by Unknown
She nodded. “Be sure to pack a bag for the baby.”
He grinned, his heart warming even through the fear for his female and their unborn child. “I will pack some things for our son. We need to think of a name.”
Stephany shook her head. “No, let’s wait until he is born. It will be bad luck otherwise.”
“Both you and our son are going to be just fine. We do need to think of a name for him though. Believe in him and trust that we can do this together. If we hurry, the human healer can start your labor today. He will make it. Do you hear me?”
It took a long time for her to answer. “Yes.”
“You need to believe it, Steph. For him”—he rubbed her belly—“for yourself and most of all for us. We are a family now.”
She nodded, another tear tracked down her cheek. Ward wiped it away with his thumb. “No more tears, just positive thoughts.”
She nodded again.
“I have a few name ideas.” He ran his hand up and down her arm.
She smiled and it was like seeing the sun on a cloudy day or a rainbow after a storm. Ward couldn’t help but to smile back. “You’ve thought of a few names?” She cleared her throat.
He nodded. “He needs a strong name. Something like Jericho or Raidon.”
Stephany nodded. “I like them.”
He could tell that she was trying to be polite. “I have a few more, but I want you to come up with some as well.”
“I will think on it.”
“Good, because we don’t have much time.”
She nodded for a few beats before turning her eyes up in thought. “What about your father’s name. He must’ve had a strong alpha name.”
Ward chuckled. “His name was Nathanial. A little old fashioned. Not exactly very alpha, especially since he insisted on being called by his full name.”
When she smiled, he knew she wasn’t keen on it which was fine since he hadn’t expected her to like such a different name anyways. It was why he hadn’t planned on bringing it up in the first place. Ward kissed her, her soft lips almost his undoing. When she gripped his shoulders and whimpered, he felt his beast rise up inside him, it insisted that he take her, brand her and mark her as his. Ward pushed down on the need, breaking the kiss on a low growl. “Put your feet up. Try and nap. I will let you know when we are nearly ready to go.” Since she was in his arms anyways, he picked her up and carried her to their bed.
“I can walk you know.”
“I realize that.” He put his face into her hair and breathed in her delicious scent. He would never be able to get enough of this female. His arms tightened for just a second. Ward took a deep breath, he had to force himself to let her go. One thing was for sure, he would not leave her side until this baby came. A whole vampire army couldn’t keep him away, though he prayed it wouldn’t come to that.
“Let me help…” She propped herself up on her elbows.
“Rest,” he growled.
She narrowed her eyes at him, but leaned back into the pillows. “Don’t forget to pack me—”
“I won’t forget anything, I promise. Rest.” He caressed her jaw one last time before leaving the room.
Chapter 7
Ward hadn’t lied when he’d said that the journey would be hard on her. They had to stop frequently so that she could get off to stretch or to relieve her bladder.
Her back ached. She felt nauseous from the constant motion. Her belly felt tight. The worst was her lower back. It didn’t matter how she sat or what she did, she could find no relief from the ceaseless dull pain. She thought that she must be driving Ward mad from the continual shifting in her seating. If she irritated him, he gave no sign, just kept moving in a slow lope. Her fingers throbbed and her thighs burned from holding onto him. Stephany was so afraid of falling. Her center of gravity had moved or something because she struggled to maintain a constant balance. The incessant fidgeting to find relief from her aches and pains didn’t help. Ward had stopped once or twice when she’d shifted dangerously far to the left or right.
Thankfully, they avoided fallen trees and large outcrops of rock by choosing instead to go around such obstacles. Unfortunately though, this added greatly to their travel time as they picked their way through the dense undergrowth.
Just the four of them, Ward had decided to keep the party small, choosing only Rushe and Tyler to accompany them. Ward had explained to her that Rushe was one of the most ferocious wolves they had in battle, greatly respected by all the shifters. Ward had referred to him as a berserker, saying that he would go into an almost uncontrollable trance like fury during battle. Sure, Rushe was a big male, but with his puppy dog eyes and sweet demeanor, she never would have thought that a battle hardened berserker lay just below the surface. Capable of doing some serious damage to his enemies no doubt.
In his wolf form, he was a mottled grey with a white underbelly and almost as big as Ward. The other shifter, Tyler, was quiet, keeping mostly to himself both as a wolf and when in male form. He was also a mottled grey but with the odd smudge of rust throughout his coat. He had the most incredible golden eyes.
Tyler was one of the males from the group that had dropped her back in Sweetwater the first time round. He was an excellent tracker and even more talented at hiding a trail. They kept the party small so as not to draw attention to themselves.
For what felt like the hundredth time since their last stop, Stephany shifted her position to try and ease the god awful pain that radiated from her lower back. How females remained in this state for an extended period of time was beyond her. If she got to see Tanya again, before the royal birth, she would warn her friend of what was ahead. To think that the small human would get much bigger than her was just plain crazy. Then again, how many pregnant females could attest to being carried, for hours on end, on the back of a wolf? Thankfully the movements were pretty even, or she wouldn’t have been able to cope at all.
She let out the longest, loudest sigh of relief as they arrived in the clearing that housed the barn.
