Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 44191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44191 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 221(@200wpm)___ 177(@250wpm)___ 147(@300wpm)
She gasped. “Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked.
“Because they’re a pain in the ass to grow. Why do you think I’ve not been able to spend a lot of time in town?” Alder asked. “I’ve been babysitting this, and if you die, I’m not going to even consider pursuing my feelings for ... her.”
Alder would not tell her the name of the woman he had fallen for, and that was fine. Wilder had told her it was because he didn’t want to create a connection. In Alder’s head, while it was still just the hiker or the baker, or the woman, there was no connection. It sounded so lame, but with these men, it made total sense. She couldn’t exactly argue with it.
She bent forward and let out a scream. It hurt.
Alder picked her up, and Poppy tried to tell him to stop. If Wilder knew or sniffed him, it would drive him crazy.
“You’re overexerting yourself. We need to get you to your home and finish this now.”
Poppy wanted to argue, but also knew if she did, Wilder would suffer just as much as her baby. She had been overdoing it, especially when Wilder wasn’t looking. She wasn’t trying to hurt him. She wanted to enjoy her pregnancy with him.
“You’re not going to argue with me?” Alder asked.
Instead, even though she didn’t want to, she held on as Alder started to carry her back through the forest. Neither of them talked. They just stayed silent, she rested her head against his chest, thinking about her child, and it worked.
Slowly, her son stopped moving and causing her pain, but for how long?
****
Wilder loved his woman more than anything in the world. She was everything to him, and yes, he would love their child, but it wasn’t going to be the same.
“I’m fine. We’re going to be fine,” she said.
Seeing Alder bringing her back to the house exactly two weeks ago had crushed him. The two had somehow become friends, and it was all because Alder was trying to win some other human’s heart. He got it, but he was also a little jealous. They should not be getting along. However, without Alder, they would not have the final ingredient, and he already sensed his son was not as active.
Wilder looked toward his woman, and he knew her time was near. Perspiration beaded on her brow, and she tried to hide the pain she was in, but there was no mistaking it. Not anymore.
There was no one to help bring his son into this world. There was just him, and in his spare time, he’d been reading everything he needed know, to do all the right things.
“I think it’s time,” Poppy said. She let out a sob, and then he sensed her contraction, and she tried to hold in her screams.
“Baby, just let it out. Scream if you have to. I don’t care.”
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she said, after releasing a scream. Her face was bright red, and the sweat glistened on her.
The nightdress she wore was covered in her sweat to the point that it was nearly sheer. He saw the hard point of her nipples and the tension in her stomach.
“I’m going to have to check,” Wilder said.
“No, no, no, you can’t, you can’t do this, Wilder. You can’t watch.”
“I’m the only one here,” Wilder said, “And I am not going to let you do this all yourself.”
“I’m here,” Alder said.
Wilder turned toward Alder, who was in the doorway, and he looked pale. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“You should hold your mate, Wilder. Hold her, and I can do this. I’ve seen births and I’ve been there.”
“Human births?” Wilder asked.
Poppy screamed.
“No, shifter births, but you’re going to want to hold her, and you’re going to need to help her. Humans are more delicate and their pregnancies come with a great deal of risks.”
Wilder looked to Poppy who was panting. “I can do this. You don’t want him looking.”
“I don’t want him looking either, but Wilder, we don’t have a choice. Get up here now!” She screamed out the last part.
Wilder stepped away and looked at Alder. “If anything happens to her, I will fucking end you, do you understand?”
“I happen to like Poppy. I’ll do everything I can, and if I see your child turning, do I have permission?” Alder asked.
Wilder looked toward Poppy. He couldn’t live without her. “As a last resort,” he said.
And then, he gripped his woman.
“What is a last resort?” Poppy asked.
“I will do whatever is needed to stop your son from turning,” Alder said.
“Do you mean to kill him?” Poppy asked.
“No,” Wilder said. “He will sedate him.”
It was a risk he was willing to take with Poppy.
“No, Alder. You do not sedate him. We trust in the medicine. Birthing is hard, and stop scaring me, both of you.”