by Celia Kyle
Maddy gave Elise a look that said Maya was lying. Or crazy. Or both.
“Uh, okay.” Elise tried to keep the skepticism out of her voice.
Maya flicked the radio on then, twisting, poking and turning knobs until she slumped against the seat once again.
That didn’t last long.
Oh, the labor continued, the tightening of her belly and the huffing breaths as she worked through the pain of birth. But between contractions, Maya started dancing and singing with a pen as a microphone.
And so it went.
Hee hee hee hoo.
She “brought sexy back” with Justin Timberlake. The contractions were five minutes apart.
Hee hee hee hoo.
She wanted to know if men wished their girlfriends were “hot like her” with the Pussycat Dolls. Okay, still five minutes. That was good, right? Or was it four minutes. Damn it, Elise’s watch might have been slow.
Hee hee hee hoo. Followed quickly by a “O-my-fucking-gawd-kill-me!”.
Then it was Alejandro by Lady Gaga and she told everyone not to “call her name” and then explained the music video with hotties wearing high heels and faux fucking which the Prima found weirdly hawt but the couldn’t tell Alex cause he’d look at her funny. And he definitely wouldn’t wear heels for her. Unfortunately.
Elise figured being pregnant had rotted the poor lioness’ brain.
And she decided never to have babies. Ever.
“Hey, guys?” Carly’s voice rose above the singing and hee-ing. “We got someone following us.” Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. “It’s a red, beat up truck.”
Elise looked behind them and sighed. “It’s my brother. He’s annoyingly protective, but he shouldn’t cause a problem. I’m really sorry and…”
“It’s all good, puppy.” Maya’s voice was strained and suddenly a fragrance filled the SUV, something that Elise wasn’t familiar with but put the other occupants on alert.
“Maya?” Carly’s voice was soothing, calm.
“Oops?” The Prima’s voice was small.
“Oops, how?” That was Maddy pushing into the conversation.
“Uh…”
Gina butted in. “Oops my water broke while we’re still an hour from home? That oops?”
“Hey, I’m the head bitch in charge here. No growlies.”
Maddy whipped out her cell phone. “I’m calling Alex.”
“Prima said no!” Maya’s roar filled the SUV.
“Prima can’t kick my ass at the moment and I figure I’ve got a few days to hide before you come after me. So pft on you.” Elise watched as Maddy openly defied her Prima and dialed, Alex answering in a single ring. “Hey, uh, Alex. The thing about it is…” She pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at Elise. “He’ll calm down in a minute. He just has to get this out of his system.” A minute, then two, passed and finally Alex’s voice quieted. “Right. Well, we’re pulling into a rest stop at mile marker seventy-two. If you’d like to be married before the babies are born, I’d recommend grabbing a minister and hurrying.” Not waiting for Alex’s response, Maddy ended the call and flashed a bright smile. “So, Elise, you used to be a nurse and we’ve got a kick ass first aid kit. Tell me, how do you feel about catching babies?”
Chapter Two
“When in doubt, bite the things that scare you.” – Elise Mara, former Sensitive who has yet to figure out how to bite her own shadow.
Brute ended up driving. Grayson had stayed behind to “manage the pride”.
Brute had called him a pussy.
The Second hadn’t argued.
Alex was in the passenger seat, claws unleashed and ripping into the leather that surrounded him. Both Neal and Ricker had tagged along, the males furious that their mates had left without telling them where they were headed.
So, basically, he was locked in a moving box of metal with three shifters who were inches from losing control.
Brute went a little faster.
“Do you really think she’ll give them ‘Josephs’ as a last name?” He’d never heard the Prime so unsure before.
“Naw. She has to know how you feel. You did get her a ring two months ago. It doesn’t quite fit anymore, but she has it.” Honestly, it didn’t fit at all. Poor Maya’s fingers had swollen to baseball bats and she couldn’t even fit the circle of gold and diamonds on her pinky.
“Yeah. Right.” Alex nodded.
