Page 69 of Released

“Son,” Rafe addresses Jax, who grunts back. Neither goes to shake the others’ hand, they just size each other up like male lions ready to do battle.

“Loki,” Chad greets his son, stepping forward to give Loki a man hug, slapping him on the back. “You would have liked the fine piece of ass I had last night, big juicy tits and a tight cunt.” Loki visibly shudders, passing it off with a laugh.

“I’m sure I would have, Dad,” he replies, and I can see the cringe in his eyes, the skin around them tight.

“Kai,” my uncle’s voice sounds next to me, and I turn to face him, steeling my spine to face the monster of my childhood.

“Uncle,” I respond. Like Jax and Rafe, there are no hugs or back slaps, just a wary recognition of a familial tie.

“Right,” Julian’s voice booms, taking centre stage as always. “Now that we’re all here, let’s have a bite to eat, and then we can do a spot of hunting before dinner.”

“Let’s kill some shit!” Chad cries, his tone excited, and the bloodlust already in his wide eyes.

Let’s kill some shit indeed.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE

LILLY

Iwake up with a groan, a sharp pain tightening like a band across my stomach. It’s so intense that all I can do is lie there and breathe, just like Mai has been getting me to practise for the past few weeks.

Once it passes, I get up and head to the bathroom, sitting on the toilet. It’s when I wipe myself and notice the jelly-like, pink-tinged substance on the paper that I realise what is happening.

“Mai!” I yell, staring at what can only be my plug, or show as Mai kept calling it. Its presence tells me that the pain I experienced this morning might be my labour starting.

The door is flung open, and I look up with wide eyes as Mai rushes into the room, sleep tousled and still in her cotton PJs. I thrust the stained toilet paper in her direction, and she blinks, then straightens up and looks wide awake when she realises what it is.

“No need to panic, Lilly,” she tells me in a soothing tone, stepping closer and around my still-held-out hand. “This doesn’t necessarily mean that your labour will start today. Let’s get you cleaned up and some food in you, okay?”

“O–okay,” I reply, finally putting the paper down the toilet and flushing whilst Mai starts up the shower.

Getting to my shaky feet, my heart feels like it’s trying to fly free.

“Hey…” Mai takes my arm, helping me out of my sleep shirt. “Even if baby does decide to come today, we can handle it, okay?”

“Okay,” I repeat once more, stepping under the warm spray and instantly feeling my shoulders relax under the water.

After I get dressed and eat something, we decide to go for a gentle walk, the pains coming fairly regularly but not that often. The twins follow us, both with wrinkled brows and stiff necks.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake!” Mai exclaims after Roman hovers so close I almost trip. “Plenty of babies have been born a little early, Lilly is not about to keel over, so give her some bloody space.”

I giggle as, chastised, they step back a bit, and a pang of intense sadness hits me when I realise that my guys would be far worse if they were here.

“The guys will be at the cabin by now; they won’t be able to come here if things do ramp up,” I pause as an intense pain shoots across my stomach, making it go rock-hard.

“That’s it, Lilly, just breathe in and out,” Mai encourages, rubbing my back in soothing circles until the pain eases and I can straighten up once more. “Let’s head back, shall we?”

We turn to walk back, my arm linked in Mai’s, and I worry my lip as we walk.

“I think that maybe we shouldn’t let them know. I don’t want them distracted,” I tell them, and although I can see the twins scowling at that, they nod.

“It’s shit, but probably for the best,” Rowan says grumpily.

He’s right, it is shit. I want my guys here with me, Jax was meant to help deliver our baby, but we can’t always get what we want; I know that more than most.

Looks like this night may be one to remember in more ways than one.

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