Timber's twenty-third birthday came and went. Henry had thrown a combination surprise birthday party and baby shower for her. Grace, Sebastian, Dresden, Xianna, Gina, Kendra, and Ashley all came over to help Henry set up while Timber had been sent to the grocery store to replace all the meat she had been eating because she had even eaten their reserve. Her new morning routine was light and the yoga was proving beneficial but it was making her hungry.
It was known now that she was, as Grace put it, a high-risk pregnancy, and due in just over a month, so everyone pulled their weight and made the party a success. No one knew exactly what to get the newest member of their family because no one knew if the baby was a boy or a girl or if the baby would even be born human because Timber wasn't, so everyone brought a large selection of baby books and classic children's stories for Timber to read before bedtime. They also brought baby blankets, noisemakers, and a variety of stuffed animals as well as a special night light that lit up the ceiling with stars. Even the family in Louisiana who knew about Timber (which was most of them), sent gifts for the newest addition to the family. Timber and Henry were both very overwhelmed with the high number of presents for their unborn child.
Timber was showing through her loose-fitting cleaning clothes, which were steadily getting tighter by the day. She would also suddenly shift into her wolf form so she was once again, confined to the property. Henry had a high wooden fence installed the year after they bought the house so, while she was confined, she had a whole acer of backyard to enjoy and she was home most of the time anyway so it wasn't much of a change. Henry thought it might be a good idea to call Lord Frost and tell him Timber was pregnant. She was at least twenty days along now, so he could not wait anymore.
He took a solid gold box out of his bedside table drawer. It was a simple box with the sun symbol on the lid. Henry opened it and took out a polished pearl that was the size of a grapefruit. He held it close to his lips.
"Lord Frost, I thought you should know that Timber is pregnant. Timber is doing well but Grace can no longer monitor her."
Henry put the pearl back on the royal blue velvet and closed the lid. He sighed and imagined Lord Frost's anger when he got the message. Werewolves were not allowed to breed but Henry wasn't a werewolf anymore. He was a Wolf Lord. Despite his Lordship, he still had to answer to Lord Frost. A small blue fire appeared, and from that flame fell a note. Henry took it and the fire vanished. He looked at it for a second and opened it.
Henry, thank you for telling me. I will be coming to see you and Timber this evening. With me will be Aiyanna and Catalina. I will be there at eight tonight.
Henry read it again. Lord Frost didn't sound mad but then again it was hard to determine tone with a letter. He went downstairs to find Timber sleeping in her wolf form on the couch with only her head and neck under the throw blanket. He nudged her awake. He was forced to retreat to a safe distance when Timber growled at him warningly.
"Lord Frost is coming over tonight with Aiyanna and someone I don't know named Catalina," said Henry. "They're going to be here in half an hour."
Timber's head shot up. She was still for a moment, then shook the blanket off of her. She was suddenly wide awake. She Turned and looked around.
"It's a mess! I need to clean and make food! I need to get dressed!"
"Timber, calm down," said Henry. "No one is going to notice if the house is not spotless. Even if they did, you're pregnant. The house is allowed to be a little dusty. It's fine."
"But -"
"Timber, you need to think about the baby," said Henry, calmly. "Don't worry about the house or snacks. Just go get in some comfortable clothes if you don't want to be seen in your pajamas. You don't even have to fix your hair."
"Alright," said Timber with a deep breath. "I'll be back in a minute."
Henry made sure she was in the bedroom before he went into high gear. He grabbed Timber's duster and dusted the coffee table and side tables. He didn't really care if they were dusty but it would annoy Timber and she would go into cleaning mode and stress the baby. Henry didn't want that so he dusted every surface in the living room and swept up the floor as fast as he could.
Timber came down in her very oversized t-shirt that she wore to bed in high school and a pair of Henry's work out shorts with her hair in a sloppy bun just as Henry sat on the couch. She looked irritated as she held her hand at her back. Henry, who had read a couple of pregnancy articles online, understood that her back was hurting her so he positioned a pillow to help. She sat down and sighed in relief. She covered her lower body with the throw blanket so she was at least decent when the guests arrived.
"I can't fit in any of my jeans anymore," she said in frustration. "I can get them up, but I can't zip them all the way. I had to borrow your shorts. I hope you don't mind." She paused. "You cleaned. I thought you said it didn't matter."
"It doesn't but I know that you like to have a clean house when guests come over and I didn't want you to do it."
