Page 112 of Sincerely, Pack Pucked
“Garnett! Get your ass here!” His voice held the tone of urgency, so I booked it over to him. He was standing in the box with Doc Jensen next to him.
“Hey,” I panted, having darted across the ice in record time.
“Go get changed,” Coach instructed, and my stomach dropped, my pulse skyrocketing.
“Why?” I frowned. Everything had seemed fairly normal, so why was he kicking me out of practice early?
Jensen laughed, shaking his head. “You’re about to have a baby, numbnuts—you’re needed elsewhere.”
My jaw dropped as my eyes bugged out of my head. “Wait, she’s not due for?—”
“Baby is coming a little early, but nothing to worry about. You need to go and hold your omega’s hand. Get your pack. Now!” Jensen shoved me back toward the ice, shooing me away as I fumbled in shock. Saint and Jasper were taking shots on goal, jumping around like over-exuberant puppies.
“We’re having a baby!” I shouted excitedly across the ice, making everyone pause. All our team members turned to look at me, varying levels of confusion on their faces. And then Saint and Jasper pieced together what I’d said.
Jasper let out a whoop of joy, dropping his stick and skating at a breakneck speed toward me, followed shortly by Saint, who looked so shaken, a soft breeze could have knocked him over.
“We’re—But she’s not due yet?” Saint was so confused, so totally taken aback, and I knew exactly how he felt.
“I seem to recall those things being estimates,” Jasper said. “Hell, Mable’s probably thrilled she’s not late.”
I shook my head. “None of that matters. She’s in labor, and we need to go!”
Saint and Jasper nodded, pulling their shit together in seconds. We smiled at each other, all of us in awe, waves of excitement and nervousness rushing over us.
Jasper grabbed my shoulder, squeezing. “Let’s go meet our baby.”
***
We made it to the hospital in record time. I probably broke a few traffic laws getting there, but I didn’t care. Getting to Mable as soon as possible was more important.
Not for the first time, I was so immensely thankful that Percy had made the decision to step away from the Chargers. What would have happened if we had all been at practice when Mable went into labor? She would have been on her own. That thought made me shudder.
“Hi! Our omega is in labor!” Jasper announced as we barreled into the hospital. We were rushing past people, and we got more than our fair share of stink eye from the nurses, but the one at the desk merely smiled at us. She was probably used to overexuberant alphas.
“And what is your omega’s name?” She looked up at us, this air of relaxed ease that helped to calm my racing heart, if only a little.
“Mable Presley,” I rushed to say.
The nurse cocked her head to the side. “And you are?” she asked, her voice becoming more serious.
“Devin Garnett.”
All the concern lifted from her features as realization dawned on her, and she nodded her head. “Ah, we have a Mable Garnett here. She’s in room four with your pack mate.”
She had used a pack name when registering at the hospital. It was a small gesture, but it filled me with unspeakable joy.You won’t cry, asshole. Pull it together.
“Wewillneed to make this name change official at some point,” Saint said as we hurried toward the delivery room.
“As soon as she's healthy, recovered, and wants to,” I agreed.
Mable was sitting up in her hospital bed, Percy sitting behind her, rubbing her lower back. Her face was scrunched up in discomfort, but her expression melted into a smile when she saw us.
“You came!” she exclaimed.
“Like I would be anywhere else.” I laughed as we all surrounded her bed.
“How are you feeling?” Jasper asked, brushing hair away from her face. A fine layer of sweat covered her, and just looking at Mable, you could tell that she was doing all this work.
