The Cub Club

by Serena Pettus

  “Absolutely!” Angela exclaimed. “You two rest, and we’ll just relax for a few ourselves.”

  Adam waited until Eva was settled into a comfortable position then rested his head on the side of her mattress. Within minutes, her breathing had slowed and evened out in sleep, and he allowed himself to follow after her, confident that she was being watched over.

  Chapter Two

  “It’s time,” the doctor announced.

  He’d come in about two hours after they’d fallen asleep, and now, declared Eva to be ten centimeters dilated and ready to push. This was really it. Adam’s daughter would be here very soon, and he and Eva would finally get to see their little angel.

  “Sweetheart, you’ve got this. I know you can do it,” he encouraged. “I’m right here. You just squeeze my hand and give it all you’ve got.”

  The doctor smiled up at them both, as nurses moved about the room with various pieces of equipment. There looked to be a plastic bassinet, blankets, a hospital bracelet, and even a little ink pad and card to do foot and handprints. On a tray to the side of the doctor was a little suction bulb, scissors, sutures—

  What the hell?

  She was giving birth, not having surgery! What in the world would he need sutures for?

  “Okay, Eva. On the next contraction, I need you to bear down and push as I count to ten. Are you ready?” the doctor asked.

  “As ready as I can be,” Eva replied. “Lacy, can you hold this hand while Adam has the other? Stephanie can stand by Sarah to make sure that she doesn’t get too squeamish.”

  It was the excuse they’d worked out beforehand so that Stephanie could have a good view of the “business end” of things. She’d done her rounds in the labor and delivery wings during her residency, but that had been years ago. She was determined to re-educate herself to the best of her ability all the way up until Sarah delivered.

  Angela, the matriarch of the family, was determined to be there for the birth as well, and after having four sons of her own—all at home with only herself and her mate—she’d be able to answer any questions or problems that might arise in regard to Sarah’s werewolf make-up.

  “I can see the top of her head!” Sarah squealed. “What are you doing with those?”

  Adam looked down where the doctor was gingerly snipping the scissors, and cringed before looking back at Eva’s face.

  “What? Is something wrong?” she panted.

  “No. Just wondering if you could feel that, because I sure didn’t.” And he was damn glad for it.

  “Feel what?”

  “I simply performed a small episiotomy to help prevent you from tearing as she comes out,” the doctor explained. “I’ll put in a few stitches once everything is done, and you’ll be as good as new.”

  Adam knew he should keep his mouth shut, but really, what man didn’t want to say, “Hey, doc. Throw an extra stitch in for me, would ya?” Well, when Adam let that little joke rip—right on cue—the death glares of every woman in the room locked on him. “Easy ladies! I was only kidding, honest!”

  “Adam, if you want to survive to go tell all the men about your beautiful daughter, I’d pick the rest of your words carefully,” Lacy warned. “I’ve seen pregnant women go for the jewels when the pain reached its crescendo, so trust me when I tell you to tread lightly.”

  “Duly noted. I’m sorry, Eva. I was only playing.”

  “I know, sweetie. I’m not offended.”

  Another round of pushing, and Adam started to feel a sort of odd pressure in his nether regions. Not sure what it could be, he glanced back down just in time to see his daughter’s head emerge.

  “I can see her! Oh, Eva, she’s coming out now!” he practically shouted, his excitement bubbling over.

  “Believe me, I’m aware. Keep watching. You will remember this for the rest of your life,” she instructed.

  “One more push, and you’ll have your daughter in your arms, Eva. Come on, just give me one more hard push,” the doctor urged.

  Lacy and Adam helped to raise Eva’s shoulders as she gave it her all, and together, they all watched as the physician raised a wiggling infant for all to see. There was Adam’s daughter, with a cap of copper waves on her head and her little chin quivering before releasing a frustrated cry. With little fists clenched and feet kicking, his girl let everyone know just how she felt about leaving the warmth of her mother’s womb to be forced into the cool hospital room where she now shivered and cried.

