Page 87 of Luna

A particularly powerful contraction hit me. I grunted, and Colton was there, squeezing my hand and trying to distract me. “So, where are we gonna go when you and the li’l peanut are ready to fly?”

I breathed out. “I can’t talk right now. Your daughter is getting ready to make her appearance.”

“Maldives?” Dante suggested. “We could get a private villa.”

I pictured blue crystal waters and white sand. “Mmmm.”

Between the four of them, they told me about the trips we would take, where we might send Poppy to college. I pictured our lives together, spooling out in front of me like an unbroken thread.

A sharper contraction made me whimper. All four alphas put their hands on me. The pain reminded me that first I had to give birth to her before any of the rest happened.

“Quinn,” I whimpered. Needing my beta. “When do we go to the birthing center?”

He’d walked me through the birthing plan a hundred times, but I loved hearing his methodical voice explain it. As if through his voice alone he would speak our future into existence.

“It’s almost baby o’clock.” Quinn put his hands on my shoulders. “We can leave early if you want.”

“No.” I grumbled. The more time I spent at my house, with my pack, the better off I was. I’d probably be at the hospital for a while.

Time slipped away from me again. I floated in between contractions, so, so grateful I could just feel their love and concern through the bond. Being in labor would have been horrible without being able to feel them.

“Dr. Lim was right,” I wheezed between breaths. “It would have been easier if we’d bonded sooner.”

Colton laughed. “Listen, love. You’re our omega. All things in your own time.”

“Then I say it’s time for the birthing center.” I straightened up, wobbling a little as the blood rushed to my head.

It was like I’d spoken the magic words. Colton and Dante went around and grabbed all our go bags.

Colton drove us to the birthing center, which had similar equipment as a hospital, but it was only for pregnant omegas. They had an operating room set up for complications, but the place was totally set up to be comfortable, reassuring and as soothing as possible.

I moved from one room to the other in our suite, but after a quick check from Dr. Lim to see how dilated I was—only three centimeters—I went back to walking back and forth across the room and breathing deeply.

The few times I tried to sit down, the pain in my lower back became unbearable. I whimpered, standing up to resume my walking.

Hours went by. I got an IV of fluids, lots of pillows, and all the ice chips I didn’t want.

The strength and pain of the contractions grew worse as time went on, until it felt like my entire body was being pummeled. I focused on my breathing, on the scent of my pack around me, but there was no getting away from the sharp, squeezing pressure. Poppy moved inside me, but my sense of her was muted compared to the vise-like sensation coming from my lower body.

The pressure built, until I found myself twisting, trying to get into a good position. It was the weirdest sensation, but I want to sit without actually sitting.

“Try squatting.” Quinn patted my back. “A lot of your labor is in your lower back, so that should take some of the pressure off.”

I looked at Colton before shifting positions. There was a big exercise ball to sit on, but I didn’t feel like it would help.

“Try the bed.” Halos pulled back the butter-soft blanket.

“I can’t sit,” I wheezed. “Hurts too much.”

“You could kneel on the bed, and we’ll get a firm support pillow for you to lean on.” Dante was already looking through the closet. He pulled a cushion out. Halos, Quinn, and Colton helped me onto the bed. I knelt down, facing away from the raised back, and Dante slid the cushion in front of me. It was firm enough that I could lay on it without being as firm as the side table I’d propped myself up on.

Relief coursed through me. My knees were bent, but my back and feet felt a hundred times better. I pushed some hair out of my face, and Quinn pulled it back into a ponytail without me having to ask.

“You’re almost there, Mama.” Colton sat on the bed next to me.

“I’m so hungry.”

“Let me ask.” Dante left the room quickly.

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