“If they don’t make it in time, I’ll take care of you,” Daisy promises. “I’m officially a midwife now! Got a certificate an everything!”
“You really didn’t have to do that,” I groan, feeling a contraction. “But thank you.”
“Hey, if you can work remotely for York Financial while we’re living in this castle paradise, I can at least pick up a few things,” Daisy says, checking my vitals and then my temperature.“Besides, all the money Storm gave me got burned up. I gotta support myself somehow if we ever go home.”
“I don’t thinkmidwifeis your calling,” I laugh, trying to picture it.
“Maybe not, but you’re dilating,” Daisy says as she peeks under the blanket. “Where is my measuring thingy? It might be time for you to push.”
“I haven’t even had that many contractions,” I groan as I feel another one. “But I don’t think the baby cares,” I say, feeling my connection with her. “Nope, the baby doesn’t care at all.”
“Ansley!” Hayden roars, then I hear his thunderous steps.
“We’re in here!” Daisy calls out. “Hurry if you don’t want to miss the birth of your child!”
More footsteps pound through the castle, and I sense the entire pack. They’re all here. They rush into the room and fan out around me. Hayden looks like he wants to take over, but Daisy shoos him away. Then another contraction comes. And another. They make it hard for me to breathe.
“We’re here, mate. What do you need?” Hayden asks, clutching my hand.
“Just for the baby to come,” I groan, squeezing his hand tight enough for my nails to dig in.
The contractions get stronger, and closer together. Daisy is between my legs, carefully measuring, even though it feels like I’m already there.
“Ten, eleven, twelve centimeters. We only need ten, so push on the next contraction!” Daisy calls out.
It hits seconds later and I suck in a huge breath and push with all my might. God, it hurts so bad! I feel like I’m being torn apart. When it ends, I pant and Wyatt pats my face and forehead with a cool cloth.
“You’re going to be fine, Ansley,” Wyatt says soothingly. “The baby is ready and so are you.”
“Nothing to worry about,” Storm encourages. “You’ll probably be doing cartwheels by this time tomorrow.”
“I don’t know about that!” I cry out, pain lancing through me as the next contraction begins. Again, I try to push this baby out of my body.
“I see a head!” Remy says.
“Definitely Hayden’s kid,” Jaxton chuckles. “Look at that big head.”
“AAAArrrrgggggh!” I cry out, pushing again.
“Baby’s coming! One more big push!” Daisy calls out.
I squeeze Hayden’s hand, grit my teeth, and give it my all. The pressure gets more intense, I feel a strange sensation, and then the pain fades, and I hear a cry. My baby’s cry. My daughter’s cry.
“It’s a girl!” Daisy crows proudly, standing up, holding my child. She quickly suctions the baby’s nose and mouth, making her cry even more, then grabs a clean, soft cloth, and cleans her up a little bit. I lift the blanket and Daisy lays her on my chest. I wrap my arms gently around my baby’s tiny, wet body. Daisy goes about cutting the cord and packing a towel between my legs.
My mates stand there with their jaws hanging open, in awe of the squalling newborn. Hayden has tears pouring down his face. With a gentle smile, Daisy lifts my daughter from my arms and wraps her securely in a flannel blanket. Our little girl immediately stops crying. Then Daisy turns to Hayden and lays his daughter carefully in the arms of her father. To say Hayden is stunned would be a supreme understatement.
“Congrats, handsome. You make pretty babies.” My best friend is grinning from ear to ear.
“A daughter!?” Hayden gasps, staring into his baby’s eyes. “This an incredible blessing.”
“Not just a daughter,” I say softly. “A she-wolf. I would have told you sooner if you’d let me.”
There’s a collective gasp. Everyone knows what that means. There hasn’t been a she-wolf since the Crimson Templars burned the last of them at the stake. It’s not just the future of our pack, but a promise of a future for all wolves, if there are other packs still out there.
“A she-wolf,” Wyatt whispers, astonishment in his voice. “After all these years.”
“And we already settled on a name,” I say, looking at Jaxton. “We’re going to call her Joanna, if that’s okay with you.”
