The Complete Lost Children Series

by Krista Street

  By the time I got home, I felt like an emotional wreck. After stepping into the entryway, I closed the door behind me and crumpled to the marble floor.

  “What’s wrong with me?” I whispered to no one in particular. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

  The baby continued to kick as the sound of Luke’s padding feet filled my ears. He appeared from around the corner. His large shoulders stretched against his T-shirt, and his golden eyes filled with concern when they happened upon me.

  An aching sense of need filled me. My mate.

  He rushed to my side. The movement was a blur since his powers kicked in. He was like Flint in that way, except his powers far outnumbered my adopted brother’s.

  “Love. What is it?” Luke’s golden gaze flickered across my face. A deep growl filled his throat. “Did something happen? Are you hurt?”

  The tears continued to pour down my cheeks. “Something’s wrong with me, Luke. Something’s really, really wrong.”

  ~ ~ ~

  An hour later, I was on the examination table at Father’s home. He and Di had told us to come over after I called them.

  I hated that I was putting everyone through such an ordeal. Father and Di had assessed me so much during my pregnancy. I knew they were starting to doubt my concerns. I could only call wolf so many times before people stopped listening. No pun intended. I swallowed a hysterical laugh that wanted to bubble out of me.

  The ultrasound whirred in the background as Father glided the handheld wand over my abdomen. I stared at the screen as black-and-white images of my baby appeared.

  “Here are the legs and arms.” He pointed at the screen. “And here, you can see the profile. All still human.”

  Luke stood at my side, his energy tense and strong. His large hand held mine.

  “But you say you’ve been feeling more irritable and are now having irrational thoughts?” Father turned off the ultrasound machine and handed me a towel to wipe the gel from my stomach.

  Di stood behind him, a medical book open in front of her on one of the tables.

  “Feeling things like that are normal during pregnancy.” Di glanced up from the book. Her dark hair bobbed against her jaw. “Most pregnant women feel overly emotional at some point during their pregnancy. It’s from the hormones.”

  “But it’s not that . . . it’s like I have these urges. These instincts that are almost overwhelming at times. Thoughts overtake me, and I have these reactions I can barely control.”

  Di snapped the book shut. Her dark gaze narrowed as her expression turned pensive. “What kind of instincts?”

  “It’s like I want to hide my belly from everyone. I don’t want anyone looking at or noticing me. I almost lashed out at my coworker today, and she’s never been anything but sweet to me.” I frowned, my shoulders sinking. “It’s only around all of you that I don’t feel that way. Only around our family do I not have these urges. And thankfully, the babies at work don’t bother me. I only ever feel caring toward them.” My brow puckered. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I lashed out at a child.

  Father and Di shared a contemplative look as Father finished cleaning the ultrasound equipment. He and Di stepped out of the room. From their tapping footsteps, I knew they were moving several rooms away.

  I turned up my hearing.

  “Do you think it’s worth looking into wolf behavior during pregnancy?” Di asked in hushed tones from down the hall. They’d moved clear to the center of the house, but even when they whispered, I could still hear them, though barely. “She’s almost sounding territorial, and if she can only tolerate us that makes sense since we’re her pack.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Father replied. “Many of her behaviors and what she’s experiencing could be explained by that. Female wolves are very protective of their young and have to rely on their pack to feed them while they’re nursing and raising the pups. For many weeks, the mother often doesn’t leave her den, and she relies solely on her pack to nourish her. It would explain why Jacinda isn’t turning on us, but why she sees other adults as threats.”

  My cheeks flushed. Wolf behavior?

  “I remember reading something like that from our animal biology textbooks when we were growing up.” The sound of Di tapping her chin followed.

  “But I’m not a wolf!” I practically screamed.

  Luke tensed at my outburst.

  Footsteps tapped down the hall. I turned my hearing back to normal just as Di and Father returned to the room. Both of them had the decency to look sheepish. Even though they’d taken precautions to avoid my overhearing, my genetically enhanced hearing was too good.

