The Luna and her Quadruplet Pups by Jane Above Story

Jane

Four Months Later

Ethan ushers the pups into my hospital room with a finger pressed to his lips. “Quietly now, Mommy’s very tired.”

I’d gone into labor in the early hours of the morning, and the experience couldn’t have been more different than it had been with the quadruplets. Instead of suffering through the first contractions alone and afraid, I’d had my mate by my side, rubbing my back and crooning sympathetically as I gritted my teeth against the pain. After a few hours of pacing and fruitlessly trying to find a comfortable position, my water broke and we left for the hospital, leaving the pups with a sitter.

I made it through fifteen hours of labor before caving and asking for an epidural, taking Ethan’s encouragement to save my strength for pushing when the time came. He never left my side the entire time, only stepping out of the room a couple of times to check in on the pups at my request. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthing partner -he lavished me with praise and marveled at my strength, not batting an eye when I turned the blame on him for doing this to me. Instead he nodded and agreed that he was a scoundrel for finding me so irresistible and breeding me this way. When I was past the point of words there were only kisses and purrs, and when I wanted to give up, certain I couldn’t continue any longer, he believed in me for the both of us and got me through the worst of it.

After 27 hours of labor I finally brought our precious pup into the world. Ethan cut the cord and cried tears of joy as he handed me our son. I wept my hellos to my newest angel, laying him on my chest and feeling the pure love, exhaustion and reverence for the miracle of life wash over me. For a while Ethan and I simply cooed over our crying newborn, counting his fingers and toes and telling him how happy we were that he was finally with us. We decided to call him Paxton, and I sniffled when the nurses took him to get cleaned up, already missing him.

After moving into our VIP suite, Paxton quickly latched to my breast and began feeding, and I passed out from pure exhaustion, trusting Ethan to watch over our son while I slept. I woke a little while later to find Paxton dozing in his little “rolling cot and Ethan lying next to me in bed, watching me even though he’d been awake for as long as had.

“What are you doing?” I yawned, trying not to feel the pain radiating through my wrecked body.

He grinned and brushed the hair back from my face. “Just admiring my mate.” He answered tenderly. “You were so incredible Janey.. I didn’t know what it was like.” He confessed, sounding as though he feels guilty for missing the birth of first pups even though he hadn’t known they existed. “I mean, you hear about birth and see it in the movies and stuff, but it’s so much more traumatic than I realized. I’m just in awe of you.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you, Ethan.” I expressed, feeling the truth of this in my bones. I had a c-section with the quads because of Paisley’s heart, so this birth was a first for me too.

“Of course you could.” Ethan corrected me. “

Because you did. I didn’t do anything and I’ve never felt more helpless in my life.” He admitted, pausing to kiss me, to nuzzle his nose against my own as he stared deeply into my eyes. “But you – you’re a warrior.”

a few of my own. “And trust me when I tell you what a difference it made to have

the crib.

to bring me the baby. I wanted him in my arms so badly, but I knew better than to wake him when he was sleeping so peacefully. I’d

thought they were going

the pups had arrived and were waiting to see me. While I retrieved the baby to nurse Ethan went to gather our quads, and I welled with happy tears, unsure about whether I was more excited about simply holding my new son”again,

Ethan rejected Nina so soon after announcing her as his fated mate, but they got over it when we announced that we had another baby on the way. It also hadn’t been easy to repair our own relationship, for me to convince Ethan to stop punishing himself while also working through my own hurt over his deception and

it weren’t for all our struggles, we would never have ended up where we are now – and this is the only place I ever want to be. My heart is full to bursting, and as much as I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self to hang

the pups walk in to find no sobbing my

asks,

blurred. Still, I can just make out four tiny blobs gathering around

laugh, and I reach for the blob in question with my free arm, encouraging her to climb onto the bed with me. The others all follow as Ethan explains,

as he studies the bundle at my breast. Paxton doesn’t seem to have any idea that he’s now surrounded by curious

control them.”

you already were that way.”

his palm affectionately.

talking and

asks, clearly exasperated that we’re taking so

a laugh and sit up a little so they can get a

scoot closer, eager to study the strange creature in my arms. “He lóoks

like

tell them. “And I think he’s beautiful, just