Baby's Got Bite (10 page)

Chapter Fourteen

“And breathe out, in staccato,
huff huff huff
,” the midwife/instructor ordered. She was more of a drill sergeant than the kindly nurse he’d expected.

“Are you sure we can’t leave?” Bennett muttered between staccato breaths. “Having a baby can’t be this hard. Women do it all the time. I mean it’s not cake. But Jesus, how are we going to remember all of this? We should just go.”

Linc gestured toward the midwife. “You want to deal with her?”

“Isn’t that what you’re for?” She leaned up. “My big strong protector.”

His gut tightened. “Let’s at least learn what we should be doing,” he encouraged. “Just in case we need to breathe on the way to the hospital.”

He was talking out of his arse, but he did feel this was important. Birth was painful. When they’d first arrived, they’d watched a video depicting childbirth, and he’d cringed right along with Bennett.

“Now find your focal point.”

“What focal point?” she asked harshly.

Linc bit back a smile. “We’re supposed have brought a stuffed animal or something. I forgot in the rush to get here. He fished around in his pocket and pulled out a hundred dollar bill. “Here, focus on this.”

She twisted her neck to give him the Bennett eyebrow.

“Next time I’ll bring the stuffed animal. It’s temporary.”

She sighed and leaned into him again, practicing her breathing. “This is harder than it looks. I feel kind of woozy.”

“Then stop.” He waved to the midwife. “She’s dizzy.”

The woman knelt down and put her face in front of Bennett’s. “Take a long, slow breath in through the nose, and then out through the mouth. That’s it. Again.”

Bennett did as she asked, even if she didn’t look happy about following orders.

“Better?”

Bennett frowned and grumbled but nodded.

“Good.” The instructor pointed a finger at Linc. “Now you, as her partner, need to count to make sure she’s only doing the heavy panting during the contraction. As soon as she stops, instruct her to breathe normally.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Bennett giggled, and then coughed to cover it.

“Wench,” he whispered.

She laughed again. “It’s nice to see someone giving
you
orders for a change.”

Now he laughed, too.

The drill sergeant—er, midwife—gave them an irritated glance.

“Some of you may not be comfortable in the sitting position,” the midwife said. “So let’s get on all fours. Partners, sit in front of the mother. Pull her attention to you.”

Linc moved around to sit in front of Bennett.

She didn’t look so happy. “Is there any dignity in giving birth? At all? Could this be any more mortifying?”

He had a feeling these were rhetorical questions and anything he might answer would be misconstrued.

“You’re doing great,” he settled on saying.

That’s what the book had told him to do. Stay positive. The mom-to-be might turn into a screeching banshee and try to rip your balls off, but it was important to stay positive and keep a level tone.

“Take in a long breath, and hold. And then begin the pant,” the instructor barked.

By the time it was all over, Bennett was exhausted. When they walked outside, the security team waited to escort them to the SUV. Linc wasn’t taking any chances with her father in town. They’d have armed guards until the man left again. She might have liked her father at their first meeting, but he didn’t trust the man.

“Are you hungry?”

She glared. “When am I not?”

He pulled the list out of his pocket and read through the dietary items listed. Dairy, proteins, fruits, and vegetables. He was about to start typing on his phone, but then she cleared her throat.

“I want Greek food. Hummus and tzatziki. And dolmas, the little grape leave thingies. And baklava. Oh, and some of those Greek olives.”

Linc kept his head down, hiding his smile as he typed the list into his phone. At least she had a healthy appetite again—it meant she was getting stronger.

“And a milkshake. Chocolate. And don’t tell me I can’t have chocolate. It’s one fucking milkshake. Crap, I cussed. I know, it’s too much sugar. But I want a bite of the baklava, and the baby really wants a milkshake.”

Mason, Nick’s head of security, was driving. His shoulders were shaking. Linc prayed Bennett didn’t notice, or Mason might lose his head.

Linc cleared his throat. “Got it. And as far as I’m concerned, you can have whatever you want.”

She gave him a quizzical look. “Since when?”

“Always. You’re a grown woman. You can decide what’s best for you.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re trying to act all not-so-alpha so I won’t think about going with my dad.”

Stabbed straight to the heart.

“So you are thinking about it.” He kept his voice level, but he wasn’t feeling it. No, anger burned deep.

She didn’t answer him. “How long until we’re back to the apartment?”

Mason cleared his throat. “About thirty minutes.”

She pushed the button to raise the window between them and the driver, and then turned to Linc. “Do you trust me?”

“Yes.” Where was she going with this?