  “We know you’re not.” Di rushed to my side and took my hand. The fact that she took my hand and rubbed it soothingly told me my reaction had been even more extreme than I’d meant it to be.

  But my heart still raced as blood whooshed through my ears. Wolf behavior? Really?

  “It’s still worth looking into,” Father said soothingly. Kindness exuded from his hazel eyes as he pushed his glasses up his nose. Since I’d pulled him from his home lab, he still wore a lab coat.

  Guilt again nibbled at my conscience. Both Father and Di had been working when Luke called them an hour ago. And as they always did, they’d dropped everything to accommodate me.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered before swinging my legs over the side of the exam table. “I’m so sorry that I keep taking your time up and acting like a crazy woman.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Father and Di share a concerned look.

  Luke massaged my shoulders. “Nobody thinks you’re crazy,” he said harshly before he growled. “Isn’t that right?”

  “Of course nobody thinks that,” Father said adamantly.

  “Luke’s right,” Di agreed. She hunkered down in front of me and clasped my hands with her thin tanned fingers. “But you do have lupine DNA in your bloodstream right now. It’s possible it’s affecting you. You could be exhibiting these urges and behaviors because of it.”

  Luke grumbled his agreement gently. “When I ran in the wild with the wolves, I observed alpha females in estrus and during their pregnancies. They often became more dominant and irritable. It wasn’t unusual for them to snap at others. What you’re experiencing is normal.”

  A hysterical laugh bubbled out of me. “For a wolf it’s normal, but for me, it’s not!”

  Father frowned. “No, you’re not a wolf, but your partner is part wolf, and the lupine DNA in your bloodstream also confirms that your baby is part wolf.”

  My gaze met his as my emotions went on another rollercoaster ride, then I burst into tears.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Luke took me home after my emotional encounter with Di and Father. Once we arrived at our condo, I crawled into bed. Tiredness radiated along every line of my body. My swollen belly wasn’t helping. Movement was getting harder and harder as our baby grew and stretched.

  Luke drew the blackout curtains after giving me a soothing massage. Sleep was just on the precipice when his words flowed to me from the living room as I lay in our dark bedroom.

  “Yes, I definitely think you should come, Lena. She’d be happy to see you.” He was on the phone, talking to my sister.

  A smile ghosted my lips. Lena. Sister. The thought of seeing her brought a soothing feeling of peace. For once, tiredness gripped me in her dark embrace, and I fell into oblivion. I welcomed it. Needed it.

  Even though I knew the dreams were coming.

  ~ ~ ~

  Pain ripped through me. Horrible, awful, excruciating pain. My belly felt like it was being clawed open. Waves of agony rippled along my abdomen.

  I opened my eyes to a dark room. Noise from the Denver streets filtered in from below, but they were nothing compared to my panting.

  “Ahh!” The wail left my lips as another wave of sharp pain stabbed my abdomen. It wasn’t a dream. It was real.

  I gripped the edge of our bedframe tightly and pulled myself to a sittin
g position. A moan left my lips as I struggled to take breaths. “Luke!”

  I squeezed my eyes shut as another stabbing wave needled my belly. “Ahh!”

  Luke roused from a deep sleep slowly. His gaze was hooded when he opened his eyes. Sitting upright, his eyes flew wide open. “Jacinda? My love? What is it? Another dream?”

  “No!” I gripped the headboard harder and gritted my teeth. “The baby, Luke! The baby’s coming!”

  His eyes turned to saucers and began to glow as he threw the sheets off him. “Now? The baby’s coming now?”

  Susannah appeared in our bedroom doorway, wearing pajamas. “What’s going on?” She rushed to my side as I rocked on the mattress.

  Luke’s hands were scrambling along the bedside table. “My phone! Where’s my damned phone?”

  Susannah joined him as I clutched my belly in agony. Another primal scream tore from my throat. It felt like someone was cutting me open from the inside out.

  “Found it!” Susannah yelled, holding it up to Luke.

