A Year and a Half Later
Lyla sits at the edge of the bath tub, waiting anxiously for the five minutes to pass. She hadn't talked to Paul about taking the pregnancy test in case it came up false. She had assumed, like everyone else had over the passed years in the tribe, that she was infertile. No female that had turned into a wolf member, had become pregnant.
There were five recorded over the years, including Lyla. The shewolf thought back to reading over those women's journal entries. Two had never found their imprints or chosen a mate of their own, and the other was much older when she phased. It never stated that they hadn't tried to become pregnant, nor did it state they did try. And, of course, there was Leah, but she hadn't imprinted yet. So everyone simply assumed females were infertile.
Lyla rubbed her shaking hands into her thighs, trying to calm down the thought. What if she could never have cubs? She wouldn't be a fitting mate for Paul. The men were supposed to be warriors, not the women. She was never meant to phase, she was meant to be a tribe woman, to marry into a good family and have children.
She knew better, she knew she could never be happy as an ordinary woman after knowing what mateship with Paul was like, but it didn't change that she did want a baby with Paul.
Her watched beeped, she had set it for exactly five minutes. Lyla stayed sitting, trying to give the test an extra minute before she finally stood and walked over to where it was on the counter. Her eyes were closed tight as she took in a sharp breath. What was she gonna do if she wasn't pregnant?
Lyla looked down at the test, it was negative. Negative. She checked the box to make sure she had read it correctly. Lyla's heart fell into the pit of her stomach at the thought. She and Paul had sex all the time, period or not. How could she not be?
The shewolf picked up the box and test, stuffing it to the bottom of the trash. She heard Paul come into the house and proceed to where she was. Lyla flushed the toilet and washed her hands. Checking her face she quickly wiped away her tears of disappointment.
"Lyla? Baby, what's wrong?" Hearing how concerned he was made her heart skip. She had done poorly at hiding her emotions from him, but really, she was too upset to try and deny it. Lyla opened the door and stepped into his waiting arms. Her own coiled around his neck as she began to sob into the curve of his throat.
Paul didn't say anything, instead reaching down to grab the back of her thighs and pull her up against him. He carried her over to their bed and fell onto his back with her resting above him. He rubbed her back and whispered soft words against her hair until her crying died down. Lyla didn't move for a while, feeling his hands on her back and through her raven hair.
"What's wrong, baby? Tell me." His hand curled lightly around the back of her neck, hearing a little sigh come from her lips.
"I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid." She sits up then, her gorgeous tan features formed into a frown as she averted her gaze from his.
"Didn't want to tell me what?" Paul stroked his hand over her side, watching her run a hand through her hair. "You know I've been sick lately, and I've been getting strange cravings. I thought I might be pregnant, so I took a test."
Paul sat up straight at the word 'pregnant', his hands catching her hips as she started to slide back a bit off his lap, the pair sitting on the edge of the bed. He was about to open his mouth and ask, probably the dumbest question of his life when he caught himself. He understood suddenly why she was so upset.
"You're not pregnant." She shook her head 'no', her lower lip trembling as her arms came to wrap around his neck. "That's alright, honey. We have time."
Lyla shook her head again, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. "What if I can't get pregnant? What if I'm infertile?" The worried expression crossed her face before she could pull it back, a look of utter despair washing it away.
"Lyla, we don't have to have a baby. I'm perfectly content with just having you." The sincerity in his eyes was enough to make Lyla want to cry again. She knew they both wanted a baby just as badly, but if Lyla couldn't give that to him…
"I fail you as a mate if I don't have a baby, Paul. That's what Quileute woman are supposed to do." Paul leaned in, kissing her with a ferocity she was all too familiar with. His fingers meshed into her hair to hold her into the kiss, his hand squeezing her hip.
They kissed for a long moment, Paul dragging it out as much as possible. He only finally pulled away when she nipped his lower lip. "I love you, Lyla. Baby or not. You're my everything, you will never fail me."
Lyla nodded as a new wave of tears slipped down her cheeks, her eyes closing as he shifted her to rest under him. Paul's hands were everywhere and nowhere within the same breath, his mouth traveling all over her jaw, neck and chest as he tugged away her thin top.
As they rolled around in the bed, each losing articles of clothing rather quickly, Lyla realized she and Paul had so much time. She hoped she could have a child someday, maybe the guardians had a bigger plan for her and Paul.