She took his hand in hers. “Then listen to me. I promise you that I won’t take your child away. I’ve lived without my dad my whole life. I have no idea why my mom kept me from him, but I won’t do that to my kid. You and me? We make decisions about the kid together. Okay? So we decide what keeps him safe. We decide what he eats. We decide where he goes to school and if he can watch cartoons and read comic books. Which, for the record, he will.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted her. Her words helped assuage his fears a bit. But there was a part of him that wondered if maybe being away from him might keep her safer. He knew better than anyone the kind of dangers he could face as Nick’s second-in-command.

But he knew, too, how Bennett had railed against him even suggesting she hide out in his penthouse until after she’d given birth. He couldn’t imagine how angry she’d be if she went to the realm of the fae and learned how shut off it was from the rest of the world. No one in, no one out. Not without the king’s say-so.

For better or worse, she was going to stay with him.

“Okay,” she said, then curled up and put her head in his lap.

Only a few seconds passed before he heard her soft and slow breaths. She was already asleep. He chuckled. The midwife must have worn her out more than he realized.

He gently moved the wisps of hair from her cheek. She was letting it grow out, and the prenatal vitamins helped. It was already past her chin.

He thought about the way she made fun of her own appearance, and the self-conscious way she assessed herself in the mirror each morning. She was fucking beautiful, and she didn’t know it.

Never in his life had he cared more for someone.

She sighed and snuggled into him.

She was his woman. When the hell had that happened?

First time you met her, arsehole.

She’d been invading his dreams, even serving as his muse, but he hadn’t seen it.

Did she deserve a better man? Fuck yes.

But she was his. And no one was taking her away.

Chapter Fifteen

“Does everything look okay?” Bennett rearranged the flowers again on the dining room table. “I shouldn’t have moved all my crap in here. It looked so much better when it was just your stuff. He’s a guy, and he probably likes clean lines, like you do.”

Nerves of steel, that one. Linc was having a hard enough time keeping the growl out of his voice. He couldn’t help it. This was his place. No,
their
place. Their territory. And her father was coming into it.

But being on edge wouldn’t help the situation. She wanted to form a relationship with her father? Linc wouldn’t stand in the way.

But that didn’t mean he had to trust the guy.

“Everything looks beautiful,” he said. “And I love your stuff—it’s made my house a home. Now it has the Bennett touch.”

She blew out a breath, walked over, and wrapped her arms around him. “You’re sweet. I’m going crazy, and I don’t know why. He seemed like a perfectly nice man yesterday.”

“He isn’t going to care about the flowers or the artwork. Though, I want to make sure he knows the one over the fireplace is yours. It’s my favorite.”

She slapped his chest. “Stop that. You’re going to make me cry. I need you to be your regular mean, sarcastic self.”

“Ah lass, please don’t stress. I think if you don’t puke on his shoes, we’ll call it a win.”

“See, that’s what I need right there. You’re right. I wish you could drink when you’re pregnant. I mean, if ever there’s a time you need to calm your nerves or deal with hormones…”

“It’s not even nine in the morning.” He groaned internally as soon as the words slid from his mouth.

Wrong thing to say, Linc.

“Don’t be so effing judgy.” She paused and actually reached around to pat herself on the back. “See, I knew I could get a handle on this cussing problem.” She looked back at Linc. “Of course I’m not going to drink—I want to have a baby with a brain. Otherwise he won’t be able to fight all the women off. Jesus, if he looks anything like you, we’re going to have to beat the girls off with sticks. I think there are laws for that sort of thing.”

“Bennett.” He pulled out one of the barstools. “Sit.”

“Don’t tell me what to do ass—jerk.” But she sat.

“We have a good fourteen years before we have to worry about dating.”

“Eighteen,” she said through gritted teeth. “Maybe not until he’s twenty-one. That’s a good age for dating.”

Linc bowed his head so she couldn’t see his smile. “Twenty-one. So let’s practice the deep breaths, in and out.”

Her eyebrow shot up. “You’re managing me. I don’t like to be managed.”

“That I am, lass. But it’s not me being bossy. It’s me keeping your blood pressure down. Now breathe.”

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “Promise me he won’t date until he’s twenty-one.”

“I swear to uphold whatever you think best.” He wasn’t making any promises he might have to break later. Poor kid. Bennett had worried about being a good mom, but she was already a protective hen. The boy would be lucky.

“Okay. I’m really worried about this co-parenting thing. I mean, after he’s born, I’ll be in my own place. And—”

The doorbell buzzed.

“Fuck, he’s here. Shit. I cussed. Dammit.”

“Breathe,” he ordered again. “I’m going to get the door. You’re going to sit here and pull yourself together. He’s your father. He wants to see you. Last night, you got on famously. Now calm down, or I swear to hell I’ll send him away and tell him you aren’t feeling up to it.”

