“Daddy!”
I spun around and my mouth fell open. She was in her princess underwear, covered from head-to-toe in flour and holding a mixing bowl in one hand.
“What’s going on?” I rushed over to the kitchen and took in the flour-coated scene.
“Pancakes.” She shrugged confidently and reached up to grab the flour bag from the bench that was littered with broken eggs, piles of flour, and spilled sugar.
“Okay, let’s just leave that for a minute.” I took her hand and glanced at the devastation she’d wreaked on Greer’s kitchen. It wasn’t a good look. If he woke up that moment, he’d be confronted with total chaos. Not a great advertisement for our future together.
I put the bowl on the kitchen bench, noticing the clock as I did so. “Fuck. I’m late.”
“Daddy! Naughty word!”
“Very naughty,” Greer said. I turned and saw him in his pajamas, arms crossed, a stern look on his face as he stood in the doorway of his bedroom.
“Shit,” I said. “I’m sorry, I’ll clean it up—”
“I think you have a meeting to get to.” He smiled and walked over, looking down at Stacia. “And I think Stacia should do most of the cleaning. Don’t you, young lady?”
“Uh-huh,” she happily agreed.
“Are you serious?” I asked him.
“Dead serious. This meeting is important. And if she’s going to cook pancakes, then she needs to do it right. Eggs? That’s gross, Stacia.”
“Daddy does eggs in pancakes.” She shrugged and reached for a carton of milk she left on the bench. I handed it to her and pointed to the fridge.
“Not me,” I told Greer. “Other Daddy. I make excellent pancakes.”
“I’m sure you do. But not today. Go get ready.” Greer slapped my ass.
“I love you. You’re a lifesaver. I’m sorry. I love you. Drop her off at Jason’s, he’s expecting her, and I’ll see you at the hospital.” I rushed to grab my things, and then hurried to the bathroom.
“Love you too,” he called back.
The meeting was easier than I thought. Danette led the whole thing and managed to negotiate a few more weeks before I had to deliver the final manuscript, and an extra three percent on the deal to cover some of the fees. As I sat back and watched her work her magic, I wondered what I’d done to deserve all this. Not just the book deal, but Stacia, Greer, and the baby. My life was finally taking a turn for the better. Maybe I was getting some good karma after growing up with a shitty dad who barely cared about me.
“So what’s new with you? You seem…different,” Danette commented as she piled her files back into her folders after the publishers had left the room.
“Different?”
“I don’t know, hon. Less broody?”
I laughed. “Less? Actually, I’m pregnant.”
She stopped filing and looked at me over the top of her glasses. “Pregnant?”
“You know… Having a baby.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” She let out a delighted laugh and immediately threw her arms around me. “Congratulations! You sly dog, I didn’t even know you were with someone. Oh, are you with someone? Or is it like last time? Oh shit, I’m full of faux pas.”
I squeezed her in a big hug. “I am with someone, so no, it’s not like last time. I’ve found someone really special. In fact, he’s a little like a character out of the book…”
“Well, that’s sexy. Damn. You doing okay with the morning sickness?” Danette leaned back and looked me over.
“So far it’s fine. Better than with Stacia, that’s for sure.”
“Hm. Good. I hope it’ll hold out while you’re under pressure because these publishers are strict about their standards.”
“Don’t worry, I’m up to the challenge.” And at that moment, I felt completely confident. Everything was on my side. Things were going great. Why wouldn’t I be able to get the manuscript done in time? What could go wrong?
I drove straight back to Timberwood Cove and directly to the hospital where Greer was waiting for me at Dr. Reed’s office. His face lit up when he saw me walk up to reception.
“I’ve checked us in,” he said as he waved me over. I gave the receptionist a smile and she nodded, so I hurried over to Greer and sat down beside him. He gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek and took my hands in his. His palms were sweaty, and I could feel his nervousness running through his body. I gently pulled a hand away and put it on his knee to stop it from bouncing.
