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    Chapter 0803


    I managed a weak smile, resting my head against his chest. He was right the constant stress and upheavaltely was undoubtedly taking its toll. I needed to find healthier ways to cope with the pressures weighing on me.


    "You should go back to yoga," he said softly, wrapping his arm around me as we headed to the car. "And I''ll do whatever I can to ensure that your life at home is as stress-free as possible."


    I let out a tiny snort. "Sometimes, I think I thrive on stress."


    "Maybe you do. But the baby doesn''t." Enzo opened the car door for me, but before I could get in, he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. He didn''t need to say anything; I knew what he was going to say.


    "I''ll go," I said softly, cing my hand over his. "I''ll go to yoga tomorrow, and twice a week for the foreseeable future."


    "And...?" Enzo urged.


    I sighed. "And I''ll start letting myself rx," I finished. "For the baby''s sake."


    Enzo''s face softened. He nodded and leaned in, pressing a warm kiss to my lips. "For the baby''s sake," he whispered.


    The next morning, I headed back to the studio, yoga mat in hand. I had to admit, I was a bit nervous about encountering that unpleasant woman again. But to my relief, the ss seemed to consist of all new faces.


    Well, almost all new faces. As I was spreading out my mat, I noticed a vaguely familiar woman setting up nearby. It took me a moment to ce her then it clicked. This was the kind woman who had met me for coffee back when I had been having issues with the other woman.


    I shot her a warm smile as she nced over. She blinked at me for a moment, clearly trying to ce my face, before recognition shed through her eyes.


    "Hey!" she said, grabbing her yoga mat and moving closer to me. "Long time no see."


    I blushed a bit. "Things got... busy," I said. "How have you been?"


    She shrugged, rubbing her rounded belly with one hand. She looked like she was about to pop. "Eight months along," sheughed. "So I''ve been better, to say the least."


    "I can imagine." I settled onto my yoga mat beside her and began to stretch in preparation for ss. Soon, we were chatting like old friends and even had ns for another coffee date. I learned that the woman who had been bothering me before had moved out of town with a new boyfriend, and that I wasn''t the only one who was relieved by her absence.


    But most of all, it was a relief to feel ''normal'' for a little while. I realized, as I went through the yoga routine, just how important it was to give myself these little pockets of normalcy.


    After all, it might have felt as though the world was ending on more than one asion, but life went on here in Mountainview. And there was somethingforting about the fact that the people here,rgely, didn''t know about werewolves or shifter politics.


    By the time ss was over, I already felt lighter and was looking forward to the next ss. I made ns to meet up with my new friend for coffeeter that week, and for a little while, everything felt okay.


    With a contented sigh, I headed out to the parking lot... only to stop short as my phone began ringing. It was Enzo. A crease formed between my brows as I lifted the phone to my ear; he was on Alpha duty today at HQ, and a call from him was unexpected.


    "Hey, what''s up?" I asked as I picked up the phone.


    "Come to HQ," Enzo said without preamble, almost breathlessly. "Quickly."