Chapter 15

Chapter

Fifteen

F en planed a board that he was shaping to put on the front or a drawer for a chest of drawers. Mrs. Wootan needed a new one for her bedroom, the old one having dry rotted and collapsed right before the run-off started.

Bless her, she had come to him and Timothy in tears. The old one had been hers since she was a girl. They were trying to recreate it as carefully as possible.

He blew the dust off the board, then checked the measurements to make sure it was the same at both ends and the middle.

“Perfect.”

“Looks good, Fen.” Timothy clapped him on the back. “Nice job. We can start dovetails tomorrow.”

John sauntered into the shop right about then, and immediately sneezed.

“Hey, John,” Timothy said, raising his eyebrows. “Did you need something?”

“I needed to come commission a dollhouse for Litha’s birthday. She was so taken with the train you made for William…”

“Sure. You just tell us what you want.”

“Now? Or do I need to set a meeting?”

“Now is fine.”

“Cool.” John glanced at Fen. “You might want to go home for lunch, though.”

His heart started to pound. “Is Rory okay?” Fen began packing his tools.

“He’s cleaning the storage room.”

“What?” Fen paused, blinking. “Why on earth is he doing that?”

“Well, everything else has been cleaned. Twice.” John waggled his own eyebrows.

Timothy laughed, clapping him on the back. “That means he’s nesting, man. You’re about to go through first-time labor with your mate.”

“I am?” His breath whooshed out of him. “I have to go.”

“You absolutely do. Lonia is available when you need her. She said she may stop by this evening, if you haven’t called.” John was beaming at him. “Now go. Shoo.”

His mate was having a baby. His mate. His.

Rory was having his baby.

Fen hurried across the way, grunting softly as people greeted him.

But no one seemed too worried that he was being rude. In fact, everyone was smiling at him, nodding, wishing him congratulations and good luck.

All Fen could think was, his mate was having a baby.

Soon.

Maybe not right now, maybe not even tonight, but…but soon.

They were having a baby.

Apparently, the storage building room had been adequately cleaned by the time he arrived home, and it took him a moment to discover where his love had disappeared to.

“Rory?”

“Up here. In the baby’s room.”

Oh, excellent. Already upstairs meant closer to the bedroom. They had prepared the bed to be a whelping area as they’d come closer to the birth, and Fen liked the fact that Rory was close, in case the baby fell out or something.

He found Rory resorting baby things in the nursery. He was sitting on the floor, tears in his eyes, folding and unfolding, packing the little dresser and unpacking it, almost frantically.

“Mate, what’s wrong?”

“I just need to make this right. It’s just wrong. Everything is wrong. It’s not quite right. I want to make sure we have enough. What if we don’t have enough for Alexander? We need to have enough for Alexander.” There was a barely hidden panic in Rory’s voice that tore at his heart.

He looked around the room, which was equipped beautifully. He shook his head, but he didn’t argue. He’d been told about nesting by…well, every alpha with children in the pack. Apparently, the rules were quite firm.

One did not interfere. One did not tease. One helped whenever possible, and most importantly? One never argued.

“Would you like some help?”

Rory looked up at him with grateful eyes. “Oh, would you? I would love that. It seems like a lot, and my back hurts quite a bit.”

“Oh, sweet. I bet the floor is hard under your butt. Let’s finish this up, and then, if you’d like, maybe we should go sit somewhere more comfortable. We could sort things from the sofa or the bed. And then maybe your back wouldn’t hurt so much.” Although he knew that wasn’t why Rory’s back was hurting. He could almost see it the way that that sweet belly was hardening and easing rhythmically.

“I think. I think I might be in labor a little bit,” Rory admitted. “Although I’m not quite sure how you can be in a little bit of labor…”

Fen nodded, going for gently surprised. “Do you think so?”

This was going to be very much easier if Rory knew what was going on, and he admitted it.

“I do.” Rory sniffled. “I’m a little scared. What if I don’t do it right?”

“If something happens, the midwife is right here.” They finished folding up the clothes, and he stood carefully, easing Rory up.

“I think that I’d like to go sit in our room. I don’t think I want to do the stairs.”

“All right. I think that’s fine. We have clean sheets. But anywhere you want.”

He helped Rory to their room. Then he went to the window to lean out, calling to a passing omega. “Can you tell the midwife that we’ve started?”

The young man’s face split into a grin. “I will!” He ran off.

Fen went back to Rory, who was just sitting on the bed, still crying. “What can I do to help, love? I could rub your back?” He wanted to help, but not make Rory mad by saying the wrong thing. He’d heard all the tales.

“Are you excited?”

Fen didn’t even know how to answer that question. Was he excited? He was over the moon and terrified. He was overjoyed and panicked, and he’d never felt so many emotions all at the same time. “I wish my sister was here. She would love this.”

“I think she would, but—” Rory shrugged, tears coming to his eyes again. “Then I have to believe that she is somehow. That somehow she knows, and that she’s with us.” Suddenly, Rory’s eyes went wide. “My brothers, you have to call my brothers!”

“Goddess. I do.” Liam and Dean and the others would skin him alive if this happened without their knowledge. “I’ll get your phone. Do you want to talk to them?”

His mate looked uncomfortable, his lips were tight, fingers clenched. “No, no, I love them, but not now. Just tell them that the baby’s coming, that all is well, and you’ll call when it gets here. When he gets here. When our son arrives.”

“Okay. No problem. I’ll call when the midwife comes. Until then, I think I’d like to stay with you, if you don’t mind.”

