I sighed. He spoiled me. “You don’t have to. I can make tea. One of us should be sleeping.” I glanced to the clock on the bedside table. “It’s not even dawn.”
“You’re awake. I’m awake. I want to be with you, especially now. It’s so late in your pregnancy.”
Giving up, I took his hand and we walked the short distance to the kitchen. I put on the kettle while Rip moved the embers around and added some logs to the hearth.
“Ripley!” I called out as a bolt of pain streaked through the bottom of my spine and seemed to build near my channel. I gripped the edge of the counter with such force that I was surprised it didn’t break.
“Jude,” he said loudly, but I could barely hear him. His voice sounded so far away.
“I think…I think I’m having contractions. I…no, it’s more than that. The baby is coming, mate. Now.”
Another gripping pain ripped through me, and I fell to my knees before Rip could get across the room.
“I’m calling the healer.”
“Please,” I begged in my wolf’s voice. He was pushing for control, and I gave it to him, happy to take a back seat in this transition. He knew how to give birth, not that we ever had, but he relied on instinctalone and was sure about what our body was capable of. The power that lay within us.
I heard my mate call the healer, Quinn, and tell me he would be there soon, but my wolf didn’t want to wait. “I-I want to go outside.”
My wolf pushed some of our magic at me, giving me new energy and, before my mate could answer, I made my way to the back porch and then to the snowy yard. Rip followed me, blankets already in his hands. I grabbed one, getting on my hands and knees right there in the first snow.
Fitting, since it was the snow that brought me my mate.
“Jude, what can I do?” Ripley asked, kneeling down beside me. We’d talked about this part. Where he would feel helpless next to me while I did all the work, but I’d somewhat convinced him support was hard work too.
That was before my body twisted in pain and my hips felt like they were breaking apart.
“Catch the baby, alpha. That’s all I need you todo is hold them.”
Ripley moved to my back and rubbed circles on my lower back. “You can do this, omega. I’m here. Our pup is almost here.”
My channel burned as I pushed harder and with more strength than I’d done anything in my life. Ripley gave me some more encouragement but my focus was on the pushing.
Three of those back-breaking, burning, aching, anguish-filled pushes and our babe was born. I collapsed onto the blankets as soon as I knew they were safe in their papa’s arms.
“She’s here,” Ripley said, bringing her over. “She’s here. We have a daughter, Jude. And she’s perfect.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Ripley
Time moved awfully fast once Ramsey arrived. I’d been surprised that Jude wanted to name her that, thinking it was only a boy’s name, but he’d researched online and told me it was gender neutral. Worked for a boy or a girl, and he wanted to honor my twin in this way. Any wonder I adored my omega?
She was only three months old when Jude came back from town clutching a flyer. “Alpha, look.” He thrust the paper into my hands. “It’s perfect for us, if a little sooner than we planned. And the Realtor says it’s not going to stay on the market long.”
I scanned the page. A small building in Oliver Creek was available for purchase. Just off the main street, it held two storefronts, one of which had been a bakery in its previous life. We could have both of our businesses there, right in the same building.
“We could cut a door in between so we can pass Ramsey back and forth. It’s perfect!”
“Yes, you said that,” I agreed. “Did you see the building itself?”
“I must have driven past it at some point, but I didn’t notice, and I didn’t go by today. Let’s go now.”
Now, our daughter was sleeping, but a baby that little could be carefully carried out to her car seat. At least most days. We drove halfway to town to the music of angry wails before she was lulled to sleep again by the rhythm of the road.
Pulling up in front of the building, I got out. “This is it, huh?” It needed a coat of paint and one of the windows had a crack, but the location was prime for both of us. “Should we call the Realtor to show us the inside?”
“I called on the way.” Jude reached into the back seat and pulled out our sleeping daughter. I held my breath while he fitted her into a baby wrap, but this time she slept through. “He will be here in a minute.”
