by Noah Harris
He watches her as they walk toward the maternity ward. He knows that they know better than to try to take the babe from him. It's a wise decision. He doesn't think he'd be able to let her go just yet. His wolf is far too enamored with her.
The nurses guiding him are talking, something about setting him up with a bottle so he can feed her, but he tunes them out. He can't look away from the child in his arms, and he can't get Timothy's words out of his head.
She looks so much like you.
He tries to look at her objectively. Beyond the softness of youth and the roundness of baby fat, he can see the promise of some of Timothy's delicate features. But, if he looks closely, if he tries to imagine how her features might grow, he thinks he can maybe see some of his own as well. In the strong set of her brow and the shape of her nose.
Still, it's too early to tell. Her features won't become defined for several more years, and even then, a strong brow and defiant nose are something many people have. There's nothing to say they're his features. Still, the fact that she might even remotely look like his has his chest burning with a joy and pride unlike anything he's ever known.
Then, as they pass under one of the florescent lights in the hall, Mia opens her eyes and looks up at him for the first time, and Christopher's breath catches in his throat.
Her eyes are green.
Just like his.
Epilogue
"Shhh," Timothy coos, bouncing little Mia in his arms as he paces across the living room. "Daddy will be here with your bottle soon," he hums, rubbing a hand on her back to soothe her, but she's having none of it. She wails loudly, face scrunched and red, and while he wishes she would calm down, part of him admires the power behind her cries. It's only been a few months, and yet it's become very clear, very quickly that she's a powerful little thing. She'll be a strong wolf. He's sure of it.
Christopher hurries into the room, a towel tossed over one shoulder and a bottle in one hand. "Sorry, I'm here." He sits on the couch, holding his arms open and ready.
"It's alright," Timothy says, moving forward to hand Mia over to Christopher.
"Shhh, little girl, it's okay. Daddy's here." He takes her easily, cooing at her and pressing a playful finger to her nose as she settles in his strong arms, cherished and protected. She quietens down almost immediately, sniffling and still disgruntled, but at least quiet. She gazes up at him, eyes red rimmed but green irises striking. As the months have gone by, they've become even more identical to Christopher's own. He grins down at the baby, lifting the bottle to her lips, saying softly, "There's a good girl." The fondness in his voice makes Timothy's heart flutter.
He lets out a tired sigh when the room is finally silent, bending over to pick up his phone before perching on the arm of the couch next to Christopher. He leans into the alpha, using him as support as he looks through his emails and missed calls.
"Anything important?" Christopher asks, glancing over at him.
Timothy hums, practically slumping over the larger man to rest his cheek on his head. "Important? Probably. Urgent? No. It's mostly just the office keeping me in the loop on our case against Roland Marsden."
"Do they need you?"
Timothy shakes his head, inadvertently nuzzling into Christopher's hair. "No, not right now. I'll need to go down to the office later this week, though."
His first trial as an official lawyer has come and gone. With the carefully planned defense he worked on during his pregnancy he’d been able to present enough evidence to not only prove Roland Marsden's guilt in poisoning the farmer's crops with chemical run off, but also his attempt to frame the farmers in the hostage taking in order to ruin their credibility. And just for good measure, he's being charged with organizing the robbery at Timothy's apartment and stealing his files, which had been recovered at his office when the police searched with a warrant.
The case has blown up, expanded far beyond what it had originally been. In the wake of Timothy's defense and the light brought to the case, there's been a whole new slew of legal complications and new trials. The lawsuit has become far bigger than new lawyer defending poor farmers against a big-name company, and Timothy's law firm has taken most of the weight off his shoulders. He's hardly involved anymore, but they still keep him at the center of it.
The successful case, cracking open a whole plethora of corruption and new lawsuits, has marked a huge milestone in Timothy's young career. His first solo case has managed to make a big name for himself and slingshot his career forward. His coworkers already treat him with far more respect and awe, and his name is often on the evening news.
And while he's hardly involved in the case anymore, he's still proud of the work he's done.
He's come to accept Christopher is right, and it was instinct that pushed him to defend the farmers against all odds. The bird's nest falling in the woods was only the first of several more bizarre experiences he's had, now he's learning to embrace his wolf's nature. He has a strange sixth sense, drawing him and alerting him to injustice and wronged people and animals. It's a violent and strong flare that builds up in him, driving him to seek out and protect.
Once, such a strong instinct from his wolf would have frightened him. Even now, it can be unsettling, but he's learning to embrace it. As it turns out, it works well with his natural drive to protect the bullied and his chosen career of being a lawyer.
Combining his wolf life and his human life hasn't been easy, but he finds it's getting easier with every passing day that he doesn't take wolfsbane.
Timothy lets his phone drop to his lap, looking down at the babe Christopher holds in his arms. She looks so at peace as she sucks at her bottle, eyes lidded and drowsy. He reaches out, letting his fingers run through her soft, downy hair. "I don't know how you get her to calm down so easily."