Another mile passed, then two and Brute finally caught sight of the rest stop. Not slowing a bit, he pulled onto the off-ramp and roared through the parking lot, squealing to a halt right behind the women’s SUV. Alex launched himself from the vehicle before it’d even rocked to a stop.
An echoing roar shook the area, the sound even sending tremors through the ground, and it sent everyone scattering.
Well, mostly everyone. Carly, Maddy, Gina and a male he didn’t know scuttled aside, retreating to the sides of the vehicle. Another woman stayed put, her back to them and focus intent on the rear of the SUV.
Alex stalked forward and Brute rushed around the truck, quick to slow the Prime. “Easy now.” Neal and Griffin stepped forward to help, grabbing Alex’s arms. “Birthing lions don’t need the upset. Calm.”
The Prime took a deep breath. “I’m calm.” Another breath. “Calm.”
Uh huh.
Brute released his leader, but kept to the man’s side as they approached the other SUV. Coming alongside the back of the vehicle, they got the first look at what they were dealing with.
A pint sized woman, the female reaching no higher than his shoulder, was standing between the Prima’s bent legs and… Brute was quick to turn his back wishing he could unsee what he’d just seen. “Uh, Alex…”
Another roar shook the ground.
The unknown female snarled right back and Brute glanced over his shoulder to get a good look at the little thing. The scent of Maya’s birthing surrounded them, so he wasn’t quite sure what she was, but there was no doubt an animal lurked beneath the surface. A human couldn’t have snapped at the Prime that way.
She was short, no doubt, but it was her curves that called to him. Her body was lush, a roundness that he knew would cradle him, welcome him. Her brown eyes flashed and darkened as she glared at Alex, standing up to the larger male, and a surge of protectiveness rushed forward. He wouldn’t let the Prime yell at her, no matter what he was going through.
Brute took a step forward, ready to put himself in Alex’s path, but he shouldn’t have bothered.
“Shut. Up. Are you pushing two watermelons out of your vagina right now? No? Then you don’t get to make a sound.” Seeming to be done talking, she whirled back to Maya.
A glance at Alex revealed their Prime’s mouth hanging open.
“Alex! Get the fuck over here so I can castrate your furry ass.” Maya’s voice was strained, tired and furious all at the same time.
The Prime took a step toward his mate and the tiny woman snarled at him. “Side door. You can sit at her head.”
Brute cautiously eased toward the woman, attention shifting from Alex to Maya’s pint-sized protector and back again. “Is there anything I can do?”
It was wrong that he prayed she’d turn and look at him. Wrong that he wanted her full attention. The brief glimpse at her plump lips, those shining eyes and rounded frame just weren’t enough for him.
It was equally wrong that, as his Prima lay in the SUV in pain, he could think of nothing but giving the smaller woman pleasure. A lot.
“I’m good. Can you find Gavin? Any second now Maya is going to remember…”
His voice overlaid Maya’s. “Gavin?”
“Where the fuck is the priest?” The Prima roared, clutching her belly and pushing herself up until she was sitting, legs splayed wide.
“He’s not a priest Maya. Remember? He’s an internet ordained minister.” The woman’s voice was soft, soothing as she stroked the Prima’s leg.
Then Brute was hit with the full force of his newest obsession
. Her eyes weren’t brown, they glowed near amber. Her lips weren’t just plump, they were juicy berries begging for his kiss. Her pert nose attested to her sassy nature and he couldn’t wait until that attitude was unleashed on him. He ached to scent her, roll her flavors over his tongue and see if she was what he believed.
His mate.
Maybe.
Brute had never felt such an attraction, a bone deep need, for another woman.
Keeping his back to Alex and Maya, he leaned toward the female. “Gavin?”
She eased away, putting a few inches between them, and he tried to shove away the hurt. He knew he was a big guy. Hell, he scared half the pride and that included some men. But from her…the ache grew in his chest.
