Page 29 of The Brave (Black Arrowhead #6)

W hen Melody sped up the driveway to our home, the pack was already outside. They stirred with wild excitement as Hope and Melody helped me into the house.

As they ushered me to the art room, I stopped. “No, take me to my bedroom. I want to lie down.”

Hope opened their office door, which was located on the wall to the right of the fireplace. “You can’t have the baby upstairs. It’s easier if you take a room on the ground floor during childbirth.”

“But your office?”

Tak gave me a cheesy grin after stepping into the room.

Curious, I gasped when I walked in and saw the changes. They had pushed a bed against the immediate left-hand wall, and all the windows were draped with thick curtains.

Hope took my hand and led me to the bed. “Don’t worry about the linens. We have plastic lining to protect the mattress.”

“You did all this in fifteen minutes? How?”

She smiled. “With a little help.”

“Coming through!” Archer walked through the doorway with a rocking chair hooked under his right arm. “Where do you want this?”

Hope pointed next to the bed. “Put it there for now. Did you bring the lap blanket that’s in my closet?”

“I’ll get it,” Cecilia said before rushing off.

Not only had they brought in a bed and drapes, but there were small tables throughout with candles lit. They obviously didn’t want to put candles on Melody’s and Hope’s workstations since they had flammable materials, and someone had draped dark fabric over their desks to hide everything from sight.

“Is something wrong with the power?” I asked.

Tak shook his head. “Babies should enter this world in natural light. Nothing artificial.”

“Artificial light is always better,” Virgil remarked from the doorway. “The more electricity, the better.”

Bear clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s get you sober.”

Another pain hit me, and I clutched my belly and leaned forward.

Montana and Lakota supported my arms.

“Milly’s out of town,” Melody informed the Packmaster. “We need an experienced midwife.”

He rubbed his chin, his dark eyes brimming with concern. “How far apart are the contractions?”

Melody flipped her hair back. “I think about twenty minutes. I didn’t look at the time when we left. You haven’t had one since the bar, have you, Joy?”

I shook my head.

While Catcher investigated the room, Montana and Lakota walked me to the bed. As soon as I sat down, they both shifted. Lakota’s silver wolf sniffed the air and then raised his head, unleashing an excited howl. Montana’s wolf joined in.

Robyn came in with a stack of towels and set them at the foot of the bed. “They couldn’t wait, could they?” She collected their clothes and shoes from the floor. “Montana, you are worse than a kid at Christmas. We still have a million things to do!”

“Why did they shift?” I asked.

She picked up a shoe after dropping it. “In my former pack, it was common for some of the pack to shift during labor. I guess it’s instinctive to protect the most vulnerable.”

Cecilia hugged Archer’s middle, and I felt the weight of their stares.

Hope clapped her hands against her cheeks. “My gosh. Robyn is right. There’s so much to do! We need to find someone who can help with delivery. If her contractions are still twenty minutes apart, we have time.”

Bear walked in and set a glass of water by the bed. “Do you want me to boil water?”

I was getting dizzy with all the chatter.

“That won’t be necessary.” Salem entered the room with a confident stride. “We’re in the twenty-first century. We have a washer for dirty linens, and I have what I need to sterilize equipment.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “How is the patient feeling?”

Only a short time ago, we had severed ties. Yet Salem’s unflappable approach to medicine calmed me down. If he was holding any grudges, it didn’t show.

“Tired,” I admitted.

“You should lie down.”

“Walking is better,” Hope suggested. “It can move the contractions closer.”

He looked over his shoulder. “Yes, but we don’t have an experienced midwife yet, so we’re buying a little time.” Then he helped me put my feet up. “Nap now while you can. It might be a long night.”

“Isn’t it too soon for her to be in labor?” Mercy worried her lip.

“It’s a little early, but she’s had an unusual pregnancy.” Salem rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s possible the gestation period accelerated at some point. Now that her water broke, we can’t stop it.”

Hope herded everyone out of the room, including the wolves. After Salem checked my blood pressure and asked me a few questions, he left me alone to rest.

Thirty minutes later, the relentless pawing and whining at the door grew more insistent. When I heard Robyn scolding Catcher, I called out, “Let him in.”

The door cracked open, and Catcher flew into the room like a tornado. He sniffed my hand at the edge of the bed but didn’t get in with me. Instead, he walked the perimeter of the room before settling down next to the bed.

As anxious as I was, I somehow fell asleep for a short period, but another contraction woke me, and I turned onto my side. At least I was home again, and my anxiety dissipated knowing that my pack was just steps away. If we had never joined Tak’s group, I’d probably be delivering in a motel room.

“Hope?”

The door abruptly swung open, and Hope peered in at me. “You called?”

I sat up. “That was fast.”

She finished securing her hair, which she had tied up in a bun. “My chair’s right outside the door. What do you need?”

I swept back my messy hair. “Has anyone heard from Atticus or Krys? I’m so worried that I can’t sleep.”

Her pant legs swished when she crossed the room to sit in the rocking chair beside me. “Not yet. They’re supposed to call us when they’re safe. We can’t risk calling them if they’re in the middle of a job. Tak said if he doesn’t hear from them in an hour, he’s sending a text message.” Somehow Hope managed to keep her voice calm. “Do you need anything? Since you’re in early labor, you can eat something light. What about a fruit bowl?”

When Catcher poked his head up, I stroked his ear.

