The Real Us (A world of werewolves series)

Chapter 18: Just breathe

Jason came over to me and did a double-take before looking me over slowly and biting his lower lip. “Darling, you are sexy. I think we better leave before I decide to take you to the bedroom and give you a good seeing to. We both know how much you love this hard c**k of mine,” he winked, resting his hands on my hips and kissing me softly along my neck.

He knew it was my weak spot, so pushing him away and hiding how much I was blushing, I grabbed his hand and led him outside into the cold air that I desperately needed right then.

Really, cold air and rain was actually good for summer in England, even better if the sun was out for half a day.

The restaurant was very posh, lit up and full of Golds, whites, and creams. The tables were a natural pine colour and Jason led us towards one by the window.

“How the heck can you afford this?” I asked, looking at the menu and seeing prices as high as fifteen pounds just for burger, and chips that were apparently better than any before.

“Don’t worry darling, just get what you want,” he smiled at me before letting his gaze travel down to my cleavage. So, the perverted male in him was finally coming out. I’d teased him about being gay once, but the furious reaction it had on him… well, let’s just say I’d never mentioned it again.

After dinner, we headed to the cinema and watched “The hangover part two” and by the time we left the building we were still laughing and talking about how good it was.

It had really cheered me up and as we rounded the corner towards Jason’s car, I felt something pour out of me. It was too much to be urine, I thought.

Looking down, I saw it was clear water. My waters had just broken and I was terrified.

Jason was still walking, not realising I had stopped.

“Jason, I think you should get back here,” I yelled, clutching my stomach even though there was no pain.

Running by my side, he took a hold of my arm and slowly led me to the car as I leaked a trail of water along the pavement.

I was so embarrassed that I almost wished the pain was there, so I wouldn’t notice the stares that people were giving us.

“Are you in any pain?” Jason asked, glancing at me quickly as we drove to the hospital.

“No, I’m fine, for now at least. The midwife will probably just send me back home, so is there really any point in going there?” I whined.

“Yes, she needs to check you over and make sure everything’s alright. You never no, they might find that you’re already in labour, just because you can’t feel it yet doesn’t mean you’re not.”

We were out of the hospital in less than an hour. The midwife had checked me over, and I wasn’t in labour, but she did warn me not to have s*x as there was nothing to protect the baby from bacteria now.

Couldn’t say I was too disappointed about that bit. My belly was huge now, and I could barely sleep at night with the awful heartburn that made me want to tear my own throat out at times and as for lying on my back, well, that was impossible unless I wanted to suffocate myself.

Jason took my hand when we got back to the pack house and led us inside, sitting me on the sofa before going off to get me a drink that I said I didn’t want.

I grumbled when he handed me the glass of water and told me to drink it. I didn’t even like water, it was times like this that I would rather have had a normal human for a partner.

Most human men would still expect you to cook dinner, take yourself to appointments, make your own drinks and decide when you should go to the hospital, not to forget to try and contact them too should they be at work and if you were very lucky, they might even be there on time.

But looking up at Jason’s gorgeous and perfect face, I couldn’t self-pity for long. How many other women could say that their partner was protective, caring, and loyal towards them without being aggressively possessive.

We went to bed that night with Jason’s arm wrapped around my waist, his hand holding my belly, and him laughing when the baby kicked against him.

That night I woke up in a sweat, terrified, it was pretty much like the first night I had spent here except with one small difference, I had cramps in my belly that were lasting longer and getting stronger each time.

I nudged Jason awake and told him what was happening before another shooting pain took me over and made me cry out loud, this time.

Jason shot off the bed and raced down the hall, I presumed to get Blaze. He had left the door open and not being able to move, I tried very hard at least to not make any noise, not wanting to draw attention, but it was near impossible as each wave of pain lasted longer and was quickly growing in severity.

Eventually Blaze and Jason came rushing into the room and gently helped me to my feet and led me out down the hall.

