by Quinn Loftis
“You’re dilating rapidly.” Jacque looked up at Bethany.
“In woman speak, that means your who-ha looks like a black hole, only stuff isn’t going to be sucked in. It’s going to be shot out.” Jen patted Bethany’s knee.
“Thank you, Jen, for clarifying that her vagina isn’t about to become a giant vacuum.” Crina sounded like she was trying hard not to laugh.
“Drake, you do realize this is the perfect opportunity to use that sentence as the most awesome innuendo in the history of innuendos, right?” Jen asked.
“She’s not wrong,” Bethany said. She noticed her voice even sounded winded through their bond. “It would be an awesome innuendo.”
“Our child is not going to be allowed around that woman,” Drake growled, but she heard the humor behind his annoyance.
“She always means well,” Bethany said, unable to focus enough to keep speaking through their bond.
“Bethy, she got you a penis cake for your baby shower. How can she mean well?” Drake said out loud.
“It was her way of including you in the celebration,” Bethany pointed out. “After all, it was your penis that got us into this situation.”
“By the way…” Jen jumped into their conversation. “Thanks for the picture. I was able to give it to the baker. I think the likeness was remarkable.”
Bethany felt Drake’s anger rising, and a little of the pain he’d been siphoning slipped back through the bond. She grunted, and immediately her mate refocused and pushed the pain away. “You gave her a picture of my junk?” he whispered.
“Do you really think I’d let another female see your male bits?” Bethany asked.
Drake nuzzled her neck and said, “The only reason I would believe it is because they got the size right.”
Bethany laughed and then groaned when she suddenly got a powerful tightening in her nether regions. “I need to push.”
“Said every male ever behind their female.” Jen made a motion like a drum being tapped after a good joke.
Bethany snorted. Apparently, allowing her mate to absorb the pain made labor a hell of a lot less laborish and her friends a little funnier.
“Sally, we good?” Jacque asked. That question wiped the smile right off Bethany’s face, reminding her that their child wasn’t full term. Thank the Great Luna they had two gypsy healers with her to give their girl what she needed.
“One sec,” Sally said, drawing the words out. “Aaand, yes.”
“It’s go time, baby.” Jen rubbed her hands together. Bethany glanced between Jacque and the blonde.
“She’s not going to catch my child, right?” Bethany asked, even as her face scrunched up from trying to keep from pushing.
Jacque’s smile was comforting. “Jen will not hold your daughter until Drake says she can.”
Jen folded her arms across her chest. “Great. That will be never. He still hasn’t forgiven me for teaching his mate how to get knocked up in the first place. You really owe me a thank-you card.”
“I don’t mind if she holds her, but maybe just not when she’s about to shoot out of the non-vacuous black hole,” Bethany said and then followed with, “I have to push!”
“You’ve got a contraction starting,” Rachel said. “Push now.”
Bethany squeezed Drake’s hand, and Crina’s, who’d taken up a spot next to Bethany’s head. Bethany hadn’t cared who it was. She just needed something else to squeeze.
“You’re doing great!” Jen sounded so excited, as if she were the one having the baby. “There’s her little head. Oh, wow, that is tiny. Your black hole just got downsized. I don’t know to what but it’s definitely not nearly as cavernous.”
Bethany panted as the contraction passed. She still needed to push. The heaviness in her pelvis and against her back was uncomfortable. She imagined it was supposed to be more painful, but she could feel Drake taking the pain into his body.
“I just realized something.” Jen tapped her chin as Bethany panted like a racehorse.
“We’re all dying to know what that might be. There isn’t a baby being born or anything important like that,” Peri replied.
“We should have done a birthing pool,” Jen continued.
“Time to push again.” Rachel patted Bethany’s stomach. The healer’s eyes were still closed, and her hands continued to glow.
“I’m just saying,” Jen went on while Bethany pushed again. “If there was a birthing pool, then Titus’s future baby momma could just slide right out into the pool. It would be like her first time on a water park ride.”
