Chapter 29

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"Marian is in labor!"

Those four words have Shay's face bleeding pale. For a moment, I'm terrified that she's going to faint. Her mouth opens and closes several times, but no words come out.

"Hello? Shay, did you hear me?" Kendra shouts over the line.

When Shay fails once more to find her voice, I pluck the phone from her limp hand and place it to my own ear. "Hey Kendra, it's Nikki. We heard you. What do you need from us?"

"Just get here." Kendra instructs, her contralto voice pitchy with anxiety. "The midwife is already on her way. And so are the others."

"Got it. See you soon." I confirm, and the line disconnects. Shay looks at me with wide, frantic eyes, and I reach out to give her shoulder a reassuring pat. "Let me get changed, and we'll go, ok?"

Shay just nods, mute and evidently shaken. I press a quick kiss to her cheek, and then scramble upstairs to change back into some street clothes. Upon my return, Shay is still white as a ghost, and looking more harrowed by the second. I watch her pick up and drop her car keys twice before I gently pry them out of her quaking fingers.

"How about I drive?" I offer with a small smile.

"Would you?" Shay whimpers. "I'm sorry Rabbit, I'm just, I-, if anything happens to Marian-"

"Marian will be fine. She's healthy, and so are the babies. There's no reason to panic right now. So let's just go, and be supportive, ok?"

Shay whimpers again, and the sound is fragile and frightened. My heart breaks for her, and I draw her into a hug, stroking her back as she hides her face in my hair. Considering her history, Shay's fear is justified and understandable. She had lost her own mother to childbirth. Thankfully, modern healthcare has come a long way since 1786.

Grasping my lover's hand, I guide her dutifully out of the apartment and into the car. She fidgets in the passenger seat, looking stiff and uncomfortable. Her breathing is rapid and shallow, and I can feel the waves of anxiety rolling off her. Again, I take her hand, holding it as I drive. I breathe deep and slow, centering myself in an effort to transmit serene thoughts. It seems to help, and the she-wolf looks over at me with glimmering eyes, full of gratitude.

"Thank you, Rabbit." She murmurs, lacing our fingers together. "I'm so glad you're here."

I give her hand a heartening squeeze. "Don't mention it. I'm happy to be here." My face splits into a grin. "You should be more excited! You're going to be an aunt soon."

"An aunt." Shay echoes, and I feel a rush of excitement pass through her as realization finally dawns. "Holy shit. I'm going to be an aunt!" She looks at me, dumbstruck, and repeats: "Nikole, I'm going to be an aunt."

"Yes you are." I giggle. "Auntie Shay."

"Goddess, I think I'm going to be sick."

Thankfully, 'Auntie Shay' manages to hold herself together until we reach Marian and Kendra's brownstone. Tottering on wobbly legs, the she-wolf bypasses the front door, and instead leads the way into the small, gated garden behind the building. Darren is already there. His face is a stoic mask of indifference, but his frantic pacing gives away his own nervousness.

"Hey Darren, any news?" Shay asks the other beta.

"The midwife is here, and apparently everything is progressing well." The detective replies, and Shay's shoulders sag with relief. She collapses into one of several lawn chairs surrounding a small fire-pit, and motions for me to do the same.

"Are we going to wait out here?" I ask, taking my seat and casting a glance to the star-studded night sky above. It's cold out, though my wolven constitution makes me more resistant to the weather.

Shay nods. "Yeah. It's tradition that no one other than the parents and the midwife are allowed in the home during a birth. The rest of the family waits outside, standing guard."

"Oh, are others coming?"

This time Darren answers my question, shaking his head as he gathers up an armful of wood and begins prepping the fire-pit. "Just Gavin. But he's late, of course."

"Am not!" The man in question bursts into the garden with a skip and a bright smile. He has his long, ash blonde hair tied back into a messy knot, revealing that both of his ears are now in perfect condition. "I'm here, and ready to boil some water or whatever." Darren and Shay roll their eyes in tandem, looking very much like a pair of siblings fed up with the antics of a younger brother.

I'm the first to notice the case that Gavin carries beneath his arm. The sight of it causes me to scoff with incredulity. "Did you seriously bring beer?"

