A/N: Our winner is...GrimmPrincess! So this is a shorter, wrap-up chapter in preparation to the next chapter.
Being stuck immobile in a bed was driving me nuts.
And being considered too weak to hold my own child was killing me. I felt stir crazy and restless. But if the stitches looked better tomorrow I would be able to stand up for the first time since the surgery. To make matters worse Jeffery and Xena were getting married today. My mother had left to attend it. I was getting more and more worried about my father: no one had seen him yet. I hated what had happened between us. He had overreacted of course but it was understandable. Male wolves did not like to be challenged and he was already high-strings it's everything that was happening and the wedding right around the corner. Plus it was killing my mother to be away from her mate.
"I brought you some broth Colton."
I was literally just lying here, hopped up on pain medication that made the agony in my midsection tolerable. But since I could not sit up yet I had to be fed. And I really hated that. Clarissa sat beside me, dipping the spoon in the flavorful liquid. "It's chicken with carrot flakes."
It was good and all but I really wanted to see the baby. They hadn't shown him to me yet because they didn't want me to get all hyped up. The anticipation was getting to me. "How is he?"
My voice was rough but understandable. Clarissa smiled. "He's sleeping. He needs his rest too. He was a bit early after all."
"He's okay?" That was my question every day. I felt the need to make sure of it.
Clarissa smiled, setting down the bowl. "Perfect. He's perect. Although--"
My anxiety spiked, concern from my child peaking. "What? Let me see him."
I tried to sit up only to feel sharp pain in my agony, making me shriek. Concerned Clarissa laid me back, lifting my shirt to check my tummy. The stitches were red and angry but there was no blood or pus. "You need to calm down." She scolded. "These stitches are barely holding. You should have been stapled and carried to the nearest pack for their emergency medicine but I couldn't risk them not giving you back."
I nodded, fighting my tears. "The baby--"
"He's fine Colton. I was just going to tell you that he doesn't have a belly button due to his lack of umbilical cord. However he does have a strange moon marking there."
"Can I see it?"
Clarissa looked ready to say no I tied to stop her. "Please." I tried, tone pleading. "He is mine after all."
"You have to promise to give him back straight away if you get tired or he gets fussy. You can't stress your injuries. I can only restitch it so many times."
I smiled, relieved. Finally I would touch my baby boy. Once I had him in my arms I could decide on a name of him. He could be a Charlie or a Jasper for all I knew. I just wanted to see his face. And see how much he could remind me of his father.
As my spirits plummeted and more depressing thoughts went through my mind, I received the pick-me-up I needed from hearing Clarissa coming up the stairs. I had to remind myself to stay still I was giddy! I had been so excited about seeing his face for the first time I've dreamed of it. Of course I can never actually remember what I imagined his face to look like. But it just made the moment even more special. The door opened and Clarissa entered with a bundle in her arms. "He just got up so may be a a bit cranky. Don't take it personally if he cries Colton."
I nodded my head, holding my arms open. Slowly she lowered the bundle to a point where I could see his face.
He had my eyes.
His hair was black like his father's however and his jaw was already squaring like his father's had been. I found my selfing picturing the older version of this face with dark eye and scars. I fought back a flashback from his conception. "Colt?"
I jolted out of my hazy memories and smiled tearfully. While I was so happy to see my baby I was also impossibly sad. I had hoped his face would be what made me forget about the horrifying attack. But he would forever remind me of his barbaric father. Could I live like that?
What was I saying? Of course I could! He was my baby after all. No pain was too much when it came to him. "I'm okay. Can I hold him now?"
"I'll lay him against your chest," she replied. "But you don't have the strength to hold him today. After all he's growing like crazy!"
"He is big," I realized, seeing that he was only five days old. But I didn't remember seeing him at birth either so I had to just take her word for it. "He'll be a strong wolf when he grows up."
"I think so too."
The baby settled against my chest, bringing a warm feeling inside me. I felt...completed in a weird way. Like I'd accomplished something huge. Maybe I had. It took me a moment to realize he'd fallen right back asleep as I smiled. "Have you thought of a name yet?" Asked Clarissa.
"Emory." I breathed after a moment. The baby whimpered as if knowing that I was talking to him. "Emory James."
"Your father's name?"
"He's my father. I still love and respect him. I know he did not mean what he did."
