Page 114 of Surprise Mother Pucker

Every ounce of tiredness I was feeling was gone in a millisecond. Sitting straight up, I looked at Kennedy, who was bent over slightly as she sat in the nest next to me, clutching her belly.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“Well, my water didn’t break with Charlotte, but this feels pretty similar. I thought I was having Braxton Hicks contractions, but now I’m leaking like a faucet, and I’m pretty sure it’s the real deal.”

“But you’re not due for nearly three weeks!”

“Well, the baby has other ideas.” Kennedy groaned, closing her eyes and whimpering.

I scrambled out of the nest. “I’ll get the others!” I said, rushing down the hall. All my pack mates were in the living space around the coffee table, deep in conversation.

“What bit your ass?” Charlie laughed when he saw me. “Did the omega kick you out of bed?”

“It’s time!” I panted.

Charlie and Micha shot me a confused look, but Eli understood immediately. He stood up. “Are you sure? Is it Braxton Hicks?”

“She's been having contractions on and off all day, and her water broke.”

Eli’s face broke out into a smile, and he turned to the others. “It looks like we're having a baby tonight.”

Micha and Charlie both made noises of excitement, rushing toward the nest. The hospital bag was packed and ready to go, so all we needed to do was sweep up our omega and take her to her chosen hospital.

“We haven't had a chance to tour the facility yet,” Kennedy whined as we got into the car. Charlie and Micha were following in another car, as they had Charlotte’s car seat.

We had been planning to tour the hospital where Kennedy wanted to give birth next week. “Unfortunately, they decided to come early, but it will be fine. You’ve seen the reviews of this hospital, and on the whole, they’re excellent.”

“They are,” Kennedy agreed with a nod. She had been looking up review after review of the hospital she had picked. She’d gone to the only hospital she could afford when she gave birth to Charlotte, but the second time around, she wanted to do a bit more research.

“We have everything off your list, all your snacks and pajamas. Charlotte has her daddies to look after her, so all you have to do is worry about bringing that cutie you’re growing into the world,” Eli assured her.

“Oh, shoot, this is a big contraction,” Kennedy whined.

I was sitting in the back seat of the car with her, so when the contraction hit, she would lean forward, and I would rub her lower back until the contraction passed.

I frowned. “These are getting close together.”

“Four minutes,” Eli confirmed.

My eyes widened, but I didn't want to say anything in case I stressed Kennedy out further. I was pretty sure in all the reading I had done that we were supposed to get to the hospital when her contractions were five minutes apart.

When Eli glanced at me in the rearview mirror, I knew my pack mate well enough to know he was concerned. He was also avoiding saying anything. It was cardinal rule number one not to stress out the pregnant omega.

Chapter 45

Eli

Since the moment we’d brought Samuel River Daniels home, I had hardly slept.

Not because he was keeping me awake with his screaming. On the contrary, he was a relatively sleepy baby. I just couldn’t stop watching him. Whenever Kennedy put him down in his bassinet, I found myself watching him for hours at a time.

He was so sweet and utterly perfect. Watching Kennedy with him floored me. She was a complete natural, and I didn’t think it was possible for me to become more obsessed with the omega, but by god, I was.

Samuel started to stir, his little face scrunching up as he prepared to wail. It was the dead of night, and Kennedy was fast asleep next to him. His bassinet was on her side of the bed, for obvious reasons.

For the first few days, Charlotte had been having sleepovers with members of the pack. We’d set up a little travel crib in Charlie’s room, because it was the farthest away from Kennedy’s room, and the baby’s crying was far less likely to disturb her there. She always had at least two of the pack members sleeping in the room with her, and she was loving it.

Sliding out from under the covers, I walked around the nest and scooped up Samuel and padded into the living room to prepare a bottle. When the nurse at the hospital had asked Kennedy about breastfeeding, I was completely ready to support her, whatever she decided. Given the complications she’d endured last time, she wanted to go straight to formula.

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