In Spite of Everything

by Catherine Lievens

  “Of course.” Seamus tried to get to his feet and grimaced. “You’re going to have to help me.”

  “Stay here. I’m going to grab Kaspar, and we’ll take you to the alpha’s house.” It was almost finished, and Alex and Seamus had moved in with Thomas and his wife. It was a tradition for the alpha heir to live with his father. One day, the house would belong to Alex and Seamus, but in the meantime, they would share.

  Julian didn’t want to leave Seamus alone, but he needed to. He took his phone out of his pocket as he headed toward the kitchen. “Estelle?” he asked when she answered.

  “Julian? Is something wrong?”

  “I’m at the Bishop House with Seamus. I think he might be in labor.”

  “In labor?”

  “I know Scarlet isn’t due for another month, but yeah. From what he says, it’s a possibility.”

  “Of course it is. Do you need me to come there?”

  “I told him we’d take him home. Alex will want to be there.”

  “Do you need help?”

  “We can manage. I’m getting Kaspar.” Jacob, too. Neither Kaspar nor Julian could drive, and they would be focused on Seamus anyway. “We’ll be there as soon as possible.”

  “Good. I’ll be there, too. Just time enough to grab my stuff and head out.” She hesitated. “Julian?”

  “Yes?”

  “How is he doing?”

  “He’s in pain, and scared. He’s okay, though.”

  “Good. Tell him that it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Some babies just want to come early, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure his daughter is okay. Him, too.”

  “Of course.” Everyone would do what they could to make sure Scarlet was okay. She was the next alpha’s daughter, and eventually, she might become the alpha herself. It would be a first, but then, lately, there had been a lot of firsts in the forest.

  But of course, they needed to make sure that Scarlet came into this world safe and sound first, and Julian would do everything he could to make that happen.

  * * * *

  Kaspar was relieved when they finally got Seamus home. He was obviously in pain, and Kaspar was freaking out. He didn’t have any experience with this kind of stuff, but he supposed he should get used to it if he was going to have children of his own.

  Right now, he might be about to change his mind. He’d known that giving birth would hurt, but what Seamus was going through was awful. He was trying to keep up a good front, but Kaspar didn’t miss how he jerked every so often and how he clutched his stomach and his back.

  Jacob parked in front of the new alpha’s house and ushered them out of the car. Kaspar and Julian helped Seamus walk, even though Seamus tried to wave them away. Julian knew what he was doing, and Kaspar was going to follow his lead rather than Seamus’s, who had no idea what was happening except that he was in pain.

  “I can walk on my own,” Seamus whined.

  “I know you can. It doesn’t mean you should have to,” Julian pointed out. “Come on. We’re almost there.”

  The door swung open as they reached the top of the porch steps. Estelle stood there, alongside Patrick, a coyote shifter who’d moved in with the badgers and was learning how to be a healer.

  “What are you doing?” Estelle asked Seamus.

  “Nothing.”

  “It looks like your little girl is in a rush to come into this world.”

  “Is there anything you can do to keep her inside?”

  Estelle shook her head. “I’m sorry. I doubt it. I’m going to check, of course, but from what Julian told me, you’re about to give birth.”

  She and Patrick stepped closer and took charge of Seamus. Kaspar watched him toddle, and he couldn’t help but wonder how he would be when he would see him again. He knew labor could be very long, but apparently Seamus had started last night already. Maybe it wouldn’t be that long after all.

  The sound of two cars arriving made all of them look back. Kaspar frowned when he didn’t recognize the cars, and he frowned even more deeply when he saw the human team climb out of them. This was not the right moment for them to do whatever they were about to do. Not only was Seamus in labor, but Kaspar also wasn’t feeling well. He might throw up in their faces, although from his point of view, it wouldn’t be a bad thing.

  “What’s going on?” Julian asked, stepping between Seamus and the humans.

  Kaspar didn’t remember all their names, but he did remember the name of the leader, Luther. He came to stand in front of Julian, his expression uncompromising. “We got an anonymous tip that the badgers and the bears were plotting something,” he said.

