Page 71 of The Omega's Alpha
“I’m going to help someone have a baby,” I told him, though what help I was going to be, I didn’t know. “You’d find it pretty boring.”
“I texted Mac to send someone up to drive you,” Quin said. “They’ll pick you up at the front doors.”
“Thank you.” I kissed him again, a little longer this time, and took my plate and fork to the sink.
It was one of the youngest of the Security team who took me over to Bram’s. He seemed tongue-tied around me, and the most I got out of him were some awkward grunts, a “Yep,” and a “Marcus,” when I asked his name. There was a time when leaving an alpha speechless in my presence would have made my day, even one younger than me, but I had Quin now and Marcus’ inarticulate conversation was just amusing.
The lights were all on at Bram’s and the living room was so full of shifters it took me a moment to figure out who all was there.
The twins were in the corner with Bram’s mother. Another baby, which must have been Jason’s, was in wolf form, busy pouncing on a stuffed bunny and grabbing it in his little teeth. Mac was sitting in the kitchen with Abel, Taden on his lap. I wondered for a moment where Bax’s pups were, when the back door opened and they all rushed in, a mix of paws and sneakered feet and the excited shrieks and yips of young shifters filling the air. Jason followed them and waved a quick hello to me before heading upstairs with a bag.
“Shhh,” Mac said, and grabbed one of the little four-leggers. “We’re supposed to be quiet.”
“All the more reason to get a playground in around here. Bram should probably have a small one in the back yard, or at the side anyway, for when he’s seeing patients.”
“Talk to Quin,” Mac said. “I wouldn’t say no to something closer than Central Park.” He looked up. “Hey, we’re not criticizing your mate or anything.”
“I didn’t hear a thing,” I told him solemnly, but anything else I had planned to say was lost in the sea of pups that surrounded me. “Hey! Fan, how are you?” I patted his still fuzzy head. “And there’s Bea.” She was trying to bite her older brother’s tail and he kept squirming away from her. Teca was tugging on my pantleg, chanting, “Up, up, up,” in a monotonous tone that told me she’d been trying for ‘up’ all evening. I put a hand on her head to keep her from trying to climb me, patted Noah and scratched behind his ears, and pulled on the curls on Macy’s head until she grinned at me and swatted my hand away. “Bram called and said he wanted me.”
“Then you should head up.” Abel whistled shrill and the pups all stopped and stared at him, even Teca.
I laughed and made my escape. Behind me, I heard Abel say, “It works on TV,” and then the scrape of a chair and a disappointed, “But I want to see Holland!” from Teca.
Upstairs, the doors to the puppy rooms were open, but the one to the big master bedroom at the front was closed. The low murmur of voices seeped out through it and I knocked gently.
Footsteps scuffed over the floor and then it opened just far enough for me to see Bax’s face. “You’re here!” He opened the door wide. “Come in. We’re keeping the door closed to keep the pups from mobbing us until everything’s done.”
I slipped inside and Bax closed the door. Bram was propped up on the bed, a mountain of pillows behind him, wearing only a nightshirt so he wouldn’t get chilled. Duke sat beside him, and arm draped around his mate’s shoulders. Jason stood by the dresser, casually folding towels and receiving blankets for when the baby came.
The new sheets I’d put on the bed only four days ago were gone, replaced with layers of towels and old blankets. Bram smiled at me, his eyes a little anxious, but the lines around them faded when I came to sit beside him on the bed. “How are you doing? Are the contractions close together?”
“Getting there,” he said and reached for my hand. “Thank you for the sheets.”
“Thought you could stand to have a new set.”
“Yeah. The ones we had were getting a bit worn.” He winced and his fingers closed on mine. His whole body tensed and stayed that way for a long moment. His belly changed shape, bulging out as slow as old wolves stretching. Something in my body recognized that ancient movement and it was almost as if I could feel the push inside my own flesh, a phantom pup reminding me of what I could have. Then he relaxed with an “Oh!” and looked down at his belly. He ran his hand over the curve, down to his omega line. “I think it’s time.”
Bax peered under the trailing end of the nightshirt. “No, you’ve got a way to go yet.”
“Holy shit,” Bram muttered. “It didn’t take this long last time.”
“Last time,” Duke rumbled. “You were doing your best to keep themin.”
“True,” Bram said. “So,” he continued, turning to me. “Tell me about this modeling thing. Is it fun?”
We spent the next couple of hours talking, moving from my modeling career, to the Green Moon shifters, to plans to send another Mercy Hills shifter or two out to get training in accounting—a degree preferably, with all the changes going on in the pack right now. Every once in a while, Bram would stop mid-sentence, or seem to go off inside his head as he listened to someone else, and Duke’s scent got more anxious. It was happening more and more often, and finally Bax leaned forward and discreetly peeked under Bram’s nightshirt.
He nodded. “I think it’s time. You can leave the shirt on if you’re cold.”
“No, I’m good,” Bram said. He leaned his head against Duke and squeezed his mate’s hand. “I’m so glad this is over. If the pup had stayed in there one more day, I would have burst.”
Duke laughed and kissed his head. “You want me to stay, or be a traditional alpha and go hang out in the kitchen with the other guys?”
“You’re not going anywhere, Duke Mercy Hills,” Bram said firmly, then gasped. “You missed the first one, you’re staying for this one.” His voice was strained and he let out grunt at the end of the sentence.
“Let’s get him ready,” Bax said in a low voice, and then he and Jason and I helped Bram to take his shirt off and get settled comfortably for the pushing that was to come. Duke leaned in, his arm behind Bram’s back, and supported his mate through the contractions as they grew longer and closer together.
At one point, Bram yelled and Duke’s face went pale. Jason looked over and, when Bram finally relaxed again, he tapped Duke’s hand. “Two fingers, Duke, or he’ll break your hand.” He lifted the one he was holding up as an example.