  “That has got to be the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” Eva sobbed.

  “Would you like to do the honors?” the doctor asked. He was holding up a pair of scissors, offering Adam the chance to cut the cord. Once he was done, the nurse took the baby girl over to the little station they had and set about cleaning her up, measuring her, and taking her weight.

  A few moments later, the same nurse brought over the pink swaddled bundle and placed her on her mother’s chest. Eva was smiling from ear-to-ear, happy tears streaming down her face, as she took in the squalling infant.

  “Look what we did,” Adam whispered. “She’s perfect, just like her mother.”

  Angela and Lacy gathered close to check out the newest addition, and his mother asked, “So have you two decided on a name for my granddaughter yet?”

  Eva looked up to Adam and beamed. “We picked the perfect name right before we went to bed last night,” she announced. “Adalynn Marie Wolfe.”

  “Oh, that’s a beautiful name,” Angela said, clapping her hands together.

  “That’s a very pretty name for a very pretty girl,” Lacy cooed at little Adalynn where she now snoozed on Eva’s chest.

  Stephanie was still focused on everything the doctor was doing down below, and Adam made the colossal mistake of looking down just as the doctor was placing the afterbirth into what looked like a large bowl.

  Nope, not looking down there again!

  From now on he’d just focus on his tiny cub and his amazing mate. They were much more pleasant to look at.

  “It’s time for me to take her down to the nursery for a bit,” a tall nurse announced as she fastened a small, pink, hospital band to Adalynn’s ankle. “You might want to rest up. We’ll be back in about an hour or two, once we get her bathed and check her labs.”

  Eva bowed her head to place a gentle kiss on the baby’s head, and Adam followed suit before the nurse lifted Adalynn and placed her into the bassinet to roll out.

  As the women in the room extended their congratulations and praised Eva, Adam turned his attention to a slightly pale Sarah. Worried that something could be wrong, he grabbed Stephanie’s arm and spun her to face their sister-in-law.

  “Sarah?” Stephanie tried to gain her attention, but Sarah’s wide amber eyes were still trained on Eva. “What’s the matter? You’ve got to talk to me here. I didn’t wear my psychic hat today.”

  It took a moment, but she finally replied with a whispered, “No scissors.”

  Adam couldn’t help but wince. Sarah wouldn’t have the privilege of pain meds, so…yeah.

  Stephanie, the only one brave enough to deny a pregnant Sarah anything, spoke softly yet firmly when she informed Sarah, “I’ll use whatever is needed to ensure your twins are born safely. Don’t worry though. When a pregnancy involves multiples, the babies are always smaller.”

  “Promise?”

  Stephanie nodded before adding, “Besides, Adam has a fat head, so poor Eva had that going against her from the start.”

  Scowling, he caught her quick wink and knew she was trying to distract Sarah with a little humor.

  “Why don’t we all go ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ by the nursery windows and let these two rest a little?” Lacy suggested.

  After saying their goodbyes, the women exited the room leaving only the medical personnel behind. The doctor approached Eva as one of the nurses helped her reposition her legs from the stirrups to the bed.

  “You did very well, Eva,” he smiled. “I had to put a few stitches in, bu
t they’ll dissolve and be gone in a few weeks. Now remember, no sex for the next six weeks. If you notice any—”

  Six weeks? Six weeks! Adam’s mind checked out of the conversation. He couldn’t touch his mate intimately for a month and a half?

  When the physician and everyone else was finally gone, Adam settled back at Eva’s side and kissed her sweat-dampened brow. “You did it, sweetheart.”

  “We did it. I’m glad I got the epidural when I did. I honestly worried that you might get sick. You weren’t looking too good,” she teased.

  “I’ll admit I have a newfound respect for mothers everywhere. Actually, maybe, I should go apologize to mine.”

  Eva laughed, only to stop abruptly when a twinge of pain went through her abdomen. Having felt her discomfort, Adam said, “I thought the pain would be over.”