  Kaspar barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Anonymous tip. Right.

  Julian crossed his arms over his chest. “What are you talking about? We’re not plotting anything.”

  “We need to make sure.”

  “And how are you going to do that?”

  “We need to talk to all of you.”

  He gestured at the rest of his team, and they deployed. They disappeared around the house, and Kaspar knew they were surrounded.

  What the fuck was happening? It was too easy to realize who had given the anonymous tip, but Kaspar didn’t care. Luther and the rest of his people didn’t know Jacqueline as well as everyone in the forest, did, and they wouldn’t know that she was lying. Still, even if they’d had an anonymous tip from someone else, why were they behaving like this.? They were already viewing the badgers as enemies, which was what their anonymous source had been trying to do.

  “We aren’t doing anything we shouldn’t do,” Julian said. “I can call Thomas for you if you want, but he’ll tell you the same thing.”

  “We’re going to search the house.”

  “You have no right.”

  Luther arched a brow. “Are you sure about that? Because as far as I remember, I have every right to do whatever I want in the forest.”

  Kaspar grimaced. This wouldn’t end well. He had no idea what to do, but he wanted to help. He knew it would be better for him to stay away, though. He really might puke in Luther’s face, and he was pretty sure things would get worse if he did.

  One of the humans was standing behind Luther, and he looked so satisfied that Kaspar couldn’t help but wonder if he had something to do with this. Probably. Jacqueline was good at manipulating people, and she apparently was doing it again.

  “We’re going inside,” Estelle said. There was a hint of hesitation in her voice, but Julian nodded without looking at her.

  “We’ll be right behind you,” he said.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Luther said. He gestured toward Estelle and Patrick. “Stop them.”

  The guy behind him took a step closer, and Kaspar went ramrod straight. Seamus needed to be taken inside, and he needed to go now. They couldn’t afford to waste time because the humans were stubborn and thought they were enemies.

  He stepped closer to Julian, offering a united front to protect Seamus. Luther blinked, but he didn’t say anything. His man tried to step around them, and Kaspar placed himself in front of him. He might be a carrier, but that didn’t mean he was weak. He was taller than the human, and possibly stronger. If things came to that, he could shift and defend Seamus until everyone else arrived.

  Thomas was on his way. Kaspar knew that. Alex was with him, and they would arrive soon. Kaspar and Julian needed to protect Seamus for only a few minutes.

  Kaspar hoped they could. He wasn’t sure what would happen if the humans did something and it hurt Seamus. It would be a disaster, and that was the last thing they needed. The humans were here to stay, and they had to learn to live with them. It looked like they were the first who didn’t want to try, though.

  The man in front of Kaspar bared his teeth. “Step aside,” he snapped.

  Kaspar shook his head. “Leave him alone.” There was so much disdain in the man’s voice that told Kaspar exactly what the guy thought about hi
m.

  Kaspar didn’t care. He wouldn’t move, not until he was sure Seamus was safe.

  “I can kick your ass, badger. I won’t hesitate to do it if you continue blocking my way.”

  Kaspar was terrified. He knew how easily he could get hurt. He knew how easily Julian and Seamus could get hurt, and the thought made his stomach churn. He wasn’t used to this kind of situation. He wasn’t armed, even though he could be in a few seconds by shifting. His claws would be good to defend the others, but the guy in front of him had a gun, and he no doubt knew how to use it. If he shot at Kaspar, Kaspar might die.

  What would happen then?

  * * * *

  This was a fucking disaster, and Julian wasn’t sure what to do. The only thing he knew for sure was that he had to keep the humans away from Seamus until Alex and Thomas arrived, though, so he stayed right where he was, even though he felt like throwing up in Luther’s face. He was grateful for Kaspar’s presence, but he was terrified Kaspar would get hurt if he didn’t move. He had no idea what to do, and he was panicking.