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Henry went to the kitchen and warmed up some spiced apple cider Timber had made the day before because she was cold and craving apples. He just set it on the table when the doorbell rang. Henry opened the door and stood aside for Lord Frost, Aiyanna, and the woman named Catalina to come in. Timber remained seated under her blanket but she bowed her head to Lord Frost. When Henry closed the door, he bowed too.
"Thank you for contacting me, Henry," said Lord Frost. "Timber, how are you feeling?"
"I'm tired and hungry a lot," admitted Timber. "I've been sleeping all night and about three and a half hours every day. I've been eating about three pounds of meat a day too. Other than that and a sore back, I feel fine."
"You're not mad?" asked Henry.
"No," said Lord Frost. "You are no longer a werewolf. Though you still contain venom and you will for the rest of your life. You are a Wolf Lord, which means you are not bound by those specific Haven laws anymore."
"But the surgery..." said Henry.
"It reversed itself when you changed," said Aiyanna. "That is how Timber was able to become pregnant. The other side effect of your change happened to your venom. Your bite is now deadly to Timber. However, you will only be able to release it in your large form."
"How do you know all of this?" asked Henry.
"I have been doing a great deal of research," said Lord Frost. "Once we discovered what you had become, the research became easy, though I had to do some traveling. There has not been a Wolf Lord since the time of King Arthur. All of the documents were in a vault in Britain."
"What happened to the last one?" asked Henry.
"Slaughtered," said Aiyanna. "By Dracula. According to the document, the previous Wolf Lord had no skills in combat, either with a sword or in his wolf form, which was fairly small for a Lord. He was only in power for several months before he was killed. I never met him."
"So Henry is fine," said Timber.
"Henry's size alone makes him almost invincible," said Lord Frost. "Now, we should get to business. Timber, Henry, this is Catalina, She is going to be Timber's nursemaid."
Henry looked at Catalina and noticed several odd things he had never seen before. Catalina's skin was a pale purple and her green eyes resembled cat eyes. Instead of hair, Catalina had a Mohawk of large black feathers that ran down her neck and back too. Her ears were large and pointed and her nose was like a small pink cat nose with long plum-colored whiskers.
"Is it alright if Catalina looks you over?" asked Aiyanna.
"Here?" asked Timber.
"It will be entirely noninvasive," said Lord Frost. "Catalina is a hybrid of several creatures who possess healing powers like Aiyanna and something called second sight. She can see the baby by laying her hands on your stomach."
"Alright," said Timber.
"First, I want to ask you a few questions about your pregnancy," said Catalina. "How has your morning sickness been?"
"It was really bad at first," said Timber, feeling embarrassed that she was answering these questions in front of Lord Frost. "I lost everything I had from late morning to early afternoon but I was always hungry. My wolf form lost about twenty pounds. As far as I know, my human form wasn't really affected by that."
"How about now?"
"I'm still hungry a lot but the morning sickness is gone. I'm actually gaining weight now. Aunt Grace gave me some herbal tea and told me to take a prenatal vitamin every day. I'm also not supposed to be doing any heavy lifting, deep cleaning, or intense workouts. I've been stretching instead. I've still been maintaining the farm and doing light cleaning but Henry has been doing the heavy lifting according to Aunt Grace's instructions."
"Those were good instructions," said Catalina. "Let me look at your eyes. Nothing abnormal. You do not have a sensitivity to light?"
"No, why?"
"Your mother did while pregnant with you," said Lord Frost. "I allowed her to stay in the castle while she carried you. She also had uncontrollable cravings for tomatoes."
Henry laughed heartily.
"Timber is her mother's daughter all right. Since she's been pregnant, she's been eating anything with tomato in it, including pasta sauce," said Henry. "All our garden tomatoes and our reserves are gone. We've had to get store bought tomatoes and sauce, which we haven't had to do in three years."
"I've been eating other things too," Timber pointed out.
"As long as it's covered with tomato," teased Henry. "I don't think you remember because I'm sure it was during one of your blackouts but you ate everything that had tomato in it. You were craving it so badly one day, I came home to find broken glass and tomato sauce in the kitchen."
"He's right, you know. I think I may be turned off of tomatoes once this baby comes out," joked Timber.
Henry and Catalina laughed, along with Aiyanna and Lord Frost.
"So what do you mean by blackouts, Henry?" asked Lord Frost.
