Wolf Tales 11 (35 page)

Her labor began to pick up. Jazzy and Xandi set their wineglasses aside and joined the other women. Tia, Manda, and Shannon arrived a few minutes later and the room practically vibrated with the strength of so many powerful women working together.

Tinker stepped aside when Logan and Adam showed up around four in the morning, with Keisha right behind them.

“Where’s Tala?” It seemed everyone else had come, but not Lisa’s sister. That didn’t seem right.

Keisha kissed his cheek. “Logan told her not to. The risk of the shared experience throwing her into labor is too great.”

Tinker shook his head, laughing. “She is going to be so pissed. That poor little thing wants to go into labor.”

“I know.” Logan glanced over his shoulder at Tink. “I practically had to have the guys restrain her. She’s not very happy with me right now. Tink, you might want to get up on the bed behind Lisa. She’s about ready to start pushing this little girl of yours out into the world.”

“Oh, shit.” Tinker scrambled into position, scrunching his big frame into the space behind his mate, supporting her as Logan directed him. The moment he wrapped his arms around Lisa, he felt the pressure in her womb, shared the sense of their daughter’s journey into life.

Lisa clutched his hands and braced against him, using Tinker’s body for leverage. The strength in her grasp amazed and terrified him. He was suffused with fear—for his mate, for his baby, for himself. Then fear fled, leaving him overcome with awe—with the sense that women were so much stronger than men ever imagined—and the knowledge that their power came from their willingness to share, to help one another carry the load, bear the pain, achieve the impossible.

The women standing together about the bed held hands with one another. Their combined energy built upon itself until it became a physical presence in the room, empowered by each of them so willing to work together. Tinker couldn’t take his eyes off his mate—the concentration on her face, the power and strength of her as she pushed their daughter into the world.

Logan caught their little girl. All Tinker registered was a dark cap of black curls and their daughter’s look of pure
indignation at being thrust out of her perfectly warm womb. And then she was taking a deep breath, her tiny lungs expanding.

He kissed Lisa and carefully crawled off the bed. Standing over Logan, Tinker waited for his daughter’s cry, but she was quiet as her big eyes seemed to focus on all the faces in the room. He knew she couldn’t actually see anything yet, couldn’t really distinguish features, but when Logan had finished tying off the cord and wiping the afterbirth off her tiny body, when he finally handed her over to Tinker, Tink took his perfect little girl in his arms with a heart so full he felt as if it might break. She settled easily into his embrace and her dark eyes fastened on his face.

She stared at him, unblinking, for what felt like forever. And just like that, Tinker knew he’d lost his heart to yet another woman. Slowly he turned and sat on the bed beside Lisa. She reached out and touched their daughter, and then her fingers went straight to Tinker’s heart.

She pressed them against his chest. “I love you. She is so perfect. I hope she’s exactly like you.”

He shook his head, bemused by the emotions racing through him, the changes rushing over him.
Father.
He was this beautiful little girl’s father, and the responsibility, the joy, and the sense of completion was overwhelming.

Shaken, he handed her to Lisa. The others crowded around, each of them wanting to touch, to see, to experience this latest addition to the pack. The door slammed opened and Tala rushed in, followed by Mik and AJ. Anton stood in the doorway behind them, smiling at the crowd in the delivery room.

Tinker glanced up and caught Anton’s benevolent grin. He stood and walked over to the doorway, shook Anton’s outstretched hand. “Pretty mind-blowing experience. I still can’t believe she’s here.”

Anton laughed. “No one can tell you what it’s going to feel like, not until you hold your own perfect child for the
very first time. There is nothing to compare. Nothing.” He nodded toward Lisa. “How’d she do?”

“Wonderful.” Tinker chuckled. “Probably much better after they ran me off.”

“They merely suffer our presence,” Anton said, gesturing toward the women. “They really don’t need us once the breeding’s done.”

Keisha slipped between Tinker and Anton and wrapped her arms around her mate. “Yes, we do. You can reach stuff on the top shelf, carry heavy things.” She kissed his chin. “However would we make it without you?” She grabbed his hand and tugged. “Come see. She’s absolutely beautiful. I’m thinking maybe we need another one of these. What do you think?”

“What?” Anton shot a startled glance at Tinker and followed his mate.