After a moment, she responded. “My brother. He followed us because he’s a pain in the butt. He hopped on his computer and got ordained with the Triumphant Life Church while we waited for you guys to show up.”
Brute was struck dumb for a moment. “What?”
“Yup. You can do anything on the internet and Maya wasn’t too optimistic that her mate would remember a minister.” Her golden eyes strayed to him before shifting back to Maya. “Was she right?”
“Yup. He was too worried about her to… Anyway. I’m Brute. One of Maya’s guards.”
A tiny laugh escaped. “Right. King Kong mixed with a kitten.”
Brute wasn’t sure how to take that comment.
“I’m Elise.” The woman leaned toward Maya. “And we’re ready for the babies. It’s about time to push, Maya.”
“Not without getting married first, damn it. This fucking cat is saying ‘I do’ or these babies aren’t going anywhere. I will cross my legs. Just see if I won’t.”
Elise stepped back and opened her mouth. “Gavin! Get your ass over here!”
Brute peeked around the SUV and watched a man lope toward them, hints of a family resemblance telling him that this guy was the mysterious brother who’d managed to become a minister in all of five minutes.
*
Elise ignored the man at her side. His large presence sent shivers and shudders of fear down her spine, but she had to push them away for Maya’s sake. She assumed he was a lion since he was one of the Prima’s guards, though he could have easily passed as a bear. With the odor of Maya’s fluids and blood permeating the air, she couldn’t quite find his scent beneath everything, but a lion was a good bet.
Brute could have easily reached over and hurt her. Hit her for…hell, the men in Freedom had rarely given her a reason. The minute her fox had retreated, the very second her skills as a Sensitive fled her mind, the men had…
She pushed the memories aside, shoved them down deep where they lived and slammed the door before they could escape again. She didn’t have time to fall apart, didn’t have a moment to spare for a panic attack.
Elise had a patient that needed her skills. End of story. It’d been a long while since she’d assisted in a birth, but shifters tended to have few problems when it came to babies. A push or two and then catch.
The SUV rocked a little as first Alex and then Gavin crawled into the vehicle. They’d lowered the seats so that Maya could stretch out, which meant the men were able to sit by her head. Without missing a beat, the Prima snatched at the men’s hands and gripped them tight, squeezing with every new pain.
A glance at Gavin revealed that her brother probably hadn’t really thought through his role in the whole thing.
Maya growled, her belly clenching.
Alex snarled after Maya’s growl.
And then Gavin paled and swayed, looking more like a ghost than a man.
Elise snapped her fingers. “Hey, Gavin, we don’t have much time here. Let’s hop to it.”
Her brother glanced between her and Maya, then cleared his throat. “Dearly beloved…”
Another growl.
Oh, look, a snarl, too.
“The good parts!” Maya roared.
Elise took a peek between Maya’s legs. “You’re gonna push with the next one, hon.” She glared at her brother. “Get to the good parts.”
“Uh, Maya… I don’t know your last name.”
The bones in Maya’s face sharpened and Elise watched a peppering of golden fur coat the woman’s legs. “No shifting! Gavin, you don’t need last names. Maya, push-push-push-push.”
The Prima hissed at her.
Alex roared.
Had Elise not been worried about catching a set of twins, she would have been scared. She reminded herself to freak out later. “I’m getting the head! Gavin!”
Gavin gulped. “Maya, do you want to marry Alex?”
Maya roared.
“That’s a yes. Next?” Elise supported the baby’s neck, cradling it while working the shoulders from Maya with the next push.
“Alex, do you—”
She glanced at the Prime and saw his flash his fangs at her brother. “That’s another yes.”
“By the power vested in me by the internet, I now pronounce you man and wife.”
Baby number one slid free of Maya and suddenly Elise needed a dozen other hands. She got two. The big guy next to her reached for the little bundle, blanket spread across his palms and she hesitated a second.
“I got him. You wouldn’t believe how many women decide to go into labor at the same time in Ridgeville. Sometimes men get drafted into playing catch. Just snip and tie the cord and I’ll get him cleaned up.”
