He’d painted others in his family, yet this was by far the hardest, the most personal. And Josh was next. Reed didn’t even know where to begin with that one.
Reed shook his head. How on earth had he wound up with two mates?
He sat back on his stool and remembered another time he’d done the same thing, talking with Willow about her insecurities in mating Jasper. He’d told her he’d be happy with a man or a woman in his mating. Or even both. But he’d honestly never thought he’d actually be in a relationship with two other people.
The dynamics of the three of them were scary as hell. Not to mention the fact that his two mates had somehow secured jobs and positions in the Pack. But he hadn’t.
He shook off his own insecurities.
What the hell? Talk about being a mess. He’d always felt a bit off kilter in his family, like he was lacking somehow. But it shouldn’t make him feel like shit that his mates had found the place in the Pack when he couldn’t.
How was this going to work?
God, how melodramatic could he get?
He was in a committed relationship with two people he loved. They were planning a future. Yet why did he feel so unraveled? So weird?
Maybe because Josh was acting weird. Those dark moments that Josh thought he hid so well were coming closer together now. The whole demon bite thing scared the shit out of Reed. He’d seen the bruises on Hannah’s hips when he came home one day. She’d said she was okay with it, that the sex was consensual. But it scared him. And even though she denied it, he knew it had scared her too.
There were times during the day Reed found Josh standing in the middle of the room, clenching his fists, a hazy look in his eyes. Then the man would shake it off and smile like nothing happened. It chilled Reed to the bone.
He cursed. He’d kill the Centrals when he had a chance. Every last fucking one of them. They were only playing with his family because they could. He wasn’t one of the violent ones in the family—no—that honor went to Adam and Kade. But he’d protect what was his.
****
Hannah rubbed her hands together, warming them. Was she ready for this? Cailin wiped Willow’s brow as she squirmed. She’d only been the Healer for a few short weeks; now here she was, helping deliver a baby. Her skin grew cold and clammy, despite attempts at creating friction.
Okay, it wasn’t a big deal. Just delivering a baby. Women did it every day. Not a big deal. Then why was she feeling light headed?
“Hannah, dear, do you need to sit?” Pat asked. “You’re looking a bit pale.”
“Here, let me help you.” Mel came around the table and led Hannah to a chair.
She shook her head, clearing her thoughts. “No, no, I’m fine, really. I’m just new at this.”
“Tell me about it.” Willow laughed from her perch on the medical bed, her belly protruding and rippling in a contraction.
“Look at me, acting like an idiot, while you’re over there taking this like a champ.” Hannah mentally slapped herself. Talk about being selfish.
“I don’t know about that.” Worry flashed over her face, and Hannah ran to her side and gripped her hand.
“Hey, you’re doing great.”
“I’m so scared. I thought I’d be ready for this.”
Pat and Mel laughed softly.
“Not so much, dear,” Pat said. “I don’t think I was ready for any of my boys. And I certainly wasn’t ready for Cailin.”
“You never are,” Cailin said with a smirk.
“True, but you made it to adulthood. That’s quite a feat.”
Willow grunted and crunched up her face as another contraction hit her. “How did you go through this seven times, Mom? I mean, I don’t think I can do it this once.”
“Willow, it’s a bit late for that now. Don’t you think?” Hannah teased. She rubbed small circles on Willow’s stomach, warming mom and the baby. Another contraction came, and she closed her eyes, concentrating on the pain wafting from Willow and syphoned it. This was her gift. She only hoped she did some good with it.
The door opened, and North walked in. Thank the goddess she wasn’t alone in this.
“How are you doing, Wil? I hope these ladies are taking care of you. Everyone outside is thinking of you, hoping you’re doing well.” North smiled.
“That’s our cue. Come on, Cailin, we’ll go sit with the men. Now, Willow, baby, don’t worry. North’s delivered hundreds of babies, including his dear sister. He’ll take care of you and my grandbaby.” Pat kissed Willow and walked out the room with Cailin on her tail.
The Jamensons surprised Hannah with every turn. They were so close and at times were too much, but she loved them anyway. She had closed her eyes again and was concentrating on keeping Willow’s pain down when Jasper walked through the door.
Okay, the amount of people coming and going was getting a bit distracting.
“I know, I know,” Jasper said. “You said it might be too much for me to be here. But this isn’t the eighteen hundreds. I need to be in here. I’ll be good. I promise. I can take it”
North threw his head back and laughed. “Sure.”
“What?” Hannah asked.
Mel shook her head, a smile on her lips as she held Willow’s hand. “We kicked Kade out during Finn’s birth. He growled a bit too much at every contraction. It’s hard pushing a baby out while coddling a mate at the same time.”
The room broke out in laughter, and Jasper hurried over to hold Willow’s hand and give her a soft kiss.
