Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
DAWSON
The contractions started just after midnight.
Parker had been restless all evening, pacing the living room with one hand pressed to his lower back. I'd watched him carefully and my wolf was on alert. We recognized the signs after reading all the baby books I could get my hands on, though I wasn't sure Parker understood it was almost go time.
"Dawson." His voice was strained. "I think maybe…"
He doubled over, gripping the back of the couch, and I was there in an instant.
"Breathe," I whispered as I placed my hand on his back. "Breathe through it like we were taught." His eyes locked on mine and we got through the contraction.
Parker straightened slowly. "That's the third one in the last hour."
"You're in labor." My wolf was already pushing at me, urging me to look after our mate. "The baby's coming."
Parker gulped and he gripped my hand. "Now? But we still have two weeks."
"Babies come when they're ready." I guided him toward the bedroom, where we'd set up everything the midwife had recommended. We had clean towels, plastic sheeting, pillows and wash cloths. I'd made sure we had everything we'd need for a home birth. "You're doing great. Let's get you comfortable."
The next few hours passed as Parker experienced contractions that got closer and became stronger.
He tried different positions including walking along the hallway, leaning against the wall, and sitting on the birthing ball we'd bought.
I stayed with him through each one, timing them, and doing the breathing technique the midwife had taught us.
Over and over I told him how proud I was of him.
But as dawn approached and the contractions intensified, the pain was wearing him down. His face was pale and his forehead was lined with sweat. His cries and whimpers during each contraction cut through me like claws. And I wished I could take his pain away.
"I can't," he gasped after a particularly brutal one. "Dawson, I can't do this."
"Yes, you can." I pressed a cool cloth to his forehead. "You're so strong and each contraction brings our baby closer."
"It hurts." Tears tracked down his cheeks. "So much."
My wolf whined, desperate to comfort our mate. And suddenly, I knew what to do.
"Parker, look at me." I waited until his pain-glazed eyes focused on mine. "I want to try something. My wolf wants to help."
We'd discovered, sort of my accident, that my beast's fur soothed Parker. Sometimes when the baby was kicking late at night, I'd get a little furry and rest my arm on or brush my chest over my mate's belly. And he'd go straight to sleep.
"If I let him through partially, just enough for his fur, would that help? You could hold onto my arm during contractions."
Parker's head bobbed up and down. "Yes. Please. Anything."
I closed my eyes and reached for my wolf, but instead of shifting fully, I held us in between.
It was enough that thick fur sprouted along my arms and on my chest. I remained in human form and could still hold Parker and help him through the contractions but now I could offer the comfort my wolf was desperate to give.
"Oh, yes." Parker's hand immediately went to my arm and tangled his fingers in the dark fur. "Oh, that's... that's better."
The next contraction hit, and he grabbed onto me with his face pressed against my fur-covered chest. I felt him breathe in my scent and some of the tension left his body even as he rode out the pain.
I murmured against his hair, "That's so good, Parker. Breathe through it. Both me and my wolf are here for you."
"I didn't know I needed you both." Parker's voice was muffled against my chest. "Tell him thank you."
My wolf was satisfied to finally be useful and comforting our mate when he needed us most.
The labor continued long the night and Parker alternated between positions, always keeping one hand on my fur.
He walked the room during contractions, gripping my arm.
He leaned against me and buried his face in the fur at my neck.
He laughed once, exhausted and slightly delirious, saying he felt like he had two birth coaches though one couldn't talk back.
"He can hear you," I assured him. "And he's very proud of you."
"Tell him I'm very tired of being pregnant."
"Your pregnancy is about to end and your lifetime of a father is about to begin."
Around four in the morning, the contractions changed, and Parker's breathing became more urgent.
"I need to push," he whimpered. "How am I going to push a baby out of me?"
I brushed my lips over his brow. "You can do this." I helped him onto all fours, "Listen to your body and push when you need to."
Parker bore down with the next contraction, a low groan tearing from his throat. His fingers dug into my fur, holding on as though I was the anchor to his world.
"You're doing amazing," I assured him. "Not long now." I didn't know how long it would be but from everything I'd read, we were getting close.
He gave another push and another. The sky outside was beginning to lighten as the first hints of dawn were streaking across the horizon.
"I can see the head," I squealed as emotion threatened to overwhelm me. "Parker, the baby's head is right there. One more big push and the head will be out."
Parker took a deep breath, and pushed. The exertion was evident on his face as bore down. The baby's head emerged, and then with the next contraction, the shoulders, and suddenly I was catching a tiny, wriggling, perfect little body.
"It's a girl," I choked out as my voice thick with tears. "Parker, we have a daughter."
She let out a furious wail, and my wolf applauded her strong healthy lungs. I placed her on Parker's chest and he sobbed as he brought his hands up to cradle her tiny body.
"Hi," Parker whispered. "Hi, baby. We're your dads and we are so excited to meet you. Welcome to the family."
I let my wolf recede, the fur disappearing as I returned fully to my human form. Parker held our daughter for the first time and I put my arms around both of them. Salty tears slid onto my lips and I licked them off. I hadn't been aware I was crying.
"I love you," I whispered against his lips. "You were incredible."
"I love you too." His exhausted voice told the story of what he'd just done.
I kissed him again, and his hand came up to cup my cheek as his thumb brushed away the tears.
Our little girl was so cute. Dark hair was plastered to her head and her eyes were squeezed shut against the brightness of the world.
Her little fists waved in the air as if she was telling us she didn't want to be here.
But Parker whispered to her and I was certain she recognized his voice and she calmed.
I covered them both with a blanket, proud of my mate and our strong little cub.
Parker looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. "Her name is Orianna. It means dawn and she was born at dawn."
"Orianna," I repeated, reaching out to touch one tiny fist. She immediately gripped my finger. Her hold was surprisingly firm for someone so small. "Hello, Orianna. We love you so much."
We stayed like that as the sun rose with the three of us tangled together.
Parker was exhausted and he handed Orianna to me and I wrapped her in a towel and took her to the window so the morning light streamed over her.
My heart was so full I thought it might burst and if my wolf could cry real tears, he would have.
"She has your eyes," Parker said quietly. "Look, they're the same emerald green."
He was right. Our daughter was much more alert and focused than what I'd read in the baby books. It was probably a shifter trait, passed down through me.
"She's going to be a handful," I said, but I couldn't stop smiling.
"Good thing she has two dads who can keep up with her." Parker pressed a kiss to Orianna's forehead. "Thank you for the fur thing. It really helped."
"My wolf wanted to comfort you." I leaned in to kiss Parker's temple. "He loves you. Both of you."
"We love him too." Parker looked down at our daughter. "You hear that, Orianna? You have the best dad and the best wolf-dad. You're going to be so spoiled."
Orianna made a tiny sound that might have been an agreement, and we both laughed.
Outside, the sun had fully risen. It was a new day and we were a brand new family. Nothing would ever be the same and I couldn't wait to see what came next.