Rise of the Underdogs: Jasper

A Bloodline Heir is Born

Days after everything with Eileen was settled, Phillip pulled us aside. Having paid the hospital to maintain discretion, he was ready to take Eileen to Shadow Storm. Thinking we were in the clear, real life hit back harder than a batter striking a home run, handing us yet another setback.

Eileen went into premature labour. Not drastically so, but a month before her actual due date, and it sent us into a panic until Phil let out a commanding whistle. We three brothers fell in line, holding her hand, feeding her ice, and singing in our native tongue to let her know that we were there.

That we were with her no matter what happened.

She pleaded with us, begging us to take care of her child if anything happened to her. “Please, if you cannot save us both, save my baby. Promise me!”

“No, because nothing’s going to happen, Eileen,” I said, firm but carefully soft. “I am Regent of the Arctic Shield, and I vow now to watch over your child until such a time that she or he no longer requires that protection.”

Phillip stepped forward, his eyes assessing the situation with clinically sharp gazes and nods of appreciative acceptance of our words. Clearing his throat as she made yet another plea, he said, “As per my station as Royal Grand Beta, second only to the Alpha King and Queen, I herein proclaim the following. Under the laws of our kin and kind across our vast nation, and on behalf of the royal family, I offer securam salutem at Shadow Storm.”

River raised a brow, “Dude, speak so she can understand. You forget that we were raised with only English and Inuit as our method of communication.”

The older man laughed, “Forgive me. I did, in fact, forget that detail. What I mean to say, Eileen, is that you are being offered security and safety within the confines of the Shadow Storm pack. All you need to do in return is survive.”

What he didn’t say, what none of us drew any kind of attention to was the fact that Shadow Storm was, itself, fractured for the time being. Only one thing would save Neil from himself now, and I prayed to the Gods he found her soon. Only his Soulmate held the power to balance the scales of existence and give him something worth fighting for.

That’s when the monitors started beeping, sirens going off like warning bells in real time. Levi straightened, his face creased with discomfort as the fetal monitoring device suddenly stopped. “What’s happening?”

A doctor rushed in, casting a sideways glance at the men surrounding the woman on the bed. “Are you family?”

“They…” Eileen drew in a hiss of breath through her teeth. Letting it out slowly, she calmed slightly. “They are tribe; family in ways that count when blood is all but gone.”

“We may need a C-section to stop the baby’s…” he trailed off, confusion clouding his features as he checked the equipment. “What in the world?”

River snickered, “Your world our ours, Doctor?”

“What difference does it make?” He snapped, handing the readouts to Phillip as they went over the signs and signals that came and went out of nowhere. “These readings don’t make a lick of sense to me at all. What’s your opinion Doctor Kade?”

Levi shook his head, “Eileen’s child is blessed by the Goddess. They will be born with the family’s ancient ability of Clairvoyance. This happens once every second generation. She is one of two Blessed bloodlines from our homeland, so make sure your medical team does their utmost to keep both of them alive.”

“Your monitors picked up on the baby having an actual Clairvoyant episode,” I said, feeling Eileen’s nails dig past layers of skin. Blood welled, but it didn’t matter to me.

Phillip’s eyes snapped to my face, and he raised a brow expectantly. “Already? I assumed that kind of power would awaken with the child’s wolf at age sixteen.”

“Not so,” River whispered from the corner. “Powers like Prophesy and Clairvoyance are blood-bound, meaning those who have it, have had it since birth.”

I nodded in confirmation, “The infant is stronger than their predecessors, and should be treated with caution, allowed secrecy, and granted the freedom to bond with whomever they choose. It’s not a common path, but it is simply how the power works. The child will gravitate toward one who meets their distinctive criteria for leadership.”

“I hear what you’re not saying, boys. I understand now,” Phillip murmured. “In other words, the power cannot be contained or forced. It must be accepted, held, and granted agency in order to work and maintain balance.”

Another hour later, two of us were ushered out as a team of nurses came in to help the doctors with the birthing. Only myself and Phillip remained, with Levi and River posted outside the door as guards.

As the team descended on Eileen, I felt the tug of fear.