Her eyes closed again, she pulled on her magic, infusing it into her patient with all her strength. Willow immediately stopped squirming and calmed.
“You’re a marvel, Hannah. I wish you would’ve been here for Finn,” Mel whispered in awe.
“I’ll be here for the next baby.”
“Uh, yeah. Give me a bit of time for that, okay?” Mel laughed.
“Hannah, you look like you have this under control,” North said. “Do you want to do the actual delivery?”
Her eyes widened, and that faint feeling came back.
“I’ve never delivered a baby before, and I don’t want to mess up. How about I just watch and help with the pain.”
See, that didn’t sound like a cop-out. I’m helping, right?
“I trust you both.” Willow gave a pained chuckle, and Hannah put more magic into her Healing. “Both of you just help me, okay?”
Jasper kissed her again, a pained smile on his face. “North knows what he’s doing. He’s an expert. Plus Hannah’s our Healer; she’ll help and learn”
Willow nodded. “Yes, for our next baby.”
Her mate cringed. “Let’s just get through this birth first, okay?”
Hannah smiled and leaned back during a pause in the contractions. She loved this family. Her hand came up on its own accord and rested on her flat stomach. She wasn’t pregnant; she took herbs to make sure she wasn’t. The three of them weren’t ready yet. But they’d have babies in the future.
Her heart clenched. She’d have babies with two men. Two fathers. Totally remarkable and scary as hell.
Willow whimpered, and Hannah got back to her work. Peace flowed through her, magic filling the room and her patient. With one last cry from Willow, Hannah felt that little tendril of new life. A baby.
“It’s a girl,” North said, holding a bloody, wiggling infant. “Come and cut the cord, Jasper.”
“She’s okay? All ten toes and ten fingers?” Jasper asked.
“Count them yourself. Come and meet your daughter.”
Tears filled her eyes as she massaged Willow’s stomach to help with the healing.
“Brie,” the new mom whispered in awe.
“Brie, baby. We have a daughter.” Jasper cradled the little form and stared down.
“Jasper, let me clean her up and make sure she’s okay,” Hannah said. She wanted to make sure everything was perfect with baby Brie. After all, this was her first birth.
The new father nodded quickly and placed the newborn in her arms. She set Brie down on the padded counter and cleaned her off, staring into those beautiful blue eyes all babies seemed to have. Once cleaned, she set the baby in Willow’s outstretched arms. Tears ran down everyone’s cheeks. Hannah washed herself off and walked out of the room to see her boys.
Mel was already there, relaying the news of the new addition, but Hannah only had eyes for her two men. Her men. She fell into their arms, holding them close, inhaling their scent. This was everything she’d never dreamed of. This was her perfection.
Chapter 24
Josh looked around the empty house and sighed. After training all day, his muscles ached to the point that even his hair hurt to move. It was like training in the SEALs all over again. Yeah, because of the damn demon bite, his strength had increased, but those werewolves could kick serious ass. All he wanted to do when he got home was have a good meal then hold his mates close. So what if he sounded like a pansy? Frankly, there was no way he could have sex tonight. He was just too fucking tired.
Okay, he could probably have sex tonight.
If
his mates provided the temptation.
He chuckled. Okay, whom was he kidding? His mates
always
provided the temptation.
But they weren’t here to do that. Reed was out at the elders’ cottage doing some painting work for their scrolls. Whatever that meant. Hannah had decided to stay at Willow’s tonight and help with the baby since Jasper needed to go out with the youths for a hunt.
Josh smiled at the thought of Brie in his arms. Such a small bundle of warmth. She was like a little person, all wrapped up in a pink blanket.
He snorted.
Yeah, she was a little person. Just like Finn. He’d never thought he’d hold a baby, let alone be contemplating having one of his own. But they would. The look in Hannah’s eyes when she held that baby was a clear sign she wanted that.
Fatherhood.
For some reason, that didn’t scare him as much as it should.
A sharp pain ran up his arm, over his shoulder, through his neck and cheek, then pierced his temple. He grunted then almost puked at the smell of rotten eggs overloading his sinuses. He ran to the bathroom and washed his face. His hands tightened in a firm grip around the sink edge, and he looked at himself in the mirror.
What the hell was going on?
If he didn’t know any better, he would have thought he was having a seizure. But he didn’t think so. No, this was because of that damn bite.
He splashed water on his face again then dried it off with one of the towels Hannah had bought to brighten up the room.
Like she planned on living here forever.
Something he desperately wanted to do, but it didn’t look like it would happen. Not with whatever clawed beneath the surface of his skin, something he didn’t want to think about.
A knock on the door startled him.
“Josh? Is everything okay?” Reed asked.
He put the towel back and tried to regain some composure.