Page 1 of Unsanctioned
Chapter One
Thecrispnightairhad more than a chill. It was downright freezing. Thankfully, Waylon’s thick coat of fur protected him from the bitter cold. As always, he took one last run around his property, ensuring everything was secure for the night. The scent of a pack member filled his nostrils. His heart crawled into his throat. Randall’s mate was pregnant. The only reason he would be headed Waylon’s way would be for an emergency.
His front paws dug into the dirt as he shot forward, running at top speed toward the smell. He skidded to a stop, and Randall did the same when they came face to face.
Ashka is in labor.
Waylon heard the panic in Randall’s mind.Lead the way.
They took off running toward Randall’s house. Waylon fought the way his heart raced with fear. An unfortunate number of Were babies didn’t survive birth. That was why their numbers stayed so low. Weres immediately healed after any sort of injury. Everything about birth was purposeful physical damage. While humans took that destruction and slowly healed after giving birth, Weres healed every step of the way, making labor take forever while killing the babies and sometimes the mother. Even though Weres were almost impossible to kill, giving birth was as traumatic as it came. Few wolves even risked it any longer, but—for some—the reward outweighed the risk.
An odd calm fell over Waylon as the house came into view. As the pack’s alpha, he had to be the steady one. In this case, his calm came externally. He felt Ashka’s peace. She wasn’t in horrible pain or struggling. A smile tugged at Waylon’s lips as he became human. She wasn’t alone.
“Thank the Gods. Frost is here.”
Randall nodded. “He showed up without being called right when I left to get you. Still, it’s your right to be here.”
Waylon slapped Randall’s shoulder and squeezed. “Celeste sent us a healer for a reason.”
Randall tried for a small smile, but his terror was thick. It nearly choked Waylon. They headed inside together. Heavy breathing could be heard the second they stepped through the door. The living room had been transformed into a makeshift hospital room. The sexy doctor Celeste had sent to their town wasalready positioned between Ashka’s legs. Frost’s mate, Gemini, sat nearby with his back turned out of respect, but was ready to jump in at a moment’s notice.
“Hey, baby,” Ashka panted out between breaths behind a mask she wore that looked like an oxygen mask from an airplane.
Waylon smiled. It was as if she only saw her mate. Waylon took up position with Gemini. Frost didn’t look away from his job, but he also didn’t ignore the room full of terrified males.
“She’s being given a large and steady dose of nitrous oxide, and I’m giving her doses of pain medicine at safe intervals. Her blood will burn through each shot quicker, but the less pain, the more relaxed she’ll be. That’s important for the baby’s safety.”
“What about her safety?” Randall barked out, sounding more wolf than man.
“I’m fine,” Ashka answered for him. “As long as I know our baby is okay, I can do this.”
Waylon had been so focused on Frost’s explanation, he didn’t notice the tiny heartbeat sound beeping in the background. His throat swelled. He wanted this for the couple. They were such a small community. It wasn’t uncommon for members to travel often, hoping to meet their mate. Randall had found Ashka while on a trip to New Orleans. It seemed she had been a bartender at the southeast pack leader’s bar. The odds of meeting a fated mate under those circumstances were so slim, but Randall had done it. They deserved this blessing. Waylon silently prayed toany god listening while Ashka gritted her teeth through a large contraction.
“Okay. That’s good. You’re doing great.” Frost was so calm. It was catching. “Here comes the part we talked about. When this next contraction hits, you’ll push, but don’t stop when the contraction ends. We’re going to push until this baby pops out enough for me to do the rest.”
Ashka didn’t respond, but Waylon felt her determination. He also felt her slight panic as the pain built again. She knew the moment had come of no going back. Either they would survive, or they wouldn’t. It was a hell of a thing to face. Yet she handled it like a warrior. A loud scream tore from Ashka, but she kept going. He swore she likely shattered her teeth with the way she clamped them. Randall was a mess, but trying to hide it. Gemini was poised to fight should anything happen, and the pack turned on Frost in their need to blame someone.
“That’s it. You’re doing great. Don’t stop. I’m about to make that cut.”
He felt Ashka’s pain, but she didn’t make a sound. All her focus was on pushing. Then she collapsed. Randall hovered over her, babbling nonstop and making no sense. Everyone held their breath. Waylon knew Ashka was fine. Just exhausted. He could hear her thoughts. It was the baby he couldn’t feel. Frost’s body blocked everything from view. Waylon could tell he was frantically working, but he couldn’t tell what happened. Then he heard it. The tiny cry. Followed closely by Ashka’s howl of relief. Her tears flowed freely as Frost stood. He passed the tiniestbaby Waylon had ever seen to Ashka. “Congratulations on your daughter.”
Waylon swiped at his cheeks when he felt the moisture rolling down. He stood. “I am so humbled by your strength, and we are beyond blessed to have your daughter as part of this pack.”
Ashka flashed him a tired-looking smile. “Thank you.” Her eyes and nose were red. She looked beautiful. “I appreciate you lending your strength.”
Waylon knew he hadn’t done anything, but that was what being a pack meant. He was their leader. His presence mattered to them. That was why it was so important he never failed at this position.
“Rest. I’ll come by when you’re ready to have guests.”
She nodded and went back to staring at the tiny bundle in her arms. Frost gave the couple instructions. Gemini patted his back. “I’ll walk out with you and give them their privacy.”
Waylon took a steadying breath. Gemini was a good man. He was a snow leopard. Not a wolf. But Waylon still didn’t quite understand why Gemini had no interest in joining their pack, even though he was mated to their healer. Waylon had never had a problem accepting other Were breeds into their rag-tag bunch.
“Thank you for being here for Frost. I recognize how dangerous this new position is for him. If anything had gone wrong…”
Gemini nodded. His long, blond hair bounced with the motion. “I’m aware. You never have to thank me for protecting my mate. But King Jonathan says Celeste chose Frost for this, so I have to believe he’ll be okay.”
Waylon’s gaze moved from Gemini’s eerily light blue eyes to the house. He tried to squash the growing jealousy. It seemed he would never have as much as anyone else. He was doomed to be the leader and nothing else. It was a lonely existence.
