Children of the Moon 2

by Yvonne Robertson

  “I’m right here, sweet girl,” she soothed and wiped her face. “Hope is watching for Rafe, he should be here in a few minutes. This little one is impatient to meet his mama.”

  She cried out and gripped India’s hand, squeezing hard as the contraction peaked, then she sighed with relief when it was over.

  India gave her a sip of water and another contraction hit her and she looked at Roisin who raised her eyebrows. This baby was coming, where the hell was Rafe!

  The doctor came running in a few minutes later and Imogen looked so relieved to see him. He examined her and told everyone to get out and to send Seann back upstairs.

  “No India, stay with me.” Imogen gripped her hand and she sat back down on the bed.

  “You can stay and Hope will help me, but the rest have to go. It’s too crowded in here.” Rafe smiled and examined his patient.

  Seann came in and went to her other side, and Imogen grabbed him with her other hand and held on tightly. Her contractions were coming one after the other, and India knew her sister's baby would be here in a matter of minutes.

  “Imogen, I can feel the baby’s head. On your next contraction, I need you to pant; can you do that? Let me see you pant,” Rafe said, imitating what he wanted her to do.

  She squeezed India’s hand as the pain assaulted her again, and she panted as Rafe had shown her while Seann and India encouraged her.

  “Fantastic, everything looks good. On the next pain I need you to push as hard as you can into your bottom Imogen, can you do that?

  She nodded and her face red with exertion she pushed with all her might as the contraction hit her. India’s hand felt mangled with her sister’s strength.

  “Well done, Imogen, the baby’s head is out, one more hard push when I tell you and your baby will be born.

  Seann supported his mates back and when she moaned with the pain as the contraction started to build again, Rafe told her to give another huge push and bring her baby into the world.

  “Aaahhhhh! she yelled and Rafe reached down and lifted the baby as it entered the world, wiping the tiny mouth and putting the red squalling infant onto Imogen's chest. Her sister started to cry when she saw her baby for the first time and Seann just looked stunned.

  “You have a beautiful daughter, Imogen.” Hope said and India felt herself well up too as her sister cradled her tiny baby in her arms and her mate held them both, looking like a man who owned the entire world.

  Hope cleaned the baby while Rafe delivered her afterbirth and India had a little snuggle with her new niece. She was gorgeous and India couldn’t wait until it was her turn. Her sister had a two-hour labor and two pushes to bring her child into the world. India hoped she would be as lucky.

  She waited until Rafe and Hope were finished with their patient and left the room and she too got up and went downstairs to let the new family have some time alone together. Imogen was tired and Seann was delirious with joy.

  “Tell the others they can come up in a little while and meet our daughter,” he said as she closed the door behind her and went downstairs to finally have a little talk with her mate.

  “Let’s take a walk, Garrett,” she held out her hand and he followed her out the front door. She sent a message to Anjelica, it would take them fifteen minutes to get to the park from their house, she needed to talk quickly.

  They walked to the swing park across the street which was deserted this early and she patted the wooden seat beside her and dived right in. She told him everything that had happened from the moment she arrived at Jay Donovan’s house right up until he got home last night. He held her hand and watched her face as she told her story and she felt the moment it registered with him that his little daughter was still alive. He stilled and his eyes widened in shock.

  “Are you sure.” he whispered.

  “Positive, Garrett. She looks like you and even smells like you and Edwards confirmed it when I spoke to him. They kept her away from you so that she would accept Edwards as her father and then when Gabby died, he thought it would help him with her loss. He hasn’t been much of a father figure though; she needs you more than ever.

  He stood up and raked his hands through his hair.

  “Where is she, I need to see her?” His voice was breaking with emotion.

  “You do need to see her. But remember, Garrett, she was too young to remember you. You need to be patient with her,” she said softly, and he nodded and sat back down.

  “What do we do next, where is she?” He was uncertain, but he was smiling and his eyes were filled with unshed tears.

  “She’s over there, coming to see you now.” She pointed to the two figures heading their way and she knew Garrett was fighting his instincts to run to his daughter and grab her, hold her and never let her go again.

  “She is perfect, Garrett. She is beautiful and sweet, and she looks just like you; you’ll see.”

  He turned to her and he swallowed as his daughter approached them.

  “I will never forget this, India, until the day I die. I never thought it possible that you could make me happier than I was with you, but you prove me wrong every single day.”

  She squeezed his hand.

  “Let’s go get to know your little girl.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Garrett

  He was shaking as the girls approached him, he knew the older girl was Jay Donovan’s daughter, who he now knew was his uncle, so Anjelica was actually his cousin, but his eyes were on the little one, his baby, his heart.

  His breath hitched in his throat as she started to run and climbed up onto India’s lap and threw her arms around her neck. In just a couple of days she had earned his daughter’s trust and he hoped he would earn it too.

  She looked curiously at him, but she wasn’t afraid which lightened his heart.