"She's been losing herself to her wolf occasionally and has no memory of it," explained Henry. "She snapped and growled at Grace the day we found out about the pregnancy. She's gone after me twice but I'm strong enough to restrain her. The pregnancy has taken a lot of her strength so she's not dangerous. She doesn't seem to remember who we are."
"Timber's brain seems overwhelmed by the hormones," said Catalina, thinking out loud. "She seems to be relying purely on instinct during her blackouts."
"She's gone full wolf before but she's always remembered me," said Henry.
"She is pregnant," said Lord Frost. "Pregnancy can cause mothers to be irrational. If Timber's wolf took over completely, she may have thought you were too close at the time. Timber is a protector by nature. It is unlikely that she forgot you but, rather, had moments of extreme protectiveness over her unborn child."
"That makes more sense," said Henry.
"I am ready to take a look at your baby if you are," said Catalina.
Timber nodded, covered her lower body tighter with the blanket, and lifted her t-shirt enough for her baby bump to be fully exposed. Catalina placed her hands on Timber's skin. Catalina felt around for a moment, smiled at Timber, and then looked at Henry.
"He's a very healthy puppy," she said.
"He? It's a boy?" asked Henry breathlessly as he sank to the floor. He had a son. He could not believe it. He had a son!
"Yes," said Catalina. "Would you like to see him?"
"Yes," said Henry eagerly.
"Take Timber's hand. I'm going to take yours. Then you need to close your eyes."
Henry did as instructed and he saw a small body moving around. He was waving and turning over and over, and kicking, and wagging a tiny tail. Henry's heart filled with joy and his eyes filled with tears. He could hear Timber crying too. After a few minutes, the baby became still, and Catalina let go.
"He fell asleep," she said. "We should let him rest."
"We have a son," said Henry as though he was trying to get it to sink in. "A son!"
"Are you sure he's healthy?" asked Timber nervously.
"He's a beautiful mix of human and wolf," said Catalina. "His heartbeat is strong and he's definitely getting enough food."
"So he'll be like Timber?" asked Henry.
"I believe so," said Catalina. "Like Timber, he has more wolf than human so he may also have the ability to shapeshift."
"Does my shifting hurt him?" asked Timber.
"No. He does go for quite a ride when you do but from what I can tell, it has no effect on him. Your body is doing a fantastic job at protecting him," said Catalina. "It appears that your body has added an extra wall to your uterus to protect the fetus during your shifts. I have never seen it before. But it is thicker than the uterus wall."
"Is that what he's attached to?" asked Timber.
"Yes. Could you shift to your wolf form and back?"
Timber nodded. Catalina put her hands on Timber's stomach and Timber Turned, waited a minute, and then resumed her human form.
"So it appears that when you shift, your uterus is moved several inches very quickly. The new wall expands and acts as a pillow, keeping the fetus well protected and he barely moves. To him, it would just feel like you're standing up or sitting down."
"So he's perfectly fine," said Henry.
"Absolutely," said Catalina.
"You should give him a name, Henry," said Timber.
"His name is Renegade," said Henry without any hesitation.
Lord Frost did not make any attempt to hide his surprise. He gazed at Henry looking as though he might tear up slightly.
"You are going to name your firstborn after me?"
"You have been like a father to me," said Henry. "I can't think of another man I would rather honor."
For the first time in Henry's entire memory, Lord Frost cried. Henry went over and hugged him. He glanced at Timber who was also crying with a smile on her face. Henry firmly held him up for a few moments until Lord Frost regained his composure. He wiped his eyes.
"Forgive me," said Lord Frost.
"Don't worry about it," said Henry. "Would you like some cider?"
"Yes, thank you," said Lord Frost.
Henry poured a glass of cider for Lord Frost while Aiyanna and Catalina took their leave. The three of them sat around the living room. The conversation turned to the puppy Timber was carrying, and time passed as everyone was talking about baby room ideas and other things that baby Renegade would need.
"Where would we have to live?" asked Timber suddenly.
"What do you mean?" asked Henry, looking at Timber in confusion. "Why wouldn't we live here?"
"Renegade would never be able to play outside with other kids until he can control his transformations," said Timber. "He would have to stay inside to keep our world a secret. I would need to homeschool him, which in and of itself would be fine but he would need to live in complete isolation like I did. No friends, no one but you and me. Not even our pack when babies arrive."
"Henry, would you consider moving back to Heiligdom?" asked Lord Frost.
