“Get her inside,” Harold ordered, reaching up to wipe the sweat from his brow. Talon turned around to see what the commotion was coming from the front of the healer’s home. His heart froze in his chest as Evie and her mother, Marie, were escorting his mate into the exam room just off the foyer. Dane and Booth were right behind them.
“What’s going on?” he barked, rushing from his mother’s side. She was finally resting, and they were just waiting to see if her fever would finally break. The infection in her body was life-threatening, and Harold was doing everything he could, but it didn’t look good.
“I’m…sorry, Talon,” Liberty panted, holding the side of her belly. Talon’s eyes roamed her body, stopping on the wetness on her dress. “My water broke.”
“The baby?” he gasped, rushing to her side. “Is he coming?”
“She!” Liberty yelled, her glare shooting to the healer when he chuckled.
“She’s been having contractions for the past few hours,” Evie supplied, grabbing a pillow from the cabinet at the back of the room.
“He wasn’t supposed to know that.” Liberty cursed and sucked in a ragged breath as the next contraction hit. Evie smiled as she tucked the pillow behind his mate’s head. Talon felt completely lost. He realized he had no idea what to do. The males who’d had children gave him advice for months, but at that exact moment, he’d forgotten everything they’d said.
Harold worked quickly, pulling a machine over to set beside the bed. He asked Talon to help raise liberty so he could wrap some bands around her belly. He clicked them into place and turned on a monitor. Pink and white paper started coming out of the machine. A moment later, he heard his cub’s heartbeat through the small speaker.
“Talon?” Liberty held out her hand and smiled at him. He shook his head and cupped her face as carefully as he could. She closed her eyes and melted into him. Talon held her tenderly and pushed out his power, doing the only thing he knew to do at the moment.
Calm and comfort his mate.
“Thank you,” she whispered, relaxing slightly.
“I need to check Liberty to see how far along she is,” Harold announced, strapping on a new pair of gloves. Evie slipped from the room, closing the door with a soft click. “Stand up there by her head, please.”
“Is this going to hurt her?” Talon inquired, his eyes sparking amber. His panther had been pacing in the back of his mind since he’d rushed home to find his mother in distress. Now, his panther was prowling just under his skin, wanting out. It wanted to be a part of the cub’s birth, but the alpha pushed his panther back.
“No.” Liberty flinched, causing Talon to growl low in his throat. From the look on his mate’s face, whatever the healer was doing made her uncomfortable. A male didn’t like seeing his mate being in any type of discomfort. “Not compared to the pushing part, I’m guessing.”
“She’s doing fine.” Harold smiled, stepping back from between his mate’s legs. He dropped the gloves in the trash before addressing Liberty. “You are about a third of the way to being ready to push. I want you to use this time to rest, because in a few hours, I’m going to need you to be at full strength.”
“Okay,” she agreed. Talon felt out of control. He was the alpha, and for once, he admitted to himself that he was clueless about what to do. Liberty looked like she was in total control. Even with the sweat beading up on her brow and neck, she was beautiful.
“I can give you something for the pain,” Harold offered.
“No,” Liberty replied, casting her eyes toward Talon. “You’ll help me, right?”
“I’ll be here every step of the way, my queen,” he purred, kissing her brow.
“What can I do?” he asked the healer, not taking his eyes from his mate. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail at the top of her head and she wore no makeup. She didn’t need anything to cover her natural beauty as far as he was concerned.
“Keep her calm and make sure she rests.” Harold smiled, cupping Talon’s shoulder. “You’re going to be fine, Papa.”
Talon smiled and nodded to his old friend as Harold walked away to pull items from another cabinet. He turned toward Liberty when she squeezed his hand as another contraction hit. This time, the readout from the machine printed out a black line, showing a peak. He closed his eyes and pushed his power out again, calming his mate. The tension in her hand relaxed, and he leaned over to kiss her forehead. “I’m here, Liberty.”
“I know,” she whimpered.
Talon watched as his mate became more and more uncomfortable as the minutes ticked by on the clock. The next time Harold came into the room to check her, he tossed the gloves away with a smile. “It’s been four hours and you are progressing just fine, Liberty.”
Four hours? Talon could’ve sworn he’d only been calming her for a fraction of that. He’d been in such a trance, he’d missed so much.
“Talon, please rest with me,” Liberty begged. “You have to stop using that mystical mojo on me. I can handle a little pain.”
“I’ll lie down with you, but I refuse to let you be in pain,” he growled.
She pulled back the covers on the bed, and Talon slid in behind her as she rolled over to her side. He brushed the hair off of her neck and kissed the mating mark he’d made almost a year ago. Liberty was his world, and now that world was growing to two. He’d have his wife and a son or daughter to provide for and protect until he was no longer walking the earth.
