Page 48 of Snowbound with the Alpha Wolf
“Honey, hush up. You’re not helping.” Samantha tugged at her mate’s arm. “Let’s go out and gether.”
The betapair left the room, much to Adrian’s relief. He focused on Nia and timing thecontractions.
It would be fine, he told himself, his confidence rising. He would not let themdown.
Never.
She’d always admired him,but now Adrian’s clear leadership capabilities came to the forefront. Darcy gripped Nia’s hand as the Lupine struggled to deliver her child. Darcy fell silent,awed at how his commands made Nia focus even as she cried out, how cool and steady he seemed. And suddenly, his big hands held a furry, dark head that emerged from between Nia’slegs.
Fascinated, Darcy watched Adrian slide a tiny bluish form from Nia. A bloody wash of water spilled out, bathing his hands and the child. He massaged the newborn’s back, crooning to the squalling babe. A collectivegasp rippled through theroom.
Nia sagged against her mate, as Darcy felt an absurd urge to weep. She squeezed Nia’s arm instead and smiled. “You have ababy.”
“A strong, healthy girl.” Adrian looked up, the infant in his arms. To her surprise, moisture filled his eyes. “She’sbeautiful.”
Life, in all its incredible, brutal and awesome force, had taken place before her. Darcystared in marvel as Adrian handled the newborn with all the tenderness of a new mother. Then his usual aplomb returned as he tied string about the bluish-white cord winding from the baby to its mother. Adrian cut the cord, wiped the baby down, covered her in a warm blanket and handed her toNia.
Darcy smiled through her tears. This was the most thoroughly unconventional, unpredictable andwonderful male she’d evermet.
Samantha rushed into the room with a middle-aged woman, who wore blue scrubs and carried a bag. “She’s here! Darius rushed out to get her. Her truck had aflat.”
“I’m so sorry, Aiden. I didn’t count on the storm, and oh my.” The woman beamed. “Goodjob.”
“Let’s give them some privacy,” Adrian suggested toDarcy.
They left the alpha pairwith their friends and the midwife. Adrian hooked a right into a hallway bathroom. Blood from the birthing had splashed on his clean, white shirt. Leaving the door open, Adrian stripped off his bloody shirt. The taut flesh of his broad, naked shoulders captured her gaze. He bent over the sink, used water to scrub his hands and armsfiercely.
“You were magnificent,” she said softly, standingin thedoorway.
Adrian stopped. Soap lather coated the dark hair on his arms as he braced himself over the basin. Beneath the smooth skin of his back, muscles rippled. Dark, fathomless eyes studied her withintensity.
“I was doing what I know how to do, Darcy. What any capable alpha would do for a woman indistress.”
Heaving a deep sigh, she stared at the black and white tiledfloor. “You’re never going to forgive me for who Iam.”
He finished washing. Drying his hands off on a clean, white towel, he gave an elegant shrug. “What’s there to forgive? It is what itis.”
“You bastard,” she whispered, backing away. “How can you be like this? You just delivered a baby, saved the mother and child, and you’re more frozen than winter. And I loved you. I guess lovewill never be enough for you, huh? No, you have to have perfect. Well, damn it to hell, Adrian, I’m not perfect, and I never willbe!”
Darcy stormed away but not before she caught his look of loathing as he gazed into themirror.
As if he’d seen into a glimpse of his soul and hadn’t liked what stared back athim.
What did it matter? The joy of watching a new life enter theworld soured over her own personalfate.
She’d fallen for Adrian, for his wicked charm, his gentle side, and he turned out to be as cold and unforgiving as herfamily.
But Darcy knew she couldn’t keep wandering forever. She tired of the nomad life and, after the glimpse of hell she’d seen in the mine, knew she lacked the energy to keep fighting evilalone.
Her powers depleted,she wasn’t useful to the goddess anymore. Time to ask Danu to releaseher.
It stopped snowing, but a cold wind blew as she stepped out of the lodge’s back door and headed to a small copse of woods. Darcy huddled into her thick parka. Snow crunched beneath her boots. Sparkling icicles dangled from the fir limbs overhead, and she heard the scurrying of wild animalsnearby.
After afew minutes, she found a clearing with a large ring of stones and the ashes of a bonfire. Wood seats ringed the firepit.
Good of a place as any. Darcy knelt on the packedsnow.
“Honored Danu, great goddess who created the race of OtherWorlders, I, your servant, Darcy Chambers, call upon you to beg afavor.”
