Neo

I felt my phone slip from my fingers, and pleasant sparks erupt on my still bare waist and then I was on a plush chair and Nate had my phone but all I could make out was the tone of his voice, the words wouldn’t or couldn’t register. I could hear the doctor’s muffled voice, explaining to Nate what was going to happen…but I knew without having to hear. The doctor was going to put all his efforts into saving the unborn child and sentencing my mother to death. I didn’t know how to feel about my mother dying. We weren’t on speaking terms, in fact she hated me but before she hated me…she loved me. She doted on me, spent time with me and taught me things that my father thought an Alpha shouldn’t have to know…she’d been a good mom once even if she did turn a blind eye to the beatings and verbal abuse my father would spew at his children.

Nate was still on the phone, but no longer talking; instead he seemed to be booking flights, I saw Luce and Lilah appear…Nate must’ve mindlinked them, they knelt next to me and tried to get my attention but I was too far gone in my memories to hear them. I didn’t come back to the present until I felt the comforting sparks that meant Nate was there.

“Our flight leaves in an hour, hurry and let's go pack. Luce and Lilah will fly back with my parents and Nolan.”

I let Nate lead me down the hall and then I went into muscle memory and packed my carry on. I’d only brought a few outfits, while Nate packed our toiletries and his own clothes. When Nate was finished, he took my bag and shouldered it and then took my hand. No doubt he had already let the members of our pack know what was happening, and then Ness would take care of the rest.

***

Our flight seemed longer than it had before. We landed just outside of the Pacifica pack borders and Malcolm was already there, he was leaning against the car; sunglasses pinning back his long mahogany hair, his unusual aquamarine eyes lit up with concern when he saw me being escorted by Nate, who quite literally was supporting half my weight. My best friend rushed forward and helped my mate get me into the backseat, no words of welcome were exchanged, no one asked questions. Malcolm seemed to immediately understand without Nate having to explain.

Malcolm drove with the radio so low that it might as well have been silent, while Nate seemed to be in communication with the medical staff within the pack and was getting constant updates. Malcolm pulled into the medical center and parked half way on the curb much to a passing nurse’s chagrin. 

I came to my senses briefly, enough for me to know my mother was close by and I needed to hurry. Nate and I entered the maternity ward as one and the receptionist instantly recognized me or rather Nate,

“Luna! You must be here to see the former Luna, the doctor is still performing the c-section but you may go in to perform her Luna’s Rite.”

Nate paused, looked at me and swallowed hard, this was the first time he was going to be blessing a death. 

I watched as Nate disappeared down the hall and into one of the operating rooms. My mother was in that room.

I fell back against the wall, and slid to the floor. Suddenly I was 2 years old, scared out of my mind because my mommy was screaming in pain and dad was yelling at the staff to help her…but she came back to me that time.

My mom wasn't coming back this time. 

Nate

I walked into the room, and a nurse draped me in a gown and put a mask and cap on my head. The doctor only glanced up momentarily and went right back to the task at hand. They had had the decency to knock her all the way out before starting, so it would be like she just fell asleep and never woke up. I went to the head of the operating table and began the ritual I had only witnessed once before; and that was at the burial. I’d never done this part, never witnessed the Blessing of the Soul and Body. 

Alright Natey Boy, you can do this. 

My internal pep talk, and Dixon's eye roll spurred me into action, my nerves melted away and my body took over like I had done this a thousand times before; I didn’t remember any of the words I said and I only came out of what I can only describe as a trance when I heard the newborn child cry. The nurse that had dressed me kindly asked,

“Luna, will you bless this new life?”

The child was passed to me, and when I looked into their familiar jade green eyes, I knew instantly that this child was meant to be mine, and Dixon said only one word;

Mine.

Neo

I was escorted into the room, a sheet had been draped over my mother’s now lifeless body; I stopped and slowly approached the operating table, I touched the sheet and let out a breath,slowly I exposed my mother's face, she looked…peaceful. I was suddenly overcome with grief even though I had already said goodbye to her, I cried for the mother she used to be. 

