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1044 Words
Selene wasn’t sure how to respond to Francesca’s offer.
She had only taken an interest in healing because she thought it might improve her status within the pack, and because it would give Robin a reasonable excuse for asking her to spend time alone with him.
It had been far more satisfying than she expected, and she was aware that she was naturally talented because no matter how she was spoken to the rest of the time, she was the one people asked for when they needed help.
She hadn’t thought about her personal feelings toward Francesca when she showed up to help her - she only considered the fact it was important not to leave her alone.
The moment she saw that the baby was a white wolf was the first time she had ever struggled to remain calm, and even then she pushed the shock and disbelief aside after a few moments.
She wasn't too uncomfortable around humans, either, and she knew she would probably do well if she took the chance.
"I'll have to think about it. I have a lot to do here now, and I always feel bad leaving Robin with other people."
"I'm sure Nathan won't mind helping now he's back."
She knew that, but she didn't feel comfortable asking when he had been gone for so long that the boy probably wouldn't even remember him.
"I won't mind what?"
Selene span around, and she was relieved she hadn't said anything because Sawyer was standing behind her.
"Nothing important," Selene waved her hand dismissively, and entirely unconvincingly. "Where's Elizabeth?"
"At home. I assume that's where Klara is?"
"You should tell them to come over here," Francesca interrupted before Selene could answer Sawyer, "I think it would be nice to celebrate, and it's not as if I have any real friends."
Sawyer looked awkward, and he held out the bag of groceries he was carrying for Francesca to take.
"Maybe tomorrow...it wouldn't be fair on Karoline if she came back to find us all here. I just wanted to bring you this."
He left before either of the women could figure out what had bothered him, and Francesca put the bag on the side with the clothes Selene had brought over without looking at it.
She smiled awkwardly and nodded at the pile of things.
"I know you won't believe me, but I don't think I've ever been given as much as this."
"You still haven't; the things aren't for you. The clothes are for Saga, and it looks like your brother noticed your complete lack of basic supplies and picked up some diapers from the store."
"Right…" Francesca smiled, but she looked dejected that Selene hadn't just made polite smalltalk with her and it made Selene feel guilty. "I should go and feed Saga - I don't want to find out how much bigger my breasts can get in the space of an hour and I'm sure you have more important places to be. Thank you for the clothes...and I am serious about the offer. You would made a great doctor."
Selene still felt guilty, but she took the opportunity to leave and Francesca was left alone in the hallway.
She felt lost, and she was staring at the door thinking about the night she had to kill Jonas' nephew to defend herself.
It made her feel strange to know how much things had changed since then, and she hadn't realized that her eyes were blurred with tears until she heard Jonas moving in Karoline's bedroom.
She blinked several times to get rid of the tears and forced herself to smile before she went to speak to him.
He returned the smile when he saw her, but his eyes were fixed on her chest and she glanced down and felt her cheeks burning when she noticed the wet patches on her top.
"I guess I'm happy to see you," she muttered as she picked the sleeping baby up from the cupboard drawer they had removed and lined with blankets to function as a crib, and sat down on a chair Jonas had moved into Karoline's bedroom earlier without considering whether they should rearrange her furniture. "Selene and Nathan both dropped off things for Saga but I don't have any idea how to dress a baby - will you please try after I've finished feeding her?"
He didn't have any more experience than she did, but he could see she was exhausted and this wasn't the time to remind her that neither of them knew what they were doing.
"I'll do my best...and perhaps I could take the things over to our house while you're doing that?"
Francesca looked down at the baby in her arms.
She had woken up to feed without any provocation and Francesca was grateful to Selene for her advice because it instantly relieved the pressure that was making her uncomfortable and she wasn't alarmed by the fact she felt like she was starting to have contractions again.
"She's hungry…"
Jonas' comment as he handed Francesca a cup of water made her blush, and she wasn't entirely sure why.
"She's a white wolf. If what I've read about them is true, she is going to be draining for me to sustain. I just hope I can give her everything she needs."
"You're strong enough that you brought her into this world when nobody else has managed to carry a child like that for generations. She wouldn't be here if you weren't capable of sustaining her, she's just getting nourishment from you in a different way now. You need to be kind to yourself, and I will support you however I can."
"I wish I still had all of my books. I thought I knew a lot but it feels like I skimmed over more about white wolves than I can remember. If I had known…"
"How could you possibly have known? You didn't think I would want to take you back when you left, and I know you didn't think we would start a family. She's here now - we don't need books to know what a white wolf is and how it should act; we get to raise her and find out first hand."
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