Read Online The Cub Club by Serena Pettus - Free Book Online

 
    Chapter One
     
    Adam
     
     
     
    Oh, God! This pain is excruciating, and there’s still hours to go? Adam thought. I’ll die before the baby is even born!
    He couldn’t believe how intense the contractions had become in such a short amount of time. And where were the damn doctors? He and his mate, Eva, had been at the hospital for hours now, and Eva needed something to curb the pain of her labor, or else he wouldn’t be able to stand by her side during the delivery.
    I’m such a pussy, he thought as he gazed at her while she followed her breathing exercises through the worst of her discomfort. Now, he really wished he’d paid more attention in that class. Whenever he tried to match her breaths, he ended up hyperventilating once the pain reached its peak. Seriously though, canines tended to pant when they were injured or in pain, so it was only natural.
    At least, his sister-in-law Stephanie had kept the insults to a minimum thus far, though she probably only did so for Eva’s benefit. Nevertheless, Adam was grateful because he was in no shape to come up with any witty comebacks. His sister-in-law had come straight over to the hospital as soon as she’d gotten the call, determined to be by Eva’s side the entire time.
    True, it had a lot to do with the fact she was standing in as Eva’s midwife, but Adam knew now how lucky he was to have Stephanie there. He felt Eva’s pain through the bond he shared with her. The pain she’d experienced when she’d been abducted last year paled in comparison to what was happening now, and he was useless.
    Talk about an unmanning experience. Right now, he was doubled over in a chair next to his mate, feeling as if he was being torn in two! The agony faded, and he looked up into Eva’s bright green eyes as she lay in the hospital bed. She was sweaty, breathing heavily and utterly beautiful with her fiery red curls fanned out on her pillow.
    “How are you holding up, Adam?” she asked, reaching for a cup of ice chips.
    “He looks worse off than you,” Stephanie piped in. Of course, she was looking just as fresh and polished as ever in her blouse and jeans. Her long brown hair was tied back, and she wore just a touch of make-up. Meanwhile, he and Eva looked like disaster survivors—especially him. His shirt was inside out, his socks mismatched, and he wore a pair of sandals despite the snow outside.
    Stylin’ .
    He’d woken in a puddle, as Eva had gasped next to him in bed. Her whispered, “My water just broke,” had spurred him into action, with little attention focused on himself.
    “Lay off, Steph. This is hard enough without you picking on me when I’m down,” he grumbled.
    “So,” Sarah chirped from the doorway. “Does it feel as bad as a swift kick to the nuts?”
    Adam watched in wonder as his enormously pregnant sister-in-law waddled into the room and over to a chair near the window. His brother, Erik, was glued to her side and helped her ease herself down to sit.
    “Don’t poke fun at him, babe. After all, I’ll be in his shoes in just a few weeks,” Erik chastised.
    “And I’ll be in hers,” Sarah replied, gesturing to Eva. “So, how are you doing so far?”
    “I’m hanging in there.” Eva sounded happy, despite the ordeal she was going through, and Adam felt his heart swell. “The anesthesiologist should be here soon to start my epidural, and then I’ll be doing real good.”
    All the girls laughed, but Adam and Eva both gasped as another strong contraction hit. Gritting his teeth, lest he give Stephanie and Sarah the satisfaction of seeing him squirm, he was surprised when Erik appeared by his side.
    “Is it really that bad?” his brother asked, genuine concern showing in his eyes and with good reason, too. Eva was human, but Sarah was not. Sarah couldn’t have pain medication during her labor, due to the side effects of narcotics on werewolves. Since she was having twins, Erik was in for a long day when her delivery came.
    “I’d