27. Tony

Arnie and I were chatting and eating the snacks, and he was talking about his job. He was proud of his old-school betting ring that avoided surveillance and couldn’t be monitored by law enforcement. He and his punters had been friends for years.

“I’m so glad you and Flint found one another.”

Me too, though found wasn’t a word I’d use.

My back was aching, and I couldn’t get comfortable. But I wasn’t the only one fidgeting. The taller guard was putting his weight on one foot and then the other, while the second one had his hand resting on his gun.

Uncle leaned toward me. “Something’s up,” he said in a low voice. He studied the pair. “Their scent is off.” He casually popped some peanuts in his mouth. “I need to warn the others, but I can’t leave you.” He suggested I barricade myself in one of the cabins while he shifted. He’d howl a warning to Flint and the pack.

But they’d kill him.

My palms and underarms dripped with rivers of sweat as I told the guards I needed to pee, and we strolled toward the closest cabin.

“You need to stay here.” The security guy’s gruff voice sent goosebumps prickling over my belly.

“Hey, old man,” the other one yelled at Arnie. “The human can go alone.”

Arnie bristled and ignored him, and we continued walking. “You work for my nephew, and you don’t speak like that to the Alpha Omega.”

The second security guy stormed over to us and wrested Uncle’s hand from my arm. Arnie growled, his wolf showing in his eyes as he glared at the guard.

“You don’t frighten me, old guy. You were past your prime before I was born.”

“Get your hands off the Alpha Omega,” Arnie snarled.

“The human should not be on pack land but dead and buried, dirt stuffed in his filthy human mouth.”

“It’s time.” The first guy checked his watch. “Take them back. Shame they can’t watch what happens.” He put his face in mine. “Your beloved is going to race back when he hears the baby is coming.”

He leered at me, and I cradled my belly, determined to protect my little one as I thought of Flint, and panic engulfed me, my heart racing at twice its normal speed.

“Forget the human. Go,” the other one said as he grabbed me and Arnie, and a stabbing pain shot along my arm. Uncle made a big deal about the guy hurting his shoulder, and he hunched over.

The first one took off and shifted, not bothering to remove his clothes first as Uncle and I were dragged back to our chairs.

“Make any attempt to move and I’ll shut you up permanently.” The guy brought out his gun.

I caught Arnie’s eye and rubbed my bump before pretending to double up in pain. Arnie held my hand, saying the stress had brought on my labor.

The alpha guard fell for it and muttered I’d need to cross my legs because he wasn’t delivering any kid. “Besides, your baby will only take a few breaths.” He grinned, and the blood in my veins turned to ice.

I wailed and told the guy I needed more water from the car. He told me to shut it, but I insisted while holding my bump. Arnie held me, telling the guy the baby was coming.

“You go get it, old man.” The guard pivoted toward the car. “And don’t try anything stupid.” He snorted. “As if you could.” He sneered at Uncle who sort of hobbled to the vehicle.

“Oh gods, the baby’s coming. I need to push.” I clutched the guy’s arm, making sure he was looking at me and not Uncle.

“Get your hands off me, human.” Despite the guy’s shifter strength, I clung to him while begging the universe to protect my baby. “What are you doing?”

“The baby. The baby,” I wailed.

“Shut the fuck up.”

“I need your help to get on the lounger.”

He grunted and led me to the chair, though he kept glancing at the path the pack and his sidekick had taken. My hair had flopped over my eyes, and from the corner of my eye, I saw Arnie opening the car’s glove compartment.

I was fearful of what he was going to do. One elderly guy and his wolf were no match for the burly bodyguard. The flaming torches flickered with a gust of wind as Arnie made his way back to us.

But I made the mistake of concentrating on Arnie, and the guard twisted his head. “What the fuck?”

A bullet exploded, and the guy thunked onto the ground. His skin turned to fur and his snout appeared. Oh gods, his wolf was going to kill us. But his shift was only partial, like Flint the day of the meeting, and Arnie put handcuffs on him. The handcuffs from the night I met Flint.