As before, the males first changed into their human forms. Ward locked his mesmerizing green eyes with hers, putting his hand to the small of her back. “How are you holding up?”
She somehow managed a smile. “I’m good.” But her smile felt tight with fatigue.
Ward nodded and kissed her quickly. “You look tired. Once we have called the human female, you should rest.” The other males were already in the barn changing. They walked to the outbuilding together, Ward helped her into the back of the vehicle.
“I won’t be long.” He said before moving to the rear of the barn so that he could also change. Before she knew it, the trunk banged shut. He had stowed their bags, which the other two males had carried on their backs in special side pouches.
Ward slid in next to her, his familiar scent washed over her, helping to calm her racing heart. Just the thought of what lay ahead caused ice to fill her veins. This baby meant more to her than she had ever thought possible. She often found herself thinking of how he would look. Would he look exactly like Ward, or would there be something of herself in his features? Would he look up at her with adoring eyes like the little boy Sebastian had done with his mother?
Stephany shook her head, feeling her eyes prick with tears. It was important that she take Ward’s advice and stay positive. She could do this. Her baby was still small enough. One thing was for sure, she would die trying if she had to. Ward may not want to hear her speak of her own potential death, but she would make sure that Becky understood. That the human was fully prepared to try and save her son if it came to it.
Tyler rode with Rushe upfront. “Are you comfortable?” Rushe glanced up in the rear view mirror for a beat before his eyes went back to the road ahead.
“Yes, thanks.” Again she felt shock at the revelation of his being a berserker in battle.
Ward pulled her more firmly against him. “Do you have the cell phone?”
She nodded. “Fully charged and ready to go.”
“Good.” He ran a hand up and down her spine. “Call the female. The sooner this happens the better. We are about an hour away from sunset. Chances are good that you will be in labor throughout the night.” They had established that all females regardless of species tended to take many hours for their bodies to prepare for the expulsion of the child. This was particularly true if a female was birthing for the first time. Vampire females had an especially hard time with the process, even those deemed physically able. Deaths were not uncommon.
She shuddered and tried to mask the response by rummaging in her pocket for the phone.
“You say that this Becky female’s number is stored on this phone?” Ward’s gaze was locked on the device in her hand.
“Yes, I told you that Tanya and this female are very good friends. It is lucky that we took the phone after all.” Stephany scrolled through the contact list until she found the right one, pushing to dial.
“You bitch.” Becky sounded really happy, which contradicted the statement. “Where the freaking hell have you been? I haven’t heard from you in ages.”
“It’s not Tanya, she gave me her phone, it’s Stephany.”
“Steph?” Now she sounded a little shocked. “How are you?”
Stephany couldn’t help but to glance down at her distended belly and at the male that held her so possessively. “I’m”—she hesitated—“good thanks.”
“I must say, you are the last person that I expected to hear from. Is Tanya okay?” Concern was etched into every word that the human spoke.
“Yes, yes…she’s fine. At least she was when I left the coven two weeks ago.”
“Why did you leave the coven? What’s going on?”
Stephany sighed. “Okay, firstly you need to know that the vampires are looking for me. I’m in grave danger. You have to keep this to yourself. Can I trust you not to tell anyone, including Tanya, about this conversation or any meetings that may follow?”
“You can trust me, Steph. I consider you a friend.”
“Thank you.” Stephany briefly relayed the events that led up to this moment, though not yet disclosing why they had come.
“Okay…” Becky giggled. “You boinked a shifter and now you’re preggers with his baby. Oh my God! I have to say, you are the last person I expected that from. Tell me, Steph, are they just as attractive as the vampire males?”
Ward could obviously hear the conversation, because he shifted his weight while growling softly.
“Are they also as well hung and experienced in the sack?” Now the human sounded excited.
“Are you sure about trusting this person?” Ward’s brow was deeply creased. His jaw locked as he grit his teeth, looking angry.
“I need your help.” Stephany ignored the line of questioning.
The human sounded like she was clearing her throat. “Sure. Speak to me.”
“I am not physically able to birth young and because of that, I need your help.”
There was a long pause at the other end of the phone. “I’m not sure what you’re asking.”
“I need you to help me birth this baby. You are a human healer aren’t you?”
“I think the key emphasis should be on the word human. I’m not a surgeon either, just a plain old general practitioner.”
“I am due to have this baby anytime within the next two weeks. He is ready to come any time now. The problem is that my pelvis will be too narrow to birth him if he gets any bigger. I need you to make my labor come now. To help me have him. Can you do this?”
There was a loud sigh on the other end. “You should go to a hospital. I don’t—”
“It’s too risky. If the vampires find out we are here, Ward will be executed. I will be severely punished.”
Becky made an incredulous noise. “I’m sure they wouldn’t…I mean Brant is your friend they—”
“Ward breached the castle twice without permission. Waged a war on the vampires. The wolves took me twice. I disobeyed direct orders. The list goes on. We are in trouble. I need to have this baby now while I can still, hopefully, birth him. This can’t wait, it needs to be quick and it needs to be quiet.” Stephany had to force herself to release her hold just a little on the phone or she was sure that she would crush the device.
