Elam shuffled through the cabin, one hand below his protruding belly as if the baby might burst out of him and land on the floor.
Certainly feels like it.
When Nic returned, they’d be loading up the last of the boxes to take to the new place in town. They were renting the two-bedroom home from one of the pack’s residents who had inherited it when their father had passed. As the time for the birth had drawn closer, Nic had become increasingly worried about them being so far out in the woods all alone. Elam had agreed, since the last thing he wanted to do was go into labor without any help nearby.
Whenever that’ll be.
The town doctor had given him another ultrasound a week before when Elam had hit his fifth month. The doctor had decreed he was close but thought he might make it the full six months. When Elam had groaned and protested, the doctor reminded him that it was good for the baby to have that extra time to develop more fully.
How do human women do this for nine months? Torture.
Elam placed a small strip of tape across the last box to keep the flaps closed for transport and gazed around the room. A wave of sadness washed over him, but he reminded himself they’d still be keeping it as a getaway. They’d already thrown in the towel on Elam’s vacation lease. They’d paid it off, then removed Elam’s things completely. But the cabin had been their little love nest and he was sad they wouldn’t be there fulltime anymore.
The new place, while temporary until Nic could build them a new one, was more suitable for an expanding family. In addition to a separate living area and kitchen, the extra bedroom provided the needed space for a nursery. He still didn’t like the idea of the baby sleeping in another room apart from them, so Nic had crafted a beautiful cradle they could keep beside them until the baby grew bigger.
Elam glanced down, but his enormous belly hid his sore, tired feet. He waddled over to one of the chairs—he couldn’t launch himself off the sofa without help anymore—then gently eased himself onto the seat. He propped one foot up, and sure enough, his ankle was ridiculously swollen. Nic would have a meltdown when he got there. He’d told Elam to rest and that he’d take care of everything when he returned.
Elam hoped that living in town would ease Nic in other ways. The Yukon Delta Pack had refused to allow Nic to visit and the Alliance hadn’t been convinced enough on Dara’s word—a known betrayer—that any plot existed to challenge Nic’s father for the pack. However, he wondered if maybe things were about to be resolved anyway. His sister had radioed earlier that the council had called an emergency session that couldn’t wait the few hours it would take them to get there after they were done with everything at the cabin. Nic had shifted to get to town faster, so the truck remained half-full and waiting for his return so they could finish loading up.
Or Nic can.
He felt useless lately with Nic doing everything, which was how he’d ended up with a case of swollen feet and a good bout of exhaustion.
Elam scrolled through his texts to kill time, smiling at the last one from his mom. Even though he hadn’t been able to tell her the whole truth, she knew about Nic and the baby. Only, his parents thought they’d used Alex as a surrogate. He’d promised to bring them all for a visit when the baby was old enough.
After laying his phone down, Elam spotted the bottle of water he’d left on the kitchen counter earlier. He pondered which was of greater interest to him—retrieving the water or remaining on his ass. His ass was currently in the lead. Elam chuckled, placing a palm on his stomach where the baby had just given him a hearty kick. He winced as he or she dragged their heel from one side to the next of his massive baby bump, the clear outline of the appendage always an amazing sight. He snorted more laughter at the memory of Nic witnessing it for the first time. But for the past few weeks it had become increasingly painful when the baby pushed against his navel. His belly-button was distorted and swollen, as well as unusually tender.
A yell was torn from Elam’s throat and he almost fell off the chair as the door to the cabin burst open, the bolt lock breaking free as it splintered the wood. Elam’s jaw hung open as he gaped at the huge man looming in the doorway, the beast standing well over six feet high, his frame encased in thick muscle. At least a half dozen wolves—some grey, along with two Arctic ones that he could see—snarled and snapped around him.
Shifters. Not actual wolves, though no less dangerous. His shifter senses had been honed over the past several months with both Nic and Asha guiding him as he grew to know and understand his wolf.
Elam’s breathing came in shallow gasps as he held his arms protectively over his stomach. “Who are you? What do you want?”
While certain he already knew the answer, he had to stall. He could barely walk—let alone run—and it was no longer safe to shift.
