Page 18 of Alpha Hunt
“Noooo…I can’t do this without Gage!” Savannah chokes out, her face contorted in agony.
“You’ve got this, Sav,” I tell her, my voice fierce. “You’re one of the strongest women I know. You survived that hellhole you escaped from. You can do this. Piece of cake!”
“Piece of cake,” she repeats, heaving in air with a pained laugh. Her emotions seem to be flip-flopping all over the place, and I can only imagine what she’s going through right now.
I glance at Edirn, his calm demeanor somehow anchoring me in the midst of the chaos. He meets my gaze for a brief moment, giving me the faintest of nods. Savannah is still taking in deep breaths, but I can see that she’s struggling to keep it together. Another contraction hits, and she gives a sharp yell.
“Okay, Savannah, I can see the head crowning,” Edirn says, his tone tinged with excitement. “On the next contraction, I need you to give it everything you’ve got.”
Savannah nods weakly, her grip on my hand tightening as the next wave of pain hits. She bears down with a guttural cry, her face a mask of determination.
There’s a silence and then a sudden wail, and I watch in a daze as Edirn guides the tiny, squirming newborn into the world. Time seems to slow to a crawl as he gently places the baby in my waiting arms.
“The other is coming,” he tells me. I nod, realizing that Savannah’s going to need a moment before she can hold her child.
I stare down in amazement. The infant’s face is scrunched up, mouth open in a shrill wail that echoes through the gym. Instinctively, I cradle her close, marveling at how small and fragile she is and yet so strong. She’s a perfect little being, with ten tiny fingers and ten perfect toes.
“Savannah, it’s a girl,” I murmur, my voice thick with emotion. “She’s beautiful.”
Savannah lets out a ragged sob, her face shining with tears of joy and exhaustion. “A girl…always a girl…” she breathes, reaching out with trembling hands.
Before I can hand the baby over, another contraction rips through Savannah’s body, and she cries out in pain. Edirn is there in an instant, guiding her through the next push.
I can’t tear my eyes away from the newborn in my arms. She’s stopped crying now, her little eyes blinking open to reveal the most incredible shade of green. My heart swells with an unfamiliar feeling – a fierce protectiveness, a profound sense of wonder. This tiny, fragile life is utterly dependent on us, on Savannah and Gage, to keep her safe.
“You did it, Savannah,” I say, my voice a whisper. “She’s perfect.”
Savannah nods, her expression a mix of joy and agony as yet another contraction hits. I don’t know how she’s coping with this…so strong. She breathes past gritted teeth, nostrils flaring, her face scarlet with exertion. Edirn murmurs words of encouragement, his hands sure and steady as he returns to whatever it is he’s doing down there.
I’m vaguely aware of a commotion around us. It’s Gage rushing in with Callum in tow. “Savannah!” He stops short at the sight of Edirn poised between his mate’s spread thighs. A low snarl tears the air.
“He’s helping!” I say sharply. “Edirn knows what to do.” I don’t know how true that is, but he certainly seems to have gotten Savannah through it so far. Gage gives a brief nod and then moves to Savannah’s side, cupping her cheek with a large callused hand.
“I’m here, sunshine. I’m right here.” Gage glances down at Edirn, and they exchange looks. Something inexplicable passes between them and then Gage is focusing on Savannah again. “You’ve got this, beautiful.”
“I thought you were going to miss it,” she sobs out. I may as well not even be here anymore, but it doesn’t bother me. They only have eyes for each other. And it gives me a few more moments to bask in these feelings with the tiny newborn. I feel her tiny heart beating against my palm and find myself overcome with a surge of emotion, something I can’t quite put a name to.
“Welcome to the world, little one,” I murmur, gently tracing the outline of a perfect little ear. “You’re going to be so loved.”
My words are drowned out by another agonized cry from Savannah mingling with Gage’s crooning encouragement.
“One more push,” Edirn tells her. I tear my eyes from the baby for long enough to see him emerge holding another squirming infant aloft. Little arms flailing, mouth wide in a healthy yell, the tiny child is coated in blood and slime and is still a picture of perfection.
I shake my head in amazement. How have I lived this long without ever having had a moment like this? A hand on my forearm has me turning, and I look into Savannah’s eyes. Her arms are outstretched, and I realize that I’m still holding her baby. Almost reluctantly, I lean down to rest the damp little bundle against her chest. Edirn has passed the other baby to Gage, who looks shell-shocked as he stares at the child.
“Wow. Look what you did, sunshine,” he says to his mate. Their eyes lock in a moment of such intimacy that I feel like an intruder. I withdraw a little, giving them their space. But I can’t help staring at them. At their love. It rolls off them in waves. I can practically feel it.
It’s this.
This is what I’ve been looking for. This man and this woman and these precious lives that they’re going to adore and protect forever. I want to do that. I want someone to do that with. As the ideas take form in my mind, I feel a shift inside me as my wolf takes hold. A feeling of impatient prowling within that gnaws at me. She wants this.
My wolf wants a mate.
No wonder I’ve been acting so strangely lately. The way I behaved around the new male in our midst… It’s not him I’m responding to. It’s my primal need to connect. To find a male to bear young with.
I flick a look over at where Edirn is smiling at the glowing couple, and then I look away. It’s a relief to know that he’s not actually what my body wants right now. I was just acting out of instinct.
There’s another bout of loud voices and thundering boots as the gym doors fly wide again, and Jagger barges in.