Exiting the store together, we can't contain our giggles; our hearts light with the exhilaration of our moment. 'Let's shift and go for a run! I suggest.
'Sounds good,' Ryker smiles.
We walk hand in hand until we reach the serene woods. With the grace of familiarity, we shed our clothes. Ryker shifts into his wolf form and takes off running. However, he soon notices that I haven't followed him.
'Astrid? You haven't shifted. Is everything okay?' He mind-links me with concern.
'I don't know. I can't shift; nothing is happening. Why can't I shift?' I reply through the mind-link, panic seizing my voice.
Ryker responds with swift understanding, shifting back into his human form and dressing himself. 'It's okay, Astrid. Maybe you're just tired?' He offers, attempting to provide reassurance.
I shake my head, my trembling voice betraying my anxiety. 'I don't feel tired,' I admit, my uncertainty growing.
Ryker takes my hand gently, offering his support. 'Come on, let's go home,' he suggests, guiding me back toward the pack house.
I comply for a while, but suddenly, an overwhelming wave of nausea surges over me.
'Astrid?' Ryker's voice quivers with concern as I break away and rush to the nearest bush to throw up.
'I'm going to take you home and call the pack doctor, okay?' Ryker reassures me.
I reach out to take his hand, but before I can, my strength fails me, and I collapse, darkness swiftly enveloping me as I lose consciousness.
The room is shrouded with the sounds of a machine beeping, and my eyelids flutter open slowly, my arm instinctively rising to shield my eyes from the blinding brightness.
'Am I in the hospital?' I whisper, still disoriented from my earlier blackout.
'Astrid! You're awake!' Ryker's voice carries a profound sense of relief as he takes my hand, his smile casting a warm, reassuring glow in the room.
'You blacked out. I took you straight to the hospital. The doctor will be here shortly to speak with us. They took some blood samples to run some tests. I'm sure you're fine, though. It's just a precaution,' Ryker explains.
A nurse enters the room, maneuvering a monitor on a trolley towards Astrid. 'Alpha, Luna, the doctor is on his way. He asked me to get some things set up for him,' she conveys with a compassionate smile before plugging in the machine and powering it on, then graciously exiting the room.
'Alpha, it's been quite some time since you've been here,' the doctor comments as he steps into the room, his demeanor friendly and reassuring.
'Doctor Herman, is Astrid going to be okay?' Ryker asks concerned.
'Yes, Astrid is going to be fine. Her results came back positive, and now we are going to do an ultrasound to see how far along she is,' Doctor Herman assures us.
Ryker and I exchange bewildered glances as the revelation dawns on us.
'Positive for what?' I stammer, my voice trembling with disbelief.
Doctor Herman's chuckle is gentle, his demeanor warm. 'Your pregnancy test,' he explains.
My mouth falls agape in shock. 'I'm pregnant?’ I gasp, the enormity of the news washing over me.
'Yes, congratulations to both of you,' the doctor offers his heartfelt wishes, shaking Ryker's hand.
'I'm really going to be a dad?' Ryker asks with excitement and disbelief, and his eyes brim with emotion.
The doctor nods, a tender smile playing on his lips. He proceeds to apply gel gently across my lower abdomen, positioning the probe that glides smoothly across my stomach. 'And there's the little baby,' he announces, pointing to the screen.
Frozen in awe, I fixate on the minuscule arms, legs, and feet. The baby's heartbeat pulses rhythmically on the screen, a miracle unfolding before our eyes. 'That's our baby?' I whisper, my gaze shifting to Ryker, who is equally spellbound.
Tears of happiness stream down my face, and I can't contain my overwhelming joy. 'Ryker, we're having a baby!' I cry out, the emotion of the moment enveloping me.
Ryker squeezes my hand with profound tenderness, his lips pressing a loving kiss to my forehead. 'And you're going to be the best mother, I just know it,' he murmurs, his eyes shimmering with pride and love.
'How far along is she, Doctor Herman?' Ryker asks curiously.
'Astrid is twelve weeks along, and it's also when she-wolves can no longer shift until the birth of the pup,' the doctor elucidates, helping us piece together the mystery of today's events.
'That's why you couldn't shift today,' Ryker realizes, his smile growing wider as he connects the dots.
The doctor offers his professional advice, urging caution. 'You've over exhausted yourself, Astrid. I suggest bed rest for a few days and avoiding any strenuous activity so you don't collapse again,' he cautions, his words steeped in concern.
Doctor Herman prints out the ultrasound pictures, and Ryker carefully tucks them into his pocket, a cherished keepsake of this momentous day.
'It's time for me to take my family home to rest in bed,' Ryker declares, his affectionate gaze shifting to my belly and then, with tender passion, to my lips. We leave the hospital room, our faces radiant with happiness.
Five months later...
As I struggle to extricate myself from the mountain of blankets and pillows, a sense of helplessness washes over me, and I can't help but feel like a beached whale. 'Ryker!' I yell, the feeling of my situation bearing down on my voice. Within moments, the sound of Ryker's hurried footsteps echoes up the stairs.
'Astrid! What's wrong? Is the baby coming already?' He asks with a touch of panic in his voice.
A playful grin tugs at my lips as I chuckle. 'No, we're fine, Ryker. I just can't sit up! My belly is so huge,' I grumble, mixing jest with my frustration.
Ryker's face lights up with a warm smile, and he approaches the bed, extending a helping hand. With his assistance, I manage to sit up; his touch is gentle and reassuring. Kneeling beside me, he places his hands on either side of my swollen belly, his eyes filled with awe and excitement.
'I cannot wait to meet you, little one. It won't be much longer now,' Ryker says tenderly, planting a gentle kiss on my protruding stomach. His love for our unborn child is evident in his every gesture.