The Fated Mates

Chapter Twenty-Six

For the next few weeks' time just seemed to fly by, I have gotten to know each of the women in the pack and the rolls they play to make sure the dynamics work. Everyone was so excited to see how many pups I was carrying. 

Derek and I knew but we wanted to keep that between us which was hard with the link but somehow Derek knew how to keep that one from getting out. After breakfast I decided I needed to go into town, but Derek was busy with his business. 

He still worked in the city from time to time but when he did, he always took me with him, and we would stay in his apartment. Seeing my old friends was exciting at first until they all wanted to know why I was married to him, and that got old fast. 

So, when he would go into his office I would go shopping for our babies and I always found something for Derek, he kept telling me to not get him anything that being mated to me was more than enough for a lifetime, but I still would fill his office and at home with little trinkets that would remind me of him or us. 

Calling Trisha to see if she wanted to go with me shopping for the day, I never heard the answer as the line went dead, I thought it was strange, but I should have known within five minutes Trisha was walking through the front door asking if I was ready to go, that woman always made me laugh. 

Driving into town I noticed how quiet it was, the roads were fine, but it was also two days before Christmas, and I figured this town would be busy with last minute shoppers. Trisha also noticed how quiet it was, but just shrugged her shoulders. 

I was four months pregnant, but I will tell you, being pregnant with werewolf pups was not something like a normal pregnancy. I was growing double in size daily it felt like and when I brought this up to Trisha she just would smile and pat my hand and tell me this is all normal, I will give birth around my seventh or eighth month as the pups were fully developed and ready earlier than normal babies. 

This helped ease my mind a bit but still I have not ever given birth before so everything was all new to me and luckily Trisha had the patience of a saint, since I would ask her questions nonstop some days. I would not know what to do without this woman she was a mother and a grandmother, and a best friend all rolled into one and I will always be forever grateful to her. 

We walked into this shop that made you feel so welcome and at home once you walked into the store, it had everything under the sun you could think of, in the back was all the baby selections and the front was full of clothing for people, in the middle were books on every subject. The one section of the store I loved going to was off to one side was full of candles and aromatherapy items. 

I was there for a bit picking out different candles for the rooms of the house, since the day after Christmas we were going to through a huge party, just to thank everyone for everything and to celebrate my pregnancy. I guess in this pack after your third month everyone celebrates but this pack just loves to have fun and I am right along with that idea to be honest.

 Derek makes everyone feel loved and welcomed and he listens to each problem and solves it if the person wishes it. Walking over to the baby section, I noticed a woman standing there looking at a crib, she seemed familiar but could not place the face. I went over to the clothes and was looking at the onesie's and decided to pick up a few.

 "Lori?" the woman said, I looked up and noticed who the woman was, "what do you want?" I asked my mother, the woman just looked at me and I could tell she wanted to say something, and she looked down at my ever-growing stomach.

 "I just wanted to congratulate you on your marriage and your pregnancy" was all she said as she turned to walk away, just than Trisha walked up beside me, "that woman is nothing but trouble, glad she left our pack a long time ago." Trisha said as she patted my hand then went over to the cribs and called over a salesperson asking questions about each one. 

I just stood there for a few minutes having a bunch of mixed emotions, I have not seen my mother really in years except for that one time with that man and their son, she never reached out to get in touch even after I killed her husband. 

I did not like the look on her face when she looked down at my stomach, and I noticed my hand was around my belly where my babies lay sleeping protecting them from any harm. We finished shopping and walked out laughing as we each had ten bags. I had to have Trisha buy a few gifts for Derek as I was not the best at keeping my thoughts private yet and I did not want him to know till he unwrapped them.

 After putting everything in the car we decided to go out for lunch. It was an enjoyable time, sitting there listening to stories about Derek and his childhood, I could sit there for hours listening to Trisha talk about him. 

It was a nice insight to his past. WE made it home just in time before the snow started to really fall, I made sure that the fireplaces were going and that the hot coco was made and keeping warm, since a few people from the pack were coming over to work with Derek on some paperwork. 

Trisha had the tree delivered for me, and I set it up for later tonight after dinner all the kids were coming over along with their parents and whoever else wanted to join in decorating the tree and making some cookies.

 I wanted my first Christmas with the pack to be perfect and one I wanted to cherish for all time. After everything was done and the families went home, I crawled into bed and closed my eyes letting my back relax. 

Having ten kids run around the house and help with the tree and cookies was exhausting but loved every minute of it. 

Now to sleep my aches away would be great but I also noticed Derek was still downstairs with a few of the men and from time to time I would hear voices rise then they would stop suddenly. Derek gets into bed around three in the morning, I was still too tired to ask him if things were good, so I just snuggled into him and passed right back out.