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"Danny?" Emery was back, crouching in front of me. "Esther's on her way. She says to stay calm and not to move around too much."

"I need Bayer," I whispered, suddenly desperate for my mate. "Please, Em."

"He’s coming," Emery assured me, taking my hand. "They'll be here any minute."

"What if I lose the baby?" The fear that had been building burst out of me in a broken whisper. "What if my body can't do this?"

Emery squeezed my hand. "Don't go there yet. Shifter pregnancies are different, Danny. What might be concerning for a human pregnancy doesn't necessarily mean the same thing for you."

I tried to take comfort in his words, but the blood wasn’t normal. Women had spotting early on. I knew that because of Marianne, but it was impossible for me, for a man. This tiny life inside me—a life I hadn't even been sure I wanted merely hours ago—suddenly felt desperately precious and frighteningly fragile.

I heard the front door slam open, followed by the thunder of heavy footsteps racing down the hall. Bayer appeared in the doorway, his face ashen, eyes wild with worry.

"Danny!" He crossed to me in two strides, dropping to his knees before me. His large hands cupped my face, thumbs brushing away tears I hadn't realized I was shedding. "What happened?"

"I'm bleeding," I managed, my voice small and terrified, and I raised my gaze to meet his. “What if I’m losing the baby?”

Chapter twenty-three

Bayer

The fear in Danny's eyes hit me like a physical blow. I gathered him into my arms, careful not to jostle him, breathing in his scent to reassure my bear that he was still here, still mine.

"We're going to figure this out," I murmured against his hair, though my own panic threatened to overwhelm me. The metallic scent of blood mixed with his familiar sweetness made my bear pace frantically beneath my skin.

"Esther's here," Phoenix announced from the doorway, stepping aside as the pack healer rushed in with her medical bag.

"Let's get him into bed first," Esther said, her voice calm and professional despite the urgency. "Bayer, carry him. Danny, try to stay as still as possible."

I lifted Danny effortlessly, cradling him against my chest as I carried him to our bedroom. His arms wound around my neck, clinging tight, and I could feel the tremors running through his body.

"It's going to be okay," I whispered, though the words felt hollow. They had to be okay. I couldn't lose either of them.

Esther followed us, already pulling supplies from her bag. "Set him down gently. Danny, I need to examine you to see what's happening."

Danny's grip on me tightened. "No," he said, his voice sharp with panic. "I can't—not with—" He gestured vaguely at his lower body, face flushing red despite his fear.

"Danny," Esther said gently, "I need to check—"

"No!" Danny's voice cracked. "I don't have the right...anatomy. This shouldn't even be possible. How can you examine something that doesn't exist?" he swallowed. “And you…”

Understanding dawned on me. Of course. Danny was still thinking in human terms, still grappling with the impossibility of male pregnancy, and to him, Esther was Grandma.

"Let me," I said quietly, meeting Esther's eyes. She nodded, understanding immediately.

"What?" Danny looked between us, confusion mixing with his fear.

"I can check," I explained, settling beside him on the bed. “Nothing I haven’t seen before.”

Danny's eyes narrowed. "Is that your attempt at a joke?"

Everyone trooped out, and I very carefully eased Danny’s clothes and briefs down, going to the bathroom to dampen a clean cloth to wipe his thighs where there were a few streaks of blood. I came back and gently wiped him, then, much to Danny’s embarrassment, made him bend his knees so I could see under his sac. There was a darkened area, but definitely not an opening. I didn’t touch it, just cleaned around it.

I knew the opening formed during labor, but I honestly didn’t know what I was looking at, and I tried to explain to Danny. “There’s a darker area of skin, but it isn’t open. "I think we need to get that doctor.”

Danny gripped my wrist. “Can you hear the heartbeat?”

I smiled. I’d gotten used to the tiny noise and had stopped thinking about it. “Yes, sweetheart.”