He, on the other hand, wasn't at a loss for words.
Stone shook his head. "I'm so sorry, princess. I promise that's not what I meant to do. I'm just so scared of losing you again that the wolf and I felt the need to be careful with you. With my shifter strength, and you being a human, I was afraid I might get too rough with you, with as badly as both the wolf and I want you. I promise I've wanted to be inside you, wrapped around you, from the moment I had you back in my arms."
"No more ignoring this? Because I need your love in all ways, Stone."
He shook his head again. "No more, mate."
With that, he kissed her sweetly, showing her how much he loved her with his lips and tongue before tucking her up against his body so they could both go back to sleep.
It was the first time that Dia had a truly peaceful slumber since she had come home.
Epilogue
"Do you know what you're having?"
Since Dia was currently going through another contraction that felt like someone was stabbing her in the back, she wasn't exactly in the mood to have idle chitchat with the nurse. That didn't stop her from telling the lady the truth.
"Yeah, a fucking bowling ball. Now get him the hell out!"
The nurse clucked her tongue while Stone wiped her sweaty brow with a cloth.
"Now, now, dear, it can't be that bad. Millions of women have given birth before you. You're going to be just fine."
Dia growled, "Says the lady with her hand up my woo-ha. How about you get it out of there so I can push this kid out?"
The nurse poked and prodded a few seconds more then removed her hand. "You're at ten centimeters, Mrs. Blaylock!" she chirped with a huge smile on her face. "It's time to get the doctor and have a baby."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Dia wailed as yet another contraction racked her body.
The nurse left the room, and Stone grabbed her hand, bringing it to his mouth to kiss. "I love you, mate." The sincere words melted her heart and took her mind off the pain for a few seconds.
"I love you, too, Stone, but if you ever knock me up again, I'm cutting your dick off!"
The nervous alpha was smart enough not to answer his mate while she was cranky and in pain. Instead, he stood there, lending her his silent strength.
Just then, the nurse came back into the room with a doctor and two other nurses in tow.
As happy as Dia was that she was finally going to be able to hold her baby in her arms, she wanted to strangle all the happy people in the room. Did they not see she was in a shit ton of pain here?
The doctor pulled a stool up to the end of her hospital bed and sat down, practically disappearing between her bent and spread legs. "Next contraction, I want you to push, Mrs. Blaylock."
She pushed, and then she pushed some more. In fact, Dia pushed for half an hour before their baby was finally born, free of her body.
Happiness and love surged through her in a wave so strong, she would have collapsed had she already not been lying down. And then the doctor said the three most magical words Dia thought she would ever hear.
"It's a girl!"
Dia gasped in delight, then looked over at her mate, who looked like he had been knocked silly. "Isn't that wonderful, Stone? We have a little girl!"
"But we Blaylocks always have boys," he uttered in surprise.
"Not anymore!" Dia crowed happily. Truly, she wouldn't have cared if they'd had a boy, but the thought of a sweet, little girl was like icing on the cake. She could already imagine how their daughter would be. Dia's sass and all her daddy's alpha confidence. The world wouldn't know what knocked them on their asses.
Sort of like her daughter's father right now.
Holding her arms out, Dia told the nurse who was weighing their baby, "Hand her over. I want to meet my daughter." It wasn't a very nice way to demand her daughter, but it was better than the "Gimme" she had really wanted to say.
The nurse handed her over with a smile on her face. Dia didn't mind the smile now. Hell, she probably had the biggest one in the room.
In that moment, as she looked down upon their child, everything in the world was perfect, especially her baby girl.
Dia then looked over at Stone, who was staring at both her and the baby with tears in his eyes. She nodded for him to come closer, and as he did, he asked her, "What will we name her, my love?"
She didn't have to think about it; Dia already knew.
"Betty. Because if Betty Ann had never talked me into buying her shop, I would have never met you."
He nodded as he stared at their daughter some more, the yearning to hold her in his eyes.
Supporting Betty's head, Dia held her out to Stone. "Hold her, honey. Say hello to the newest member of our family."
The doctor and nurses disappeared for a few moments to give them time with their daughter as Stone picked her tiny, little body up in his giant hands. Cradling her in his arms, he rocked his body back and forth while staring at their daughter as if he were trying to imprint her every little feature to memory. Dia would know, because she had done the same.
The baby already had her strawberry blonde hair, but Dia was hoping she would end up with Stone's gorgeous eyes. She watched as her mate dipped his head and inhaled deeply, memorizing Betty's scent. When he was done, he placed a kiss on her tiny, little head just before Betty started fussing.
"What is it, little one? You want your mom?" He used a finger to smooth it over her cap of baby fine hair, and then whispered possibly the sweetest thing Dia had ever heard him say as he handed Betty back to her, "As you wish, princess."