  He snatched it from her hand before whizzing around the bed and kneeling in front of me. “Just hold on, my love. Hold on. I’ll call Conroy and Di.”

  “Let me!” Susannah appeared on my other side, holding out her hand. Wild blue eyes met mine when I moaned again. She looked as terrified as I felt. “Help Jacinda, Luke. I have no idea what to do for her.”

  Luke tossed her the phone before he picked me up and carried me across the room. His nostrils flared. It was only then I felt the dampness between my legs. The smell of blood and body fluids reached my nose.

  I began mewling. “The baby’s coming. The baby’s coming.” I screamed again when another contraction ripped through my stomach. “But it’s too early, Luke! He can’t come now. It’s too early!”

  “Shh, my love.” He kicked the bathroom door open and strode in, flicking the light on. His irises glowed when he took in the horrific scene that was my body.

  Blood stained my nightclothes. Pale skin stared back at me in the mirror, my long blond locks hung damp from sweat, and my light-brown eyes were wide with panic. I’m hemorrhaging. Even though I knew nothing about medicine and giving birth, I knew losing so much blood wasn’t good.

  “Luke?” I said weakly as another round of pain made me grip him hard enough to break skin.

  Disheveled locks of tawny hair covered his head. Two days’ worth of stubble covered his cheeks. His massive shoulders, at least three feet wide, looked as tense and hard as bowling balls.

  Worry clenched his jaw before he set me down on the sink’s edge. I leaned my entire weight into him as he lifted the hem of my nightclothes. The world began to swim in darkness despite the harsh lights of the bathroom.

  “Just hold on, my love. They’re coming.” His caramel-colored eyes flickered.

  But I couldn’t hold on. I opened my mouth to scream again as a new wave of pain swept through me, but only a pitiful moan came out before the world fell into darkness.

  ~ ~ ~

  I woke to the sensation of hands on my abdomen. Hands everywhere. Voices came next, but they were muffled and faded in and out. I tried to open my eyes but couldn’t. The entire world became sound and touch.

  “. . . stopped the contractions . . . we’ll need to . . .”

  A growl and sharp words. “She’s still bleeding!”

  “I know . . .” A soothing reply. “. . . taking her to . . .”

  Someone lifted me, and the world disappeared again.

  ~ ~ ~

  “Jacinda? Can you hear me?” The voice was worried. A hand touched me, running along my forehead. The fingertips were cool, the movements gentle. “Sister? Wake up.”

  Lena. My eyelids fluttered open.

  Green eyes shimmering with tears met mine. My sister’s hair was a wild mess of long red waves down her back. “Jace? You’re awake!” Lena cradled my hand between both of hers before she brought it to her cheek and nuzzled it.

  I blinked more and looked around. It seemed I was lying on a bed with Lena crouched at my side. Sunlight poured in through gauzy curtains, but it wasn’t my room.

  I recognized the large king-sized bed that I lay on along with the dark-wood furniture that adorned the room. Father’s guest room?

  “You had us really scared there for a few hours. Don’t do that again.” Lena’s lips parted in a tentative smile.

  Her words made last night come crashing back. My heart broke as all thoughts of my whereabouts vanished. “The baby?”

  I bolted upright, my hands flying to my swollen stomach.

  He’s still inside me. Relief rained down on me just as he kicked, but my heart still pounded from the thought that I’d lost him.

  “But how is he? Is he doing okay?” I rubbed my hands over my belly. Even though he moved, it didn’t mean everything was fine. Maybe the event last night had damaged him, cut off oxygen, or done something to impair his development. My mind whirled with all that could have happened.

  Lena gently pushed me back into the pillows. “He’s fine, Jacinda. I wouldn’t lie to you. Father and Di said everything’s okay now. You don’t need to worry.”

  “But what happened?”

  “You went into labor during the night and started bleeding. Di and Father had to give you medicine to stop the contractions. It’s too early for your little guy to come yet.”