Christopher is grinning, his pride open and bright. "I guess she just loves me."
Timothy smiles, lifting his head to press his lips to Christopher's temple. "That makes two of us."
Christopher tilts his head up, and Timothy meets him halfway, cupping his face as their lips slide together in a lingering kiss.
He's not sure he'll ever get over the awe of having Christopher in his life again and how different it is from what he feared. The alpha has done everything he promised, he’s been protective and kind and refuses to let Timothy's status as an omega affect who he is. The pack is already starting to respect him more, treating him as Christopher's mate and nearly his equal.
It's all he's ever wanted as a wolf. To be able to be himself and be respected for it. Once, over four years ago, he fantasized and dreamed he could have it with Christopher, and now he has exactly that. A strong and handsome mate who doesn't belittle him. In fact, the way Christopher looks at him makes him feel stronger than he ever imagined possible.
They still haven't told his parents about their child, or even the fact that Christopher is his mate. He'll tell them eventually, but for now he's happy with how they are. They're a happy little family at the head of a pack, both of them well respected with what they do. Someday, when their lives have stabilized a little more, he'll tell his parents. He'll also make it clear to his father that this is who he is, and if his father doesn't like it, he doesn't have to be in their lives.
For now, though, they're happy with the way things are.
He pulls away from the kiss, gazing into Christopher's lidded green eyes. They're beautiful and piercing, staring right into his core and spreading warmth through his veins. He loves those green eyes. The eyes of his mate and his daughter.
Sometimes, when he's feeling thoughtful and wistful, when the house is quiet and he feels at peace, he wonders if the reemergence of his wolf might explain his sudden pregnancy. If somehow, all those years ago, Christopher had impregnated him on their fateful night, but the wolfsbane Timothy began taking stalled the pregnancy. He wonders if, by putting his wolf into a state of stasis inside him, he also did the same to the spark of life in his womb.
He wo
nders if the sudden burst of his wolf through the haze of wolfsbane, howling out from inside to flare up his instincts to protect those farmers, somehow reignited that seed in his womb. If the resurgence of his wolf also meant the resurrection of his child with Christopher.
Or perhaps it was some other hand of fate that brought him Mia in order to reunite him with his destined mate.
He can't say for certain, and he's been meaning to speak to a wolf specialist about it, just to see if that's even possible. He's also thought about having a DNA test done between Mia and Christopher. Perhaps then he'll finally have some answers.
Sometimes it feels wholly impossible, and the thought that such a thing could happen seems ridiculous. But the resemblance between Mia and Christopher is striking, and it only gets stronger as she grows.
But at the end of the day, he supposes it doesn't matter too much. The fact remains the three of them are together. He and Christopher are mates, bound by their wolves and fate. Mia is his daughter by birth, and Christopher sees her as his own, whether she is or not.
At the end of the day, they're a family, and that's all Timothy could ask for.
He presses one last fleeting kiss to Christopher's lips before standing, stretching his arms over his head until his back pops. "Can you put her down for a nap when she's done?"
"Of course," Christopher says instantly, then raises one eyebrow. "Work to do?"
Timothy is already moving toward the stairs, intent on heading up toward the old guest bedroom that's been converted into his home office. He sends Christopher a small smile over his shoulder. "Yeah, I've got to wrap up some things on my dossier before the pack meeting tonight."
Christopher nods, already settling back into the couch. "Do what you've gotta do. I'll take care of Mia."
Timothy knows he will. Christopher has settled into his role as a father quickly. Timothy pauses at the base of the stairs, smiling as he gazes across the room at his mate. The softness of his features as he gazes at Mia makes Timothy's chest feel far too warm and far too full. He longs to walk back to him and wrap his arms around them both, but he refrains. For now, there's work to do.
He's working on a case for the pack. To get them more meat for the dining facility. He'll be meeting with them later tonight to go over it with them, guiding them in the process of presenting a legal case. Facing them is still somewhat daunting, but after everything that's happened, he feels far more confident in his capabilities.
This is something he knows he can do, and something he knows he was meant to do. He'll take care of them because they need it and because they're his pack now. They may not all be happy about his status as Christopher's mate, but they're starting to come around. They're starting to see that he's perfectly capable. And when he leads meetings, the entire pack hanging on his words, he can't deny there's a certain thrill that makes him feel powerful.
And with Christopher at his side, there's nothing he can't accomplish.
About the Author
Dear reader,
I hope you enjoyed Omega’s Hope.
First off, allow me to say how incredible you are for supporting this small genre! Open-minded readers like you are special. You may be gay, bi, or straight, but you have good taste in books, and I love knowing you’re out there. I’d love to stay in touch, if you’d like you can join my Facebook group: Noah’s Pack it's a closed (private) community where we can discuss all things gay shifters without anyone else being able to see!
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