"Kamari, are you comfortable riding Ashe's deer form?" Zak asked. "It's the fastest way to get there."
"Yes." I bit my lip to withstand a pulse of discomfort. "Are you sure we won't be too heavy?"
Ashe puffed out his chest. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'm the strongest buck around here."
To prove his point, he shifted into a muscular and magnificent buck with large antlers. Ashe snorted and reared on his hind legs, boxing the air with his front hooves.
"Yeah, yeah, we get it, show off," Zak said.
Ashe huffed as he landed on all four hooves again. He stepped closer, smiling and standing with his side to me. "Well? Are you gonna go have a baby or what?"
"Guess I might as well," I said with a weak laugh. "A little help, Zak?"
Ashe kneeled so Zak could help me climb on his back. It was an interesting feeling, to say the least, but Ashe was solid and sturdy. He didn't seem to even notice the additional weight, which made me feel better about riding him like a horse.
"Let me know if you need me to stop at any time," Ashe said, his buck's voice reverberating in his large throat. "And don't be afraid to grab my neck as hard as you need to."
"Thanks. I will."
Once I was seated and settled, Zak shifted to wolf form. His pelt prickled with anticipation. "Let's go."
* * *
Ashe ran as fastas he could while still keeping the ride smooth and not too bumpy for me. I kept my eyes shut during most of it, trying to grit my teeth and bear the waves of pain that kept coming and going. I clung to Ashe's neck tightly--probably too tightly a couple of times when the agony surged, but the poor guy didn't say anything.
When the smell of water hit my nose, I opened my eyes. The coast stretched out before us. The glittering calm waters beckoned me. A breeze blew, bringing a familiar scent with it.
Salt water,I realized with a smile.Thanks, Nautilus.
I asked Ashe to take me to a private part of the beach so I wouldn't be interrupted by well-meaning but overbearing onlookers--AKA, Galileo. Ashe carefully picked his way down to the far shore and kneeled so Zak could escort me to the ground. I hissed and gripped my mate's hand so hard my nails dug into it.
"Is there anything I can do?" Zak asked, his face screwed up with concern.
I shook my head. "Just take me to the water."
Zak didn't make a peep even though I was squeezing the life out of him. When the cool waves lapped at my feet, a sense of calm came over me. It almost felt like a voice was speaking to me, whispering exactly what I had to do. I sighed deeply.
"I'm okay now," I told Zak, letting go of his hand.
I waded into the water until it was up to my chest, then shifted into my orca form. A ripple of pain from my contractions shuddered over my skin, then disappeared. The cool waters were soothing, rocking me back and forth in the gentle tide. This was what the baby wanted. Not to be on land, but in the water.
Whatever you want, my love,I said silently.
I fell into kind of a trance, zoning out as the pulsing contractions became something that was happening in the background of my consciousness. I still felt them, but they were distant, not the pounding intense pain I'd felt in my human form. In my orca form, I was relaxed except for the excitement of finally meeting my baby.
If Zak and Ashe were speaking on the shore, I couldn't hear them. I knew Zak trusted me to handle this on my own. I appreciated that he wasn't being an overbearing alpha about it. We'd talked about it in advance and he promised he'd listen if I said I needed to be alone underwater for the birth. Since orca shifters are born in the water by necessity, that could be what our baby needed.
There was no doubt in my mind that our baby wassomekind of aquatic shifter, whether it was an orca like me or a wolf with powers like Zak. The pull towards the water was far too strong to be anything else.
Another pulse of dull pain shot down my spine, towards the base of my tail, then something slipped out of me.
My trance broke. I was instantly alert. I spun around to nose at the warm new bundle that was born into the world. When I saw two big white spots on black, I assumed it was an orca. But when my nose touched wet fur, I realized our baby was a wolf. A little male pup.
Our little Azure.
A brief flicker of panic passed over me. What if the babydidn'thave Zak's abilities? If that was the case, I needed to get him to the surface to breathe. I gently nosed our baby towards the open air.
"Zak!" I called, my orca's voice loud and bellowing.
