30. Early

Early

Dalton

B rainstorming a strategy for doing these stupid birth registrations took up most of a week after the ill-fated meeting with the mayor.

We couldn't go to Sweetwater to do it. Their office was closed for renovations after a pretty serious fire took out a chunk of the building. Luckily, there was no loss of life or serious injury as the fire had begun after office hours. Was I suspicious of this? Damn right I was.

Still, it meant we had to go to Northarbor.

The constant back and forth nearly gave me a headache, not that I really could get them now, thanks to my super healing. Stressing over it was affecting my sleep, having an impact on everything else.

It was the elves who came up with the solution. Or rather, Ingal. He was over at the house moving some more of his things and organizing the ever growing pile of baby stuff when I complained about the situation.

What? He was a great sounding board!

Ingal turned to me with a frown on his face and said, "can't you just portal in and out?"

Simple as that.

Rejuvenated now that there was a potential plan in place, I ran it by Deke and Chase. They liked the plan. The only snag was the registrar. We had to get them to agree to lower the ward in place to prevent portals long enough for us to enter. They would have to keep them down long enough so we could portal out again.

In and out. Such a beautifully simple plan.

The registrar was accepting of this plan as long as we didn't communicate it outside of the necessary parties and that we weren't late when we did make the appointment.

Grady and Trey were due before me, so we would have them as a trial run.

Or so I thought.

Yeah, I jinxed myself.

I woke up just over three and a half months pregnant, in my raccoon form as usual. When I went to shift to relieve myself in the bathroom, I couldn't shift back. My alter wouldn't let the man part of us take over again. I called out for Larken over our bond, but he had gone to work already on an early gate shift and was too far away to hear me. Not good.

Aside from me and my pets, the house was empty. Still, I had a decent relationship with my raccoon half, so I tried to persuade them again.

Come on, I urged my alter. Shift back so I can pee.

My raccoon, ever the smart ass, demonstrated that they were perfectly capable of using and even flushing the toilet, thank you very much. Washing our paws was hard, but they sort of managed it, even if they did leave the tap on a little. At least they tried, right?

We need to shift. I'm hungry. I tried to urge them again to give me control.

Once again, my alter showed that they were no fool, and took us off to the kitchen to find something for us to eat. They would provide for us. We had to be in this form for the babies.

Balancing with such a distended stomach was no easy feat, yet my trash panda self did it with ease. Honestly, they made me look clumsy in comparison. They used the bar stools to get up on the countertop, then scurried along to the pantry cabinet where all the real goodies were.

Of course they had clocked the cookies and breakfast pastries.

Spice thought this was the best thing ever and raced to join us where he wasn't supposed to go. His squeaks were just too adorable. Shame I was about to burst that bubble.

Do not feed that to Spice! I yelled at my alter. He'll get sick.

Demonstrating their intelligence, they opened the refrigerator and found the uncooked meat I made up for Spice to eat. They sniffed out the right one straight away, it was uncanny. They were rather overzealous in their portion sizes, but if it kept Spice from trying to get the stuff I wanted, then that was fine with me.

We sat on the counter for a while, eating our spoils together, crumbs and wrappers littered around us. At this point, I'd stopped trying to urge my alter to shift. When they got over whatever this was, then they'd let me take control. If not, Larken would be back at lunchtime and he could use his alpha power to force a shift. I wasn't due in the office, so it was possible it would take that long for Chase to notice I wasn't working at home. No need to panic.

Sitting in my house, on the kitchen counter in my shifted form, was rather freeing actually. I got the sense the babies were enjoying it too. They weren't as active as they usually were, but they still wriggled. It was getting tight for space in there.

Fed, I told my alter I was thirsty. They were talented, no doubt about that, but there was no way we were making tea with our little paws. Juice from the fridge was too difficult to open. Water from the tap would have to do. It was fine. A drink was a drink. They were doing their best.

We didn't bother with a glass, we didn't want to risk breaking it, so we just lapped at the stream like a pure animal would do until our thirst was slaked. More effort went into switching off the tap this time and we managed it.

Priscilla, the little gray diva, who was accustomed to being fed by this time, let her displeasure be known that her biscuits were old and that she would like some meat, too, thank you very much.

Determined not to let me shift, my raccoon took over the task of feeding the cat.

