Free Wolf-Bound: Unfamiliar Territory by Rachel Bo

fantasy. And now, Marshall and I…we have something. And he’s perfectly fine with the idea of raising someone else’s child, but it’s not fair to him, and…”
    “Oh, honey.” Jen wrapped her arms around Tara and held her close. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you all the help you need. You’re not alone. So many people care about you. We’ll all be here for you. You’ll make it through this, I promise.” She patted Tara’s back. “Everything will be all right. You’ll see.”
    Shuddering, Tara rubbed at her brimming eyes. “You don’t understand.” She sniffed noisily, visibly struggling to get a grip on her emotions, and her sobs faded. “I came to ask you…” She shook her head. “God, I’m so selfish. You’re going to think I’m awful.”
    Jenny pushed Tara’s tear-dampened curls back from her face, cupping her cheeks.
    “Tara, you’re my best friend. You’re not awful, and nothing can make me think that.”
    “I want you to raise the baby.”
    Jenny stared, not certain she had heard correctly. For a long moment, she was speechless.
    “See?” Tara wailed. “I knew you’d think I was horrible!”
    “No, no.” Jenny let go of her friend’s face and stepped back, running a hand through her dark brown hair. “This is just…unexpected. I’ve thought from the beginning that you knew more about Damien and Devlin than you let on. To find out all at once that you’ve known since you were kids, and that you’ve been involved with weyr yourself, and… Us raising your baby, it’s… I understand your reasoning, and I don’t think you’re horrible to admit that you’re not ready for children, if that’s the way you really feel. But…are you sure?
    This is a big decision. Are you sure you’ve thought it through?”
    “Yes. And I’ve talked it over with Marshall, too -- leaving the wolf part out, of course.”
    She wandered over to the swing and sat down, staring up at Jenny. “He’s really wonderful.”
    Her tone softened as she spoke of him. “I love him, Jen. He hasn’t asked me to marry him yet, but I think he will, and I want to accept. He’s told me over and over that he’ll help with the baby any way he can, but if I marry him, I want to do it right. I want him to myself for a while, and when we do have kids, I want to plan ahead of time, have him with me every step of the way.” Her eyes filled with tears again. “Is that selfish?”
    Jen leaned back against the porch rail, giving a half-shrug. “Honestly, it is, but I understand. Still…”

    Wolf-Bound: Unfamiliar Territory

    43
    “I shouldn’t have come.” Tara buried her head in her hands, her words muffled. “It’s too much to ask. I knew it was. Why would you want to take on another child? You’re having twins; you’re going to have your hands full from day one. I just…I couldn’t face the idea of giving my baby up to strangers.”
    Jenny walked over to the swing and rested a hand on Tara’s shoulder. “I don’t think you’re asking too much. A lot, yes, but not too much. And I have no qualms whatsoever about raising three boys instead of two, especially if it’s for you. It’s just that… Well, I have to be honest with you, Tara. If we do this, if Damien and I adopt your baby…” She shook her friend’s shoulder gently until Tara raised her head and looked her in the eyes. Jen tried to soften her words, but there was still a bite to her tone. “If you were ever to regret your decision, it would destroy our friendship. I’ve heard too many horror stories of children living with adoptive parents for, sometimes, several years, and then the biological parent decides they want their baby back. It’s traumatic for everyone involved, but we would fight, Tara, because we will love your boy every bit as much as our own; you know we will. And I don’t believe a child should be ripped from loving parents, from the only home they’ve ever known. We’d fight, and we’d win.”
    Tara grinned, though