Moonlight

Chapter 3

Merissa and Adley spent the afternoon cuddling Sammy. They changed a nappy and fed him, rubbed his back to ensure there was no wind in his lungs and rocked him to sleep. All of it with the gentle guidance of the nurse that Gamichee had called to the house.

Usually, she was an on-call nurse at Fielding Hall. For now, she was here to help out with Sammy. Lyla had never dealt with a vampire baby and until she was at ease with his routines, Courtney would remain at the house.

During the afternoon, they'd discussed the pregnancy with Gamichee. He was a wise vampire, already sensing that something was different. Gamichee was thrilled that she was pregnant and eagerly awaited the arrival of his first grandchildren.

Her adopted brother James was still single and Gamichee never had children with Marguerite. Merissa always wanted to ask if he regretted it but knew better. The pain of losing Marguerite was still too raw for all of them. Still, she wondered if there would ever be a time when Gamichee changed his thoughts on that. Merissa knew that Marguerite would want him to be happy. Gamichee appeared happy but occasionally, she'd see the facade drop and show the truth. He missed his wife, that was true but Merissa knew he wanted more. Once he stopped trying to pretend that he'd never take another partner, things would change.

In the early evening, Merissa and Adley agreed to go to the shops for Lennon and Lyla. They had a small list of things that they needed for Sammy.

"I did not think that one little creature needed so many things. Do you realise that we'll have triple of everything?"

Adley nodded quietly, then lifted a little blue playsuit.

"I'm buying this."

"What if they're all girls?"

"Then they'll rock it in blue."

To add to his defiance, Adley put the suit into the cart. Merissa shook her head, smiling as they slowly moved along the aisle.

"My place is too small."

"Mine too. Should we get something bigger? You know, Lennon mentioned the warehouse today."

"What about it?"

"He said that he didn't want it anymore. You know, because of Gina."

Merissa nodded sadly. She wasn't really his twin sister but they'd grown up with the belief that it was true. To learn that she'd died in the club when a rival territory leader's gang came through and shot the place up was too much for them. Gamichee had upgraded security but it was too late for Gina now.

"I thought that if we took over ownership, cleaned it up, did a little reno on it, we could make a home."

"There's no grass. Don't werewolves like to roll around on it?"

"We also like to run through forests but we can't do that in a city. That's why we run through the streets and why I jog every morning. We will cope."

Turning the aisle, Adley lifted the big box of nappies into the cart while Merissa scratched off another item on Lyla's list.

"How about the flat roof? We could turn it into a green space."

"Interesting thought." Merissa mused. "My biggest concern is that it's not close to dad, or your parents, our friends. I'd rather find something that is between all of them. Besides, I promised Lyla that we'd help out and I don't want to be spending half the night driving."

Adley agreed with a nod. The more he thought about it, the more he understood her concerns. The warehouse was a great idea but it didn't suit them at the moment.

"You know, I didn't think you would settle into domesticity so easily."

"And that's why you're struggling with your thoughts on my fidelity. Trust me, this is how a werewolf is. We search, we find, we mate, we settle. Done and dusted."

"Does this mean that I have to put up with you for eternity?"

Adley smirked with a nod. Merissa laughed. Her mind was still uneasy but she liked that he was okay with her thoughts and didn't get angry or upset. The taunts in her mind were valid thoughts for someone that didn't truly know the nature of a werewolf and Adley understood that. He'd seen it before with his older siblings who mated outside their species.

Turning out of the baby section, the couple made their way to the clothing section.

"What will you be wearing?"

"The same as always, it's white too. Gets kind of grubby but it washes out."

"Grubby?"

"Yeah, dirt and stuff."

Merissa stopped pushing the cart and turned to glare at Adley.

"Your mother is going to give birth in the dirt? Am I expected to do that as well?"

"No, the mothers are in a hut. Everyone else is outside having fun while they wait for the cubs to arrive."

"In the dirt?"

Adley smiled and ignored the question. Until she saw it, Merissa would never understand it.

Their birth process was a time of peace within their family. A time to welcome the newest member while enjoying the wonders of nature. The last time it had rained, a bit of mud happened and maybe a mud fight ensued. The time before that, it was night so they danced around a bonfire.

There were no set rules, nothing that was demanded of them. They didn't even have to attend if they didn't want to or couldn't be there. That had never happened. No matter what, they always made time to welcome life.

Pulling a dress off the rack, Adley held the boho chic dress out and hoped she liked it. Merissa was stunned at how insanely gorgeous the outfit was.

A romantic style, it had lace around the hem of the skirt and sleeves. It was beautiful and she loved it.

Adley saw her eyes light up and he knew that he'd found a winner. In his opinion, Merissa would look gorgeous in it and he couldn't wait to see her wear it. He also couldn't wait to peel her out of it after a long night together.

The weather prediction for the next moon was rain during the day so they were going to be soaked in the pre-birth ceremony. Adley didn't mind, he loved wet weather. Returning to their family land will be a great weekend. They will spend the day going through the ceremony, putting name suggestions into the barrel, eating and drinking while enjoying good company.

Night would come and his mother would start the process. As the moon rises to its peak, she would draw closer to the birth and outside her hut, the family would be dancing by the fire.

When it was done for the night, they'd retreat to their huts to sleep off their grand day. It would be then that Adley would peel this pretty dress off Merissa and show her how much she meant to him.