“This is all your fault.” Rory managed a wink. “Of course I don’t mind. You should have to be here for every single gross moment.”

Fen chuckled softly. “I will be here for every single gross moment. You do know I would take all of the hurt away if I could.”

“Alexander will be worth it. I have no doubt a few hours of pain for a lifetime of knowing that we have a son is worth it.”

“Yes. One that’s not named Trent.”

“I’m gonna name him Trent.”

“Will not.” Fen did love making Rory laugh.

The midwife knocked on the door downstairs and then entered. “Hello, it’s Lonia.”

“Come on in,” he called back. “We’re up here.”

“Has his water broken?”

He shook his head. “Not yet.”

“I’m right here, you know. I’m not deaf and I’m not unconscious. You can ask me.” Rory’s growl was impressive.

“And obviously he’s in labor.”

“Yes.” Fen chuckled. “I just wanted you to check in.”

Rory smiled at Lonia. “I imagine we have a while yet before you need to stick around.”

“Well, let me have a look at your birthline, please? It’ll help me judge.”

“It’s a little tender.”

“That’s fine. Please, Rory.”

Rory lifted his shirt and pulled down his bulging slacks, and Fen and Lonia gasped, his hand going to his mouth.

The birthline was open, the baby still in his sac and coming out.

“What? What’s wrong?”

Lonia smiled at him, winked. “Nothing. The baby’s on his way. Fen, we need some of those clean towels. Right. Now.”

He took off at a dead run.

Towels. Clean towels. And he would bet she sent him back for hot water, so he raced down and put the full kettle on before high-tailing it back up.

“Towels,” he said, skidding to a halt in the bedroom.

The baby was half in Lonia’s hands, Rory still standing.

“Excellent. Put them over here and support your mate, please?”

“Yes, of course.” He laid down the towels and moved immediately to slip in behind Rory, holding him. “I’ve got you, love.”

“I know.” Rory panted. “I feel you. Love you.”

“I love you too.” He kissed the back of Rory’s neck. That was his son floating in there.”

“One more easy push, Rory. You’re almost done.” She chuckled softly. “Please don’t tell John how this is going, sweetheart. He might pop you in the nose.”

Rory gave a barking laugh, and Alexander popped out, the amniotic sac staying whole for about another second before it popped over the towels.

“They say that’s a blessed birth. Congratulations.”

Alexander took his first breath and began to cry.

Oh. Fen fell in love at that moment, tears stinging his eyes at the sound of his son’s howl. “Rory. He’s beautiful. You did so well.”

Rory laughed, the sound a little damp with tears. “I’m glad you came home. I might have just sat here forever.”

“No. No, you would have known.” He wasn’t about to let his mate put himself down. He’d just had a baby! That was a miracle of nature.

“I’m still glad you were here.”

“What can I do, Lonia? To help now?”

“Well, we need to get everything all cleaned up, we need to cut the cord, and I’ll seal up the birthline as best as I can. I miss the dragons for that,” she teased.

“He’ll be able to take a few days to rest. As long as he needs.”

“This was a gentle birth. He’s a natural. Can you help lay him down so I can hand him the baby?”

“Of course.” He helped get Rory more flat, and he watched as he took the baby, smiling down at little Xander—not Trent.

He smiled, cutting the cord when Lonia indicated, then helping to clean up his mate. Once Rory was comfortable, he grabbed Rory’s phone to call his family.

“Hey, Ror.”

“It’s Fen, Liam. The baby is here!”

“Already? Are you serious? What the hell?” Liam sounded as shocked as he felt, and then Xander started to cry. “Is that him? My nephew?”

“It is. I was going to call and tell you to come up, and bam.” He turned away for a moment. “I think he was in labor for a while and didn’t tell me.”

“Little fucker. That’s insane. We’ll gather up goodies and be up in the morning. He deserves one evening of rest and bonding.”

“Thank you, Liam. We’ll see you then.” He hung up, then went right back to his mate and their baby. “Your brothers will be up in the morning.”

Rory nodded, eyelids drooping. “I can handle that. I just want to rest with you.”

“He should be sealed up well,” Lonia said. “Did you want me to sit downstairs for a bit, just to make sure all is well?”

“Do you mind?” It had all just happened so fast. Fen would love to have her there in case something happened.

“Not at all.”

“Help yourself to anything in the kitchen, lady,” Rory muttered.

“I will.” She chuckled, then left them alone.

“He’s beautiful.” Rory stroked Alexander’s little back. “He’s here, my love.”

“I know. And I am—Oh, Rory, I have never been happier. I wish my family could meet him, but like we said, they’ll be looking out for him.” Fen kissed Rory’s forehead gently.

“Always, mate. You heard Lonia. He’s had an auspicious birth. I didn’t even know he was coming.”

“Well, I’m excited that it was so easy.” He’d been so worried. And now he was relieved as hell.

Rory chuckled. “I cried a lot.”

“You did, but your hormones were crazy.”

Alexander wriggled, lips moving gently.

“He was worth it. Absolutely.”

“He is. I love you both so much. Thank you, Rory.”

“I love you too. I’m so sleepy.”

“I’ll hold you both while you sleep.” He could have a nap tomorrow while Rory’s brothers came. “And I’ll feed him soon as well.”

“Lonia will bring up a bottle…” Rory dozed right off, and he chuckled, settling them all more comfortably. This was his family now. This wonderful omega and their baby.

And Fen was never letting them go.