Mate Magic (9 page)

He was massaging shampoo into her hair.
“Well, are you going to tell me what I did wrong?”

Paul
was worried at how she might react but it’s not like she could run out on him with shampoo in her hair. “I became upset because you called me your best friend.”

“That’s silly.
You are my best friend.”

“Yes, but I am also your mate.
I’ve tried to let things develop naturally but you don’t seem to have the same strong feelings as I do. It’s painful for me.”

She was utterly stunned.
“How do you know? How would I know, I’ve never thought I’d find a mate. I didn’t even know what the mating signs were until tonight. Right before you rocked my world, I might add.”

Paul
tried really hard to understand. “Bailey, we met months ago and I instantly recognized you as mine. I didn’t tell you or claim you because you had a major trauma. I tried to call you, and see you, but your brother forbid any contact between us. I’ve known, for what seems like forever, and I didn’t want you to feel obligated to be with me because we were mates. I want you to want me for me and not just because of our animal attraction.”

“Wait, my brother wouldn’t let you see me?
My mate? He forbid my mate contact with me, without my input?”

Paul
winced. “I might have upset him a teensy bit.”

“Explain?”

“I went with you to the hospital when you were injured by Allen. By the way, I was so proud of you.” At her look of outrage he continued, “I could smell your base scent and it mixed with the blood. When the medical staff left to prep you for the chest tube I, might have, leaned in to scent you and got carried away.”

“Carried away?”

Paul wished he hadn’t done it but he couldn’t deny it now. “I might have licked your neck. It was unintentional and I didn’t mean to. One minute I was smelling you, and the next my tongue was on your neck. I tried to explain to Dante, but he just wanted to beat me up.”

Bailey
laughed long and loud. It was the most carefree he’d ever seen her.

Chapter 12

Paul was leaning over to kiss his mate when he heard Jake calling his name. The door to the bathroom slammed open and Jake came in. “Bailey, you have to hurry. Something’s wrong with Shana.”

Bailey
could hear Paul growling at his Alpha, who was growling back. Jake opened the shower door and was about to snatch Bailey out when she said. “Okay, Jake I’m coming. Paul, it’s all right.”

Bailey
went to step around Paul when he said. “Let her dress Jake.”

Jake
grabbed her arm and said. “There’s no time. You can hit me later.”

Jake
pulled a naked Bailey behind him, while a naked Paul was running after them cursing. Jake tossed her in a large room where Shana was lying in bed holding her stomach and breathing hard.

Bailey
immediately went to her side, “What’s wrong?”

Shana
looked at the naked woman and continued to pant. She looked to her mate who was pacing the floor at the foot of the bed. “What”
pant
“the”
pant, pant
“Hell?”

Paul
ran into the room, naked too, and Jake turned to snarl at him. Paul had eyes for Baily only. He was clutching a sheet and he went to her side and placed it around her.

Shana
finally leaned against some pillows at the head of the bed. “Please, tell me why there is a naked pair of wolves in my room?”

Bailey
explained. “Jake said something was wrong with you and wouldn’t allow me to dress before I attended you. What’s wrong?”

Shana
looked to her mate and husband and said. “That’s so sweet.” She then looked at Paul and said, “I guess things are working well for the both of you. Naked and wet, yet un-mated. Ohhhh la la.”

Paul
grit out. “We were getting there-“but was cut off by Shana’s distressed groan.

Jake
yelled to Bailey.
“Help her!”

Bailey
yelled back, “I would if someone would tell me what the hell was going on!”

Bailey
looked to Shana who was back to panting and clutching the sheets. Bailey had to ask. “When is she due?”

Jake
became alarmed, “Not for three weeks.”

Bailey
rolled her eyes. “For twins, which I’m going to assume by her scent you’re having; they come early. She’s probably in labor, call the midwife.”

Shana
stopped panting. “I called her already but she lives an hour away.”

