Chapter 100: Whispers from the Womb

Trishelle’s POV

The warm ceramic mug felt like a small anchor in my trembling hands as I rubbed the curve of my belly with my free palm. Mrs. Shine, the head Omega and pack cook, had sworn by this lavender and chamomile blend, and after weeks of pregnancy jitters, I’d become a true believer. The tea soothed the constant buzz of nerves that had taken up residence in my chest since my return to Goldmoon.

My stomach had rounded considerably over the past few days, stretching the fabric of the maternity dresses Bradley and James had insisted on filling my closet with. Both Lorenzo and El assured me everything looked perfect—better than expected, even. El seemed particularly convinced that my powers, though still dormant beneath the surface, were already influencing the pup.

"The little one responds to your energy," she’d told me just yesterday, her dark eyes alight with certainty. "There’s a strong possibility your pup will be born an Alpha."

I hoped so, but the memory of my own life as a lowly omega at Bloodmoon crept in uninvited—the harsh treatment, the constant fear, the way I’d been invisible to everyone except Rosie and Sammy. I shook my head to dispel the shadows. That was another lifetime. I’d watched James transform in ways I never imagined possible, and I knew, without a shred of doubt, that no matter what rank our child was born into, both my mates would love this baby fiercely and unconditionally.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts, and Lorenzo poked his head in, Nicole trailing behind him, her own baby bump now unmistakable beneath the new uniform Bradley had commissioned for all pack members in administrative positions. Bradley had mentioned with no small pride that pregnancy rates in the pack had nearly doubled since Nicole’s arrival—something about her omega presence creating a sense of security that encouraged pack growth.

"Come in," I called, waving them forward as I awkwardly pushed myself off the bed, my movements growing clumsier by the day.

Lorenzo completed his morning exam with practiced efficiency, his hands gentle as he measured my belly and listened to the pup’s heartbeat. "Everything looks perfect," he said, smiling as he straightened up. "Only a few more weeks until your due date."

Nicole stepped closer, her own hand resting on her belly. "Have you decided on any names yet?"

I shook my head. "James and Bradley can’t agree on anything."

The two of us rubbed our bumps in unison, and the synchronicity drew laughter from everyone in the room. Another quick knock sounded, and Bradley poked his head in, his dark hair still damp from an early morning run.

"What’s so funny?" He crossed the room in three long strides, stopping beside me and helping me sit back on the edge of the bed.

"Just happy to know everything’s okay," I said, smiling up at him as he brushed a stray strand of hair from my face.

He glanced at Lorenzo for confirmation, and at the doctor’s nod, his shoulders visibly relaxed. "That’s always good to hear." He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. "I’m gonna take a shower, and then we can go for our morning walk."

As he and Lorenzo left the room, I wriggled off the bed and made my way to the closet in search of a light scarf. The mornings had grown cooler with autumn approaching, and my body seemed more sensitive to temperature changes now. As I sifted through the new clothes, I felt the pup stir—a familiar flutter that had become my constant companion since the second trimester.

But then something different happened.

A small whisper brushed against my mind, faint but unmistakable. My heart leaped into my throat. The sound came again, clearer this time, and I could have sworn it formed a single word.

"Mommy."

My hands began to shake, and I gripped the wall for support, bending forward as the pup seemed to grow more animated within me. I reached out to El through our mental connection, desperate for reassurance.

Did you hear that?

El’s response was hesitant. I heard something, but... pups don’t typically communicate this early. Not from the womb.

But what if—

Bradley entered moments later, his face tightening as the scent of my fear hit him. "Trishelle? What’s wrong?"

Before he could reach me, his phone rang. He answered without checking the caller ID, already certain of who waited on the other end.

"James," he said, his voice tight with concern. "Something’s happening with Trishelle."

He switched the call to speaker so I could hear, and James’s worried voice crackled through the line. "Trish, what’s going on? I can feel your distress. Is it time? Are you in labor?"

"I’m fine," I said, shaking my head at Bradley’s deepening scowl. "I’m not in labor."

