Loving Paws Read online

  Lucien came into the room and dropped a rather heavy looking overnight bag on the couch. Startled, Punk jumped off the couch and came and sat by me on the recliner instead. It’s funny, I thought I hated cats until I met Punk. Now I can’t stop scratching her in between her ears.

  “I don’t want you stressing out after the baby gets here,” said Lucien. “Besides, you’ve done so much already these past few weeks. You deserve the time off.”

  I smiled coyly at him. “It isn’t exactly time off if I’ve got a screaming newborn in my arms, is it?” I chuckled and placed my hand on my stomach. I was getting ready to pop any time now. “Not that I mind, of course. I’m dying to meet this baby.”

  Lucien came over and put his hands on my shoulders, rubbing away the day’s worth of stress. I sighed and tilted my head back. Our eyes met and he smiled warmly at me. “When do you think it’ll be time?”

  “Soon,” I replied. I tried to get up on my own, but at nine months along, it was rather difficult to do it without help. Luckily, there was always a big, strong man around to help me up when I needed it. “Very soon.”

  Warm sunshine poured in through the window of the den. Autumn and winter had come and gone, and spring was quickly leading in to summer. It had been months since everything had gone down, and though life seemed peaceful now, the two of us still worried about the kind of world our baby would grow up in. Lucien had converted a side of the den into an office, allowing me to put my skills to good use--and there was a lot of work to be done.

  For my baby--for our family--I was willing to do whatever it took to make this a kinder world. Both of us were. Together, we felt unstoppable.

  “You think Punk will miss us when we’re gone?” I asked.

  “Punk misses us when we go to the bathroom,” Lucien replied. “But she’ll be in good hands.”

  “I wonder what she’ll make of the baby,” I said.

  “She’ll probably be glad there’ll be a third person around to feed her.”

  I tried to laugh, but it was cut short. A wetness formed in my pants and ran down my leg. “Luce, it’s time,” I told him. “My water broke.”

  His eyes widened. “Are you ready to go? Do you need anything else?”

  I tried to keep my anxiety from getting the best of me. Besides, I trusted Lucien. He had probably packed a month’s worth of stuff in that bag. Once I changed into something dry, I had nothing left to do to prepare. “I think we got everything.” I took his hand. “Now the question is, are you ready?”

  “I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life. Now, let’s go,” he said, leading me out the front door.

  I needed help getting into the truck, and once I was in, Lucien brought the overnight bag and called his cousin. D’Marcus had been so kind to us while I was adjusting here. When Lucien becomes the new alpha, I can only hope he’ll be as wise and fair as D’Marcus. I already knew Lucien was going to make a fantastic father.

  We rode out of Thunderstone and into Lillington. It would take some time before we reached the hospital, but I hadn’t been hit with any contractions yet. The two of us were quite jittery the whole way there, but they were happy jitters. I don’t think I had ever been this excited about anything in my entire life.

  Things were quick once we got to the Lillington General Hospital. Nurses took me to a room and a doctor came in to see me, reassuring us that it was indeed time as he inspected my charts and information. “Yes, you’ve come right on time. You say your water only recently broke?” the doctor asked me.

  “Yes, sir. A little over an hour ago. We rushed right over and we haven’t been waiting long,” I replied, holding tight onto Lucien’s hand.

  “Good, good. Everything looks just fine.” The doctor brushed his finger against his thick mustache and looked at us. “If you’re all set, we can prep you for the caesarean now.”

  I nodded. I wasn’t surprised. From the beginning I knew this was how it had to be done. Still, the idea of getting surgery made me a little nervous.

  “You can do this,” said Lucien. “They’ll take really good care of you, and I’ll be here waiting the whole time.”

  “There’s really nothing to be worried about, Mr. Haust. It’s a very safe procedure. I’ve done it more times than I can count, and your child wouldn’t be the first shifter I’ve helped deliver.” The doctor pulled on some latex and gave me a warm smile.

  “Okay,” I said, taking in a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

  They had me put on a gown and after that rubbed some strange ointment over my stomach. I got on the hospital bed and they wheeled me towards the operating room. Lucien followed for as long as they allowed him to. “I love you,” he said. “I love you more than I ever thought I could love anything.”

  “I’m so happy,” I said through tears I couldn’t hold back. He reached over the bed and wiped my cheek. “I’m so happy, Lucien. You’re gonna make an amazing father.”

  “So will you!”

  I could feel his absence as soon as he was gone. When they put me under anesthesia, I found myself longing for him to come back and tell me everything would be all right. Instead, I soothed myself by thinking back on our happiest memories: finding out I was pregnant, reconnecting, letting my inner wolf free for the first time in years, and finding our true place in this world together.

  I drifted off to sleep thinking of the future, and I dreamed about an endless love.

  There was a strange cloudiness that formed later on. The entire world felt distant from me, as though we were separated by an entire sky. Was I finally waking up?

  “Caleb?” Lucien’s voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. I felt the deepness of his voice within my very bones, like a gentle vibration that brought me back.

  “Lucien?” I mumbled.

  “You’re awake,” he said softly. “That’s okay. Take all the time you need.”

  “I want… I want to see…” I fought to open my eyes, but my vision was rather blurry. “Did everything…” I was so tired I could barely speak.

  “Everything went just fine. You did so well.”

  That’s when I heard the cry. It was so soft, so tiny, it was almost inaudible. Lucien made a tender coo that calmed it.

  That was all I needed. I made myself sit up and opened my eyes, rubbing the sleepiness out of them. At last, I could see them. Lucien stood at the foot of my bed. He held a beautiful baby boy in his brawny arms.

  I tried to say something, but words failed me. I began to cry again as I reached out for my child. Lucien shushed me gently as he brought the baby into my arms and kissed the top of my head.

  “Have you thought of a name?” he asked.

  I considered it for a second, then it hit. “What about Erik?”

  “It’s perfect. Like you,” he said.

  “No, it’s perfect--like you.”

  This was everything I ever wanted, and as I looked into the face of my child, I couldn’t believe I had almost thrown everything away. Never would I let my son feel that alone. Instead, I would teach him to love himself and the world he was a part of.

  Even in the hardest of times, love had a way of making things right again.

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  Loving Paws

  P
reston Walker

  © 2018

  Disclaimer

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are all fictitious for the reader’s pleasure. Any similarities to real people, places, events, living or dead are all coincidental.

  This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for ADULTS ONLY (+18).