Sure, they got the crunch everywhere and didn't refresh the water, but at least she had some fresher food, right? They also tried to feed her one of the pouches. Half went on the floor but Priscilla was too much of a lady to eat off the floor. She ate whatever landed in her bowl and flounced off in a huff, tail swishing wildly.

Tired from our exertions, we took a nap on the sofa. The couch was much more comfortable in this form, I discovered.

I kept getting woken up because my stomach and back hurt. It was annoying but I put it down to sleeping on the sofa and what we had eaten for breakfast .

My bladder insisted we wake up and go to the bathroom again. I thought my raccoon might let me take over and shift back, no such luck, so we clambered back up the stairs for whatever reason. There was a half bath downstairs.

My alter caught my thought about the tap being on. That explained the trek upstairs. I loved the furry beast. They were so smart. They caught that thought and preened. Yes, they were, thank you.

Sure the sofa was causing our growing discomfort, we climbed onto the bed to go back to sleep. The trek to the upstairs bathroom had been exhausting with such little legs!

It must have been only ten minutes later, I was still so very tired, when my phone rang.

Please let me shift , I begged my alter again.

They ignored me.

Instead, they picked up the phone and tried to unlock it, somehow answering the call and turning it into a video call.

"Oh hey," Chase grinned. "Why are you shifted?"

Unable to answer, I just did my cute chittering thing.

"Man, you're adorable like this. Look at you, being all chubby!"

My alter was offended. We were not chubby, we were round with our babies. We needed to make them a nest so they could come out.

We dropped the phone, on a new mission. We needed blankets, towels, cushions, oh, and the shiny things Ingal made for the babies. They needed to know they were so loved and could come out now.

What? No! They couldn't come out now! It was far too early. The babies would be sick. They could die if they were too small.

No. Babies come now. Make nest.

I don't know how much time passed as my alter ignored me and built the nest instead. They pushed me further back so they could focus on the task at hand. To be fair to them, the nest was pretty cool. They couldn't get the crib mobile, but they did find some of Ingal's jewelry in his room, to line the nest with his scent too. It was not stealing, just borrowing.

Alpha. The raccoon decided they needed some of Larken's shirts from the laundry basket. We would need his scent surrounding us when we pushed the babies out.

A contraction rocked me to my core. They really weren't lying. The babies were coming and they weren't going to wait another moment!

Footsteps thundered up the stairs. Larken was home, Chase hot on his heels.

"Dalton? Are you okay?" he called.

I'm stuck as a raccoon and the babies are coming !

"Fuck!" Larken stopped just outside the nest. "Chase, call Michaella, Aldrin, whoever you need to. The babies are coming now."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to shift and help Dalton with his pain. Try to hold the babies back until we get medical help."

"Okay!" Chase got his phone out and started his calls as Larken stripped off and shifted.

My greedy animal stole his clothes for the nest, padding the sides of it with the still warm fabric, which smelled heavenly.

Larken ducked to get eye to eye with my raccoon. You will listen, he urged with a little power behind the words. Finish the nest. The babies have to stay until Michaella comes.

We nodded our furry little head. Babies stay.

Good. Chase? What's the ETA?

"Not good news, I'm afraid. They want us to go to them. They've got incubators set up, ready for the babies. We have to try to move Dalton."

Fuck! Larken's mental voice took on an edge of panic.

"Right? Roan and Kade are on their way. Between them they'll carry the nest if you let me pick up Dalton."

Larken let out an eerie echoing hiss noise, voicing his displeasure .

"It's either that or you shift and carry him. He can't go on your back, it isn't safe."

Check Chase being all reasonable when things were going to shit! We very much did not want to move, thank you. We were concentrating on keeping the babies inside my furry body.

With a final hiss, Larken gave his permission.

Roan and Kade arrived and began dismantling the nest, folding things hurriedly, making my animal rage inside. The man part didn't like it all that much either. Our nest had been perfect!

Chase neared us to pick us up as the others left with our pretty nest. No one had asked my alter about either of these things, so they, rightly, took offense. They used their little hand-like paws to bat Chase away when he tried to reach for us. We let out a bark of warning.

Don't! my alter tried to say to Chase. He didn't have that connection to hear them and I was too far back.

Dude, you better explain. They are scared. Dalton's too far under. My mate was our voice.

"Okay, Trash Panda Boss, you need to come make a special nest for those ultra special babies. Can I carry you there to keep everyone safe? I will run as fast as I can."