Becky snorted. “I must be freaking nuts. Come to my clinic. I will make sure I have the necessary supplies. If you arrive within half an hour, call before you come in. I have appointments to cancel and staff to send home. On second thought, I’d better have Elisabeth cancel tomorrows appoints as well,” she muttered to herself.
“Thank you. I’m not sure I can ever repay you.” The enormous relief that she felt had her closing her eyes and turning her face to the heavens for a brief moment.
“Don’t worry. You will owe me…big time.”
Before Stephany could respond, Becky rattled off her address twice and ended the call after ensuring that Stephany remembered it.
“The human said half an hour?”
She nodded.
“Take it slow.” Ward looked in Rushe’s direction. “We may need to pull off before we reach town. I want to try and avoid being seen.”
Rushe made a sound of acknowledgement, the vehicle slowed as he took his foot off the gas.
They did end up pulling off the road for ten minutes and then arriving at the entrance to the clinic exactly thirty minutes later.
Becky let them in within seconds of knocking on the door. There was a closed sign in the window.
Becky’s eyes widened when they landed on her distended belly. “Wow. You weren’t joking.” The female gave her a quick hug before turning her eyes on the males. Ward stepped in next to Stephany, putting an arm around her shoulders.
Becky eyeballed the other males with her hands on her hips. “Oh my.” She let out a low whistle as her gaze travelled over Rushe for a second time. “They are just as freaking hot as the vamps, maybe even more so.”
“Damn straight.” Rushe stepped forward. Stephany noticed how his hooded gaze tracked Becky’s lush curves, staying for the longest time on her large mammary glands. The female wore black business pants and a tight white blouse that showed the barest hint of a deep cleavage. His nostrils flared as his gaze dipped lower.
“Please tell me that you boys bite a little.” Becky licked her lips.
Rushe chuckled before flashing the human a gleaming canine. “Maybe a little, but I promise it won’t hurt.”
“Oooohhh, sounds good.” Becky giggled, her blond curls bouncing as she gave her head a flick. It was a human flirtatious gesture that Stephany had seen Tanya perform while in the company of the kings.
Ward growled, causing Becky to start with a little squeak. “Enough.” After the loud vibration, he managed to sound controlled. Rushe took a step back, dropping his eyes to the floor.
“Can you help my female?” Ward slipped his arm around Stephany’s waist.
Becky folded her arms, squaring her shoulders. She nodded once. “Yes. Come on in.” They made their way to a small, neat waiting area. “Can I offer you something to drink?” Becky asked once everyone had taken a seat.
“No,” the slight growl was back. “We need to begin. Time is limited.”
“I understand…” Becky took a deep breath, her eyes solemn, her whole demeanor turning even more no-nonsense and serious. “The problem is that I’m not a gynecologist. I don’t carry the necessary medication required to induce labor. I don’t have any of the equipment required to perform scans or to check the infant’s heart rate. We would be going blind if I were on my own.”
“Our females normally give birth naturally without any of the things you mentioned. It is very rare that we seek an outside healer for assistance.” Ward sighed. “What I’m trying to say is that any type of assistance would be greatly appreciated and way more than what we would’ve had anyways.” His eyes had gone from being a beautiful emerald green to a dark almost black color. “I am worried about my female. This baby is due any day no
w. Though we are concerned that he will soon grow too big.”
Becky smiled. “I understand.” She took in a deep breath. “I have asked a friend to help out. He will deliver some of the basic medications and equipment that we will require for an induction. We have a little time.”
“Please understand”—Ward leaned forward, placing his hands on his thighs—“time is of the essence. We are in danger. If the vampires learn of our presence here…” He shook his head.
“I am here to help you. We’re on the same side and you can trust me. I won’t tell anyone about this. It is important that you understand a few things before we begin though. Firstly, this may not even be possible. Our human drugs may not work on a vampire and even if they do, not all inductions are successful.”
Ward stiffened. “Not successful, are you saying that it can result in death?”
Becky frowned. “No, what I’m saying is that it doesn’t always work. I will give Stephany the drugs but she won’t necessarily go into labor.”
Ward let out a sigh, scrubbing his hand over his face. “I thought you meant…”
“It does not mean that this will be without risk—”
A knock sounded.
“Wow, that was quick. Must be Eugene with the meds…” Becky stood and walked towards the door. “I won’t be a sec.”
As soon as the female was out of earshot, Rushe turned to Ward. “I’m next on the list.”
If Ward heard what the other male said, he gave no indication.
“I really like that female.” Rushe’s nostrils flared.
“You like all females.” Tyler spoke for the first time. His voice deep and gravelly.
“Yeah, but I really like this one…very much. She looks soft and rounded. Her lips are so full and succulent.” He made a frustrated groan. “So tiny with such big breasts. Just thinking of her plump mammary glands makes my dick—”
“This is not the time,” Ward growled. Thankfully putting an end to whatever Rushe was about to say.
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Rushe stood. “I didn’t think I wanted a human, but I have changed my mind. I will pursue this one as soon as permission is granted.”
