I didn’t want to think of that. He would find his mate. I was sure of it.
For the time being, I stuck with my review on birthing babies and not knowing if it would help at all with Delilah. She had grown large in just a few weeks, and she was more and more uncomfortable by the day.
I measured her uterus today, and she was measuring large, forty-three weeks, and we did not know the exact time of conception.
“Give me the diagnosis, doc. When am I going into labor?” Hawke helped Delilah sit up on the table and wiped her forehead. She was sweating, panting, and definitely having trouble breathing because of the weight of the baby.
“I wish we had an ultrasound so I could at least have an idea how large the baby is going to be, but I’m just going to go with outside measurements. This being a wolf-shifter, I don’t know if I am helping much at all.” I pulled off the glove where I had just checked her cervix.
Hawke rubbed her belly and nuzzled into Delilah’s neck. “Well, from a human standpoint, how is she?”
“Baby is healthy, strong heartbeat, but I worry how large you are right now. At some point, the placenta won’t work properly, and we don’t want that.”
Hawke pressed his lips together. “What do you suggest?”
“Strip her membranes,” I said matter-of-factly. “She is two centimeters dilated. It will be easy to do. My mother also has some primrose tea she could drink as well to soften up her cervix. I think we will see a baby very soon after that.” I smiled, patting Delilah’s knee.
“Good, because this kid is killing my ribs.” A powerful kick could be seen from her stomach. I winced.
Yeah, that would not happen in a human pregnancy.
“Then let’s do this. I’ll have you lay back, and you are going to feel me prodding at your cervix again. It will be slightly uncomfortable.”
I took my gloves off again and left the room for Hawke to help Delilah get dressed. I knew that within twenty-four hours she would go into labor. How long of a labor was the question.
“There you are. You were taking forever.” Bear rounded the corner and picked me up. “You smell like Delilah and Hawke.” He wrinkled his nose.
“Yeah, I’ve been in her vagina. What do you expect?”
Bear made a face and led me down the stairs. Grim had four square tables put together with a large map of the town, the bar, and the forest behind it. Grim was outlining areas with a highlighter and putting red dots in various places.
“What’s going on?” I asked as we approached.
“We needed more land,” Grim grunted. “I’m sketching out the new boundaries.”
The original boundaries showed a wide extension of forest, but now it was tripled.
The fae clan, my clan I guess I should say, had not necessarily taken over the forest, but have helped the trees grow just by their presence. Fae hold more power as a group than we had all realized, and winter melted in an instant in town and in the forest.
The flowers bloomed, and the sun seemed brighter over the temperate climate. It was going to draw attention, especially how the fae were now practicing powers they had not used in many years in preparation to storm the mansion across the country.
Tajah created a glamour over the territory to keep any human wandering eyes away. Now they saw nothing but an empty forest, but it was a glamour that wouldn’t last forever. Tajah created weekly castings, and with just her alone, it could take a toll on the body.
Tajah hoped that when Bram found a mate, restoring his power, he could create our territory with an unbreakable barrier so no human eyes would ever be able to find it. That was all with high hopes he found a mate soon as well.
“H-how can the Iron Fang afford all that land?” I asked.
Bear put his hand on my shoulder and pressed a kiss to my head.
Journey pulled out a chair for me to sit on. “All the businesses that Locke and Grim started and gave to members,” Journey added. “Plus, Locke has a fair amount put away for a rainy day.”
I twisted my mouth trying to put it together. There was a cleaning business, apartments, the gym, the bar, the magic, and mechanic shop. Even with all those businesses running, surely they couldn’t afford that.
“That’s a story Locke should tell,” Hawke answered the rising questions in my mind.
Delilah wobbled beside him until he pulled out a chair for her to sit.
Bear rubbed my arms up and down. “Locke is a good wolf, if a bit eccentric. He protects his own even when he doesn’t have the strength to. We owe him everything.”
