Wolf Lake Ch. 08

Natasha woke and stared up into the dark waiting. She could hear Roland breathing quietly beside her and the pack, while not completely silent, had settled for the night. It was late, well past two o'clock in the morning if she had to guess, when the contractions started. At least, she thought they were contractions. She wasn't sure what to expect never having given birth before.

A moment later and she was convinced; she was in labor. The contractions started low, almost in the small of her back, before crossing over the front of her abdomen and settling low in her pelvis. It didn't hurt, not exactly, but the promise of pain was there.

The women of the pack had warned her that a first baby always took its time. Labor could last for days as her body struggled to bring forth the life she and Roland had created. Knowing that there was time, Natasha curled up next to her mate and waited.

An hour later and things had started to tighten painfully. The contractions, no longer a low ache in her back, caused her to catch her breath before trying to breathe through them. "Roland," Natasha gave her mate a gentle nudge. "Roland, it's time."

"Hm? What?" Roland rolled over and tried to snuggle up to his mate, instinctively cradling himself around her pregnant belly.

"It's time," Natasha said and took a deep breath as another contraction started to build.

"Time for what?" Roland really wasn't at his best first thing in the morning and his internal clock was telling him to go back to sleep.

Natasha couldn't answer; she was too busy trying to breathe.

The fog finally cleared from his brain enough for Roland to sense something was wrong. "Tasha?" Sitting up, he pulled back the blanket to find her curled up on her side, one hand on her belly the other gripping the sheets, panting her way through a contraction. "Son of a..." Roland bolted to the entrance to their alcove, "Nafarius! Sam! It's time!"

"Don't go," Natasha called out, afraid he would leave to get help.

Roland knelt down beside his mate; carefully, he helped her to sit up, bracing her back against his chest. "I'm not going anywhere. When did they start?" he asked.

Natasha took a deep breath as the last of the contraction passed. "About an hour ago."

"Why didn't you wake me?"

"They weren't that bad," she said. "The other women warned me that this could take a while, I wanted to let you sleep as long as possible."

Roland hugged her to his chest. "You should have told me right away."

"Roland, can we come in?" Sam asked quietly.

"Of course," Roland said, grateful to see Sam peeking her head into the alcove.

Sam stepped into the small alcove followed closely by her mate Nafarius. With her heightened sense of sight she was able to see where Tasha lay in Roland's arms. She was wearing one of his large button down shirts but even that wasn't big enough to cover her belly. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm good," Natasha said, rubbing one hand over her belly. "I'm definitely ready to meet this little one."

Sam smiled. "Good." Looking around she took in the close quarters of the alcove. Second in size only to her own, it was still small and crowded with Roland and Natasha's personal belongings. "Why don't we move you out into the common area where there is more room?"

Natasha nodded and started to stand but Roland gripped her tighter. "She stays here," he growled. This was their home, their den within the home of the pack, and was where he wanted his mate to stay. She was safest here and he didn't want her out in the open during the vulnerable process of giving birth.

Sam seemed to understand. "She can stay wherever she wants; I just thought that it might be easier in the common area. There are a lot of women standing by to help, all of them with experience." She didn't add that the presence of the other pack members would likely go a long way in comforting both Natasha and Roland.

As werewolves, they were pack animals and the process of giving birth was something to be shared. Sam knew from her own pregnancy that she craved the constant presence of her pack much more often then she used to. She was never far from a pack member, whether it was Nafarius, Maddie or someone else.

"It's okay," Natasha said. In between contractions, she was able to stand and stretch out the muscles in her back. She hadn't realized how tight her body had gotten; it felt good to move, to ease her hips forward and feel her body loosen. "Besides, I think it'll be good for me to be up for a while. It feels better standing."

Reluctantly, Roland nodded. Following Natasha, Sam and Nafarius out into the common area, he was surprised to find the rest of the pack up and gathered. Even those that had small alcoves had come out despite the early hour. The show of support, of solidarity, touched him in a way he hadn't expected.

Born a werewolf, Roland had never known anything but his pack. He knew each individual member and considered them family. He knew that there was never a moment when he didn't have his entire pack, every man, woman and child, standing behind him. He'd just never seen the love, the loyalty, gathered in one room before.

