next to her ear.
“Scared.” Bethany panted. “I don’t want anything to happen to her.” Sally and Rachel put their hands on her bare stomach, and both healers closed their eyes. Warmth spread all over her abdomen as their hands emitted a soft, golden glow.
“We’re not going to let anything happen to this little pack member,” Sally told her, though her eyes remained closed, and she seemed intently focused on whatever it was she and Rachel were doing.
Bethany’s stomach tightened, and she braced for another contraction, but the pain was much less this time. Then Drake tensed behind her and cursed under his breath. She looked inward toward their bond and realized he was taking some of her pain into himself.
“Sorry it took me so long to remember I could do that,” he told her. “You shouldn’t have had to suffer that first one.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she told him, switching to the mate bond. “I don’t like the idea of you suffering, either.”
“You just worry about doing what the girls tell you to, and I’ll worry about helping you get through this with as little pain as possible. I love you, Bethy. I’m scared, too, but I know our little girl is going to be fine. I feel it in my gut.”
Bethany couldn’t help the tears that appeared. Drake had told her once that he never wanted her to experience any pain ever again because she’d been through enough to last several lifetimes. Though she knew he was excited about their child, he’d been dreading the labor since they realized she was pregnant.
“Bethany, you’re doing amazing.” Jen leaned forward and pressed a cool washcloth to her collarbone, which caused Bethany to sigh in relief. “You’re beautiful and calm, and you’re not even swearing at the man who is to blame for what is about to happen to your vagina. I really feel like someone should curse him a blue streak right now.”
“Where’s Thia when we need her?” Bethany heard Zara quip.
“The last thing we need is that mini-hellion witnessing childbirth,” Peri said dryly. “She’d get it in her head that all females were supposed to be pushing out babies and probably try to shove dolls between our legs in an effort to recreate this whole miraculous event.”
That made Bethany laugh, because it sounded exactly like something the mischievous, wild child would do.
“Okay, your contractions are two minutes apart.” Rachel spoke and everyone got quiet. “The heartbeat is strong. Sally is working her magic, making sure the baby is healthy. It looks like all of her organs are doing what they’re supposed to be doing. You’re doing great, Momma.”
“You’re dilating rapidly.” Jacque looked up at Bethany.
“In woman speak, that means your who-ha looks like a black hole, only stuff isn’t going to be sucked in. It’s going to be shot out.” Jen patted Bethany’s knee.
“Thank you, Jen, for clarifying that her vagina isn’t about to become a giant vacuum.” Crina sounded like she was trying hard not to laugh.
“Drake, you do realize this is the perfect opportunity to use that sentence as the most awesome innuendo in the history of innuendos, right?” Jen asked.
“She’s not wrong,” Bethany said. She noticed her voice even sounded winded through their bond. “It would be an awesome innuendo.”
“Our child is not going to be allowed around that woman,” Drake growled, but she heard the humor behind his annoyance.
“She always means well,” Bethany said, unable to focus enough to keep speaking through their bond.
“Bethy, she got you a penis cake for your baby shower. How can she mean well?” Drake said out loud.
“It was her way of including you in the celebration,” Bethany pointed out. “After all, it was your penis that got us into this situation.”
“By the way…” Jen jumped into their conversation. “Thanks for the picture. I was able to give it to the baker. I think the likeness was remarkable.”
Bethany felt Drake’s anger rising, and a little of the pain he’d been siphoning slipped back through the bond. She grunted, and immediately her mate refocused and pushed the pain away. “You gave her a picture of my junk?” he whispered.
“Do you really think I’d let another female see your male bits?” Bethany asked.
Drake nuzzled her neck and said, “The only reason I would believe it is because they got the size right.”
Bethany laughed and then groaned when she suddenly got a powerful tightening in her nether regions. “I need to push.”
“Said every male ever behind their female.” Jen made a motion