Hunter's perspective .
"Dude, you think she's hungry? Or does she need changing? Is she sick?" I asked Micael franctically.
Scarlett was lay on her back on mine and Rain's bed, yelling her head off. She was bright red in the face as she cried.
Me and Micael stood either side if her on the bed just looking at her.
"I don't know!" Micael replied, running his fingers through his hair. "Try picking her up?"
"No!" I said backing away. I was terrified cos she was so small and I might drop her. Then there's gonna be problems.
"Uhm, hush little baby..." Micael said, trying to soothe her but Scarlett yelled even louder.
"Where's Aubrey? She could handle this!"
"Rain told her not to help you."
Oh man.
"Hunter! Pick her up! She might hurt her lungs or something."
That scared me even more. She kicked her legs in her white sleeping suit and clenched her fists.
The image of my daughter hurting her tiny lungs just killed me.
I hesitated to pick her up and all of a sudden she stopped crying and started making these choking noises like she had something stuck in her throat.
I had to pick her up, then. "Oh no, oh no." I said, nearly crying of panic and fear. I picked her little body up in my arms and sat on the bed.
"Scarlett?" I whispered my voice breaking slightly. I put my face close to hers.
Then she let out a full blow yell in my face. Both me and Micael let out a sigh if relief. "She was only revving up to scream again." Micael said, his hand on his heart.
"I'm such a rubbish dad." I moaned. I didn't know how Rain managed to do it and I kinda respected her for that.
"No you're not. You're just an idiot." Micael shrugged. I glared at him.
"Like you know anything about babies."
I held Scarlett in one hand and rocked her slightly trying to calm her but she was having none of it and kept screaming, turning her head this way and that and her little arms flailing about.
Suddenly, her tiny mouth made contact with my bare arm and she started sucking on it.
"Told you she was hungry." Micael said proudly. "Shut up. Aw, it tickles!" I laughed. Scarlett looked so adorable as she sucked on my arm thinking it was food.
She blinked up her wet eyelashes at me. I was so surprised at the colour of her eyes. My whole family had golden eyes, all different shades but still golden.
But Scarlett was different. Her eyes were bright green. I don't even know how that was genetically possible.
Once she found out she wasn't getting any food, her little face screwed up and she made sweet coughing noises before she screamed her head off again.
"Dude, how do you make a bottle?" I asked panicking. Micael searched through all the baby stuff that had taken over my room. "I don't know! Don't babies feed in boobs?"
"Well, yeah but do you have any?" I snapped. Micael lifted his top jokingly and pointed to his hard chest. "No, but want me to give it a shot?"
I held Scarlett protectively "No! My daughter is not coming near you for a long while."
I stood up, making sure she was still in my firm grip. "Look, just help me make the bottle already."
We struggled as Scarlett screamed in my arms. It hurt me seeing her like this and i was actually worried. "Okay, I've seen Rain do this before. She puts the water in the bottle and then the milk powder dissolves."
Micael went to switch on the thing to boil the water. "No! It'll burn her!" I said holding his wrist.
He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, my bad, Alpha. Would you rather feed her cold milk?"
I sighed hopelessly about to burst into tears along with Scarlett. "I don't know!" Micael held the bottle in one hand biting his lip as we both looked at the starving baby.
Suddenly the door swung open and Rain walked in with JJ following her. "Whose this torturing my baby?"She came over and plucked the baby from my arms and looked from me to Micael. "Did you feed her?" She asked. I scratched the back of my head and Micael held up the empty bottle feebly. "Well..."
Rain rolled her eyes "So useless!"
She meant it as a joke but to me it kinda stung. Instead I hugged JJ "Hey, son. How was school?" I asked him. "It was good. I drew you and mom a picture." He replied waving a piece of paper at me.
I took it and looked at the crayon scrawling of me, drawn as a super tall stick man, and Rain with too much make up and himself smiling widely in the middle.
"Where's SJ?" I asked. JJ only frowned.
"I don't know. This is a family portrait."
We all turned to look at him. "Scarlett is part of the family, babe." Rain frowned at him, rocking the baby.
JJ shook his head. "No, she belongs to the hospital. It's just me, you and dad."
Micael held his palms up and then made a quick dash out the door, not wanting to get pulled into the drama.
I sighed. "JJ, no. She's your sister. She's staying here okay?"
Rain sighed too and then sat down to finally feed the baby. JJ looked over at his sister and pouted. "I dont like her, though." he stated. "That's enough, JJ." Rain said. "Send her back." he continued. "JJ! Enough now, seriously. She's your sister and that's it, okay?" I said firmly.
