Page 2 of Ascendant Moon (Gladstone Shifters #6)

Erin accompanied their last patient for the day to the front door and locked it after her.

Between her pregnancy and Donna’s, they only worked half-days now, except for an occasional emergency appointment.

While her mother still had two months to go, it had been twenty years since her first and only pregnancy.

Between her age and the intense six-month term, her body tired more quickly than usual.

Erin, on the other hand, was literally due any moment, and she’d been feeling odd since sending her mate off to work this morning.

Poor Micah! He’d been fearful of leaving her side today since the worksite was in Hiawatha—nearly an hour’s drive from Gladstone.

There was nothing to be done for it, though, as a crucial inspection was scheduled for the home they were working on, and Ben had no one else to send in his stead.

Erin smiled and sighed on her way down the short hall to Donna’s office.

She couldn’t have asked for a better mate than Micah Post. The gentle, hard-working man loved her with unparalleled devotion, even for a shifter.

Their mating had been as wonderful as it had been unexpected, and was the deciding factor in settling at Gladstone.

To Micah, Erin’s pregnancy was nearly as exciting as their mating, and he couldn’t wait to meet his first pup.

Donna’s office door was open, and Erin leaned against the frame when her mother looked up from the patient chart she was working on.

“Ready to go? I think I’m going to take a nap when we get home!”

Erin laughed, knowing exactly how Donna felt.

“I’m whipped today, mom, and I think a nap sounds great. Let me turn off the lights and I’ll be right there.”

Donna gathered her things and waited for Erin in the breakroom.

The moments stretched into minutes with no sign of her daughter, and Donna went to see what had caused the delay.

Her shifter senses heard a muffled groan and detected the scent of low-grade pain.

Up front, she found Erin leaning heavily against the receptionist desk, one arm wrapped protectively around her protruding belly.

“Contraction, Honey? Let’s get you to an exam room so I can check you over. Your scent tells me it’s time.”

Erin allowed herself to be guided down the hall, despite her concern.

“What? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Donna answered the question while helping Erin slip into a patient gown.

“Because we were about to leave, and I didn’t want you to worry. I’ll just take a quick look and see how much time we have.”

############

Meanwhile, in Hiawatha

As the offsite projects manager for Natural Homes, Micah Post did a great deal of local travel—roughly defined as any worksite within an hour’s drive of packlands.

While inspections were necessary, he wished this one could have been scheduled for another time.

He hated being this far from home with his mate so close to delivery, especially since shifter females experienced a much shorter labor.

Erin chose to give birth in human form so that Micah could have the full experience of welcoming his first pup into the world.

The last thing he wanted was to make her go through all of that if he ended up missing the whole thing anyway!

For stick-built houses, framing inspections didn’t usually take very long, and the inspector was a guy about Micah’s age who was known to be both fair and fast. He followed the man through the structure as he made various notes and praised the quality of their work.

Silently, Micah urged him to move faster so he could move on the next worksite—this one forty minutes closer to home.

Somewhere around the halfway mark, Micah’s phone rang, and he stepped aside to answer it.

The call was from Donna, and he skipped the pleasantries.

“What’s going on? Is Erin all right?”

Donna growled at the other end of the line.

“Labor started a few minutes ago and it’s moving faster than usual. I estimate you have about seventy minutes, tops, before the pup arrives. We’re on packlands at the infirmary.”

“Got it! On my way!”

Micah called for his assistant supervisor, a human fellow named Arty, and explained why he had to leave. The inspector agreed to finish without him, and Micah rushed to his pickup, jumped on Highway 2, and raced for home.

############

Shortly after, at the Cooks packlands

Deputy Sheriff, Lou Harmon, pulled his cruiser off at the Cooks Exit and parked outside their newest enterprise.

The pack had expanded their operations once again by adding the SnackStop —a place for motorists to stretch their legs, grab a snack or drink, and use the restroom before continuing their journey.

It was a shrewd business move having the Roadside Market and Wood Creations just a few steps away, tempting visitors to make additional purchases while taking a travel break.

This was his first visit since it opened, and he liked the thought of supporting a shifter business while enjoying a leisurely lunch at one of the shaded picnic tables.

Besides, he should be able to give Ben a report on how Rudy Stark was settling in with his new mate.

The young shifter had recently stayed at Gladstone while applying for a job at the Dewdrop, but ended up meeting his mate when the Cooks pack arrived for movie night.

Following their mating week, Rudy moved to Cooks and began working at the SnackStop.

Stepping out of the patrol car, Lou was the epitome of a law enforcement officer, not to mention an outstanding candidate for sheriff.

Human customers in the parking lot, especially the ladies, did double-takes, watching as he made his way to the building.

The door pinged when he opened it, and the delicious aroma almost made him growl.

He slipped off his sunglasses and approached the counter, where Rudy was finishing up with a human customer.

“Welcome! What can I get for you today? Wait… don’t I know you from Gladstone?”

Lou nodded.

“Lou Harmon. It’s good to see you again, Rudy. How is life at Cooks?”

Rudy’s eyes opened wide.

“Deputy Harmon. Right! I love it here, and you can tell Ben that Cliff and I are doing great. May I get something for you?”

Lou ordered a couple of roast beef sandwiches, fresh fruit, and a tall cup of iced tea to go. While he waited, his phone chimed with a text from Donna.

Erin in active labor. Micah on his way. Come if you can.

Damn! He’d so wanted to be there, not only for Erin, but to get an idea what it would be like for him when Donna delivered in September.

