4. Cyrano

4

CYRANO

" A re you going to have the baby?" Ben asks, his eyes completely lucid for the first time since he started ripping up pillows. Which isn't good. There's still another egg inside of him.

"I'll be fine. I have plenty of time before we need to go to the hospital. Focus for me, okay?"

He nods. "Okay." But Ben is different now. That drugged, nesting instinct is gone. I'm not sure he can give birth without it.

He rocks back and forth, before scrunching up his face and tensing his entire body. His eyelids droop and his head rolls to the side. He's losing himself again—doing exactly what I told him.

"Good, boy. You can do this."

I mask my own pain, as another contraction hits me. The contractions completely stopped once Ben started nesting in earnest, so I thought we were okay. When we discovered Ben was due a week before me, the doctor warned of something called "sympathetic labor." In other words, when other omega/omega polar bear shifter couples got pregnant at the same time, sometimes one labor would kickstart the other. The doctor said it was kind of like watching someone else yawn. Axe and I decided not to tell Ben about it, because there was nothing he could do to stop it.

It will be okay. Once Ben started nesting, I texted my doctor. She's on standby.

Ben clutches my arms so hard, his knuckles go white, and he lets out a loud groan.

"That's it, little bird. You're almost there. I can see the egg," Axe says.

Something warm and wet soaks the mattress underneath us. At first, I wonder if it's Ben. Then I realize it's me. Fuck, this is moving faster than the doctor hoped.

Luckily, Ben's too lost to notice that my water broke. Axe's eyes widen, so he probably knows. We'll tell Ben as soon as he finishes laying his egg.

A contraction sweeps through me. This one is long, and it's difficult to hide it from Ben. If his eyes weren't closed, he'd definitely notice. The pain is so much worse than I was expecting. Strangely, that's calming.

I've spent the last nine months feeling so sick and weak. Now I have a reason to be strong.

Ben squeezes my arms one last time, and his whole body tightens. His cheeks, which are already deep pink, manage to flush deeper, and a second egg drops into Axe's hands.

The doctor warned that after Ben laid his eggs, he'd want to shift and sleep. In fact, the doctor made it clear Ben needed this. He couldn't be moved, or it would cause him psychological distress.

Ben begins to shrink. Watching him take his penguin form helps with the pain. Every time I see him like this I'm reminded that we're fated. But the comfort of Ben's penguin form only gets me so far as another contraction takes over.

Axe picks up the eggs and lays them closer to Ben as a distraction. They are truly lovely. If I wasn't in so much pain, I'd be able to fawn over them the way they deserve.

Axe leans over and whispers, "I'm calling the doctor now. I've been timing your contractions, and she'll need to come here. We don't have time to get to the hospital."

Ben waddles to his eggs with his little wings outstretched behind him. It makes me want to shift too. I would, but after a certain point, shifting isn't good for the baby. Especially now. I can't imagine putting my body through that while I'm in labor.

"I have to go to the bathroom, little bird," Axe says and kisses him on his tiny penguin forehead. "Get some rest."

Ben seems unconcerned. He sits on his eggs in his penguin form, and watches me curiously. I try to mask the pain, but then I question whether that's a good decision. We suffered through the pregnancy together, didn't we? Would he really expect me to deal with this alone?

He bobs his penguin beak up and down, and in a strange way, I understand what he's trying to say. Do it. Give birth to our other child. I'm here for you. There's no need to hold back.

Ben's right. Why did I think he needed to be protected from this?

I climb out of bed and allow myself to squat the way my body's been wanting to since my contractions became more urgent.

Axe finally returns, and he has Dr. Worthen with him. She's a chipper human with big, ruddy cheeks and wild, red hair. Both Ben and I have seen her a lot the last few months, because she specializes in interspecies pregnancies.

"Hello, Ben. I'm here to help with Cy's labor. Remember how we talked about polar bear shifter labor being lower risk than human labor? Cy is giving birth to a cub, who has a much smaller head than a human baby. Okay?"

I told her to put Ben's needs first. She clearly remembers that.

Ben glares at her as much as a penguin possibly can, then holds out his wings, as if to say, Proceed. I'm fine. I already laid my eggs.

We all underestimated him. Especially me.

Axe crouches next to me. "Are you okay?"

I push him away when another contraction overtakes me. I've got fluff stuck to my ass, if I'm not mistaken, and I'm about to have a baby. I don't have time to deal with him right now.

"Leave me alone. Go cuddle with Ben."

"He's right. Polar bear shifters usually prefer to give birth alone. If you had been at the appointments, you would know this," Dr. Worthen snaps.

Axe sheepishly retreats to the bed to be with Ben. He wanted to be at the appointments, but he got called into work most of the time. Whatever his new job is, it's demanding. But that's okay. I liked to think of the appointments as my bonding time with Ben. I enjoyed going to them with him.

"Okay, Cy," Dr. Worthen says. "I need to check how far you're dilated."

My body decides there isn't time for Dr. Worthen, and I get an overwhelming urge to push.

I take in a deep breath and bear down, just like I told Ben to do a few minutes earlier. I give it everything I've got—every bit of strength left in my body. For the first time since I got pregnant I feel powerful.

It's strange. I thought the alpha part of me would emerge when it was time to give birth. It's such a physically challenging thing to expect of my body, and my alpha side has always handled things of that nature. But just like my alpha surges forward when I weld magic metal, my omega surges forward now.

It feels good. It feels right.

The last time I prayed was the day of my test at the Academy. This time when I send a prayer to whoever might be listening, it isn't a request or a deal. It's a thank you.

Somehow, I have been blessed with the metal magic of an alpha and the capacity to create life like an omega. I don't know what could possibly be more powerful than those two things combined.

Dr. Worthen tells me when to breathe and other such bullshit. I completely ignore her. I don't need any of that. I can feel the power of the new life within me pulsing through my body. It tells me when to breathe—when to push. With one last mighty roar, a gorgeous cub drops into my waiting hands. She is the single most breathtaking creature I have ever seen in my life.

I hold her close and allow myself to cry. I gave my strength to this child for nine long months. And here she is. So worth it.

Dr. Worthen helps me up so I can take shaky steps to our big bed, where both of my mates are already in their animal forms. It feels natural to join them as a bear. I shift, my body expanding and growing the same fur our little girl has all over her body. It's like telling her who I am—her father. Not her omega father or her alpha father, but the father a special girl like her needs.

I don't normally lie between Ben and Axe. Today is an exception. They make space for me and our child.

Axe licks the crown of her head where there is a small, dark insignia. It's the symbol of fire. I don't know why it's on our daughter's head, but I'm not going to question it. That insignia seems as right as the rest of her.

Our little cub takes in a big breath for such a small bear, and then she sneezes.

We all smile.