Chapter 34: 12

The weeks passed quickly. At first, Darrell went about his life. He did his job, but he found he was often distracted and making mistakes. Unable to work safely, Darrell subcontracted the contracts he had open to another company, then he locked himself in his house, only ever leaving to buy more beer or to go to the bar and drink. He now spent all of his time with a beer in one hand and a shot of whisky in the other. He could not even recall the last time he was sober.

Darrell lay in his bed, drinking and staring at the ceiling, which was often spinning much as it did now.

He lifted his head when he heard footsteps on the stairs. Someone was in his house. He was too drunk to deal with them. He tried to sit up as he watched Aurora reaching his loft. Deciding she was no threat, he dropped back down on the bed. “Unless you have come to give me a blowjob, please leave,” he growled.

“Fifty bucks, and I don’t swallow,” she said, coming to the bed.

Darrell lifted his head and looked surprised. “Really?” He asked with mild interest.

“No, stupid,” Aurora snarled as she pulled the pillow out from under his head and smacked him in the face with it. “You are lucky I’m not easily offended, or I would reach down your throat and pull your balls off from inside out.”

Darrell laid back down, ignoring the fact that his pillow was gone. “Then go away.”

“You have been locked in this house drunk for three months. Look at me,” she said, gesturing to her belly. “I have doubled in size since the last time you set foot outside this damn house.”

“So what?”

“You haven’t worked in weeks.”

“It is ok. I cleared it with my boss,” he teased.

Aurora sat down on the bed with him placing her hand on his belly. “Look, Darrell, I get it. You found a girl that meant something to you, and you got your heartbroken. But you can’t just wall yourself up in this house and drink yourself to death.”

Darrell looked deep into Aurora’s eyes. “Lower,” he said with a cheeky grin. Aurora looked down at her hand on his stomach, and then with her own grin, she slapped him hard in the belly. Darrell let out a painful grunt followed by strained chuckling.

“Pervert,” she laughed as she stood up.

Darrell rolled over, holding his belly in pain as he laughed. “I’m sorry, I could not resist.”

“Clearly, you don’t feel as bad as you seem.”

“Want to get some coffee in town?”

“Ok, but you are paying for the expensive one. Also, I drive.”

“No, I’ll drive,” he said, rolling out of bed and hitting the floor. He staggered in his attempt to stand, and it took a moment for Darrell to be upright on his own two feet.

Aurora folded her arms. “Oh, how are you going to drive when you see three roads ahead of you?”

“Easy, I drive down the middle one.”

“I’m driving.”

“OK,” he said, reaching into his pockets and tossing Aurora his keys. “This is probably best since right now, there are like five of you,” he said as Aurora allowed him to weigh heavily against her as he navigated the stairs. “Oh, and let’s not tell Stanton.”

“Deal.”

They drove into Aspen and stopped at the little gourmet café, which had the best custom coffees. They wandered into the store with Darrell staggering. He knew Aurora had agreed to go for coffee just so he would stop drinking whisk and hopefully sober up a bit. They walked up to the barista and ordered some coffee. While they were waiting for their drinks to be made, Aurora was telling Darrell how sick she was of being pregnant. She was due soon, and she felt fat and bloated. Every inch of her body ached, and she was not even sure if her shoes matched because she had not been able to see her feet in weeks.

While Aurora amused him, Darrell looked around and spotted a familiar face seated at a two-seater table in the corner. His heart almost skipped a beat when he saw Katelyn seated with another man drinking coffee and smiling. She was dressed in a lovely semiformal dress, and the man was in a clean, pressed suit.

With far too much alcohol clouding his better judgment, Darrell staggered his way over to the table.

“Well, if it isn’t the Ice Queen,” he snarled draw the table’s attention.

“Darrell?” Katelyn said with surprise to see him in his present condition.

“In the flesh, Baby,” he turned to look at the man, now staring at him. “So, you are the new guy. I see the trend. First Nigel, not this doofus. You are all about the clean-cut rich boys. I guess I was a novelty that got old fast.”