Nothing would give him more pleasure. The less time they spent together, the better in his eyes. Aye, he was a selfish bastard, keeping a girl from her pa. But she was his girl.

“You wouldn’t.” Her big eyes rounded.

“Oh, I would do anything to protect you. Don’t doubt that.”

“Go, go.” She shooed him away. “I promise, I’ll be good.”

Linc snorted, but he left her to answer the door.

…

Bennett squeezed her hands together, willing herself to calm down.

Don’t puke on him. Don’t puke on him.

Damn, she needed a different mantra.

Once she’d pulled herself together, she met the men in the living room. They both stood when she walked in. Her father wore jeans and a sports jacket over a white button-down. If she hadn’t known who he was, she might have mistaken him for one of Nick or Linc’s friends dressed for a casual Saturday.

He reached out and took her hands in his. She hesitated—should she kiss his cheek? Give him a hug? Maybe not. They weren’t
that
friendly yet.

So she played it safe and just smiled. Her father smiled back.

“We have breakfast coming up in a few minutes.” Her voice was much calmer than she felt. At least it’d been a full thirty seconds without her throwing up on him.

“Thank you,” he said. “I didn’t want to put you to any trouble.”

“You aren’t. Please, sit.” She motioned to the couch.

“Would you like me to go? You two have a lot to talk about,” Linc said.

She had to give it to the guy. She could tell from the tone of his voice that the last thing he wanted to do was leave them alone, but at least he’d offered.

“Actually, I’d like you to stay.” She needed his strength. And he made her feel brave. “If that’s all right with you?” she asked her father.

“Of course,” he said, smiling softly. “May I ask how you two met?”

“Casey is my best friend, and she’s married to Nick, who is Linc’s best friend. They’re so close that they call each other brother.”

Her father arched an eyebrow. “The head of the Council is your best friend? That’s a powerful ally to have.”

What an odd thing to say. Did he think Linc was friends because he wanted to use Nick in some way? Was that how her father thought? Friends were just allies?

Linc straightened his shoulders. “He was my friend and fellow warrior long before he had any power.”

Her father nodded toward him. “I did not mean to offend, wolf.”

Bennett coughed. Way to get on the guy’s bad side. Hell, way to get on
her
bad side.

“His name is Linc.”

“Apologies again. Now I’ve offended both of you.”

Linc smiled. It looked forced, but it was there. “I don’t mind the term. I’m proud of my heritage.”

“Point taken. I only meant that we’re in an odd and potentially difficult situation with you and my daughter. It’s good that you have friends with a political edge. And I talked to the fae on the council, who also seem to appreciate your talents.”

Talents? What talents?

Linc raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips. Maybe the talents thing wasn’t a compliment. “I’ve helped to keep them safe for more than a hundred and fifty years,” he said, his voice rising. “Through all of the wars. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect those under my care—”

“
So
, you live in Ireland,” she interjected. Something was going on, an undercurrent between the two men, but she was clueless to understand it.

“Yes. You’ll love it there. It’s lush, and I’ve never seen a more beautiful place in all the world. Wouldn’t you agree?” he asked Linc.

“Aye, it’s beautiful. Though I’ve never been to
your
island.” Linc’s brogue grew heavier the more time he spent with her dad.

Breakfast arrived—thank God—and they moved to the dining room. Eggs. Fresh fruit. Coffee for the boys. Oh, how she longed for the day she could drink coffee again.

They sat at the end of the long table, but as delicious as the food smelled, she was too nervous to eat.

“May I be blunt?” her father asked.

Bennett stopped pushing her eggs around her plate. “Of course.”

“It’s uncomfortable for me that my unmarried daughter is pregnant and living with the baby’s father.” He turned to Linc. “There’s been no commitment ceremony, and I want to know your intentions toward my daughter.”

Heart racing and fist clenched, it was all she could do not to spit at him.

How fucking dare you.

“Jesus!” Okay, not as tactful as she’d intended, but this had to be said. “You just found out about me two days ago. You don’t get to come in here and make judgments. He’s done nothing but take care of me. He invited me into his home, let me throw my crap everywhere, held my hair back while I puked my guts out for days on end, and put up with every crazy whim I’ve had. He didn’t ask for this, but he stepped up to the plate. Unlike you, asshole.”

Both men stared at her like she had two heads. Okay, great. At least now they had something in common.

“I’m sorry about the asshole part,” she said. “I’m trying not to cuss in front of the baby. But if you think you have any say in my life, you’re wrong. I invited you here today to get to know you. But you have no right to tell me how to live, or with whom.” Her hands shook. “And now I’m pissed off, so I’m going to my room. That’s right. I have a separate room. But if I want to fuck—dammit.” She shook her head. “If I want to sleep with him, I will. You need to go.”

