Page 2 of Bound By the Moon

Mikael settled down then, and sat in the chairbeside my birthing bed as Sierra came through the door carryingbaby Jack. She put him down in the cradle, and came over to take alook at Willow. “She’s so precious, Jess.” She leaned over, andcarefully took Willow from my arms, “I’m just going to get all thegunk cleaned off of her, and then I will hand her right back over,okay?” Sierra glanced from Mikael to myself, waiting until both ofus agreed before she moved another inch with our baby.

~*~

I must have nodded off for a bit, because when Iawoke it was because someone had entered the room, changing the airpressure as the door opened. It seemed like such a small thing, yetI immediately went on high alert. My first instinct was to seek outmy daughter, and make sure she was safe. I didn’t have to look far.She was resting peacefully in the arms of her father who was stillin the chair beside my bed, staring down at Willow as if she wasthe most amazing thing he’d ever seen. I knew in an instant that Iwould never grow tired of seeing him dote on her that way.

Of course, as I drew my attention back to thedoorway of our room, I realized there was never a threat to beginwith. My mom stood there, as if not quite sure she bother us, but Isaw the moment where resolve won out, and as she addressed my mate.“I hate to do this, but we think it’s important for you to comespeak with this woman.” When Mikael appeared slightly confused shecontinued on. “The victim that was found earlier. She has quite aninteresting story to tell. I think you need to hear it.”

I didn’t hesitate. I flipped back my covers andstarted to get up out of bed before I noticed the horrified look onmy mother’s face. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m coming too. If Mikael needs to hear it, then sodo I.”

“Jess, you just had a baby. Willow needs you, andneither of you should be out running about just yet. Most humanstake at least two days before they’re even allowed to leave thehospital, and then they still don’t go running off for to work fora while after.”

“We’re not human, mother!” I challenged her.

“No, but Willow hasn’t been through any changes yet,so for the time being she’s more human than werewolf. You need toremember that. Stay here, and take care of your daughter. Mikaeland I will fill you in on what’s happening later.”

I huffed an indignant growl at my mother, but beforeI could get another word in edgewise, Ashley was there, filling upthe doorway with her bright and shinning smile. “I can’t believeAsi and I were away for the birth!” She screeched out, and wasimmediately shushed by Mikael as he handed Willow off to me. “Oops,sorry,” Ashley whispered.

“I’ll be back to fill you in as soon as I can,baby.” Mikael offered as he bent down and kissed me. “Bye sweetgirl, you be good for your mommy.” He leaned in and kissed Willowon the forehead then. I watched as he struggled with not wanting togo, and then I wondered what the hell was wrong with me that I wasso ready to jump up, and get back into the mix of werewolf politicsand intrigue, when I had such an amazing little gift right here inmy arms to enjoy all to myself if I chose to?

“Love you,” I called out to Mikael when he wasnearly to the door. He turned his head, and smiled at me, thosejeweled eyes of his catching the light and sparkling as he turnedto leave. “Love you too,” he called back over his shoulder and thenhe was gone.

“You guys are too sweet!” Ashley was staring at meas if I were hiding a big secret, and then I realized I had Willowbundled so snuggly against me that she couldn’t see her at all.“Can I hold her?”

“Of course you can! You’re Auntie Ashley, afterall.”

“Oh my God! I can’t believe I’m an aunt.” Shesquealed as quietly as she could as she took hold of Willow andbreathed in her fresh baby scent. “She’s so wonderful, Jess. Ican’t wait to hold my own baby. It’s going to be so amazing. Howbad was it? Was it horribly painful? Or was the pain really justhyped up by a bunch of moms who didn’t want to see their babies getknocked up too young?” Ashley was rambling, something she only didwhen she was nervous, and had a secret she was hiding.

“Ashley? Do you have something you want to tellme?”

“Okay, fine. How do you always manage to pull thingsout of me? Your super power is interrogation, I swear it.” I cockedan eyebrow at Ashley in amusement, because I hadn’t even tried toget the secret out of her yet. “When Asi asks, though, I am goingto tell him you beat it out of me.”

“Fair enough,” I agreed as I laughed at her. Shestalled for a few more minutes while cooing to my darling daughter.Willow already had Auntie Ashley wrapped around her little finger,it seemed. “I’m still waiting,” I whispered to her.

“I’m going to have one too…” she commentedabsently.

“Have one what?”

“A baby. We’re pregnant.” I really took a hard lookat Ashley then, and saw that her skin was aglow with happiness, andmaybe some pregnancy hormones too. I also noticed that she waslooking a lot puffier than usual. Her cheeks had filled out, herlarge boobs were way bigger than normal, and I could already see ababy bump.

“Wait,” I yelped, “how long have you known aboutit?”

“A while, but I didn’t want to tell anyone. I toldmy mom, but she advised me not to say anything yet. She had fourmiscarriages before Jack, you know.”

“I didn’t know.” Sadness swooped in with the mentionof Ashley’s brother. “She thought you might have the sameissues?”

“Apparently, it’s a regular thing with the women inher family, to have problems carrying pregnancies at first. She waslucky she went on to have three successful ones, because my AuntTricia only had one kid even though she was pregnant six times. Itbroke her. My mom didn’t want me getting excited about it until Ireached the second trimester, just in case.”

“Second trimester? My God, Ashley, how far along areyou?”

“Sixteen weeks,” Ashley shrugged and offered up asheepish grin.

“Sixteen weeks? Ashley, that’s four months! You wentfour months without telling anyone?” I couldn’t believe it, becauseAshley was not one for keeping a secret, at least not her ownsecrets.

“Aww, come on Jess, you know I can keep a secret. Inever told a soul about the whole werewolf thing. Of course, Ididn’t really think anyone would believe me anyway. Besides, Asiknew, and my mom knew. So, I had someone to talk to.”

I was a little hurt, because as her best friend, Ishould have been someone she could talk to. Ashley must have seenthe look on my face, because she quickly added. “I didn’t want youworrying about me possibly losing a baby when you were so close tohaving your own, plus, you have a whole world of trouble on yourshoulders already.”

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