Jake
looked startled. “When did you call her?”

Shana
looked near tears. “Now, don’t get mad. I called her a couple hours ago because I was having back pain. She said it was an early sign of labor so I should call her when it got worse.”

Jake
’s jaw was clinched, “When did you call her back?”

“When you went to fetch
Bailey. I don’t want you to panic.”

Bailey
sighed. “Don’t worry. I’ve been trained to deliver babies especially multiple births. That’s all I was good for with my old pack. Plus, Trevor already interviewed me for the position of midwife asking me if I knew how to deliver babies. He would have said if something bad was going to happen.”

Shana
and Jake looked at each other when Jake said. “That little booger. He knew before we put him to bed what was coming. He told us to put a waterproof pad on the bed.”

Shana
laughed. “We thought he meant his bed, so we put one on his bed instead of ours.” She hunched over suddenly and began panting again, “
Goddammit
.”

Bailey
knew what had happened; she could smell the amniotic fluid. “Jake are you going to be okay here? If you’re upset it’s going to make her upset.”

Jake
went to Shana’s side and took her hand, “I’m here honey. I’ll be fine, and so will you.”

Paul
felt like an outsider until Bailey looked at him. “I need you to get me towels and do you have gloves? I wear a small. Please get them along with whatever birthing supplies Shana has stashed away.” She gave him a small smile as he fled the room to do as she requested.

As soon as
Paul left the room she turned to Shana, “I need to feel your stomach, I’ll try not to hurt you.” She reached up Shana’s nightgown and Jake growled. She continued under the gown until she got to the top of her abdomen. Shana was done with the contraction so Bailey waited for Paul to arrive so she could check and see how dilated she was.

Shana
began to pant again and Bailey could feel her abdomen harden She looked at the clock at the bedside. Shit, Shana was probably close. She was sweating and her contractions were lasting fifteen to thirty seconds and coming every couple minutes. “Jake, get a rag from the bathroom and wet it with cold water.”

As soon as
Jake left the room Bailey whispered, “You’re close. Do you have to push?”

Shana
shook her head and Bailey pulled the covers up so she could look to see if the first baby was crowning, nope. Jake ran back into the room with a dripping wet rag. “Ring it out, Alpha.”

Jake
looked shaken up as rung it out on the bedroom floor. Shana snatched it from him, “Idiot,” as she mopped the sweat from her own brow.

Paul
came running into the room panting as hard as Shana. “I found the birth pack you had, and here are the towels and gloves.”

Bailey
didn’t even look at him as she took gloves and put a pair on. “I need to check you Shana are you contracting right now?”

“No, but hurry.
I’m almost there.”

Bailey
put her gloved hand into Shana and could feel the first babies head; she was dilated about nine centimeters, “Do you have baby names picked out?”

Shana
snarled, “Don’t dick around with me. I’m an emergency room nurse. How much am I dilated?”

Bailey
normally would have cowered to the Alpha mate but she simply said. “With the next contraction I want you to push, understand?”

Shana
looked a bit alarmed but nodded her understanding.

Bailey
yelled to Paul. “Open the birthing kit and get out the bulb suction. I’ll also need the scissors and cord clamps.” Bailey spread the towels down between Shana’s spread legs.

Jake
snarled, “For God’s sake, we don’t care about the sheets.”

Bailey
looked up. “I’m about done with people snarling and snapping at me. Let me do my job. The towels are to wrap and stimulate the babies, so back the fuck off.”

Jake
looked cowed and replied, “Sorry.”

Shana
began to pant again when Bailey said, “take in a deep breath and push Shana. These will be small pups so it won’t be long.”

Shana
took in a deep breath and pushed. Bailey could see she was crowning. “Wow, lots of hair, Shana. Keep pushing so we can meet your baby. Take a breath and push again.”