The man approached him on heavy feet and Elam shrank back. He sneered as he got right in Elam’s face. “Guess.” His gaze drifted down to Elam’s stomach then back up again. “Huh. It’s really true. I thought that dumb piece of shit that passed for Nic’s brother was fucking with me to save his useless, pathetic life.” The man, whom he was sure was Yuri, the Alpha of the Yukon Delta Pack, straightened with a grunt. “Didn’t work.” He let out a piercing whistle. “Dorian and Red! Come get this freak of nature, let’s go!”
Oh shit. “W-what do you want from me? I don’t understand.”
Yuri glared at him. “Don’t need to.”
Elam pushed up from his chair, backing away no matter how futile it was. “But my baby! I’ll be having it soon and we’ll need medical care.”
Yuri pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dorian, Red! It’s talking to me! Get in here now!”
Two hulking men stumbled over the threshold of the cabin, one of them yanking up his zipper. “Sorry, Alpha. Had to take a piss.”
Yuri clenched his fists and bared his teeth. “Now? You chose now when we’re in the middle of shit?” A hideous growl that Elam was sure he’d hear in his nightmares for the rest of his life echoed in the room. “Later you can give me a reason not to tear your throat out. Right now, we need to get going before his mate comes back. I want him to track his pregnant bitch when I’m ready and not a second sooner.” Yuri returned his gaze to Elam. “Have you been wearing that all day?”
Elam clutched the old hoodie that had belonged to Alex’s mate. The extra-large garment had become his go-to indoor jacket for when it got chilly. “I have.”
Yuri held out one of his meaty paws. “Then hand it over.”
Stall, stall, stall. “Can I get a sweater or something else to wear so I’m not cold?”
Yuri grabbed him by his shirt collar, yanking him forward, Elam’s legs giving way as his center of gravity disrupted his balance. The Alpha grasped him by his upper arm so hard, bruising was inevitable.
“I don’t give a fuck if you’re cold! Take it off!”
When Yuri released Elam so he could remove the hoodie, he wobbled for a moment, fearing he might collapse to the floor anyway. With shaky hands, he surrendered the garment. Shivering overtook him, but he didn’t know if it was from the elements or a result of the terror clawing at his insides.
Yuri turned to one of his wolf minions. “Shred this. When we get to Trapper Flats, leave a trail to the clearing. Make it appear as if the bitch was the one who left them.” He pointed to the two men he’d already summoned from outside. “What did I say? Huh? Get him the fuck outta here!”
They surged forward then each grabbed one of Elam’s arms, and with what seemed to be minimal effort, forced him out the cabin and into the grey light of day. Spring had yet to arrive, but while snow no longer lingered on the ground, the weather was cold and wet. Elam didn’t struggle. He wouldn’t stand a chance against their strength and there were too many of them to fend off. If he fought back, he would only risk hurting the baby by falling wrong or being punched and kicked.
As they shoved him in the bed of an extended cab truck, Elam focused on remaining calm, alert. He might not have the ability to fight back physically, but he wasn’t giving up in trying to escape either. If an opportunity presented itself, he’d take it. Otherwise, if he went into labor while being held captive, he doubted either he or the baby would survive.
* * * *
Nic punched his fist into the side of his sister’s shed in her front yard, the old, rotting wood panels crumbling beneath his onslaught. He howled with rage and pain, gritting his teeth as he whirled around to face his father. Leo, Boris, Vera and the other members of the council who’d been waiting for him to arrive were gathered as well. After an unidentified shifter had called her, claiming to have her children and warning her that if she didn’t get Nic there right away, they’d kill them—she’d called Nic in a blind panic. He didn’t blame her. She’d barely survived the loss of her mate. But now the council and his father were trying to tell him that everything was okay, that he didn’t need to worry.
The fucker who did this to her had better start worrying.
“If she’s okay, then why isn’t she here? Where is she? Where were the kids when that asshole called?”
