by T. S. Ryder
"I know." Stephen actually sounded surprised that she would have to remind him.
It was odd, to have a man look at her as a woman, not as the naive child all the Shifters in her community saw her as.
Her father stepped forward. "Iduna, step away from him. If he's innocent he has nothing to fear."
The ache in her back was getting stronger, and a sharp jolt across her belly made Iduna gasp. She leaned back against Stephen for support as her knees buckled. His arms tightened around her.
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" His voice rose high. Her Bear clicked her tongue at him, wanting to reassure him.
Iduna shook her head. "I think I'm just tired."
"Get away from him," her father said again. "We will deal with him as—"
"All of you, stop." Iduna's mother came out of the bushes, followed by several women. "We will not have more violence today. Put those damned guns away this instant. We will leave the Wolf's car here and head back to camp. Those hunters are human, not Wolves. This is what they would want, us turning against each other. In these times Shifters need to stand together."
Another sharp pain. Iduna grabbed her belly. Her eyes widened. No. She was only eight months along. She needed at least another thirty-two days for her baby's optimal development.
But stress could bring on early labor.
"Wolves are close to humans," Thompson was saying. "They're vicious killers. My grandparents were killed by Wolves when my mother was just a young girl."
"And mine bragged about how many Wolf pelts they had on their walls," Iduna’s mother replied. "Wolves have always been more open to taking non-Shifters as mates. They have a closer relationship with humans because of it. Maybe they can help us in this situation. But not if you shoot this one for no reason other than being a Wolf. Now put those guns down!"
Iduna cried out, arms wrapping around herself as a contraction shot through her stomach.
"Iduna!" three voices cried as one.
Her father wrenched her away from Stephen. Her Bear snarled, the sound rising up her throat. She pushed against him, not thinking about anything but getting back to her mate. Her mother joined her father, surrounding her. Iduna felt like she was being crushed between them, smothered by the desire to keep her safe from anything.
"Let go," she snarled. "Let go of me!"
Thompson had Stephen by the throat at this point, though the Wolf wasn't struggling, nor did it appear that the Bear was choking him at all. Still, Iduna felt her Bear rising, huffing a warning. She fought against her parents. Another contraction made her whimper, but she couldn't even think about that.
She wrenched herself free of her parents, leaping towards Thompson. Her fist flew, impacting his face hard. A jolt of pain ran up her arm but she ignored it, punching him in the gut. The larger Bear stumbled back, a surprised look on his face. Iduna wrapped her arms around Stephen, growling at the Bears that surrounded them.
Thompson stepped forward, teeth bared. Stephen whipped her around, hiding her behind his body. His whole being tensed, his fists raising. A threatening snarl emitted from him. He bobbed from one side to the other until the Bears backed away.
She rubbed her stomach with one hand and laid her other on Stephen's shoulder. "They're not going to hurt me. You know that."
Stephen's hands dropped. He blinked in surprise and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I've never reacted that way before."
"It's because you were protecting me. Your mate." Iduna smiled at him, then turned a frown on the other Bears. "He is my mate."
"He's too old," her father protested. "You deserve someone who can learn the wonders of the world with you."
"What does that even mean?" Iduna shook her head. "He's my mate. Haven't you always said that one day I'd find him? Just because he isn't what you expected doesn't mean he's not mine."
Tyson shook his head. "You're not thinking straight, sweetheart. It's the pregnancy—"
"It is not the pregnancy." Iduna paused and took a deep breath. Now wasn't the time to discuss it. Clearly, her parents were feeling emotional. There would be no explaining things to them while they were in this state of mind when they couldn't think calmly and rationally. "If you think that Stephen was involved in the attack on the community, then we will go. But he had nothing to do with it, and I'm not leaving him."
"We need to get you to a hospital," Stephen said, his voice thick with worry. A hand rested on her belly. "If you're going into labor—"
"The contractions have stopped. I think it was just Braxton Hicks. False labor," she clarified. "I don't need to go to the hospital. Besides, I would rather have a midwife than a doctor. You know, the positions that doctors use in hospitals, the woman lying on her back, is for their ease, not the woman's. It actually narrows the birthing canal and makes labor more difficult, while a position such as squatting—"
"Enough." Thompson rolled his eyes. "We don’t need one of your lectures, Professor."
Iduna winced at the scathing tone. She wrapped her arms around herself and dropped her head. Stephen growled, but Thompson ignored him.
"The Wolf is coming back with us so he can’t tell the humans where we are. But he’s going to stay under constant guard."
Iduna was about to ask who put Thompson in charge when her father was older and wiser, but her father beat her to it.
"You do not have that authority to make that decision, Thompson. But if that is a suggestion, I agree with you."
The other men nodded. Iduna’s mother put her hands on her hips. "So do I, if you men care."
The sentiment was echoed by the other women. Iduna leaned against Stephen, shaking her head. "I don't!"
But nobody listened to her. As per usual.
Chapter Six – Stephen
Stephen had no idea where they were. Even though it had been the new moon, and far too dark to see a thing when was brought out to the Bear's emergency camp, he had still been blindfolded and a good amount of Vicks Vaporub was spread under his nose. He could still smell the stuff. He would never be able to smell his way back, even as a Wolf.