 Nate stood in the corner of the room, his back to me. He seemed to sense my emotional distress, which I should've known since we were bonded, he turned around and the sight of my beautiful mate with a newborn child in his arms was enough to freeze me in place. It made my inner Alpha purr with pride, and I knew somehow that this was meant to be.

“This baby is ours. This is our daughter.” Nate said, his tone held a finality to it, that was impossible to fight. 

I reached out my arms, if this child was going to be my daughter, I should hold her. Nate gracefully deposited the fragile bundle into my arms, and when her eyes connected with mine, I felt my heart burst, she really was our daughter. Deaton examined her through my eyes and by his satisfied purr, I knew he approved,

“What should we name her?”

“Briar Wynona Lennox, welcome to the world.” Nate whispered,

Nate gently stroked her face, and she squirmed a bit in her sleep, but she settled almost instantly. She was beautiful and it was hard to believe that she was the product of a monster and an oppressed she-wolf.

***

We obviously didn’t have anything ready at our apartment so before we went home with Briar I had Malcolm and Maria go out and get everything we would need. Malcolm obviously needs an escort because if not…chaos. Malcolm and Maria, along with Nolan came into the apartment, their arms ladened with baby supplies,

“I still don’t understand why I needed, not one, but two escorts to get supplies for my new niece!”

“Did you really just ask that?” Maria asked,

“And did you get everything on the list?” Nate asked, “And would you have if Maria hadn’t gone with you?”

I turned to look at Nate and was shocked to see he had settled into parenthood so quickly, his sassy remark reminded me eerily of Csilla, he had Briar in one of those viral baby wraps, and his hands were placed sassily on his hips, Malcolm looked at him and gulped but defiantly said,

“I could’ve done it alone. I’m not an imbecile.”

“That’s what you think but your actions say otherwise.” Maria muttered under her breath. “I did however enjoy shopping in the baby section. It would be nice if it was for my own baby though.” 

Malcolm reddened and started sputtering incoherently,

“I-uh, no…um…can we graduate first?”

Maria burst into a fit of giggles, turning red herself; she placed a hand on Malcolm’s shoulder and sobered herself,

“I was only joking, my love. We can wait until you’re ready. But I will be getting a pup out of you.” She kissed his cheek and carried her load of supplies to the new nursery. When Csilla found out she was a grandmother she made quick work of turning our spare room into a bedroom fit for the pack’s new princess. It wouldn’t surprise me if she was out shopping right now with Calvin.

I helped Malcolm and Nolan set up the furniture and put away the outfits, while Maria found places for the bottles, bottle cleaner, baby food maker, and the cans of formula in the kitchen. Once we were finished, our apartment door once again opened and Csilla and Calvin entered, both ladened with shopping bags.

Briar wasn’t even forty-eight hours old yet and she was already more spoiled than Nate and I combined. Csilla saw Briar sleeping in Nate’s arms and shoved her bags into Calvin’s chest and beelined for the baby and her son. I sighed, and showed Calvin where he could store whatever treasures Csilla had found.

Luce and Lilah were notably absent from the gathering; and I knew I should go and talk to them before the funeral but I wasn’t sure what to say…or how to say it. Hell, I hadn’t even announced it to the pack yet. Nate noticed me pacing quietly, and handed Csilla the sleeping bundle much to her delight and made his way to me,

“What’s wrong?”

“I should go talk to Lilah and Luce, but I don’t know what to say…what do I even say to the pack as a whole?”

“We’ll do this together.” Nate said, taking my face in both hands, squishing my cheeks slightly, “Like we always do.”

To think I had once been so cowardly I was willing to just be friends with the beautiful man in front of me. I was suddenly overcome with love for my mate and closed the distance between us. I kissed him sweetly, but thoroughly…enough to leave him breathless when I pulled away,

“What…what was that for?”

“Just for being you.”

