Another wave came over me, the contraction cutting off my residual laughter and forcing me to focus, to turn inward. I breathed through my nose and then out through my mouth, making this moaning noise that feltreallygood.
“You’re doing great, hun. Keep breathing like that.” Maggie had never trained to be a doula, but she was finding the hidden skills since the situation demanded it. I leaned into her, relishing in her scent of Earl Grey tea. Omegas were pure comfort, and I was heavily relying on that.
Parker was going to owe her a mansion after this bullshit.
I wanted drugs. I didn’t want to feel my contractions. But I was in a basement with only a mattress on the floor and a half bathroom. We didn’t have blankets to wrap the baby in or a way to cut the umbilical cord. My mates weren’t here. Nothing was the way it was supposed to be. A sob tore from me at the renewed realization of our fate.
“I hate this!” I sniffled, finding anything in front of me to squeeze in my grip, which happened to be Maggie’s hand. “I don’t want to do this. It’s not fair.”
“I know, hun. I know. It fucking blows, but I’m right here with you, and I’m not going anywhere.” To her credit, Maggie didn’t try to soften reality or come up with some lame suggestion.
“If you get the chance to run, you have to take it,” I said through gritted teeth.
“What? No. I’m not going to leave you.”
“I can’t run in this state. If you get out, you can find help.”
“Let’s worry about thatafterwe get the baby out.” She held my hand while I broke a little. “You’re a bad bitch and you can handle this. Take some deep breaths for me.”
After a moment, I sucked in a new breath, finding some well of strength inside me that would get me through this.
Because I had to. Maggie was right. Iwasa bad bitch.
“Okay, let’s make this work before the contractions really fuck me up.” I looked around the room, seeing if there was anything useful we’d overlooked. “Turn on the tap so it gets warm. We’ll do our best to wash our hands.”
Maggie helped me to the sink as we scrubbed down a bit before another contraction hit. I hung over the sink, breathing in the steam until it was over. Maggie stripped off the T-shirt under her sweater, rinsing the shirt under the water and wringing it out so she could dab at my sweaty temples.
“Let’s get you to the mattress.” Maggie shoved it so the end was against the wall and I would have some back support if I wanted it, then helped me to sit down again. “I should have enough room to kneel and catch the baby.”
I nodded. This was about to be the best use of teamwork on the freaking planet.
I let my weight rest against the wall while she tried to count the time between contractions.
Every wave came over me, and I tried—sohard—to remember what I’d read and heard when I was planning for my beautiful, medicated, hospital delivery that I wasn’t going to get now.
Avery had been distracting me on the hospital tour, making far too many dirty jokes, so my memories were minimal. How could I have been so stupid?
Just breathe, Clover. Breathe and let it happen. Don’t fight it. You’ll meet your baby soon.
That thought made a tiny sob sneak through. I was still in shock.Now?Here? But fate was a fucking joke, and I couldn’t fight it any more than I could fight the contractions. I had to be strong. I had to do this for my child,our child, because both of us, and Maggie, were making it out of here.
Even if I had to stab the creep that had taken us through the eye with a pencil.
Time got blurry as I breathed—and swore—through contractions. If the baby could hear me, they would be born with a potty mouth to rival a sailor’s, but at the moment, I didn’t have it in me to care.
My body temperature was up, and adrenaline coursed through me, eclipsing the chill of the room. Another contraction, and something changed. That pressure was so much, my body instinctively pushed without me even thinking about it.
Maggie held the top of my knees. “Talk to me, Clover. I don’t know what I’m doing here. What’s happening?”
“I think it’s go time. I need to push. Can you…” I looked up at her, feeling sweat cool on my brow. “Can you look? I know it’s a weird request, asking you to poke around my lady business, given you’re my sister-in-law, but?—”
“I think we’re beyond being polite here, and I’d have to look to catch the baby anyway,” Maggie said, leaning down for a better look. “Let’s check out your business and make sure this baby is safe.”
“Are we going to be super mega best friends after this?” I asked with a nervous laugh.
“You know it.” Maggie’s eyes widened, her face scrunching. “Oh my god.”
“What?! You can’t say ‘oh my god’ and not freak me out!”