Natasha touched Roland lightly on the arm; drawing him forward, they walked to the central fire to find a bed of blankets had already been laid out for them. She had seen the effect the gathered pack had on her mate and wasn't surprised. Roland was used to taking care of his pack; every day he stood beside Nafarius and Sam, his only concern that of the pack's safety. Never before had Roland allowed the pack to take care of him.

For the next several hours the mood was light, almost festive as the pack waited for the birth of their newest member. Throughout the night and early morning, Natasha labored, the contractions steadily growing stronger and closer together. Sam stayed by her side, as did Roland, while other pack members came and went. At some point, every member came by to check on Natasha. Some brought words of comfort while others brought food and drink for those helping to care for her.

It was late in the afternoon; Natasha had been in labor for just over fourteen hours and was no longer able to talk through the contractions. She had changed positions throughout the day, trying to get comfortable, until finally settling on her side. Glenis, one of the older pack members and a mother, assured them that Natasha was close to the end.

Three hours later Natasha gave birth to a beautiful baby girl; she had her father's dark coloring and a shocking head of black hair. All in all, it had been a relatively easy labor and delivery with both mother and baby doing great.

Roland, already totally in love with his daughter, stared down into the tiny face nestle at her mother's breast. "She's so small," he said.

Natasha laughed. "She didn't feel small coming out." They were back in their alcove, Natasha and the baby having been cleaned and then wrapped in fresh blankets. On her trip to the city, Sam had picked up several baby blankets, clothes and diapers as well as a Noah basket for the baby. "What are we going to name her?"

"I don't know," he said. "She doesn't look like any of the names we picked out."

"That's because you picked out all boy names!" Natasha looked up at Roland, "Are you disappointed?"

Roland looked surprised. "That she isn't a boy? Lord, no! I can't say I'm looking forward to the idea of raising a girl among a pack of wolves but I can kill any of them that get too close," he growled.

Natasha, knowing that Roland was being serious, nevertheless laughed. "Still, I agree, she doesn't look like an Amy or a Sarah. I think she has too much personality for either of those." Tasha stared down at her daughter, "What about Payton?"

Roland considered it for a moment. "I like it," he said. Drawing a fingertip down the bridge of his daughter's nose, he whispered, "Happy birthday, Payton."

Nearby, Sam slipped into bed beside Nafarius; it was early yet but everyone was tired. Most of the pack had settled in for an early night and Sam was looking forward to crawling into bed with her mate.

Nafarius turned and pulled Sam into his arms so that he was curled up behind her, the top of his thighs pressed to the back of hers. Sam sighed contentedly and wiggled closer. "Stop that," he growled.

Sam smiled in the dark; she could feel Nafarius' cock stir slightly as she pressed closer. Enjoying the feeling, she shifted her hips and arched her back languidly. The movement pressed her ass more firmly up against his cock while thrusting her breasts against his arm lying across her chest.

Nafarius grabbed her hips to keep her from moving. "Woman, I suggest you stop before you bite off more then you can chew."

Sam sighed, slightly amused. Nafarius had grown reluctant to make love to her; the more advanced her pregnancy, the less often he came to her. Denial, combined with pregnancy hormones, had left her feeling itchy and restless. If he didn't fuck her soon she'd be forced to take matters into her own hands.

Grabbing the hand holding her hip, Sam slid it between her thighs. "Nafarius, please."

Nafarius growled at finding her wet and swollen, the lips of her pussy already slightly parted. He couldn't stop himself from moving deeper, working his fingers until he found her clit. Hard and throbbing, he circled it slowly before squeezing it firmly between his fingers.

Sam shuddered against the feel of his fingers and pressed herself more firmly into his hand. She ached to feel Nafarius inside of her; she wanted, needed to be filled by him.

Nafarius felt her need and his cock responded in kind. Hard and throbbing, he rubbed the length of his shaft against the cleft of her ass. Sam let go of the hand she'd been holding between her thighs and reached back to stroke him. She loved the feel of him hard and throbbing in her hand. Squeezing gently, she was rewarded when Nafarius groaned and felt the tip of his cock go wet with his desire. In that moment there was nothing more that she wanted then to taste him.

