The Dark Thrall Mating Olivia

Chapter

Fourteen

In a strange way, it made me happy that they wanted others to know that they wanted me. I tried not to think about that as I finished up my call with Micheal. After I hung up the phone, I pulled out some clothing for Everly.

Taking them into the living room, I got her ready for our walk. Then I pulled the clothing out of the washer and put it into the dryer before starting the next load. I would move the clothing over when we got back from our park trip.

I went into my room, pulling on a pair of fitted yoga pants and a dark blue long sleeve shirt. I pulled on the running shoes that I hadn't used in almost a year before picking up Everly and dragging the stroller out the front door.

The sun was warm on my skin as I set Everly up in the stroller. A cool breeze ruffled my hair and I adjusted her hat, worrying for just a moment if I should run back inside and get her another layer of clothing.

"Do you need more layers? Or are you good?"

She let out a happy bunch of garbled words and I realized I was overthinking this. I had dressed her warm enough for the sunny, cool morning. If she needed anything extra, I had a blanket for breastfeeding beneath the seat of the stroller. I tended to only use it when she was overly tired. If she wasn't, she would try to play peekaboo with me.

"Mommy's being silly, huh?" I asked and she smiled up at me.

I walked around the stroller, gripping the handles before navigating us onto the sidewalk. The house Micheal had put me in was in a quiet neighborhood. Most of my neighbors were aging pack members and young families.

Ones that didn't need as much space as the others did. Or the few that were getting older and didn't want to stay in the packhouse for whatever reason.

My pace was slow. Muscles that I hadn't used in months were stiff and almost painful. I had been curvy before motherhood, but it hadn't done me any favors. Now I just felt gross and unfit, despite being a shifter. My metabolism was fast. But, not fast enough to keep up with the cravings that nursing a baby made me have. It all just made me feel unattractive.

Or, I had until last night, when those dragons had looked at me with their bright glowing eyes. A thrill shot through me just thinking about Killian and Jay.

That they had gone to my alpha to see about dating me. It was like they were declaring their courtship of me and it made my wolf feel something we hadn't felt in so long. The petty part of me hoped that Micheal would tell Everly's father, not that he would care.

Those dragons made me feel desired and I wasn't sure what I wanted. But I knew that I wanted them to look at me the way they had last night.

I picked up my pace, the sound of my footfalls on the pavement joining in with the birds chirping as they woke up. Sweat beaded up along my scalp and my wolf whined in my head. It wasn't fast enough for her, but I knew that I couldn't push my human body much harder. I could only do so much and after this, I would still need to be able to take care of Everly.

My beast could take it, but I could not and I knew that even though we were on parklands, I couldn't shift with Everly. A wolf running with a stroller might raise some eyebrows.

Maybe later I could see if Gloria was okay with watching her. I hated to ask her and Jose, but I knew that it gave her a purpose. Her house was empty with just the two of them and I knew that she missed the noise of her own little pack.

I didn't know what I was going to do when Everly was of the age where she wanted to leave home. Yes, I knew I would have to accept it and it scared me. The thought of my baby girl out there.

Sucking in a breath, I tried not to let panic pull me under. It wouldn't be anytime soon and there was nothing to worry about, but that didn't make the thought of her growing up any easier.

Almost as if she knew what I was thinking about, she let out a bit of chatter.

"Do you like running fast, little pup?" I panted out, looking at the top of her head.

One day, she would shift and I would be able to take her running with me. I couldn't help but wonder what her wolf would look like? Would she be a deep tawny wolf like mine or would she look like her father?

We neared the park and I shook my head, shaking off the thought. I slowed down, feeling my muscles burn, my heart pounded in my chest and I knew that I was going to need to start working out more.

If I wanted to keep up with those dragons, I was going to need to work on my stamina.

I pulled to a stop, pressing my hand into my side as I bent over. Sucking in great lungfuls of air before moving to the front of the stroller and undoing the buckles and picking up Everly. Walking over to the swings, I put her into the smaller rubber swings. Adjusting her legs so she was comfortable in the swing. I grabbed the back of the swing, taking two steps back, I let it go. Her hat fluttered down to the ground and I watched the way her blonde curls moved. She twisted back in her seat looking up at me with that sweet baby smile of hers.

I loved the way she looked at me. Like I was the best thing in her entire world. It soothed hurt parts of me that I didn't even know needed soothing.