  “Stop them,” Luther said. “Before something happens. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, but you have to see that there is a better way around this. Just stop and allow us to look through the house.”

  This was it. Julian was not moving, no matter how scared he was. “Can’t you see he’s in labor?” he snapped. “He needs to go inside. He has to get to his bedroom before something happens to the baby. And if it does, it will be your fault. I hope you’re ready to deal with that.”

  Luther took a step back. “I’m sorry?”

  Julian gestured toward Seamus, who looked terrified and was clutching his stomach while Estelle and Patrick held him up. “In labor. Can’t you see it? He’s about to have a baby.”

  “What the fuck?” the man in front of Kaspar said.

  “He needs to go inside,” Julian repeated. “Please.” He softened his tone. He didn’t want to fight with Luther. He hadn’t yet changed his mind that Luther was a good person. He wasn’t acting like one right now, but that was because he’d been lied to, and he probably felt betrayed after he’d been promised that the shifters in the forest wanted nothing more than to live their lives.

  “He’s a man,” Luther said.

  Julian rolled his eyes. “Yes. I can see that. So?”

  “Men don’t have babies.”

  “Well, unless he ate a basketball, he is about to have a baby, and he needs to go inside. Or do you want him to give birth here?”

  “It has to be a trick,” the man in front of Kaspar said. He tried to walk around Kaspar, but Kaspar didn’t let him.

  Julian could have cried when he heard the car. Thomas was driving, and he and Alex threw themselves out of it as soon as it was parked. Thomas looked like he was about to start bashing heads together, and Alex barely even looked at the humans as he rushed toward Seamus.

  Julian relaxed. He’d protected Seamus until Alex and Thomas had arrived, and now, he didn’t have to anymore. He could relax. He could give in to the fear that gripped his guts.

  His stomach churned, and he looked around. He wouldn’t make it inside to the bathroom, so he ran toward the bushes next to the house and leaned over them, throwing up everything he’d eaten all day. He heaved and closed his eyes, wondering what the fuck was happening.

  He’d been throwing up too often for it to be normal. He’d tried to pass it off as stress and being tired, but he could tell there was something else, and he was terrified to find out what it was. What if it was cancer? Or something just as lethal? He and Kaspar were trying to have a baby, and Kaspar might be pregnant already. What would Kaspar do if Julian died and left him alone?

  “Julian?”

  Julian jerked, and his stomach churned again. He threw up some more, holding himself up against the house until he was sure there was nothing else to throw up in his stomach. A warm hand rubbed his back, and he knew it was Kaspar. He wanted to tell him that he was sorry, that he was grateful for his presence, but he wasn’t sure he could without crying.

  He needed to find out what was happening, but now wasn’t the moment. Things weren’t over yet. Seamus might be with Alex, but the humans were still here, and the problem was still unsolved. Everything might still blow up, and Julian needed to make sure that wouldn’t happen.

  He straightened and cleaned his mouth with his sleeve. “I’m fine.”

  Kaspar wrinkled his nose. “You don’t look fine to me.”

  “I promise I’m okay. Is Seamus inside?”

  “Yeah. Alex, Estelle, and Patrick whisked him away as soon as Thomas took over. You don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

  Julian relaxed. He rubbed his face and wished he could brush his teeth, but the best thing he could do was chew some gum, so he took a piece out of his pocket and threw it in his mouth. “I need to hear what’s happening between Thomas and Luther.”

  “You need to go inside and rest. This isn’t normal, Julian. You’ve been throwing up too frequently.”

  That was exactly what Julian was worried about. “I’m fine. I promise.” He stepped away from Kaspar. He had to. He couldn’t allow Kaspar to distract him, not with something this important happening.

  He walked toward Thomas and Luther. They were staring at each other, and Thomas had made it obvious that he wouldn’t move. The guy Luther was with looked like he wanted to strangle Thomas, but luckily for everyone, he didn’t even move toward him.

  “What’s going on?” Thomas asked.

  “Like I told your friend here, we got an anonymous tip that the badgers and the bears were planning something.”