"Now, we gotta hurry up, the pack will be gathering already so we can present the baby." Rain said, still focusing on our daughter. I loved Rain with all my heart and I loved her even more for accepting the whole werewolf thing. She actually took it pretty well considering everything she had to go through with Ricky or whatever his name was.
"C'mon, JJ. Lets get you dressed." I said, trying to take his hand to bring him to his room, next door. He scowled "I want mom to dress me." he said. "You can see she's busy, JJ." I sighed. JJ shrugged.
This whole raising kids thing was gonna be harder than I thought.
Eventually, we all got dressed all in white don't ask me why but it's just tradition at the presentation of a baby born from an Alpha. We came down the stairs and exited into the lawn. Everything there was decorated in pure white too. White balloons, gently swaying in the evening breeze, glossy white tables and chairs, it was just perfect.
Scarlett was dressed in the cutest white puffy dress with matching socks and a pretty headband and she just looked adorable, I really wanted to cry. JJ held onto Rain's dress, still scowling.
I loosened the collar of my white shirt a little and took a big gulp of my drink because I was so overwhelmed with emotion. Rain kissed my cheek "You'll be fine." she whispered. I nodded and then I stepped out onto the little stage tht had been set-up and as decorated with soft fairy lights.
"Hi, everyone." I said loudly and all the soft chatter of the pack died down a little as they all turned to look at me, an expression of love on their faces. I knew that they were only happy because I was happy and that meant that I wasnt the same cold, heartless jerk from before.
"First of all thank you all for being here." I started. "Like they had a choice." I heard Dani mumble from somewhere behind me. I glanced at her but carried on. "So as you all know, my beautiful mate, Rain, has just given birth -"
There was a large uproar of applaud which was a whole lot different from when JJ was presented. I held my palm up and they quietened. "There is now a new baby girl that has been added to the pack." I carried on and then motioned at Rain. She smiled and then walked gracefully on stage, before turning Scarlett around so everyone could see her.
The hole crowd cooed and aww'd.
"This is Scarlett Jayde Tazer. As you have probably noticed, she is named after the late ex-Luna of the Crimson Leaf pack. But we mustn't mourn every time we hear this name. Instead, you should rejoice. It's through death that we have come to embrace a new life." I said.
Rain raised an eyebrow subtly at me. "You are so cheesy." she mumbled. I laughed and then picked up the baby. "I would like for this girl to be brought up to embrace her Were side yet also remain human and normal. This is why I would like to appoint my Beta Micael and his mate, Cassie as Scarlett's official guardians."
Both Micael and Cassie looked genuinely shocked but still stepped forward and accepted their responsibility. I'd already named Dani and her mate as JJ's guardians, much to Xavier's protest.
After that was done, some soft music was played and everyone went back to rinking and eating and talking. It couldn't have been more perfect. I had my mate here with me and she'd given me two beautiful children. What more could I ask for?
Xavier ran over as soon as we left the stage and pulled Scarlett into his arms. "I hope you dont look like your daddy when you grow up." he cooed, kissing her cheek. Rain hit him at the back of his head playfully.
"Shush, Rain. Like you weren't hoping for it." Xavier laughed. "You know, I love how her name just ties in with the pack name. Crimson and scarlet are the same colour. Jades are a leaf colour. It's just perfect." Dani said holing her own daughter in her arms. "Wish I'd have thought of that!"
I laughed too, feeling too happy for words. Then I grabbed Rain's hand and pulled her to a more quiet area of the lawn, right under the garden gazebo where it was all decked out with fairy lights which looked beautiful against the evening sky.
I held her hands and looked into her soft eyes. She looked so innocent, I almost cried. Her dress flowed freely at her feet against the breeze and I cleared my throat.
"Rain, you know that since that day I met you at the Berry Cafe things have never been the same? I've laughed harder, learened to live more and take risks - just like you. And I love you for that. I know that we hit a four year bump in the road and just to let you know, I'm not mad at you. Let's forget about it. Instead I wanna focus on now. On our beautiful kids. I wanna move forward with you, Ray." I said, starting to fee my heat thumping against my chest.
She looked at me confused...until I fumbled in my pocket and got down on one knee. I pulled out the box and licked my lips but before I could even say anything, she'd thrown her arms around my neck and kissed my face all over, tears streaming down her face.
"Yes, yes, yes! Oh, Hunter Tazer, a million times yes!"
A/N :
Aww, just wanted to get a chapter in on Scarlett! Tee hee! But I dunno whether I should do one more chapter before wrapping it up or if the next chapter will be the last one. We shall see :(
Picture of Hunterr right over thur -->
Anyways, thankyou guys for all the votes!
That's all folks!
Peace, Love & Cookies :)