His father stepped toward him slowly, as if gauging whether he had himself under control yet. “The kids were at Luna’s and Jackson’s cabin, playing with their pups. But she couldn’t find her phone—still can’t—and they don’t have a radio. It seems to me there’s more to this than trying to get to Alex or the kids. Have you had any communication from the Yukon Delta Pack or Dara? Anything you haven’t shared with us?” His father cleared his throat. “Were warned not to share?”
Nic huffed. “What are you saying?” Alpha or not, father or not—Nic was having a hell of a time preventing himself from barking at his papa for insinuating he wasn’t being truthful with the pack. He attempted to keep his tone civil, but it was a dismal fail. “I’m not Artur.” He spit on the ground. “Not even close. I would never keep anything from the pack. Ever.”
His father clasped his shoulder and locked onto his gaze. “I know that son, I do. But Alex’s children were threatened, and now that you’re in that same type of vulnerable position too, I thought perhaps—”
Nic sucked in a sharp breath and yanked himself free from his father’s hold. “Fuck!” He punched the shed again, more wood cracking beneath his blow. “Gather all the Alphas and guardians you can. They have my mate. That’s what this was all about, to get me away from him.” To leave him unprotected.
His father growled. “You heard my son, my heir.” He bared his teeth as he whipped his head toward the council members who stood frozen in disbelief. “Assemble all who can fight. We leave immediately!”
Before his father had finished his sentence, Nic had ripped the clothes from his body and shifted. As he tore through the damp woods, leapt over puddles and kicked up splatters of mud from his flying paws, he allowed the fury to envelope him. Nic filled his senses with it, breathed it in, willed the anger to grow so that when he found those responsible for hurting his family? He wouldn’t hesitate to kill.
* * * *
Elam shivered on the freezing ground, his teeth clattering together as the bitter cold seeped into his bones and seemed to settle there. He curled his legs beneath him, trying to make himself as small as possible in a futile bid to warm up. He still held his arms around his belly as if that would somehow keep the baby from becoming cold too. The chain hooked around his ankle—that had been anchored to a nearby tree—rattled as he tried to get more comfortable on the hard surface. His back screamed in agony.
Even more than usual.
The Yukon Delta Pack wolves remained hidden nearby. They lurked in the trees, behind fallen logs or giant boulders—ready to strike down and murder his mate. The father of my child. Elam’s lip quivered, and his eyes burned, but he swallowed his emotions down. For the baby’s sake, he couldn’t allow himself to fall apart.
Distant howls echoed throughout the forest and Elam’s wolf awoke. He’d gone quiet after Elam had passed his third month, but the telltale sign of his presence vibrated within again. Yet, the rumblings weren’t what he was accustomed to when he was on the verge of a shift.
He’s warning me.
When Elam wasn’t merged with his wolf, translating his thoughts into words was almost impossible for him to do. He screwed his eyes shut, trying to block out his surroundings and concentrate on what his wolf was trying to tell him.
The trees. Hide.
Elam regarded the edges of the forest. The chain on his leg extended far enough from a large spruce to place him in the center of the opening in the woods. However, Yuri had ordered him to stay there specifically to draw Nic into the open where he could be attacked from all sides. Elam had been warned by Yuri not to move or else he would kill the baby.
Trees. Go.
The howls that Elam now recognized as coming from his pack drew closer, and he heeded his wolf’s warning. Right as he began to crawl toward the evergreen where the chain tethering him originated, a sharp pain sliced through his gut, wrenching a yell from his throat. Oh no. No, no, no. Not now! He rubbed his abdomen, but it didn’t seem tighter, the way Alex had described it had been with her. Another sharp pain shot through him but seemed higher that time. My abdomen hasn’t gone tight, however…
Elam choked on his own spit as liquid spread across the front of his thin T-shirt, the only piece of clothing other than his sweatpants that he wore. He quested beneath his tee with his fingers, terrified that he’d find blood when he withdrew them, but the liquid was clear. He explored again and his stomach roiled when he discovered the source of the wetness. My belly button. An opening that hadn’t existed before could now be felt. Perhaps no larger than a dime, but still distinct.