"Duh." The gamma laughs, as if the answer should be obvious. "All the videos I watched on YouTube said that this could take a while, and I don't think I can survive the ordeal sober. Besides, this is a happy occasion! We should be celebrating!" He rips open the case and retrieves a beer. "As a side note though, childbirth is totally disgusting. I am so glad I'm not female."

This time when Darren and Shay roll their eyes, I join them. "I can't believe you watched videos."

"Hey, don't look at me like that. I needed to mentally prepare myself." Gavin scrunches up his nose and pouts defensively. "Now do you want a beer, or not?"

"Not." I decline with a shake of my head. Darren also turns down the offer. To my surprise, however, Shay accepts and quickly downs the beverage handed to her. Most likely in an effort to calm her nerves.

"Whoa, all right Boss Lady!" Gavin cheers. "What's gotten into you tonight?"

"Nothing." Shay mutters, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Uh huh, suuure." Roguish green eyes flit between Shay and I, and Gavin's grin widens. "What were you up to this fine evening? Been a while since I've seen the two of you together outside of the gym."

"Just hanging out." I supply vaguely, wary of this particular line of questioning and the mischievous gleam in Gavin's eye.

"Is that so?" The male hums nonchalantly, opening another beer. "Because based on the state of your neck, Nikki, it looks like you two were trying to make a baby of your own."

Shay spits out a mouthful of alcohol and erupts into a fit of coughing. My own face burns with embarrassment, and I slap a hand over my neck. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done. Everyone has already seen the impressive hicky that Shay left over my carotid artery. Damn it, I should have worn a scarf.

"Fuck off, Gavin!" Shay snarls, ripping the tab off her beer can and flinging it at the younger male. It connects squarely with the center of his forehead. Yelping like a wounded puppy, he scrambles behind Darren who has wisely decided to stay out of this mess, and instead focuses his attention on stoking a fire in the pit.

The black wolf looks ready to chase him, but I stop her with a worried hand on her arm and draw her in closer so I can whisper in her ear. Gavin's teasing has prompted the formation of a very serious, very frightening question in my head.

"Shay, do I need to be on birth control?"

My mentor jerks away from me as if scalded. Her expression is one of pure confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"

I grab the lapel of her coat and drag her back into whispering range. Darren and Gavin are watching us curiously, and I don't want them to overhear. "Birth control. Do I need to be on it?"

"Why would you need to-?" She asks in a normal volume, stupefied, and I swat her soundly on the arm.

"Keep it down." I snarl, quietly as I can. There's a twinge of panic in my voice now, which Shay picks up on. "I'm not on the pill. I've never had to worry about it until now."

Shay cocks her head to the side, obviously not following. I resist the urge to smack her again, amazed with how dense she's being. "Rabbit, why are you asking about this?"

Honestly, I could die right now from embarrassment. This is certainly a conversation I never imagined myself having. Not in a million years. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I'm covered in bite marks, and Marian told me that female Varg can get one another pregnant like that."

I can practically see the wheels turning in Shay's head. Her gaze flickers from my face to my neck, and then finally my belly. When it eventually clicks just what I am so concerned about, Shay's initial reaction is shock. She stares at me blankly for several long seconds, before exploding into a fit of hysterical laughter.

'It's not funny!" I squawk resentfully, slapping her firmly on the back as she doubles over, laughing even harder.

"Uh, Nikki?" Gavin asks, watching perplexed as Shay begins wheezing. "What did you do to the Boss?"

"Nothing! She's just being an ass." I insist, waiting irately for Shay to regain control of herself.

"Oh, shit," The she-wolf snickers as she wipes tears from her eyes. "I can't remember the last time I laughed like that."

"Care to share with the rest of the class?" Gavin presses. Even Darren looks interested in whatever Shay has to say.

Shay opens her mouth to answer, but I give her flank a savage pinch before she gets the chance. "Don't you dare."

My infuriating girlfriend snickers again, despite my vehement glare. "Just give us a second, boys. Be right back." She waves off our companions, and motions for me to follow her to the far edge of the garden. "Alright Rabbit," she begins in a hushed voice once we've separated ourselves. "To answer your question, no, you don't need to be on birth control. It doesn't work on Varg, anyway."

I shift nervously on my feet. "Then do we need to be taking extra precautions? Like I don't know, dental dams or something?"