Rolling over, Sam pushed Nafarius onto his back and quickly slid between his thighs. Grasping his cock in one hand, she flung her hair over her shoulder and lowered her mouth. She could see precum glistening in the night and lapped at it with her tongue. Beneath her, Nafarius growled and thrust up with his hips, aiming for her mouth with his cock. Sam laughed and backed off just enough to let him know that she wouldn't be rushed.

Resigned, Nafarius pressed his hips to the ground but couldn't keep from shifting restlessly. He could feel Sam's breath as it blew across the sensitive head of his cock. Opening his eyes, he stared down the length of his body and watched as she slowly lowered her head. Watching her, he could see her mouth descend, knew when he was about to enter that moist heat and still he jumped at the first touch. Thinking she meant to torment him slowly, Nafarius was surprised when she slid her mouth down the entire length of his cock, stopping only when he touched the back of her throat.

Sam worked her throat to keep from gagging. She wanted to take all of him, bury him in her mouth the way she would bury him in her pussy, but he was large and she had to work to accommodate him. Knowing that he liked it hard and fast, Sam worked her mouth up and down the length of his cock. Each time she felt him hitting the back of her throat while at the same time pressing her nose into the hair of his groin. He smelled almost as good as he tasted, his precum mixing with her saliva to coat the inside of her mouth before sliding down the back of her throat.

Nafarius growled low in his throat at the sensation of his mate working over his cock. He was close, knew that within second he would unload into her mouth. Rearing up, Nafarius pulled Sam off his cock and flipped her over onto her hands and knees. Mindful of her condition, he was careful as he pulled her ass more firmly against his cock. He growled again as he used his knees to shove her legs apart and was immediately met with the musky scent of her desire. His animal was close, knew that he could shift before entering her, but he wanted to take her like this, in the position their animals mated but while he was still in human form.

Sam looked back at Nafarius over her shoulder. His eyes had gone to gold, a clear sign that the wolf was near, the sight wrenching her desire up another notch. His taste was still in her mouth and she couldn't stop from licking her lips.

Nafarius caught a glimpse of pink tongue as she licked her lips just as he thrust forward, impaling her on his cock. Beneath him, Sam bucked once before pushing back against him and the first sounds of flesh meeting flesh filled the air.

Nafarius held her by the hips, holding her up off the ground as he pounded into her flesh. Bracing one hand on the floor, Sam reached between her legs and started fingering her clit. She swelled at the feel of Nafarius pounding behind her, a low growl rising in his throat as he neared the end.

Wanting more time, Nafarius shifted their position; bringing his knees forward and together, he pulled Sam back until she was almost sitting on his thighs. Completely impaled on his cock, it took only the slightest stroke of his cock to touch her womb. In this position, he could reach around and grab her breast with one hand while replacing her fingers with his own. He wanted to feel her get off, wanted to know that he was the one to bring her to orgasm.

Sam sighed and settled back against Nafarius' chest. Letting her knees fall open, she gave him total access to her body. She could feel his cock grow, thickening within her pussy as the wolf struggled to break free. At the same time, she felt the hand holding her breast as it gripped her tighter, a hint of claws threatening to break the skin.

She could feel the power rippling beneath his skin and was tempted to reach out with her power and call his animal forth. She'd never tried to force Nafarius' change and wouldn't do it now but she longed to feel his wolf within her. Knowing what it would do to him, Sam tilted her head and offered Nafarius her neck.

Nafarius felt his teeth lengthen as she bared her neck but fought against a complete change. He knew what she wanted and worked to limit the change to those areas that would give her the most pleasure. Changing specific areas was something only very old, very powerful lycans could do - Nafarius was both. Growling with pure animal pleasure, Nafarius thrust up hard with his hips; at the same time he gripped her breast tighter and plunged his teeth into the tender skin where her shoulder met her neck.

Sam shattered and called out his name.

Nafarius bit down harder, his mouth filling with her blood as she saturated his cock with her juices. Another thrust and his cock was locked in the tight grip of her contracting pussy. Unable to stop, Nafarius came, his cock pumping hard inside his mate.

Nafarius continued to slide his cock in and out of Sam's pussy, wringing every ounce of pleasure he could. It had been too long since he'd last fucked his mate, causing him to almost lose control of his wolf. Slowly, conscious of Sam sprawled against him, Nafarius retracted his teeth, willing his muscles to change.

