by Laura Hysell
“Wow, this is really amazing. Thank you, everyone,” I said.
“Oh, sit down,” Stephanie said as she pushed me into a chair. “What would you like to do first? Games? Presents? Cake?”
I stared up at her, trying to put a smile on my face. I hated cake, with its sickly-sweet frosting, which most people knew. “Oh, games, I suppose,” I replied, smiling sweetly and casting a glance at Mark.
I told them you hated cake, he said.
Did you also tell them I hate being the center of attention? The baby shower Beth and Vanessa put on was bad enough!
Mark chuckled as he pulled up a chair beside me. Vanessa had insisted on decorating our entire house, inside and out, so much it looked like a confetti explosion. I was still finding confetti in the couch cushions two weeks later. Beth had been almost as bad as Vanessa, pampering me every time we were at the Alpha’s home. She, at least, knew I hated cake and had made me my own cheesecake instead. I couldn’t really expect less, though. Werewolf children were extremely rare, and I knew Beth wanted nothing more than to have a child of her own. She and Jed had been trying for over a year with no luck.
I looked around the room, counting the number of blue balloons. At first, I hadn’t wanted to find out what we were having, but it was hard not to tell after the number of ultrasounds we’d had. Our little boy liked to show off. Just like his dad, I thought, smiling over at Mark. He was laughing at something someone had said, taking a little of the attention off me. I was thankful for it too, as another contraction hit me. I bent forward and looked at my watch. They were definitely getting closer together. And stronger. I grimaced, keeping my head down as I breathed through the strongest contraction yet.
Are you okay? Mark’s worried voice came to me suddenly. Shit, he’d felt my pain. I had been trying to block him out, because he tended to worry.
I’m fine, I said, sitting up and smiling at him as the contraction ended.
He frowned, his eyes darting across my body. You were in pain just now, he said.
“Okay, everyone, I want you to cut a piece of string and see who can guess how big Izzy’s belly is,” Stephanie said, her voice cutting through the chatter.
Oh, great, let’s measure the pregnant woman’s fat belly. Just what I wanted. I laughed as my co-workers took pieces of string and cut them arbitrarily. Some cut them ridiculously short while others cut string so long it could probably wrap around my body twice. Inside, I was rolling my eyes. Outside, I kept the smile plastered on my face through the next contractions. Stephanie was in charge of the front office and took it upon herself to be in charge of every other event possible. This was fine with me, since I didn’t want the job.
“Okay, everyone has their string, right?” Stephanie said as she bobbed around the room.
“Okay, everyone ready for Izzy?” she asked next.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as she said, “Okay, Izzy, your turn.”
“Okay, everyone,” I murmured in response. Carol caught my eye and suppressed a laugh. Stephanie was sweet, but annoying. I grinned at Carol as Stephanie measured a string around my belly.
The contraction hit, and I doubled over, gasping in pain. Shit! The room grew quiet, but I ignored them, concentrating on my breathing as I looked at my watch again. Hands wrapped around me, cradling me gently and rubbing my back. The pain eased, and I relaxed back into Mark. “How long?” he asked, his voice a bare whisper in my ear.
“A couple hours,” I replied. “They’re coming faster now, though.”
“And stronger,” he added, running a hand through my hair. He turned away and addressed the room. “Thanks for the party, everyone, but I think we need to leave.”
“Oh, my gosh, is she having the baby?” someone asked.
I ignored everyone as Mark ushered me out of the room, his hand a warm, comforting presence on my back. I hadn’t even made it down the hall when the next contraction hit, even stronger than the last. Mark let me squeeze his arm as I rode the wave of pain. I felt him reach to me through our bond, but I pushed it away. “Don’t,” I breathed as the contraction eased and I waddled beside Mark to the car.
“I can take your pain,” he said softly, his arm still wrapped around me.
“Only if I need it,” I replied as I climbed into the car, thankful we hadn’t driven Mark’s pickup truck today.
Mark ran around to the other side and hopped in, dialing his cell phone as he did. “Doc, she’s in labor. Yeah, we’re on our way,” he said.
He started the car and peeled out of the parking spot. I gripped the seat and fought with the seat belt, pulling it across me until it buckled in. “Seat belt,” I said as we bounced down the road.
“Really, Izzy,” he said, shaking his head, but he pulled his seat belt on.
Another contraction hit me and I gasped as Mark swerved on the road. “Slow…down,” I gasped, clutching the door handle.
He took the next curve slower, but gunned it at the next moment. I closed my eyes, breathing through the contractions and trying to ignore his insane driving. The contraction subsided, but less than a minute later another hit me. I screamed in a mix of excitement and pain, breathing faster now.
“Izzy?” Mark said, but I waved my hand, not able to answer him.
The worst of the contraction subsided, and I opened my eyes. Mark was making good time across town, but we were still too far away from the hospital. “Mark,” I gasped, feeling an overwhelming pressure in my body. “We’re not gonna make it.”