  Hearing my sister’s soothing words and firm conviction stilled my trembling hands. I took several deep breaths as the horrors of the night slowly washed into the background. I made a move to get up, but Lena stopped me.

  “You can’t get out of bed. Father has placed you on bed rest. He said you’re too high risk to be up and moving.”

  I eyed the bed I lay in. “So I was moved to Father’s house?”

  Lena pulled my hand into hers again. “Yeah. Luke, Susannah, Di, and Father drove you here after Susannah called them in a panic. Once you were stabilized at your penthouse, they figured it was safest to have you here since Father’s medical wing is closer.”

  “Where’s Luke?”

  “Passed out on the couch in the living room. So is Susannah. They had quite a scare. In fact, we all did. Flint and I drove here as fast as we could. The twins and Mica did too.”

  My heart fluttered. “So everyone’s here?”

  “Yep. The whole fam came as soon as Susannah put the word out. Amber and Edgar are in the kitchen making breakfast for the gang as we speak.” That wasn’t surprising since Amber and Edgar lived here with Father.

  Lena leaned closer. “Susannah’s call scared the life out of me. I wish I didn’t live in Boulder. I know it’s only an hour away, but it felt so far last night. Those of you that live in Denver are the lucky ones. Raven drove here as soon as Di left to go to your apartment, but the twins, Mica, Flint, and I are so far away. We sped here as fast as we could during the night.”

  “Normally, it doesn’t feel that far.”

  “You’re right. Normally, it doesn’t, but last night, it did.”

  I settled back against the covers and ran my free hand over my stomach. “I’m glad everyone’s here, and I’m so happy you came.” Just having her nearby brought a soothing feeling inside me. Lena and I had always been close. She was my only blood relation in our unlikely family, and growing up, we’d been inseparable.

  “Of course I came.”

  The warm feeling in me grew, but it was more than that. A feeling of peace and security coated my insides at the thought of my entire family under the same roof. My pack. I cocked my head at that thought and remembered Di and Father’s whisperings about wolf behavior.

  I’d never thought of my family as a pack, but in a sense, Di and Father were right. Having all of us under the same roof did make me feel better. Whether that was due to the lupine DNA swirling through my bloodstream or something else, it didn’t matter.

  I was happy even though incredibly fatigued from all that had happened, but right now, the happiness trumped that.

  Lena straightened the sh
eets over me. The way she hovered reminded me of all the times I’d taken care of her. Once again, our roles were reversed. “If I have any say in it, I’m not leaving your side until that little one comes out.”

  My eyes widened in happiness. “Really? But what about your job?”

  She shrugged nonchalantly. “I already called my boss. He’s not happy that I won’t make my shift today, but when I told him my sister almost died during the night and was gravely ill, he understood. I have the next month off from work for family emergency purposes.”

  Even though I wasn’t due for another two months, the thought of having Lena around for at least half of that time was reassuring. “That makes me so happy. I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too.”

  “And Flint? What’s he doing?”

  “He’s with Di. She needed help cleaning up the medical room.”

  My brow furrowed. “Was it that messy?”

  Her smile faltered. “A bit of blood, but nothing that couldn’t be cleaned up.”

  I nibbled on my lip as my stomach growled. The scents of breakfast cooking wafted into the room. From the smells, I had a feeling it was quite the feast.

  A soft knock came on the door. Edgar peeked in. His shaved head was covered with a backward cap, and an apron was wrapped around his waist. “Amber and I made breakfast.” He stepped farther into the room. “We figured you’d be hungry.”

  I nodded enthusiastically. “I’m starving. Thank you, Edgar.”

  He dipped his head before exiting the room as quietly as he’d come. As always, Edgar drew as little attention to himself as possible. He’d always been that way. Never once had he transformed or used his powers. Of all of us, he was the most normal in that respect.

  I was about to push the covers back when I remembered what Lena said about being on bed rest. Two months in a bed. I sighed at the thought of the mundaneness the future held.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get a plate for you.” Lena jogged out of the room, her loose dark-red curls trailing down her back.