“Keifer Thompson,” the doctor announced as she read my file. “You too, Greer.” She smiled as we stood. Greer tucked me in beside him, sliding his arm around my waist. He was going the protective alpha thing. I figured it helped him to stay calm so I went with it.
“Nice to see you again, Keifer. How is Stacia?”
“She’s good. Jason has her right now.”
Dr. Reed nodded. I hadn’t been able to get myself to call her Maddie, even though she’d asked me to when she found out I was carrying a shifter baby. As the pack’s main obstetrician, she looked after all the pregnant omegas and their babies, and of course, Jason had insisted we see her when we found out I was pregnant.
She had some of my blood taken to confirm I was pregnant, and then she went about taking my vitals. Greer sat by my side, holding my hand through the whole thing. My jacket rested in his lap, and I noticed he was gripping it so hard his knuckles were turning white.
“Well, Keifer, you are strong and healthy and pregnant. There’s nothing wrong that I can detect, and not much else I can tell at this stage,” she said as she snapped off her gloves.
“Thanks,” I said. “When should we come in again?”
“A few more weeks along, and we should be able to get a heartbeat.”
“Can you get one now?” Greer asked.
“It’s quite unlikely, Greer.”
“Please, Maddie. Can you try?” The desperation in his voice was uncharacteristic and must have shocked Dr. Reed as much as it shocked me because she immediately reached for her stethoscope.
“Let’s try,” she said, then motioned for me to lift my shirt up. I did as I was told, and she pressed the cold chest piece against my skin. For a few moments, she moved the stethoscope around and craned her head as though trying to listen for something. Greer’s grip on my hand became tighter and tighter.
Dr. Reed removed the stethoscope then took the earpieces out before she shook her head. “I’m sorry, it’s just too early to hear anything except for Keifer’s digestive tract.”
I gave Greer’s hand a reassuring squeeze, then pulled my shirt down.
“Thanks for trying,” I said.
She nodded and noted more things on my chart as I stood up. I went to take my jacket from Greer’s lap, but he was still gripping it tightly. I smiled at him and gave the fabric a little tug, but when I met his eyes, he looked terrified.
“Greer?” I knelt in front of him. “Are you okay?”
He shook his head, his eyes now frantic as he started gasping for air.
Dr. Reed was already calling for help when I quickly turned to her. She ushered three nurses and a doctor into the room, and they immediately urged me aside to get to Greer. I fell onto my butt on the floor before Dr. Reed helped me up.
“What’s going on?” I kept glancing between Dr. Reed and what little I could see of Greer now that everyone was crowding around him. My heart pounded and I suddenly felt light-headed.
Dr. Reed leaned in close to me. “Most likely a panic attack. But possibly a heart attack. We’ll get him to the emergency department as soon as they’ve assessed what’s going on.”
“Oh my god.” I braced myself against her shoulder as panic took hold.
“Don’t you get worked up too. He’s going to be fine. That baby you’re carrying is important to him, so stay calm for its sake—and his.”
Her no-nonsense attitude worked. I immediately calmed down and made way for a nurse to come in with a wheelchair for Greer. My heart was still
racing, but I wasn’t going to need a trip to the emergency room myself.
“It’s okay, I’m right here with you,” I said as they started wheeling him out. “It’s okay.”
Dr. Reed walked beside me. “If anyone asks, you’re married,” she said quietly.
“Why?”
“Because this is a hospital, not the homestead. Being a fated mate won’t get you close access to him if he’s moved to the cardiac ward, but being his husband will.”
“Keifer Parsons. Got it.”
“Has a nice ring to it, huh?” She smiled at me as we hurried down corridors toward the emergency department.
“It does.”
“I’ll vouch for you. Just don’t blow your cover.”
The small talk was keeping me distracted, but as soon as we turned down a corridor and entered the emergency department, I glanced down at Greer and a chill ran through me. What if this was the end? What if this was the last time I saw him; the man I loved with all my heart? Was I cursed? Destined to be a single dad? Was this all my fault?