"But my job is here," said Henry. "Our friends and family are all here. Our whole life is here in Fort Bragg. Are you really willing to never see any of your friends again?"
"They could come and visit us right?" asked Timber.
Lord Frost shook his head sadly. "I am sorry," he said. "But I had to make a serious exception when they entered Heiligdom before."
"So I would really never see Xianna again?" asked Timber with tears starting to fall from her eyes. "Not even Aunt Grace or Emily?"
"I am sorry," said Lord Frost. "It is a great deal safer than it was but it is still too dangerous for your friends. Parents or children who are humans are protected by the enchantments by a blood bond they have with the creatures in Haven. Only your aunt or Emily would be protected."
"What about Gina?" asked Timber.
"Gina's not blood-related," said Henry.
"Actually, she is," said Timber. "We're seventh cousins. It's a long story. I'll explain later."
"I am afraid that is not enough for her to be allowed," said Lord Frost. "As I said, I made a serious exception before. I had to more than double border patrol as a precaution."
Henry watched Timber cry as she tried to make a choice. The room was quiet for several minutes.
"If we do go, can we wait until he's born so everyone can meet him?" asked Henry.
"You can come back anytime you choose," said Lord Frost. "We will be ready for you by the time he is born."
Timber looked at Henry with no clear expression and said, "I want to go back to Haven. It's the only way to let him play outside with other kids. Other children who are part human like he is. We'll go after he's born. Everyone will have a chance to see him by then."
"You're sure?" asked Henry. "What about our home? The farm? If we leave, everything you built and grew will be gone. Are you sure this is what you want?"
"It's not what I want at all but I don't want him to grow up in a cage," said Timber. "I know we have land but two acres is still a small world, even for a newborn."
"Timber, your mother would be proud," said Lord Frost.
"Why?" Timber looked confused.
"Giving up the life you want for the life your child deserves is exactly what Elizabeth did for you," said Lord Frost.
Henry noticed that Timber looked torn between a smile and tears, so he moved over and wrapped her in his arms. He knew Timber too well to try and talk her out of it. She would always put others before herself and this child would even come before Henry and he found he was perfectly fine with that. He imagined Timber singing to their son before bed to the best of her ability. She would teach him to dance, cook and hunt. Timber was going to be a wonderful mother.
The following day, all of Timber's friends took her out on the town for the day. They had been informed of Timber's decision to move the night before so for one last day, they were going to own the town. So, Timber treated the girls to a full day of fun starting with breakfast at Eggheads. Timber ordered every kind of meat they had with a side of cinnamon raisin French toast.
"I still don't want to believe you're moving," said Kendra as the waitress walked away with the menus.
"I don't want to but I don't have a choice," said Timber. "It's what is best for my baby."
"I think that this baby is lucky to have you," said Xianna. "You're already so motherly. You're a natural."
"Thanks," said Timber.
"So what is your baby going to be?" asked Ashley.
"Well, he is going to be a wolf like me," said Timber and the girls burst into tears and laughter.
"It's a boy?" asked Gina and Timber nodded happily.
"Does he have a name?" asked Xianna.
"Henry named him Renegade, after Lord Frost," said Timber. "The middle name is up to me. I'm thinking of Chad or Henry."
"Renegade Chad Santelli," thought Kendra out loud. "Renegade Henry Santelli. I like Chad."
"Me too," said Ashley.
After breakfast and more discussion about pregnancy, the girls made their way through downtown. They stopped in all of the shops and looked around, occasionally showing each other interesting items they found. Xianna insisted on buying a large seashell for Renegade and Timber could not say no.
Timber wanted to go to Paul Bunyan's (the local thrift store) and look for maternity clothes and baby things that Renegade could use. The girls ended up playing dress-up with the ugliest outfits they could find. Timber tried on a shapeless leopard print maternity dress, a hot pink feather boa, long black gloves, and platform knee-high boots. They all cracked up when Kendra came out in grey plaid pants, a baggy tie-dye t-shirt, and a bedazzled denim jacket with red stilettos. When they finished their fun, they went hunting for baby items for Ashley's and Timber's babies.
With their arms half full of bags, they decided to get in the car and go to Colombi Market and Deli and get sandwiches and snacks for a picnic at the beach. Timber was a regular at the Deli because it was where she did most of her meat shopping. The man behind the counter saw her walk in.
"Hey Timber," said the man. "It's not Monday morning is it?"
