Page 60 of Her Second-Hand Mate

I felt her wolf pace impatiently, wishing to help her host as much as I did, but my wolf was surprisingly calm. He was where he was supposed to be – with his family, helping, supporting, and loving the three of them. With one last forceful exhale, our son slid out of Penelope and into Alicia’s competent hands around six in the morning.

The sun was already up, and the whole room was bathed in a magical glow. It was one of those moments during which your mind whispers, “Watch carefully, because you’ll remember this for the rest of your life”.

I took in Penelope’s exhausted but relieved face, the hair sticking to her sweaty forehead as I kissed her temple in gratitude and appreciation, her naked body that started shaking uncontrollably now that the main part of birth was over.

As Alicia put the pup on Penelope’s chest and did whatever else she needed to do downstairs, we both looked at him, touched his warm, wet skin, and then nuzzled our noses and faces into his neck. I stroked her hair and arms as I murmured loving, calming words into her ear to slow her shaking. And we both cried.

She must have been too exhausted and weak to mask her feelings because I was flooded with her love, pride, and joy as she looked at our pup and his head full of dark hair.

His face was red and scrunched up, and he was crying in a weak but adorable voice.

“Let’s get him to latch, mama,” Alicia said, and Penelope’s expression brightened at being called a mom for the first time.

The pup greedily grabbed her nipple, and I flinched but felt no pain from Penelope. Instead, I got awe and wholeness, a sense of being complete. She looked up at me with gentle eyes but then felt a pang of sadness that caused me to hang my head in shame.

“His name is Gabriel Hugo Hedge,” she said in a soft voice, tracing the pup’s nose with her finger as he nursed.

She’d chosen my dad’s name as his middle name. My eyes and nose were stinging again.

“It’s a beautiful name, you’ve chosen well. Thank you, Penelope, thank you for our son.”

I kissed her forehead and then dared sneak a brief kiss to her lips before putting my forehead to hers.

“I love you, Penelope. Thank you for our family,” I said.

She just closed her eyes, and we stayed like that for a while, our foreheads pressed to each other, my hand on the back of her neck, and our son in her arms.

“Remember what I told you, Luna,” Alicia said later as she packed her things up. “Whenever he’s crying or fussy, if his diaper is clean, put him on the breast. Feed on demand. If that means breastfeeding 20 times a day, so be it, alright?”

“Understood,” Penelope smiled.

“I’ll be by every day to check on you and him, but for now – rest.”

We set up Penelope and Gabriel in the nursery. She was under strict orders to stay in bed for at least two full days, and I was to be at her beck and call.

I mind-linked my mom, Isaac, and Charlotte to tell them Gabriel was here. I also mind-linked Elliot and told him to call the Utah Alpha and let him know.

The very next morning, all her friends came by with food for our freezer and fridge. Then, my mother’s friends came carrying their offerings. Soon, there’d be no space left in our kitchen. We wouldn’t be accepting visitors for at least ten days. Wolves were notoriously territorial and easy to provoke when they had newborn pups, so it was always better to be careful.

Seeing this, my wolf was proud of how his pack took care of their Luna and their future Alpha, and I was reminded of just how loved Penelope was. She seemed to inspire the emotion in everyone who got to know her.

I went into the nursery every hour to see if they needed something, and I slept in front of their door every night – in case Penelope needed me to help her walk to the bathroom or if Gabriel’s diaper needed changing. I didn’t want Penelope to get up if she didn’t have to.

On the third day, I found her sobbing in bed as Gabriel slept in the crib-thing attached to it.

“What’s wrong?” my claws were immediately out.

Had something happened?

“Nothing,” she cried. “It’s nothing.”

“Please, just to calm my wolf, please tell me why you’re crying,” I begged as I sat down next to her.

She looked at me with red, swollen eyes.

“I just wish my mother was alive to meet him. And maybe be there for me.”

“I think I understand that better than you think,” I admitted as I gazed at Gabriel’s tiny hand. “Gabriel has me thinking about my dad more than I have in years. I miss him, and he would have loved being a grandfather.”

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