Page 368 of Claimed By the Rival Alpha
Murmurs erupted throughout the crowd. Many of the families of the feral children were already emotional. Some had even left while we were talking to get their bearings.
“Who killed Troy?” Theodore asked.
“I did,” Night said. “But it was a team effort. I can’t take credit for the kill alone.”
“Can’t you, as an alpha, force the feral wolves to shift?” Council Member Dana asked.
“I could try to compel them to do that, Dana, but to be honest with everyone here, I’m not sure what that would do to their minds. I’m not willing to hurt them more than they’ve already been hurt.”
“What did you do to remind them of who they were?”
“I told them their names,” I replied.
Another moment of silence followed, broken only by the occasional sniffling of the children’s families. Another contraction hooked around my abdomen, making my breath hitch. Night glanced at me, but it wasn’t the best time to ask me if I was okay.
“Has this ordeal established a relationship with these other packs?” Council Member Jasmine asked.
“I believe so,” Night answered. “Troy hurt these packs, and they accepted our help even before we killed him. The alphasvolunteered to help us watch the ferals; we didn’t have to ask them. I think that shows promise for our relationship with them.”
Both the Wargs and Kings council members began to talk quietly amongst themselves. Of course they were excited about expanding the reach of our pack.
“Are you going to bring our babies back?Canyou bring them back?” That was Gladys. Tears shone on her cheeks, but she spoke clearly.
“I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen,” I said, ignoring the way my back had started to ache. “I had success with helping Samuel by doing a ritual that allowed me to walk through his memories. I intend to do the same with them.”
“How long will the construction take?” Council Member Grant asked.
Lance answered this one. “Tentative estimates predict we’ll have it done in three months’ time. We’re not going to interfere with the building on Wargs’ territory, and we don’t want to overwork our builders. So, while I’m committed to getting this done in that timeframe, it will be a team effort.”
The rest of the questions were more practical, asking when construction would begin and how many men Lance would need. There were already wolves who were willing to work around the clock to make this project work. A year ago, there had been hardly a shred of camaraderie among the Kings, but they were now eager to go above and beyond for these kids. It was so heartening to see, but I couldn’t fully enjoy it because my contractions were coming more and more quickly.
I pressed a hand to my stomach and left the mess hall through a side exit while the talking continued. Outside, I could still hear the questions that were asked, but no one was gathered at the back of the building, so I had some privacy as I pressed my back to the wall.
The last time I’d stood there, I’d just heard that Gregor had died, and I was terrified of what Troy would do to me when he took over as alpha. Now, I was trying to breathe through the contractions. These were intense, and it was like they were increasing in intensity each time…
Oh.
I felt liquid trickle down my thighs, wetting the ground beneath me.
Ohmy goodness.
The door opened, and Night was by my side. “Babe, you okay…?” His question trailed off as he realized what was going on. Just as stunned as me, he said, “Oh.”
A particularly strong contraction punched into me. I gasped, doubling over. Night scooped me into his arms and started to hurry to the infirmary.
The baby was coming.
131
NIGHT
Ipaced back and forth in front of the infirmary door. Behind that white wooden door, my mate was fighting. My mom, Tavi, and several doctors were there with her.
But not me. My brain was filled with worried thoughts, and my hands shook whenever they weren’t in my pockets or crossed over my chest. Dom and Lance were sitting nearby, watching me with concern. Every time I tried to sit next to them, my frazzled nerves would send me to my feet again.
I would have battled a hundred Troys right now—anything would have been better than waiting to hear how my mate was doing. Dammit, I wanted to be in there with her, but according to Doc, I was “stressing everyone out.” I couldn’t help it, though. Every time Bryn’s face filled with pain, every time she whimpered, my wolf and I reacted without thinking, lashing out at the doctors. The only thing keeping me from going back in there was knowing I would distract them from my mate and pup.
We were all in the maternity ward, and there were other worried fathers pacing like I was or sitting restlessly. I felt their anxiety almost as deeply as my own.
