Chapter 2

Dog Days

Epilogue

Mikel smiled up at his beautiful wife when she walked carefully into the breakfast room, her stomach cradled with one hand. She was readying for her confinement though he'd promised that her labor and the birthing wouldn't be as hard if she'd continued to exercise and walk as she had been through the weeks of her pregnancy.

She'd been amazed by how quickly her belly had grown and how fast it had seemed when she'd felt their first movement. She'd been as thrilled with every stage and had asked many questions throughout. She'd been a bit worried when he said that he'd be there and help her with the birthing since contacting a doctor when she'd be giving birth to a litter might have them asking questions. But now she seemed more relaxed the closer to her due date that she became.

She stopped at his chair and he rose, bending to touch his lips to hers. "How are you feeling?"

"Huge," she said with a sigh. "It's good that we are almost at the end, I'm running out of gowns."

Mikel laughed along with her and held her chair for her, reaching down to pick up the white Pomeranian that Peter had refused to take back. Tabitha had named the cute puppy Bailey. She'd claimed that she ran their lives and in some ways, she did.

Bailey licked at his face and he laughed. He'd held her out to Tabitha and she sat her on what little lap she had left, feeding her scraps from her breakfast as she had Mikel at one time. But now, he added to the little dog's spoiling, slipping her scraps as well.

"You two are going to have that little dog as wide as Tabby is," Edward said as he filled a cup of coffee for himself. He held a newspaper under his arm as he went to kiss his daughter's cheek, nodding at Mikel.

"Well, I can take Bailey for a run with me, I can't do that now with Tabitha," Mikel said with a grin, ducking the small piece of bacon she threw at him. The first time the small dog had seen Mikel as a wolf, the expression on her face had been priceless. You could see the confusion in her little eyes as she'd watched Mikel, but when she'd realized it was the same scent, the same person, they'd gotten along famously.

It had been almost as amusing the day they'd come home and had decided they could only do one thing, and that had been to show Lord Edward who Mikel really was. The man's face, when Mikel had risen and began to take off his clothes had only been equaled when he'd watched Mikel turn into a wolf. When he'd found out that his daughter had fallen in love with the fabled creature of werewolf and had become one herself, almost had Tabitha running from the room in tears.

But Mikel had stood up for himself, explaining his history and the fact that if Lord Edward wanted to keep a relationship with her daughter, he would realize that she hadn't changed all that much.

Things had been cold between the two of them until Edward had finally given in, missing his relationship with Tabitha more than he worried about any imagined stigma that might have been there. When he found out about her being "with child", the coldness was as if it had never been. Now he looked forward to the babies as much if not more than Tabitha and Mikel did.

They'd been married at the same small church that Edward and Tabitha's mother had, Tabitha wearing the dress that her mother had packed away so many years ago. Somehow, the satin had not yellowed and nothing had been ruined by the years between. She'd been beautiful when she'd repeated her vows, her eyes only for Mikel, the love shining out of them making her even lovelier.

Tabitha had talked Mikel into moving in with her father but they had begun work upon a small manor house of their own on property that Mikel purchased after the wedding. Tabitha had been amazed at the money and property that Mikel had owned. She'd never thought he'd be rich enough to rival her father's wealth, but she'd been glad. And now that Lord Edward had thawed toward Mikel, she'd never been happier.

She picked at her breakfast, surprisingly not hungry. Instead, she fed most of it to Rex, only taking a bite or two when Mikel caught her.

"Think of the babies," had been his favorite line to get her to do what was best for her and what he wanted her to do. He spent a lot of hours, rubbing her belly, speaking to it, resting his hand on it to feel his children move. It was something they did a lot, especially at night when Tabby wanted to sleep.

"Tabby, you need that food more than the little furball does," Mikel said, reaching out and touching her hand. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm just not hungry and my back has been bothering me today. I guess I should have expected that, having to cart these little ones around." She traced her hand over her belly affectionately.

"Where, love?" Mikel asked, his eyes concerned.

"My lower back. It's fine," she said quickly, not wanting to worry him. "I'm sure it's nothing."

Mikel rose, crouching down next to her, his hand against her cheek as he stared into her gorgeous amber eyes. "You'll tell me if it continues?"

"I will," she answered, smiling up at him and rubbing her cheek against his palm. "I don't want you to worry."

"It's my job to worry," he argued, kissing her lips gently then picking the young dog up off of her arms. "I'll take her out for her run." You will tell me if it continues or gets worse.

She smiled. Of course. Go, run with Bailey. You spend too much time confined in here with me.

After your laying in, I'll show you how much time we'll spend confined. He sent to her one of his most favored of memories, one where she was upon all fours, her head thrown back, her eyes closed in pleasure, a tiny trail of her blood seeping down from his bite upon her nape. He smiled at her unapologetically as she gasped, the feelings coursing through her of what that moment had been like for him.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you," he whispered back, too quietly for Edward to hear. "Watch her, Edward. I worry about this pain."

"I shall," Edward promised, holding his hand out to Tabitha.

Mikel let Bailey down as he walked out the doors onto the back balcony. He took the small dog beyond the garden wall, stripping off his clothes when he was out of sight of the servants. He changed quickly and then yipped at the dog, trotting as Bailey ran beside him. It was but a short time later when they returned to his clothing. He was too distracted to enjoy the run, too worried about his wife and the pain in her back.Mikel!

The panic he could hear in her voice had him throwing his cravat and jacket over his arm and rushing back toward the house, Bailey at his heels. He burst through the door of the dining room and then hurried up the stairs, knowing Tabitha had gone to their room to rest. "Tabitha!" he called, before he was even close watching as Myrtle opened the door, the maid wringing her hands.

"It is time, Lord Mikel. Should I send for the doctor?"

"No," Mikel said. "Bring me hot water and the scissors, towels, lots and lots of towels, and let Lord Edward know."

"But ... what of the doctor?"

"I know what I am doing, Myrtle. Now hurry, get me what I ask for." He walked into their room, staring in confusion at the empty bed. He finally spotted Tabitha with her head in the wardrobe, her bottom up in the air.

"Tabby, what in the hell are you doing?" He hurried toward her, ready to lift her in his arms and put her back in the bed.

"My gown is wet, Mikel. I must change it." She held up a pale blue nightgown, one of the thinnest of silks, lace over the thin bodice.

"Tabby, you're going to drive me to drink," he vowed, helping her change and then scooping her up in his arms to carry her back to the bed. He pulled down the thick comforter and the blankets, laying her upon the bottom sheet and tossing the rest to the floor. Covering her with one blanket, he watched as her face contorted in pain and she reached out for his hand.