Page 27 of Planet Wolf

I rushed forward, making it through the back door. The house was quiet—it always was at night, except for the sounds coming from upstairs. Someone was crying, and I didn’t have to be a genius to guess it was Patrice. My stomach tightened. I’d heard labor hurt, but surely, she couldn’t be expected to have her baby at home.

We had babies in hospitals on Earth for the most part. Not in people’s houses.

She was in her room, and Alfie was with her. He looked over his shoulder when we entered. “This baby is coming.”

Both Patrice and her husband made the same sort of yell of the wordwhatbefore Patrice followed it up with another cry. Alfie nodded his head. “Yep. Baby is coming fast for the first one. You’re having it right here, but I’m going to take good care of you.”

I was hustled from the room then. Patrice wanted her husband with her in the hospital, since our family could be a lot to manage when she was feeling wonderful. The only way to not insult anyone was to have no one but her husband there, even though she’d told me weeks ago she would’ve loved for me to be there, too. I understood. We had to be diplomatic a lot.

Jadon grinned at me. “She’s going to be fine. Alfie’s been helping women give birth for a hundred years.”

I stared at him, the low rumble of everyone talking around me a background noise that I was used to, even if it was a totally novel experience to have the guys there with me. “How old are you guys, anyway?”

“We’re all one hundred and thirty years old.” He smiled, which made him look younger, like he was about thirty. “Much older than you, I know.”

I walked toward him. I’d never be able to pinpoint why I knew he needed a hug, but I did. I wrapped my arms around him and put my ear against his chest. He seemed to sigh against me, his head coming down on my head. “You okay?”

“I will be. Eventually. I’m better than I’ve ever been but not quite where I need to be yet. The Union looking for you… that executive. It’s not okay. They think you’re not here, or they’d be trying to haul you out right now. We have to get out of here before they do, but I’d never rush you from your family.”

I lifted my head. “How did they decide you were in charge? That you were Alpha? The group decides or whatever?”

“No one really decided. It just was.”

I was officially never going to understand. That was okay. I went back to listening to his heart beat. I had no suggestions about what to do about his quandary. I wasn’t leaving here until Patrice’s baby was safely in her arms. Then we could figure out what to do next.

He whispered in my ear. “His mark looks good on you, but I know just where mine will go. Also, if I had known it was on the table, and we weren’t just leaving you to sleep, I’d have taken the first night with you. I’m not great at waiting.”

I smiled against him. “And here I thought you guys didn’t do jealousy.”

He chuckled. “We do it lovingly.”

I had no idea what that meant, but I didn’t get to ask because we all heard the baby cry out at the same time. Tears flowed unrestrained down my face. I hadn’t even seen him yet. We knew it was a boy, since scans had shown us early, but I knew that I loved him, and that was just an amazing facet of life. I loved this person I’d never met.

Alfie came out, a smile on his face. “Mom and baby are doing great.”

Jadon wiped my tears, and soon baby Drew was meeting his entire extended family—loudly and with tears and laughter. Sometimes having a big family was a burden, and sometimes it was a blessing. Maybe it was both to Patrice right then.

But her baby was beautiful. He was all red and scrunched up, screaming until he was fed and then crying again for no reason anyone could tell. Eventually, we left the new parents alone. I bent over to kiss my cousin.

“I might have to go.”

She took my hand in hers. “I know. They’re looking for you, that’s what I heard. Or something like that. I think youshouldgo. Let them take you back to that place. Now that you can talk to them… it might be better. Things here are not great. They never were, and they’re getting worse. We’ll probably make a move, now that the baby is here. I don’t know where to, but the good news is we live in a time when, even if we’re living on different planets, we’ll never be out of touch.”

By the time she finished, we were both crying. I kissed her again. “Your baby is gorgeous.”

“I know.” She brightened up. “Of course he is.”

I did love my cousin.

* * *

I no sooner stepped outside andtold Jadon I wanted to leave, to go with him, than Carl had retrieved my stuff. We were headed toward their hidden shuttle—hidden in the sense that no one knew it belonged to Wolf shifters—when I spotted him.

The man in the rumpled suit who was watching me as we passed. He hid partially behind a tree.

“I see him, too.” Alfie spoke to me, since Jadon and Carl were ahead and behind us. “I bet that’s the guy. Stay here.”

I stopped moving, as though I were used to him giving me orders and just obeying him, which had pretty much been true on our trek together. Even though I hadn’t understood everything he wanted right then, I did listen to Alfie. Oh, who was I kidding? I listened to all of them.

---