The nurse wheeled him through a set of heavy doors, and Dr. Reed put a hand on my chest.
“You’ll have to wait out here while we do the tests. It’s best for Greer. One of the nurses or myself will let you know what’s going on as soon as we have any information, and you can come in once we move him to another department.”
“Can’t I—”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry. Just wait. I won’t leave you hanging.”
“I—”
“I’m sorry! Just wait,” she repeated as she hurried through the doors after Greer and the team.
And then I was all alone. “Shit.”
13
Greer
For someone who might have been dying from a heart attack, I was left alone a lot of the time. The hospital stank, something I had never noticed before now, and I hated it with every fiber of my being. Disinfectant, blood, vomit, human excrement… Ugh. It was disgusting.
“How’re you doing in here?”
I looked toward the doorway of the room they’d left me to die in, and saw Shawn, Linc’s mate and father of their sweet son, Samuel.
“Miserable,” I replied honestly.
“That’s the spirit,” he said with enthusiasm as he walked into the room.
“How do you work here, Shawn?” I scrunched up my nose. I would have pinched it, but my arms were hooked up to IVs and monitors, and I didn’t want to move them in case I pulled something out and set off some kind of red alert.
“The smell? It’s nasty, I know. Linc hates it too. It wasn’t a problem for me until I changed, you know.” He winked at me, and I gave him a cursory nod. “Now, when I smell all the gross stuff, it can get a little sickening, but I can handle it. I’m a tough guy like you.”
I chuckled as he checked the IV bag to make sure it was still draining into my vein.
“Any word on what’s wrong with this old tough guy?” I asked.
“Not my department. I only popped in because I knew you were here, but I heard Dr. Reed is taking a very personal interest in your case, which means everyone is working overtime to run the tests and figure it out. She’s very scary. We’re all scared of her.”
I chuckled again but stopped short when the movement hurt my chest.
“I do know they called Jaxon.”
“Did they tell him what happened?” That chest ache came on strong again, and I grimaced from it.
“Yes, he said he’ll wait for you at your apartment, but if you want him here—”
“No. No. Where’s Keifer?”
“He’s waiting out there, chewing his nails off with worry. He can come and see you once they’ve got some answers about what’s going on. I’m happy to be a messenger if there’s anything you want to tell him in the meantime?”
I heard knocking and looked up to find Maddie leaning on the doorframe. “We have results.”
She held up a file and gave me a grin. It must have been bad. A heart attack. Complete heart failure. Imminent death.
“Give it to me straight, doc.” I sat up in the bed a little and braced myself for the worst.
“Your heart is perfectly fine. Strong, in fact. Ridiculously strong for your age. However, your stress hormones are off the charts. Best guess—it was a panic attack.”
I let out a long exhale and relaxed back against the pillows.
“We’d like to keep you in for supervision, but—”
“Absolutely not.”
Maddie grinned. “I had a feeling you’d say that, so what can we do to make sure you’re ready to go home?”
I glanced from the Maddie to Shawn. “I want to see my baby.”
They exchanged a look, and I knew what was going on in their minds. “I want Keifer to get a sonogram. You can do that, right?”
“I can… But it’s really not done this early on, Greer.”
I was silent, and she sighed. “Alright. Get him in a chair, Shawn. I’ll get Keifer back to my office.”
“Race you there,” Shawn said as he hurried to take off my monitors. Maddie glared at him, and Shawn smiled. “Just kidding!”
As she left, he leaned down and whispered, “I’m not kidding. We’re going to win this race.”
We didn’t win—Keifer was already on the bed in Maddie’s room with his shirt up when we got there—but Shawn did impress me with how quickly he got me out of bed, into the chair, and all the way to the obstetrics department.
Keifer’s face lit up the moment he saw me. He almost jumped off the table, but Shawn wheeled me so fast I was by Keifer’s side before he had a chance to.
“Are you okay?” he asked with concern, running both of his hands over my face.
