Page 41 of Hainn

The claimed mates in all the packs had gotten together to throw her a baby shower, which was a fun activity Jezari hadn’t heard of before. Even Tratus’s mate came from their secret stronghold to the north for the occasion. It had been an afternoon of silly games and gifts and fun bonding. Jezari decided some human traditions were definitely worth incorporating into the packs’ lifestyle.

Since she had to be in the hospital to deliver the baby, Jezari had put her foot down on one point and refused to give birth in one of the sterile white rooms the humans apparently preferred. She’d asked Rosemari, mate to Jamokan, who was an artist, to paint the walls and ceiling of the room she’d be using and Rosemari had been delighted with the commission. She’d entered into the project full of enthusiasm and had plucked many mental images from Jezari and Hainn to create the mural. Having had the Badari blood transfusion from her mate, Rosemari was telepathic with all Badari, which was convenient since she’d never seen the ocean. Most of the mural depicted the sea mount vicinity but she’d painted a South Seas scene on one wall, with an enticing trail leading to the beach. Hainn said it was so realistic he could hear the waves calling.

As a surprise Rosemari had also invited her students among the cubs and cadets to paint a portion of the mural with an amusing vignette of the aquatic life on the reef.

The appointments of the room had helped distract Jezari during the earlier stages of labor, as had her flower from the hand of the goddess, which remained as fresh and fragrantas the night she’d received it in the stone circle. Camron, who made jewelry as a hobby, created a delicate silver filigree holder for her and she’d taken many deep breaths of the perfume during contractions over the past hours. Hainn had stayed right with her and had alleviated her misery with his healer’s power but they both understood this was a natural process and she had to endure it to deliver the baby at the end.

She was surprised and not a little annoyed to find being a Badari didn’t exempt her from the discomfort of labor. The doctors had laughed at her gently when she expressed this sentiment.

No one else was in the room with them but she was sure a crowd had gathered in the waiting room, including her sisters, Aydarr, Jill, Daegan, Flo and too many others to count. There were guards all around the hospital and in the corridors and humans were forbidden to approach the facility until the cub was safely born. A temporary clinic had been set up further away to handle any medical issues during this time. Jezari felt guilty to be disrupting the valley in this way but she approved of the Alphas’ determination to protect her and the baby.

The contractions were definitely getting stronger and Jezari’s talons tore the sheets and mattress to shreds as she did her best to breathe through them. Dr. Madarian performed another physical check and gave a significant nod to her colleague and Hainn. “It should be any minute now. The baby’s head is starting to crown.”

“I have to push,” Jezari growled. Her body didn’t feel like it belonged to her, or to her inner beast either. She’d been taken over by a primitive instinct older than time. “I’m going to PUSH.” The statement was a scream.

Hainn moved to brace her back so she could push against him.

Dr. Madarian was calm. “All right, yes, push now, bear down and let’s get this baby born.”

The urge subsided and Jezari fell against her mate, sweaty and exhausted. She barely had time to catch a breath and the overwhelming need rushed over her. Not really listening to anything the doctor was saying, closing her eyes and clinging to the golden mate bond, crushing Hainn’s hand when he clasped hers and whispered encouragement, she felt a triumphant release and next moment heard the baby wailing.

“It’s a boy,” the doctor said, holding up a red faced, unhappy baby. “A fine son. We’ll clean him up a bit and give him to you to hold. You did great, Mom.”

Jezari was growling and couldn’t stop herself. She wanted her child in her arms now.

Megan approached. “I’m going to massage your stomach,” she said. “You have to expel the placenta, which calls for a few more minutes of effort.”

With great restraint Jezari managed not to snap at her but lay in Hainn’s arms listening to his praise while he cooled her brow with a damp cloth. Dr. Madarian finished cleaning the baby and taking the initial measurements at a table set up in the corner—no one was going to allow even a doctor to remove the baby from its parents—and brought the blinking, quiet child to Jezari.

Hainn rearranged the pillows so she could sit up.

The greatest flood of peaceful happiness she’d ever experienced flowed over Jezari as she held her son and gazed into his eyes, which were already glowing a bit golden. He rooted against her and she felt a rush as her milk let down for him. Hainn stroked the cub’s head as he turned eagerly to latch onto his mother, taking his first meal with gusto.

“He’s beautiful,” Jezari said, gazing into Hainn’s face. “He looks like you.”

“He has your eyes and hair.” Her mate leaned over and kissed her gently, careful not to disturb the busy baby. “I was so proud of you, laboring all day to get him safely into the world. I love you.”

The mate bond pulsed and Jezari took note of a new, golden thread entwined with the more solid link between herself and Hainn. Experimentally she sent a pulse of love along the new strand and the baby disengaged for a moment to stare at her before resuming his quest for milk.

“What’s his name?” Megan asked.

Jezari exchanged glances with Hainn and then said, “Therron.”

“It means wave rider in Badari,” Hainn added.

“Very appropriate. We’ll give you a few minutes of private time but then you know the Alphas are going to insist on coming in and they’ll want to make the announcement of the birth to the packs,” Megan cautioned.

“We understand,” Hainn answered for both of them as Jezari was busy burping Therron before transferring him to the other side. “It’s all been discussed thoroughly and we’re in agreement with what Aydarr and Daegan want.”

The two doctors congratulated them again and withdrew. Jezari heard an excited babel of voices outside the door.

“I wish you’d let me run away and find my own den,” she said, only half joking. “It’s going to be a circus, with us and Therron at the center of all the fuss.”

“Aydarr and Daegan swore to us we’d have our privacy and be well guarded,” Hainn reminded her.

“I hope someone else gets pregnant or is right now to take a portion of the focus off us,” Jezari said, stroking Therron’s wispy hair. “I don’t know how Mateer and Megan handled it when Hope was born.”

“Their daughter is so excited about getting a playmate,” Hainn said. “She was upset when Megan explained to her the baby will be too little to play for quite a while.”

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