Page 13 of Anger

“Baby?” Jase asked, approaching, his long legs eating up the short distance between them.

“I’m fine… ow!” Willow cried.

Heads snapped towards her.

“Get Maeve, Lily, and Andie!” Jase yelled, scooping Willow up.

“Lanie!” Willow wailed.

“What?” Lanie stated.

“Don’t leave me with him!”

“Er, Willow…” Lanie began.

Willow’s head twisted, and she sent Lanie a glare that should kill. “He’s your brother!”

“Okay, I’m coming,” Lanie muttered as she chased after them. Willow had looked completely capable of killing someone in that moment.

Jase headed to his quarters and told Lanie where to get the special sheets they’d bought for birthing. It would keep the bedding and mattress clean. He quickly laid Willow down on them as her water broke.

“Did I just pee myself?” Willow demanded, horrified.

“No baby, your waters went,” Jase said calmly.

“This is too soon. I am twelve weeks early. I’m only seven months!” Willow cried.

“Amari was born at this time. Perhaps we have a shorter gestation,” Lanie soothed, brushing Willow’s hair out of her eyes.

“Where’s that goddamn witch?” Jase snarled.

“Which one?” Maeve answered as she entered. “Stop being a waste of space and fetch a blanket to cover Willow while I examine her. Lily is coming, but Andie can’t.”

“What is wrong with her?” Jase demanded.

“She is unable to come,” Maeve stated, and the stare she sent Jase dared him to argue.

Lanie was distracted by Willow grabbing her hand and screaming as she crushed the bones in Lanie’s fingers. Lanie yelped herself.

“Oh boy, that’s quick,” Maeve muttered.

“Maeve?” Jase asked in panic.

“Like Emmaline, the labour is progressing quickly. It appears our pregnancies are shorter, and delivery is much quicker,” Maeve said as she moved into the bathroom and scrubbed her arms and hands.

“This is a problem?” Jase demanded as he wiped Willow’s brow.

“No. Just curious. Lanie, do you remember yours?” Maeve questioned gently.

“Yes, Callidora was seven months, too. And my labour was less than an hour. Harpy delivered Callidora. Could it be our blood and race?” Lanie asked, even as Willow squealed and squeezed again. Lanie cried out with her, too.

“Maybe. Relationships and children were forbidden to us. You were the first, Lanie, to experience love and birth a child. We’ve no knowledge how a pregnancy would affect us,” Lily said, entering. She was pushing a baby unit, with Sela and Jess following her.

Jase’s eyes grew wide, and Lanie saw panic flash across his face.

“Calm down,” Lanie murmured to him, and his gaze crossed to hers. “You’ll be a great dad.”

“Do you think so?”

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