He steeled his reserve, clenching his jaw as he dragged himself out of the clearing using the strength of his elbows and kicking with his feet. A snarl sounded behind him and he screamed when he checked over his shoulder to find the source of the sound. Yuri was almost upon him. A feral gleam shone from his eyes and Elam understood his murderous intent. Elam curled into a ball, facing down, hoping to protect the life of his child long enough for help to arrive.
The barest swipe of sharp claws raked across his shoulder before the air exploded around him in fury, the chaos of thunderous growls, snaps and snarls filling the clearing with the sounds of a raging battle between the two packs. As the wolves slammed into each other, grappling and biting, their unleashed rage spurring them on—Elam dodged their flying bodies as they crashed to the ground, his only goal as he crawled through his agony to get somewhere safe from the fighting.
When Elam finally reached the tree he was chained to, he slumped against the scratchy bark. The rough surface barely made an impression on him as he endured wave after wave of pain, the top of his belly tightening with each excruciating contraction. Time lost all meaning. All he could do was bear his suffering and keep his breathing steady while cacophony roared around him.
And pray that Nic isn’t torn to pieces.
* * * *
Nic’s wolf chanted kill, kill kill! in his head as he leapt through the air toward the foul beast about to descend on his mate. He rammed his body into Yuri’s side, using his vise-like jaw to clamp down on the enemy Alpha’s thick neck, then rolling them away from Elam. His entire world narrowed to keeping Yuri from hurting his mate and their child.
Nic kept his fangs buried in the meaty neck of Yuri, shaking his head vigorously as he held on. Another wolf jumped on Nic’s back, sinking his teeth in at the base of Nic’s skull and making him release his hold on Yuri. The lesser wolf, likely a beta, was easy for him to fling into a nearby boulder, but when he’d returned his attention to Yuri, he was bounding toward Elam who had managed to crawl his way to a large spruce.
Nic sprang into the air, roaring, landing on Yuri. This time, with fangs holding Yuri’s scruff in a tight grip, his front legs clinched around his enemy’s chest, he allowed his gaze to drift up to Elam. His mate grimaced in clear agony and the truth of Elam’s pain surged through him.
Labor. He’s in labor.
With a growl originating from somewhere deep inside Nic’s soul where both he and his wolf merged as one being, he bit down harder than he ever had on any prey, his jaw a steel trap as it ripped into Yuri’s flesh.
No one fucks with my family.
Blood poured from Yuri’s neck and he let out a thunderous howl. As Yuri tore himself free from Nic’s bite, he sent him flying. Nic rolled a few times then immediately leapt to his feet, seeking the opening he needed to finish Yuri off. Nic waited, every muscle coiled to strike at the perfect moment as Yuri faced him, his lips curled back in a snarl, his mouth frothing as his eyes glowed red. Right as Yuri launched into the air to attack, Nic jumped beneath him before pushing his body upward and tearing away a piece of Yuri’s throat.
More blood gushed from Yuri as Nic spat out the chunk of skin and fur he’d ripped from the Alpha’s throat. Yuri yowled and flailed, his death cries loud enough to rise above the rest of the battle. Another beta slammed into Nic, but he easily knocked him away then chomped on his front leg, snapping it in two. The terrified wolf trained his gaze on his dead Alpha and shifted, rolling on his back and holding up his hands in surrender.
“Mercy, Alpha! I submit!”
Nic growled at the beta who had made the unfortunate decision to offer his submission to Yuri, yet part of Nic applauded his loyalty to his own Alpha. But he threatened your mate! Nic growled again, fighting the compulsion to ignore the beta’s surrender and rip him apart anyway. But the frenzy of battle had subsided, and it appeared that the members of the Yukon Delta Pack who were still alive had also surrendered.
Nic jerked up his head at the sound of a tormented cry, his stomach dropping as he realized it came from Elam. He immediately shifted then snarled at the injured beta. “Get the fuck off Wolf Creek Pack lands and don’t come back. I’ll let the Alliance deal with you.”
He ignored the fevered thanks from the beta and hurried to Elam’s side, terrified at the sight of him writhing against the tree, holding his belly. Nic noted in horror that Elam’s shirt was soaking wet.
Is it blood?