“Why didn’t he shift?” I asked as the guy groaned and passed out.

“His shoulder shattered, so the same for his beast.” Uncle shifted and howled, a sound so haunting, I’d never forget it. He shifted back. “They’ll have heard the gunshot and now my warning, so Flint and the others will…” His voice trailed away, and his pinched expression didn’t give me hope.

“Will what, Uncle?” My belly tightened, and I took deep breaths while grasping his arm.

“I’m going to take you away from here. Flint and the pack will deal with this.” He steered me toward our vehicle.

“No, I can’t leave when Flint and everyone is in danger. I am the Alpha Omega and I will not run.” I bent over as another cramp took hold of me. Please stay where you are, little one. My baby was safer inside me tonight than out.

“Shift, Uncle.” He had his wolf, and I grabbed the gun so I also had a lethal weapon. I coated myself in the injured guard’s blood and lay on the lounger, writhing. I wasn’t pretending. Our baby wanted out.

Footsteps padding through the forest announced the bodyguard’s wolf’s arrival. I peered at him through half-closed eyes.

He shifted. Big mistake. “What the fuck?” Uncle Arnie’s wolf leaped at him and took him down as two other wolves arrived and finished off the bodyguard.

“Tony, where are you hurt?” Rudy examined me.

“Not my blood. But the baby is coming. Where’s Flint?”

Rudy’s eyes filled with tears, and I saw my life as a single father, just like Dad.

“He’ll be here soon.” Rudy and Hunter helped me onto the ground, and my father-in-law removed my clothes. Poor Rudy, I was gripping his hand so tightly with each contraction, he winced.

Pain tormented my body as it cramped and pushed the baby lower. I wanted Flint here, and he might never meet our child. Pain clogged my mind as a scent washed over me.

Tears spilled over my cheeks until a voice said, “I’m here, love.”

“I thought you were dead!” Sobs wracked my body.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“They pretended the baby was coming… to lure you here…” I gasped and gritted my teeth as my belly got hard. “But the stress of everything… it just…brought on labor.”

“It’s all over.”

“No,” I yelled. “The baby’s not here, and you’re covered in blood.” I was too.

Rudy wiped my face with a wet rag, while Flint breathed with me through the cramps, mumbling he wished he could take the pain away.

Minutes and maybe hours passed. I had exhausted my strength. Did I have enough energy to push the baby out? I was small and my mate… wasn’t. Maybe our little one was too big.

“I’m so tired.”

“You are the strongest person I know, love. You won’t give up on our baby.”

“Easy for you to say,” I hissed.

“I can see the head,” Rudy shouted.

Hunter and Uncle cheered, and I urged my mate to watch our child being born. Humans shifting into animals was amazing but nothing was as miraculous as pushing our baby into the world.

Using my last bit of strength, I pushed, and Rudy said the baby’s head was out, covered in matted dark hair. Then shoulders and… and…

“It’s a girl.”

We had a little girl. Flint cradled her, and I kissed her before he held her up to the moon.

“You are the newest member of La Luna Noir.”

He put her in my arms, and I examined her button nose and the lips like her alpha dad. I made sure she had ten fingers and toes.

Much as I wanted to go home and forget about tonight, Flint had responsibilities to the pack. Burning bodies and burials. I held my daughter close,

As Alpha he had to stamp out what was left of the rebellion and deliver punishments to those traitors who remained alive. I hated there would be more bloodshed, but none of us would be safe if he didn’t mete out the appropriate punishment.

“Dad and Arnie will take you home.”

“No. We’ll sleep in one of the cabins until you’re done. Rudy can stay with me.” We had snacks, though the cabins were stocked with food. “Also, Uncle Arnie was a hero.”

“One of many heroes tonight.”

I snuggled with our daughter, and we slept for hours as loyal pack members surrounded the cabin, and Rudy made sandwiches.

When Flint finally came and put us in the back seat of the car, he slumped beside me, worry creasing his face.

“It’s done.”

Rudy was in front, Uncle at the wheel, both bickering in whispers about who was the better driver.

Some things never changed. Thank gods.