Chapter 22

Thomas

The whole Pack had come out to welcome us home. While Lily wasn't ready to face them and needed to focus on our babies, I had to step up and reassure our people that everything was okay.

A line had formed to come through and welcome our newest arrivals, and while I hadn't made a formal statement just yet, they all understood something was wrong, and rumors had leaked that we'd had a boy.

That drew a lot of excitement within the Pack. It was the heir they'd all been praying for.

After discussing with Sam and Lily, we decided it would be okay to introduce everyone to Terra. So, the older girls and I walked out to the front porch and lined up to officially introduce Terra to everyone.

I had the baby swaddled in in a pink blanket as one by one people stepped up to meet her.

Hewitt of all people was right up front. He looked down and scrunched up his nose. "Another girl? I thought they said it was a boy and you'd finally given us an Alpha heir."

Cammie stood a little taller next to me, but when she started to speak, I quickly cut her off.

"Twins. This is Terra. Tommy still requires some additional time and can't be around others just yet. Soon, I hope."

"Twins?"

I nodded.

"It's twins," he bellowed out, confirming suspicions. "One boy and another girl. We have an heir at last!"

A thunderous excitement filled the air.

Cammie stomped her foot, turned and walked back into the house, but only for a moment, before she returned and held her head high by my side with all the arrogance of the rightful future Alpha.

I sighed, but ignored it as we got through the line.

People congratulated us and ooh'ed and ah'ed over Terra just as they had for each of our daughters, but the true interest was in Tommy. I couldn't help but wonder if Terra would always play second next to her brother. Only time would tell.

Many of the people brought food and gifts. By the end of the day the living room was full of presents and the fridge and freezer overflowing with food. There was so much that I had to distribute across all my sisters, the Six Pack, my parents, and there was still more taken to the country club. It was overwhelmingly insane.

They were clearly ecstatic that Lily and I finally had a son.

"I don't understand why everyone's acting so crazy. I don't remember getting so much stuff or having so many people stop by when Lilah was born.

"They're just excited that an heir was born," Peyton said.

Ever since the moment I'd entrusted her to watch Terra at in the hospital, she had been instrumental in helping me hold down the fort. She was over almost every day to help with the kids. When the dust settled a bit, I wanted to ask Lily had she'd feel about naming Peyton and Oliver as Terra's godparents. I already knew that I wanted Luke and Sydney to stand as Tommy's. If anything happened to the two of us, he would need guidance and training for his role as Alpha.

As my Beta, Luke would be tasked with some of that responsibility and the act as the interim Alpha until Tommy came of age, so it just made sense. Besides, they were as close as family to us and I couldn't very well ask Kyle to stand in. He had his own Pack to worry about and this was my legacy to ensure.

I still couldn't believe I had a son.

"What do you mean an heir was born?" Cammie asked Peyton.

"Cammie, someday your baby brother will grow up and assume the title of Alpha after your father."

"What do you mean Tommy will be Alpha someday? I'm the oldest. I'm supposed to be Alpha."

Peyton looked at me uncomfortably.

"Cammie, we discussed this. That's not how it works. The Alpha line goes to the firstborn male," I said.

"But Ella Jade gets to be Alpha. And I've been training and working hard for this. You know that, Dad. Tommy may never walk. I heard Sam say it. How is he supposed to be Alpha? It's not fair."

"We'll talk about this later."

"No. I need to understand now. I thought I was going to be Alpha. I'm your firstborn."

"I know, and I wish I could say it was fair, but the line is supposed to go to the firstborn son."

Cammie was a good girl. She would make a strong Alpha. I could already clearly see the signs, but that wasn't how we did things in the Pack.

We were all worried about Tommy and had no idea what the future would hold for him. Only time would tell.

"That's bullshit, Dad, and you know it. This is the twenty-first century."

"Watch your language, but I hear you, Cammie. It's just the way it is."

