'Okay...' Roxy slid into the spot next to her. Cleo was acting strange. Very strange.
'Notice anything different about me?' Cleo shot up from the couch, hands on hips as she done a twirl. Roxy raked her eyes from her perfectly straight hair, light covering of make-up on her face to the outfit of skinny jeans, a turtle neck sweater and tall boots.
'I dunno...' she hesitated, nodding at the dark green wool stretching against her belly. 'You got fat?' Before she could defend herself, a tasselled pillow was being flung into her face, knocking her into the back of the couch. 'Ow!'
Cleo whipped some askew hair from her pretty face and smiled brightly. 'You can't just call she-wolves fat, Roxy. The politically correct term is pregnant.'
'Pregnant?' Roxy screwed up her face before jumping up when the penny dropped. She looked to her sister's round belly. 'You're pregnant!'
'Yes!' 
Tears flooded both the sister's eyes as they embraced, jumping up and down happily in a circle. Roxy clutched at her sister tightly. A baby was just the type of happy news they needed to break through the heavy blanket that'd been cast over their lives. She was going to be an aunty and Cleo a mother. Roxy couldn't think of anyone more destined for the role. With their emotions settling, the sisters resumed their spot on the couch.
'So Trent is happy, I'm guessing? There's going to be an heir for his pack!'
The way Cleo's usually happy face fell told Roxy she'd been wrong. 'I mean yeah he's happy but now there's someone else he has to worry about.' She sighed heavily. 'If the rogues wanting us is to do with our mysterious bloodlines, then I'm a package deal.'
Roxy felt sick. She wanted to tell her about the information overload she'd learnt from their imprisoned rogue but now wasn't the time. Like Cleo said, tomorrow was the serious day and today they would enjoy being in each other's company again. For now, she would relish in the surrealness that she was going to be an aunty.
Roxy cuddled her sister to her side, placing a hand on her growing belly. It was surreal to imagine a new little life blooming inside. 'It'll all be okay, Cleo. No one is going to allow any harm to come to you or your growing family.'
Cleo reached out and grasped her hands, tears misting her eyes. Roxy knew they couldn't ignore the dangers of their lives, but in this moment, all she wanted was to be a werewolf as close to normalcy as possible again.
'So, how's the pregnancy going?'
Cleo sighed and rubbed her round belly. 'Good as growing an Alpha baby can be I guess.'
'An Alpha baby?' Roxy quirked an eyebrow.
Cleo pinched the bridge of her nose between manicured fingertips. 'I've done a shocking job of educating you about these things.' She adjusted herself on the couch so they were facing each other directly. 'Roxy, you're coming to learn that when you're soulmates with an Alpha the fantasies of it are quickly diminished, right?'
'Um sure.' She frowned. 'They have heightened emotions, you're not only with them but their entire pack and good luck going on a holiday more than a certain radius from the territory.'
Cleo laughed lightly. 'Sure, there's that, but there are also others things...' She grinned mischievously. 'Like when it comes time for you and Isaac to have your own babies.'
Roxy flushed and laughed nervously. 'Cleo, Isaac and I are not having babies any time soon. We're still not even together, remember?'
Cleo cocked her head to the side. 'With the way you've been acting you could fool me.' At Roxy's blush, she continued talking. 'But there's something you need to know – something I need to prepare you for.' She cleared her throat. 'No werewolf pregnancy is smooth sailing. Not even a human one is at times. There's morning sickness, the aches and pains, the craving and oh my Moon Goddess, the tiredness!'
'Please don't tell me you're going to say having an Alpha baby has higher risks?' groaned Roxy.
'Not risks.' Her sister shrugged. 'More like... negatives. An Alpha baby pregnancy is more extreme than an Omega's. Every symptom is next level. Normally a werewolf will carry for six months but sometimes with the Alpha genetics, it causes the baby to grow more rapidly. Some Alpha soulmates give birth at five months and the labour is... well, I'm not going to sugar coat it. Torturous.'
Roxy gulped. 'How so?'
'The pain is like the pain you feel during your first shift but it carries on for hours. Sometimes days.' Cleo's eyes widened.
Roxy was beginning to feel faint. Children were a long way off for herself but the thought of having one was already terrifying her by what Cleo was saying. She was hoping her leg was being pulled but her sister's serious expression told her she was dead serious.
In the end Roxy gave an unladylike snort. 'I'm glad you're about to pop one out and not me.'
'Bitch.' Cleo gave her the middle finger but a grin was on her face.
'Actually, that's you,' giggled Roxy.
Her sister gave a dramatic groan and threw herself into the spongey couch. 'Don't remind me.'