by Lisa Ladew
All of their phones but Willow’s were blowing up.
“Baby time!” Cerise yelled, and took off at a run toward the exit. Everyone but Bruin followed.
He waited for Willow.
Chapter 22
Bruin followed the two trucks ahead of him, squinting as they made a turn he hadn’t anticipated. This wasn’t the way to Trevor’s house.
He checked in with Willow. “Are you sure you’re cool with this? I’ll take you home if you’d rather.”
Willow shook her head. “Are you kidding me? This is the most exciting thing that’s happened in ages.” She looked sheepishly at him. “I live a boring life.”
He could deal with boring. “Boring can be good.”
She made a face like that was the exact opposite thing from what she was thinking. “Whose baby is it again? Rogue said she had six sisters, and two of them were pregnant?”
Bru frowned. “Actually, I’m not sure.”
He checked in with Crew. Who is in labor?
Shay. She has been for hours, but they say things are happening fast now.
Shay? Bruin frowned, confused. The hospital is the other way, he sent back.
Wade had her transferred to the mobile facility near Trevor’s place. Everyone’s worried the babies will be… you know.
Right. Bruin knew. Their first job was to protect the humans from Khain, but their second job was to protect the humans from any knowledge of Khain’s evil plans for them. If the babies were… other? His mind pulsed strangely before he could finish the thought-.
He opened his eyes with the truck in the ditch and Willow on his lap, slapping his face lightly. “Bruin, talk to me, please, are you ok?”
He blinked hard. “What happened?”
“You… you went blank. Your eyes kind of stared off at nothing and your head slumped and you pulled your hands off the steering wheel. Your foot off the gas, too. I had to climb on top of you to stomp on the brake.”
Bruin threw the truck in park, then wrapped his hands around Willow’s waist and pulled her in for a kiss, that purring starting as soon as he did. “I’m sorry,” he breathed. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Her expression went suspicious. “Is that something you do often?”
He shook his head. “Not often.” Although it was becoming more frequent lately, which he hated. “Did I say anything?”
“Yeah. You did.” Her voice was strange.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“When you said it, it was like the line of men when you touched me, before, no emotion attached. Like it was something someone else was using your body to say, and you had no emotional attachment to the words.”
Bruin rubbed the side of his head. “I didn’t even hear them. What were they?”
“Ah, I didn’t really memorize it, but it was something like, ‘Two fathers, two aims. The heir to win the war comes first.’
Bruin frowned, hating the sound of that, and hating that he had been the one to say it. If it had been a Citlali who said it, they could count it as prophecy, a warning, a sign, a hint of what was to come, but because it came from him… He’d been wrong about the purple door. He wasn’t a Citlali. He rubbed his left shoulder, his simple joy at the renqua that had returned twisting into something dark. Why did he have a star renqua? And why was it broken? He needed to get Wade alone, but everything was so crazy right now.
Willow climbed off his lap, pushing over to the far corner, eying him like she knew exactly what he was thinking. She probably did, he realized. He smiled gently at her. “You can look, you know, I want you to look.”
She shook her head. “In your mind? I always do a little, I can’t help it, but what I get, it doesn’t always make sense. I’m never sure what’s real and what isn’t.” She shifted her hips so she could look directly at him. “I know you’re hiding something from me, though.”
Bruin nodded and put the truck back in gear, watching for a break in the traffic, then pulling back onto the road. “A big something. I wish I wasn’t.”
She appraised him as he drove and he opened himself up to her as much as he could. What did she see? Would it seem any less crazy if it came from his thoughts and not words he spoke out loud?
He had been planning on asking Crew to touch her at Helltopia, find out if she was a One True Mate, but he’d never done it. Because he already knew? Or because he was scared Crew would pronounce her not his?
Bru, where are you? Mac’s voice in his head.
I lost you.
Take a right at the old highway, pull into the parking lot on the left and go around to the back. You can’t miss it.
