Chapter 12

Chapter

Twelve

W ade followed Morgan around, placing things back where they belonged after his mate moved them. Morgan clearly thought he was putting things away, codifying them. But he was just making new piles.

Daniel had just raised a brow, lifted his hands, and disappeared down a new hallway they'd found last night. Clearly he wanted nothing to do with Morgan pottering around and making messes.

Was this nesting? Wade had read about that. It seemed too early. He wanted to have longer to prepare. He had no idea how to do this baby thing…

Any of it.

And Daniel was like, your baby, your problem, amigo.

Fucker.

Daniel had helped this morning, stacking gold coins with Morgan when he got fussy about it. But now he was gone.

"Love?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you want some tea?"

Morgan wrinkled his nose. "No thank you."

"How about a cookie?"

That got him an interested look for a moment, then a shake of the head. "I'm not hungry."

"Do you want to go sit?" They'd taken to sitting in big comfy chairs for hours.

"I'm a little restless, babe." Morgan stacked books in a precarious tower.

"Are you not feeling well?" He caught the books before they toppled, setting them into two towers.

"I'm not feeling bad. I just don't feel right. I'm super restless." Morgan's eyes filled with sudden tears. "I'm just helping. I am helping, right?"

Fuck him. "Absolutely. Thank you for your help." Wade swore he was getting a tic, but he would never take that out on Morgan, who was in real distress.

"Avery feels so heavy, like a neutron star."

Every time Morgan said their son's name, it made him smile. This time was no different. The first time had left him breathless, with tears in his own eyes, and he'd grabbed Morgan to lift him and swing him around.

"I'm sorry, love. We could take a bath—" He stopped, scowling, when there was a knock at the front door. A chill ran down his spine. Who the hell was knocking on a door that no one could find?

Wade strode to it, ignoring Morgan's gasp of, "Be careful!" Fuck careful. He wanted to know who the bloody hell was messing with them. This was too damn much, to kidnap them and put them in this crazy house and then just knock?

"Am I too late?"

A pair of huge bright-green eyes stared up at him through a mass of bright red curls.

"Too late for what?" This was a dragon. Not one he knew.

"The baby, of course." The little guy handed him a bag, then bustled past him. "Hello, Morgan. I'm the midwife. Stormy. Pleased to meet you."

"Wait! Oh dear. Oh, once you're in, you can't get out!" Morgan came to the dragon and burst into tears, trying to push him back outside.

"Sweet dragon. You're very close. Don't worry about me. I'm fine. You just worry about having this baby." The little guy beamed and patted Morgan's arm.

"I am worried about it! I worry about everything! I don't know what to do."

Stormy looked at him and made a motion that he thought was dunking a cookie in tea. Okay. He could do that.

"I've delivered quite a few babies. Don't worry. You look about ready to pop."

"I am." Morgan wailed. "I want him out."

"What's his name?" Stormy started touching his mate, maybe doing an exam.

And Wade was okay with it. What the hell was going on?

"Who's that guy?" Daniel appeared next to him, a deep frown etching his features.

"The midwife."

"Huh."

"I know, right? We have a midwife?" Did that even make sense? But he supposed dragons needed help having babies just as much as anyone, human, fae, whatever.

"What's this ‘we'?" Daniel asked, his expression wry.

"You live here." He waved Daniel toward the kettle. "Make tea." He needed to go to his mate, who was crying hard.

"Say please."

"Now, man. Please. Morgan's really crying."

Daniel clapped one hand on his arm, letting him know the meanness was totally fake. "Sure."

"Thank you." He rushed to Morgan, grabbing him up for a hug. "I have you. I do. I love you so." Goddess, he hated to see Morgan cry. It made his neck hurt, dammit. Every single time.

Morgan clung to him, sobbing, but Stormy patted Morgan gently.

"Oh, it's just very emotional—hormones bonging around madly. Not to worry." The little storm guy just sort of fluttered about. "Honestly, he's very close. He's very strong. It took me quite a while to find you. But that baby? He was calling for me." Stormy leaned in. "I'm happy I came just in the nick of time."

Wade stared at him. "You're honestly a midwife?"

"I've delivered at least thirty babies. That makes me a midwife." Stormy winked at Wade. "And today it makes me an incredibly late midwife. Let's get this show on the road."

"Is he ready?" Wade hadn't seen Morgan complain about his belly hurting. He hadn't complained about anything. He'd just been wandering and stacking books and making messes.

Stormy pulled up Morgan's shirt a little bit and that birthline was purple and splitting and Wade thought he might just pass out. "This, my dear friend, this is ready. Is there a bed made up for him that we can use? He'll be much more comfortable if he can lean over and move around without your friend vomiting so audibly."

"He's got a weak stomach. It's not his baby."

"Mmmhmm. As you say." Stormy looked at Morgan. "It's going to be fine, dear. I'm right here."

