I made up for the lost time with a very heavy foot on the way home—how I didn’t get a speeding ticket, I’ll never know. When I pulled into the driveway, I left everything in the car and ran inside the house.
But Willow wasn’t there.
I followed his scent, hoping I’d be able to find him quickly. I didn’t bother with the porch steps as I flew outside and landed in the dirt, nearly slipping. Sid was passing by. “Oh, you’re back.” His demeanor was so chill and calm I nearly snarled. Didn’t he realize my mate was missing!
“Yeah. Where’s Willow? Have you seen Willow?” I gripped him by the shoulders and shook him as if he personally stole Willow from me.
Sid just grinned. He was a new dad, after all. His mate had given birth a month prior.
“Your mate’s with Fern.” He patted me on the shoulder. “All will be well, Brother. He was cussing you out for being gone and not having the new onesies here yet.”
We didn’tneednew onesies, but my mate had seen a picture online and he wanted them. So off I had gone. “Where are they?”
“At the main house—”
I didn’t wait to hear the rest, running as fast as I could toward the main house. As soon as I got inside, I heard the sound of Willow’s moans, followed by a stream of choice words. Sid hadn’t been exaggerating about the cussing.
“I’m back!” I called out, finding Willow pacing in the living room, my sister on the couch.
“Good, because Fern won’t let me leave until you’re here, and I am not having this baby here!” he growled. He might not have been a wolf, but you wouldn’t know it now.
I chuckled. He wasn’t mad at me—he was mad at my sister. Good. Better her than me.
“Yeah, she’s a little stubborn.”
She nodded and gave a little shrug.
“Stubborn? Protective? Whatever. Get me out of here.”
I scooped him up, and he growled again. “Let me walk!”
“Okay.” I set him down, and we walked back toward the cabin, with Fern following behind at a distance.
“Do you want me to tell her to bug off?” I asked.
“No, she can stay. I don’t mind her being with me, I minded not being home.” He looked behind him and made a face. “I had one little contraction, and she decided to hold me hostage.”
“So the moaning earlier wasn’t from severe pain?”
“No, the only pain in there was your sister.”
“I heard that,” Fern chimed in.
“I meant for you to,” Willow shot back, rolling his eyes. It was amazing how much these two were like siblings—it was pretty wonderful to see.
“I got everything on the list,” I said, trying to change the subject.
“Good, because you’re not leaving again. I will not be trapped again.” Fern had not made him happy, but I couldn’t be cross with her. She’d been looking out for my mate. “These are probably just Braxton Hicks anyway.”
“They’re not.” My beast wouldn’t have cared about those, and he was all in protective mode to the point where he put my sister to shame.
“What do you mean, they’re not?” He stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowed. “What aren’t you telling me.”
“My wolf told me to come home. You’re in labor.”
“And how exactly does your wolf know that?” He started walking again, our house only a few steps away now.
“I don’t know, but he seems sure. I’ll grab the bag. You go inside.”