Page 28 of Alpha Wolf Bodyguard

I loved our home, but sometimes my bear and I just wanted to be in nature. Now that I was mated, I was more in tune with my bear than ever. He was happier and more present.

Once we parked, I struggled to get out of the van, losing my balance partway down. Trig saw and helped me out. “Be careful, my little one.”

“I know, I will be.” Not that I hadn’t been when I originally started to tumble.

We grabbed the few supplies that we had bought for the place with us from the back of the car. It was nothing too important, but since we were coming anyway, we decided we might as well—some sheets for the different bedrooms, some new towels, and a cooler with a few meals for later. Not too heavy or too big.

I waited for everyone before stepping inside, wanting us all to see the final product for the first time together. The open concept in the front let in so much light, and I was able to get a really good look.

“I love it,” Trig said.

“Are you sure?” Garin set his bags down and wrapped his arms around our mate. “This place was your grandfather’s, and it’s so different.”

“I know, and he would have wanted it to be used.” Trig’s brother, Justice, also owned the home with him. “He’d love that there was a place for us to come and for all the kids in this generation to have the experience we did growing up.”

I could see it now. Summers spent hanging out with the cousins, making s'mores in the fire pit, telling embarrassing stories from our childhood. We were gonna make so many memories. I could hardly wait.

But first, we had to sweep.

The contractor had just left dust everywhere from their work. My mates sent me outside, telling me that they didn’t want me around all the flying dust. I agreed with them and told them I was going down by the river.

My bear loved it there, and if I could still shift, I’d have been lumbering down there in my fur. When I reached the clearing, I sat down. It took a few tries, but I made it. We had our first picnic in this exact spot. I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of the water flowing by.

I didn’t mean to, but at some point, I dozed off.

When I woke up, I was curled up on the ground, warm from the sun. My stomach was pulling and cramping. And these weren’t like the Braxton Hicks contractions. Nope. This was different. More powerful

I was in labor.

Crap.

My mates were going to be pissed off.

It took far longer than I wanted to admit to get myself up off the ground and waddle back to the cabin. When I arrived, they’d finished with their sweeping, and something delicious was cooking. Either meatloaf or a roast, I couldn’t tell which. We had both in the cooler, so it could have been either one.

“How much do you love me?”

My mates gathered around me and hugged me close, telling me they loved me more than the stars in the sky. And then I started to tense up as another contraction neared.

“Why?” Garin asked.

“Well, I think the babies are coming.” It was less of a think and more of a know, but I was trying to ease them into it.

“What?” Trig’s voice cracked.

“I’m in labor.” I gave them a few seconds to let that digest. “Remember how you said, ‘Oh, you’re not gonna want to drive in the minivan’?”

“Uh-huh.” Trig bobbed his head up and down.

“Good news. You were right for once.” I forced a chuckle, trying to lighten the stress pouring off them. “I don’t want to drive in the minivan. Can you call the doctor and see if he’ll come here?”

Fortunately, the doctor agreed to come… for a price. But by the time he arrived, I was already writhing in pain, the babies so close.

We had done everything we learned in the birthing classes to lessen my discomfort, including a warm shower, breathing techniques, and pacing the floor. If I had one of those big inflatable balls, I would have tried that too. I was willing to try just about anything at this point.

I hadn’t planned on a home birth. I was team hospital all the way. But now that I was here, it felt like the place where we came together should be the place where our young joined the world. Not that it mattered, because there was no way I was going anywhere. These babies would arrive before I could get to triage.

“Let’s see how far along you are.” The doctor helped me lie on the bed, and my mates flanked me on either side. “Oh, it looks like they’ll be here any second now.”

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