Tinker’s gaze settled on Lisa and their daughter. No longer merely a man and his mate—he was now the head of a family. His very own. He stood outside the gathering and watched them all—the smiles, the laughter, his beautiful woman with their baby girl in her arms. He realized that, while he stood outside and observed, he was still very much a part of this amazing group.

He couldn’t help but think of the changes in his life, the difference between the man Ulrich Mason had hired right out of the military so many years ago and the man he was now.

There really was no comparison. He’d lived his life apart from the rest of the world, never feeling as if he belonged, not really sure just who or what he was. Now he knew. There was no doubt who Martin “Tinker” McClintock was—he was Lisa’s mate, this gorgeous little girl’s father.

He was Chanku, and very much a part of the pack.

Tala crawled into bed between Mik and AJ. The sun was high in the sky, but they’d been up all night while Lisa
labored and everyone but Tala got to be part of her special night.

It didn’t seem fair, damn it all, even though she fully understood Logan’s reasons for keeping her out of the birthing room, but that didn’t make her like it any better.

She was just so tired of being pregnant and it didn’t seem fair that Lisa had sailed through the whole process with a perfect pregnancy and a really wonderful delivery, while she was still fat and ungainly, with her swollen ankles and the never-ending need to pee.

And on top of that she was horny. She lay there between two of the sexiest men on Earth, two men who loved her and wanted her as much as she wanted them, and she couldn’t touch! While Lisa and Tinker had been able to fuck like teenagers up until just a couple of days ago, she’d been cut off for a couple of months because of spotting.

Having not one but two mates who were hung like a couple of bull elephants probably didn’t help, but Logan had told her she needed to lay off sex altogether. No climaxes. He didn’t want her uterus undergoing any strain at all.

Well, hell. What about frustration? That couldn’t be good for a pregnant lady, could it? And Goddess knew, she was frustrated as hell.

But were the guys? Hell, no. They had each other—all the time. She’d had to lie there and take it when they’d had sex for hours, the two of them making her even more frustrated. There was nothing worse for a woman in her condition than lying there and watching two absolutely gorgeous guys giving each other one orgasm after another.

No consideration. None at all for her condition. And her condition was definitely pissed. Very, very pissed.

She lay there on her back with her arms folded across her chest, while both babies practiced their soccer goals on her bladder. Her brain was absolutely boiling.

Then she heard Mik chuckling. And what sounded like
AJ choking on something. Blinking, she glanced from one side to the other. “You guys okay? What’s wrong?”

Mik let go with a snort and AJ just lay there and laughed.

Damn it, they’d been eavesdropping.

She was going to kill them. Definitely—no doubt in her mind. Mik and AJ were dead meat.

Tala didn’t remember falling asleep, and she wasn’t really certain exactly what woke her. Then she realized she was sleeping in a puddle.
Oh, crap. I didn’t wet the bed, did I?

How embarrassing. Mik slept soundly and so did AJ, but she’d have to wake them so they could change the sheets and …

Holy shit!

Tala’s entire body went rigid as the first hard contraction slammed across her midsection. Igmutaka scrambled to his feet and stood with his front paws on the bed. He sniffed Tala’s middle and stared at her with those beautiful cat’s eyes.
It is time. I’m going to call Logan.

Then he threw back his head and cut loose with a full-throated panther scream. Mik and AJ exploded out of bed.

“What the fuck?” Mik was on his feet, hands curled into fists, staring about wildly.

AJ tangled in the covers, fell off the bed, and ended up on his butt beneath Igmutaka’s back paws. “What’s wrong?”

Igmutaka cut loose with another powerful cry.

Tala wanted to laugh. Damn but she really wanted to laugh, except she felt another strong contraction rip across her belly. This wasn’t how Lisa’s labor went at all. Her sister said she’d had hours of nice, easy contractions that built slowly into a smooth and practically pain-free labor.

This hurt like holy hell!

The door flew open and Stefan stood there, bare assed and buck naked, his hair flying in all directions. “What’s wrong? What’s going on?”

Mik shook his head. “I think Ig’s trying to tell us Tala’s in labor. Honey? Are you okay?”

AJ touched the wet sheets. “Looks like her water broke.”

