Saint Ives Whelan Chronicles Ch. 21

I did tell Fran. Is there a way I can let her know, not to tell Nick yet? At least as long as he doesn't ask her. Last thing I want is to cause trouble between them. And we're going baby shopping this week too. She's over the moon about that news.

Now you believe me when I said everything would will turn out fine? Chris pulled her even closer, his lips trailing over her temples.

Yes, I do. I feel really complete now. A place to really call home. You are home to me, Chris.

Chris didn't reply but picked her up and set her down between his legs, so Mia lay against his chest. His arms snuggled around her waist and pulled her taut to his body. Mia smiled as she felt his arousal prodding her backside.

Chris! Can't you ever think about something else? she mockingly said.

When you're around? Nope, but no worries, I'll contain myself until we're back home.

Not much later you could hear the last group arriving. Excited yelps and barks could be heard a mile away, clear evidence the young pups were enjoying their run. For some it was their first run. Peeking behind her, Mia kept a close look on the forest as the first few larger pups came bustling through the bushes, followed by the smaller and younger ones.

The heavy panting by most was another sign they were glad their run was finished. Most of them huddled together in a big heap of fur and tried to find a comfortable position to lie down in. Some just jumped onto the big pile of pups and wiggled their way in between them.

Mia smiled as she felt the content feelings of the pups spread around them. Scanning her surroundings she saw many of the pack look at the pups with pride in their eyes. Smiling she knew in a year or two her own pup would be part of that.

Shifting her attention back to the little group around her she didn't notice the last three pups emerging from the forest. She didn't see how they scanned their surroundings. Mia missed how one of the pups picked up where Fran was and made a beeline towards their group.

The three little ones stopped their fast approach and changed to silent mode, carefully making their way close to the group. Suddenly there were a lot of yelps as Mia found her lap filled with a little pup that had a multitude of colors. Surprised yet carefully she put her arms around the little one, halting its wriggling and tenderly scratched its belly.

His or her, she didn't quite know its gender yet, tongue was lolling out of its mouth as she kept scratching at its belly. Looking around she saw a big black pup cradled in Fran's arms. On her other side she saw Ed holding a dark orangey red pup. To her Ed always seemed to keep his distance, despite his good natured jokes and character, but what she saw now just made him adorable.

He only had eyes for the tiny bundle in his arms. Mia smiled as the little pup stood on its hind legs and started licking Ed all over his face, then burying it's snout in the crook of his neck. Ed never stopped the little one, a sign he trusted him or her completely. Tenderly Ed was stroking the fur. Maybe there is more to him than meets the eye, Mia thought.

Not much later the three little ones wriggled loose and all went and sat in front of Fran. Chris bent over and whispered in her ear, "The rusty one is Robin, she's the smart one. The black one is Damon, he's the eldest of the daredevils. The third one is William, but we all call him Bill."

"Thanks, they're adorable."

"Adorable? Wait until you get to know them better, there is a reason why we refer to them as daredevils, my sweet," Chris chuckled as he spoke.

Damon, the big black one, took a step towards Fran and nudged her leg. The other two flanked him on either side and were wagging their tails like mad. Again Damon nudged Fran.

Seeing the understanding look between Nick and Fran, she was sure Nick knew what the little ones wanted and was telling Fran. Her hunch was right because a few seconds later Fran stood up and loosened her towel. The next moment a beautiful white wolf stood in front of them.

Fran sat down and quickly the three pups gathered around her and snuggled up close. Mia smiled at the motherly behavior of Fran as she licked and groomed all three of them before resting her head on her front paws, not bothered by the little ones moving around her.

Mia's eyes widened in surprise as she heard Nick say, "I'll be damned. It seems we don't have to call in Merlin."

Chris must have felt it as he told her, The triplets haven't shifted before, which is quite uncommon. If it lasted much longer we were planning on asking Merlin for help, to see if he knew of a reason why they're not shifting. They seem to have developed a liking for Fran, Nick told me before. It's nice seeing their human form for the first time.