  “Kali, sweetheart, this is Garrett. He is my ma-husband,” she corrected to language the child would understand. “He used to be your mommy’s husband a long time ago, and he is also your Daddy. Do you understand?”

  She looked at Garrett solemnly, and he could see his eyes staring back at him. He desperately wanted to touch her, to hold her, but he followed India’s lead. He doubted if she could grasp what they were telling her; he would just need to be patient, as India said.

  “Ricky told me I had a daddy somewhere,” she said, and India was taken aback.

  “What else did he tell you?” India asked softly.

  “That Mommy was in heaven and that Daddy thought I was too, so he wouldn’t come looking for me,” she said matter of factly, and India was debating her earlier decision not to let Garrett know where Edwards was. He was a piece of work; he could have brought the child back to people who loved her, but he chose not to even though he wasn’t planning on raising her himself.

  “I would have searched for you if I had known, I am so sorry.” he said softly and India’s heart was breaking for him and for his little girl. “But I promise you that I will never lose you again, I love you so much Kali, we are your family, honey and you will stay here with us forever.”

  Garrett tentatively reached out a hand to touch hers, but she surprised him by climbing over India’s lap and settling in his. His arms went around her and he sobbed as he hugged the little girl close; when he breathed deeply, he recognized her sweet scent. This was his baby. His wolf cried; he had mourned her loss, too.

  India couldn’t stop her tears as she watched this sweet moment. She had everything in the world she would ever need right here, and her heart swelled with happiness.

  Anjelica had gone up to the Den to see the new baby and Kali asked if they could go too and Garrett swung her up onto his shoulders as they went back to the Den to meet her new cousin and all her aunts and uncles. India was amazed at how easily she had accepted her father and decided to keep her pregnancy from her for a little while longer. Kali deserved some time being an only child before she had to share the spotlight with another.

  Everyone was overjoyed f
or Garrett and Kali seemed to thrive in the attention of her huge new family. She took a shine to Imogen and loved her baby cousin, who Imogen and Seann had named Everly Grace.

  Roisin made her a stack of pancakes with faces on them and she sat at the table and ate a stack and drank a glass of milk. India smiled as Garrett watched her take every bite, this wouldn’t get old for him, ever. He had missed almost six years of his daughter’s life and he wouldn’t want to miss another minute.

  They spent a couple of hours at the Den before India thought they had outstayed their welcome and should leave them in peace. Imogen had just had a baby and Seann would want a little privacy with his new family too.

  “I think we may have to go into town and do a little shopping, Garrett,” India said, indicating his daughter and he picked up on it immediately. The few pieces of clothing she had were old and already a little small. She needed an entirely new wardrobe and some toys; she didn’t seem to have much of anything.

  “Do you want to go shopping for some new clothes, Kali?” India asked her, and she happily agreed. They said goodbye to everyone, promising to come back tomorrow, and walked back to the cabin to pick up Garrett’s car.

  “Let’s take the truck. I want to get her some things for her bedroom, too,” India said.

  Kali was in the middle of them and was swinging between them, holding their hands as they walked.

  “What’s that on the porch?” India said as they walked down the path, and Garrett smiled as he opened the large cardboard box.

  It was full of used toys and games suitable for a little girl of Kali’s age and India was astonished that the compound grapevine was so fast. In just a couple of hours, they had collected these toys for his daughter and delivered them. How many communities were left that were like this one, none that she knew of?

  Garrett took them inside and India could smell the soap on them as she unpacked, they had cleaned them all too. There was a warm pink jacket with a pink fur collar in among the toys too, maybe a little big but much better than the threadbare one she owned and a booster seat for the car. India wasn’t even aware that they would need one for a kid her age.

  There were several dolls, a little stroller and a doll’s house among the games and even a few DVDs of popular kid’s movies. Garrett set the dollhouse up in her room, and Imogen found a plastic box with a lid to keep the smaller things in. These people were so generous and she didn’t even know who to thank. Everything had been left anonymously, just to make a little girl feel welcome.

  They went into town and spent the entire day buying clothes and bedding, books and a drawing set she wanted, and Garrett had to carry his daughter back to the truck exhausted after their marathon shopping spree. India couldn’t remember when she had so much fun and Kali would have plenty of nice clothes to wear now. Her clothing line didn’t cover Kali’s age group, but India planned to make some samples in her size too. Garrett had spent a fortune on his daughter, but she also knew he was trying to make up for lost time.

  They ate pizza and watched a Disney movie and India was content to watch Garrett and Kali interact and goof around, singing along with the songs. When the wolf pack came on screen Kali perked up and Garrett glanced at India.

  “Oh, those wolves are so cute,” India said and Kali nodded.

  “Mommy loved wolves too, she said they were her favorite animal and they are mine too. We used to see wolves all the time, they are friendly and let you pet them.”

  India smiled.

