Instantly, dread and excitement intermingled in my blood. My heart pounded.
“Ohh,” I said. “It’s happening.”
Pierce, who startled me by appearing from out of the shadows, rushed to me. “Is the baby coming?”
“Yes,” I said, my hands clutching my uncomfortably large belly. “And I don’t think it’s gonna wait much longer.”
Pierce quickly summoned the small colony of female bats who had been perching above the bed since I got pregnant. “Get the others, go!”
Startled out of their sleep, the bats squeaked and flew out in a flurry of wings. They were only gone briefly before everyone else appeared.
“The baby’s coming?” Theo gasped.
Margaret stormed into the room with wide, frenzied eyes that locked on to me. “Yes! It’s starting!” All the frailty seemed to leave her old bones as she took my arm. “Come, to the chamber I’ve prepared.”
I was too panicked to ask any questions. Pierce scooped me effortlessly into his arms and followed Margaret to a room on the first floor. It was one of the many I’d passed but never entered. Inside, it appeared to be converted into a sterile birthing room, like at a hospital.
I didn’t have time to gush over how fancy it looked because a terrified-looking stranger was strapped to the couch in the corner. A gag was tied around his mouth.
“What the fuck?” I asked, confusion and horror twisting up inside me. “Who is that? What’s going on?”
“Margaret, what is the meaning of this?” Pierce demanded, sounding furious. He stormed over to the man and removed the gag as gently as possible.
“Oh god, please don’t kill me!” the man shrieked as soon as his mouth was free. Tears of terror rimmed his eyes.
“No one’s going to kill you!” I snapped. “But seriously, who are you?”
The man shut his mouth, presumably shocked into silence from being yelled at by a heavily pregnant omega.
“I’m Dr. Maxwell, and - “
“Margaret,” Pierce interrupted him, staring dead serious at his mother. “Did you abduct a human doctor to assist in Benji’s birth?”
“Human?” Maxwell cried in disbelief.
Theo gasped. “Seriously?”
“It was necessary in case something goes wrong!” Margaret snapped. “You never know what happens with human births! We needed somebody, and I could not find any vampire doctors willing to - “
“Vampire!?” Maxwell shrieked.
Finally I couldn’t take it anymore. The stress and noise and impending pain was too much for me to handle. My temper erupted like a volcano.
“Oh, will everybody shut up?” I roared. “I’m about to push a baby out of my damn body, so if none of you people are gonna help, then you can just leave!”
Suddenly, Maxwell’s face turned from fear to focused and serious. He stood up quickly - still with his hands bound - and asked, “Right now? Are you having contractions?”
“Yes!” I snapped. “They started a while ago.”
“Okay. Lay on the table and I’ll see what I can do.” Maxwell met my eyes. The terrified man from two seconds ago was gone, replaced by a calm collected man with - apparently - a lot of experience. “Don’t worry. We’re going to get this baby out safely, no matter what.”
“Thank you,” I told him. “Now can someone untie this guy already? Jesus christ.”
Pierce immediately freed Maxwell from his bindings and apologized for Margaret’s behavior. Maxwell cleared his throat and avoided looking at her as he passed by and began setting up. I laid on the table and eyed the birthing stirrups uneasily.
“How do you feel?” Maxwell asked me after washing his hands and snapping on a pair of latex gloves.
“Fine, I guess,” I said. “I mean, as fine as I can feel when I know I’m about to pop a baby out.”