They saw Nick shift to wolf form and trot away to return with a pair of dark brown wolves. All went back to their human form and it was clear to see from whom the kids had gotten their golden blond locks from.

"It's ok, just stay there," the mother said to Fran who wanted to sit up. "I don't know what you did, but I'm forever in your debt. I dreamed of the day they would finally shift, I was starting to get really worried, whether they were able to or not," their mother spoke politely.

The little ones picked up on the sound of their parent and all got up. It was a wobbly affair as for the first time they moved on two legs. Swiftly they tried to make their way towards their parents who greeted them with wide open arms.

Mia heard the little girl softly ask her daddy to wait as she wriggled free of his hold. Robin ran to Fran and whispered something into her ear before running back to her daddy. As one the family turned and walked away to enjoy the first shift of their children.

Soon that is going to be us too. Mia crawled onto Chris' lap and wrapped her arms around his torso. I can hardly wait to just hold our little bundle of joy.

Me neither, was Chris' reply.

Eight months later :

Mia cursed, everything was still fine at Nick and Fran's wedding. She had played her part as bridesmaid to perfection even if she already was sporting a large bump. The Greek based toga dresses made it so she didn't feel constricted. The other bridesmaids had worn the same dress in a different color. But by now she was not happy with how large her tummy had grown. She couldn't shift anymore and she barely slept because she couldn't find a position that was comfortable.

Biting her teeth, she grabbed the door as suddenly a cramp went through her abdomen followed by a vivid kick of the little one inside of her tummy. Breathing through the pain, she finally relaxed as she felt it ebb away. She shook her head as she saw the damage she caused by gripping the door. Time for a new one I guess.

Focusing on her breathing she waggled towards the living room and gently sat down on the supersized couch. She remembered the argument when they were shopping for a new one. Chris wanted a dark square one, but she wanted something more uplifting and bright. The one she now sat on was their compromise. One, she admitted with a small smile, they kept paying back to each other multiple times.

The big plus of this couch was they could order new covers for it. Gently rubbing her belly she thought back with much amusement about all the times they had used this couch already and had to replace the coverings. Over time their lovemaking had turned more tender as her tummy grew and the little boy inside of her made his presence known on a regular basis.

As time went on and her relationship with Chris grew tighter, he learned a few new abilities. One he really loved using while making love to her. Only the fact that he made her orgasm like there was no tomorrow made her let him use magic during their love play. Happily she reminisced over all the things they did, how he pushed her limits time after time, still being considerate of their unborn pup.

Secretly she admitted that she was looking forward to having no limits whatsoever. Sure he didn't hold back anymore, but she loved the tender roughness between them. Now he still let go, but always made sure she was comfortable and wouldn't feel restricted. Since their first run together he hadn't tied her up anymore. She missed those little things and they were slowly driving her nuts.

She wanted her man and wolf 200% and being pregnant prevented her from having that. Mia wanted to move forward in time, get passed the impending birth and just hold and cuddle her baby. Happy thoughts, she reminded herself, just before another cramp almost made her double over in pain. She realized these weren't just cramps but her baby wanting to be born.

CHRIS! Get home! NOW! she screamed through their bond.

What's wrong, Mia? came his immediate reply.

Mia was breathing heavy as the painful contraction hit her head on. Huffing and puffing her way through it she just said, He's coming!.

Not a second later Chris appeared in the living room, his face filled with concern.

"How long has this been going on, sweetie?" he said in a strained voice, gently trying to get her up.

"Not long," she huffed. Relaxing against her mate as she felt the contraction ebb away she sighed, relieved. "My back was hurting just like all the other days. Only five minutes ago the contractions must have started. They hurt," she said, pointing at the doorway.

Chris looked at what she was pointing at and smiled. "That is the least of my worries. All I want is for you to be comfortable. You know we're going to have to go to the compound? I just want you as close as possible to our medical facilities just in case."

"Yeah, yeah, just do it quick, before another one comes," Mia replied eagerly, holding Chris close. She tried to relax more as she felt the tiny bundle in her stomach kick against her kidneys. "OH fu- grr, do you really have to kick there?" she said in a pained voice, trying to soothe the pains the little one caused.