“Did she”—Bethany panted as she pushed and tried to talk—“just compare,” more panting—“my girl parts to a water slide?” Bethany groaned and sagged back against Drake. She felt his chest moving, and her upper body shook involuntarily.
“Are you laughing?” she asked, still working on catching her breath.
She felt him press his forehead to the back of her head, and his breath huffed out into her hair. “She’s not wrong. It would be a very wet and a wild ride.”
“BOOM!” Jen yelled. “I knew deep down, like way, way deep down in the depths of your bowels, where no one could ever see, you had a sense of humor. You can’t hate me anymore. You just agreed with me about your mate’s water park slide, while she’s in labor no less.”
Zara coughed and looked at Bethany. “This is the weirdest delivery I’ve ever experienced.”
“Been to a lot of deliveries?” Bethany asked. She felt the next contraction coming and could tell it was going to be big.
“Nope. And I bet no matter how many I do go to, this will always be the weirdest.”
“Okay,” Jacque said once again, making everyone go quiet. “Her head is right here. You need to push hard. Then you’ll have to push hard a second time to get her shoulders through.”
Bethany nodded, took several breaths, and then pushed as hard as she could. She heard Crina mutter something about a strong grip and felt Drake sending her waves of love through their bond.
“Her head is out,” Jacque declared.
Sally pulled her hands away from Bethany’s stomach and immediately leaned over and started doing something Bethany couldn’t see, but she knew the healer was helping her child somehow.
“Okay, time to push again,” Rachel said, her voice never wavering, something Bethany was profoundly grateful for.
The pressure suddenly evaporated at the same time Jacque cried, “She’s out. You did it.” A moment later, a loud cry filled the room.
Pounding feet followed the sound. Bethany couldn’t take her eyes off the little body that Sally and Jacque were holding and wiping down.
“Whoa! Our bad,” a male voice called out.
“You heard a baby cry, and you thought everything would be all nice and tidy in here?” Jen growled.
She could understand why the men had come running. New pups were rare. The cry of the baby was like a declaration: “I am here. I am alive. And I’m a member of this pack!” It was the best sound Bethany had ever heard.
A few minutes later, Jacque handed Bethany her daughter wrapped up in a white blanket covered with pink bows. Her little girl was tiny. Drake’s chest rumbled, and when Bethany looked up over her shoulder, she saw his eyes glowed with his wolf.
“Ours,” Drake’s wolf said, his beast making the man’s usually deep voice even deeper. “Our tiny female pup.”
Tears ran down Bethany’s face. She nodded and looked back at their daughter. “She’s perfect.”
Jacque looked around the room. Bethany was still lying on the bed of blankets and towels that had been laid on top of three feet of torn wrapping paper. She rested amidst a menagerie of empty boxes, shiny new toys, coffee cups, trays of cookies, and half eaten pieces of cake. It was chaos. But in the midst of that chaos, in the center of the room, sat a tiny miracle.
Rachel helped Sally get Bethany cleaned up while Crina, Zara, Peri, and Elle, who’d been completely silent through the whole thing, knelt close to th
e couple so they could see the baby.
As Jacque watched the looks of wonder and tears of joy, a peace she hadn’t felt in ages settled over her. She was sad Alina had not been here to experience the amazing moment as another Canis lupus child was born into the world, but the new alpha understood that sometimes there could be no new life without death. Without the sting of death, there would be no awe associated with the miracle of life. Jacque knew how precious it was to hold a new creation because previous creations had passed away.
“The precious birth brought to you in life is like the precious lives that come home to me in death.” The Great Luna’s voice filled Jacque’s mind. “This is not your home, Jacquelyn, alpha of the Romania pack, mate of Fane, mother of Slate. One day you, too, will be called back to me. And as you welcomed the little she-wolf into your arms, so shall I welcome you back into mine.
“For now, you and your mate are the guardians of the supernatural races. What you see before you, this life and others to come, both supernatural and human alike, are what you are protecting. Well done, my precious alpha on bringing the first new wolf-pup into the world and into your pack.”
