Page 39 of What's Rogue Got To Do With It

He nodded. “It’s fine. Pregnancy sometimes makes me have emotional ties to things I shouldn’t. Our little one will be fine anywhere.”

“Emotional ties to our land are good. It means we’re feeling like a pack in all ways. And our little one will be sleeping in a bed made from that tree, it just won’t be a crib.”

“A big kid bed lasts longer.” He leaned in and licked my ice cream. “Delicious.”

As we finished our cones, I told him about the carpenter and once he learned Auden knew him, he was excited. That excitement changed to joy as we met the older man, a beaver shifter, because of course he was, leading us to the back where his finished cribs lived.

“This is it.” My mate went straight toward the far corner. It wasn’t until we got closer that I saw why. Carved into the panel was a fox and a wolf. “This is our baby’s first bed.”

Jeb smiled. “I had a dream that I needed to make that one. I guess I know why. You’re Auden’s new Alpha, right.?”

“I am.” It was interesting that he didn’t refer to our pack by name, but by its association with Auden.

“I grew up the next pack over and we were friends. This is my gift to you. Please accept it as a thank you, for making my childhood friend no longer alone, and for giving him what he always wanted, a pack filled with love.”

23

LARKIN

The contraction took hold of me as I was staring at the snow piling up on our back porch. I doubled over and gripped the ledge until my knuckles turned white. A gush of warm liquid told me I’d either peed myself which wasn’t unheard of in the later stages of pregnancy or my water broke.

Baby’s coming.My wolf knew what was about to happen.

“C-C-Creven!" My voice cracked when I managed to get his name out because panic and excitement combined and goosebumps paraded over my skin. Every nerve ending and synapse tingled and announced, "It's time!"

My mate appeared in the doorway having just woken up. He blinked and stumbled toward me as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. We'd been expecting the contractions because I was three days past my due date. We’d gone on long walks, I’d eaten food laden with chili, and we’d had a lot of sex. But nothing had encouraged the baby to leave the warmth and safety of my belly.

"Are you sure?"

I was tempted to yell, “No. I decided to scream as a practice run for when I really go into labor.” But my body cramped again and I leaned on the wall doing my best to breathe through the pain.

“Very sure.” I staggered into our bedroom before turning around and waddling out again. Where was I supposed to be now I was in labor?

Since last night, the storm had been dumping snow faster than Auden had seen in decades and when I’d woken at dawn, our former Alpha texted me the road to town was impassable. But the storm would stop before the baby wanted out. That was what I’d repeated as the world outside the cabin blurred.

But our little one didn’t listen to me. I hoped that habit would change once they were here.

Dr. Granger was in town and couldn’t make it up the mountain. But first babies took ages to arrive and the storm would stop before I had to push.

“You hear that my darling?” I patted my belly. “We need to slow down until the dorset arrives.”

Creven reached for his phone and told me to breathe. I bit back another snarky response. What else was he supposed to say and do? If I was going to yell at him, I should keep my insults until I was pushing and in agony.

But another contraction wrapped itself around me. The time between this third one and the second was much shorter than the gap between first and second. Damn, I shouldn’t have eaten all that chili.

“Who are you phoning?”

“Dr Granger.” But my mate stared at the phone and shook it. “No signal.”

Unless she planned on holding the line for hours, there was nothing she could have done anyway.

The front door opened and I braced myself as the wind ushered in two visitors.

“I heard moaning.” Auden and Colin removed their coats, hats, and gloves and stamped their feet. “Unless Creven hit his thumb with a hammer, you’re in labor.”

I responded by panting and groaning as my belly tightened. Being in a pack had its advantages but having the whole pack attend my labor wasn’t something I’d considered.

“I’ve been present at births when I lived in the bear den.” Colin breathed with me as my mate rubbed my back.

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