  Gabby had started to prime her daughter young, as all mothers and fathers in the pack did. She would see wolves coming and going every day, so she would be schooled here in the compound with the other younger kids until she was old enough to keep their secret from outsiders and later on she would go to high school with the others. She would probably transition around sixteen or seventeen as a born wolf.

  Kali squealed with laughter as she bathed her and washed her hair and dressed her in new pajamas and then Garrett read her a bedtime story. She fell asleep under her new unicorn comforter with just her nightlight on and Garrett thought she seemed content and happy to be there with them. He wasn’t fooling himself that there wouldn’t be some issues going forward, but he couldn’t have asked for a better start. If India hadn’t wanted to get photographs of his daughter, he might never have found out she was still alive, he owed his mate everything.

  India had put away all of Kali’s new clothes and toys, showered and was already in bed when he came through. She already had a good relationship with his daughter, Kali trusted her and he knew India was already invested in the little girl.

  He had barely stopped smiling all day long and when he climbed into bed beside her, eyes glowing and pulled her beneath him she wrapped her arms around him and welcomed him, it had been way too long since she felt him inside her and she physically hurt with need.

  “This could be a very long night. I hope you have the stamina for it,” she teased him, and the growl rumbled up from his belly as he nipped her with his teeth. His impatient hands stripped her naked. He teased her with his lips until she was begging for release, and they made love several times through the night until she was finally sated.

  He ran a hand over the tiny swell of her belly and he grinned at the thought of another child to love and spoil in a few months’ time. He would have a dozen with her, but he doubted she would be so eager to fill their house with so many kids. He kissed her swollen belly and pulled her against him, tucked into his side and closed his eyes, more contented than he had ever been in his entire life.

  “I love you, India Rose. I am the luckiest man alive to have you as my mate.”

  The End

  Thank you for reading my new book, I hoped you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. The first book in the series was initially going to be a stand-alone but as the characters developed I had to give India and Garrett a chance to tell their story and then it morphed again into something else and I began thinking about Kandis and the awful things that had happened to her. She deserved to tell her story too, didn’t she? Kandis and Liam will be the focus of book three.

  Please take a few minutes to leave a review. We rely so heavily on the grace of others to spread the word.

  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

  Yvonne x

  Read on for a glimpse into Children of the Moon, book three.

  CHILDREN OF THE MOON

  Book Three

  PROLOGUE

  He had been watching her carefully now for many weeks but there hadn’t been a chance to get close to her, not with all the wolves monitoring the compound and the never-ending drama that plagued this pack. It seemed to have settled down for now and he knew the times of the patrols off by heart. The guards on the gate were mainly teenagers and he had no qualms in disposing of them, but it would be simpler to sneak in unobserved.

  Getting inside the compound was easy.

  She was sitting by the fire pit with the other two women and a sleeping baby, he could smell the seasoned pine and her distinctive scent filled his head. It had tormented his soul for years.

  He barely gave the other two a glance. He was aware they were both beauties and on another day certainly worthy of a second glance. The redhead was fiery and her green eyes flashed when she was annoyed, her senses were sharper than normal. The dark-haired one was undoubtedly the white wolf and could run like the wind. He was surprised she hadn’t seen him coming.

  He had watched them interact with their mates, Donovan and Adair and the wolf who was constantly trying to get close to his girl, Liam McGuire.

  He would kill him first.

  He ignored the sisters and his eyes sought the third woman.

  Kandis!

  Her soft blonde hair hung down her back like spun silk and her gorgeous smile lit her whole face, he could still taste her sweet skin and he closed his eyes for a moment to savor the memory. It had been ten long years and hundreds of other blondes, but they couldn’t hold a ca
ndle to her. She had filled his mind every single day and he knew he would never be satisfied with anyone else.

  She was absolute perfection and she belonged to him.

  She spun around suddenly, her eyes scanned the surrounding trees.

  He suppressed a chuckle; she was smart and sensed someone out here. He had been wearing the other shifters discarded clothes for weeks now to blend their scents and his own faint scent was slowly permeating the air around them until everyone became accustomed to it.

  She wouldn’t remember his scent, she was still human back then without her wolf’s enhanced senses, but she would remember his face.

  He climbed down and took a last look at her before he walked quickly to the perimeter to slip unnoticed under the gap in the fence and down the hill to where he parked his car.

  He had waited ten long years, another few days wouldn’t kill him….

  Other books by the same author:-

  Vampire Brides, Book 1 - To Have And To Hold - Luca and Sierra

  Vampire Brides: To Have and to Hold eBook: Yvonne Robertson: Kindle Store

  Vampire Brides, Book 2 - From This Day Forward - Ettore and Greer

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  Vampire Brides, Book 3 - For Better, For Worse - Aeric and Sorcha

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  Vampire Brides, Book 4 - For Richer, For Poorer - Ronan and Darci

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  Vampire Brides, Book 5 - In Sickness And In Health - Finn and Brynna

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  Craving The Love Of A Vampire Queen

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