I really just wanted to lie down. I couldn’t bear it standing up, but eventually, we got into the car and drove to the hospital with Blaze holding my hand on the way and telling me to breath, ‘f**k breathing and make it stop’ I thought but didn’t say so out loud.

I could barely speak anyway, I was in so much pain by now. By the time the Midwife examined me, I was only four centimetres dilated.

I could have screamed in frustration, and I did! A lot of screaming and crushing hands with each burst of pain, both Blaze and Jason held my hands and tried to keep me calm.

I was starting to switch between my human and wolf mind. At one stage, the midwife came near me and I growled at her, not a human growl but a wolf’s. She jumped back and made some excuse before quickly leaving the room.

“Josie, I know you’re in pain, but you really need to try and keep the wolf under control. If anyone finds out what we are, well, I don’t know what will happen, but now’s not the time to find out.” Blaze was talking calmly and soothingly, even though I had pretty much shredded his hands with my nails.

We didn’t need to avoid hospitals for fear they would find something in our blood, anything they found would be completely human related, as Jane had said in the beginning, we were just human in this form and just pure wolf in wolf form.

I tried to nod, but was doubled over by a wave of pain that made me want to scream, instead all that came out was a long moan that sounded like an animal in torment, there was no room for embarrassment at this point.

One minute Jason was stroking my hair and talking softly to me and the next I had flung him against the room growling and snarling, keeping an eye on both him and Blaze who had now backed away from me.

There was a moment when I had just enough time to come back from the wolf and whispered, “What’s wrong with me?”

When my flailing and crying had subsided, I heard Blaze talking fast and sounding worried to Jason.

“Her wolf’s taken over and if that midwife comes back in Josie will tear her throat out,” Jason sounded concerned too and, well, that made me scared before I was grabbed by the pain again.

“I knew we shouldn’t have brought her in here, we should have just let her give birth at home where it’s safe,” He replied, glancing over at me if I so much as twitched.

“Jason, she needs to be here. If anything was to go wrong in the birth, we wouldn’t have the equipment or knowledge to help her or worse, save her. We just have to make sure she won’t press that button and hopefully, she will give birth before they come back—“

Jason interrupted, “I know it’s safer for her to be here, but it’s not safe for anyone else. If her wolf’s taken over, she’s going to feel very vulnerable and attack anyone who comes close. But you’re right, let’s just do this and hopefully the birth will go well, and we won’t need to call anyone in.”

I had been in labour for ten hours and still no sign of the baby, by then I just wished for death. I had no energy left, and I felt that if I had to scream or push anymore I was going to die from exhaustion.

It turned out I did need help and ended up having an emergency c-section because my heart was racing three times what it should have been, and the baby was becoming distressed, but by then it was safe for the midwife and doctors, as I was in too much agony to lash out at anyone.

It was heaven when the epidural kicked in and the pain just melted away.

Jason had come into the room with me while Blaze had to wait outside, and then I heard a cry as the surgeon declared it was a boy before whisking him away to clean up before gently placing him in my arms.

“He’s so beautiful, darling, thank you so much,” Jason whispered, kissing me on the forehead but never tearing his gaze away from our son.

“I want to call him Wolfgang.” I grinned as Jason gave me a look of horror, “No bloody way darling, I really hope you’re joking.”

I burst out laughing and it felt strange not being able to feel my body move with it.

We named him Adam and as I was healing Jason was nothing but perfect, getting up to feed Adam in the nights, changing his nappies, giving him to me when I wanted a turn, taking care of him during the day and showing him off to everyone who couldn’t stop cooing over him.

Back while I was still in the hospital, the nurses had gotten me on my feet a day after the op, and I had to hold in the urge to growl at the sudden pain that ripped across my wound.

It was extremely painful, like I was being ripped open all over again with every step and breath I took.

I tried to breathe very shallow, afraid that if I breathed in too deeply I’d rip myself open again, of course I didn’t. It had been a few months now, and I had a nice neat scar left from the caesarean.

The only downfall from the epidural was that now when I shifted to wolf form and back my lower back, and spine would ache for an hour afterwards.