Page 48 of Saving Nevin
And just in time, too. I was heavily pregnant, big as a freaking barn, and so uncomfortable it wasn’t funny. My feet and legs were always swollen and my back never stopped hurting, because baby Zechariah weighed a thousand pounds, I swore to god, but this is what I wanted. It’s what I’d wanted my entire life, and now I was finally going to have a child of my own. A little boy to love and to care for.
Soon…
Despite my protests, Kace’s mom was hellbent on throwing me a baby shower—“Better late than never, right?” she’d said with grin—and I’d just found out today that the entire pack had come together to buy me and Kace gifts when just nine months ago, they barely even knew my name. I was just some bedraggled stray that showed up on their territory, and now?
I bit down on my bottom lip to keep it from wobbling as I stepped into the Howells’ spacious kitchen. There was an entire buffet table lined with trays and bowls of snacks and finger foods, like pigs-in-a-blanket and cucumber sandwiches and cheesecake dip with graham crackers. In the center of it all, in a giant ornamental glass bowl, was fruit punch with chunks of strawberries and pineapple bobbing in it.
It was all I could do not to cry.
Xan must’ve noticed, because he came over and threw his slim arms around me, hugging me close. “Hey, don’t cry, Nev. This is a happy day. We’re celebrating and we don’t need tears to make a guest appearance.” He winked at me, then ruffled my hair. “C’mon, you gotta try this green pistachio fluff stuff that Fletcher Rose made? It’s weird but so fucking good!”
I didn’t know who Fletcher Rose even was, but I was assuming I’d be meeting him soon—and I was right. Adam and Fletcher Rose were a mated Alpha and Omega pair who owned and ran a restaurant called Bixby’s in Greymercy. Fletcher was a lynx shifter. I knew it probably shouldn’t have surprised me, seeing that Rubydawn was a sanctuary pack of sorts, but for some reason, it did.
His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes when he congratulated me, and I got the distinct feeling that there was a deep-seated pain there. One that he didn’t talk about. One that I didn’t have any right to ask about, being a complete stranger. When he returned to his stoic Alpha’s side, the way Adam wrapped his arms around his mate made me feel kind of sad.
People kept piling in, and soon, Gracie’s house was jammed full of pack. Filled with family and friends and people who made Rubydawn what it was. Kace and I picked a spot on the sofa, in the center of everything, as everyone gathered around with presents and gift-bags in tow.
I looked around at all the smiling, hopeful faces of my packmates, a knot growing in my throat. “Th-Thank you all for being here. For coming. It… It means a lot to me. Never in my life did I expect to have a baby, or the support of a pack like this. Where I came from, Omegas were only there to serve a purpose. I wasn’t wanted. I was a waste of space who couldn’t produce heirs to an Alpha-centric pack, and now?”
I took a deep breath and grabbed Kace’s hand. He smiled at me, gently squeezing my fingers in his. It drew a smile to my face. “I’m so thankful for all of you, for these gifts, and…and just for coming. Thank you. Kace and I were waiting until we were closer to our due-date to announce the name of our baby, but it’s not far off now. Kind of scary, now that I think about it.” I barked out a soft laugh.
“Go ahead, honey,” Kace encouraged, and tears filled my eyes, making the room swim.
I sniffled. “We’re naming him Zechariah Lane, after my brother who passed as a child. Baby Zee.”
A soft chorus of “Awws” filled the room.
“I think that’s beautiful,” Gracie said.
“Thank you,” I whispered. Then, still teary-eyed, I grabbed a diaper off the coffee table. I wasn’t ready to open gifts yet, because I had the feeling I’d end up dissolving into tears all over again. Instead, I smiled and waggled my brows. “Now, who’s ready for party games?”
33
KACE
On the second of February,in the middle of a snowstorm, Nevin became restless. He’d been showing nesting behaviors all week and I knew it was coming, but hell, I wasn’t ready.
Not tonight. Not when the wind was howling and buffeting the side of the house, making the shutters rattle and sending a chill through the air. Not when several feet of snow and ice was built up on my truck—and that’s if it would even turn over.
Anxiety nipped through me, and I was tempted to pace right along with my Omega. I didn’t want to stress him out any further though, so I grinned and beared it. What if Nevin went into labor and we couldn’t make it to a hospital in time? I wasn’t prepared to deliver a baby!
“Kace?” Nevin’s soft cry came from the hallway. “Help me!” Those two frantic words sent a tremor down my spine that could’ve shaken the Earth’s core. I was on my feet, running towards him in seconds.
He stood in the middle of the hall, bathed in the light of the bathroom, his eyes wild and his breathing coming in quick bursts.
“What’s wrong?” I demanded, and he turned, pointing to his pants, which were soaked down the back and the thighs. Shit.
“I-I think my water just broke and I… I’m having contractions.” He sounded as scared as I felt. I knew how much my mate wanted a baby, but you never really thought about the raw act of childbirth, just the sweet baby smell and the coos and cuddles and dirty diapers. “We need to get to a hospital.”
“I don’t think we’d make it, Nev,” I said slowly. “It’s nearly midnight and it’s snowing like mad outside. The roads will be terrible. What if we slide into a ditch while you’re in labor?” I scrubbed my hands over my face. “I’m going to call Mom.”
“Kace,” he whined.
“C’mon, honey.” I took him by the shoulders and led him into the bedroom, where I helped him clean up and change into a looser pair of cotton PJ pants. I propped him up in bed and draped a blanket over him, but he shook his head and kicked it back off. His forehead was ashine with sweat.
“Don’t leave me!” He grabbed for my hand, so I gave it a squeeze.
“I need to call Mom. I have to go grab my phone, but I’ll be right here. Hang tight, okay, baby?” I kissed his cheek, then untangled his fingers from mine and fled down the hall, my heart hammering away in my chest.
