Page 20 of Elusive Alpha
“Yes…why? Changing your mind about learning more?”
“No!” Idris barked then flushed. He still did that all the time. “I mean…unless you have, Rook?”
“Not me. I was just curious if the healer knew. I can’t help it. It’s like having someone know what the Christmas presents are,and I want to beg for hints but also to be surprised on Christmas morning.”
We did not find out, but at some point, one of us caught on to something else the healer had said.
“Jingie…twins?” Idris’ voice rang with delight. “Two babies?”
“Unless there’s a third hiding in there somewhere, but so far I’ve only picked up two heartbeats, so I’m fairly sure it’s only twins.”
“Only.” I tried to picture us taking care of two babies, making sure they had everything they needed. Would we need to take turns sleeping? Hire a nanny or a manny? When I came out of the mental fog, it was to hear my omega chatting with the healer as if two babies were an everyday thing. And as he discussed his tentative birth plan and what he hoped to do for the next few months, I realized it was. Shifter multiples were more ordinary than singles, so why I had imagined we’d only have one was a mystery.
The healer left the room, and I let out a breath.
“Alpha, are you ready?” Idris was wiping his belly with a wet wipe. “I thought we could get a bite to eat on the way home.”
“Omega, don’t you think it’s time home meant one we share? If you don’t like the mountain place, we can find another house or I’ll move into your apartment with you. It’s up to you, but I can’t stand thinking about you all alone when you’re carrying our twins and might need something.”
“Alpha, I—”
“Hear me out! It’s your call in everything if you’ll only allow me to sleep at your side every night. No demands, if you don’t want there to be more.”
He dropped the wipe in the waste basket and pulled his shirt down over his tummy before reaching out his arms. His expanding bump made it tricky but worth every attempt to gethim as close in my embrace as possible. “Alpha, I want more than just sleeping at your side. I’ve been packing all week and planned to surprise you by showing up with my car full of boxes, but since you brought it up… May I move in tonight? If you drop me off, I’ll pick up my stuff.”
“Omega, we’ll pick up your stuff together. What about your furniture?”
“Most of it has already been donated or junked depending on condition. With both our cars, we can get everything, and I’ll just need to come back on the weekend to clean.”
I lifted him in my arms and strode out of the exam room, past a not-startled-at-all-appearing Jingie. “Healer,” I asked, “Do you know of a good cleaning service? My omega is moving out of his apartment this week.”
“The young man who cleans here might have an opening. Let me get you his card.” He opened a desk drawer in the reception area and found it, handed it over. “Congratulations, you two. It’s about time.”
And wasn’t it, though.
My cat purred.
Chapter Twenty
Idris
We had no idea how long my pregnancy would be, since I was a bear and Rook a panther, but day by day, I wished this baby would come. My ankles were swollen. Magda had insisted I take a leave even though I never asked for it.
Besides that, Rook wanted to support me in starting whatever business I had in mind. I’d told him over that weekend at the inn about my career dreams, and he hadn’t forgotten.
Right now, we would just plan because I was uncomfortable and achy. I’d been on bed rest for over a week, trying to get my ankles to normal size. Nothing fit.
Rook had gone overboard with the nursery. We decided on pale yellow and white since we knew we were having twins but we didn’t know what the sexes were.
We wanted to be surprised.
I got up to go to the bathroom and as soon as my feet hit the floor, I knew something was wrong. Wetness gushed from inside me, running down my legs. I grabbed onto the post of the bed and gasped. It wasn’t urine.
“Rook,” I called out, trying to remain as calm as possible.
“I’m here. What happened?”
“How did you get in here so fast?” I asked, already walking toward the bathroom.
