Liam sat before me, terror etched on his face. He cupped my face in his hands, whispering soothing words. I could barely focus, the pain in my sides and belly overwhelming. It felt exactly like a contraction, and I was terrified; it was too soon. I needed the baby to stay in for a few more weeks.
"Come on," Liam said. My ears perked up.
"What?" I asked. He moved beside me, gently scooping me into his arms. He carried me from my office. The hallways of the packhouse blurred as he carried me out. Another wave of pain hit me, and I stifled a cry.
I felt Liam tense. "Just hang in there, Little Luna," he murmured. I closed my eyes, trying to breathe through the pain. Goddess, please don't let this be it. The baby wasn't ready.
The cool air kissed my slightly sweaty skin—the pain and warm summer air having caused me to perspire—signaling our arrival at the clinic. "Alpha, Luna," I heard Doctor Ron say. Liam didn't stop moving, heading straight for a room. He set me down on a bed and moved aside.
"Hello, Azalea," Doctor Ron said. "I see we're having some pain." I nodded, clutching my stomach. "Alright, I want you to try to breathe evenly while I check a few things, okay?" I nodded again.
He felt my belly and sides, pressing gently in a couple of spots. Then he attached fetal monitors. Another pain wave swept over me, and Liam held my hand as I cried out.
Doctor Ron watched the monitor for a few minutes. Another wave hit me, much less intense than the previous ones. Liam grew more worried as we waited. Finally, his uncle turned to us, calm.
"Good news, you aren't in labor yet. These are Braxton Hicks contractions," he explained. Liam didn't seem reassured as his uncle continued, "Your body is preparing for the actual birth. These are short, practice contractions."
"Well, they feel pretty real," I said.
He chuckled. "Yes, they can. I'm going to give you something to relax, but you can go home afterward. Let's keep you off your feet for the rest of the day." He looked at Liam, who nodded. "I'll be right back," he said before leaving. Liam looked at me, worry still in his eyes.
He gently pushed some stray hair behind my ear. "Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded. His thumb gently rubbed my cheekbone. "You scared me."
"I'm sorry," I apologized. Liam leaned forward, resting his forehead against mine.
"I just want you and our pup to be healthy," he whispered. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he pulled me close. Doctor Ron returned, ending our moment.
"Alright, Luna, take this and relax for the rest of the day. No work and no little pups, okay?" he said, offering a small pill cup. Liam got a glass of water.
"We want to be careful with this type of pain," he continued. "I'd like to monitor it. It can stem from stress or nothing at all. It's imperative that if you feel the urge to push, you call me immediately." Liam nodded intently. "I assume you recognize that feeling?"
"Oh, yes," I said, recalling my first two pregnancies. "I remember."
"Good. That'll be a definite indicator that the contractions are real. You should also time them. These false contractions may not come in even or descending intervals as real ones will."
"Alright," I said, trying to remain calm for Liam's sake.
"I'll leave you two now. Please call if you have any concerns," he said, turning to Liam.
"Thanks," Liam said. He scooped me up before Doctor Ron even left the room. I wrapped my arms around his neck. We left, passing a wheelchair—presumably for Liam to push me out—but my Alpha wouldn't do that.
Liam was quiet on the way back to the packhouse. Felix waited in the foyer; a movie played in the lounge.
"Can you contact my mother? Tell her I need her to pick up the boys tonight?" he asked Felix. Felix nodded as Lacey emerged.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, seeing Liam holding me.
"Yes, just a little scare," I reassured her.
"Azalea needs to rest for the rest of the night," Liam told them. "It's best if the boys stay with their grandparents. Missy can entertain herself; she's old enough." Felix nodded, and Liam carried me upstairs.
Lacey's POV:
My heart clenched watching the Alpha ascend the stairs with his Luna in his arms. He looked scared, and I wondered what had worried him so much. It clearly concerned the pup, but I wasn't sure what.
I turned to Felix; I was sure he was already contacting the former Alpha about Leo and Junior. He looked back at me, a small smile gracing his lips. That look always made my heart beat faster—his intimidating expression softening in my presence.
"Should we pack them an overnight bag?" I asked. He shook his head. "Do they have things there?" He nodded. "Will they be coming to get the boys?" He nodded again.
I was resigned to his yes/no answers, especially when we weren't alone. He seemed most comfortable this way when it didn't concern pack safety.
We returned to the lounge where Junior and Leo watched a movie. "Will you have anything else to do after they leave?" I asked casually. We spent every night together now, but I thought the impending war stressed him. He hadn't been sleeping well, and we hadn't had much time alone since he started looking after the boys.
He shook his head, his eyes curious. "I was thinking maybe we could go out together," I said. "Like a date."
He crossed his arms, considering. "Be ready in thirty minutes," he linked, without moving a muscle. I grinned, kissing his cheek before rushing upstairs.
—
I found Felix's quiet demeanor funny and cute. As I finished in the bathroom, Felix entered, pulling on a plain grey t-shirt. He chose a simple black button-up shirt. He had straightforward taste, but he was still swoon-worthy. When he saw me, his eyes darkened. I wore a deep red t-shirt dress.
We headed to the nearest city, where he chose an Italian restaurant. We had to wait for a table. Felix made others nervous, even in comfortable silence. It was comical because he was soft and sweet, albeit quiet, with me.
Our waiter, a teenager, was clearly terrified of Felix. After ordering, I tried to pinpoint what was so intimidating. "The scar," I realized. Felix raised an eyebrow.
"I think it's your scar—combined with your size," I said. "It makes you intimidating. How did you get it?"
His face grew solemn. "I killed the man who killed my mate."
"The witch?" Felix nodded. "He gave you that scar?" He nodded again. "Did it bring you closure?" He paused before shaking his head.
The waiter brought our food and left quickly. We ate in companionable silence. Something had been nagging at me. My wolf urged me to bring it up. I wasn't sure of his reaction. Finally, my wolf won.
"Felix, do you want to have pups?" I asked. His fork stopped midair. His eyes slowly moved to me, his mouth partially open.
I blushed. He sat up straight, lowering his fork. He regarded me silently. "It's okay if you don't…" I whispered.
Harry had gotten sick soon after I marked him. We never discussed having pups. After he died, I figured it would always be out of reach. But now, things had changed. Spending time with the Alpha's boys ignited a "pup fever" in me.
"Pups?" he said softly. I nodded.
"Yes, I was wondering…"
He slowly nodded. It took me a moment to realize, but excitement surged through me. "Really?" I asked. He nodded again.
I bit my lip, fighting back tears. "Um, when?" I asked.
"When do you want?" he linked. As crazy as it felt, I wanted his pups tomorrow.
"Anytime," I told him. He grinned slightly. "How many?" I asked.
He held up two fingers. "One boy, one girl," he said.
I pursed my lips. "We don't really get to choose that," I said. He shook his head.
"One boy and one girl," he repeated.
I giggled. "Alright. We can talk about that later," I said. Two kids with Felix sounded perfect.
After dinner, we went mini-golfing. It was hilarious watching him with the tiny golf club. He still beat me, though we were both terrible.
Back at the packhouse, we settled into bed when he jumped up. Rogues were at the border again. He went to check on the former Alpha and Luna's home. The attack must have been handled quickly because he was back in bed with me a little over an hour later. I cuddled into him, happy about our future.