Page 50 of Abundant Moon
Chapter 27
APRIL 6th, Fairbanks Alaska
Everet wiped the sweat from Mia’s flushed face as the contraction faded away. She lay back to catch her breath and teased her overly-attentive mate.
“I’m fine, Everet. No pain, only discomfort, and it shouldn’t take much longer. Right, Mom?”
Cora Roykirk, seated on the other side of the bed, reached out to pat her daughter’s free hand. Everet growled but allowed it – his protective instincts on high alert.
“Just a few more minutes, honey, and the baby will be here!”
Duncan, Mia’s father, waited impatiently in the other room for his grandchild to arrive. Mia’s siblings all had children, but this one was his little girl’s first, and he wanted to be here as much as Cora. Everet proved to be a loving, gentle, mate for his youngest child - definitely on the quiet and contemplative side, and a respected addition to the Alaska shifter community. Duncan valued the man, both as a member of his own family and as a True Elder.
Mia tensed as the next contraction built to a peak, groaning quietly. Both mother and daughter sensed the importance of the moment and Cora encouraged her.
“Push, Mia! I think this is it!”
She did, and it was – the baby making a noisy appearance seconds later. Everet gently cradled the child, a boy, as Cora snipped the umbilical cord and tied it off. Before long he’d been wiped clean, diapered, and wrapped in a warm blanket. The new father handed him over to his mate and stroked the wispy thatch of copper-colored hair with a fingertip. Cora covered Mia with a sheet and called her mate into the room.
“Duncan! Come say hello to your grandson!”
Wesley Joseph Kern took in the sight, sound, and scent of the other shifters, even as he wiggled and tested his ability to make faces. Everet seemed in awe of the little guy and ever so proud of his beautiful mate. He leaned down for a soft kiss and to scent the child again.
“Ah, a Delta. He has your red hair, my love. How did you know it would please me?”
She flashed him an amused smile.
“We’ll take turns. How about if the next one looks like you?”
Mia’s humor made a hasty retreat as another, milder contraction induced her body to pass the placenta. With that done, her parents left the room so she could double-shift and put on a nightgown. She held Wesley while Everet changed the sheets and tucked them both back in bed. Mia offered the baby a nipple and he latched on to suckle while the others talked quietly - except for Everet. He insisted on fussing over his mate in an attempt to make her more comfortable, slipping a pillow behind her back and offering to bring her food and drink.
“I am hungry, but I’ll wait until he falls asleep. You know, even without the True Elder underscent, he smells like you. I think I could find his scent anywhere.”
Everet only nodded, squeezing her free hand while studying his son’s face. Was this the same lad he’d seen in Luna’s vision? The one he’d been given the day he first looked at this house with Jack and Mia’s father? If so, who might the older boy with him be – the one with distinctly Inuit features? There wasn’t a single Inuit family in their pack, so where did the boy come from, and why did he seem to be part of his new family? Obviously, Luna had given him a glimpse of the future – to be shared with Mia at another time. Right now, getting to know his son took top priority.
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THE LARGE WALL-MOUNTEDscreen in Ben’s office provided plenty of space for the five people involved in today’s conference call. Ben and Evan, who were physically present in the office, and Jack, who attended from home, held place on the top row. Beneath them were the images of Everet Kern in Alaska and Adam Sheppard at his office in Duluth. Once all the connections were encrypted, Alpha Sheppard began the meeting.
“It’s good to see all of you. Some day I trust we will all meet face to face. Before we get started, allow me to congratulate Jack and Everet on the recent additions to your families. There’s a great deal of interest among our people and I’ve received many calls and emails of good wishes from all over the north and south American continents.”
Both Jack and Everet nodded and smiled, saying nothing. Sheppard continued.
“Luna seems to be busy of late with all the dreams, and I must confess they leave me worried. A brief summary might provide a better picture of what’s happening. Everet, please get us started.”
Kern, still unused to all the technology, glanced at each face showing on his own home office screen and looked directly at the camera.
“My dreams concern something which involves Ben’s brother Jonah, or at least a person who resembles him strongly. At this point, the images are vague. My impression is of Jonah interacting with a dark-skinned human male – one who somehow knows his true nature. In the dream they meet briefly, followed by a difficult parting of ways, only to reestablish a relationship later. I cannot be more specific, though I assume Luna will reveal additional details in due time. If this situation does involve Jonah, I thought Ben should know.”