He looked over at me, a wild look in his eyes as he grabbed his cell phone and hit the speed dial. “Shit!” he yelled, tossing the phone down a second later. He turned at the next stop sign, driving wildly down the road.
“Where…are you…going?” I gasped.
“Fuck!” he yelled, zipping down the narrow roads. “Home is closer.”
Home was still a good five minutes away, and I didn’t think we had that long. “Mark!” I screamed, clutching my stomach. “Pull over!”
“Fuck!” he screamed again, but he pulled over carefully. He grabbed the phone, hitting the speed dial again as he ran around to my side of the car.
The contraction let up, but I knew it wouldn’t last. “Get me… in back,” I gasped as Mark lifted me out of the car. He wrenched open the back door and carefully settled me onto the back seat. I screamed as the contraction hit me, breathing hard and fighting with my clothes.
Mark took the cue and pulled my underwear and shoes off before pushing up my dress. “Oh, fuck!” he said again as he hit speed dial on the phone again. “Doc, the baby is coming! No, I’m on Peterson Drive, about a mile down the road,” he said, dropping the phone onto the seat.
“Mark,” I said, breathing deeply as the contraction passed. “The baby is coming.”
“I know, baby, it’s okay. I got you,” he said. I felt Mark reach through the Pack bond, calling for help.
A wave of calm passed over me, and I looked over the top of my belly at Mark. His eyes were wild and a sheen of sweat coated his forehead. “I need to push,” I said as the pressure became overwhelming.
“Okay, baby, push. Push,” he said, coaching me. I could hear the doctor faintly over the phone line, but I let my body tell me what to do. The contraction passed, and I relaxed, letting my head drop back onto the seat. Another contraction hit, and I pushed, barely hearing Mark or the doctor’s words as I concentrated everything on my body. The third contraction hit, and I pushed with all my might until there was a strange release. I fell back, listening as the cry of a baby broke the silence. Tears fell down my eyes as I looked up. Mark sat over me, tears in his own eyes, as he cradled our baby boy. I held my hands out until Mark lowered our son onto my chest.
“Good job, Dad,” a voice said. I looked up and laughed as our doctor patted Mark on the back. “I’ll take it from here. Why don’t you go around and take care of your wife.”
After three days in the hospital, we were home with our bundle of joy, Marcus Hugo. Someone fr
om the Pack visited us daily, relishing the sight of the first werewolf birth in our Pack. As we settled into life as a family of three, I couldn’t help but think about how far we’d come to get to this place.
I leaned up against Mark as little Marcus slept in my arms. The television caught my attention as word of a massive vampire nest had been discovered in San Diego. New supernatural branches of the military and police had sprung up over the past few years to battle the undead. A Daylight Squad, as they liked to be called, was moving in to exterminate the nest. Mark clicked off the television and swept my hair aside, kissing my temple.
“We got a present last night,” he said softly.
“Oh, another? Who from?” I asked, craning my neck around to look at him.
“Thomas,” he said, reaching around behind him to pull out a box.
I sat up as Mark opened the box, revealing a baby gangster outfit, complete with a pinstripe jacket and a pacifier shaped like a cigar that I would absolutely never use. He laughed, pulling out the outfit so I could see it better. Below the clothing was a card and a check, with a large number of zeros behind it. “What is that?” I asked.
Mark frowned and opened the card, reading aloud. “For my favorite werewolf family, from Thomas. The newest generation of werewolves deserves the best. The money is for college. The protection comes free.”
“Are you kidding me?” I asked, staring at the check. “You know, this is mob money.”
“Vampire mob,” he amended.
“Even better. Vampire mob money and protection, all rolled in one,” I said, cradling Marcus as he shifted in my arms.
Mark set the check down and wrapped his arms around me once more, resting his head on my shoulder as we both stared down at our bundle of joy. “You know what this means?” he asked, not waiting for a response. “Little Marcus Junior has himself a vampire mobster godfather.”
I laughed, as Mark knew I would, shaking my head. “You know, I think you’re right.”
“Of course, I’m right. I’m always right.”
“Sure,” I murmured.
“I got one thing right, didn’t I? I chose you.”
“For better or worse.”
“Forever.”
The End
* * *
Izzy’s story may be over, but there are more stories to be told. More adventure. More romance. Find out at laurahysell.com.
Isabella Howerton Series
Bloody Beginnings
Bloody Consequences
Bloody Defiance
Bloody Endings
Also set in the Isabella Howerton world
Claimed by Moonlight
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Laura Hysell is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes dark urban fantasy and paranormal romance, with heavy doses of sarcasm throughout. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest of Oregon, less than two hours from beach, mountain, desert, or city. It's been said that the key to her heart is coffee, but she's also easily won over by chocolate, books, or a good beer. To hear about her latest misadventures and other sarcastic ramblings, be sure to follow her newsletter and check out her website at www.laurahysell.com.