Winter's Dawn (51 page)

Autumn Equinox 1967

The Autumn Equinox celebration lasted well into the early morning hours until Max finally lost his temper and insisted Susie needed rest. She did have a puppy to deliver the next day. He carried her to bed when her back started hurting and made the deliberate decision to stay far away from all those female members of his family who had planned the wretched party to begin with.

Then he stripped off her gown, braided her hair and put her right in bed without a bath. He probably needed to rest as well, but as it was he watched the sun rise on September twenty-third from a chair he had put out on the balcony. The trees had already started to turn and were colored with the first signs of fall. The fog that had been their constant companion since the first months of Susie’s pregnancy was denser than usual. The grounds were decorated with pumpkins, scarecrows, and other symbols of harvest.

Strange how their holidays mirrored the human’s celebrations, but of course, he knew that was by design. Centuries ago werewolves had brainwashed the humans to incorporate werewolf traditions with the Christian holidays they celebrated. Why else would they have bunnies and eggs on Easter, symbols notorious for fertility, which was spring’s claim to fame? Pine trees in the house for the celebration of Christmas, a symbol of life in the midst of winter.

The old ones were wise.

Max wasn’t so sure he or his offspring were up to the task of following in their footsteps. Up to it or not, there was about to be another king burdened with the responsibility.

“Honeywell.”

Max turned in his seat and looked past the open balcony doors to his bed. “Yeah, Susie Bee?”

“Rub my back for me.” Susie moaned and stretched. “It hasn’t stopped aching since the party.”

“That party was a bad idea,” Max grumbled as he got up. He closed the doors behind him and lowered the temperature in the room. “You know what I have to say about it.”

“It’s over now.” Susie rolled on her side and pushed down the sheets, giving him a view of her back. “Might as well stop grumbling about it.”

“I suppose.”

Max grabbed the running oil off Susie’s nightstand and used it to start rubbing her back. They kept it there because this wasn’t the first backache she had in the past few weeks as she grew heavier with pregnancy. He was almost tempted to place his ear to her stomach once more and listen again for twins because Susie had gotten very large in the last month, far bigger than Katrina and the other pregnant females he’d seen around the palace get.

He rubbed his thumb up the curve of her spine, now slick with oil and looked at her in concern. “Is it helping?”

Susie shook her head and moaned. “No, it’s getting worse.”

“Oh Gods.” Max closed his eyes and bowed his head because there had been some idealistic side of him that hadn’t been destroyed by life still hoping for a beta wolf with unique timing. “We probably ought to get the doctors.”

“Not yet,” Susie complained despite knowing the doctors were only a few rooms down. They’d been at the palace since the start of her pregnancy. “I’m not ready for all the fuss. We know exactly how much time I have.”

Max looked at his watch. It was past nine now. That gave them about eight hours to the equinox. It was a miracle she lasted this long. He had been concerned she would go into labor at the party last night.

“Perhaps a bath?”

Susie nodded. “A bath sounds nice.”

Max rolled off the bed and walked to the bathroom. He made the bath temperate. Susie had been strange about water temperature the farther along she got with her pregnancy. Whether it was really the Autumn King messing with her climate preferences or just Susie’s maternal nature to make sure her son wasn’t uncomfortable, Max wasn’t sure.

He carried Susie to the bath rather than let her walk in fear of her water breaking. He didn’t want her to be in pain any longer than necessary. He put her in the bath and then got in with her.

“Is the temperature okay?”

“It’s fine.” Susie scooted forward, making room for Max and then leaned back against him when he situated himself behind her. “How are you, Maxwell?”

Max took a shuddering breath as he considered the question. Terrified. Violent. Angry. Protective. He was a lot of things, but he settled on, “Worried for you.”

“I’m strong,” she assured him as she patted his knee. “I’m ready.”

Max wasn’t, but he had no choice but to go along with it.

They sat in the bath until it went from warm to cool and both of them enjoyed it enough that they didn’t bother to get out. Max was lying back against the sloping side of the tub. His head rested against the ledge and his eyes were closed in prayer as he silently spoke to the Gods, begging for his mate’s safety and well-being.

Susie lay against him, her hands rubbing her stomach with maternal love. Suddenly she squeaked and shifted, splashing water out of the tub as she dug her fingernails into his thigh hard enough to break the skin.

Max didn’t say anything, but he did look at his watch, noting the time. Then he wrapped his arms around Susie and placed a kiss against the top of her head as he held her and tried to will some of her pain onto himself.

They stayed like that in silence as a testament to their season, with Max timing her contractions without saying he was doing it. When they dropped down from twelve minutes apart to ten he started to shift anxiously with her. His watch said it was past noon. They had bathed for three hours in companionable silence while they waited.

With the next contraction, Susie broke her silence and screamed. She doubled over and the water splashed out of the tub violently when magic vibrated off her.

“Oh shit,” Max groaned because he hadn’t considered her magic when he thought of her labor. “What are we going to do if you keep doing that?”

“I don’t know,” Susie sobbed as she gripped at her calves and fought past the pain. “I’ll try to fight it.”

“No.” Max shook his head. “Don’t fight your nature. Not this time. You let us worry about it.”

Susie nodded. “Okay.”

“I think we need the doctors now.”

“What are they going to do?” Susie spoke through gritted teeth.

Max sighed. “Not much.”

“Just let me be with you.”

Max placed a hand on her stomach, rubbing it softly. “Fine. You tell me when you’re ready.”

“Not yet.”

“Okay.”