  “They cut off the epidural meds, but think about it, Adam. I just put my abdominal muscles through one hell of a workout, so they’re going to be sore for a few days.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I wish I could take it away, but I’ll admit, the end result is definitely worth the pain. Adalynn is the cutest baby in the history of babies, and it’s all because of her beautiful mother. I love you, Eva.”

  “I love you too, Adam,” Eva replied, stifling a yawn.

  “Get some rest while you can. I’ll be right here with you, and we’ll have our baby girl back soon.”

  Smiling, Eva picked up his hand and laced their fingers together before closing her eyes on a sigh. A feeling of love and contentment flowed through him, and Adam knew that it was from his mate.

  He knew their lives would change now that they’d entered parenthood, and he was excited to dive into this new adventure in their lives. They could do anything as long as they were together.

  * * * *

  Two weeks later…

  Adam heard the faint rustling coming from the nursery and knew his little princess was getting ready to cry out at any moment.

  A glance to his side showed Eva sleeping soundly, something that hadn’t happened much since bringing Adalynn home. Eva was a good mother, always alert to their daughter’s every whimper and whine. That attentiveness had her utterly exhausted, yet she refused to give in to her body’s demands for rest.

  Determined to have her sleep as long as possible, Adam slipped out of bed and quietly made his way out of their room, closing the door behind him. With his heightened senses, he didn’t have to pass the threshold to know what had awoken Adalynn. His girl needed a diaper change.

  He crossed the room to find her squirming with a disgusted look on her little, scrunched-up face. Her dark copper curls stuck out every which way, and her silvery-blue eyes were wide as they peered up at him.

  “Yup, that smell’s coming from you, cupcake,” Adam laughed.

  With her nose every bit as sharp as his, Adam knew she wasn’t a happy camper. Though she wouldn’t shift for several years yet, their little wolf would still be a handful as she grew up. All werewolf children were. They tended to be an adventurous, rough-and-tumble bunch, so he and Eva would no doubt be running after her more often than not.

  “Come on, sweetheart,” Adam cooed as he slowly and carefully picked her up. After all, he really wanted to keep the “situation” contained for as long as possible. Once they made it to the changing table, he arranged all of his supplies then began the dreaded removal.

  Dear God! All she drinks is breast milk. How in the world could that evolve into this? he thought, trying his best to hold his breath.

  With the dirty diaper contained and in the trash bin, he slid the clean one beneath her tiny bottom and was just dusting some powder on her when it happened. The initial poot sent a puff of white into the air. Of course Adalynn just kicked her chubby little legs and smiled. “I’ll bet you feel better now, don’t you princess?” Another little puff of air and a gummy grin was her only response, but he’d take it.

  After the clean-up, they made their way into the kitchen where Adam grabbed a bottle from the fridge and started the warmer.

  With his daughter cradled in his arms, Adam took a moment to gaze out the window at the moonlit winter wonderland bathed. He couldn’t wait for Adalynn to be able to build snowmen and have snowball fights with him. Just the idea of her playing up in the tree house he and Eva had built left him with a warm feeling.

  In fact, she would need a sibling to play with, but he’d wait a while before bringing that up.

  Ow, ow, ow, ow!

  Adalynn was apparently tired of waiting for her dinner, because she’d turned her little head and latched onto Adam’s nipple before sucking with all her might.

  From now on, he’d wear a shirt at all times.

  “Okay now, I need you to turn that loose. There’s nothing in there for you.” Luckily, he was alone for this, otherwise his brothers—or worse, Stephanie—would never let him live it down.

  Bottle in hand, he settled into the rocker with Adalynn and watched while his baby girl’s eyes drooped as her belly filled. It was a heady feeling, knowing he was responsible for another life. That the choices he made could mean comfort or pain, happiness or upset…life or death.

  Parenthood was scary.

  He’d spoken to his father about his worries and fears, and all the man had said was, “Welcome to the cub club.” Whatever the hell that meant.

