Prologue

20 years ago.

Abriya James

I wake before Clarence, which is almost unheard of these days, so I leave him in bed and go out to my daughter’s memory garden. Clarence and I went and bought a little white picket fence to put around the edge, so it's really finished off this area now.

I kneel down on all fours to pull out some weeds from the stones that have grown through. My stomach moves and I rub my belly. “Not long now,” I whisper. “I can't wait to meet you.”

I feel somersaults in my stomach and hope it's because the baby is happy.

Our closest family members are coming to stay with us today, but I'm nervous about them watching me give birth. It's one thing them seeing my naked body after I change from a werewolf back to myself, but it’s another to have them all looking at my pussy getting stretched to God-knows-what size.

I haven't said anything about my anxiety to Clarence, though, because I don't want him to think I’m pushing his parents or family out of this experience.

This is the first grandchild after all.

I manage to get up off the grass but get a Braxton Hicks contraction and have to breathe through it. It has been exactly three months today that Clarence and I first made love as wares. It can be anything up to two days either side of three months that a ware gives birth, but it's a full moon tonight, and I just have a feeling it's gonna be today.

‘Baby?’ I hear Clarence in my mind and then he's beside me holding me around my sides.

The contraction passes, and I stand up straight. My pain has woken him. “Stop. Panicking b, seriously. These are normal.”

“I ain't panicking. I don't think you understand how fast a ware labours, and you ain't no normal ware. What if you were here on your own?”

“Well, it's lucky you can feel my pain then, isn't—ah!” We both gasp as my stomach tightens again, but this ain't like any pain I've felt before. I moan again when my stomach does the same thing, and I hold onto Clarence.

He groans as he feels my pain, and then he feels my belly. “The baby's dropped,” he says before scooping me up and taking back to our bedroom.

I lie on the bed and turn to my side... “Oh, God,” I cry when more contractions come.

Clarence gets on his knees while holding the box we put together for the delivery. ‘The pain… fuck…baby.’

I'm hurting him.

“You have to...” I sob... ‘Block me, Clarence...’ I gasp before screaming silently into the air, but then I hear my heartbeat drum in my ears with the sound of the baby’s at the same time.

What the…

Clarence's thoughts disappear from my mind and then he's ripping the clothes off my body.

“Clarence,” I say but my voice trembles. I try to calm my racing heart by taking a deep breath... “Owwww... It hurts so bad...”

“Baby,” he says as he tries to comfort me. “Try to breathe.”

I nod and try to follow him with his breathing, but my stomach feels like it twists and then I feel a sharp pain between my legs that's followed by a gush of fluid. A lot of fluid. I scream as the pain intensifies. I don't want to sound like a baby right now, but I can't help it.

“You need to change positions, I’m sorry, baby. You can't stay on your side.” He helps me onto my back, but I arch it as the pain gets worse.

“You need... to get the towels ready... and the bits for the baby’s cord, Clarence.”

“I don't want to leave you,” he says, and the look on his face torments me. “The others were meant to be here.”

“It's okay, we can do this thi—aaah,” I cry, and tears run down my face. “Oh, God, I don't know if I can do this.” I try to calm down, I try so hard, but every time I catch my breath, the pain only increases.

I feel a sudden wave of calm come over me and both Clarence and I look at the foot of the bed to see Aura standing there. Her eyes are dark and swirl as she looks back at us, but they quickly settle.

“Aura?” We haven't seen her in so long… My stomach hardens but I don't feel the amount of pain that I did a minute ago. This pain is bearable, so I hum through it.

“I am sorry I took so long to arrive,” she says. “I was far away and only just heard the call for me.”

I shake my head. “I didn't call for you.”

She comes closer and rests her hand on my belly. “Your child did.”

“What?” Clarence says.

“Our baby called for you?” I ask, confused.

“Yes. You must try to relax, Abriya. Your baby is getting increasingly distressed the more frantic you become.”

“Oh, God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,” I say to my belly.

“The baby is ready to come. Do you have everything you need?” Aura asks Clarence.

“Yes,” he replies, lifting the box from the floor. “I’ve got it all here.”

She nods. “Abriya, get onto your hands and knees. Because of the position of the baby, that position is best.”

Clarence helps me to do as she said, and I quickly feel another contraction build, but I manage to breathe through it. I gasp as I feel the bones in my pelvis break, though.

“Ow, ow, ow,” I say, trying not scream.

“Much better,” Aura says.

I spread my knees wider as I feel more pressure down there, and then Clarence appears beside me to hold my hand tight.

“Baby,” he soothes, rubbing my back.

“You must push,” Aura says.

I release Clarence's hand and look at him. He looks so helpless. “Baby, it's okay. Go, I don't want our baby dropping out onto the bed.”

He kisses me quickly and then I feel his hands between my thighs.

“When you cannot bear it any longer, that is when it is time to push,” Aura tells me.

The pain returns but it's stronger. I try my hardest to hide just how much it hurts by scrunching my face up and biting my lip. I suck air into my lungs as my legs shake and I try to stay up, but when Clarence moves my knees further apart, I feel the need to push.

I focus on the pressure in my lower belly and push as hard as I can. More of my bones crack and I sob, but I feel the baby move lower.

“The head is almost out,” Clarence says, and I can hear the excitement in his voice. “Oh, shit,” he adds. “The head is fully out now…”

I try not to giggle at Clarence's running commentary, but it actually helps with the pain. Another wave of pressure comes thick and fast, but this time I can't hold back the squeal that comes out of me.

Clarence lets me back in. “It's a girl, baby!” He says it so excitedly, my heart stutters. She cries, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding as relief rushes over Clarence and me. ‘My beautiful little princess,’ I hear, seeing flashes of brown skin, dark hair, and light brown eyes.

I feel the pressure return, though, and I know it's the placenta coming.

“Give her to me,” Aura says, so Clarence passes her over.

I push hard again to pass the placenta and then feel complete and utter relief. The pain rapidly ebbs away, too, and I’m able to turn over and sit up to see Aura holding our daughter who's wrapped in a towel. She looks down at her and smiles, and our daughter immediately stops crying.

Aura looks the happiest I’ve ever seen her when she passes her to me. “Congratulations to you both.”

“Thank you…” I look down at my baby girl who looks just like Clarence. Same lips, same nose, even her face shape is the same.

She is perfect.

“Hello, beautiful girl,” I say to her softly. Her eyes are open, and she looks straight at me.

Clarence sits close, and she looks at him, too. ‘A princess… and so alert already... daddy's little girl…’

I hope she grows up to be. I feel his love, and when I turn to look at him, tears fall from his eyes.

“Thank you,” he says, with a kiss.

“What for?”

He looks back at our daughter. “Because I didn't think I could be any happier than I already was.”

My heart flutters. Clarence… I wipe his tears away before I wipe my own. “Do you think she suits the name we picked out?” I ask him as we both look down at her.

“Yeah. I do.”

“What will you call her?” Aura asks.

“Ariella Sarenity James.”