Hiram’s POV
I shift into my human form the moment Cillian’s lifeless body hits the ground. I am in pain from the bullets that hit me, but I push it aside as my body heals slowly.
My heart lurches at the sight of Juniper clutching her belly with her face twisted in pain.
“June!” I rush to her side, dropping to my knees. My hands hover over her, unsure of where to touch first. She’s trembling, her breaths shallow and uneven.
Her wide, tear-filled eyes meet mine.
“Hiram,” she gasps. “The baby… the baby’s coming. He made me take pills. Too many…” Panic grips me, but I shove it down.
This isn’t the time to lose control. I scoop her into my arms, holding her close.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper, trying to sound strong for her. As I step out of the warehouse, the sound of screeching tires cuts through. A black SUV comes to a halt, and Winston jumps out, his eyes darting between me and Juniper. He opens the back seat, and I slide in, gently placing Juniper on the seat. She whimpers, her grip on my arm tightening.
Winston climbs into the driver’s seat, glancing back at us.
“I tracked her,” he explains. “That tracker we installed in her phone when she moved-thank goodness it worked.” I nod with focus entirely on Juniper.
Winston’s eyes widen as he takes in my state.
“You’re half-naked.” He reaches for the passenger seat, tossing me a change of clothes. I glance down at my bloodied chest and torn pants.
“Drive,” I snap as I grab the clothes, hurriedly putting them on. “I want you to call my mother!” He begins to fumble for the controls in the car, then he sets up communication to the Shadow Pelt pack.
As soon as I hear my mother’s voice, I do not waste time.
“The baby is coming. Get everything ready!” I yell.
“Wait! What? What do you mean, the baby is coming?” Her voice is laced with panic.
“It’s a long story, and we do not have time. We are coming, and possibly with another human.”
“Okay, okay!” she ends the call at once. I grab Juniper’s hands as she continues to groan in pain.
“Where the fuck is Rhea?” Juniper yells in anger, squeezing hard on my hand as she grits her teeth.
“She’s at the house,” Winston assures her, his foot pressing harder on the gas. “We’ll be there soon.”
The car hurtles down the empty streets, Winston driving like a man possessed while I keep my gaze fixed on Juniper, whispering reassurances even as fear gnaws at me.
Finally, we get to the house, and Winston stops close to the front door. I don’t wait for Winston to open the door. I’m out in an instant, cradling Juniper in my arms as I sprint toward the front steps. Her head rests against my chest, her breaths shallow.
“Stay with me, June,” I murmur as her eyes begin to close. The front door swings open before I can reach it, and Rhea is there, her face pale with worry.
“Hiram!” she exclaims, stepping aside as I push past her and head to the stairs. I run as fast as I can, with Winston and Rhea trying to keep up. Soon, we are in the portal room, and Winston hits the switch. I jump into it at once.
**
The moment we step out of the portal into the Shadow Pelt Pack’s grounds, two cars are waiting. Their engines roar to life as soon as we climb in, but my heart stops when I lay Juniper on the seat and see blood trickling down her legs.
“Hiram,” she whimpers, her voice barely audible. “The baby…” A pained grunt escapes her, and her hands clutch at her belly.
Panic surges through me.
“Drive faster!” I bark at the driver. The car speeds toward the house, bumping over the uneven terrain, every second stretching into an eternity.
I press my forehead to Juniper’s, whispering reassurances, even as dread claws at my chest. When we reach the house, I don’t wait for the car to stop fully. I swing the door open and carry Juniper into my arms, sprinting toward the front door. It flies open, and my mother stands there, her eyes widening in horror as she takes in the blood staining Juniper’s dress.
“Moon Goddess, have mercy,” mother breathes, stepping aside to let me through.
“There’s no time for the stairs,” I shout, heading to the nearest room on the ground floor. I lay Juniper on the bed as gently as I can, but her cry of pain pierces my heart.
Mother’s voice cuts through the chaos.
“Everyone, clear out!” she yells to the servants. “And will someone get the goddamn doctor!” she yells, and footsteps rain through the house.
The door to the room swings open at once, and Hollis walks in with the rest of my siblings. They all look at us in worry. Hollis rushes up to me, patting my shoulder slightly.
“You’ve got this,” he says, but before I can respond, the doctor walks in, asking everyone to clear out. But June grabs my shirt tightly.
“You stay!” she demands, like she wants to murder me.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I say, then she holds my hand, squeezing it. She whimpers in pain, and the doctor moves swiftly, inspecting her.
“She’s losing too much blood,” he mutters.
“Then stop the bleeding!” I command.
The midwives scramble to apply pressure, their hands moving with practiced efficiency, but Juniper’s cries grow louder, and the scent of blood fills the room.
“Hiram…” Juniper’s voice is faint, her grip on my hand weakening. I lean close to her, brushing the hair from her damp forehead.
“I’m here, love. Stay with me.”
The doctor glances at me.
“We need to get the baby out now, or we’ll lose them both.”
“Why the hell are you telling me without doing it!” I roar with my voice breaking as fear crosses my heart. I try to push away the negative thoughts. There is no way I am going to lose her.
The hallway fills with whispered prayers to the Moon Goddess as the doctor and midwives work quickly. Juniper’s body trembles under the strain, and I feel utterly helpless, clutching her hand as if my strength could transfer to her. Seconds stretch into what feels like hours, and the room is a whirlwind of panicked energy, shouted instructions, the clatter of metal instruments, and Juniper’s anguished cries in the air.
My heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears like a drum of war. Then, with one final, guttural scream from Juniper, her body arches off the bed with a sudden gush of blood and amniotic fluid spilling out. The baby slides out in a startling burst of motion into the doctor’s hands. Then the cry of the baby follows, causing my mother to burst into the room at once.
Her heart falls in relief as she sees June in one piece.
“We made it,” I whisper, kissing her hands.
“We… made it…” she shudders, shutting her eyes slightly.
I am about to panic, but the doctor waves me off. “She is fine, and her heart rate is steady on the monitor.”
**
As the midwives gently clean the baby, my thoughts drift back to the moment I almost lost everything. I watch as they wrap our daughter in a soft blanket, a faraway part of my mind still reeling from the chaos that unfolded. She was born prematurely, but the doctor says she is healthy. I remember his voice telling me how lucky I was about June’s situation, and what was supposed to kill her eventually aiding her. Apparently, the abortion pills weakened the baby, making June the stronger vessel, and that was why she could birth the child without it tearing through her stomach.
The room, once filled with tension, is now peaceful as family members gently pass the baby around gently, each one speaking softly to her, marveling at her smallness. My mother, who holds the baby first, gushes over her granddaughter before passing her to Rhea.
“I cannot believe I am an aunt to a werewolf baby,” she says, and June smiles slightly.
Rhea hands her over to Hera, and they keep passing her around. When the baby finally comes back to us, I hold her carefully, keeping my gaze on Juniper, who is clearly exhausted. The baby is warm in my arms, and staring at her keeps me in disbelief. I am a father to something as precious as her.
I kiss her cheek, then I lower her to Juniper’s chest, whose eyes sparkle in delight.
“She’s perfect,” Juniper whispers, with tears shimmering in my eyes. “I need to call my mum,” she says, and I nod.
“She’s ours, and you pushed her out bravely,” I reply, leaning towards my little family.
“She is a miracle, and I cannot believe she is mine!” June exclaims.
“Our little Christmas miracle,” I mutter, kissing her lips.
The room bursts open at once, and Alex walks in. “What did I miss?”