The birth of a king was such a public occasion, Max understood Susie’s need for peace for as long as possible. Soon enough their private space would be crowded with wolves waiting to see the new king. She needed this time. Max did too, but the clock kept ticking and Susie’s contractions kept growing stronger and stronger.

Max knew they were getting more intense, because the painful vibrations that pulsed off her had started knocking things off the bathroom sink and shaking the door. When it was past one, Max finally put his foot down as Susie’s head tossed on his chest and her breathing became low, frantic wolf pants of agony.

“You’re ready
now
.”

Susie shook her head and let out a sob. “No.”

“Yes.” Max felt her stomach again, surprised to actually feel the muscles contracting. “Wouldn’t you like female companionship? Katrina, Danielle, Emma, they’re all waiting to attend you.”

“I only need you,” Susie panted and then took a shuddering breath. “It’s passed. I’m fine.”

“Let’s at least get out of the bath.”

Max used the break in her contractions to step out. Then he held out a hand to her, helping her stand. When Susie did, she let out a gasp of surprise and looked down to the water she was standing in. There was no mistaking the murky tinge of red between her legs and she lifted her head to look at him with wide eyes. “My water broke.”

Max’s heart was racing. He was fighting his baser instinct to start panting like Susie as the rush of fear made him light headed. Distantly he could hear the
tap, tap, tap
of hail hitting the windows, reminding him horribly of Susie’s birth so long ago.

“Don’t panic, Maxwell,” Susie said in a rush. “If you panic, then I will and—”

“I’m not panicked.” Max shook his head to help along the blatant lie.

Susie pointed towards the sound of ice hitting the windows. “Then what’s that?”

“I can’t help it.” His voice was a low growl as he held up his hands to her. “This is happening. Right now.” He looked at his watch. “We’ve got less than three hours and—”

“Just go get the doctors.” Susie looked down at the water again. “Quick. I can feel them starting again.”

“Gods!”

Max spun around and ran out of the room completely naked. He jerked open the door to his suite and then reeled back when Katrina and Emma rushed in. “It’s happening,” he said frantically.

“We know that,” Katrina snapped at him. “We have watches. We’ve been sitting out here for hours.”

“Maxwell, the ice!” Emma pointed to the windows. “It’s September.”

Max let out a low growl of fury. “I can’t help it!”

“We’re here,” one of the doctors said. “We’re going to help your queen. All is well.”

“All is
not
well!” Max shook his head as he completely lost hold of his sanity. “She’s hurting and—”

“The queen is having a puppy. Hurting is normal.”

“Emma, have the maids get the bed ready,” Katrina called from the bathroom. “Her contractions are starting again. They’re strong. She nearly knocked me off my feet.”

“Maxwell!” Susie shouted and it kicked Max’s brain into gear enough to send him back into the bathroom. Susie was still standing in the tub and she reached out to him. “Help me.”

“I’ve got you, sweetheart.” Max leaned down and swooped her up. “I’m sorry. I’m not handling this well. I’m officially panicked.”

“You need a fistful of pills and some pants,” Katrina said as she directed them out of the bathroom. “I’ve done this three times and every single time John was a terrible mess. You’d think he was the one having a puppy. Males.”

Max stood there holding Susie, both of them completely naked as the maids worked on preparing the bed. His arms shook with nerves and despite every single wolf in the room including Susie complaining about the bad weather Max couldn’t do a thing to stop it. He was a breath away from telling them how much it was taking to make sure it wasn’t a blizzard instead of just hail.

When Max finally laid Susie on the bed, she was writhing with the contractions and the doctors immediately went to her aid. It was of little comfort when there was nothing they could do to ease her pain and the wolf in him didn’t like those two males touching his mate. He growled, showing his teeth.

“Pills. Pants.” Katrina shoved him back away from the bed, jerking Max out of his angry haze. “In that order. Now. We’ve got her for the time being.”

“When did she get so bossy?” Max frowned and turned to find John standing there. “You have my pity.”

“I think it’s some sort of maternal instinct that causes it,” John mused as he arched an eyebrow at Max. “But, you do need pants. I’m going blind here.”

“Gods, humans.” Max rolled his eyes and turned away from him to search for pants.

His hands were shaking as he pulled on a fresh pair in his closet. His breathing was still uneven and the ice hadn’t stopped pelting the windows.

“For you.”

Max turned to find his father and Adam standing at the doorway to his closet. Adam held a bottle of pills. His father held a bottle of whiskey and a full glass out as a peace offering.

“With love from the females in the room.”

“Hell.” Max took the drink from his father and held out his hand, letting Adam dump four pills into it. He took them with a wince and rasped past the burn in his throat, “I do not think I’m a strong enough king to last the next three hours.”

“The pills will help,” his father said as he pushed him out of the closet.

“The Gods guide you,” Adam added.

Neither thought was very comforting as Max went back to Susie. Maggie had arrived too. As had Danielle. Their room was filled to the brim with overeager wolves and humans trying to help and it was suffocating. No wonder Susie wanted to hide in the bath.

“Okay.” Max took a deep breath as he went to Susie’s side and willed the pills to start working. “I need you to pick one female. The rest of are leaving. I will lose my mind if I have to deal with this many wolves through all this.”

Susie nodded breathlessly as she recovered from her latest contraction. She took a shuddering gasp of air and then turned to him. “Katrina.”

Max fought not to groan. Katrina was always in his nightmares and it felt like horrible foreboding. He never understood her place by Susie’s side in his dreams, but then they had formed before Katrina had turned into a maternal, no-nonsense wolf with sharp teeth when it came down the ones she protected. He nodded rather than complain.

“And Maggie.” Susie squeezed his hand tightly. “I need her here with me. I want her to come with me when I leave.”