Page 188 of King Luna

“Oh, my love...” Noah swipes my tears away. “Are you in too much pain?”

Our pack pads closer, the wolves whining and people whispering gentle reassurances. Yasmine joins Noah in wrapping me in a gentle, warm hug, her calming scent washing over us both. I waver between smiling and sobbing, touched by how quiet and calm everyone has grown for my sake.

“Thank you, everyone.” I manage to blubber out my words between chattering teeth. “I really want to get clean, actually.”

Mrs. Jensen rushes forward, covering me with a blanket. Her calloused hands rub my arms. “It’s all okay, sweetie. We’ll get you all the help you need.”

Noah and Yasmine have to support me by the arms as I whimper on Mrs. Jensen’s front porch, the stairs applying extra pressure to my pelvis. I cling to my mate’s soft voice. “Breathe, gorgeous. Take it slow. You’re doing so well.”

We pause in Mrs. Jensen’s dim, cozy living room, wiping the grass and dirt off our feet as the old farmer scurries past us with shuffling feet. But when she dashes from the bathroom two seconds later, the water splashing in the distance as the shower heats up, she furrows her brows. “Oh, Alpha, Luna— Don’t even worry about that! Half the time, I’m the one bringing the muck in. Come, come—”

Beckoning us down the hall, Mrs. Jensen soothes me with her grandmother-like energy. I can’t help but feel like some part of me knew I’d be safe to start early labor in her yard, no matter how stressful the circumstances.

“Thank you so—” I reach for her, pulling her into a hug, but it’s quickly interrupted by yet another contraction.

My contorting expression in the mirror strikes me—I’m not only a dirty mess, but as I watch myself stoop in heavy pain, the utter power of my body’s efforts hits me all at once, drawing a deep groan from my throat.

Springing into action, Noah kneads heavy, rolling circles over my back. “I’ve got you. As soon as you can move, let's give you some relief in the warm water.”

Clinging to both Mrs. Jensen and my mate, I don’t even care that I’m butt-ass naked anymore. Sputtering through the tail end of the contraction, I can’t help myself, producing low, humming groans.

Noah and Yasmine meet eyes in the mirror.

“I’ll go flag down Amy when she drives up so we can leave right away,” Yasmine whispers.

She dashes out without waiting for an answer beyond Noah’s quick nod.

“Come on, gorgeous. I’ll scrub you down.” Noah eases me into the shower, wasting no time in lathering his hands in soap.

But Mrs. Jensen doesn’t leave, her brows furrowing as she grips the shower door. “Alpha, those sounds she’s making...”

Meeting Noah’s eyes, I’m too exhausted to speak. Noah’s jaw tenses above me.

“I know,” he whispers. “Give me a moment alone with her, please.”

As Mrs. Jensen shuffles from the bathroom, shutting the door behind her, Noah gathers my cheeks in his palms.

I grip his hands, my heart surging into a sprint. “I might need someone to check how soon this is happening.”

But Noah doesn’t respond; as he douses me in warm water, his focus locks onto my lips. Furrowing his brows, he cups my chattering chin in his hand. His eyebrows warp at what he finds,his eyes zipping between mine. “Oh,sweet girl, you have labor shakes already. I thought you were cold.”

He’s right; I can’t stop my whole body from shaking, hard.

My chin wobbles in his hand. “Oh, no. Can we even make it back in time?”

Noah swipes my clingy, wet hair off my cheeks, giving me a sad smile. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ve got you. No matter what happens.”

Lathering me clean, Noah purrs, attempting to soothe me. But my heart won’t stop pounding. Mrs. Jensen was implying I was already making productive labor sounds. Caressing our wiggly baby in my belly, I know my body can hardly handle expanding any further. Ari’s cramped and fidgety—and, therefore, ready to meet us as soon as possible. But I couldn’t feel more anxious about giving birth in a completely unexpected location.

Before I can catch it, an intrusive thought slips from my lips. “What if I have to squat down in this shower and push them out?”

Noah’s purring stops. “Please don’t.”

Taking one look at his frazzled eyes above me, I burst into laughter. As Noah breaks into a beaming grin, my tension rinses down the drain. Drawing me in as close as he can with my belly in the way, Noah cleans me with careful hands.

“Bend over for me, gorgeous,” he whispers. “Put your hands on the wall.”

When I plant my hands on the cool tile, Noah positions my lower back underneath the running water. Warmth streams down my back and belly, pulling a pleased hum from my lips as the water relaxes my cramping muscles.

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