We paid and true to his word, Candrin brought her a donut while wearing his new hoodie. I didn’t need a sugary goodie. I was going home for my dessert.
37
CANDRIN
Hard labor
This bathroom was going to be my home. I was convinced I’d never leave, or if I did, I wouldn’t get more than a few paces away.
My three babies—yes, three—were pushing on my bladder and I needed to pee every five minutes, or that was what it felt like.
I washed my hands and shuffled out. Tanner was beside me and helped me onto the bed. My bump didn’t resemble a belly any more. I was all bump, and my arms, legs and head were just attached at weird angles. My back ached and I wanted my little ones out of me.
I couldn’t imagine what it must be like to carry your babies for the full forty weeks. Triplets were usually delivered at around thirty-three weeks but the alpha father of these babies was a shifter so they were able to stay inside me longer without being a danger either to me or them. I was now at thirty-six weeks and ready to hold my little ones in my arms and not be pregnant any more.
I screwed up my face and Tanner readied to hoist me off the bed and into the bathroom. But as he got me to my feet, there was a pop and wetness dribbled and then streamed down my leg. Damn! I’d had a couple of accidents when I couldn’t get to the toilet in time, but this came on so suddenly.
“Ugh, can you get my pants off me,” I begged Tanner. Standing in the bedroom, my stretchy paternity pants sticking to my thighs that I hadn’t been able to see in months was just ewww and tears streamed over my cheeks.
“Candrin, I think your water broke.” Tanner tossed my pants and underwear in the bathroom and after removing my shirt, he led me into the shower. I embraced the warm water on mybelly as Tanner washed me.
“Wait,” I yelled into the stream of water.
“What?”
I ducked my head away from the water so he could hear me. “Did you say my water broke?”
He grinned. “Think so, yes.” He wrapped a white fluffy bathrobe around me and I waddled into our room.
“Who are you texting?” He was tapping away at his phone. We’d said no doctors and only decided to have a shifter midwife if necessary. Molly, who still hadn’t been let into the shifter secret, said she’d be present at the birth if I wanted.
“Oberon and Huston. Your mates.”
I hip checked him for giving me sass or attempted to. Did I still have hips? I couldn’t tell. “Oh right, those guys. I’d forgotten about them.” I gave sass right back.
He helped me onto the bed but I asked him to get me up. Lying down wasn’t right—not for me. “And besides the contractions haven’t—” A cramp gripped my huge belly and I dug my nails into Tanner’s palm. Poor guy. He was a shifter with shifter strength but his eyes bulged as my nails raked over and dug into the softskin. “Oh gods, why did no one tell me it was going to be so painful.”
Yes, I’d watched the videos—we all had—and I’d read as much as I could, looked at pics and chatted online. Molly and I had spent many afternoons sharing tea and cake while she related her birth stories and answered my questions. After Father’s death and losing my home, I’d thought the mental and emotional strength I’d built up was enough to get me through whatever labor threw at me. Wrong.
“Ice chips,” I shouted as Huston tore into the room.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t the babies here? Candrin’s in pain. Do something Tanner!”
“Stop!” Tanner’s voice had Huston snapping his mouth shut. “He’s doing fine. Giving birth isn’t a walk in the park.”
“As I’ve just discovered,” I wailed.
“Oh gods.” Oberon rushed in and sank onto the floor. The bump hid him but he was there because he put his head on my belly. “It’s okay, babies. We’re hereand we’ll see you soon.”
Though the contraction had eased, I was breathless and I leaned on Tanner, his scent comforting me. “Why did we have so much sex?” I shouted.
Oberon popped his head up over my belly, one brow arched. “There were many reasons.” He held up a finger. “One because we were all so horny and two—” Tanner glared at his brother and shoved him aside. “Well he asked,” Oberon huffed.
“I need to walk.” Maybe not walk but waddle. With one mate either side and another shuffling in front of me, we paced over the carpet, back and forth. “Where are they?”
“Who?” my three mates asked in unison.
“The contractions.” There was supposed to be one after the other and then babies would appear.
