We'll meet the littles ones next.
EMMA I went into labor during the middle of the night, and it scared the living shit out of my mates. It was adorable while also being a little comical. Most soon-to-be fathers were like that. We had everything ready because we knew it was possible to go into labor a little earlier than expected because of having twins. Oddly enough, this pregnancy had no true complications. Most shifters who had multiples typically had complications. However, I was thankful that everything had gone as smoothly as possible. The sigils truly helped with the pain of the delivery because it would have been torture otherwise. I felt horrible that I did not already have these on hand for when Bellamy was born. “You have this, Emma. One more push and your baby boy will be here,” Tilly said. It had been ten very long hours of labor, but it would be worth it in the end. Kai was sitting behind me, lending me strength during this time. He had a hold of one leg while Xander had a hold of the other. The thre
ETHAN Three hours. I spent the past three hours with Blacktree’s pack doctor. It was damn near impossible to keep my mouth shut during the entire meeting because every few words truly showed his incompetence. Pack doctors were tasked with ensuring their pack remained healthy and physically taken care of. They needed a certain level of intelligence, and he sure as fuck failed to hit the mark. I was not sure how he became the pack doctor at all. I was fairly certain that I could do his job better than him even though I had no formal medical training. Shifters did not often get sick, but pack doctors still needed to be knowledgeable enough to handle that as well as care for the injured. Our own, Dr. Goldman, attended an ivy league school among the humans while also keeping up-to-date with shifter combat medicine. Our physiology was close enough to humans that knowledge of both worlds was crucial to ensure we were properly taken care of. I had to meet with Blacktree’s doctor, Dr.
ETHAN Her comment made me wonder if she also got feelings like I did. I had yet to meet someone who had the same type of intuition. Trust me, I looked, but came up empty handed each and every time. The intuition could be a blessing or a curse depending on the situation. It took me a while to learn just to follow them once I got them. Sometimes it led to some unpleasant circumstances, but many times it also kept us safe. I was six when I got my first one. It led me to a swimming hole near our packhouse. There was a girl swimming in the water, but she suddenly went under the water and did not come back up. I dove in and was able to save her just in time. Diana became a close friend of ours growing up, and one of the few people that was allowed to put us in our places without having a limb of our choosing detached. My feelings were not nearly as strong then as they were now. Xander and I posited that it could have been that they were intensified by the war. Gifts from the Goddess were
ETHAN I quickly made my way back to the car as I thought over what the hell just happened. Emma had been a pleasant encounter. She was certainly unique. The mix between her quick wit and brilliant mind was enough to keep me entertained. She also happened to be hot, so that was another plus. I still had not figured out the pull to her, but it would become clear in time. I just needed to be patient and keep my eyes and ears open. Without a doubt, I knew that I was supposed to meet her. Now, I just had to figure out what my intuition was telling me. Unfortunately, it was a confusing thing at times. My phone rang through the Bluetooth the moment I slid into the driver’s seat of my black Camaro. Xander’s name flashed across the console. My money was on him being hangry like usual. “Where’s the food?” he asked. He obviously did not like that I had not responded to his earlier text. Too bad. I became a tad busy. Leave it to Xander to always get straight to the point. For someone with su
ETHAN I woke up a bit early the next morning and stretched. I had a great night’s sleep which was not always possible, so I welcomed it with arms wide open. It was common to be pulled out of our sleep because of one issue or another. Having a large pack did that to you. I would not change it for anything though. We had all shed blood and soul for what we had and would never stop. The stress and craziness were worth it. I tossed on some jeans and a grey tee before heading downstairs to grab some much-needed coffee. My tastebuds were already watering with the smells coming from the kitchen by the time my feet hit the bottom landing. Mrs. Tyson, the amazing woman that she was, was already dishing up some breakfast casserole that she made. An amazing night’s sleep and her cooking. Winning already. I grabbed a cup of coffee and sat at the island. Her cooking was the best, as was her personality. Everyone in the pack absolutely loved her. “Good morning, Beta,” Mrs. Tyson said pleasantl
ETHAN Emma’s eyes were bright, like she was enjoying the opportunity to share her knowledge. We would get along quite well then. “It’s common knowledge that rogues are shifters who do not belong to a pack. Most end up going feral because our kind is hardwired to pack life and following an Alpha. There are certain rumors that have circulated around from pack to pack that some rogues banded together and appointed an Alpha. They effectively became their own pack. They are no longer rogues at that point though. The two cases that I know of for certain occurred in Washington state and another in Wyoming. Therefore, it’s possible. However, for rogues to survive outside of a pack, they have to be very strong mentally in order to fight the urge to become feral.” Her knowledge was impressive. Perhaps the urge to get her help was for a good reason. Emma found a passage in the book and read it aloud. “Rogues rely on the animalistic instincts of the shifter for survival. The beast takes over a
ETHAN Her back was to us, so she had not sensed us yet. Her long blonde was up in a messy bun on the top of her head. Surprisingly, all of her hair fit. No idea how though. Perhaps she was a magician. She looked completely at ease. If I had been a rogue, she would be dead by now. That irritated me because she apparently did not take my warning seriously earlier. Did she really have no sense of self-preservation inside her? Blaze quietly stalked up to Emma, who still had not moved. He and went to pounce, but she dodged out of the way seconds before Blaze could land. Well then, she had actually been paying attention and noticed us approach. She laid her trap for us. Nice. She stood up tall, as if unaffected with seeing a strange wolf at all. It was either a power play or the she-wolf had completely lost her damn mind. Her head tilted to the side, studying Blaze. The way her eyes moved lazily over his form without showing an ounce of concern was another point in the interesting colu
ETHAN “Who was Mr. Wolfs-a-lot?” she asked, smirking at me over her shoulder. I let out a deep laugh at her description of Johnson. I heard a lot of different names for him over the years, but never had I heard that one. Perhaps his ego would be bruised from her like mine had been yesterday. Oh, and Luxor could join in Blaze’s sulking. ‘Not sulking, asshole. Just. Shut up,’ he growled. “He’s one of the most brutal warriors we have.” I tsked her, shaking my head. Her smirk only deepened. This chick was so fucking strange but in a very good way. She truly was not intimidated by us. ‘See if Kai is so humored next time,’ Blaze snorted. Oh goddess, that would be priceless. Now, we just had to get them all together. Kai was a complete brutal beast. Downright the scariest fucking wolf anyone had ever met. I bet that Emma would not be intimidated in the least. “He was on patrol and closest to here. He’s also one of my friends, so I’ll have to tell him of your description. He’ll be posi