Timber laughed and said, "No. I'm not here for my usual. I'm here for my usual between rolls of bread."
"Of course. How many sandwiches would you like?"
"Seven, please. We're going to get some other things too."
"Hey!" called Xianna. "Can you eat these hot Cheetos?"
"No," said Timber, "but you can eat them for me."
"When did you stop eating spicy foods?" asked the man as he made sandwiches.
"Since I'm pregnant," announced Timber.
"That's wonderful! I'll take the spicy sausage out of your order then?"
"My husband can still eat it," said Timber. "Just add your mild sausage to the list."
"I think we got everything," said Gina, coming up to Timber with her arms full of drinks. "Sodas, juices, and one energy drink for Kendra. She's got the chips. Ashley got the sweets, and Xianna got... What did you get Xia?"
"Everything else we can eat with our hands," replied Xianna from across the room. Her eyes were just visible over the shelves.
"Sounds like you ladies have a fun afternoon planned. Here are your sandwiches. I'll ring you up over here."
Timber paid for everything and then took the group to Glass Beach. They carried their loot down the stairs and found rocks to sit down on while they ate. They liked Glass Beach a little more than they liked Pudding Creek because the sand was mixed with thousands of small colored shards of old glass that had been smoothed over time by the tide. The glass was the only remaining evidence that this was once the town dump. It was also more secluded than Pudding Creek and could not be seen from the road.
"I'm going to miss Fort Bragg," said Timber.
"At least Haven a beautiful place to live," said Xianna encouragingly. She took her lunch out of the bags and set most of it on her lap.
"Yeah but you guys won't be there," said Timber. "I promise I'll write every week, though."
"Can't you call us?" asked Ashley as she opened her bag of SunChips.
"No. Lord Frost doesn't allow phones or computers because they can be tracked," said Timber. "The whole point of Haven is protection. To protect those on the inside from humans who would hunt them and to protect the outside from creatures who would hunt them. Most people don't even know about it. If they have heard about it, it's just a legend. Like Sleepy Hollow."
It took time for the sandwiches to be devoured. Timber was so caught up in conversation she neglected hers and Turned suddenly on the beach. Kendra unwrapped her sandwich and held it while Timber ate from her hands. She was extraordinarily careful not to get her teeth close to Kendra's hands. After the last bite, Timber was able to resume her human form and she sighed.
"Sorry," said Timber. "This pregnancy is taking a lot out of me. I'm glad we're the only ones here. Thanks for feeding me, Kendra."
"You're welcome," she replied. "Truthfully, I've been wanting to do that for five years."
"So, this means that you're not going to be taking the teaching position at Dana Grey, since you're moving," said Gina suddenly. "What are the kids going to do? Special needs teachers are harder to find."
"I'm sure they'll find someone," said Timber. "They might have to find one from out of Mendocino county. Santa Clara county has some good teachers. I'll see if Angie knows anyone who can fill the position.
"It's so bizarre to me, still," Timber added, looking out over the crashing waves. "As a teenager, I planned my entire future around being alone. As a married woman, I planned for a future without children. Henry and I were never supposed to be parents. We knew that when we got married. Now I'm carrying his child." Timber sighed with a smile. "I'm glad life didn't turn out the way I planned when I sixteen."
The girls smiled and cleaned up the garbage. Ashley looked like she was getting tired so Timber Turned and helped her climb the stairs. Once they were back in the car, they made the decision to go to Timber's for a nap and then spend the rest of the day just enjoying being together. The day ended with three empty pizza boxes on the coffee table in Timber's living room and all five girls fast asleep on the couch with a movie still playing on the television. Henry tucked them in with their large blanket and cleaned up with a smile at the women.
He thought about the last five years and how much they meant to him. Timber's friends had accepted him into their circle as though he had always been there and when they found out about his wolf, they did not cower in fear but rallied around him with support. He felt bad that he and Timber would have to leave them behind. His heart ached for Timber more than himself because her friends were her biggest support. They defended her, supported her, protected her, as Timber did for them. They had been tighter than any group of friends Henry had ever known. As he turned off the movie, he thought about Timber and if she could handle leaving everyone behind.
Then, as he thought about it, moving was her decision. She was sacrificing everything to give her son a chance of freedom. While Haven was a prison, Renegade would have more freedom there than he would if they stayed in Fort Bragg. Henry kissed Timber's head and went to bed thinking about how amazing his wife was.