“Sleep,” he ordered with a whisper as he closed his eyes.
Liberty moaned deep in her throat and curled herself around their child. Talon sat up quickly and pushed his powers out to calm her. He didn’t even realize he’d fallen asleep.
“Talon?” she whimpered.
“I’m here,” he told her, reaching out to place his hand on their child. Liberty sighed as he calmed her, but in the next breath, she cried out, sending Talon’s heart into his stomach.
“Liberty?” he worried. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m okay,” Liberty panted, her eyes sparking amber as her panther made an appearance. The birth was near, he could sense it. Talon called out for the healer, knowing his bellowing would draw Harold into the room. Although her panther had slinked away in the last month of pregnancy, it knew when to push forth for its cub. They were one in the same with their beast. The female would connect and help birth the cub from its place just under the human skin when the time came.
“My panther,” Liberty panicked, her canines punching through her gums.
“Is fine,” Talon cooed. “She’s going to help you.”
“You must be nearing the time to push.” Harold said as he entered the room, pulling on a pair of gloves. “Talon, I need you up by Liberty’s head.”
“Got it,” Talon said, sliding from the bed.
Harold lifted the sheet and looked between Liberty’s legs. He chuckled softly and reached for something on the instrument tray. “You are definitely ready to push.”
“Oh, God,” she cried out, sending Talon’s heart into his stomach. Why was she screaming? Was the cub okay? Was his mate okay?
Talon did everything he was told to do as Harold barked out orders for Liberty to begin pushing. He held her each and every time the healer gave a command.
“Good, Liberty. Again.”
“Shit,” she growled, her eyes glowing amber. His mate’s canines were thickening more in her mouth. Her panther was sitting just below the surface, wanting to help.
Talon gasped when he heard the baby cry out. His eyes met the tear filled ones of his mate as Harold told her to push one last time. “Bring your young into the world, Liberty.”
Talon’s head tilted to the side when Harold cheered. His bloody gloves held up the baby for both of the parents to see. It was so tiny and covered in all kinds of fluids, but it didn’t matter. His cub was here.
And it was a girl.
“Congratulations, Alpha…Liberty,” Harold grinned. “You have a daughter.”
“I knew it,” Liberty chuckled as her head fell back against the mound of pillows.
The first born to the alpha was almost always a male, and very few females were born to alphas anyway. Fate had given him a daughter. She would be the rightful heir to his throne when the time came.
“I can’t believe it,” he mumbled, watching as Harold took measurements and bathed the baby. “It’s very rare for an alpha’s first born to be a female.”
“I told you she was special,” Liberty yawned. “Do you want to know her name?”
“What did you pick?” Talon asked, never moving his eyes away from his cub.
“Victoria Ember Shaw,” Liberty said proudly. “We can call her Ember, but I wanted her to have your mother’s name. You know…just in case.”
“I think it’s perfect.” Talon leaned over to take his mate’s lips, kissing her with all of the passion of when they’d first touched.
“Alpha?” Harold interrupted. “Would you like to hold your daughter?”
“Please.” He smiled broadly, accepting the bundle. Harold returned to the sink and cleaned up what was left of the mess while Talon took a seat on the edge of the bed, resting for a moment.
His daughter was stunning, just like her mother. Her icy blue eyes were coated in a gel that Harold had put into her eyes. Talon pushed the little cap off of her head and ran his thumb over the dark brown strands of hair on the top of her tiny head. Ember yawned and pursed her lips before closing her eyes in exhaustion.
“Alpha?” Harold called out from the doorway. When Talon’s head shot up, the healer looked grim. “I need to check on your mother. Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay,” he promised.
“Please let her be okay,” he prayed silently.
“Talon, you need to come now,” Winter announced as he came to the doorway. His second in command looked like he’d seen a ghost. “Your brothers are already there.”
“Take her,” Liberty cried, also knowing the time was near. “Take the baby so she can meet her grandmother.”
Talon took the delicate bundle from his mate’s arms and tucked her close to his chest. Ember’s icy blue eyes wandered, but did not focus on anything as he rushed from the room.
“Ma,” Talon choked out as he entered the room. His mother rested against a mound of pillows, her icy blue eyes dull and lifeless. She blinked twice before a small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. Talon knelt at her bedside and held up the bundle. “This is your granddaughter, Victoria Ember.”
“B…beautiful,” she said, moving her hand slowly to rest against the cub’s head. “She will be a strong alpha. Talon, you must train her just as your father trained you. She is one of very few female alphas and could be challenged.”
“I will protect her with my life,” Talon vowed.
“Make her strong, and…” Victoria begged as