Willow’s eyes narrowed. “What are you doing-right now, what is that?” she motioned around his head and shoulders.
Bruin swallowed hard and tried to open his mind even more to Willow, for her full inspection. “Talking to Mac,” he said.
She didn’t say a word, only appraised him with that way she had, worlds turning behind her eyes.
***
Darn right he couldn’t miss it. Bruin pulled past the throng of males and cars choking the dirt parking lot of the temporary mobile medical building and crept toward the back of it.
There must have been two hundred shiften in the small area, mostly wolven and felen, but a few bearen too. Bruin would have expected this for Ella’s births, but for Shay’s? It didn’t make any sense. Unless word had gotten out…
He searched the faces of the males as he passed them. He knew almost nobody, but none of them looked ready to jump to conclusions about the young, which was good. They seemed more there to… witness history. Whatever that history would be.
Willow had been quiet since his incident in the road. Maybe he shouldn’t even be driving. And who should he tell about what he’d said? He needed some time to be alone and reflect, but he didn’t want to be alone. He wanted to be with Willow. And he needed to be here.
He parked the police truck around the back of the building where there were no people, and jumped out, then tried to run around to help Willow out, but she beat him to the door handle. One of the flowers in her hair was askew, and he reached up to straighten it. Before he knew it, he had her pressed up against the truck and was kissing her again, purring of course. The world could be burning down around them, and he would always go for one more kiss.
She opened for him, sighing sweetly into his mouth and his mind flew to the tree he’d had her pressed up against in Helltopia, when she’d cried out in pleasure. He’d been able to feel the heat and clench of her orgasm through her clothes, and just the thought of it made his mouth water. When could he get her alone? Partially-formed thoughts flitted through his brain. What her small breasts would look like naked. How the curves of her bare hips would feel under his hands. How many times he could get her to come around his fingers, on his mouth… The thought proved too much for him, his purring going into overdrive as he picked her up, prepared to put her back in the truck, drive her somewhere where people were not-Mac’s voice broke into his head. Bru, did you find it?
If Bruin had been a cursing bear, he would have cursed his friend, but he wasn’t. He put Willow down gently and broke the kiss. Yeah, be right in.
“They want us inside,” he told Willow, but one look at her face as she stared through him, and not at him, told him she already knew. Somehow, she already knew.
Inside, the place was a mess. There was one large waiting room, full of cops plus a few others, all milling around restlessly. Lorna, Wade’s mate, was there, and Kalista, the too-sexy leader of the Pumaii, a felen group that tracked Khain. The room butted up against another room where all the action was happening. There were blinds closed across the windows, but Bruin heard Remington, the felen doctor, calling out orders and the clang of metal against metal as medical instruments were moved about.
A voice he knew as well as his own startled him. “What in the hell?” it shouted. “Hold her down!” It was Conri’s voice. Which made sense, since Conri was the bes
t paramedic the Serenity Fire Department had. He’d been tasked to help Remington with this delivery. He’d probably be at Ella’s delivery, and Heather’s, too.
Willow tugged on his arm. “What’s wrong?” she whispered fiercely. “Who is Conrad?”
Bruin snuck a quick kiss onto her lips, then pulled her to the wall next to one of the covered windows. “Conri. My brother,” he said. “My twin.”
More shouting from in the room. Bruin looked around for Mac, but didn’t see him.
“Why are you so worried what he thinks about you?” Willow asked, still staring at him hard.
Bruin fisted his hands. How to answer that? It was so complicated and explaining it would take more eloquence than he had.
She touched his temple lightly, her eyes boring into him. “Are you ok with me…?”
He nodded.
She plucked at the air around him, like she was stirring an invisible suit of air he was wearing. Then she dropped her hand, her face confused. “He thinks you betrayed the bears?”
She shook her head slowly, her eyes going wide. “You…” she said, drawing away from him and covering her mouth.
