"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" I snarled the words out as I threw down my controller, crossing my arms and pouting.
Jace, Sasha, Esbeth and I were playing Mario Kart. They were ganging up on me since I was better than all of them and they didn't want me bragging that I'd won. Caine and Misabelle were curled up together on the couch and had been laughing at my frustration for the past twenty minutes or so.
It'd been three months since the incident. I'd visited my parents' graves every day for the first two weeks since I'd missed their funeral and I couldn't help but feel responsible for their deaths. It didn't help that Noah knew everything and was pissed at me for getting pregnant. Like it's my fault!
Wait, it kinda is. But still...
Jace pulled me onto his lap and cupped his hands around my swollen belly while placing kisses on my neck. I giggled, pulling my shoulders up to my ears to stop the tickling sensation it gave me. He chuckled and lifted me so that he could place me on the floor between his legs which were now framing me in.
"Don't be a sore loser, baby."
"I'm not a sore loser! I just don't like losing."
"Uh-huh, right. Whatever you say."
I snickered and crossed my arms over my chest. He was so whipped, he didn't even want to start a playful banter with me. The twins were bickering over the remote for player one. I just rolled my eyes.
"Whoa, game night? And you didn't invite me?"
I grinned at my brother's teasing tone, craning my head back to look at him. "Hey bro! I'd get up to hug you but then I'd have to go through the effort of sitting back down."
"Typical, Laylee. So very typical. You're even lazier now that your carrying that bun."
Jace laughed and his thumb started drawing circles on my protruding abdomen. I stuck my tongue out at Noah, snuggling deeper into Jace's chest. Esbeth had turned and was staring at my brother with a dazed expression. Noah noticed and smirked at her, winking and using all of his 'pretty boy' charm.
"Whoa, don't wear yourself out there, Noah. Save some of the charm for later. Bad move wasting it all now." I teased, laughing when he scowled at me.
"Like it's my fault that you've got hot friends that I feel the need to impress." He looked back down at Esbeth and winked again. I rolled my eyes and leaned back into Jace's chest.
Esbeth blushed deeply and turned back to face the screen again. Jace chuckled softly and I tilted my head back in his shoulder, looking up at him. He dropped a kiss on my lips, then brought his lips to my ear.
"She... Well, actually, her wolf recognized him as their mate."
I snorted, drawing all eyes to me. I grinned widely and crossed my eyes, knowing that they'd all lose interest after I pulled that face on them. Sasha rolled her eyes but sent me a smirk, knowing that I was playing something off. I looked back at her with wide, innocent eyes which cause her to shake her head, then jump back into the video game.
"Hey Laylee, when are you finally gonna pop that thing outta you?"
"Soon hopefully. I'm tired of not seeing my toes and having to waddle around everywhere."
"That reminds me, I took a video of you the other day. I think one day you'll be able to look back on it and reminisce the peace and quiet while it was still in you."
I leaned over and smacked Noah's arm. He laughed even though he rubbed at it. Caine grinned but quickly hid it in Misabelle's hair. There was soft snickering from behind me and I craned my neck around to glare at Jace. His eyes widened and he stopped laughing. Instead, he dropped his gaze and looked very much like a child whose hand was caught in the cookie jar.
"I'm sorry, babe. That wasn't funny. I didn't mean to laugh." He mumbled his apology then looked up at me with wide regretful eyes. I tried to stay upset, but I just couldn't, not with that face.
"You're forgiven." I kissed him and heard two other relief filled sighs from behind me. "Just because I forgave him doesn't mean you guys get off so easily." I turned my head back around to glare at my brother.
"I'm sorry, sis. Here, I'll delete the video, see? Poof, gone! No more waddling pregnant video."
I frowned but accepted it. For now. "Okay, you're safe, momentarily. Be glad I can't think of anything to get you back yet!"
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I promise no more videos!"
"Good. And Caine, don't even try it. Get back here." I lifted my head to see him sneaking out the room leaving an amused Misabelle sitting on the couch. But her amusement was towards the fact that I knew what he was doing even though I couldn't see him. He hung his head and sat back down next to his mate.
"Yes, Luna?"
I was shocked, hearing the formal term, but quickly shook it off. I was the Luna now, so I had to get used to it. "What do you have to say?"
"I'm sorry, Luna. I shouldn't have disrespected you by laughing. I'll bake some cookies to make it up to you."
I nodded my head and he scurried off towards the kitchen, I leaned back against Jace and smirked. Oh, I had these boys wrapped around my fingers. Even my brother knew not to mess with me now. It's probably because I had played one too many pranks on them since I'd gotten here. What can I say? A girl gets bored when her overprotective mate coops her up in the house out of fear of harm to her and his unborn child. Although, another reason they're so jumpy could be because of my famous hormonal mood swings thanks to my pregnancy and when I was mad, they all were cowering and sucking up to me.