Tala sighed. The contraction was over. She wasn’t sure if she was more relieved about that or the fact she hadn’t peed in bed. Suddenly another strong contraction slammed into her. She grabbed Mik’s arm and AJ’s hand and curled into the pain.

And then, just like that, the pain was gone. Keisha and Xandi stood in the doorway. Keisha was tying her robe. Xandi had on a flannel nightgown that looked like something out of
Little House on the Prairie,
but both women muscled their way past Stefan and stood beside the bed.

A moment later, they each let out a huge breath. Keisha glanced at Stefan and grinned. “Want to find some pants, big boy?” Shaking his head, Stef chuckled and left. Keisha brushed Tala’s tangled hair back from her face. “How do you feel? Like you have to push? Are you that far along yet?”

Another contraction hit before she could answer, and again Keisha and Xandi caught the pain, shared it and eased Tala through it. When she could catch her breath she nodded. “It feels like one of the babies is ready to come already. But I just started contractions! They can’t be coming so soon.”

“Actually, they can.” Adam walked calmly into the room. Liana was right behind him.

Tala took one look at him and giggled. “Batman boxers? Adam! I never would have guessed.”

“Liana’s fashion sense needs some help.” He placed his hands on Tala’s round belly and closed his eyes. Then he shot a quick look at Liana. “Grab some clean towels out of the bathroom.”

Mik and AJ were both slipping into sweatpants when Anton stuck his head through the open doorway. “I’ve
called Logan. He’s on his way. Hey, Tala! Looks like you’re going to be the first to christen a guest room.”

“What?” Her voice cracked on the word and she knew her eyes had to be as big as saucers. “Shouldn’t I be in the clinic?” She felt another contraction coming, and this time there was no doubt in her mind about pushing. Mik crawled up behind her as Tinker had for Lisa. AJ hung on to her hand. Igmutaka had shifted and stood near the foot of the bed. His eyes were closed, his hands lifted before him as if he might be praying.

Jazzy, Shannon, and Manda showed up, all of them pushing tangled hair from their faces, tying their robes, taking her pain. With Adam directing, Mik helped her into a squatting position. It seemed more natural to her, like she actually knew what she was doing.

Fat chance of that, but she felt a need to bear down and she did, and it was Igmutaka who was there beside Adam, his big hands surprisingly gentle as he caught her first baby.

Mik’s daughter. Adam cut the cord while Igmutaka held the tiny little girl and then Jazzy helped wipe away the afterbirth. Her baby opened her mouth and cut loose with a loud cry.

“Ohmygod.” Tala almost forgot to breathe. “Mik, just look at her!”

Mik stayed where he was as Igmutaka carried their daughter to the bedside, but before Tala even got a chance to get a good look at her little girl, she felt the next one coming.

Logan arrived as she cut loose with a curse. His hands on her were gentle as she pushed, and then pushed again, and it felt like there had to be blood vessels breaking all over her body as she strained to deliver the second of her twins.

“Tala.” Logan raised his head and stopped her with a glance. “Back off a little. I need to turn him. He’s got shoulders like a damned linebacker.”

Huffing and panting, Tala fought the horrible urge to push. She glared at AJ. “You are so gonna pay for this!”

AJ’s eyes went wide but he didn’t say a word. Tala figured that was probably his smartest course of action as Logan reached between her legs. She felt his hands working at something, felt pressure, but the pain was far away and she realized the crowd had grown and even the men were linking hands now, holding on with their women, all of them helping this next baby into the world.

“Now, Tala! Push! You can do it.” Adam grabbed AJ and pulled him over to the end of the bed. Logan moved aside, and it was AJ catching the little boy with those big shoulders, AJ holding his son in his arms. He cuddled him close against his naked chest, oblivious to blood and afterbirth, as Logan cut the cord and tied it.

Tala got a glimpse of coal black hair and fair skin and then Mik was helping her to lie down, and Logan was doing something else between her legs that didn’t interest her at all. Not when Igmutaka was putting her baby girl to one breast and AJ was putting her son to the other.

Mik still held her cradled in his lap with one arm supporting his daughter. Ig had moved to the side of the bed, where he sat and stared at the baby girl, and AJ supported their baby boy as he rooted and snorted in search of Tala’s nipple.