Rejected Mate and Following Fate - Awakening Book

I wake up to the gnawing and strange aching sensation travelling across my belly and try to turn over to relieve whatever it is. Struggling now my bump is fully formed and weighing me down while Colton’s arm across me isn’t helping any. The room is completely dark and silent, so it must still be the middle of the night and his even, peaceful breathing signals he’s out cold.

I maneuver his forearm up over my boobs and manage to roll sideways away from him, so my butt is jutted against his groin to stop my stomach hanging over the edge of the mattress and get frustrated at my inability to move around like a normal human anymore.

I have reached that stage where I’m just begging them to come out quickly because I can’t take much more of this endless beached whale sensation. It has limited any kind of movement and being independent. I feel like my days consist of peeing multiple times, being eternally hungry, cranky and uncomfortable and burst into tears over the most insane things.

I still haven’t quite settled into sleeping in our new room over here in the valley either. New surroundings, new atmosphere and new bearings to get used to once again. It’s been three weeks after the renovations were done and yet, I still don’t feel like it’s home. I miss the homestead, where Sierra and Radar decided to stay and govern in our absence, now they are planning to produce pups and live happily ever after. In their cocoon bubble of love where life is rosy, and they want to raise siblings for Colton under the shadow of the now vampire free mountain.

The pack split and some stayed over there for the peaceful rural life they have nurtured, although a vast amount came home to be reunited with the valley wolves, and things have been slowly becoming normal. Rebuilding, fixing, bonding once more.

“Ahhhhh” I let out an involuntary groan as shooting stabbing pain rips across my lower pelvis and grip Colton’s arm so tight I almost pierce him with my nails. It’s bone achingly awful as pain goes and try as I might to bear down and grit my teeth I can’t hold it in.

“What is it? I’m up, I’m awake…. What’s going on?” Colton’s frantic scramble to upright, his eyes instantly amber as he scans the room for danger and realizes I am the one assaulting him as he relaxes back down. Pulling me to him in a protective hold.

“Pain.” I murmur, pushing the words out in a strangled breath, screwing my eyes shut and release his forearm from my grip to point downwards at my stomach with a jerky motion. It’s about all I am capable of doing.

“As in….. are you? Tonight?” Colton’s tone swiftly shifts from sleep addled and confused to panic ridden. His brain shifting into alert as he realizes what this could be.

“Hmmmm” is the only reply I can give as I try to deal with this cramping. It’s like having my periods, only amped up by fifty times the pain. And everywhere, not just my abdomen.

“Okay, okay… do you want to get up, lay different. Shall I go get the midwife? Do you need a massage, a hug, or something to grip?” Colton goes into nervous overdrive, spewing out every instruction he memorized from our birth lessons with the midwife the past couple of months. Suddenly awake and buzzing and ready for action.

“Shhhh” I raise my finger to my lips, screwing my eyes tighter and try and quieten him down while I bear this internal agony. Every single sense and urge in me is crying to turn wolf to help ease it but I know I can’t. I’m fighting that inner need to protect myself from something excruciating. Even though I’m in labor and the danger to them is probably no longer an issue now they are fully formed, I can’t risk it. I have to birth my pups in human form.

“I’ll link her. I’ll get her here fast.” He whispers it gently and starts patting my shoulder as I breathe through what feels like my insides twisting into knots, and then slowly subside very gradually until I can bear it again, before fading to a low ache. It goes form storm to gentle waves in minutes but for the one suffering, it felt like hours.

“It’s passing” I exhale heavily and my whole body begins to relax again, away from the tense wooden posture I was holding without realizing. Colton moves away from me and starts arranging the bed covers and places a cushion under my feet to get me into a comfortable position.

“If this is the start, then it’s going to be a long night, baby. They’re coming. I asked Meds and Carmen to come too as I know you want them both here. Tell me what you need.” Colton seems like he’s in control and on form as bossy Alpha, but I can feel his angsty tension radiating at epic levels and the slight tremor in his voice gives him away.

“It might come to nothing. They said we could have false starts.”

around the bed and tucks me in, feeling my forehead

the moon and stars while we wait.” I have no idea why, but I feel like it will keep me calm while waiting to see if this pain

sky and a full moon to set the mood. The air is crystal clear, no clouds in the sky and it’s almost a perfect night for stargazing. The sky

infirmary?” Colton walks back to

the babies come first. I won’t die, I know this. I have Colton with

before, so fast considering it’s only been minutes since

and blot out the world by closing my eyes and focusing on the agony that’s ripping me up inside. I didn’t know what I expected childbirth to feel like, but this wasn’t it. There’s nothing

here tonight.” Colton can only talk at me while stroking my hair, empathizing what he can see me experiencing. The pain of childbirth is one of the only pains that a mate doesn’t share. Wolves in labor need protection, so their mates are spared the bonded agony so they can watch over and help them through

Disinterested in thinking, feeling anything around me and not really caring about who is here and not when all I can focus on is getting through

will never forgive me if he isn’t here for the birth. He has far to come.” Colton changes from stroking to kneading my shoulders and back and yanks the duvet away when he feels

anything else as the intensity ups and I hit the peak of the contraction. Murmuring and moaning as the worst pain I have ever felt in my life rips through me and I spasm involuntarily. All I can do is cling onto the edge of the mattress and grit my teeth, body

with magic…do you want me to try?” Colton’s tone

don’t know if that will slow it down and

How can I ease this? A bath… walking around? What about some kind of pain med from the midwife?” Colton’s stress levels grow and yet I honestly cannot do anything about it. I am so hyper focused on being trapped inside my own body with this horrible cramping and twisting. All I can do is breathe in short pants and try and remember everything they told me when preparing for birth. I

through the nose, nice and slow, and out through the

and it’s all I can do to

know your sore baby, and I’m probably annoying you but I’m a

contraction ever grows into minutes. I don’t know how it’s

They’re coming. I won’t leave

room without knocking, in a frenzy of chaos as someone falls in behind her and a yelp of more bodies outside our bedroom

than ever. Doorways can barely contain it anymore.” Carmen shoves Meadow in further and falls over her for a second time, missing face planking the floor by an inch as her beloved mate catches the back of her clothes and stops her midair. Jasper pulls her into his arms and

you do things at normal speed, and I wouldn’t forever be stopping you from injuring yourself.” Jasper croons at her, hooks his arm around her

and is met with Jaspers raised palm, a sign of defeat and

means you look amazing, and the new baby weight is starting to show.” He smiles with that charming smooth way of his, the

that much bigger.” Meadow spits sarcastically and throws her hair over one shoulder in a

see what I do. I guess you’re one of

is as sexy as ever and she’s just keeping our baby fed. More to cuddle and she suits the curves.” Cesar appears amid them and motions for them all to back out as he catches Colton’s glare and my wide-eyed look of panic from our

to get in.” Cesar apologizes in his usual calm and