“What if you can’t find a midwife?”

“You’re in a safe place, Joy. You’re home.” She rocked a little and smiled. “Our job is to take all your worries from you. This is the most natural thing in the world. All you have to do is relax and get ready to bring your beautiful baby into this world. We’ll take care of everything. The fates will take care of everything.”

“Could you bring me a few things from my room? There’s a box underneath my bed. Also, the hat on the bedside table.”

She stood and gently rubbed my back. “Is there anything else I can do?”

“Have this baby for me?”

She chuckled softly. “My time is coming soon enough. I’ll be right back.” She booped Catcher’s nose. “Be good. No stressing out the pregnant lady.”

After she left, Montana and Lakota—both in wolf form—crawled into the room and hung out by the door. Though both men had already blinked out, their wolves seemed to know they were ordered to stay away.

“Come on in,” I said with a roll of my eyes. “But when I change my mind, you’ll need to leave. Got it?”

Their tails wagged as they rolled around on the floor in front of Catcher and played. Watching them relaxed me.

“How are you doing in there?” I asked while massaging my belly. “Everything’s going to be fine, little baby. I won’t let anything happen to you. We’ve got a nice room, and you can sleep with me until I find a crib. You should see how excited everyone is to meet you.”

Atticus wanted me to talk to the baby more. He was right about it forming a connection.

“You okay?” Tak leaned against the doorjamb but stayed in the doorway. He crossed his arms, and his burnt-orange shirt was so tight that it looked painted on.

“I’m not sure if I can lie here all night. It’s not easy to sleep.”

“Maybe we can bring in a small table. You can play cards or talk. There was a woman in my father’s tribe who harvested tomatoes when she was in labor.”

Tak was joking, but I found it hard to get my mind off Atticus and Krys.

He sighed. “Hope says you worry.”

“There’s a lot to worry about.”

His muscles flexed when he gripped the doorframe above him. “We’ll know more about the mission soon. We have to trust they have things under control.”

Hope squeezed past Tak with an armload. “I also brought your short nightgown and a robe.” After setting the clothes on the bed, she offered the medium box. “Where should I put this?”

“By the rocking chair is fine.”

Tak had vanished, but I spied a few nosy faces peering in from the corner sectional just outside the door.

Hope sat beside me. She put her head on my shoulder and felt my stomach. “You’ll remember this time for the rest of your life. Anything we can do to make it special or more comfortable, let me know. We’re all here for you.” She lifted her head and stroked my back. While Hope was younger than me, she was the mother I always wanted. “Would you rather move to our room? It’s no trouble. We have a private bathroom.”

“Your mate would never be in the mood again if we delivered a baby in there.”

Hope chuckled softly. “I’m sure Robyn and Montana wouldn’t mind giving up their room since they’re in the same hall.”

I didn’t want to steal anyone’s private space. “This room is enchanting, and I have so many good memories of us in here. Besides, I’m already settled in, and moving would only stress me out.”

“Once the baby’s born, you can shift to heal. My mother said to do it as many times as you can until you sleep for days. You’ll be weak from the delivery, so Tak will carry you to the bathroom until you regain your strength. This is what packs do for each other.”

That was a humbling offer. So many things hadn’t occurred to me about the delivery process and what happens after.

Tak and Archer carried in a table and two chairs and set them in front of the supply closet.

Hope watched them knock a chair over, startling Montana’s wolf. “Tak, it’s going to be a long night, and I think we should limit visitors to just the women.”

He smiled warmly. “Anything you say, beautiful. But when it’s your time, I’ll be the only man in the room.”

Hope stifled a laugh. “Unless I have a boy.”

Archer swaggered up and kissed me on the cheek. “I’m gonna be the favorite uncle.”

When he left, Tak knelt before me and placed his hand over mine. “Are you keeping it? You said before you might change your mind.”

The thought of giving up the baby pained me, and that’s when I knew for certain I’d made my final decision. “I’m keeping it.”

He moved his hand to my belly. “I vow to be a kind and fair Packmaster to your child—a leader they look up to for guidance. I’m still going to make jokes,” he said, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You’re the beginning, Joy. The start of our family.”

I cupped his face in my hands. “You’re so wonderful that it makes me want to cry.”

Color touched his cheeks. “Don’t make me tear up.”

“Yes, we mustn’t do that ,” Hope said before standing behind him and stroking his braid. “The men have a running bet on who will cry first.”

Virgil poked his head in, his hair damp and a blue robe wrapped around him. “My money’s on Bear.”

Tak stood and winked at me before exiting the room.

A knock sounded, and Cecilia came in. “Sorry to bother, but would you like a book? I can bring you something to read.”

I smiled at her. “Invite all the girls.”

Her eyes lit up. “Are you sure?”

“I’ll nap when I can, but I’d feel so much better with all of you in here.”

Hope smiled brightly. “I’ll bring the sleeping bags and pillows. Cici, can you find a few books and simple games? Joy needs her sisters, so I’ll let everyone know.”

Cecilia turned her head toward the living room for a second before looking back in. “They heard you. Everyone just ran to their rooms to get their things. I’ll be back!”

I repeatedly stroked my belly, calming my nerves as best I could. “What if we can’t find a midwife?”

“Remember what I said? Don’t worry about a thing.”

But I did worry.

I worried for my baby, for the unknown, for my future, and I also worried for the fate of my one true love.