Warmth spread over Jacque, starting at the very top of her head and creeping down her body until the very tips of her toes were covered. It was like being wrapped in a heating blanket infused with love. “Thank you, Great Luna. For everything, thank you.” Jacque’s words weren’t just for Bethany and Drake’s child. They were for it all, from the moment her mother met Dillon, making a way for Jacque to be brought into this amazing world, to the moment she, Jen, and Sally became inseparable, to meeting Fane, to becoming a member of the Romania pack, having Slate, experiencing all of the trials, joys, and love, and every moment in between, right up until this one. Jacque sat on the floor, tears streaming down her face, her heart so full that she was sure it would burst, thankful beyond words for her life.
“You are welcome, Jacquelyn, daughter of mine. Peace be with you today and always, for I am with you.”
A few hours later, Fane found himself sitting on the couch, his mate in his lap and his son sound asleep on a blanket on the now clean floor. Peri, Elle, and Adam had been kind enough to magic away all the mess of Christmas and the birth. Now, everyone was resting, worn out but happy, as they passed around the little bundle.
“Oy,” Jen said as she tried to take the baby from Titus— again. “What’s her name? How did we miss that little detail?”
“She’s Hope.” Titus smiled down at the little girl as if she hung the stars.
“Drake, you’re so screwed. Tanner’s named your kid. Soon, he’ll be naming theirs.” Jen motioned between the two.
The wolf was up and across the room in a second, gently extracting his daughter from Titus. “Thank you for holding her, Titus. I think she’s probably getting hungry.”
Jen snorted as Decebel wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her down into his lap. “Quit starting trouble.” He nipped her ear.
“But I’m good at it.” Jen smiled.
Fane chuckled. It felt good to smile and laugh. It felt good to be here with their closest family, after a night with the entire pack.
“Her name is Alina Hope,” Bethany announced.
Fane met the new mother’s eyes and bowed his head to her. “I am honored, and my mother would be as well.”
Jacque leaned her head against his shoulder and snuggled closer. “Pretty sure this is the best Christmas ever. Even though your parents aren’t here, they would have loved it. Alina’s smile would have lit up the room, and Vasile would have been constantly shaking his head at Jen.”
“Maybe because you can see those things in your head, and you know in your heart they’re true, then you’re able to make it so in your mind. That makes the whole thing complete.” Fane ran his fingers over her red curls. “It’s almost as if they were here with us, even if we couldn’t see them.”
“I felt them,” Jacque admitted. “I sensed Alina every time a pack member hugged us or a smile was exchanged. I felt Vasile every time one of the males grumbled but then did what their mate asked anyway. I knew the house was filled with love and life, just as they would have wanted.”
As the day slowly turned into night, the room dimmed, lit only by the fireplace and a few candles. The curtains on the large windows were pulled wide, and snow could be seen falling as the moon brightened the winter night sky. Alina Hope started to cry, but Peri picked her up, after first asking the new parents, and began to gently rock the babe. A muted background sound began, and Fane realized it was soft Christmas music.
“How does she do that?” Jacque asked. “It’s like she’s her own radio station.”
Fane pressed a kiss to his mate’s nose. “Don’t be jealous that you can’t make music suddenly appear out of nowhere.”
“I’m a sprite-wolf, baby, who knows what I’m capable of.” She leaned forward and bit his bottom lip, which made Fane growl.
When she released him, Fane tucked some loose hair behind her ear. “I’ve no doubt you are capable of a great many wondrous things, female of mine. And I know this because you have already shown me some of them.”
“Her bedroom skills don’t count,” Jen said from beside them on the couch, where she sat in Decebel’s lap. Thia was sound asleep, her head slung back. She lay on Jen’s arm, her mouth wide open as she snored.
“And you’re wondering why Titus is picking little Hope over your hellion.” Jacque motioned to the sleeping girl.
Jen laughed. “She isn’t a graceful sleeper. More like an old man. She even farts in her sleep.”