  “Planning something? Anonymous tip? And you thought it was a good idea to barge into my territory and try to stop my son-in-law from having a baby? What were you trying to do? Hurt him?”

  Luther rubbed the back of his neck. “To be honest, we weren’t aware of the fact that shifter men could have children.”

  “That doesn’t sound like a good excuse. Would you have stopped a pregnant woman?”

  “Of course not, but again—”

  Thomas shook his head. “Enough. I don’t care what you thought or didn’t know. I want to know what’s happening.”

  Julian held his breath. He understood why Thomas was annoyed and angry, but he hoped he wouldn’t make Luther even angrier than he already was. He didn’t know what they would do if the human team decided to attack. Seamus was inside right now, giving birth, and he needed to be protected.

  There was nothing Julian could do, though.

  “I want an explanation,” Thomas said. “Now. I know that you’re the representative of the humans, but I don’t care. This is my home, and you barged into it without hesitation. I want to know why.”

  Julian held his breath. This could go either well, or terribly wrong, and he had no idea which way it would tilt. He was pretty sure that if there was still something in his stomach, he would be throwing up right about now.

  * * * *

  Something was very wrong with Julian, and Kaspar was worried. He could tell that Julian wouldn’t budge until this was resolved, though, so he did his best not to show it. He didn’t want to seem weak to the humans. He didn’t think it mattered, but just in case, he wanted to make sure they were showing a united front and that they weren’t distracted.

  “We got an anonymous tip.”

  Thomas looked like he might punch Luther. “You already said that. I want more information. Who got the tip? What did the caller say? Was it a man or a woman? Why did you believe them rather than me?”

  Luther gestured at the man who was still staring at the door as if he expected Seamus to come back. “Randy got the phone call.”

  Thomas arched a brow. “A phone call? Does he have the phone number of a lot of shifters who live here? Because I assume your anonymous call came from a shifter in the forest.”

  “I didn’t give anyone my phone number,” Randy snapped. “They called m
e.”

  “That’s exactly what I was saying. How did they get your number? You’re new here, and with the way you’re looking at me, I doubt you view shifters in a good light. I can’t see you handing out your phone number to people you don’t know, and who you think aren’t worthy of breathing the same air as you.”

  Randy opened his mouth, but Luther shook his head at him, and he snapped it shut. Luther turned to Thomas again. “I don’t think that how the caller got Randy’s number matters right now. What does matter is that this person told him that the badgers are planning to break out of the forest and take it over.”

  Thomas blinked. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I understand. Are we trying to break out of the forest, or to take it over?”

  Luther frowned and looked at Randy. “Randy?”

  Kaspar wasn’t surprised when Randy looked away instead of answering.

  “Which one is it?” Thomas asked. “Either we’re trying to break out, or we’re trying to take over,” Thomas pointed out. “It looks to me like you acted impulsively instead of thinking about what was told to Randy—if it was even told to him in the first place.”

  “Are you saying I lied?” Randy asked.

  Luther’s eyes narrowed, and he raised a hand. It was enough to silence Randy. “We had to check.”

  “You’re welcome to, of course, but you won’t find anything. We’re almost done rebuilding, as you can see.” Thomas gestured toward the house. He and his family lived here already, but it was obvious it still needed a coat of paint and a few more things. “My family and I are settling down again. I’m about to have a granddaughter. I don’t have the time or the will to take over the forest, or worse, to break out of it. Why would I want to do that?”

  “To take over the human world,” Randy snapped.

  Thomas looked at him like he was stupid, and Kaspar shared that opinion. “Take over the human world? Again, why would I want to do that? I have everything I want or need in the forest. I have a home, a family, and as much space as I can want. Why would I want to take over the human world? And more importantly, how would I do that? Even if you put together all the shifters in the forest, our numbers are nowhere near close to those of the humans. Even if we did break out, it would take no time at all for the humans to find out and kick our asses back into the forest.” Thomas shook his head. “I’m sorry, but whoever called you was lying.”