19. Cedric

I was three weeks from my due date which was a feat with twins, as they often arrived a month early. It was the last day of the three-day Riverford festival. The first two days I'd been on my feet most of the time, finding it too constraining to sit while talking to people. I needed to move and wave my arms about, to sign them up for a mailing list or get their payment for merchandise.

But today my legs couldn't hold my weight, and I was sitting behind a desk totaling the payments and posting on social media. Greg had been roped in to help, leaving Griffin, his employee, to man the book stall.

I couldn't get comfortable, and Gage had stuffed one then two then three cushions behind me. He was doing the virtual reality show where participants could take a tour of the reserve and observe the work we were doing. But in between each show, he would pop into our tent and give me a foot rub or massage my shoulders, make me tea or bring me food from Mrs. Ambrose's stall.

We'd been overwhelmed with people donating to the reserve; the money would go toward hiring more staff, though we were a long way from our target.

I heaved myself up, telling Reed I had to walk for a bit as my back was sore. My tummy was rumbly, and though the festival was crowded, a stroll around the stalls and rides was what I needed. I also wanted something to eat to settle my belly and hoped Mrs. Ambrose hadn't sold all her muffins.

But as I wove between the crowds—or they moved around me, as I wasn't about to do much weaving, more plodding—a shock of blue hair was visible a few yards in front of me. Harry? But I just saw him. And he and Reed were so busy that I didn't see how he could leave our boss alone.

Being shorter than most of the other people in the crowd and heavily pregnant, I lost sight of Harry, and when I got to Mrs. Ambrose, I was panting. She sat me down and gave me water and two muffins. I took a bite of the first one, and it dropped from my fingers onto my lap.

Ouch! My belly cramped as though I had a belt wrapped around it and someone was tightening it.

"Cedric, I know that look." Mrs. Ambrose put a hand on my shoulder. "I've been present at more than one birth, and you are in labor."

Not here, not now. And where was Gage? Mrs. Ambrose instructed a friend to get my mate while I groaned. She helped me up, saying I might prefer walking. No, there was nothing I wanted other than getting the babies out of me.

And while I'd not planned a hospital birth, delivering the twins while hordes of people looked on wasn't on my bingo card either. But Gage rushed in, and I breathed a little more easily.

"I want to go home." We had our room ready for the birth. There were ice cubes in the freezer, a playlist we'd chosen, and a rolling pin for my back. It was the place I loved and where our babies would grow up. I wanted them to come into the world there.

"Oh gods, I need to push."

"There's no time to go home." Gage had spent months reading up on labor and watching videos. He had charts showing contraction times, and he suggested we go to my house in town, soon to become Harry's place. There was no time to consult with Harry. He'd moved some of his belongings in, and if he objected to me giving birth there, too bad.

Gage and Mrs. Ambrose led me to the car, and I sat in the back seat, willing the babies to stay where they were. Mr. Lucas was left in charge of the stall.

I didn't remember the drive, only the contractions, so close together. My belly was hard, and the babies were rushing to get out.

Gage carried me inside, and Mrs. Ambrose gathered blankets and towels. They tossed sofa cushions onto the living room floor, and Gage helped me onto my back.

"No. Not right. I need to be on my hands and knees."

"I don't know what to do, love." Gage's voice trembled.

"Cedric's body knows what to do," Mrs. Ambrose assured him.

I was glad she was so confident, because I had no clue. Zac said I could call him if necessary, but what would he do? Offer me words of advice? I was the babies' dad, so I had to take control.

"Breathe with me, Gage."

He got beside me, and we panted in unison in between my grunts and groans. Mrs. Ambrose yelled encouragement, but I was pushing out two melons, so while she meant well, no one could do this but me.

"Gage, it's so hard."

"Cedric, you learned about shifters and it didn't faze you. You were told fate chose me and you didn't turn and run away."

That wasn't me being brave though, was it? I just didn't know what to do. Much like now except I had to push. My whole world was pushing. Gods, it hurt.

"You grieved over a relationship."

Did I? I pushed again and gritted my teeth.

"You left a job you loved and jumped into something new."

I growled, just like Gage's bear as my body was being split in two. But I wanted to meet our children and wished for them to be healthy, so I couldn't stop.

"You agreed to be my mate even though I pooped in the woods."

"Gage!" Despite being mated to a shifter, Mrs. Ambrose was a little old-fashioned. An image of Mr. Lucas in the woods… no… no, that would never happen.

"Don't make me laugh." One more push. This was never ending.

"I see a baby's head." I'd never been so happy to hear Mrs. Ambrose's voice.

"Go, Gage. Be with our babies as they take their first breaths." There was one baby, and I worried about the second. When their twin disappeared, would they be lonely for the seconds, minutes, or hours before they arrived in the world?

It's all right, little ones. You'll both be here soon.

"The baby's coming. More pushing," Gage urged me.

Closing my eyes, I bore down. I'd joked about pushing out melons, but this was no joke.

"Shoulders are out."

"Are those shoulders?" Gage must've been so giddy he couldn't distinguish body parts. "Oh gods, the baby. I have my hands on our baby. She's a girl."

A girl. We had a girl. The sense of relief at pushing out our little one had me feeling as though I'd rolled a log up a steep hill. I wanted to lie down, put our daughter on my chest, and sleep.

Gage lay our little girl beside me wrapped in a towel. I studied her red face and mouth open wide. She was going to cry, and I couldn't comfort her except to stroke her and whisper I was right here. But she closed her mouth and lay still.

The contractions didn't let up. Her sibling was eager to join the rest of the family. The pushing wasn't much easier this time, but I knew what to expect. I could do this.

My second baby was speedier than the first. I was experienced at giving birth even though my experience was gained a few minutes ago.

"Our second baby has a lot of dark hair. Just like mine."

More pushes, the baby's head and shoulders were out, and Gage said he had our second daughter in his arms.

I did it.

Mrs. Ambrose lay me down and covered me with a blanket while Gage put our second daughter on my chest. She was wide awake and hungry. Her twin had fallen asleep, but he nestled her next to her sister. Being pushed out of a dark warm place was tiring.

Gage joined me under the blanket, and we kissed our babies' brows. But much as I loved his house, it wasn't home. Harry hadn't moved in officially, but he'd put his stamp on the place. My home, our home, was in the woods.

Reed arrived, summoned by Mrs. Ambrose, and drove us to the cabin. With the babies bathed and fed, I showered and climbed into bed. Neither of us could bear to put our little ones in their room, so Gage dragged their cribs in, one on either side of our bed.

They slept while we nibbled on the food that had appeared in our kitchen. I'd stopped asking the why and how questions. It just was.

"We're now a family. Hard to believe." Gage leaned over daughter number two. "But they need names."

"Did you want to give them female names that correspond to your folks" names?"

"No need." Gage put a hand over his heart. "My parents are here." He put a hand on each of our daughters. "And they're here. For always." He looked out the window. "And you were right. They're beside the goddess looking down on us."

"What about Mr. Lucas and Harry?" They'd brought us together, but we never knew Mr. Lucas's name and Lucas was a boy's name. So was Harry. But Harriet was the female version, so daughter two became Harriet. We chose Luca for our first born.

"Sleep, love. I'll take the first shift."

How I loved my mate, but he was so naive, thinking I'd sleep while he tended to our crying infants.

"My bear will soothe them."

Oh, he had a secret weapon, and not just the one in his pants.