"Dental dams? Oh Goddess, are you serious?" Shay bursts into laughter again.

"Yes, I'm serious Shay! I can't afford getting pregnant at my age! Especially while I'm in school." I whisper yell.

"Relax, baby." The she-wolf titters, still far too amused for my liking. "You're not going to get pregnant. We'd have to become a mated pair before that was possible. Until then, a bite is just a bite."

"Oh, thank Christ." I breathe, feeling my entire body relax with relief. "I wish I had known that before I made a fucking fool of myself."

"It's my fault for not teaching you." Shay admits, guiltily rubbing at the back of her neck. "Though I can't say I didn't appreciate the laugh."

"Yeah, you made that pretty clear." I gripe, though already I can feel my anger fading. "Is there anything else I need to know? They didn't exactly cover this in sex ed."

"Well, uh, for starters mating isn't really something that can occur accidentally." Shay begins, looking more than a little awkward. Not that I can blame her. This conversation is weird as hell. "Partners need to share a strong emotional connection before exchanging bites during a moment of intense physical intimacy. The bites need to break the skin, and there needs to be intent behind the action, otherwise the bond won't take. Mating also requires both partners to actively bite one another. It can't be one sided." The she-wolf pauses for a moment and clears her throat. "I mean, there's usually some form of ritual that takes place, sort of like a marriage, but that varies among different packs."

"Ok." I mutter, processing this new information. "So, it's safe for me to bite you?"

Shay balks caught off guard by the question. Her cheeks flush with color. "You want to bite me?"

"Yeah, like pretty much all the time," I confess, shuffling awkwardly on my feet. I've already embarrassed myself tonight, so a little more can't hurt, right? "Is that strange?"

"N-no, not at all. It's normal for Varg to mark their partners with a bite, even if they're not a mated pair. It's instinctual, even. We can be possessive as a species, particularly when it comes to lovers. A bite mark communicates that an individual has been claimed and helps deter romantic rivals." Shay informs me. With a shy smile, she reaches out to brush the imprint of her teeth on the side of my neck, fingers gliding over my pulse. "The fact that you want to bite me is very flattering."

"So you wouldn't mind?" I query, instinctually canting my head to the side to allow Shay better access to my throat. She takes a step forward, drawing closer, and brushes her nose against mine.

"Not at all." She hums, then hesitates a moment. "Do you?"

I chuckle softly and shake my head. "I mean, it would have been nice to know all this information beforehand. But no, I can't say that I really mind. It just means I'm yours', right? Like some sort of kinky promise ring?"

"You and your analogies." The she-wolf snorts with laughter. Despite her amusement, however, there is an underlying current of desire that ripples through the bond that tethers us. "But yes, it means you are mine."

Not long ago, this kind of possessiveness would have been a huge turn off for me. At my core, I am a rather introverted and independent individual. Someone who prides myself on being self-sufficient. However, Shay doesn't make me feel objectified, like some trinket to be fought over and kept on a shelf. Rather, she makes me feel like I belong. Like I have a place in the world by her side. It's a nice feeling.

"I'm going to spend a fortune on cosmetics come summertime. I can only hide under scarves and turtlenecks for so long." I quip, pretending to look annoyed.

Shay doesn't appear apologetic in the least, grinning as if I have just presented her with some grand gift. "I'll buy you whatever you like." She purrs, leaning down to kiss me. Sadly, our lips never connect.

"Will you two stop eye-fucking over there already?" Gavin complains loudly in our direction. He's sitting lopsided in a lawn chair, his lanky legs thrown over one of the arms as he sips idly on a beer. "I can smell the pheromones from here!"

Shay snarls while I blush and take a pointed step away from her. We had been so lost in our own little world that we had forgotten that we were very much not alone. This really wasn't an appropriate environment to be canoodling in. As Shay and I return to the others, we are both notably pink with shame.

Gavin dials up the theatrics, dramatically rolling his eyes with a pronounced groan. "It's not fair, Darren. Why are we the only two bachelors left in our group?"

The auburn-haired male ignores his younger companion and places another log into the fire-pit. By now, he's managed to create a perfect blaze, generating a small bubble of warmth within the confines of its amber glow. Gavin clicks his tongue and sulks, focusing on me instead. "Nikki, you better be my wing woman come solstice time. Especially since Kendra and Marian won't be going this year, for obvious reasons."