Morgan nodded hard. "Okay. I really do need to lie down."

"I'll take you to bed. Daniel! Get off your ass and get the midwife whatever he needs." He took Morgan to their room, glad they'd changed the sheets this morning at Morgan's insistence. Bless him, he was really panting and sweating.

"Did it come on quick, love? You seemed fine earlier." And now it didn't seem fine at all. He thought everything was really fucking askew.

"I'm not sure. I didn't look at my birthline." Morgan hung his head a little. "I was kind of afraid to."

"Oh, babe. We have to keep on top of shit now. We're parents."

Morgan laughed breathlessly. "Well, almost."

He could hear Stormy-dude issuing orders to Daniel, and then he was in the room, hands freshly washed, sleeves rolled up.

"Now, then, let's see what we have." Stormy settled in at Morgan's hip. "Support his back, Wade. The pressure will need to be released some for the birthline to really open."

"Good to know." And they were just going to bumble through this with Daniel as their only help? When Morgan hadn't even wanted to admit he was in labor?

"Mmm." Stormy lifted Morgan's shirt and eased it off. "Mmmmhmm."

"What does that mean?" Morgan asked.

"That means, you're right on the edge. What is the baby's name?"

"Avery. I thought he called to you," Morgan accused.

"He did." Stormy's eyes flashed emerald and gold as he laughed. "But I needed you to focus on him."

"Sneaky!" Morgan laughed too, though. "I like him, Wade."

"Yeah, me too." He would probe into how Stormy had reached them later. For now, Wade would just accept that he was here.

"Okay, breathe, Morgan. We're going to start pushing, and I want you to find Avery's song and focus on it. Find that lovely thread and listen to him."

"Listen." Morgan grunted, his face screwing up with pain.

"Yes. That's it. Wade, you need to reach out too."

Wade blinked, but he nodded, joining his mind to Morgan's and following the link Morgan had made.

The little silvery song hit him in the gut like a ton of bricks. His son was worried. Avery didn't want to be cold and bright. He wanted to stay warm and held where it was safe and where his omega dad protected him.

"Come on, little one. We're here. We're your safe place. I promise, Daddy is here."

"Daddy. So sweet." Morgan beamed at him through a haze of tears.

"I'm so proud of you, love. You're almost there."

"Oh, my goddess. Here's your hot water." Daniel sounded as though he was going to puke again.

"Don't make a mess, please," Stormy said.

Morgan huffed out a laugh. "Oh. Ow!"

"Push now, Morgan. He's coming out."

"Okay. Pushing." Morgan strained, and Wade was terrified he was going to split in half. But he worked and sweated some more, and there were towels and there was goo, and Wade never once felt queasy, but Daniel had to leave the room again.

"Soon, Morgan. You're doing so well."

"I don't feel so great," Morgan said.

"You're amazing, love. So good." Was that a hand? Wade was amazed. Dragon babies didn't come out like human kids. They kind of…climbed out. Wow.

"There he is." Stormy sounded so pleased.

"Morgan. He's stunning." He could see his son now. And they were almost there.

"Daniel! Get that swaddling in here. Oh, oh, oh, little one. I was yelling at your uncle, not at you." Stormy took Avery and toweled him off.

"What can I do for Morgan?" Wade asked.

"I'll clean him up, and then you'll need to seal the birthline."

"Okay." He watched, taking the wet cloth Daniel handed him to soothe his mate's forehead. "I can do that."

He felt like everything had just whooshed by him.

And a few minutes later, Stormy was smiling at him. "Okay. It's just like cauterizing a wound with your talent."

"Got it." That he could do. He'd never hurt Morgan with his fire, even when he lost control of it. So he moved so he could run his finger down the birthline, sealing it up.

"Oh." Morgan collapsed back against him, panting, muscles relaxing in a rush.

"Oh, love, you did so well." Wade kissed Morgan on the forehead.

"Here's Avery, Morgan." Stormy handed the baby to Morgan, who made a noise that went right to Wade's gut. He would never forget it if he lived another thousand years.

Probably longer.

It was so beautiful he might break down and cry himself.

"Wow. Are you okay, Morgan?" Daniel asked.

"No thanks to you." Morgan grinned at their friend. "But I am. Look at my boy."

"He's amazing." Daniel came close to peer down.

"He is. So are you." He could feel Morgan getting heavier. "Rest now, love. Rest. I'll keep you both safe." Wade supported Avery's weight with one hand while Morgan dozed off, then let Stormy take the baby. "Thank you," he told Stormy. "For your help."

"I am happy I made it." Stormy stood, wiping up with a towel. "I'll let all of you rest now and make Daniel make me supper."

Daniel's eyes lit up. "What do you think of tapas?" he asked.

They walked away, and the silence rang in his ears. His mate and their child were asleep.

And he was there with them. Thank every goddess there was.