Six months later
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I emerged from my study, stretching my neck after hours hunched over quarterly reports. The moment I stepped into our living room, my eyes found Rebecca.
She paced the spacious room, one hand supporting her very prominent baby bump. Even from across the room, my enhanced hearing picked up her muttered words.
“Dr. Winters said I still have two weeks until my due date,” she was saying to herself, wincing slightly. “Take it easy in there, little wolf.”
My heart swelled at the sight. Rebecca’s body had changed so much over these past months–her slender frame now round with our child, her skin glowing with a vitality that took my breath away. My wolf stirred possessively within me, pleased at the evidence of our successful mating.
“How are you feeling today?” I asked, making my way toward her. “Is our little cub still playing soccer with your internal organs?”
She turned to me with a smile that never failed to warm my blood. “He never seems to sleep. I’m convinced he’s going to be just as stubborn as his father.”
I couldn’t resist placing my hand on her belly, feeling the taut skin beneath the soft fabric of her dress. Almost immediately, I felt a powerful kick against my palm. Pride surged through me–this was my son, already strong, already fighting.
“Strong, like his mother,” I said, unable to keep the satisfaction from my voice.
Rebecca opened her mouth to reply, but instead gasped suddenly, grabbing my arm for support. “Ouch!” she cried out. “That felt… different.”
Instantly, all my senses went on high alert. I scanned her face, noting the surprise and pain in her expression. “Different how?”
“I don’t know. Sharper. More intense than the Braxton Hicks contractions I’ve been having.” She took a deep breath as whatever had pained her seemed to pass. “It’s probably nothing. Just–ah!”
Another wave of pain hit her, stronger this time. My wolf surged forward, desperate to protect its mate.
“Rebecca?” I couldn’t keep the worry from my voice.
“I think-” She broke off, and my keen eyes caught the sudden darkening of the fabric between her legs. “Oh God, my water just broke.”
Time seemed to slow down. My years of business negotiations, of pack leadership, of making split–second decisions all condensed into this moment. Without hesitation, I closed my eyes, focusing on the golden thread that connected me to Dr. Winters through our pack bonds. I sent out an urgent call, feeling the acknowledgment ripple back almost immediately.
“Silvercrest Medical Center,” I said aloud. “Dr. Winters will meet us there.”
I swept Rebecca into my arms, cradling her against my chest. Her weight, even with the baby, was nothing to my werewolf strength. I breathed in her scent, cataloging every nuance of it to monitor her condition.
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Chapter 219
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“The baby’s coming, my Luma,” I told her, keeping my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me. Our son is ready to join
us.”
My heart hammered against my tibs as I carried her to the car. My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, sensing our cub’s imminent
arrival.
It’s too early,” Rebecca whispered, her face pale with pain. “Two weeks early.”
“Werewolf babies often come carly,” I assured her, carefully settling her in the passenger seat. It’s a good sign–means he’s strong and eager to meet us.”
I drove with focused precision, one hand on the wheel, the other holding Rebecca’s. Each time a contraction hit, her grip tightened painfully on my fingers, but I welcomed the discomfort. I would have taken all her pain if I could.
By the time we reached Silvercrest Medical Center, Rebecca’s contractions were coming every eight minutes. Dr. Winters was waiting for us at the entrance, flanked by two nurses with a wheelchair.
“Right on time,” she said briskly as I helped Rebecca into the chair. “Let’s get you to the delivery suite and see how things are progressing.”
The next hour passed in a blur of activity. Rebecca was changed into a hospital gown and hooked up to monitors that tracked both her vitals and the baby’s. I never left her side, my wolf refusing to be separated from its mate at such a critical time.
Dr. Winters performed an examination, her expression becoming slightly concerned. The scent of her worry reached me before her words
did.
“The cervix is dilating slower than I’d like,” she informed us. “And the baby’s heart rate is showing some irregular patterns.”
Fear clawed at my chest. “What does that mean?”
“It’s not uncommon in mixed–species births,” Dr. Winters explained, adjusting something on the monitor. “Werewolf babies are typically larger than human infants, which can make labor more challenging.”
Rebecca’s face contorted with another contraction, her knuckles white as she gripped the bedrails. “Something feels wrong,” she gasped when it finally passed. “This pain is… it’s too intense.”
Dr. Winters nodded gravely. “I was afraid of this. Her hybrid physiology is still adapting, and the baby’s werewolf traits are making this more difficult than a standard human birth.”
Sweat beaded on Rebecca’s forehead as she panted through another wave of pain. “I don’t know if I can do this,” she whispered, tears gathering in her eyes. “It hurts so much.”
I felt utterly helpless, watching her suffer. My mate, my Luna, the strongest person I knew, reduced to tears by pain I couldn’t shield her from. “Is there anything we can do? Anything at all?”
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15:16 Mon, Sep 29
Mated by Contract to the Alpha
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