She turned on her heel with as much bravado as she could muster and stormed out. And then, like the true grown-up she was, she slammed the door.

She sat on the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands.

Fuck. That had
not
gone as planned. But he’d gone too far, acting like he had some ownership in her. Maybe her mother had left because she couldn’t stand his pushy, overbearing ways.

He was insufferable, insulting Linc like that, and making her feel like a whore.

A few seconds later, there was a light knock on the door. She didn’t bother to answer because it opened and Linc popped his head in the room.

“Is he gone?”

Linc had the nerve to smile. “No, I asked him to finish his breakfast.”

“I don’t want to talk to him. He doesn’t get to come in here and judge us.”

He sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders. “It wasn’t a judgment. He was just stating that he was a bit uncomfortable.”

She looked at him with not a little suspicion. “That’s rich coming from the guy who was half ready to go full wolf on him.”

Linc shrugged. “I’m trying to do the right thing here. We’re
all
uncomfortable with the situation. He’s a little more formal in the way he speaks than you’re used to, but no less blunt. I think you were ready to find fault because you didn’t like how he was talking to me.”

“He called you ‘wolf’.”

Linc grinned. “That he did. And it’s true. Look, he’s had no contact with my kind for hundreds of years. There are laws that prevent that sort of thing. And now his daughter is shacked up with one. You have to understand that he’s worried. He’s just found you, and now because of these laws that are in our treaties, he’s worried that he might lose you again.”

“Why?”

Linc shrugged. “It’s tough to change minds. When he was talking about Nick, he didn’t mean it as a way to use him, he meant it as a way to protect us. We broke a law without knowing it. When you come into your magic, if you choose to have it unbound, there will be some very big decisions to make.”

He walked over to the bassinet that would soon hold their son. He shook his head, reached in, and picked up one of the stuffed animals. A wolf. Cute.

“Honestly, I don’t want to defend him,” he said. “I’d prefer he leave and never come back. I’m a greedy bastard. I want you for myself.”

She got up, came close to him, and put her hand on top of his. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You say that. But I can feel you pulling away. I can feel your indecision. And I’m trying to understand, but it isn’t easy. If your powers are unleashed, it might be more years than I care to imagine before I could see you again.” He turned to her. “Don’t you see? If that happens, I won’t have a choice. I’ll have to let you go.”

She leaned into him. Why did everything have to be so hard? She only now realized a part of her wondered if unbinding her magic might be the key to the kind of power and independence she’d always longed for. But it wouldn’t be, would it? She’d be in more danger than ever, forced to live as a prisoner in the fae’s realm.

She put one hand under the stuffed wolf, the other hand on top of Linc’s, and held the animal with him. “Then I don’t want it. I’ve lived without magic for all this time. I don’t need it. There. Done. We don’t have to worry about breaking the laws. I’m human. You’re a wolf. We can have our baby in peace.”

“It’s not that easy. If you don’t have your magic unbound, you won’t be able to visit your father. You’ll never get to know your people.”

What would it mean to have magic? It was hard to make a life-changing decision when she didn’t understand what it meant. But the idea of being away from Linc… Taking his baby from him would be cruel. Not to mention that she’d be as bad her mom, keeping her child from his father.

There was no winning, but her instincts pulled her toward this man who had captured her heart. And it had nothing to do with hormones.

Hell, she’d fallen hard. Whether he’d ever want her that way or not, she couldn’t betray him. He might not ever love her, but he would love his child. He already did.

Bennett shook her head. “My people? My
people
are in this room. You, our son, and me. But you’re right about my father. I need to figure out this thing with him on my own.”

Linc closed his eyes and squeezed her tighter. “I understand. It kills me, but I do. I don’t want to lose you. But I want you to have all the facts and see what you’re giving up.”

“All the facts?” She had no idea what he meant by that, but she leaned into him. God, he felt so strong.

“Your father is very powerful. Before you make any decisions, you should let him show you what you might someday be capable of. A demonstration of sorts.”

She let go of the stuffed wolf, and he gently placed it back into the bassinet, as carefully as if it was their child. “I need to do this, whether I want to or not. Don’t I?”

“Aye, Lass. Because I know the one thing you want more than anything is family. You can’t turn your back on him because he said the wrong thing. I value your loyalty, but I wouldn’t be a decent man if I didn’t tell you it’s important to have family who will always have your back. I’m not sure I trust him. I’m not sure if you should, either. But you should hear him out. I believe he might have been a bit nervous.”