“Are you drunk?” Katelyn asked.

“No,” he growled. “I’m drunk.”

“That’s what I said.”

Was it? His mind was still foggy. “Cowboy,” Aurora said, walking over to hand him his paper cup. “Oh, hi, Katelyn.”

“Aurora,” Katelyn stood up and hugged Aurora hello. “It is so good to see you. Wow, look at that baby bump you are ready to pop.”

Aurora ran her free hand over her belly with a smile. “It is not going to be long now. How have you been?’

“Maybe we can cut out the chatter. I was trying to have an indignant moment,” Darrell snapped.

“Oh, stop pouting,” Aurora said. “So, she’s on a date. You are being rude by interrupting.”

“Oh, no…” The man began as he stood up.

“Shut up. No one was talking to you,” Darrell barked at the man, instantly silencing him. “Sit the fuck down, pretty boy.”

“Darrell,” Aurora intervened by grabbing his arm.

“Get off me,” he growled, shoving Aurora away. She stumbled back and fell into a table knocking it and everything on it to the floor. Darrell looked at Aurora on the floor and panicked, realizing he might have hurt her. “Oh God, Aurora, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said, helping her up off the floor. “Are you ok?”

“No,” she cringed, holding her belly. “I think my water broke in the fall,” with both hands on her belly, Aurora groaned in pain. “Something is wrong.”

Katelyn came to Aurora’s side. “We should get her to a hospital.”

“No,” Darrell said quickly. “No hospital. We need to get her home.”

“I think a hospital would be more fitting,” the man said.

“Once again, no one asked you,” Darrell growled as he helped Aurora walk to the door. Aurora could not drive while in labour. “I’ll drive.”

“You are clearly drunk,” Katelyn said. “You would kill all three of you.”

“Aurora can’t drive. She can barely stand.”

Katelyn looked at the man she was with. “I’m sorry, Carl, but I have to go,” the man nodded that he understood. Katelyn held out her hand. “Give me the keys, and I’ll drive.”

“No,” Darrel growled.

“Give her the God damned keys!” Aurora yelled at him. Darrell took the keys from Aurora’s pocket and handed them to Katelyn.

They took Aurora out to the parking lot and helped her up into Darrell’s truck. “Hold on, Aurora, the hospital is not far,” Katelyn said as she got in behind the sheering wheel.

“No hospital,” Darrell said as he wedged the three of them into the front seat of his truck.

“She needs a hospital.”

“Lycanthropes can’t go to mortal hospitals. It would expose us. “Take us back to her place,” he said, taking out his cellphone. He would call the midwife and Stanton. By the time they reached Aurora’s place, Melissa would be waiting. Stanton would not be far behind.

It took twenty minutes to reach the house. Hopping out, Darrell scooped Aurora into his arms and tried to carry her inside, nearly dropping her twice. He wished he had not drunk so much. Darrell carried Aurora to the bed and laid her down just as Gordon’s wife Melissa walked through the door. She came to the bed and began to assess the situation. She started barking orders. Katelyn rushed to fulfill them.

Five minutes later, Stanton came barging in. Darrell paced the floor, concerned that he might have harmed Aurora and the baby. He felt like an asshole. She had come over to make him feel better, and he did this.

When Melissa said she had to undress Aurora from the waist down to deliver the baby, Katelyn suggested she and Darrell leave, giving her some privacy. As Katelyn ushered Darrell out of the house, he looked back to see Stanton knelt on the bed next to Aurora, holding her hand doing what he could to help her through it.

Out on the porch, Darrell proceeded to pace. “I’ll drive you home,” Katelyn offered.

Darrell took his hand off and ran his fingers through his hair before placing it back on his head. “I hope I didn’t hurt the baby,” he said, feeling like an ass.

“I’m sure they will be alright. There is nothing you can do to help now, so better to go home and sleep it off,” Katelyn said, gesturing for his truck.

Darrell reached for the keys in her hand. “I’ll drive myself home. I don’t need your help.”