Lou paid for his food and promised to deliver Rudy’s message to Ben.

He’d nearly reached his vehicle when a mud-spattered pickup truck roared past the SnackStop , traveling well over the limit.

He jumped in the patrol car, flipped on the lights, and went after the asshat with the siren wailing.

It didn’t take long to catch up to the familiar-looking vehicle and the scent coming from the driver.

It was Micah! Lou swerved into the other lane and pulled alongside to get his attention.

Once Micah saw who it was, Lou used hand signals to indicate that he should follow the cruiser to Gladstone.

Lou took his place ahead of the pickup and got them to packlands in record time—illegally of course, but no one would bother questioning a deputy sheriff doing his duty.

The main gate and narrow entry lane slowed them down, but they arrived at the parking lot in a cloud of gravel dust. Startled packmates directed the men towards the infirmary as soon as the duo exited their vehicles.

Micah took off running and Lou followed while placing a call to request a longer lunch hour.

It was granted, and he found the couple in room three with Donna attending and both pack Omegas there to keep everyone calm.

As this was Evie’s first labor and delivery, Jonah held her on his lap, quietly answering questions as they waited for the baby to arrive.

Between contractions, Lou approached to kiss his mate and ask Erin if she wanted him to wait outside. She smiled and shook her head.

“No. Please stay. I want the baby to know your scent right from the start—Grandpa.”

Everyone chuckled at the family joke, since they all knew that Lou and Donna would almost be another set of parents for Erin and Micah’s pups, and vice versa for their children.

Lou nodded and went to stand behind Jonah and Evie; out of the way, but able to share in the mysterious process of childbirth—a subject he knew nothing about.

With a strong Omega scent in the air, Micah calmly focused on his mate through the uncomfortable contractions.

He’d been told that in human form, shifter females delivered faster, easier, and with much less pain.

Though they’d cut it close, he and Lou had arrived just in time to witness the final minutes of labor and delivery.

Donna checked her draped patient and made the announcement they’d been waiting for.

“Erin, I need you to push for me during the next few contractions. The baby’s almost here, and then this will all be over.”

On the third strong contraction, Donna encouraged her to push hard.

That’s all it took, and their little girl made her grand entrance into the world with a startled squall.

Donna performed a cursory examination and cleaning before laying the child on Erin’s warm belly.

With a low, rumbling growl, Micah kissed Erin’s forehead and then leaned over to scent his daughter.

Enraptured, Evie simply couldn’t wait another moment to ask the all-important question.

“What’s her name?”

Erin grinned at the sweet Omega.

“We’ve named her Kaylee. What do you think?”

Evie patted her hands together, bouncing on Jonah’s knees.

“I like it, and no one else in the pack has that name. What happens now?”

While Erin and Micah laughed, Donna answered the curious child’s question.

“It’s time to cut the umbilical cord. After that, Erin will pass the placenta and do a double shift. Then she’ll be ready to nurse Kaylee.”

Evie didn’t know exactly what all of that meant, but her curiosity urged her to find out. She turned to look up at Jonah.

“Can I watch, Uncle Jonah?”

He kissed the top of her head.

“Well, it’s all part of having babies, so if it’s okay with Erin, you can stay.”

With that settled, Donna guided Micah in clamping and cutting the cord.

Jonah and Lou then retreated to the waiting area for the next steps that required a bit of privacy.

Evie remained at Donna’s side so she could observe and ask questions.

The experience would serve her well in the future when she attended births on her own.

And, when Donna’s turn came in September, she’d also learn about delivering in wolf form.

About fifteen minutes later, Evie opened the treatment room door with a wide smile.

“Doctor Donna’s all done. You can come in now.”

Little Kaylee was nursing, covered in a faded violet blanket—the same one given to her mama as a newborn.

Erin looked only slightly rumpled and a little tired, while Micah sat on the edge of the bed, watching everyone and everything like a hawk.

New shifter fathers were hyper protective by default, and no one was bothered by his occasional growls or flashing amber eyes.

Micah startled when Evie climbed onto his lap for a hug and another dose of her calming scent.

She and Jonah left shortly afterward, followed by Donna and Lou—giving the family a few moments alone.

############

Late afternoon, that same day

Perdy finished loading the heavy food basket, removed her spattered apron, and exited the packhouse.

New arrivals were one of her favorite things, and every good pack made a reasonable fuss over the addition of pups.

They were, after all, a sign of growth and the biggest blessing in shifter life aside from matings.

Perdy gladly collected well wishes from everyone who spotted her on the way to the Posts’ apartment at Eastside.

For their sake, she hoped they could move into a home of their own soon.

Little shifters didn’t stay that way for long, and the family would need a lot more space.

She carefully scented the air outside the door before knocking, unwilling to disturb their sleep or other activities. Micah opened it with a growl, though the smell of food quickly soothed his new-father defenses. Perdy spoke as he reached out to take the laden basket.

“That should hold you until breakfast tomorrow, but call if you need anything. I come bearing congratulations from nearly everybody who’s heard the news, including me!

Ben says you have the rest of the week off, and Royce will take your place until then.

I’ll send him over when he gets home so you can compare notes. ”

Micah thanked her and ducked back inside while Perdy returned to the packhouse to finish supper preparations. While she’d hoped to get a glimpse of Kaylee, it would have to wait a day or two. If the Posts didn’t resurface by then, there’d be a mob of eager packmates beating down their door.