The Wolf's Pregnant Bride

by Jane B. Night

  Chapter 17

  Nathaniel had sent Simon up ahead to tell the household that he was on his way. Simon had been reluctant to leave him but Nathaniel was glad when the youth had finally disappeared from sight. He stripped off his clothes and transformed into a werewolf under the cover of the dark night. He focused on his destination and began the long run home. It was no simple task to keep his mind clear and on his destination. His werewolf mind was less clear than his human one and his hunter instincts were called to by a wayward jackrabbit more than once as he ran. Ignoring the prey was difficult but he kept his thoughts on home. He felt his energy drain as he ran while maintaining his wolf form. It seemed to take seven or eight hours for the estate to come into sight though it could not have been more than an hour.

  He let himself through the gates and hurried up the back steps to the servants’ entrance. Very few people would be up at that hour.

  He stood on the steps and focused on returning to his human form. He felt pain flow through every muscle as his bones crunched into place.

  Once he was in his human form he reached for the door. He was grateful that it was not locked.

  He slid through the door and into the shadows. He had not spent much time in the servant's part of the house but he knew where everything was enough to sneak through the shadows and into Reggie's room. Some of the servants shared rooms with each other but Reggie was a servant of high enough rank as a valet to warrant his own room. Nathaniel rummaged around the room until he found a nightshirt. He threw it on so that if anyone saw him in the hallway he would not cause alarm.

  He slunk through the shadows upstairs but he saw no one until he was just outside of his own bedroom door. He had planned to sneak in and change his clothes but a hand grabbed his wrist.

  "You had better come," Dr. Alyes said softly tugging him towards Sophronia's room.

  "Has the baby arrived?"

  "A few moments ago."

  "Is he healthy?" Nathaniel asked.

  "She is the picture of health," Dr. Alyes said.

  "My wife?" Nathaniel asked.

  "She is losing large amounts of blood. If we do nothing I do not think she will survive," Dr. Alyes said.

  "There is something you can do for her?" Nathaniel asked.

  "Dr. Blundell performed the first blood transfusion years ago but there have been successes and failures. Normally, transfusions are done with the husband's blood since we know that his blood was compatible enough to make a baby with the girl," Dr. Alyes said.

  He opened the door and they entered the room where Sophronia was laying. Mercy was by her side holding her hand. Sophronia appeared in a fitful sleep and Nathaniel could see the blood on her clothes and on the bed linen.

  "Claire is seeing to the baby," Mercy said softly.

  "If you think a transfusion would save her then tell me what I need to do," Nathaniel said. He had not put the baby inside her but surely his blood was similar enough to his brother's to also be compatible with Sophronia's.

  "It is a bit more complicated in this case. I have never transfused a werewolf to a human. I fear that may cause more harm than good. Doctors had experimented with transfusing the blood of animals to humans and the results were very poor. I do not know if transfusing werewolf blood would kill her. I am hesitant to risk it," Dr. Alyes admitted.

  Nathaniel could see how pale his wife was. He knew something had to be done or she would die.

  "Mercy? Since she is my sister her blood must be similar to my own. She is not a werewolf. Perhaps her blood would suffice," Nathaniel said.

  Dr. Alyes looked Mercy over for a long moment as if he was contemplating her.

  "If you are willing we can try it though I can make no guarantees. It could hasten her death," Dr. Alyes said.

  "I am glad to do what I can," Mercy said.

  "I would rather we did something," Nathaniel said with a nod.

  "You should go and dress. Then go to the nursery and see your daughter," Mercy said. Nathaniel nodded. She did not want him to see this procedure and that would give her privacy.

  He shuffled to his room. The rush of energy that had gotten him home had fizzled and he was starting to feel exhaustion.

  He rang for a valet and one was sent up to assist him. The youth who was sent did not ask why Nathaniel was in a nightshirt that fit poorly or for that matter why he was there when he was supposed to still be away with his father. Simon likely had not yet made it to the house to inform them of his return. He probably outpaced the horse by twenty minutes at least.