“Oh, is that so?” She held up her fingers. “How many fingers do you see.”

“I’m fine.”

“Prove it. Give me the right answer, and I’ll give you the keys,” she challenged him.

“Four,” he was just guessing. At the moment, she had three hands. He could not see straight.

“I’m driving you home,” she said, getting into his truck to drive. Giving in, Darrell climbed in and slammed the door slouching in his seat like a toddler having a tantrum. “So glad to see that you are so mature about this.”

He looked over at her. “Blow me.”

“Wow, you can be such a baby,” she said as they drown through the backroads heading for his house.

“Well, I’m not the one who ripped someone’s heart out and stomped on it.”

“Damn it, Darrell, I didn’t leave you because I didn’t like you,” he glared at her. “Fine, don’t believe me.”

“I get it, really I do. I’m so blue-collar bum. I don’t go to work in a three-piece suit or have a six-figure bank balance.”

“That is not fair.”

“First, Nigel, now this new guy. Seems pretty accurate to me. Let’s she you fucked me the night after leaving your ex. Did you wait ten minutes before hopping on the next cock after leaving me?”

“You are an ass.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Typical. Women are like monkeys, never letting go of one branch until they have a firm hold on another,” suddenly Katelyn pulled over. She put the truck in park, turned in her seat and slapped Darrell across the face as hard as she could. In his intoxicated state, his head snapped back, striking the closed window, and he lost consciousness.

***

Oh shit! Katelyn had not meant to knock Darrell out. She gave him a little nudge trying to wake him.

When he would not wake up, she leaned over his body so she could feel the back of her head and make sure it was not bleeding. It was not, so she was fairly sure he would be ok. Pulling back out onto the road, she drove him home.

Sitting in the driveway, Katelyn debated the best way to get him into the house. She had parked by the back door in the kitchen. It would be a short distance to drag his heavy body to his bed. She opened the passenger door, and she tried to catch Darrell as he fell out backwards. He fell into her arms but was so heavy the weight of him made Katelyn tumble to the ground.

With immense effort, Katelyn got to her feet. She looped both her arms under his, and she dragged him across the driveway and up the steps of the wraparound porch. She pushed open the door with her foot and went inside. He slid across the floor easier than outside. Awkwardly Katelyn dragged Darrell up the stairs one step at a time. He was so heavy, and her hand slipped, and Darrell’s unconscious body slid back down three steps before she caught him once more. Getting another grip, she hauled him up the stairs and onto the loft. She dragged Darrell to the bed and then rolled him onto the mattress. Once he was in bed, Katelyn dropped down on the mattress next to him, giving her now aching body a much-

needed reprieve from the effort she had exerted.

Katelyn rolled onto her side, facing Darrell. He looked peacefully asleep. His hat had fallen off on the way up the stairs. She lovingly brushed a lock of golden hair out of his eyes. She had missed him so much these past weeks. She knew it did not make sense for her to love a man she had only know for such a short period of time. She had to be insane. Only fools fell in love in a matter of days. Katelyn slid her fingers down his face to his neck, where she checked for a pulse. She found one with ease, and it was surprisingly strong.

Deciding that Darrell was going to be fine, she got out of bed and retrieved his hat, leaving it on the bed next to Darrell. She leaned over and placed a loving kiss on his forehead, then stood up and decided to leave. That’s when it struck her. She could not. She had come in his truck, and she knew for a fact that taxis did not come out to Feral. Maybe she should wait until Darrel wakes up sober to give her a ride home. Well, if she was staying, she might as well make herself something to eat.

Katelyn made her way downstairs, kicking off her uncomfortable high heeled shoes by the rear door.

She walked over to the kitchen counter and brewed a pot of coffee. Then she made herself a sandwich and sat down in the living room to watch TV. She curled up and turned the TV on. She found a movie she liked and then curled up on the couch after her meal to watch, but she dozed, and before she knew it, Katelyn had passed out. The excitement of the afternoon having gotten to her.