Page 68 of Ascendant Moon (Gladstone Shifters #6)

Late October, Gladstone

Lincoln shifted his position again, trying to relieve the pressure on his distended belly without waking Scooter.

Unfortunately, there were other reasons why his long-suffering mate couldn’t get a good night’s sleep, and Lincoln felt guilty to be the cause.

Pregnancy meant constant bathroom breaks, inconvenient hunger pangs, and raging hormones that demanded a good knotting.

Though he wasn’t due to deliver for another two weeks, Scooter had been infinitely patient with him.

Nothing ever seemed to annoy or bother the man where Lincoln’s needs were concerned, and it simply increased his love for the sweet Beta.

Scooter’s unique personality and background had resulted in a mix of tough and tender, driving him to keep his new mate safe, happy, and cared for.

After what Bruce had done to him, no one could have blamed Lincoln for remaining single.

Luna, however, knew there was one special man who could replace the awful memories with a deep and abiding love.

Instead of falling back to sleep, Lincoln’s affectionate thoughts stirred up randy pheromones, and Scooter began a sexy growling that vibrated the bed.

Moments later, he lifted his snout for frenzied sniffing, and then began licking Lincoln’s face and ears.

Though it took more effort, the pregnant wolf rolled over on his back to give his mate unfettered access to sensitized nipples.

Scooter was happy to give them warm, wet passes with his tongue, prompting his mate to whine with need.

Lincoln carefully jumped off the bed to present himself, and Scooter wasted no time knotting him.

They lay comfortably on the carpeted floor, enjoying both the physical and emotional connection.

While Lincoln couldn’t share what he was thinking, his mind was filled with speculation about their sex life in human form.

He’d never made love to another man. Never been kissed.

Never had a mind-blowing orgasm. Apparently, Scooter hadn’t either, and Lincoln eagerly awaited the day they could explore and discover together.

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

After lunch, packhouse party room

The gathering had been in the planning for weeks, but finding a Saturday or Sunday when both RJ and Scooter were off work was a challenge.

Both couples, therefore, were surprised to find an unusually large lunchtime crowd when they arrived at the packhouse.

For some reason, they noticed a lot of whispered comments and furtive glances, and they began to wonder what was going on.

The lack of any dessert offering today also got their attention, and RJ got up to go ask Perdy and Michelle about it.

Instead, Robyn and Ray Dunlap suddenly appeared to escort the men and their pregnant mates to the new party room.

The space had been embellished with banners, balloons, two large tables piled with gifts, and a countertop holding decorated cakes.

Somehow the joint baby shower had been kept a secret, which, in all honesty, was more surprising.

Silly games ensued, including a bottle chugging competition that Scooter won because he bit a larger hole in the nipple.

Then the guests had to guess how big around Jonah and Lincoln were—won by Mandy and Lance.

Finally, they played pin the pacifier on the baby, using paper drawings of a binky with sticky tape on the back, and a large drawing of a baby’s face.

An embarrassed Zane Metcalf took the prize for that one.

Next came the gifts—mostly practical items the new parents would need.

No one really knew the number of pups to expect, or their genders, but disposable diapers, bottles, burp rags, blankets, onesies, pacifiers, and stuffed animals would provide a head start on the mountain of supplies every infant seemed to require.

Boxes of gently used clothing, shoes, books, and toys also made an appearance, along with bigger ticket items like cribs, car seats, changing tables, and highchairs.

Even Adam and Judy Sheppard took part by sending on-line gift cards to the expecting parents.

After the fun and games, everyone lined up for a generous slice (or two) of cake, served up by Melva and Linda Kilburn.

People mixed and mingled, with some telling funny stories about infant care or sharing parenting tips.

One thing became abundantly clear to both couples—they were not alone in this business of raising a child.

If they needed anything, someone would be there to help.

In fact, Doogie came by to reassure them that the coming heat season wouldn’t be a problem.

“Troy and I will make sure there’s someone to watch your pups so you can focus on one another. Actually, Perdy and Melva have first dibs, and I have several others on the list. You won’t have a thing to worry about.”

Once the party wound down, some stayed to help with cleanup while others volunteered to carry gifts to the Wilson’s home and Scooter’s apartment.

Nolan, Garrett, Ash, and Robert all stayed to put together the flat-pack furniture, hang pictures, and arrange baby supplies in the nursery.

Once everything was in place, Lincoln’s nesting instinct took over, and he enlisted Scooter’s help to rearrange and personalize the space to his liking.

In their own bedroom, Lincoln chose a corner and selected a number of blankets and pillows to make a birthing nest. The plan was to deliver the pup here at home with Donna’s help, along with the presence of Jonah, Evie, and Melva.

While there was some mystery about Jonah’s pregnancy, Evan had confirmed that Lincoln carried a single little one.

He’d even made contact with the pup, though the couple didn’t want to know the gender and wolf type until birth.

After supper that night, Lincoln sprawled across Scooter’s lap as he prepared to start a new book entitled “Lady Liddington’s Lover.

” The book opened, then closed, followed by a heavy sigh.

Lincoln detected worry in his mate’s scent and lifted his head to see Scooter’s face.

He used a now-familiar huffing sound to get the man to say whatever was on his mind.

Scooter reached over to scratch Lincoln’s ears as he spoke.

“Sorry, Linc. With all the talk about pups today, it’s got me kind of worried.

What do I know about raising kids? I mean, it’s a big responsibility, and I didn’t have any good examples of parenting when I was little.

I know you didn’t either, which means we’re going to need a lot of help. Does it make you nervous, too?”