The Bears had put him in a tent, which was nice of them, although they rarely let him out of it. At least two guards were positioned outside at all times. And he hadn't seen Iduna for the two days since he had been brought here. It made his Wolf restless, growling and snapping. But he knew she was safe. That was enough, for now.
He sat in the tent, waiting for the normal interrogation team to show up. Thompson, that big, pale Bear that looked like he had a stick up his ass and Tyson.
Thompson was still convinced that he had something to do with the attacks on the Bear community. Tyson, thankfully, seemed to believe him, but it was clear that he didn't think the Wolf was a suitable mate for his little girl.
Not that Stephen could really blame him. After all, he was much older than her. But they were mates, as amazing and improbable as it was. Stephen had wanted to find his mate for so long. He wasn't going to give up when he finally found her.
"Time for your outhouse break," one of the guards said, unzipping the tent.
Stephen got up without a word. He walked towards the outhouse. His heart leaped when he saw Iduna coming towards them. The two Bears escorting him put themselves between her and Stephen, low growls in their throats.
"You are not permitted to speak with the prisoner," one of them said.
"I know." Iduna held out two small bottles. "But we have not had a proper balanced diet since we got here, and I'm concerned that we're all going to come down with scurvy or other nutrient-deprived diseases. So I've procured essential oils rich in vitamin-C for everybody to ingest so we all remain in optimal health. It's cedar oil. Very high in nutrients, although a bit pungent."
Stephen knew that Iduna liked to share her knowledge, but this was coming off a little too scripted. And her word choice sounded like she was deliberately trying to confuse them. If that was what she was trying to do, it worked. The guards looked exasperated, but they shrugged and took the bo
ttles from her. Both downed the contents.
"There. Now no scur—"
The closest Bear's eyes bulged. He grasped his throat. And then both were down, vomiting. Stephen backed away as their huge bodies convulsed. Iduna, however, jumped over them and grabbed his hand, dragging him away from the camp.
"Hurry!" she urged.
Somehow Stephen made his feet move, following Iduna through the trees. At one point she stopped and told him to shift, which he did. She then climbed onto his back–she was heavier than she looked, but so heavily pregnant and with such a strong, muscular body that was only to be expected–and told him which way to go. By the time they heard the sounds of pursuit, Iduna had led him to a clearing where half a dozen vehicles were. She unlocked a truck, and they were off.
"I hope they'll be okay. They should be okay." Iduna clutched her seatbelt as Stephen drove over the logging road. "Cedar oil is not for internal use. It'll cause vomiting, thirst, and in some cases even extensive damage to the digestive tract. But their healing abilities should counteract any long-term damage. I hope they'll be okay."
Stephen reached over to her, catching her twisting hands in hers. "I'm sorry."
"No. I am." She stilled. "I acted impulsively. I shouldn't have poisoned them. But Thompson was talking about making you reveal your plans. I know what that means. I couldn't do nothing. You're my mate. And we have to end this. I'm tired of being shot at and our houses burned down. The government has to listen to us. We're citizens! It's the government's job to protect us. It's time to stop trying to deal with it ourselves. So we need to go to Victoria. Right to the legislature buildings and get noticed…"
Stephen couldn't help but notice the quiver in her voice. He squeezed her hand tighter, but he didn't know what to say. And so he remained silent, letting her tell him about when Victoria was founded and what original uses the city had.
***
They drove for several hours before they got out of the car to stretch. Stephen's eyes were getting heavy, and from Iduna's yawns, she was just as tired as he was. It was still at least five hours to Vancouver, though, and then it would take at least another three hours to get to Victoria. After that, they could only hope that the legislature buildings were open and that they would get the political help they needed.
"How are you doing?" he asked her, seeing that she was rubbing her back.
Iduna gave him a wan smile. "I'll be fine. Just a backache. It happens when I sit too long. The pressure on my lumbar—"
Stephen wrapped his arms around her as she cut herself off. "And emotionally?"
"I don't know what you mean." Her voice was stiff.
"I mean are you okay? I know you were acting for the best of your community, but they—"
"They'll understand once I get the premier involved. I just…" She looked up at him, her big eyes filling with tears. "I just don't know if my parents will ever accept you and me as mates. What if they never do?"
"They will. They love you. They'll understand." Stephen brushed a kiss on her lips. The contact had electricity zinging through his body. "I love you, Iduna. I want you to know that. We're mates, but I also love you. I had stopped believing in love at first meeting, but you are all I want. All I need."
"Except I talk too much."
"No. I love listening to you. You have such a passion for knowledge. I just wish I knew more, so we could have a dialogue and not just me listening."
Tears ran down Iduna's face. She threw her arms around him, kissing him hard. Her ferocity surprised him, but it wasn't unwelcome. He moaned into her mouth, pulling her body close to his. The effect was instant and he forgot about being on the run, both from those human hunters and her community. He forgot about everything except that his mate was in his arms, her beautiful body against his, her beautiful soul so close he could almost hear her Bear grunting in approval.