"She's not going either." Shay sighs, already scowling at the mention of the solstice.

"Wait, seriously?" Gavin gasps, glancing between us. "Why not?"

"Actually, I haven't made up my mind." I shrug. "Originally, I was planning to visit my parents for Christmas. But with everything that's happening, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Then you should totally come to the solstice!" Gavin encourages. "It's an awesome party, I'm sure you'll have a blast. And there will be tons of Varg around, so you'll be protected."

"I don't know." I waver, still undecided.

"Oh, come on, don't make me beg." The gamma continues to whine, batting his eyes. "It lasts an entire week, and there will be lots of food, and music, and dancing, and a bunch of games! Oh, and booze. Plenty of booze."

"I'm not really a big party person." I admit, though it does sound kind of fun.

"But-"

"Stop trying to guilt trip her, Gavin." Shay grumbles, intervening on my behalf, and I flash her an appreciative smile. "She doesn't have to go if she doesn't want to."

"You should go." Darren interjects, much to the surprise of everyone present. Momentarily abandoning his self-appointed role as fire keeper, the detective turns his attention to me. "It will be a good chance for you to socialize with Varg your own age, and experience what it's like to be part of the pack outside of this group."

"Oh shit, good point!" Gavin acknowledges, and I can't help but agree with him.

"Are you going, Darren?" I ask.

The beta male settles me with an impassive stare. "Of course not."

His steadfast answer makes me laugh. "You're just trying to get out of babysitting me, aren't you?"

"Perhaps." Darren smirks, already turning back to the fire.

For the next several hours, we spend our time chatting amicably about a number of topics. Periodically, the midwife comes outside to notify us of Marian's progress with assurance that everything is going perfectly fine. Shay becomes noticeably anxious at times, worrying about her friend, but I do my best to console her. Waiting around like this makes for a long night, and it isn't until after sunrise that we get the news we've all been waiting for.

Gavin is halfway through acting out some ridiculous scene from a movie when the midwife slides open the back door to the brownstone. All at once, the pack settles down and focuses their attention on the gentle face of the woman. She's short and curvy, with long dark hair and red-brown skin. Like most Varg, she looks to be in her early 30s or so, but it's impossible to guess her true age.

"Congratulations. The pack has two new members." The midwife announces with a smile. "Marian and Kendra are ready for you now, if you'd like to go greet them."

The excitement is palpable. Had we been in wolf form, I have no doubt that all our tails would be wagging. The midwife steps aside, and motions for us to enter the house. Immediately, all eyes are on Shay, waiting for her to go first, but the black wolf seems frozen, standing rooted in her spot.

"Go on." I nudge her gently with a smile. "Time to go meet your nieces."

Shay returns my smile and reaches for my hand. Together, we enter the brownstone, heading towards the master bedroom. Inside, the room is dark and warm, much like a cozy den. The air is tinged with sweat and blood, but the acidic scent of fear is absent.

No. The only discernible emotion at the moment is love. It adorns the faces of Marian and Kendra who sit together on their bed, each holding a tiny bundle in their arms. Their daughters.

Marian looks exhausted; her skin is ruddy and flushed, and her curly hair is matted to her dewy brow with perspiration. But when she smiles, it is with a radiance born of pure bliss. Gently, she coos to the infant nestled against her chest. "Time to meet the rest of your family."

Timidly, Shay lets go of my hand and approaches the bed with slow, cautious steps. Darren and Gavin follow behind her, looking just as eager but also just as nervous. I bring up the rear, lingering in the doorway. Children are a rare, precious gift among Varg due to their low birthrates. This fact has never been more apparent to me than now, watching the way the pack huddles together to greet their newest additions.

Shay kneels on the ground next to Marian. First, she reaches out to touch her friend's arm, then hesitantly moves her hand to stroke the tiny head of her newborn niece. Vibrant, gemstone eyes fill with tears as the she-wolf whispers in a soft, adoring voice: "Hello, little one."

On the other side of the bed, Darren and Gavin mirror Shay's mannerisms, dropping to their knees as they congratulate the new parents, and welcome their daughters into the family. Gavin is openly crying, and even Darren's eyes look misty.

"Guys, I would like to introduce you to our daughters:

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