“I’m fine. Just nerves.”
“They told me you had a panic attack.”
“I’ll be fine once I see the baby is okay.”
“What if we can’t see it?” Keifer asked quietly.
“Don’t worry, I’ll do my very best,” Maddie said, pushing him back gently by the shoulder.
I held his hand and watched, transfixed, as Maddie squeezed gel all over his belly. I thought I could see a little baby bump on his tummy, but surely I was kidding myself. It really was so early in his pregnancy, we had a long way to go before he’d really be showing. I just prayed I’d get to see that. Keifer squeezed my hand and I smiled at him before we both turned to watch the sonogram monitor.
Maddie moved the wand around and around his stomach, and with every movement, I felt my tension rising. My wolf whimpered and pawed at my chest. Shawn put his hands on my shoulders, and I consciously relaxed, taking a deep breath and telling myself to be patient.
“There we go,” Maddie said triumphantly. She stopped moving the wand and pointed to a tiny, almost impossibly small smudge on the screen. “Let’s get a better picture.”
Keifer squeezed my hand so hard it hurt. We craned forward to get a better look while Maddie enhanced the image. Suddenly, it was completely clear—we could see the outline of our tiny bean. I gasped. My wolf issued a victorious howl, and a wave of happy emotions flooded me. I turned to Keifer who was beaming from ear to ear.
“Wait. Listen.” Maddie flicked some switches, and we heard a strange rumble coming from the speakers. And then… A rhythmic beat. A heartbeat!
“Oh my god,” I murmured.
Keifer ran his thumb over my hand and Maddie smiled at us.
“Everything looks healthy, progressing exactly as it should be. There is nothing to worry about.”
I sighed deeply, and my tension eased a little. “I’m sorry, everybody. With what happened to Coral… I suppose it was a trauma that has stayed with me, even more strongly than I thought.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Maddie pressed a button on the sonogram machine to get a print out of the picture it had taken.
Keifer glanced at her, and then back at me. “Happy now?” he asked, though there was an odd quake in his voice.
“Yes, thank you
for doing this for me.”
He nodded as Maddie handed me the picture of our baby. I held it in both hands, the tremble in them still noticeable.
Shawn gave me a comforting pat on the shoulder. “C’mon, we’ll get you discharged so you can go home.”
I grunted, my eyes fixed on the photo as he wheeled me out of the room.
I didn’t even think to look back at Keifer.
14
Keifer
Greer was silent as I drove him back to the homestead. He wouldn’t stop looking at that damn photo. Honestly, it was nothing more than a smudge on a low-resolution screen, printed onto some cheap paper. It was the smallest possible reflection of the little life growing inside me, and I felt jealous that Greer was so obsessed with it. He could have been paying attention to me, the guy who was carrying it.
Granted, the man had just suffered a massive panic attack, and I understood where his fear was coming from. If I’d lost Stacia during my pregnancy, I don’t know what I would have done. I would have been a wreck, and I’d probably end up having a panic attack every second of this pregnancy too.
We pulled into the apartment building to find Jaxon waiting for us, sitting on the porch. He stood up as soon as he saw the car and hurried toward it as I parked. Great. Perfect. Just what I needed.
“Ah. Right. The hospital called him and told him what happened.”
“Thanks for the warning,” I grumbled, bracing myself for an onslaught.
Jaxon opened Greer’s door and offered to help his dad, but Greer just brushed him away and made his own way to his feet. I got out, and Jaxon’s attention immediately turned to me.
“Hey, thanks so much for taking care of my dad as you promised,” he said, his sarcasm thick and certainly not befitting his status as the pack’s lead alpha, but as Greer’s son…
“C’mon, Jaxon, I’m doing my best.”
“Yeah, sure you are. You’re giving him more grief, like he hasn’t had enough of that in his life.” Jaxon moved toward me, a look in his eye I hadn’t seen since the argument we’d had when I was sixteen and he’d caught me drinking from one of his dad’s bottles of whiskeys.
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