A Fox Among Wolves

Chapter Thirty-Three

The road is rough, making every contraction worse. We have been driving for hours now, the sun long past rising. The snow makes the trip even longer, often times we have to detour around a fallen tree or patches of ice that are too dangerous to cross.

So despite Ranoe saying that we should make it to the safe haven by early afternoon, we are barely half way there. It has been rough since all of us are just anxious to arrive, especially the little ones who are not taking kindly to being locked in a car for an entire day.

In fact, they are just starting to fuss again, waking me from the light doze I had been in. I have been trying to catch as much sleep as I can between contractions, but it is becoming harder as they start to get closer together. Another one is just starting to come, and it feels different this time. The need to walk around is strong.

Peeking at the clock on the front of the dash, I do some silent calculations, determining that my contractions are only fifteen minutes apart. This time when Ranoe stops the car, I quickly unbuckle myself, stepping out into the cold winter air.

The snow crunches beneath my feet as I walk away from the car, finding a grove of trees to hide behind. The contraction is strong, making me hunch over as I try to breathe through the pain. Just as the contraction is starting to pass, something inside me pinches, before it feels like I have to pee. I don't even have a chance to hold it in, though, before my pants are being soaked with wetness.

Embarrassment floods over me, and it only grows when I hear someone approaching. Before I have a chance of even thinking about doing something to hide what is going on, Braeden comes into view.

Seeing me hunched over, he rushes to my side, hands roaming over me as if checking to make sure that I am not hurt. "Henley? What's wrong?"

"I- I think my water just broke," I whisper.

Braeden tenses up next to me, before moving to try and pick me up. "Hey! Stop that! What are you doing?"

Scrambling away, I escape his strong arms. The worry is clear on his face as he watches me with his deep blue eyes. "We need to get you back to the car. It isn't safe out here."

This time, when he approached, he just wraps his arms around me, hands massaging the bottom of my back. "No, I need some air. Being trapped in that car is just making me feel sick."

"Do you want me to grab you some new pants?" Braeden murmurs, pressing a kiss against my temple.

Letting out a long sigh, I give a shaky nod of my head, cuddling a bit closer to his heat. "Yes, please."

Braeden seems a little reluctant to leave me, and the fact that I am clinging to him probably isn't making this easier. After a few minutes, though, he extricates himself, heading back over to the car.

He is just coming back with my pants when I hear something in the distance. It sounds far away, but it is near enough to make my heart rate spike. Braeden must hear it too because he quickly closes the distance between us. I know that he just wants to usher me over to the safety of the car, but I refuse to get back in the vehicle with soaking wet pants.

With my mate's help, I am able to quickly change from my jeans into baggy sweats. As quickly as I can, I reach down between my legs, and I feel a slit where my scrotum used to be.

"Shit," I mumble, causing Braeden to look away from the trees and over to me.

"What is it?"

"My birth canal has opened."

"I thought you had to cut where it was supposed to be?" he asks, his eyes widening in worry.

"Usually," I whisper, allowing him to herd me back to the car. "But if you wait too long, your body will just rip it open on its own."