Gray Back Broken Bear(36)

“I can so. She’s a Gray Back now.”

“Aaaw,” Willa said, clasping her hands in front of her chest and shrugging her shoulders with a mushy smile on her face. “The final Gray Back.”

Creed stared at her until she had the good sense to drop her gaze to her feet.

“Now please,” Creed gritted out, “Change back so I can properly apologize.”

In a flush of absolute mortification, Aviana flew out of Gia’s hands and landed on the ground, then shifted into her human form.

“Boobs,” Willa sang in a barely audible voice, only to be glared at by Creed again.

Jason snorted from behind the blond grizzly that was still standing protectively in front of him. He cleared his throat and apologized when Creed tossed him an annoyed glance.

With a sigh, Creed hooked his hands on his naked hips and said, “Aviana, I whole-heartedly apologize for my actions here today. I should’ve listened better before I punished Easton, and I’m sorry if you got hurt in that fight.” His shoulders lifted and fell in a heavy sigh. “Welcome to the most fucked up crew of shifters that ever walked these mountains.”

“C-team!” Willa said, shaking her hands like cheerleader pom-poms.

Most of the Gray Backs were naked and bleeding, and Georgia the Scary Bear was now licking the back of Jason’s smiling head until his dark hair stood up in all directions. Most of them were smiling despite the violence that had just occurred, and all were staring at Aviana who was hiding her tits behind her arm and doing her best to cover her honey pot with an oak leaf she’d hurriedly plucked from the ground.

Her mouth was hanging open, but she snapped it closed and swallowed hard. In a tiny voice, she said, “Thank you?”

“Uuuh, Willa?” Gia said in a strange tone beside her. “You were wrong. Aviana’s not the final Gray Back.”

“What do you mean?” Creed asked, worry slashing through his churning, silver eyes.

Gia looked at a damp stream that was trailing down the inside legs of her jeans. “I think my water just broke.”





Chapter Fifteen




Easton paced the small waiting room, biting the end of his nail as he checked the window for the eight-hundredth time in the direction of Gia’s hospital room.

Aviana understood. He’d watched helplessly as his mother had died during childbirth, and now Gia was having a baby.

His snarling and pacing had already scared off the humans in the waiting room, so now it was just Aviana and the rest of the Gray Backs, minus Creed and Gia, a vending machine that was now fresh out of M&Ms, and an old, scratchy cartoon playing on the small television in the corner.

“I should be in there,” Easton rumbled.

“No,” Aviana said. “Gia and Creed have to do this on their own. There are doctors and nurses who know exactly what they are doing. She’ll be all right.”

“But it’s taking so long.”

“It usually does for a first baby,” Willa said from the corner where she had her feet draped across Matt’s lap. “She’s tough. Gia will be okay.”

But even Willa looked worried. Easton’s pacing had everyone unsettled.

Easton skidded to a stop, threw the door open, and then bolted into the hallway. They all stood to see Creed coming toward them with a big grin on his face. Aviana drifted to the window to watch Easton talk to his alpha. Creed gripped his shoulder and talked through his smile, and little by little Easton relaxed. And when he finally looked back at Aviana, his bright green eyes held relief. Her heart stopped at how beautiful he was.

Easton jogged back to her and pulled her hand, leading her out of the waiting area and toward Gia’s room. “Hurry, Ana. Creed said I could see her first if we hurry.”

Aviana’s vision was blurring with tears because her Easton was happy. She could feel it coming off him in waves.

Just outside the hospital room, Creed turned to the others and murmured, “Give us a minute.” Then he pushed open the door and ushered Easton and Aviana inside.

Gia sat on the bed, comfortable looking and eyes only for the tiny bundle in her arms. She smiled emotionally when she looked up, and Easton sat gently on her bed and tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear.

“Oh, mighty little human, look what you’ve done,” Easton said, his eyes dipping to the sweet baby. He pulled Aviana closer and moved the blanket farther away from the sleeping babe’s face. “Look at her,” he said on a breath. “Perfect in every way. Gia, Gia, Gia, good mommy.”

Gia’s shoulders were shaking now, and she was sniffling as she rested her head against Easton’s shoulder. Creed stood on her other side, leaning over the baby with the proudest look in his dark eyes.