"Hold on to me, I'll get us there in an instant," Chris said soothingly.

A few seconds later they appeared in their bedroom in their estate house. In preparation for this day they always made sure their bedroom was free of any clutter so teleporting there was never an issue.

Carefully he lay her down on their oversized bed.

"Chris, I'm going to need some towels. My water hasn't broke yet." Her face turned sour as she suddenly felt her clothing getting soaking wet. "Scratch that; just get me into the shower and replace these sheets," she ordered.

All this time Chris patiently and silently did what she told him. He wouldn't dream of doing anything against her wishes right now and if it meant she would be ordering him around, then so be it. Getting a clean set of sheets, he took some towels with him as well as her dressing robe.

"Come, let us see if we can move you for a little bit and get you out of these wet clothes. If you can manage to sit in the chair for a few minutes then I'll remake the bed," he coaxed her.

"Just carefully. I knew a birth wasn't painless, but this? Never again!" she replied a bit angry, not at Chris, but at her inability to fight of the pain.

Holding her carefully, he put her down in front of the big rocking chair. Swiftly he undressed her, trying not to look at her lush form. He loved how she filled out as her pregnancy progressed. He just dropped her wet clothes where she stood. Lifting her hands to his shoulders he dropped to one knee and with a towel he did his best to dry off her legs and backside.

Standing up, he grabbed her robe and held it out for her. Once she had it on, he loosely tied it around her. Catching him off guard, she bent over double as another contraction came over her. Grasping his forearms, Mia grunted as the pain traveled through her entire body.

Chris on the other hand stood rock still, doing his very best not to let her know how much her grip was paining him. He couldn't take it away, but he could help carry the burden. Focusing on the wall, he concentrated on his breathing until he could block out the pain then he looked down and saw the pure agony written all over her face.

Didn't they say your first birth always took a long time? Chris thought. "Are you ok?" he asked once he felt her death grip loosen.

"Almost, need a few to get through this one." Wrapping her arms around him she rested her head against his chest, hearing a fast but steady heartbeat.

"Ok, when you're ready we'll see about making you sit down comfortably so I can redo the bed, deal?" Chris asked, gently rubbing her back. He noticed the last few weeks had been hard on her. He had tried his best to pamper her whenever he could. Independent as she was, she brushed off most of his attempts to make things easier. Only the backrubs she allowed him to do.

"I'm fine now. Let me sit. You go do the bed." With more force than intended she shoved him away. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Hush, it's ok," he cut her off. "Just sit down and try to relax. I can take a shove or a push, I'm not made out of porcelain," he added, giving her a wink trying to make her laugh.

"Still..."

"Sweetie, you are carrying our son and more than once he has made it quite clear he needs more room-"

"My kidneys are a testament of that! Once they're back in place he just kicks them away again!" she interrupted him.

"Well, now is the time he's going to get what he made so perfectly clear these last few days. If in the process you feel the need to push, scream, tear things apart to get him into this world safely, then so be it. So hush, sit and let me do the bedding then I can carry you over and hopefully you'll feel more comfortable then," he lectured his mate and soon-to-be mom.

He hurried along pulling off the sheets, placing some towels over the wet spots, making a mental note to get a new mattress, and covered everything with clean sheets. Giving himself a few seconds to appreciate his handiwork he then turned to Mia and carefully picked her up and carried her to the bed.

With one knee on it he gently put her down in the middle, propping several pillows behind her back to support her. Sitting next to her, he held her hand in his, his thumb rubbing tiny circles in the palm of her hand. This was another neat trick he learned that helped calm her down. And at this very moment he would use any trick he knew if that meant making anything easier on her.

"You think you're going to be all right?" he asked.

"Just as long as you stay here I'll be fine."

"Ok, I'm just going to make a call so the pack doctor can come over and check up on you."

Getting off the bed he searched his pockets for his cell phone. Once located he flipped it open and pressed speed dial, he had added that number from the moment Mia's pregnancy was getting harder on her. Waiting while it rang at the other end, he looked at his mate in their bed. Her face was flushed from the intensity of her contractions.

