Page 58 of Claiming Xan
I felt heat bloom inside of me as River came. He growled, his fingers tightening over my ribcage to hold me in place. We both stood there, panting, the hot water sluicing over us.
“Fuck,” I breathed out, my head hanging limp on my shoulders. River only rubbed my sides where his claws had gouged a bit too deep.
Once his cock softened and slipped out, he gently washed me off and then himself. He turned off the water and helped me out of the tub. I snagged a towel off the counter and wrapped it around myself. River followed suit.
When we crawled into bed for our post-sex cuddles, our skin was still sticky-damp, but neither of us cared. All that mattered was that we were together.
I sighed happily. A boy could get used to this…
33
RIVER
True to his word,Xan started teaching me how to drive again, but it wasn’t going great. Every time I got behind the wheel of the car, I just…freaked out. It was like a switch got flipped in my brain or something and I was unstable, afraid of wrecking us and killing my mate and our unborn child.
On a more positive note, Ididland a job working as a CNC machinist, where we made parts for vehicles. Heavy parts. It was hard labor, but I was stronger than my human coworkers, both because I was an Alpha and because I was a shifter. The pay was good, as was the insurance—and Xan and the baby would need good insurance.
Sure, it wasn’t a job I would end up loving, but who loved working?
Xan was growing bigger and bigger with each passing week. It was hard to believe that I was going to be a father, when only a few months ago, I thought I would rot away in that laboratory.
I’d been a bit hesitant about the whole fatherhood thing despite the bump and the sweetness clinging to Xan’s skin. I didn’t think I’d be a good dad, but my wolf was very protective of our mate, so maybe… Maybe things would work out. MaybeI would prove myself wrong, and step up and be the Alpha Xan deserved.
The night before Xan’s ultrasound, we laid in bed together, listening to the night sounds coming through the cracked bedroom window. I stroked my fingers over the backs of Xan’s knuckles and stared up at the ceiling, trying to figure out how to put my feelings into words.
“I’m scared,” is what finally came out.
Xan rolled closer to me, concern on his cherubic face. “What do you mean?”
“I…” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m worried that I won’t be a good father. I’m scared that your mother is right, that my temper will get the best of me and that one day, I’ll just snap and I’ll do something to hurt you or our baby, and?—”
Xan cut me off by placing his hand over my mouth. “River? Be quiet,” he said gently, his dark eyes soft and warm like melted chocolate. “You’ll be a wonderful father. You’ve been nothing but amazing to me, and when you look into that little pup’s eyes, your wolf will know it’s his. I’m not the least bit worried, so you shouldn’t be either, okay?”
He squeezed my hand. “I don’t care what Mom thinks. I don’t care if youarean Alpha-Omega twin. You’re still an Alpha with Alpha instincts, and Alphas protect their pups.”
“Thank you,” I whispered, leaning close to kiss him, my heart settled.
At least for the night.
At breakfast the next morning, my stomach was in knots. Xan barely touched his bacon and eggs—something he’d made special because, quote-unquote, “We both need protein for such a big day!”
“You okay?” I asked for the twentieth time on the drive over, as he squirmed restlessly in his seat. His fingers curledand squeezed around the steering wheel, and he kept biting his bottom lip, worrying it between his teeth.
“Yep,” he tittered. “Just fine.”
That was a lie. I’d never seen my mate so anxious. “Everything’s gonna be okay,” I promised him—and in a way, I was promising myself and my somersaulting stomach the same thing.
By the time we got to the medical center and parked, Xan had to pee. “The baby’s using my bladder as a trampoline,” he grumbled, but he didn’t let my hand go until we reached the unisex bathrooms in the front lobby. I gave his fingers a squeeze, then ushered him off. He disappeared inside. The door swung shut behind him.
I turned and took everything in. The lobby was bright and sunshine-y, painted a pastel yellow with an ABC border. Large zoo animal decals clung to the walls, though their edges looked frayed. Colorful toys were stationed in one corner, blocks and chunky wood puzzles and books with their front covers missing or torn.
Kids sure were destructive. My insides jolted, as if sparked to life with an electric shock. Was I ready for this? Hell, was Xan? We were both so young. We had our whole lives ahead of us, and because of one night, we were going to have a baby.
“Hey.” I nearly jumped when Xan came up behind me. A growl escaped me before I could bite it back. Xan’s eyes widened and he raised his hands in front of him. “Easy, River. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Immediately, I felt like a piece of shit.
“Sorry. I’m on edge,” I admitted.