"Then what—"

"It’s just..." I paused, biting my lip. How could I explain something that sounded impossible even to my own ears? At Bradley’s gentle urging, I took a deep breath. "I’m not sure, and neither is El, but I swear I heard the pup call me ’Mommy.’"

James’s shocked exclamation was so loud through the speaker that it made me jump. The pup reacted too, kicking sharply against my ribs. I instinctively stepped back from the phone, one hand pressed protectively to my belly.

"Calm down," Bradley said, though I could feel him fighting to rein in his own surging emotions. He shook his head. "Hon, that can’t be possible. Pups don’t develop mental voice capabilities until after birth."

I pouted, wanting desperately for it to be true, for this small miracle to be real. "I know it’s not usually what happens, but what if in my homeland, this were common? What if wolves there could communicate with their pups in the womb? I mean, who would have thought that I’d turn out to be a princess from another realm with a wolf of my own?"

Bradley shook his head slowly, trying to wrap his mind around the possibilities. James, however, sounded far more open to the idea.

"You’re right, my love," he said through the phone. "Knowing what we do now, it’s entirely possible. We still don’t fully understand what your powers may be capable of." He muted the call for a few seconds, and when he returned, his voice had steadied. "What I want to know is whether everything else is fine. The pup’s health, your health—those are what matter right now."

Bradley answered for me. "Yes, Lorenzo was just here, and he said everything looks good. Our mate should be ready to give birth within the next two to three weeks. The pup is healthy, and so is Trishelle."

James sighed, and I could imagine him leaning back in his office chair, rubbing his tired eyes. He hadn’t been sleeping well in days. Since his return, he’d spent every spare moment sorting through neglected duties and setting things in order, just in case.

As though reading my thoughts, I asked gently, "James, have you told the pack yet about me being your mate?"

James rubbed the back of his neck—a familiar gesture of discomfort I’d come to recognize. "Not as yet. I wanted to get my affairs in order first. A lot of things fell behind once you came back into my life and stole my heart along with my attention." He chuckled softly. "Besides, I still haven’t found the right words to tell everyone that I share my mate with my sworn enemy."

His words drew laughter from all three of us, easing some of the earlier tension. I took the phone from Bradley and stepped away, switching off the speaker and holding it close to my ear.

"I know it’s a lot," I said softly, "but I want you to know that I will be here, by your side, through all of it."

On the other end, James went quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was thick with emotion. "I swear, Trishelle, I will give you no reason to regret giving me this chance, to regret accepting me as your mate."

I smiled through my own tears and blew him a kiss through the receiver, then gently encouraged him to return to his work so he could come back to us all the sooner.

Turning away, I blinked back tears I couldn’t quite explain, though I felt grateful when Bradley folded me into his arms without a word. I sniffed against his chest and looked up at him, overwhelmed with gratitude for the two remarkable men who filled my life with such devotion.

Bradley rocked me gently until my sniffling subsided, then leaned back to wipe away the last stray tears from my cheeks. "How about you wash your face, and we go for our walk, hmmm?"

I nodded, and once I’d freshened up, we left the room hand in hand. As we descended the stairs, Bruno passed by, seemingly headed for the training grounds, and his appearance sparked an idea in Bradley’s mind. He linked Sam, requesting a meeting with his Beta and Trixy, Sam’s mate, then reached out to his aunt Cynthia as well. Perhaps, between the lot of them, they could determine whether what I’d described was even possible.

We made our way toward the training grounds, where I spotted Sammy running drills with the warriors. I called out to him, and he turned at once, jogging over to greet his best friend and little sister.

I tried to hurry to meet him halfway, though my rounded stomach reduced my gait to something closer to a waddle—a sight Bradley found utterly endearing, if the amusement rolling through our mate bond was any indication.

We embraced as though we hadn’t seen

each other in months, despite having shared dinner together only the night before. Sammy’s familiar scent of pine and earth surrounded me, a comforting reminder of our shared childhood.