“No, Willow, no, don’t pull back from me. I’m not dangerous. We’re not…”
She shook her head. “Bruin, I know you’re not dangerous, but how can you believe it? How can you believe you did what he said you did?”
Bruin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, not entirely sure who she meant or even what she meant.
More shouts came from inside the room. A woman screamed, but it was cut off like someone slapped a hand to her mouth.
The back door slammed open and a male rushed in, eyes wild. He was big, almost as big as Bruin. His long hair was matted like he’d just woken, and his hands were clenched into fists. “I can’t believe you fuckers kept her from me!” he shouted. “Those are my babies!”
Bruin couldn’t tell what he was, but he was something. A half-breed he thought, which made it harder to tell if he was wolfen, bearen, or felen. He was big enough to be a bearen, but angry enough to be a wolfen. Probably not a felen, those cool cats never yelled, even when they were half-human. Half the cops in the room moved toward him in a unit, ready to stop him.
Bruin reached out with his mind. Trevor, if you’re in there, you might want to come out, tell us if your boys should commence with the tearing apart of this guy who just showed up, or hold off.
The door to the medical room opened and Trevor strode out of the room in a hurry. His eyes went right to the newcomer. He stopped near the doorway and called for his mate. Bruin looked through the open door to see Ella at Shay’s head, whispering into her ear. The room itself was large, and divided into two sections. A smaller section was walled off and declared to be a sterile area with a bright pink sign.
Shay lay on her back in a hospital bed in the center of the room. Her face was slack, much of her body limp, but tense below the waist. She was still comatose, curling in on herself, had been since her time in the Pravus, and yet they were going to try to allow the babies to be born naturally. Remington said it was possible.
Shay’s belly moved, and Bruin fought to hold on to the last thing he’d eaten. Her belly moved in a way that just wasn’t right, contorting like she had an alien in there instead of two babies. The force of it sent her twisting on the bed.
“It’s happening again,” Conri yelled, and for just a moment their eyes met, but then he ran to hold Shay down. Bruin’s throat lumped up. He missed his brother badly. Willow pressed closer to him and her hand crept into his. He took her comfort gladly, feeling better almost at once. “He looks just like you,” she whispered, “But without the hair and beard.” Bruin squeezed her hand.
Ella watched until the commotion under the skin of Shay’s belly stopped, then she whispered something in her sister’s ear, patted her hand, and moved out from behind the bed to her mate’s side. Her belly was huge and she held it up with her hands as she walked, throwing her hips forward and her shoulders back so as not to be pulled off balance.
Trevor ducked into the medical room, pulling Bruin and Willow with him. Bruin whispered what his name was to Willow but Trevor wasn’t in the mood for introductions. He approached Ella as Bruin and Willow moved to a corner of the room, trying to stay out of everyone’s way. There was a mass of people in here, too. All of the KSRT except Graeme, all of the One True Mates except Heather. Wade. A handful of medical professionals.
Trevor grabbed a chair and set it down near the door. He allowed Ella a peek at what was going on in the waiting room, then sat her down in the chair. He pulled her long black hair over one shoulder, then massaged her neck. “Do you want him here? It’s your call,” he said.
Ella sighed and rolled her shoulders, then leaned into her mate, her eyes closed. “I just remembered where I saw him before any of this happened.”
“Where?”
“The day I met you. Or no, a couple of days before. I had packed up all of my aunt’s stuff to sell, and I was walking downtown with some of it He was moving into the house on the corner.”
Trevor raised his eyebrows. “But Shay wasn’t with him?”
“I didn’t see her.”
Trevor kept rubbing her neck. “That doesn’t tell us much. I still leave it up to you. If you want him here, he stays; if you don’t, he goes.”
Ella held on to her stomach and winced for just a moment, then opened her eyes and looked at Trevor. “He should be here. If the babies are his…”
“Right. You stay off your feet for a little bit. Promise?” He bent and kissed her on the cheek and she nodded for him.