Sam came to her senses as Nafarius withdrew his teeth from her shoulder and his claws from her breast. She would be sore for a while, her ability to heal quickly ensuring no permanent damage. Feeling the muscles in her thighs give a slight protest as she shifted to lie on her side, she was almost disappointed that the soreness wouldn't last longer.

Nafarius collapsed back onto their blankets and stared over at his mate. "Did I hurt you?"

Sam smiled, "Only in a good way."

Nafarius glowered. "We shouldn't do that, not until after the twins are born."

Sam snorted. "You seriously want to wait another six to eight weeks before doing that again?"

Nafarius ran a hand down her side and came to rest it on her belly. Despite carrying twins, she still seemed small to him. "I don't want to hurt any of you," he said.

Sam covered his hand with her own. "You won't; I'm not even sure you can. Already I can feel things healing and it's happening faster then it did before I got pregnant."

Nafarius frowned. They had talked about what he'd learned during their trip to the city. Sam knew that there was a possibility that she wasn't just a werewolf but a Shapeshifter. Shifters were only remembered in the history books and even then they'd had to go back centuries before finding the first mention. Shifters could take any animal form as well as control another lycan's ability to shift. They were also said to have superior healing abilities. It was a powerful combination, one that led to their eventual downfall.

Shifters had used their abilities to enslave other lycans until finally the lycans revolted and hunted the Shifters to extinction. Thomas, the historian that had done the research for them, theorized that Sam was a descendent from a Shifter that had escaped and hid in the human world, eventually mating with a human. It was rare that a lycan could reproduce with a human. Again Thomas theorized that the Shifter's greater abilities granted them greater fertility.

By now Thomas would have sent his report to the Archives. Once in the Archives, it was just a matter of time before one of the Council members learned about Sam and someone came asking questions. Nafarius figured they had a few weeks, at best.

There was no way to know for sure if Sam was a Shifter. Seven months pregnant with twins, she was prevented from changing until she gave birth. Until then, they had no way of knowing if she would be able to take a form other then the wolf.

Nafarius didn't just fear for his mate. A lycan's abilities were genetic, passed down from parent to child. There was a good chance that Sam would pass on whatever abilities she possessed to their children. If the Council saw Sam or their children as a threat there was no doubt they would try to destroy them all.

Sam scooted closer until she was able to rest her head on Nafarius' shoulder. "Everything will be fine, I promise."

"You can't know that, nor can you make those kinds of promises." Nafarius held her close; the fear of losing her was like a living thing within his chest. "You should know Roland and I have been making plans, preparations."

Sam looked up at Nafarius. "What kind of plans?"

"Plans to get you and the twins out of here, out of the country, if need be." Nafarius said.

"Leave the pack? We can't, I won't." Sam shook her head. "I won't run."

Nafarius didn't tell her that, if it came to that, he wouldn't be going with them. He would stay behind, cover her tracks and make sure that no one went after them. "Hopefully it won't come to that, but if it does you need to be ready. If for some reason, I'm not around to help you're to go to Roland. He knows what to do." Sam was silent; Nafarius gave her a gentle shake. "Promise me, I need to know that you'll be safe, that you'll keep our children safe."

It was the mention of the twins that got to her; he knew she wasn't happy about it but she gave a single nod. It was a long time before either one of them slept.

The next few weeks were spent watching Payton grow and change. Roland was fascinated by his new daughter. He couldn't seem to stay away for long and was often distracted while away. "Ow! Son of a bitch!" Roland cursed and looked down to see blood seeping through a tear in his shirt. Looking up, he caught Nafarius' frown and cursed again.

"You're distracted and it's going to get you killed, or worse, get my mate killed." Nafarius had intentionally sliced open his second-in-command; not that it had been hard. Roland's mind was a million miles away with thoughts of Natasha and their daughter. While he understood, now was not the time for them to be distracted, it left them weak and vulnerable and Nafarius refused to allow that to continue. "Either get your shit together or step down." Pushed past the point of being pissed, Nafarius turned to leave the training ground where they had been sparing. "Next time you let me get past your guard I'll gut you."