Epilogue

epilogue

. . .

Two Months Later

Carmen

“ S top!” I cried, laughing as Griffin splashed water at me in the swimming pool. I was hanging out with all my alphas today on a hot summer day.

The sun’s rays glistened on the surface of the water. I felt at peace with my pack—no tension and no worries. My laughter mingled with theirs until a sharp, intense cramp seized my body.

I cried out, clutching my belly as tears formed in my eyes from the contraction.

“Shit, Carmen, are you okay?” Tyler swam to my side, his hand protectively resting on my swollen stomach. His eyes searched mine, worry etched across his face.

“Ow!” I whimpered, squeezing my eyes shut against the pain. “It hurts so much.”

But then the pain disappeared as quickly as it had come.

“Was that a contraction?” Logan asked, his eyes wide with instant alarm .

“Yes,” I answered, scared of the next one.

“This might be it, guys,” Griffin said. “Carmen, is it time to go to the hospital?”

I could only nod, unable to speak through the agony of the second contraction. An odd sensation engulfed me as I felt warmth spreading through the water around me. My heart raced—my water had broken.

“I think my water broke,” I shouted as panic surged through me.

“Alright, let’s get you to a hospital. Stay calm, honey,” Jaxon said, lifting me out of the pool and carrying me toward the house to get dry.

I held onto the kitchen counter as Jaxon rushed upstairs to grab my hospital bag and clothes. My baby was coming today, I thought excitedly. I had been waiting forever, feeling tired and sluggish for months.

After a moment of reprieve, a third contraction took over my body, more powerful than the last one, and I screamed as Talon rubbed my lower back.

“Breathe, baby,” he said. Jaxon rushed back downstairs with the huge hospital bag that I had spent days packing, along with a dry towel, while the rest of the pack hurried to put on dry clothes.

Jaxon and Talon worked quickly to help me remove my wet green bikini. I tried to assist, but another contraction hit, and I held onto Talon’s shoulders as they quickly dressed me in a loose-flowing blue skirt and a black tank top.

“I’ll have the van started!” shouted Axel urgently as I yelped from the pain.

Logan rushed into the kitchen after getting dressed and scooped me into his arms. “I got you, honey.”

Moments later, I found myself in the front seat of the car, gripping the door handle as Axel drove us to the nearest hospital. My contractions grew stronger, leaving me screaming in pain. Fear threatened to choke me; this was my first time giving birth, and I didn’t know what to expect.

“I’m never getting pregnant again!” I screamed through clenched teeth.

“We’ll see about that,” Griffin muttered from the backseat, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Focus, Carmen. Breathe,” Tyler instructed from behind me, his hand protectively resting on my stomach. But all I could think about was the pain and how scared I was.

The sterile smell of the hospital and the harsh fluorescent lights above did nothing to ease my fear as nurses rushed me inside.

“I need the pain meds,” I groaned.

“We need to wait until you’re dilated a bit more, or it can wear off during birth,” the nurse said calmly.

Breathing hard, I sat on the birthing ball while holding onto the edge of the bed. I had no idea how I was going to continue to labor this way.

It was unbearable.

Tyler was right beside me, his scent calming me slightly as he coached me through each breath. “Take some deep breaths. I know you can do this. We all know how strong you are.”

I gripped Logan’s hand to my right tightly, my nails digging into his skin.

“It hurts so much,” I sobbed, inhaling his citrus scent, which provided some comfort. Axel was purring into my neck, trying to relieve some of my pain. It helped, but it didn’t change the fact that it felt like a chainsaw was ripping me apart below.

Talon and Griffin lingered nearby, trying not to crowd me but also keeping an eye out in case things went wrong .

“We can force them to give you pain relief,” Tyler growled.

“No,” I cried out.

After two hours of laboring and pain, the nurse returned to the room. “Alright, dear, let’s see how far along you are.”

I held back a scream as Tyler and Logan helped me onto the bed, laying me on my back. The nurse checked me and nodded.

“Am I ready?”

“Yes, you’re dilated enough,” she said with a smile. “I will let the team know, and they will administer the epidural.”

I nodded quickly, eager for her to do just that. She left the room, and the alphas stood by in tense silence while Talon rubbed my back and Logan took over, purring as I lay on my side, moaning.

The anesthesiologist walked into the room, and the alphas cleared the bed to give him space.

“Are you ready for some pain relief?” he asked, and I nodded wordlessly through my pain. “You’ll need to stay very still.”

