Page 52 of Rejected Wolf
Pax wasn’t even two yet, but he had incredible patience to work with Vesta. At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged in front of the old woman, his eyes closed, while she instructed him on how to breathe.
“In… now out… Relax your shoulders, and make sure you draw breath deep into your belly. That’s it… Feel your third eye open, and welcome whatever you see.”
I turned away from the scene. I had mixed feelings about the whole thing. Pax was too young to be thrown into the deep end with scrying and shamanism, though it seemed like it would happen whether he was ready or not. Vesta was doing what she could to prepare him, and in the end, Pax wasn’t my son. Tristan and Dylan were doing the best they could.
Bringing my attention back to my mate, I grabbed the floppy wide-brimmed hat he’d thrown aside and plopped it right back on his head, covering half his face.
Morgan whined, pulling it off and giving me a wounded expression. “Juuuude, come on! It’s too hot for a hat. I’m already in the shade. What more do you want?”
“I want my sexy, sweet, beautifully fragile mate to be safe. You could get a sunburn or melanoma. If you won’t go see the baby doctor, then you should at least wear thehat.” I gave him those puppy-dog eyes I found worked on him so well. “Please? For me?” I was still a big strong alpha, but I couldn’t deny how effective it was to show a little weakness now and then.
Morgan huffed but put the hat back on, trying his best to glare around the smile teasing at his lips. “Fine.” He tried to cross his arms over his chest, but there wasn’t enough room anymore. His chest seemed to be shrinking in proportion to his stomach growing. “You worry too much.”
I pretended to give it some thought. “Nope, I worry a perfect amount. Maybe it’s that you don’t worry enough.” I peeked at him as he attempted to roll onto his side, sloshing water over the edge of the pool. “Although, I think you like me worrying about you.”
He smiled fondly up at me. “I really do.” His smile became strained, though, as he tried to roll the other way. “I can’t get comfortable.”
“Is the water too warm? I can add some cold.” I was already getting up to grab the hose. This wasn’t the first time I’d swapped out some of the water. Anything we took out of the kiddie pool went to water the garden next. In a summer this hot, we wouldn’t waste a drop.
A door to one of the new cabins opened, and Dad peeked out. “Hey, how are my sons doing?” he asked, sneaking wary glances at the forest. “Mind if I join you?”
“Of course, please do.” Morgan gestured to the water. “I know I’m the size of a hippo, but there’s room in the pool if you’d like to cool off.”
“Oh, no, thank you. I was just feeling a little stir-crazy inside. Thought I’d come see what I was missing.” He worked extra hard at smiling these days, to show how happy he was to be free, but the truth was, he was having a really difficult time adjusting. He’d been locked in that lab for more than half his life, and it seemed like all this open space made him nervous. “What are you guys up to today?” he asked, leaning against the cabin wall, a safe defensive position.
Morgan laughed awkwardly. “Oh, you know, I thought I would lie here for the next three hours or so, eating tiny snacks because my stomach is the size of an acorn. Then maybe I’ll change things up and lie in the hammock until bedtime, when I’ll have Jude carry me back to bed.” He kicked his feet a little, sending ripples up to the underside of his stomach. “And then I’ll get up tomorrow and do it all again. Fun, right?”
I leaned over the rim of the pool to set a kiss on his cheek. “You know, if you’re bored, we could always take a drive into the city and—”
“No doctors,” he grunted, a little grumpier than I’d seen him so far.
I frowned as he struggled to sit up, and I quickly reached in to help him. “Mo, are you okay?”
“No! Of course I’m not okay!” he snapped. “I’m huge, my ankles are swollen, I haven’t been able to see my own dick for the past three months, and everything hurts!”
My dad and I exchanged a worried look. This wasn’t like my sweet, sunshiney mate at all. I inhaled his scent deeply, and my wolf gave a short yip.The pup is coming!
I’d suspected as much, but to have my wolf’s confirmation set my nerves on fire. “Okay, Morgan, time to get out of the water.” I climbed right into the water with him, unconcerned that my shorts got drenched, and hooked my arms under his knees and behind his back, lifting him.
He squirmed in my grip. “What? No! I’m sorry I’m grouchy. Please don’t take away my pool,” he whined as water sluiced down his body and mine.
“I’m not punishing you, omega mine,” I assured him, kissing his forehead. “I just think we should get you in bed, and I’ll ask if Vesta can check onyou real quick.”
He gave up his struggle and settled into my arms, his wet skin cool against my chest. “Fine. But then I can get back in the pool?” he asked hopefully.
“Sure, if that’s what you want, I’ll carry you right back. I promise.” I had a sneaking suspicion that once the contractions started, he would decide against it.
We were almost back to our newly built cabin down at the back of the camp when I heard Pax shout, “Baby!” He pushed up from the grass, leaving Vesta behind, and came running over on his little legs, a giant smile on his face. “Baby time! Yay!”
Morgan’s face shifted from grumpy, to smiling, then through to building anxiety. “Did he just say… baby?” His gulp was loud.
“He sure did,” I confirmed.
My dad hurried ahead of us to open the door for me, but even before I could step foot inside, Morgan was shaking his head. “Nuh-uh, too hot. You don’t really expect me to spend hours of labor in that sauna, do you?”
“D-did you say, h-hours?” I nearly missed a step.
“Sure. Maybe even days if labor doesn’t progress quickly.”