Page 29 of A Luna's Revenge

"Will do, doc." One of the neonatal team doctors wraps the pup in a blanket and leads the Alpha and pup to the pup warmer for immediate post-delivery assessment and treatment.

Nurse Reynold turns to Dr. Sutton with concern. "The baby isn't responding well." The neonatal team immediately whisks the pup with the attached Alpha out of the room. The Alpha looks back at Mom as if he is reluctantly leaving her, but the pup is responding to his touch andneeds the Alpha more now.

Even though I am still worried about the pup, I must stay focused on the mother. "Mother's status?"

Nurse Reynold nods, her voice steady. "Her vital signs are good, and she is stable."

"Good. Let's close her up."

Jenson

Much later, my tiny pup has been poked, prodded, assessed, and placed in an incubator for a couple of hours. Even though he is full-term, the trauma he endured prior to his delivery distressed him. The doctors say he’ll be fine. They want to ensure he is fully oxygenated fora couple of hours.

As I sit here looking at my son, I am once again filled with remorse at how I handled things with Charlie. I realize I had a lot of things going against me, like the poisoning, spells, tampering, and even letting that idiot elder talk me into not discussing things with Charlie beforehand.

Now, here I am, faced with my reality. A beautiful pup, and I’ve finally found my lovely mate. But my life is a total mess. If I ever get to explain things to Charlie, I will never hide anything embarrassing from her again. I never should have done so to start with. Total honesty from here on out. And if it’s the last thing I do, I will push for Ms. Vincent’s prosecution.

The fated mate bond is sacred. It should never be tampered with. I understand everyone has free will and can make their own choices, but when you choose to enter into a mate bond, all parties and all outsiders should respect that choice.

Fated mate pairings are responsible for 95% of our population. Only 5% of chosen mates can reproduce. Our population is decreasing rapidly, so the fated mate bond is sacred and protected by laws.

Recently, we have been attending mandatory training about Cheating Mate Syndrome or CMS. It’s when one of a pair of mates cheats on the other, and it causes significant health issues with the cheated-on mate. When wolf shifters find their mates, their biologies sync. Wolf shifters are carnal and like to cheat.

But cheating damages mates, it damages relationships, and ultimately, it damages families, which in turn damages our decreasing population. We are cheating our population out of existence.

If adults want to cheat and the mate is okay with it, without the pain, we can medically intervene to make it a safer practice. Or, a shifter can renounce mate bonds and cohabitate however you wish or go your separate ways. Just ten years ago, CMS was unnamed and unknown, while the victims typically died. The same is true with RMS or Rejected Mate Syndrome. Today, those are preventable and even curable.

"I want Tracy Vincent held accountable for her crimesandmy mate back. I am committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve this. Through my involvement on this task force, we have discussed and will implement numerous measures to prevent future incidents. We will thoroughly vet servers and staff and safeguard drinks to ensure the safety and security of all future conference or meeting attendees."

Chapter 19 - I Have Always Loved You

Charlie

I blink my eyes open to look around the dark room. It’s evening, and I can see the full moon shining through the window. It's light casting shadows around the hospital room. A nurse walks in. "Oh, good. You are awake. Are you ready to eat?"

"Where is my pup?" I rasp out hoarsely.

"He had a bit of trouble, but when Dad came in, he revived. Dad is in the nursery with him.Would you like to try to breastfeed your pup?"

"How? What? What happened?"

"Why don't I order you a tray? We can get pup and Dad in here and let him explain everything. The doctor has gone home for the day, but she'll be in to see you in the morning."

I nodbutam shocked that Jenson actually showed up for the birth. How did he know? Just hours before I gave birth, he was accusing me of cheating on him.

A few minutes later, the nurse returns, pushing a bassinet. Jenson is behind her, holding a bundle in his arms. He is smiling brightly, but I can see the wariness around his eyes.

"I'll leave you three to it, “the nurse smiles.I've sent for a tray for you both. Do you need instructions on how to breastfeed, Momma?"

"No. I had a class on it last week," I say. "If I have trouble, I'll ring for you." She nods and leaves us alone.

Jenson lays the bundle on my chest. I pull the blanket back, checking his diaper, and I cry out. "It's a boy!"

"Oh, yeah," Jenson remarks. "You were out of it when he came into the world."

My little one lets out a soft cry. "I guess you need some dinner, my precious." I glance at Jenson.

"Are you okay with me being here?" He asks.

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