Stephen broke from her mouth, wanting to taste every inch of her. He trailed his mouth down her jaw and focused on the sensitive patch of skin under her ear. Iduna shivered and moaned, pressing herself tighter against him. He walked her back, leaning her against the car. His hands roamed her body, aware they were at a public rest stop, but equally aware that there was nobody around to steal this moment from them.
He had just slid a hand under her shirt, thrilled at the touch of her warm skin when a second vehicle pulled into the rest stop. Stephen pulled back, Iduna moaning in protest. A police car stopped right behind them.
"We'd better get going."
Iduna let out an annoyed huff. "Just when things were getting really exciting."
Stephen laughed and kissed her again. "That's just a taste of what's to come, my darling. I promise. We have the rest of our lives to continue."
"I never realized that sexual arousal could actually feel like that," she sighed. "At least, not with another person. I've never had a reaction to kissing like that before. Probably because I have never been kissed by my mate like that before."
"Probably," he agreed, helping her into truck. He went to his side and was just about to climb in when the police officer got out of his car.
"Hey there. Can I get you to wait for a moment?"
Stephen froze. The voice was familiar. Adrenaline flooded his system. He nodded, though, and tried to look unconcerned. As the police officer got closer, he smelled a familiar scent. And saw familiar blue-gray eyes.
It was one of the hunters. He had followed them all this way. No wonder the local police force didn't do anything about it! Stephen glanced into the truck, smiling at Iduna, trying to look like he didn't recognize the man. The cop had a hand on his gun as he approached.
"Can I see you license and registration?"
He was close now. Stephen didn't waste any time. He leaped forward, landing a solid punch to the cop's face. The man grunted, stumbling backward. The gun came out of the holster. Stephen lunged and knocked him down. He grabbed the gun from the cop's hand and pointed it at him.
"Get up."
Iduna leaned out her window, eyes wide. "Stephen!"
"Call your parents. He's one of the hunters. The local human police are in on it." Stephen snarled as the hunter slowly got to his feet. "Give me your handcuffs and keys and get into the outhouse."
"You dare pull a gun on me?"
"You tried to kill us yesterday. You're lucky I don’t blow your brains out."
The hunter's face twisted in fury. "You filthy animals will get what you deserve."
"And I will have no problem shooting you. Now do as I say." Stephen let his Wolf infuse his voice with a deadly growl.
Fear flickered over the hunter's face. He tossed Stephen his handcuffs and went into the outhouse. Stephen hurriedly cuffed the doors shut from the outside. After testing how sturdy it was, he went to the other half of the outhouse and dropped both keys and gun down the toilet. Finally, he returned to the truck.
"They're not answering," Iduna whispered, the cellphone pressed to her ear. "But the campsite is far away from any cell phone towers. They probably don't have a signal."
Stephen clutched her shaking hand in his own. "Yeah. That's probably it. They don't have a signal."
Or something worse might have happened. Stephen tried not to think about that. He needed to be strong and optimistic for Iduna. She was all that mattered right now.
Chapter Seven – Iduna
They hadn't gotten far from the rest stop when Iduna started feeling new contractions. She breathed through them, trying not to let her pain show as she tried to call her mother's cellphone again. They didn't have time to waste on false labor! And that’s what this was. It had to be.
"There's still no answer."
Stephen squeezed her hand again. There were a lot of possible reasons why her parents weren't answering their phones, and not all of them had to be bad.
A particularly fierce pain shot through her belly. Iduna hunched over, crying out.
"Is it the baby?"
"No." Iduna shook her head. "It's false labor. I
t'll be over in a few minutes."
They were passing through a town at this time. Stephen glanced worriedly at her and shook his head. "No. We are going to the hospital. Just to be sure."
"We can't take the time!"
"Iduna, I know that you are very smart. But once in a while, you have to listen to other people. Now is one of those times. You can't know for sure that this is false labor. So we are going to the hospital. And you need rest. I know it's important to get to Victoria, but you're exhausted. So I'll drop you off at the hospital, and then I'll rent a new car… that cop has this license plate. I'll get a motel room and come back for you. We won't get to Victoria until one in the morning at this rate, anyway. That's too early to do anything."
Worry creased his brow. His plan made sense. Iduna couldn’t deny that she was tired. Her shoulders slumped, but she nodded her consent. The health of her baby was also something she had to take into consideration.
She just hoped that it wouldn't end up being a plan they came to regret.
***
The car Stephen rented was nice. The hotel room was nice as well. At any other time, Iduna might have been thrilled to stay here. It wasn't like she didn't have luxury back home, but there was something about hotels that awoke the kid in her. Elevators and ice machines were just like an amusement park to her.
The circumstances were all wrong, though. She was dilated three centimeters. That didn't mean that the baby was going to be born anytime soon, but it did mean that she was in the early onset of labor.
Her nerves churned as she laid in the bed, trying to keep herself still and quiet, so as to fall asleep and convince Stephen that they could get back onto the road as soon as it was morning. She could hear his breathing beside her, the warmth of his body next to hers. Her mind was a mess. She couldn’t get it to shut up.