  The bottle now empty, Adam raised his sleepy girl to his shoulder and gently patted her back until she let out a dainty little belch. Not ready to give up his cuddle time just yet, he reclined his chair and settled Adalynn on his chest, her head resting over his heart.

  With her fresh lavender scent filling his nose, Adam relaxed and allowed himself to drift.

  * * * *

  The sensation of fingers combing through his hair woke Adam. The light streaming through the windows told him he’d done more than doze, but then again so had Adalynn.

  “Why didn’t you wake me up?” Eva whispered. “I would have—”

  Adam cut her off. “You needed the rest, Eva. She just had a dirty butt and an empty belly. We took care of both, and she fell right back asleep,” he explained as he handed Adalynn over to her. “I could have put her back to bed within the hour, but…” He shrugged. “I just wanted to snuggle a little longer. She smells good…well, usually. She didn’t smell that sweet when she woke up last night.”

  Eva chuckled. “So she left you a present, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  Eva’s sudden burst of laughter startled little Adalynn into a wail, and his mate didn’t miss a beat. She shushed their daughter while parting her robe enough to give access to her breast. With Adalynn happily suckling away, Adam winced and rubbed his own nipple.

  “Doesn’t that hurt?” he asked. Usually, it barely registered through their bond, but it sure as hell had been less than pleasant for him last night.

  “It did at first, but when she’s looking up at you and you get to make that connection, it just fades to the background. She needs to nurse as long as she can to get the extra antibodies my milk provides.”

  “You’ve been reading more of those parenting books, huh?”

  “Hey, we’re new at this,” she countered. “I’ll take any advice that I can find.”

  Adam stood and kissed Eva’s soft lips. He never tired of the sweet taste of his mate. Just four more weeks and he could savor her properly.

  * * * *

  Lunchtime arrived and so did his mother and Stephanie. It surprised him that the two had braved the trip over, since the roads were beginning to become treacherous in the icy weather. The women were a tremendous help when it came to easing Eva’s nervous mind. Stephanie assured her Adalynn was perfectly healthy, while Angela gave her some motherly advice.

  They had just sat down to enjoy their meal when Stephanie’s cell began to chirp in her purse. Figuring that it was Abraham checking on her, they all went about fixing their plates until they heard her tense response to the caller.

  “Erik, slow down,�
�� Stephanie replied. “I need you to tell me exactly what happened.”

  It looked like lunch was on hold.

  Chapter Three

  Erik

  There she is, Erik thought. My crazy, beautiful mate.

  Sarah was radiant in her pregnancy, with her face practically glowing and her nesting instinct at full tilt. The woman just wouldn’t stop! She’d insisted the nursery had to be done last month so she could get everything set up and ready to go before the twins arrived.

  And here she was, once again attempting to rearrange the cribs and changing tables into yet another position in the room.

  “What was wrong with where they were?” Erik asked. “I thought you said it was perfect the last time.”

  “It was…until I noticed the sun might be on this crib during the day. I can’t lay them down with the sun shining on them and expect them to get a good nap in,” Sarah explained as she straightened and rubbed her lower back.

  The twins were putting a strain on her, no doubt. Her belly was stretched to its limits, and at any given moment, Erik could usually feel one, if not both, of his babies moving about if he placed his hands there.

  “Why don’t you just tell me where you want the beds moved, and I’ll do it? You really shouldn’t be doing stuff like this Sarah,” he scolded. “I know you want everything to be perfect for when they arrive, but you heard what Stephanie said.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I feel fine, though. She’s worried I’ll strain myself and go into preterm labor like some human mothers do, but us werewolves are a little more hearty than those other females.”

  Hell, he couldn’t argue with that. Sarah was tough as nails, and she would be an amazing mother to their kids. With werewolf children being a bit more rough-and-tumble than human children, they still found themselves in trouble from time to time. However, with their mother being who she was, he pitied any fool who messed with their children, whether they were adults or kids. There wouldn’t be anywhere to hide that she wouldn’t find them and tear them to shreds.