Chapter Twenty-Two

Tate

I’d paced the house until the walls blurred together. My playroom was lonely, but my wolf and I were focused on the pup inside me. I was overdue by two days and was doing anything I could to make this baby come out.

Pregnancy had been a dream, and I now realized my struggle and loss with my other baby had been because of the abusive ex who called himself my mate.

Troubled papa, troubled baby.

Bronson made sure I had no troubles, as best he could. We had everyday things, but we kept our home calm and safe.

Safe was undervalued in a relationship, or I had undervalued it.

No one should be afraid to be themselves.

“You’re going to drive yourself mad, mate.”

I stopped at the sound of his voice. So did the babe inside me. They knew their papas well. “They stopped kick…nevermind, there they go again.” The kicking and movement inside me went on nearly twenty-four hours a day. The healer said it was normal, but it felt like an earthquake was going off in my belly. Feet sticking in my ribs. Fists pressing out of my abdomen. The kid never stopped.

“Come relax in the living room. I made you a smoothie. Pineapple and papaya.”

“Another thing you read about in your pregnancy books?” I laughed. He took my hand and led me into the living room where we sat side by side in our chaise lounge. It was perfect for me to sit in because I could keep my feet up. Swollen ankles hadn’t been an issue, but it felt good.

“Yes. Dates, too. Drink up.”

I sighed but did as he asked. He took such good care of me. The smoothie was delicious, and I drank it all while Bronson rubbed circles on my belly. He lay across my chest, saying things to my belly, or rather, the babe inside my belly.

“What are you telling them?” I asked, running my hands through Bronson’s dark, thick hair. I hoped our baby had his hair. And his eyes and his nose. A replica would be fine with me.

He chuckled and wrapped his arm around the bottom of my belly. The support made me sigh. “I’m telling this pup to come on out. How much he or she is loved and how excited we are to see them and have them in our lives. I’m also telling them how beautiful of a papa they have. How lovely their pale-yellow nursery is.” He placed a kiss on my lower belly, and a pain struck me in my lower back.

“Oh!” I said, bucking from the lounge.

Bronson sat up, his eyes wide. “What is it?”

He helped me to stand, and another spike of pressure and pain shot through me. “This pup listened to you. That’s what. Call the healer, please. Now, mate. Please.” Two pleases. I was desperate.

While he talked to the healer, I moved back to the chaise but this time got on my knees and used the back of the chair as a brace to lean on. The contractions were coming in waves now, and each of them seemed more painful than the last. Each one left me breathless and spent.

“He’s at another birth. He’s sending someone else.”

I shook my head so hard it made my temples throb. “No. No one else.” I was slow to trust. That wasn’t going to change today.

“Hospital?” Bronson asked, coming over to stroke my back. His strong, warm hands felt so good.

“No. I’ll do this myself. My wolf and my body know what to do.”

“Do you want to be here, or should we go somewhere else?” he asked.

I turned my head. “You’re not going to argue?”

“Absolutely not, mate. You have survived so many things. You are strong and capable and brave as fuck. I trust you with our baby’s life.”

“Let’s move to the bedroom. Towels. Blankets. On the floor.”

The move to the bedroom was a blur of breathing and stopping and bracing myself as the intensity of the contractions built up more and more. Once Bronson laid everything out and spoke to the healer, telling him to cancel the replacement coming over, he took off his shoes and got on the floor next to me. I was on my hands and knees, naked, with sweat pouring off me.

The pup is coming. We can do this.

We could.

My hands curled into fists as the urge to push took over my senses. My body tensed, pouring every ounce of energy into the process, as it should.

“It’s time, mate. Can you get ready to…” Another round of pushing took over my body. My wolf was mostly in charge now.

“I’m here,” Bronson said, now sitting behind me. “Oh, sweetheart, I see their head. You’re almost there.”

My eyes rolled back in my head as a burning sensation fired up on the ring of my channel. It was time to push this baby out. To welcome him or her into this world.

“I’m pushing,” I said, clenching my jaw. I moved my knees apart, widening my stance and gathered everything in me.

And pushed.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

“That’s it, Tate. That’s it. He’s here.”

“He?” I sobbed, collapsing onto my chest, face down on the blankets. My ass was still raised high. I knew there was a bit more that had to come out. The afterbirth.

“He, omega mine. You gave us a son. A beautiful son.”

Bronson clipped the umbilical cord and brought him to me. I rolled over, and my mate placed our babe on my chest. I counted his fingers and toes and made sure everything was fine. I would love him no matter what, but I had to inspect him.

“He’s beautiful, just like you,” Bronson said, tears running down his face.

“He’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” I said, blinking back some of my own tears.

“You did so well, mate. I am amazed by you.”

I nodded, agreeing for once. “What should we name him?” I asked.

“We talked about Cillian. Did you still want that?”

“Yes. I love it. And I love you, alpha. None of this would be possible without you.”

He hugged us both and helped me clean up and clean our babe up. The healer arrived soon after and praised me along with Bronson on a job well done.

We were a family now.