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Then Heather circled the room at a slow pace, which was good for her until she felt she couldn’t walk any farther and was ready to deliver.

Robert said, “The guys can come in just as long as it doesn’t get too crowded in here.”

As soon as Maisie let Enrick and Grant in, Grant sat down next to his mate and began rubbing her back.

Colleen moaned.

“Good, right?” Grant asked.

Colleen woofed at him and licked his nose, letting him know she really appreciated his rubbing her back. Then Heather nudged Enrick, telling him he could do the same thing for her.

Enrick laughed. “You got it.” He sat down on the floor, and she rested her head on his leg. He immediately began to rub her back.

She looked like she was getting ready to go to sleep, but then she groaned, and Robert timed her contractions.

“Okay, lassies, no races now,” Robert said.

“Whose pup is coming first?” Edeen asked.

Everyone but the she-wolves in delivery laughed. Though they both licked their mates, appearing amused.

Maisie was sure both Colleen and Heather wanted todeliver first just to get it over with.

Then Colleen began to groan, and it sounded more noticeable than before. Maisie thought this was it.

“Okay, Colleen, you’re doing it.” Robert crouched beside her. “You’re doing well.”

Heather added her two cents’ worth and woofed at her, offering encouragement. Enrick continued to rub Heather’s back.

Grant was doing the same for Colleen, appearing as though he wanted to do anything to take the pain away from her.

Maisie knew how he felt. She felt like that for Colleen and Heather too.

“It can take fifteen minutes to a full hour for the first pup to come,” Robert said, assuring them everything was alright.

Half an hour later, Colleen pushed out the first pup while Heather had gone back to pacing.

This could be an all-day-and-all-night affair, Maisie was thinking, but she was going to remain here until it was done. Anne had planned to stay here until eleven and then go home. But with the pups on the way, she’d decided to stay and help with the open house. William was staying at the inn, watching over things, though his brother, Edward, was swapping with him so William could enjoy the refreshments at the open house and visit with the other wolves too.

Robert was taking care of the first pup, setting the little male against Colleen to nurse. Colleen looked worn out already. It was a good thing she wasn’t having more than the twins.

Heather suddenly lay down and began panting hard.Maisie smiled as she saw Heather’s first pup emerge. Maisie was glad now that she had taken maternity shoots of both the ladies before the open house. Who would ever have thought they would both deliver during the celebration?

Edeen said, “It’s the full moon. I’ll have to remember that.”

William suddenly peeked into the delivery room. “Maisie, Ike, Gus’s brother, is here to speak with you. He talked to Anne, but he wants to talk to you also because you saw his brother last.”

“Not last,” Maisie said.

“Uh, yeah, that’s true. I told him that whoever killed Gus had used a man’s strength to strangle him,” William said, “but that Gus had been with another woman. Ike just shook his head.”

Maisie hurried out of the room, assuring everyone she would be back.

Robert said, “William, you stay with Maisie at all times while she’s talking to Gus’s brother.”

“Yeah, Lachlan is there with Anne, and several others are watching out for her, and they’ll be there for Maisie too. No worries,” William said.

“Good.” Then Robert continued taking care of Heather’s first pup.