  Once Nathaniel was in his dressing gown he hurried to the nursery.

  Claire, Ruth, and two other women were huddled together. Claire held the baby while Ruth issued order to the nurse and nursemaid.

  Nathaniel cleared his throat and took a step into the room.

  "You made better time than I expected," Claire said with a smile.

  "It was the excitement of meeting my first child," Nathaniel said.

  "I hope you are not too saddened that it is a girl," Claire said.

  "My nephews inherit so I have no use for a son," Nathaniel said.

  "She is a pretty little thing," Claire said. She stepped towards him and held the child out for him to see.

  The baby was swaddled in a blanket and her eyes were closed in sleep. The first thing he noticed was that she had lovely long eyelashes. It was something he had not expected.

  The candles that lit the room gave only moderate light and he looked forward to seeing her in the light of day.

  He reached out and caressed her cheek. It was soft under his finger. The baby opened her eyes. She did not cry but instead looked up at him with deep blue eyes the color of the sky reflecting on water.

  "Sniff her," Claire whispered to him.

  He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. He inhaled her scent as his lips met her skin.

  For a moment his senses felt overloaded. Two things were immediately clear to his sensitive nose. She was a Wolstenholme by blood as well as birth. She also would grow up to be a werewolf. The scent of wolf on her was almost overpowering. He had never smelled anything like it before though he had never intentionally took in the smell of any other baby either.

  "She is beautiful," Nathaniel said pulling away from her.

  "Is there news on Sophronia?" Claire asked.

  "I suppose I should find out," Nathaniel said. The room full of women did not need him. He was sure they knew far more about what the child needed than he did. He walked back to Sophronia's room noticing the trembling of his muscles as he moved. His body wanted to rest. He needed to sleep but he could not. Not until he knew if his wife would live.

  He opened the door and saw Mercy sitting beside Sophronia. Dr. Alyes was packing his medical bag.

  "The blood has saved her for the moment," Dr. Alyes said softly.

  "Has her bleeding stopped?"

  "It has. The new blood should compensate for what she lost. Now we just need to wait and she if she has a reaction to the blood. It will take time to tell."

  Nathaniel walked towards the bed and lowered himself down beside Sophronia. There was more color in her skin now though she was still not awake.

  "I can stay with her. You should sleep," Mercy said after a moment. He felt dizzy with exhaustion.

  "You will wake me if there are any changes?" Nathaniel asked.

  "Of course I will," Mercy said.

  Nathaniel tried to pull himself up but as soon as he stood the room began to spin and he stumbled forward. The room began to fade in and out as he heard Mercy ring for assistance.

  He felt strong arms lift him up. He tried to stand but his legs were numb. He had been in werewolf form for too long. He was exhausted. He needed to rest. He needed....

  Chapter 18

  Sophronia opened her eyes feeling dazed. Sunlight came through the open curtains and lit the room. Mercy was sitting in a chair at her bedside. Her sister-in-law was asleep on the chair with a book opened in her lap.

  S
ophronia felt different but for a moment she could not decipher why. Then, she noticed that the swell in her belly had lessened and there was no movement inside of her. She sat up abruptly but a wave of dizziness pushed her back onto her pillow.

  Mercy opened her eyes and rushed forward to steady her.

  "The baby?" Sophronia asked.

  "A little girl. She is in the nursery," Mercy assured her.

  "Was I ill?"

  "You lost blood with the birth but Dr. Alyes saw you through it," Mercy assured her. Sophronia leaned back against her pillows and took in a deep breath. They had lived. She and her child, a daughter, had lived.

  "Is Nathaniel here?" Sophronia asked. She did not know why it felt so important to her that he see her daughter but it did. She hoped that the sight of her convinced him that the babe was indeed a Wolstenholme child and that their marriage had not been for naught.

  "He has been abed for several days as well. He took sick after he was summoned home," Mercy said.

