Eternally Hers

Part Twenty Six

Arabelle Warren

​"Hello?" My voice had come out husky with sleep, crackling slightly from lack of use. I kept my eyes closed, only opening them slightly to press the speaker button on my phone and letting it fall onto the pillow in between Saoirse and I.

​"Arabelle!" My mother, Isabelle's voice was a breathless yelp.

​"Mom?" I groaned, "why are you calling so early? It's barely..." I glanced at the time on my phone briefly, "six in the morning over there."

​"Cass is going into labour!" She squealed. I suppressed my groan at the noise. "Everyone is here at the pack house, she's in with Lanie's son now. The baby should be here by the end of the day."

​"That's so exciting," I mumbled to her, my mind slowly beginning to defog. "Tell her and Dante I say congratulations."

​"You're on speaker!" She squealed again, "Dante is right here!"

​"Hi, congratulations." I pulled myself into a seated position and glanced at Saoirse, who was already seated, her back pressed against our bed frame. She had been awake before me; I knew without even having to look at her. But she looked much more awake than I, eyes bright and untired.

​"Thanks, kid!" His voice was hoarse with excitement. "I have to go back in with Cass, but I'll tell her, too." There was shuffling, and I knew he was leaving whatever room they were all packed in to go back to his wife.

​"Jada's here, too," Mom was telling me, "and Charlie's here, Malakai, the twins, Isaac, Julian, Matty, Elena, John, Cass and Dante's kids."

​"Hi, everyone," I greeted again.

​"Hello all," Saoirse added in afterwards, and I sent her a grin.

​"Oh, hi, Saoirse!" Mom squeaked, "I didn't realize you were there! So nice to have you involved!"

​"Lovely to be involved, Isabelle," my mate replied back smoothly, taking my hand in hers, my phone now placed in my lap.

​Mom let out a flutter of a laugh in response. "Well, we won't keep you long, we just wanted to keep you in the loop! You're both still coming for Christmas, right?"

​"Yes, Mom," I chuckled in spite of myself. "Haven't missed one yet."

​"Just checking," she replied sheepishly. "I'll let you go. I'll send pictures and updates when she has the baby! I love you!"

​"I love you all, bye everyone."

​The line went dead seconds later. Saoirse took that as her cue to glance at me curiously. "I thought Cassandra wasn't due for another couple weeks?"

​"She wasn't. It's not unnatural to have them early, especially with Wolves," I explained briefly. "Most of their children were early, actually. Especially the triplets."

​A look found its way onto Saoirse's face, one I wasn't familiar with. I looked at her curiously, trying to decipher what it meant, and she caught it quickly, her lips quirking into a small, somewhat sad smile.

​With a shake of her head, she admitted softly, "I've always wanted to have a baby. Vampires, of course, can't conceive, but even before I turned, I'd always wanted a family. There was no way I could have had one when I was human, unless I married a man. And I wasn't willing to compromise who I am for one. Now that there are options available for women, I can't physically have one myself."

​My heart lurched for her. Saoirse and I hadn't had a discussion about children, having only been together a short span of time, and with the Vampire situation occurring. It had never come up. So I was surprised to hear her admittance, and her stance on having a family.