Lincoln had to be honest with his mate, and nodded his head.

His parents had abandoned him when he was barely old enough to care for himself and disappeared.

Rosalee and Melva had no children of their own, but he’d overheard them asking other parents in the pack for advice from time to time.

What they may have lacked in experience, however, was counterbalanced by an abundance of love and a good sense of humor.

Scooter continued to fret until Lincoln got down off the couch and went over to the flashcards laid out on the floor. He spelled it out for Scooter, one letter at a time.

L-O-V-E.

L-A-U-G-H-T-E-R.

Scooter wasn’t entirely convinced.

“Do you think that’s enough?

Lincoln nodded, and then spelled out one additional word.

P-A-C-K.

Scooter had to chuckle at that, and wrapped his arms around Lincoln when he returned to the couch.

“It sounds too simple, sweetheart, but it’s a good place to start. And, yeah, we have a great pack who will help us, that’s for sure. Plus, we have each other. Even if we do everything else wrong, our pups are gonna know we love them, right?”

Lincoln yipped his agreement, licked Scooter’s cheek, and lay down again across his mate’s meaty thighs.

Scooter picked up the book again and began to read.

“ Chapter One—A Refused Suitor. Hmm…she sounds like trouble already. Sorta like Melva!”

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

Election Day, November 2 nd

When Lou began his quest for office, Ben encouraged every adult pack member to register to vote.

In the past, shifters had eschewed human government as part of hiding in plain sight.

Given all the recent changes, and the need to incorporate themselves into society, shifters were now being urged to take part.

The majority of the pack had willingly responded, eager to support one of their own in his run for Sheriff.

So as not to draw undue attention, pack members voted in ones and twos throughout the day.

The sudden uptick in local voters would no doubt be noticed, though it probably wouldn’t be an issue in future elections.

Authorities would find that every new voter was properly registered and eligible to vote, so no one could legitimately claim that the election had been rigged.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that, even if the fellow opposing Lou was a rather slimy politico.

Though Scooter was working a regular shift today, Lou was holed up with his campaign coordinator and a bunch of volunteers.

They’d rented an old empty storefront for the last few months as a headquarters and were now making last-minute calls and monitoring the polling sites.

Sheriff Tucker reported for duty as usual, encouraging people to vote while packing up his office.

Whatever happened, he would retain his position through the end of the year, but he was convinced that Lou would be elected.

It would be late this evening or even tomorrow before the results were in, and then everyone would know for sure.

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

Campaign headquarters, 10 p.m.

With Erin watching the twins, Donna had joined her mate after supper while the polling sites reported in. Most of the volunteers had already gone home, leaving a small group to wait for the call. Everyone jumped when Lou’s cell phone finally rang, and he saw that it was Sheriff Tucker.

“Hello, Sir. What can you tell us?”

“Good evening, Lou. I called as soon as we got a definitive answer. All the precincts have reported in, and I’m happy to report that you’ve been elected the new Sheriff. As I predicted, you won by a landslide, son. Congratulations. Now go on home and get some sleep—you’re on duty tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Sir, I’ll see you in the morning.”

The weary volunteers waited expectantly as Lou grasped Donna’s hand before making the announcement.

“We won, and I have you and many others to thank. I would stay to celebrate, but it’s past my bedtime.”

There were handshakes, chuckles, and smiles all around as they closed up shop and headed out. Donna had remained mostly quiet until they, too, were on their way home.

“I’m incredibly proud. You accomplished something important, my love, and not just for our people. I’d like to think all of Delta County will be a safer place with you in charge.”

Lou wasn’t used to hearing such praise, and it meant much more to him coming from his mate. He reached over to brush fingertips down her cheek.

“Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without your support and encouragement. When we get home, I’d like to show my appreciation in a more tangible way.”

Donna growled as pheromones filled the car, and Lou gripped the wheel just a bit tighter than necessary, as they anticipated a private and well-deserved celebration.

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

The next morning

Those arriving for breakfast saw an announcement on the packhouse doors.

“CONGRATULATIONS TO DELTA COUNTY’S NEW SHERIFF—LOU HARMON!”

The grapevine took care of the rest, and soon enough the whole pack knew.

People were excited and proud, wondering how the first shifter Sheriff in modern history might make his mark.

They knew Lou wasn’t interested in fame or power, which only made him an even better choice.

Scooter found out when he got up in the morning and noticed a short text on his phone.

“I won.”

That put a broad smile on his face that was still there when he got to work.

He found Roy Tucker in a particularly good mood, having just finished an interview with the local press, full of effusive praise for his replacement.

Later that day, he caught up with Lou at the Dewdrop, having a free lunch on the house.

He was so busy accepting congratulations that his food had gone cold, and they sent him off with a sack lunch and a thermos of hot coffee.

When Scooter got up to go, Darlene shared her opinion of the whole affair.

“Well, hot damn! We got us the top lawman in these parts eating here like one of us regular folks. I should have asked for his autograph!”

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

Ben hadn’t wasted any time telling Alpha Sheppard about Lou’s victory. In turn, Sheppard notified all the shifter councils, and forwarded the news to Oscar York and Colton Ramsey. In addition, he met with the Delta students that evening to inform and inspire them.

“Lou Harmon represents what we can accomplish going forward, and I hope some of you will choose a life of public service or leadership. Our future safety relies on integration, not isolation, and your gifts and abilities will be sorely needed. Keep that in mind as you pursue your education, and let me know if there’s anything my office can do to assist you. ”