Nate seemed to glow at my words and he offered me a thousand watt smile before returning to his mother and our daughter. Time to Alpha up and go talk to my sisters and then the pack.

Luce

I sat on my bed staring at the wall…how could my mom be dead? Hadn’t I just talked to her a week ago? Was that really talking? I’d basically yelled at her and called her a homophobe and a bad mother. I buried my face in my hands and fought off the tears that kept threatening to spill, my throat ached at the effort and my stomach churned. I knew Lilah and Neo would tell me it was okay to be sad that mom was gone, that it was okay to cry…but I almost felt like I didn’t have the right to mourn her. Weren’t we estranged? Didn’t she disown me? Goddess this was so confusing, how was I supposed to feel about this?

There was no handbook for mourning a mother that had called you an abomination for loving people despite their gender or sexual orientation. There was no handbook for saying goodbye to two parents that had no business being parents…and Neo had adopted our baby sister as his daughter, what were we supposed to address her as? Was Briar our niece or our sister? Was she both? When she got older would she call me Auntie Luce or just refer to me as her older sister? What did I want her to call me? Did I want her to see me as an older sister? Or did I want to erase what had killed our mother?

A soft knock came from the other side of my closed door and I couldn’t be bothered to unfurl myself from the fetal position I had put myself in. Was that childish? Maybe, did I care? Not one bit.

“Come in.” 

I could hear the door open but I didn’t know who it was until the mattress dipped behind me and a familiar hand touched the top of my head, Neo. 

“I’m sorry it took me so long to come to you.”

“I understand…how is Briar?”

“Being doted on by Nate and Csilla and literally anyone that meets her.”

“How is Nate?”

“I think this is what he needed to be happy…not to say he wasn’t happy when it was just me and him, but I think he sees Briar as a chance to right something he feels he failed at.”

“Nothing that happened was Nate’s fault though…”

“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t blame himself. Now then, I heard from Lilah that you refuse to cry.”

“Snitch.”

“Luce, it’s okay to mourn her. I cried, and you were there to witness me in my catatonic state. Just because she died while our relationship was in tatters doesn’t mean we don’t get to mourn the mother we once knew. Mourn the mom we had before everything happened, cry all you need. You have so many people that want you to lean on them. Take advantage of that. I already talked with Lilah…so I’ll see you at the announcement later.”

“Okay.” I heard him get up, and I suddenly needed to say something else, “I love you Neo…you’re the greatest big brother a girl could have…and Briar is extremely lucky to know you as a dad.”

Neo seemed shocked at my words but then he was smiling so wide that I couldn’t help but to mirror the expression. It felt good. “I love you too LuLu.”

Once he had closed the door, I allowed myself to cry…and that felt good too.

***

I met Arlo at the bottom of the stage stairs, they looked as beautiful as ever; but today for some reason they seemed to glow like a beacon. When they saw me weaving my way through the crowd with Lilah in tow they were quick to meet me, they took me in their arms and squeezed me tight.

"I'm so sorry, what can I do?"

I looked at my N.I.P and tried to smile at them,

"Just be here."

I heard my brother approach the microphone and I took Arlo's hand in mine, I knew what he was about to say...but I hadn't even started to accept that she was actually gone. Oh my Goddess, I was an orphan.

"Honored packmates I am sorry to call you all here under these tragic circumstances, but I am here to announce the passing of former Luna Johanna Lennox. She died due to complications in childbirth. Her funeral will be held in three days time at noon in our cemetery. All are welcome. In happier news, Luna Nathan and I have adopted Johanna's baby as our own, and we'd like you all to meet our daughter."

I watched as Nate stepped forward, and for the first time I saw my little sister. She was adorable and I knew without a doubt that I would give up my sister title and step into the role of the fun aunt instead. Nate, Neo, and little Briar looked like the picture perfect family.

The pack, which now mostly consisted of die hard supporters of both Neo and Nate all began to clap and coo over the little bundle in a sunflower dress and matching hair bow.