Richard’s POV
I’d decided it was time to build a nursery in the pack house in preparation for the little one.
I chose the corner room in the Alpha’s quarters—the one with the wide windows facing the forest and the morning sun. It had sat empty for years, gathering dust, waiting for a purpose. Now it had one.
I started early, before the pack woke. Shirtless, sleeves rolled up even though there were no sleeves to roll. I hauled in lumber, tools, and the half-finished crib frame I’d been working on in secret for weeks. Sawdust clung to my sweat-slicked chest and hair almost immediately, making my skin gritty. My muscles flexed with every swing of the hammer.
Emma found me around mid-morning.
She leaned in the doorway, wearing one of my old shirts—unbuttoned far enough to show the swell