Trevor disappeared out the door, and in a moment, the guy who was big enough to be part-bearen was in the room. He shook the anger and upset out of his demeanor and went straight for Shay. He leaned to whisper in her ear, telling her how great she was doing, begging her to, “Wake up, baby, wake up to see the babies.”
Ella stared at him for a moment, her face tense, but then she looked around and saw Willow. She smiled brightly. “You must be Willow. I’m so glad you’re here. So glad you’re with Bruin.”
Before Bruin or Willow could react, Remington’s voice rang through the room, loud and clear. “Here we go, people, her body is pushing. The babies are coming. If you’re not part of the birth team, you need to stand back and not speak.”
“Excuse me.” Ella stood quickly and headed back to the bed for go time.
Bruin gave Willow a one-armed hug, and pulled her tighter into their corner, but quickly he realized she was staring across the room in shock and fear. He growled and followed her gaze. Sebastian was leaning against the wall, one foot propped against it, arms folded, head down, eyes focused on Shay, expression murderous.
Bruin bent to whisper in Willow’s ear. “He’s ok. The face tattoos make him look scary, but he’s really a decent guy.”
Willow’s face did not lose its expression of terror. She held onto Bruin’s arm like a life raft. “Bruin, he’s going to kill the babies.”
Bruin shot ramrod straight and eyed Sebastian. He’d heard rumors about Sebastian, but he couldn’t imagine that any of them were true. If they were, though, he might be the only guy the wolves could task with such a horrible thing. The most bloodthirsty of the bloodthirsty.
Bruin nudged Trevor with his mind. Trev, ah, don’t ask me why I think this, but is it possible Sebastian might hurt the babies?
Trevor glanced at Sebastian, then at Bruin and the answer came back clearly.
Only if he needs to.
Holy smokes. Bruin took Willow’s hand and pulled her toward the door. He had to get her out of there. Now.
Chapter 23
Willow pushed closer to Bruin’s side as he pulled her out into the waiting room, where the mood was tense and anticipatory. She shuddered. That man’s thought-forms had been intense, and dark and he hadn’t thought of the babies as babies, but rather monsters. “Bruin, you’ve got to tell someone in there.”
Bruin stared across t
he room, his expression worried. “I did,” he said.
Crap. He was telepathic, she’d already figured that out, but then most of these other guys in here seemed to be, too. He had to be talking to someone. The lusty cry of a baby in the room they’d just left made her stiffen. There would be a commotion-surely, if that scary looking man snatched up a baby, people would try to stop him. The cry of the baby was joined by the cry of another. Willow held tight to Bruin, listening hard. She realized Bruin was just as stiff as she was. He was waiting for what might happen just as surely as she was and he was going to let it happen!
She opened her mouth to protest, but the door opened behind them and Trevor stood there, his face set, a determined, purple thought-form twisting around him. Willow blocked herself. She did not want to see it.
He held up his hand. “Both babies are born. Two males. Both are… normal.”
Normal? Willow looked up at Bruin to see what his reaction was to the strange declaration. He had relaxed and was nodding his head. The rest of the people in the room began to murmur. No one seemed excited that the babies had arrived, but rather, they all seemed only placated.
“Bruin,” Willow whispered, leaning in close to him. “Can you take me home?” It was time for them to talk. Get it all out there.
Bruin’s expression was one of bitter resignation, like he’d expected this. She didn’t understand at first, until she caught the slanted, checkered orange of his thought-form. He thought she wanted to be done with him.
She kissed him lightly on his cheek, right over one of his delectable dimples. “Take me to your home.”
Relief washed through his face, so stark she could almost hear it. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the door. As they went, she watched him do that strange thing he did, where he gathered thoughts and directed them outward in a stream. They shot off from him like a laser beam and disappeared so quickly she couldn’t track the movement. His telepathy.
Once in the truck, Willow’s phone chimed in her pocket. She pulled it out. Her mother wanted to know if she was coming home.