Vera had shifted back as well, and she rushed over, dropping to her knees next to Elam. Nic trembled as he wrapped an arm around Elam’s shoulders and attempted to lift him off the freezing ground. Elam cried out in anguish as soon as Nic moved him, so he rested Elam’s head on his lap instead. Vera clasped Elam’s hand and he gripped her back, peering up at Nic as she held onto his mate.
“Were you expecting him to go into labor now?”
Nic stared at Elam’s face, his mate’s expression twisted in pain, continuous moans and whimpers falling from his lips, and shook his head. “No. I mean… maybe. I don’t know! The doctor told us he thought it’d be a little longer. The C-section isn’t scheduled for two more weeks.”
Vera nodded. “We have to get him out of these woods then, we certainly can’t do something like that here.”
Elam clawed at Nic’s arm. “No,” he croaked out. “My navel—”
Elam screamed and Nic’s gut clenched. He lifted Elam’s shirt but the blood he’d expected to see from a scratch or cut wasn’t there. Instead, he was met with Elam’s belly button opened to the size of a quarter with what he assumed was his child’s head butted against it, ready to be born soon.
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. Think. There wasn’t the slightest chance Elam could walk, and he couldn’t carry Elam while shifted. And if he didn’t shift, he doubted he’d be able to get Elam back to town quickly enough before the baby came. Nic whirled his head around, searching for the rest of his pack who had fought. His gaze landed on his father, Boris and Leo who were attending to two of their injured pack members on the other side of the clearing.
“Papa! I need your help!”
His father jerked up his head then jogged over. He gasped when he spotted Elam who seemed to have passed out for the moment. “Oh gods, is he…?”
Nic shook his head, his throat closing off at the mere thought of such a thing. He sucked in a breath to speak. “N-no. But the baby’s coming and he can’t be moved. I need you to hurry into town, bring Asha and bring…” What? Bring what? He glanced down at Elam’s still form, scared that he’d been exposed in the cold for so long. “Blankets and towels and… Fuck, whatever Asha says.”
“Of course, son. We’ll be like the wind.”
Right as his father and the others shifted and took off running, two of their pack betas rushed toward him with what appeared to be random pieces of clothing in their arms. Nic didn’t recognize either of them, further underscoring the fact that he’d been neglecting his pack for too long.
“Here! We found these in a pick-up nearby. Must’ve been how they transported your mate here.”
Nic’s eyes rounded. They offered him two jackets, pants, sweaters, socks—the items carried the stink of the rival pack, but he didn’t care.
“Thank you both.” He regarded Vera. “Shift with these two betas then guard the perimeter while I get him warmed up.”
She nodded and they all did as he’d ordered. As Nic worked to get Elam covered, Elam would stir every minute or so, crying and grabbing his belly through what Nic assumed was another contraction. Will they bring pain medication? Is he allowed to have that? Nic chastised himself for not learning more about the whole birth process, assuming the knowledge was Elam’s realm.
It’s supposed to be us, together. I should’ve paid more attention.
Once he’d wrapped Elam in as many layers as he could—using one of the thick sweaters as a pillow for his head, with one down jacket beneath Elam as a barrier from the wetness and the other like a blanket over him—he shifted. Nic snuggled to Elam’s side, warming him the best he could, Nic’s wolf whimpering every time another contraction tore through his mate.
After what seemed like an eternity, the scent of his father and the others returning filled his nostrils and he shifted back. Twilight had arrived, and Elam seemed more coherent, but not in any less pain. As the others approached, Elam jolted upright, screaming, flinging aside the jacket Nic had placed over him and yanking up the sweater he now wore.
“Hurry!” Nic shouted, as he slid behind Elam to help support him as Elam let out a throaty groan, the baby’s head appearing through the opening in his stomach that was now the size of an orange. Nic winced at the sight. Damn. He’d have to apologize for knocking Elam up later.
Asha dropped down beside them, the picture of calm, and Nic wanted to slap her. She chuckled as she peered over at him. “Might want to save that for after I help your baby into this world.”
Nic cleared his throat. “Yes, Healer. Forgive me.” He’d never had the urge to strike a woman before, but the whole situation had made him irrational.