  "Has Dr. Alyes seen him?" Sophronia asked. Worry settled in her belly as she thought of him lying sick in bed from a chill caught hurrying home to his birthing wife.

  "He says it is little more than exhaustion. He will recover with time and rest," Mercy assured her.

  "Did he see the baby?" Sophronia asked.

  "He did," Mercy said.

  "Did he name her?"

  "I believe he left that task to you," Mercy said. In many ways it was a fitting thing for him to do. He was only the step-father of the child. It was right that she give her a name if the child's real father would not.

  "What was the name of your mother?" Sophronia asked.

  "Her name was Keturah," Mercy said.

  "That is an unusual name," Sophronia said. She did not think she had ever met anyone with that name.

  "In the bible Keturah was the wife of Abraham after his first wife Sarah died. She bore him six sons. I think my grandmother gave my mother that name in hopes she would be as fertile as her biblical namesake," Mercy said with a smile.

  "I hope my daughter can give more to the world than sons but it is a beautiful name. It seems right I should name my baby after her grandmother," Sophronia said. She did not want to name her daughter after her own mother. Harriet was a fine name but she hoped her daughter would grow up to be more open minded than her mother.

  "I am sure that Nathaniel as well as my father will be honored that you are choosing that name for your daughter," Mercy said. She did look pleased and Sophronia was glad.

  "I want to see her," Sophronia said.

  "Dr. Alyes says you must rest and restore your strength first. Claire is seeing that she is given the best possible care," Mercy said.

  The idea that the woman whose husband had sired her child was now caring for her daughter made her uncomfortable. She wondered if looking at the child Claire could see that the babe was from Eldon and not Nathaniel.

  Still, there was no good excuse she could give to keep Claire from the nursery. On the surface it seemed innocent as any sister-in-law looking after the welfare of her first niece.

  "Do you think you can take some food? I am sure it will help to restore your strength," Mercy said.

  Sophronia was not particularly hungry but she nodded anyways. She needed to regain her strength. She needed to see her tiny Keturah. She needed to care for her as a mother should instead of leaving Claire alone in the nursery.

  Sophronia nodded and Mercy rang the bell to summon one of the servants to attend her.

  Nathaniel groaned. His head throbbed as if a carriage had run it over. He opened his eyes and closed them again against the glare of the candle on the table.

  "I hope this has been a lesson for you," his father's voice echoed. It sounded as if he was shouting and Nathaniel covered his ears to deaden the sound.

  His father raised a cup to Nathaniel's lips and he took a sip. He had expected either the cool tastelessness of water or the sweetness of wine. Instead, he flinched at the bitterness and almost spit the liquid out. He managed to swallow it but he pushed the cup away.

  "It will help you feel better," his father said.

  "It tastes like it will end me," Nathaniel protested. He was surprised how loud his voice sounded to his ears.

  "I assure you it will not though you could have killed yourself with your little stunt. I can understand the need to change into a werewolf but to maintain that form without a full moon for no reason other than to run home was uncalled for."

  "It was not. Dr. Alyes needed to give Sophronia a transfusion," Nathaniel said.

  "Was it not Mercy who gave her blood?"

  "It was," Nathaniel said.

  "Then it is likely that the same outcome would have been reached if you had walked on two feet instead of transforming and running about like someone gone mad."

  "If she had died-"

  "But she did not. Still, I understand. I would have done the same thing had I been away when any of you children were born. That is why I am here giving you a cure for what ails you instead of berating you as I probably should."

  "I suppose you want me to thank you," Nathaniel said. The throbbing in his head did seem to lessen slightly. He opened his eyes again and though the glow from the candle was painful it was not unbearable.

  "It is not necessary. I can understand the folly of your youth."

  "Did Sophronia survive?" Nathaniel asked.

  "She did. She is resting from her ordeal just as you are," his father said.

  "Has she seen her daughter?" Nathaniel asked.