Appeased, especially at the new title, they rushed towards Chase and let him pick us up .

"I'm taking a photo for my lock screen!" Chase whipped out his phone, snapped a shot and then ran like the hounds of hell were chasing him.

Close. Larken was, and man was he pissed!

Hold him properly. You fall and you better break something before you harm him!

He followed us, practically breathing down Chase's neck until we reached the clinic.

After that, it was a blur of activity. Chase, Roan, and Kade reconstructed the nest while Larken kept his hold on my contractions. It hurt to keep them back and we couldn't help the little chittering noises we made to tell him about our pain.

The nest completed, our friends stood back to let us inspect it. Kade had ensured they'd done it almost perfectly. All it took was a little adjustment and it was done.

I settled down into the nest with my alpha and waited for the signal to let the babies come.

Michaella checked me over. "You're ready. We think the babies will be fine, small, but okay. We've got the incubators ready just in case. Hiroshi and Grady are outside to offer any extra healing you or they need, alright?"

I nodded, my alter letting me share control.

"Alpha, manage their pain. Otherwise, let them do what's natural. "

Okay, Dimples, do your thing. Let's meet those babies, okay?

Labor progressed swiftly. The contractions hurt like a motherfucker and I promised all retribution on my alpha after I recovered. Our friends left with their well wishes, and the healers all gathered at the side of the room.

For most of it, Michaella sat on a birthing ball and observed. She rubbed her stomach and offered instructions to us both as I pushed our first baby, a Komodo Dragon alpha, into the world. His identical twin slipped out just a minute after him.

Together, Larken and I cleaned them up while my body worked on pushing the other two out. The two born babies hissed and took their first breaths.

The healers grabbed them up while we were distracted with the others.

"Oh, these are perfect!" Aldrin praised.

"Small, but so cute!" Hiroshi agreed.

Grady, bump straining his shirt, passed his healing light over each one as the next baby arrived. He was almost overdue with his daughter. "You're doing so well! They are strong!"

This baby was smaller, and a raccoon. The little omega chittered his first sound once partially clean of his sac .

He's so beautiful! They all are. I can't believe they're here!

Larken's love gave me the strength to push the last, stubborn baby out. As Trey had said, he was identical to his omega twin.

"Okay," Michaella said, while the babies were whisked away to join the others. "I'm going to get Aldrin to look you over, Dalton, though I think your healing will likely do what it wants. Hiroshi and Grady are going to check over the others. Do you have names for them?"

My alter let me forward enough to use the pack bond. Michaella was finally on the link with ívarr to make her job easier.

The omegas are Bima and Brayan. The alphas are Reid and Raiden.

"Oh, those are lovely names. Welcome to the world little Bima, Brayan, Reid and Raiden. You've been blessed with wonderful parents."

Aldrin quickly checked me over. "Already appear to be a day postpartum. You're a miracle, Dalton. If you'd like, you can shift back now."

Can I? I asked my alter. You did such a good job, but I'd like to hold our babies now. They agreed and the shift fell over me.

"Ah, that feels so nice!" I stretched my legs out.

Larken shifted and leaned over to kiss my forehead. "Proud of you. Let's get cleaned up and meet these babies, okay?"

We had the quickest rinse under the shower in the corner, our eyes never leaving our babies. Michaella had Bima, Aldrin Brayan, Hiroshi held Reid and Grady was gazing adoringly at Raiden.

"I hope you don't mind," the new healer said as I approached him, tying a fresh robe around my body. I left my upper chest bare so I could get skin to skin contact with them.

"You're fine." I took my baby and Grady rushed to strip the nest back.

Taking a seat in the freshened nest, I cradled my little Raiden to me.

"Here," Michaella settled Bima in my other arm. "Perfect.

Larken sat beside me, his arms also full with our boys.

"Do you mind me taking a photo?" Hiroshi asked. "Roan's been asking for news. The entire pack is desperate to see the babies. To see all of you."

"That would be lovely. Send it to me, please!" I said, smiling up at my packmate so he could snap away.

"Are they really okay?" Larken asked.

"On the smaller side, but almost as if it was a near full term delivery. For quads anyway," Michaella explained .

"That healing ability came into play, I think," Aldrin added.

Larken and I shared a look full of love for each other and the little wonders we held.

I didn't care what it was. They were here and they were safe. We were a family before they came along, no doubt about that. They just made us complete.