Misabelle gave me a knowing smirk and settled back against the couch. When we'd first gotten back, I'd been worried about her having been raped but she told me that even though she was human, she knew how to protect herself. When I asked how, she just replied, "I sing." At first I didn't get it, but then I remembered Miss Congeniality and that sing stood for Stomach, Instep, Nose, Groin. Now, whenever I had nightmares about James, I just imagined Misabelle beating up those "almighty" werewolves without breaking a nail, and it left me chuckling as I would drift back to sleep.
"I'm never getting on your bad side, baby girl. Who knows what you'd do to me?"
I laughed while Jace nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck. The twins rolled their eyes and turned off the Wii console, then spun to face me. Esbeth rested her palm on my stomach, smiling when she felt the baby kick at her hand. Sasha eyed my stomach and then gave me a mischievous smirk.
"What?"
"Honey, you're too big to be having just one baby, I think you might be having twins."
"The doctor said there was only one, though."
"Doctors have been wrong before." I raised my brows at her and she held up her hands in surrender. "I'm just saying, don't be suprised if you pop out two babies instead of one."
"Yeah, I'll keep my mind open for that possibility."
Esbeth sniffed the air and her face scrunched up in confusion. "Sorry to interrupt the moment, but what's that smell?"
"Huh?"
Both my brother and Jace sniffed the air. My brother shrugged, letting us know he didn't smell anything, but Jace quickly shot to his feet with me cradled up against his chest. I squirmed, trying to get out of his hold and started smacking his chest. My attention drifted to his chest and I started admiring it, my hand gently tracing circles on his shirt. Someone cleared their throat and I looked up to find myself in the pack doctor's room, being placed down on the medical bed.
"Whoa, what's going on?"
"Did you not hear a word I said on the way up?" Jace's face was tense and he gripped my hand.
"No, I was busy."
"Doing what?"
"Admiring you." I grinned at his incredulous face. "That was a compliment babe. If you're not going to recognize them, I might as well not say them."
His booming laugh resounded in the room and he kissed my forehead. "You're something else Laylee Card. But as I was saying before, your water broke. Honey, you're going into labor."
Wait... what?
Jace's POV
The pack's doctor rushed around, getting things set up for the delivery of the next Alpha. I knew that we were having a boy because the oldest child is always male to maintain the line and that child get's the Alpha gene. As excited I was for my son, I was more worried about Laylee's lack of response since I'd told her she was in labor.
She was clutching my hand and staring off into space, her eyes wide and aimed at my chest. I brushed her hair away from her face. Sasha pulled an elastic out and pulled her hair back into a sloppy bun. Misabelle was helping the nurse while Esbeth was trying to get Laylee to refocus. She sent me an apologetic look before slapping my mate's cheek. A fierce growl ripped out of my chest and Esbeth backed down, dropping her eyes to the floor.
"Oh my god, it's actually happening? Like right no-" Her words were cut off as her eyes got impossibly wider and she flinched, breathing heavily.
"Darling, what's wrong?"
"Alpha Blakely, I'm going to need you to back up for a second while I attatch some wires to her."
I backed up, letting the nurse do her work, but quickly stepped back up to my mate's side as soon as she was done. Laylee had sweat coating her face and she turned her head to look at the nurse.
"Yo, doc, how long have I been having contractions?"
"About half an hour now."
I was shocked. No way that much time had passed. "How long will her labor last?"
"Well, typical werewolf births last about five hours, but since she's a human, it could be anywhere from five to eight hours."
Laylee groaned and I had to agree. Five or more hours that she's in pain? That didn't bode well with me, but her face kept me from getting angry. She looked happy and... relieved? What the hell?
"Babe, why are you looking so relieved?"
"The human's average labor duration is 18 hours. I think even eight hours is way better than that."
I blanched. 18 hours? Thankfully werewolf births went quicker. I'd have surely ripped someone's head off if she had to go through 18 hours of labor. And that doesn't even include the actual birth! I ran a hand through my hair and smiled down at my little mate. She smiled back at me before she started letting out a string of swears that would've made a sailor's ears shrivel into themselves.
"Sweetie you're dilated six centimeters."
My little mate sighed and fell back on the bed. She looked like she was in so much pain, but for once, there was nothing I could do. I felt so helpless. I couldn't ease her burden at all and I felt like I was failing her as a mate. Her hand clenched around mine as another contraction wracked her body.
This was going to be a long couple of hours.