Shana
did as Bailey asked and was rewarded with a pop as her child’s head slipped out. “Stop pushing for now.” Bailey grabbed the suction and sucked the secretions out of the baby’s mouth. When she was done she placed her finger on the rim of Shana’s labia and helped to guide the shoulder free. The small child slid into Bailey’s waiting arms. She rubbed the back and heard the child’s cry. She flipped the pup and announced, “It’s a boy.” She quickly clamped and cut the cord, after another round of suctioning. She passed the baby to Jake’s shocked arms.

Bailey
, once again, reached into Shana’s birthing channel and was so happy to feel the second child’s head, instead of a butt or feet. “Alright mama, her head is down. You ready to push?”

Shana
nodded her head with renewed determination. She took in a breath and bore down. The second baby was ready to follow the path that the first had already travel. Once again there was a popping sound as the head was freed and Bailey requested, “No more pushing Shana. You’ve done well; let me do the work now.”

Bailey
suctioned the pups mouth and guided her out of her mother’s body, “Beautiful little girl.” Bailey was rubbing the girl’s back with the towel but no cries.

Shana
said what everyone else was thinking. “Why isn’t she crying?”

Bailey
looked down at the girl who had good color and was breathing just fine. “I guess she ain’t ready to cry, but she’s breathing fine. Shana, you have a small tear but I can’t repair it because I don’t have the supplies, so you’ll have to wait for the midwife. Jake, why don’t you come cut the cord.”

Jake
handed his son to an alarmed and crying Paul. Bailey put the last clamp on the cord and handed Jake the scissors. He clipped the cord. “Wow, it’s thick and hard to cut.”

Bailey
wrapped the girl in the towel and handed her to Shana. “You have a beautiful family.”

Paul
also handed a baby to Shana, as he and Bailey slipped out of the room. Bailey was rubbing her back and stretching. Paul asked, “How are you holding up?”

Bailey
smiled. “Well, I found my mate, insulted him, attempted to make it up to him, delivered my Alpha’s twin babies and all in the same day I was kidnapped and lost my virginity. I’m great.”

Paul
looked sheepish for a moment before saying, “How were you going to make it up to your mate?” He began to wiggle his eyebrows and she couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her.

Paul
took an exhausted Bailey into his arms. “Rest, I’ll get you to bed safely.”

She lay her head down on his shoulder.
“Yeah, but whose bed?”

It was
Paul’s turn to laugh. “Actually you’ve been sleeping in my bed all along.”

Bailey
looked up at him, “No way, now I feel bad that I stole your bed. There are probably five million beds in this mansion and I took yours.”

Paul
smiled down at her. “Don’t feel bad. I’ve been having fantasies about you rolling around in my bed. You’ve had minute traces of my scent from the sheets. Betcha didn’t know that. It’s probably why you chose the room to begin with; you’re as drawn to me as I am to you.”

“I couldn’t figure out why I constantly smelled like rotting garbage, it must be your scent.”
Paul’s steps faltered as she quickly said, “I’m joking with you. I love the way you smell. Fresh and yet masculine.”

Paul
smiled again. “Let’s get you to bed because you are clearly delirious. It must be way past your bedtime. Plus, we have to be at work in the morning.”

Paul
carried her into her room, pulled back the covers and laid her down. She must have changed the sheets before she joined him in the shower because there was no bloody mess to avoid. He set her down and kissed her forehead, “Sleep well.”

Paul
had his hand on the door handle when he heard Bailey whisper, “Stay.”

He twisted around to peer at her when she clarified.
“We both need the comfort. We can give each other comfort tonight.” She pulled the covers down and she had, just then, realized they were both still wearing sheets as clothes.

Paul
slid under the covers and spooned Baileys back saying, “I’d love to stay.”

He could hear
Bailey’s breath coming out even and steady and he knew she was asleep. He buried his nose in her hair and took in her sweet scent. He couldn’t help the whispered, “I love you,” that fell from his lips right before he too was lost to sleep.