As he administered the medication, I could feel the effects slowly cascading through me. My lower body began to go numb, the intense pain fading away, leaving me feeling almost weightless.

“Thank God,” I whispered, relief washing over me. The alphas visibly relaxed, sharing in my relief that the worst of the pain was over.

“That’s for sure,” said Axel, letting out a long breath. He looked visibly stressed after watching me in pain for hours, and I smiled, exhausted, as I lay on the bed.

“I need some shut-eye,” I said, listening to our baby’s strong heartbeat through the monitors as I closed my eyes.

“You’ll need your strength,” Tyler agreed, while Griffin kissed my forehead. I knew it was Griffin because of his beard, and I smiled again.

Hours later, the first light of dawn cast a soft glow on the sterile hospital room. Beads of sweat clung to my forehead, dampening my hair.

My body trembled with exhaustion as I gripped Tyler’s and Logan’s hands tightly, trying to muster the strength to push once more.

The pressure in my lower body was overwhelming, and I was losing strength.

“Here,” said the nurse, offering me a sip of apple juice for energy. “This should help.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, gratefully accepting the drink and feeling the sweet liquid reinvigorate me just enough.

“Alright, Carmen, you can do this. Push again,” the doctor instructed firmly. My eyes clenched shut, and I groaned, feeling weak and battered.

“I can’t,” I whimpered, knowing that giving up wasn’t an option.

Logan leaned in, looking deep into my eyes, his gaze filled with worry. I knew my alpha, and he was freaking out inside, even though he tried to hide it.

“You’ve been waiting to hold your baby,” he said gruffly, emotion in his voice. “Push for the baby.”

My heart raced, adrenaline pumping through my veins. Panting, I took a deep breath and pushed as hard as I could, willing myself to find the strength within me for my child.

“Come on, Carmen, just a little more,” Tyler encouraged, squeezing my hand tighter, his eyes filled with worry and hope.

“Almost there!” the doctor called out, spurring me on despite the burning strain in my body.

The first cry of my newborn filled the air, a sound that pierced straight through to my soul. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I trembled with overwhelming joy and relief .

“It’s a boy,” the doctor announced. The alphas had big smiles on their faces.

“Oh my god,” I choked out between sobs, my arms outstretched and eager. They placed him on my chest, skin-to-skin, as the baby’s cries echoed in the small room. I spoke softly to him, my heart overwhelmed with love. “Oh goodness, Momma’s got you now.”

At the sound of my voice, he instantly calmed, his cries subsiding into tiny whimpers. I marveled at how such a small being could hold so much power over my heart, instantly bonding us together.

Talon leaned in, pressing a tender kiss to my forehead.

“You did such a good job, baby,” he murmured proudly.

“Thank you,” I whispered back, smiling through my exhaustion. I couldn’t believe this perfect little life was finally here, in my arms.

Logan, Tyler, Griffin, Axel, and Jaxon gathered around us, their faces glowing with joy. Each took turns kissing me on the lips and admiring the baby.

“Look at what we’ve created,” Logan said, his hand gently resting on my shoulder as he gazed at our son.

“He’s beautiful,” Talon agreed, emotion thick in his voice.

Griffin grinned, his eyes twinkling. “He's going to be one hell of an alpha someday.”

Axel nodded, his usual stoic expression softened by love. “We’ll make sure of it.”

“Welcome to the family, little guy,” Jaxon said. “Have we decided on a name?”

“We’re leaving that to our omega,” Logan replied, looking at me expectantly. “What’s our son’s name, honey?”

I smiled as I stroked his soft hair. “He looks like an Alaric.”

“Alaric it is,” Logan announced, and the alphas let out low growls of acceptance. “He is our firstborn son from the many children we will have.”

“We have something for Carmen,” Talon said, interrupting him. Logan looked surprised, and I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion as Talon presented a square box before me. “Open it.”

While the baby rested on my chest, I smiled as I carefully lifted the lid of the box. I gasped when I saw a heavy, thick necklace made of gold and diamonds, shaped into a heart, along with matching earrings.

The alphas chuckled at my reaction, and I couldn’t believe they had thought of this. I didn’t care much about material things, but I was truly shocked.

“Your push gift, my love. You deserve it and more,” Talon said. “The love of our pack.”

THE END

You’ve reached the end of the Howl’s Edge: Omega for The Pack series. Thank you for reading!

My next story will feature Lena (Carmen’s sister) as she navigates the human life as a librarian hiding from her abusive alphas. This is her book: The Librarian and Her Alphas