"Look at you," he said, his hands gently cupping my belly before rubbing it affectionately. "Getting bigger every day."

As if in response, the pup kicked sharply against Sammy’s palm. His eyes widened with delight. "Whoa there, little one. Uncle Sammy’s right here." He leaned closer to my stomach. "I’m going to teach you how to hunt, how to track, how to fight like a proper warrior. We’re going to have so much fun, you and me."

He glanced up at me, his expression softening. "And you’ll have plenty of cousins to play with soon, if Alexis and I are blessed with a child of our own."

The warriors nearby began teasing him mercilessly about being whipped by his mate and the future Luna. Sammy’s devilish grin was all the warning they got.

"You think this is funny?" he called out, spinning around to face them. "Thirty laps around the field. Now!"

The men groaned collectively. One muttered under his breath, and Sammy’s eyes narrowed. "Make that fifty laps. And I don’t want to hear another word unless it’s ’Yes, Delta.’"

One arched brow later, they all took off running without further complaint. I laughed and punched him lightly in the arm. "You’re being too hard on them."

Sammy shook his head. "They need to respect you, Luna, no matter what. Isn’t that right, Alpha?"

Bradley hid his smile and nodded solemnly. "You are right, and they also need to listen to their new Delta."

Sammy’s eyes widened. "Me?" he squeaked, his voice cracking with disbelief.

Bradley simply nodded, his expression steady and sincere. "Not only have you been an asset training my men while we were away, you held down the fort, settled grievances, and showed fair judgment through it all. I want you to be my Delta, though we won’t announce it until both packs are gathered together. It’s going to be a time for surprises, and I think it’s better to lay everything out at once. After that, we’ll hold our bonding ceremony, and I hope you and Alexis will hold yours as well."

He pulled me close, and glancing down at me, he saw pure joy lighting my face for my dearest friend. "Besides, I’d do anything to keep my mate here and happy, and what better way than ensuring you’re part of my pack."

I elbowed him sharply in the ribs, and he feigned agony. "Owww... I need to ask Dr. Lorenzo whether violent outbursts are a normal part of late-stage pregnancy."

Their laughter rang out together, and turning me gently around, they left the training grounds behind, heading toward the scenic path that wound through the heart of their pack’s territory.

My heart grew light at the thought of my friend’s promotion, giddy with excitement, and found myself wishing Rosie could have been there to witness it. The thought settled into something heavier almost immediately, and Bradley, sensing the shift in my mood, stopped walking and gently lifted my face toward his.

"What’s wrong, love? I thought you’d be happy for Sammy."

"I am," I whispered, "it’s just that I wish Rosie were here to see it."

At his quiet inquiry, I told him everything about the woman who had raised me at Bloodmoon, all the sacrifices Rosie had made for me and Sammy over the years. How she’d given up her own chance at a family to take us in after our parents died, how she’d worked herself to the bone to keep us fed and clothed, how she’d protected us from the worst of the pack’s cruelty.

Bradley held my hand throughout, squeezing gently whenever he sensed I needed a bit of strength to continue. We settled onto a nearby bench, and I finished recounting my memories, my voice thick with emotion.

"She sounds like a remarkable woman," Bradley said, pulling me into a hug. "I wish I could have met her."

I sniffed and looked up at my mate, marveling at how completely my life had transformed since those difficult days. "Me too. She would have loved you."

Bradley leaned back against the bench, pulling me down with him, content simply to hold me.

I nestled into his shoulder as we sat together, soaking in the mid-morning sun as it filtered gently through the trees above. Before long, Bradley felt my body relax fully against him, and soon a tiny, contented snore escaped my slightly parted lips.

Bradley smiled and pressed a soft kiss to my head, his heart full. He reflected on everything I’d shared about Rosie, turning over in his mind what he might do to honor the woman who had raised his mate with such love and sacrifice. As his own eyes grew heavy beneath the gentle breeze, a small idea began to take root, growing steadily as he drifted off into a peaceful doze beside me.

What do you think about Bradley’s idea forming in his mind to honor Rosie?