"Hello, Doctor Alicia speaking," came a soft voice from the other end of the line.

"Hi Doc, it's Chris. It seems very likely Mia has started labor. We're at our pack estate right now and I was hoping you could come over to check up on her. Her water has just broken. I can't say much about the contractions. Since I'm with her she's only had one, sorry make that two," he added as he turned hearing a grunt and looking at Mia on her side, huffing her way through another one.

Stepping next to the bed he'd almost forgotten he was holding his phone as he reached out his hand to comfort her. Faintly he heard the doctor say she was on her way before he flipped it closed and threw it in the direction of the bedside table.

He crawled up the bed and spooned her, leaving enough room for him to massage her back to help her through the pain.

"You're doing fine, sweetie, just a little while longer. The doc is going to be here soon, then we'll know more." Whispering one encouragement after the other he soothed her and finally she relaxed against him. She had won the battle once more.

Her eyes closed, she luxuriated in his embrace. She reminded herself to make sure to reward him later on for he was putting up with a lot.

A soft but firm knock was heard.

"Enter," Chris said, knowing it could only be the doctor.

A small, slender woman entered with a smile on her face, her grey hairs neatly pulled back in a ponytail.

"I see the first of the new Whelan generation is preparing to grace us with its presence?" she noted. "I'm glad you're settled in nicely. Think you can manage lying on your back while I do the medical checkup? Being a were it shouldn't be a problem, but we know you're only having one baby and by the looks of it it's going to be a big one too." Giving a sly wink to Chris the doctor smiled. "It so reminds me of when they were little. The baby must take after its dad."

During her little speech Chris had eased back and carefully helped Mia roll over. With one leg pulled under him, he kept sitting next to her, her hand tightly in his own. His eyes intently on the doctor he wanted to make sure he didn't miss any sign of anything possibly going or being wrong.

"Just pull up your legs, put your feet together and then let them fall open," Doctor Alicia spoke in a soothing voice.

Alicia pushed against the robe so it just went past her knees.

"Ok now I want you to relax so I can check internally how far along you are and if the baby is descending properly. Just breath in and out, look at me. You know this won't hurt. It's the same like all the other checkups, you know that," Alicia kept speaking with that soothing voice.

Mia focused on the sweet voice that lulled her senses, making her forget the stabs of pain searing through her body. A birth was painful, but she never could imagine it would be like this. Vaguely she registered Chris stroking her hand soothingly.

"Oh this a surprise. You're further than you would think you are, my dear. Are you sure you didn't have contractions before?" Alicia asked.

"No, I got a big one, like I had more these past weeks. I went to the couch and once there another one hit me. That's when I called in Chris and here we are. My water broke, he changed the sheets and got me settled. So what's wrong then?" Mia asked in a shaky voice.

"Nothing is wrong. I'm just guessing the pains you had previously were already contractions. You're practically fully dilated. By the looks of it this little one will be born pretty fast, he's an eager one." Alicia checked the position of the baby by gently, but firmly, pressing on the big bump, locating the legs, bum and arms.

"He's all set to be born, so when the next contraction comes try breathing through it, no pushing yet, that's for the next one," Alicia cooed.

Not a second after those words were spoken Mia grasped for Chris' hand and started puffing and groaning through the pain as another contraction soared through her abdomen.

"Breathe, sweetie, you can do this," Chris coached her, holding her one hand as he softly stroked her head with his other one.

Glaring at him angrily she spit out, "You're not the one that has to push this baby out of your body. So shut up!"

Chris silently counted to ten, all the while holding her hand, trying not to show she was almost breaking the bones in his hand. Together with Mia he let out a sigh of relief when the contraction was over. With care he replaced his aching hand with his other. Behind his back, out of sight for Mia, he stretched the other one a few times, making sure all the bones were where they were supposed to be.

Little escaped Mia as she put her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry, love, I didn't mean to squeeze that hard." Holding out her hand, she motioned for him to place his hurt hand in hers. Softly she kissed each knuckle. "I can make it better if you want?"