"But why? Why can't that change? You're the Alpha. You could change the rules. He's my baby brother. I'm just supposed to bow down and accept that some day? He's so tiny. How can he be Alpha?"

"Yes, but he'll grow. You'll see. And you forget, I'm the baby of my family too. Maybe you should talk to Aunt Lizzy about this."

"Don't worry, I will. And I will be Alpha someday, Dad. You'll see."

I sighed as she stomped off down the hall and then slammed the door to her bedroom.

What was I supposed to do?

We hadn't planned on having a fifth child, let alone a sixth. After talking to Landon, Alpha of the British Columbia Pack, who had bestowed heir status to his daughter, Ella Jade, I had begun to come to terms with the fact that my daughter may need to step up as Alpha of Collier someday. I'd even begun to train her. While I didn't call it that or make a big deal out of it, clearly she had begun to have expectations of what it meant.

Now after five daughters, I have a son. Traditionally, he is my heir, but he's so small and fragile right now that it's hard for me to think about it. I didn't know what to do. Tommy may never be able to walk. He may have some permanent brain damage from the cord being wrapped around his neck. He very likely will have some long term breathing problems. While I understood that the human nurses and doctors were laying out all the worst case scenarios to us, these were valid concerns.

We had no idea what his future would look like. How could I put the pressure of Alpha heir on this tiny little creature?

I didn't know what to do, but I also knew that decisions didn't need to be made just yet. There was still time for that. Others would naturally assume that Tommy would be the rightful heir, but I needed to protect my Pack too and had no plans to stop training Cammie, despite her outbursts and vocal claim as my heir.

But I also called Lizzy and asked her to come over and speak with Cammie in more detail. I knew there had been mention of things recently with the talk of hope for a boy. This couldn't have been the shock that she was making it out to be.

None of this was easy, but I knew it too would pass.

"Where's your mom?" I asked Audrey.

"Nursery. Terra's eating and then she has to pump and feed Tommy."

We'd been home less than a day and already Audrey had the routine down. She'd make sure everyone stuck to it, too.

Life had been so up in the air these last few weeks that I was craving some sort of normalcy.

When Austin swung in to check on us, I begged him to stay and call the others, too.

You're crazy. You do know that right?

Are you okay with it?

It's fine. I'm tired, but they'll all understand that.

Thanks, I think I just need some time with the guys right now.

I feel that. I've had Peyton and Sydney at least helping me through some of this craze.

How's our little man doing?

He's wonderful and so sweet. Want to hold him? Sam is encouraging me to physically connect with him more.

But I thought he was still connected to all those machines.

It's not so bad. Come on back and I'll show you.

I walked down to the nursery to find my mate topless, cradling our son against her chest. Slowly the girls trickled in to join us as they got to see Tommy out of his bed for the first time.

"He's so tiny and cute," Audrey cooed over him.

Cammie reluctantly smiled. She wanted to resent him for even being born. I could understand and appreciate that. We all knew this wasn't going to be easy on her.

She leaned down and kissed his head.

"Don't worry. I'm never going to let anything bad happen to you."

For a moment I just stood there and stared at them all. I had always loved seeing Lily do skin-to-skin time with our children, but this was my son, my boy, my tiny little heir and there was something so powerful in that moment as it was starting to really sink in.

I had a son.

I wouldn't love him any less than Cammie, Audrey, Willow, Lilah, or Terra, but it would be different. I loved them all unconditionally and wouldn't trade even one of them for anything in the world. But I was raised in a house full of women and it had only ever been just me and my dad. Now, it would be just me and my son in this crazy house full of women. No matter what the future may hold for him, or any of them, this was my family. They were the most important things in my life, and I couldn't imagine living without every single one of them.

No one could possibly know what the future would hold for us, but as long as I had them, I knew it was going to be the greatest ride of my life and I would treasure every second of it.

"I really am the luckiest man alive," I told them.

"We're officially Collier, party of eight now," Lily said, beaming up at me.

Always and forever, Slugger.