Page 217 of Labor of Love

“Tim.” Interrupting my morose thoughts, Conrad sounded awed. I opened heavy eyes, not entirely sure when I’d shut them, to look up at him. His gaze was laser-focused on the squirming ick-covered baby. “Tim…she…” he scented the air, “she smells like me. Like us.”

“She’s also a healthy size,” Eric added, leaning over to carefully transfer her into Conrad’s arms, cradled across my chest. “If I had to guess, I’d say she was full term. But we’ll do a proper checkup when we get back to the clinic.”

“But…we only started dating six months ago,” I argued weakly. A comforting, solid warmth in my arms, the baby mewled and rooted against my soft pec. When I glanced down, I wasn’t anticipating the intense emotion to hit me like it did.

She was perfect. Even if I couldn’t quite reconcile the fact that she was mine —that she had come out of my body not even a minute earlier— she scented like the perfect blend of me and Conrad, and something unique to herself.

She was a little bear. Her face was all squished, like a shriveled potato, but when Conrad breathily greeted, “Hi. Oh,hi, princess,” her expression smoothed out. As dark blue eyes cracked open to stare back at him, I gasped.

It was like I’d cloned my boyfriend and made him pintsized.

“How…?” my voice wobbled.

Conrad smoothed his thumb over her sticky cheek. Subconsciously, I moved her so she could find the food source she seemed desperate for.

“I’ve been thinking about it while you brought her into the world,” he confessed, “and, sweetheart, were you at the Unlocking party in June?”

My stomach clenched and I groaned, then panicked that there was another surprise inside me.

“You’ve still got to deliver the placenta,” Eric said, “but it’ll be quick and easy. You can feed her while you do.”

“Tim?” Conrad prompted. “The party?”

Swallowing, I bit my lip. “The dreams…”

“I don’t remember much from that party,” my boyfriend continued slowly, “but the beta I was with…he used alotof lube. Like…alot. He felt warm, and being inside him…” Remembering our audience, Conrad cleared his throat. “Anyway. I don’t think I was with a beta that night, Tim. Am I wrong?”

“I didn’t remember…” Fresh tears slid down my cheeks. “I…I had a bit to drink. Then the spell was cast and I…” I shruggedhelplessly. “I woke up at home in the tub, fully clothed and soaking wet. I figured I got my drunk ass home before I could get in trouble.”

I felt so stupid. So stupid and reckless and irresponsible.

My cheeks heated. “The dreams started a little after that. I just thought they were dreams.”

"So much lube...like an omega, right?"

"I could stay inside you forever."

"Oh, fuck, I'm gonna come."

They werememories.

“Conrad,” I sniffled, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t…”

“Shh,” he cuddled me and kissed my temple. “Stop. Neither of us knew. Neither of us remembered.”

“Yeah, but you couldn’t have known. I shouldn’t have even been there. I…God, I fucked up.”

“What’s fucked up is the scent blocking and blindfolds and stuff,” he argued softly, stroking his thumb over our daughter’s skin again. She snuffled adorably as she fed. His lips curled upwards. “We might have put two and two together sooner without them.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I looked back down at the baby.Ourbaby.

Oh gods, we have a baby.

“She’s going to need a name.” New panic rose as the magnitude of everything else hit me, too. “And clothes. And a crib. A-and we’ll need to work out custody, or…”

“Shhh,” Conrad nuzzled his cheek against the side of my head, reminding me very much of his bear form. “We’ll get there, sweetheart. Together. I promise.”

Even though I knew it wasn’t going to be that easy, his gentle assurances calmed me.

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