His Forgotten Mate

by Giovanna Reaves

  Alexis

  Alexis got out of his car and closed the door. He adjusted the collar of his wool coat, stuffing his hands in his pocket as he walked up the steps of his doctor's office. He liked his new doctor.

  After he'd been kicked out of the last doctor's office, he’d found Doctor Williamson, who was a shifter and took on only supernatural patients. It was good that humans knew of their existence, but at times Alexis wished they didn't.

  Maybe it would make life easier if Supernaturals could live in a world only for them, even though human males were able to get pregnant. It always angered Alexis when he saw others snickering behind their hands or saying hurtful things to pregnant human and shifter males when walking down the street.

  There will always be close minded assholes. He told himself each time he saw it happening.

  That could be the reason why he was hesitant to say the words out loud before. Finding Doctor Williamson helped him get past some of that. It wasn’t as if he will be able to hide his growing belly. Doctor Williamson not only gave Alexis a baby checkup, but he listened to him gripe about his morning sickness and anything else that irritated him during his appointment.

  Walking down the long hallway, Alexis smiled realizing the appointment was going to be his first baby check-up with Maverick. Over the past few days, he'd been warming up to the reality that he had a mate and a child on the way.

  Alexis was not fully there, but he hoped by the time the baby arrived he would come to accept everything new in his life. After his appointment, they were going to move Alexis's stuff to Maverick's house.

  They were officially moving in together. It wasn't something that needed to be discussed. It made sense. Maverick had a pack that needed him close by for anything that might occur.

  The following day, they were going to introduce Alexis to the pack and announce the upcoming birth of their child, as well. Things were moving pretty fast for them, and Alexis hoped they would be able to take some time to breathe and simply be mates for a bit.

  "Hello, Rose," Alexis said when he walked up to the check-in desk.

  She smiled at him. "Hello, Alex. How are you feeling today, my sweet lad?"

  Alexis loved her Irish accent. Rose had mousey brown hair she wore in a low, tight bun. Her green eyes sparkled and always gave him a sense of familiarity—like he’d known her in a past life. Rose was human, but her mate of thirty years was a tiger shifter who doted on her as if they were newly mated.

  "I'm doing better," he told her.

  She tilted her head to the side, and her smile got brighter. "I can see it now. Your eyes look clear. And you look as if you've been having lots of sex."

  Alexis barked out a laugh. The woman always said what was on her mind no matter how uncomfortable it might make others feel. It was simply who she was, and he loved it.

  "Oh gods," she said gasping. "Who is that tall drink of water that just walked in? And he seems to have his eyes only on you, my sweet lad."

  Alexis turned and held back his gasp. Maverick was standing at the door looking at him. He looked handsome, as always. Maverick took off his gloves and ran his fingers through his hair as he walked over to Alexis and pulled him into his arms.

  "Hi," Maverick whispered.

  Alexis rested his hands on Mavericks chest. "Hey yourself."

  They gazed at each other, and the rest of the world disappeared. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't look away from the alpha wolf. From the first night they’d met, he’d felt a strong pull towards him.

  "I'll let the doctor know you're here," he heard Rose say behind him.

  They'd gone back to work over the past few days. Since they'd put off talking about the merger of their companies, things had been working out better for them.

  "Sorry, I had to leave before you got up. Any morning sickness?" Maverick asked.

  "I understand." He smiled. "And no, no morning sickness."

  "Three days in a row. We're on a lucky streak."

  "Let's not talk about it. We might jinx it."

  Maverick chuckled.

  "Are you ready for this?" Alexis asked.

  "Yes," he answered. "I've come to terms with all of this."

  "I'm glad one of us has wrapped their minds around everything."

  "You'll get there. I'm sure of it." He leaned down and kissed Alexis on his forehead.

  "All right, you two. Break it up. It's time to see the doctor," Rose said.

  They both turned to see her standing by the door, holding it open for them.

  "Come on," Maverick said, sliding a hand down his back as they walked in, ready to see the doctor.

  * * *

  Maverick

  They were inside of one of the private rooms waiting for the doctor to arrive.

  Alexis was laying back on the bed with his shirt untucked and unbuttoned. Maverick's eyes traveled down to Alexis's stomach that was sprouting the cutest bump. Alexis seemed calmer than he felt at the moment.

  Maverick felt both nervous and excited. He'd been restless at work, checking the time to make sure he wasn't late for Alexis's appointment. He'd also missed his mate something fierce. He couldn't wait to see him. He looked up when he heard Alexis giggling.

  "What's so funny?"

  "I didn't think you were nervous. You seemed so confident out in the lobby a few minutes ago."

  "Of course, I'm nervous. I'm getting ready to see my child for the first time." He looked back down to Alexis's baby bump. He wanted to rub it, but figured it would make Alexis uncomfortable, which was why he always waited until his mate was asleep.

  "You don't have to wait until I'm asleep to touch my belly.”

  How did he know?

  “I’m not always asleep when you think I am," Alexis answered his unspoken question.

  He looked up at Alexis's face seeing something different in his eyes. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

  "Regardless of how I’m feeling, this is your child as well. And you should want to connect with him or her. "

  Maverick stood and stepped over to Alexis, kissing him quickly. "Thank you."

  "You don't need to thank me. You're a part of this, too."

  "Well, it seems a lot has changed since the last time I saw you."

  Maverick looked over his shoulder and observed the doctor. Alexis might like him, but he knew nothing about the man.

  Maybe I should have investigated him before I agreed to come here.

  "Calm down, alpha wolf. I'm a beta, and I am no danger to you or your mate."

  He looked at Alexis, who was laughing at him again. "How can you find this shit funny?"

  "Because I like it when you're possessive."

  "Whatever," Maverick said, rolling his eyes.

  "All right, let's get to work," Doctor Williamson said.

  "How’s he looking, doc?" Maverick asked.

  "There is a thing or two I'm a bit concerned about," Williamson said.

  "Like what?" Alexis sat up and looked at the doctor.

  "I'm concerned about your weight.” He looked up from his clipboard and to Alexis. “You're in your fourth month and should have gained a bit more weight by now. I know it's a strain carrying twins."

  "Wait. What?" Alexis and Maverick said together.

  "I need you to stop by the lab to check your iron levels…"

  "Hold on a second, Brian. Twins?" Alexis asked, his shock evident in his voice.

  "Whoops," the doctor said with a shoulder shrug.

  Maverick was sure that wasn't a Freudian slip.

  "I know you didn't want to know what you were having, but I'm concerned about your health right now," Williamson explained.

  Maverick and Alexis stared at Williamson still in utter shock

  "Twins?" Maverick whispered. "How about that?"

  "Yeah, that's just—"

  "Fucking awesome," he said, turning to look at Alexis. "We're having twins!" He pulled Alexis into a tight hug. "I can't believe it."

  "Yeah, me ei
ther," