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.