Clarissa didn't look impressed but nodded her head. "It's your decision." she replied curtly. "Now, I'm going to put him back to bed and you're going to eat and do the same. You get to hear about a wedding later; remember?"
I smiled, letting her lift Emory off of me. Emory James Sanders. It just sounded good, you know? Clarissa left me to put the baby to bed and I was disappointed with how such little work had tired me out. But once I was all healed up I'd be able to take care of my baby all my own. I didn't need a mate and I didn't need my father.
I could do this.
~~^^~~^^~~^^~~^^~~^^~~
Axel's POV
It'd been a little over a week since my late night fun with Max.
I'd received a few hand jobs from Drew while 'overlooking' papers but nothing to really take the edge off. The wedding had happened of course. It had been a boring affair for my 'mate' and I. Whatever interest I had thought I had in this woman was gone, replaced solely by a sense of loathing. Our 'home' had three bedrooms and we used each one. We each had our own and then we had one we pretended to share. The only thing that kept me from kicking Karla to the curb (where she wanted to go by the way) was the little fact that werewolves could not divorce unless there was some very important reason that led to one of the parties executed.
Being future alpha and all, I knew it wouldn't be me. And while I hated our situation I didn't hate Karla. She was sweet girl...to everyone but me.
So we lived our lie. My parents were happy I'd settled down and the pack was happy that they would have a Luna. It was just us who were unhappy.
I sat at the table while Karla prepared my dinner: oven baked haddock.
She knew I didn't like fish. But I wasn't going to argue with her: not tonight. I was hoping to slip out and catch Drew on his way home. It was fair that he could be mateless but I couldn't. "I know, you know."
"Excuse me?" My brow furrowed as I put down my cellphone. I toying with idea of alerting Drew, however surprise sex was always so much hotter.
"That you don't love me."
I scoffed. "I thought that was a given." I picked up my fork, tearing apart the fish. "And I hate this shit. I told you that."
"Well." She sniffed, sitting at the far end. A simple salad in front of her. "I'm sorry."
"Cunt," I breathed, getting up and throwing away the food. "I'm going out."
"So you can screw your little queer in the office?"
My grip on the doorknob increased so much I was shocked the metal did not collapse in my hands. "What?"
"You think I haven't noticed how you 'go out' and come back just reeking of male arousal? I'm not stupid, asshole." She spat. "Whatever. Go. It's not like I don't have someone on the side."
"You're having an affair?"
My shock melted to fear swiftly. She sneered at me. "You can but I can't?" She snapped in response. "Look, unless you want everyone to know about your same-sex tendencies I'd shut up."
My hands clenched into fists as I fought the urge to put her in her place. That'd be stupid and unnecessary. "Look." Her voice softened. "You don't love me and I don't love you. Maybe it's for the best. Besides...you're not the only one."
"What?"
She turned red turning over leaves of lettuce. "There's this girl and--"
"No!" I snapped. "I don't want to know about any girl on girl action okay?"
"Oh but if it was two boys," she started teasingly.
"It'd be totally diffrent." I finished confidently. "Who? When? Is this a...thing with you?"
"I love her." She replied. "Her name is Shayna. She's gorgeous, Axel. She was. Your line-up once actually. She's Egyptian?"
I shrugged. I'd seen plenty of pretty girls. "What im saying is, we don't have to be miserable. If you have the guy who are always going off and screwing marry Shayna we'd be taken care of! No one would suspect a thing!"
"It's not hat easy," I muttered. "There's no 'one guy'. There are a lot."
"So pick one." She set down the fork walking up to me. "Two female mates are frowned on. Even here. Why? Because there's no 'alpha-male' involved. We're both on equal footing and you know that werewolves don't like that."
The power difference did matter and two females as mates was nearly unheard of. I wasn't sure how to feel however. "If you ever get caught--"
"I won't tell." She swore. "At the rate that this is going, I'd rather be dead that spend so much time away from Shayna. Besides won't it be nice to settle down with a single wolf?"
My inner wolf whimpered at the idea of doing so: he wasn't ready yet. "Sure." I lied. "I'll make a decision tonight and we'll set it up."
Shayna squealed throwing he arms around me for the first time ever.
Would. I ever meet a wolf that made me that happy? Someone I wanted to be with so badly I'd risk my life?
I guess only time would tell.