A scream from Maya made the decision for her. “So help me god, I am neutering you. If you think that dick is getting anywhere near my gold-plated fucking vaginaaa…”
Elise wasn’t going to laugh. She wasn’t.
Brute disappeared with baby one and she focused on number two, repeating the process, easing the wiggly bundle into the world. Just as before, the big man was ready for the little one.
She didn’t hesitate this time around. He’d managed one baby; she figured he could handle another. He was so tender, gentle as he cupped the child in his palms and held the bundle steady for her.
Elise wasn’t going to examine the feelings that came along with seeing how tender he was. She wasn’t. Period.
Plus she wouldn’t acknowledge that, despite his size, he didn’t frighten her like so many other men. Oh, she was conscious of his presence, his height, massive shoulders and barely restrained strength, but for some reason, she didn’t think he’d hurt her.
Her attention was drawn back to a panting Maya. The lioness was covered in sweat and streaks of blood, proof of the recent birth, and Elise went to work cleaning her up. Within an hour, any tearing would heal and she’d be fully recovered from the birth, ready to take on the world. Or, at least, two screaming babies looking to be fed.
Alex still sat by Maya’s side, her brother just opposite him. Had it been any other time, she would have teased the hell out of Gavin. His face was pasty-white and he swayed as if he’d pass out any second now.
Coos, oohs and aahs sounded from around the side of the SUV, but she ignored everyone. With quick, efficient movements, she cleaned up the Prima, set her to rights and got Alex moving. Sometimes, giving men orders was the only way they could be of any use.
Alex popped from the vehicle and rushed to the back to scoop his mate into his arms.
“We’re never doing that again. Ever.” His voice was rough, deep and tinged with worry.
Maya just patted his cheek. “Yes, dear.” She signed and snuggled into her mate’s arms. “Where are the boys?”
Elise watched the blood drain from the Prime’s face and he stumbled, nearly dropping poor Maya.
“Neal.” Alex had a penchant for roaring.
A man came around the end of the SUV, cradling one of the twins in his arms. “You rang?”
“Where are my sons?” More roaring and then the baby started fussing and that turned into a great big wail.
“Right here, Alex.” Another stranger came around the corner, cradling the other baby. Wait. Not a stranger. She recognized Ricker from w
hen she was rescued with Maddy.
Ricker was followed by Brute, and Elise found herself crowded by men on all sides, large bodies corralling her.
In that moment, memories assailed her. Males, lions, wolves, bears, all of them… they followed and chased her. Cornered her at the end of the hallway. Her feet bled, she’d raced over broken glass at some point. Did she break something? Her bloody foot prints had led them to her. She ran and ran and ran…
Barks and hisses followed her. She ran until her lungs heaved, body dying a little more with every step. The fox had retreated after the fourth man. It’d deserted her, turned its back on her human half and refused to share her strength. Elise couldn’t even manage slipping into their minds any longer, the power of her beast gone in a blink.
But she kept running.
Faster.
Faster.
Faster.
Strong hands wrapped around her biceps and she screamed, clawing at the hands, fighting with human teeth and blunted nails. “No-no-no-no…”
“Easy, Elise. I’ve got you. It’s Gavin hon, I’ve got you. Shh…”
Her brother’s scent surrounded her, wrapped her in a calming blanket and she sunk into his strength.
“Gavin.” She sighed his name, let his comfort slide through her body.
“That’s right.” She laid her head against his chest, felt the vibrations of his voice echo through her.
Distantly she heard others, males and females, talking over one another, but she couldn’t worry about them. Gavin had her and he’d protect her. He would, he would, he would, he…
“Come on, hon. I’ve got my truck and I’ll take you home.”
Elise stiffened. “Ridgeville.”
“Elise…” His voice held a warning, but she wasn’t listening. Panic attack aside, she wasn’t going back home. She needed to live her own life. Even if it meant hiding in her new apartment for a little while.
Or maybe a long while.
“Ridgeville.”