked down at the report in my hands, rereading it for the fifth time. I sighed, before Sam and the other Elites had left to follow Rogues Deborah and Joanna to Ethan Haynes camp, I’d instructed her to send weekly reports as well as daily text. That had been over a week ago now. So far though, the reports yielded very little aside from the camp’s location, about 200 miles away from the edge of Green Grove’s territory. This report was pretty much the same, except for an increase in activity. She confirmed sightings of Delilah and Samuel, as well as Joanna. I sighed as I reached the end of the report, stating that another load of Warriors and Omegas had arrived at sunrise yesterday. That made Blood Creek numbers rise to nearly four hundred. Even with over hundred Warriors from Crescent Wolf and fifty from my home pack Blood Creek outnumbered us by double. I dropped the report onto my desk, resting my head in my hands, my fingers gently rubbing at the headache I’d had all morning. “You need to relax.” My wolf, Ash’s voice rippled through my mind. I sighed again.

“How am I supposed to do that? Blood Creek has ten wolves to our one. If this comes down to a fight…”

“You’re upsetting our pup.” As though to express this, the pup inside me wiggled. I smiled despite myself, placing my hand on my rounding stomach. Dr. Barker was doing weekly scans and ultrasounds on the little one. All results had been good, claiming the little Alpha was strong, healthy, and growing just right, Just like daddy, had been Caspian’s response. My smile widened, remembering. Caspian was so excited. Since that first scan he had spent most nights talking to my belly, making our little one wiggle and twist at the sound of his voice. We usually fell asleep with his hand on my belly. I lend back against my chair,

“Sorry little one.” I whispered, trailing my fingers along my stomach. I grinned as I felt a roll, as though the pup was trying to get closer to my touch. A knock sounded at the office door. “Come in.” I called. The door opened revealing Nani, the lead Omega and best cook in Green Grove. Nani bowed her head as she pushed a cart inside the room. My mouth began to water as my eyes fell on the food that filled the cart. 

“Sorry to interrupt, Luna. But I didn’t notice you in the lunch line nor did I get an order for you, so I thought…” My stomach rumbled. I smiled,

“No problem, Nani. Is it really that time already?” Nani nodded, crossing her arms like she always did when she was about to give a ranked member a tongue lashing. Nani respected all of us as she should being only an Omega,  but she didn’t make it to Lead Omega without knowing when and how to deal with those in her care.

“It is Luna and I can’t have the others thinking I’m starving the Luna, especially the one that’s carrying Green Grove’s future.” There had been a lot of cheering and howling when we’d announced my pregnancy. Since then, Nani had made it her top priority that I was well fed. I grinned again. Nani had cooked and cared for many of the ranked as children, not only Caspian, John, and Neal, but their fathers and their fathers as well. In many ways they were like her children too. I was grateful that my pup would know love not only from Caspian and myself, but from the whole pack. I sat up, folding my arms on my desk, grinning.

“The others clearly don’t know about my snack orders.” Nani chuckled, as she began to set my desk, placing a plate and silverware in front of me as well as a glass with ice and a napkin. “What’s on the menu today?” 

“Well, I thought a nice grilled chicken with a side salad would be perfect.” My stomach growled again as she placed a piece of chicken on my plate. I inhaled, the smoky aroma filling my nostrils. She placed the salad down, drizzling a nice amount of italian dressing on. “I also had a hunch that maybe you would like,”

“A slice of your world famous strawberry cheesecake?” Nani chuckled again, setting the cheesecake down next to my plate. She filled my glass with lemonade, bowing her head.