Nic placed his hands on either side of Elam’s hips, hoping he was offering at least a small measure of help. Feeling useless wasn’t a state he was accustomed to being in. Elam threw his head back against Nic’s shoulders, and let out one, long yell and to Nic’s amazement, his baby slid free from Elam’s body with Asha’s capable hands helping to guide the way. Elam collapsed against Nic, panting. Nic’s heart clutched at the sound of the first mewls and cries of his baby that Asha had already wrapped in a blanket.
Tears filled Nic’s eyes and he let them fall, not caring who saw. “The baby… the baby’s okay?”
Asha gave him a wide grin. “Your daughter is just fine. But she needs her fathers while I tend to your mate in other ways.”
The Healer placed their baby in Elam’s arms and Nic wrapped his around Elam’s to offer more support. The infant struggled in the blanket, her movements as if they were in slow motion, her eyes still closed. Elam petted her head and Nic copied the movement, snuggling into Elam’s neck.
“So soft.” Nic whispered against Elam’s ear. “She’s beautiful and you’re the bravest man I’ve ever met. I love you.”
“I-I…” Elam’s voice cracked, his throat undoubtedly raw from screaming. “I tried to warn you Nic. I’m sorry, but the contractions had already started.”
Nic kissed Elam’s temple. “Shh, don’t. You did the right thing, got our baby to safety.” He sniffed, the sensation that he was about to lose it much too close to the surface. “I never should’ve left you at the cabin. I should’ve known it was a trap.”
“How? Everything’s been fine for months.”
Nic pondered Elam’s words as Asha delivered the afterbirth and stitched up one side of Elam’s navel that had torn. He marveled that Elam didn’t so much as flinch when the needle pierced his skin. Asha glanced up as she tied off the end of the stitches.
“Whole area is numb from the full weight of the baby pressing against the opening.” Asha twisted then plucked a pill bottle from her bag. “He’ll be feeling it and then some in a bit. These are safe to take, won’t pass into the milk.”
Nic and Elam echoed each other. “Milk?”
Right as they’d both said it, their daughter snuffled and snorted, rooting at Elam’s chest.
“Come on, Nic. Help me get this sweater off so she can nurse.”
“Oh, uh…okay.”
Nic tugged one of Elam’s sleeves off as he held the baby with his other arm, then they switched sides. He stole a peek at Elam’s chest to see if there was something he’d overlooked the last time he’d seen Elam naked—which happened to have been that morning. But nothing had changed other than what had already changed since they’d discovered they were pregnant. But other than the slightly swollen area around his nipples that had been the same for the past couple of months, nothing else was different.
Nic draped the jacket around Elam’s shoulders, supporting him as he had before so he could relax and feed the baby. He glanced up and noted they had an audience. Asha had just completed bandaging Elam’s stomach and was cleaning up while his father and the others who had fought to protect them all gazed on in silence at the first man they’d ever seen give birth.
Elam shuddered and Nic tensed. He caught his father’s eye. “We need to get them out of the cold now that it’s dark. Is there any transportation we can use?”
The beta who had brought them the clothing held up some keys. “These are from that truck we found.”
Nic weighed the advisability of traveling the five or so miles back to town without a car seat as opposed to leaving a weakened Elam and newborn out in the elements for an hour while someone went to the cabin, retrieved the car seat, then came back to get them.
“All right. Let’s use the truck. Healer, could you take the baby while I carry Elam?”
“Hold on,” Elam peered up at him. “I need to switch sides. Sophie’s not done yet.”
Nic grinned. The reality of the new life Elam held sunk in, anchoring him and filling him with joy. “You went back to Sophie, huh? I thought Cate was the final choice.”
Elam continued to stare down at Sophie. “I love the name Cate, but look at her. Doesn’t she seem more like a Sophie to you?”
Nic traced a finger over Sophie’s soft little fist, her fingers curled in the blanket Asha had wrapped around her. “You’re right. Sophie should be her name.”
Elam smiled up at him and continued feeding their daughter.
Daughter. Nic grinned. I’m a father!