  "She has not but she will as soon as she is strong enough. She named the child Keturah," his father said.

  "Mother's name."

  "Yes. I believe she meant to honor our family though I am not sure if naming the bastard child of my oldest son who will be raised as the barely legitimate child of my second son was the best way to honor us."

  "Eldon will be pleased," Nathaniel said.

  "Yes," his father agreed.

  "Has he seen her?"

  "Claire made him take a peek. She is quite smitten with the child. Eldon needs to put a babe in her. She needs a child and he needs an heir."

  "You could always issue an alpha command that he-"

  "Eldon leaves his wife's room in the mornings more often than not. I feel confident he is not just there for her conversation," his father said. Nathaniel did not suggest that his brother was likely too inebriated to perform his marital duties most nights. Of course, he had managed to bed Sophronia so maybe liquor did not affect his manhood like other men. Maybe Eldon's cock had grown immune to the effects of alcohol due to his over consumption.

  "At least we can be comforted that she is a Wolstenholme and a werechild. I have met few children that smell so strongly in the cradle," his father said.

  "I do believe that Count Graybourne has bragged that his bastards always look more like him than his legitimate babes," Nathaniel said.

  "It could be that nature makes it so that the illegitimate child looks more like his father so he has the best chance of being claimed. It could also be that his young wife has passed off the child of a lover or two as the Count's and so they look nothing like him because they are not his."

  "Well there can be no doubt of Keturah's parentage. I suppose it makes my marriage worthwhile. I will try to remember that when the next babe is born on time and with no smell of werewolf," Nathaniel said.

  "Until the child grows one can never be truly sure. Mercy was born later than expected but I do not recall her having a smell different than you boys. She was a Wolstenholme through and through," his father said.

  "Did you find a place for us to lodge the pack for the moon?" Nathaniel asked. He decided it was time for a change of topic. His head was throbbing less but he still felt drained and exhausted.

  "We did. It is not ideal but it will do. Owen has sent builders there already," his father said.

  "Then you have much to do," Nathaniel said.

  "Drink the rest of this
and then rest for an hour or so. You should feel fully recovered afterwards," his father said. His father handed Nathaniel the glass and then stood up to leave.

  "I will be glad to be up. I need to check on my dogs," Nathaniel said. Jonah was a good caregiver but Nathaniel hated to leave their care solely to him. The training process was delicate and as a non-were Jonah had less influence over the dogs than he did. Even pups seemed to sense his predatory nature and fall in line to do his bidding.

  "Make sure you check on your wife and daughter first," his father said. Nathaniel nodded a moment before his father closed the door behind him.

  Nathaniel lifted his cup and swallowed the contents. The taste was not improved but since he was expecting it he managed not to gag on the contents.

  Chapter 19

  Sophronia held Keturah in her arms. She vaguely remembered her sisters as babies but none were as beautiful as her daughter. The Wolstenholme blood certainly mixed well with her own if her daughter was any indication.

  Claire and Mercy were sitting with her in the parlor. The nursemaid was at hand so that if Keturah had the slightest need she could whisk her away to have it met. The nurse was named Alice and the nursemaid Amelia which made them easy to confuse in Sophronia's opinion. Otherwise, she had no complaints about the women. Alice was a widow with grown children. Amelia was her spinster daughter. Mercy had been right to suggest them as they doted on the child as if she was the Princess of England instead of the daughter of a second son of a Marquess.

  Sophronia turned her head as footsteps approached. Nathaniel and Eldon entered the room together a moment later.

  Eldon took a seat by Claire who was once again seated on the settee. Sophronia noticed that he had not even bothered to steal a glance at Keturah.

  Nathaniel came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. She turned and he reached out for her daughter. She was loathe to share her but she was relieved that Nathaniel seemed almost as fond of Keturah as she was.

  He snuggled her near his face and Keturah reached out a hand and placed it on his cheek. He gave her forehead a kiss and she made a gurgling sound.