“She doesn’t get that from me,” Decebel rumbled.
“On another note, one that is far, far removed from Decebel’s gas problems…” Adam pointed to the coffee table. “The kids are out cold. We’ve got a few days left before we need to get into destruction mode. How about we get our game on?”
“Get our game on?” Crina sat down on the floor next to the table, which was now piled with board games.
Adam shrugged. “I could just say let’s get it on and forget about the games.”
Fane felt Jacque laughing as Crina flushed.
“Oh, I see a classic!” Jen stood up and set Thia back down in Decebel’s arms. She walked over to the table and shuffled through the boxes until she pulled one out and held it up. Fane’s lips pulled up into a huge grin as memories rushed through his mind.
“We have to play this one.” Jen pointed to the box.
“What’s Yours Like?” Wadim read the box, and then a mischievous smile appeared on his face. “Sounds like a T-shirt I need.”
“This game is hilarious,” Jen assured everyone as she motioned for Adam to clear the table.
“And by hilarious you mean everything gets turned into a sexual innuendo?” Zara asked.
“Is there any other kind of hilarious? Wait.” Jen held up her hand. “Don’t answer that. Those pictures up there.” She pointed to what had been dubbed the reindeer wall. “That proves other shi—I mean, other stuff besides sex can be freaking hilarious.”
She set up the board, and the others gathered around. Bethany and Drake remained on the love seat, and Peri placed Alina Hope back in their arms and wandered over to the coffee table.
“We doing this, wolf-man?” Jacque asked Fane.
“It does bring back good memories.” He leaned close so that their lips bumped as he spoke.
Her grin widened. “It does.”
Fane pressed a hand to her cheek and held her still. He leaned even closer and pressed his lips to hers. He’d planned for it to be something short and quick, but then his mate opened her mouth, and her taste was on his tongue. His mate’s scent and taste was an aphrodisiac, and he was quickly tempted to haul her back to their suite.
“We’re about to see what Fane’s is like if those two are left unsupervised much longer,” Sally said.
“Couldn’t you have at least kept your trap shut until she got Fane’s shirt off?” Jen huffed.
&nbs
p; “Jennifer,” Decebel growled.
Fane felt air on his stomach, and when he pulled back from his mate’s mouth, he looked down. His feisty female had indeed been pulling up his shirt. Fane knew his smile was cocky as he winked at her. “Eager?”
Jacque pushed him away with a laugh. “As if.”
“All right,” Jen said, drawing everyone’s attention. “The first cards are being passed out.”
Fane and Jacque slid off the couch and knee-walked over to the table where their pack made room for them.
Jen looked at her card and grinned. “His is a hairy beast. I mean, mine,” Jen quickly corrected. “Mine is a hairy beast.”
Decebel groaned. “What happened to games like Twister and Pictionary?”
“We can play that next.” Wadim stared at his own card.
“Yep,” Jen agreed. “But not just Twister. Naked twister.”
“I meant Pictionary.” Wadim shrugged. “But Naked Pictionary works too.”
Decebel exhaled. “Not everything has to end up with everyone naked, baby.”
“Buuut, things are so much more interesting when they end that way.”
“She’s not wrong,” Zara muttered and then yelped when Wadim leaned over and bit her neck.
“Are we playing this game or what?” Sally asked.
“I vote for or what.” Costin raised his hand.
“I vote to play,” Peri said, surprising everyone. “This actually sounds fun.” She placed the box that she’d been reading down then glanced at her card. “Mine is filled with bubbles.”
Jen laughed. “Bet that’s fun for Lucian.”
Jacque groaned and glanced at Sally. “I feel like we’ve just stepped back in time to high school.”
“We could drug her like we used to back then,” Sally offered.
“Mine is slippery when wet.” Elle’s face turned a rosy-red shade when Sorin leaned over and whispered something in her ear.
“I know the answer to that one,” Drake said from the far side of the room. “Female water slides. They’re a thing.”
“And babies come out of them.” Jen gave the new dad a thumbs-up.