The distant cry of a soul unborn trying to break through the fourth wall and speak. I started humming an old song that Eileen’s Grandmother taught the children of our pack. One that stilled the spirit enough to calm the soul and release the tension. The voice faded, but I leaned over to whisper in Eileen’s ear.

“Your daughter’s voice is strong, be strong for her now, my friend. Choose life. Choose to see her grow, to honour the memory of her father, your Mate. Choose to survive like the Warrior of the North that you are.” I said.

“Daughter?” She asked.

I nodded, “The spirit reaching out is female, Eileen. Hold. You’re going to be okay. Both of you are.”

Phillip tilted his head, his eyes conveying the questions and pride he couldn’t yet speak out loud. At his nod, I helped Eileen into a semi-sitting position to make it easier for her to bear down.

“I can see the head,” the human doctor said, his relief evident.

Still bracing her, I pressed my forehead to her temple. “Your body knows what to do. Your spirit knows when it’s time. Let your wolf help you through this.”

Her head fell back, her breaths becoming levelled as she nodded. “I feel it now. Thank you. Your reminder centered Siqiniq.”

Siqiniq, her wolf, drew strength from Kavik as he remained a silent guardian during the birthing process. Keeping a respectful distance, his power distorted hers to throw off anyone who would use the infant for personal gain.

Without being told, she bore down as a contraction hit. Drawing on ancestral energy, she took a breath and pushed again.

The room seemed to still, as if the building itself was waiting for the miracle about to be born within its walls. Heart monitors beeped, lights on digital displays pulsed faintly.

‘Too much noise,’ Kavik huffed in a rare display of conversation. ‘The pup is distracted. Calm the room to still the soul.’

With a gasp, I reached over and deftly unplugged the equipment. The medical staff started in on me, but Phillip simply gave me a look.

“What was the reasoning?” He asked.

“The pup is confused and distracted by the noise. We have to create a calm, not a calamity. Give space for breath, not breach.”

He nodded, “This sometimes happens with Werewolf births. The pup won’t come out if the room is too busy. We have to keep babe and mom calm. Jasper, got any traditional tunes on your phone?”

I didn’t speak. Instead, I reached into my pocket and hit play on a hauntingly familiar and beautiful melody that seemed to instantly put both Eileen and her child at ease. “Your father’s song, Eileen.”

“I… recognize… it,” she breathed. “So peaceful.”

Minutes rather than hours later, I watched her bring the little miracle into the world while she tore gouges into my hands and wrists. I healed almost as fast as the cuts were made, but she still tried to apologize. I waved her off as she sat nursing the tiny girl with dark skin, a shock of white hair, and emerald-green eyes.

“Your daughter looks just like you,” I commented, whittling a piece of wood I’d been working on. Blowing the last of the dust and flakes from the creases. “Here. For you.”

“Oh, Jasper, it’s beautiful,” she commented, her voice soft with emotion as she took the figure of the wolf from me. “You always had a talent for carving.”

“River shifted early,” I said as I started filling her in on everything that had happened up to now. Two gentle raps on the door told me either Phil or my brothers were at the door, “Enter.”

It was my brothers, their arms laden with gifts and food for the new mother. River beamed, his teeth showing as he moved to Eileen and tucked a small white wolf toy into the infants arms. To Eileen, he handed a bag of clothes. “We went shopping for you. Hope you like it.”

“You…” she started to say we didn’t have to, but one look at me had her backtracking. “The old ways live on, and so must we. Where to from here? I’ve nowhere else to go since the Rogues attacked and killed my Mate. They wanted my baby. They wanted to end the line of North-born Clairvoyants.”

Phillip growled low. We turned to see him holding his phone to his ear, his aura darkening steadily with anger “Did I hear that correctly? Henry, we need safe passage. Hell, send your damn Godson for all I care, but this girl and her baby need to get to the pack A. S. A. P. Yeah, she did, and yes you heard right. We need to get her out of her now.”

Levi glanced at me, his eyes glittering as he grinned at his phone. Mine and Rivers went off next, and we both looked at the message that gave us everything.

“Beta Phillip,” I called out, “Is this real?”

“You have full freedom to detain or kill as necessary. Henry is pissed off and wants blood, and you have your orders.” He replied.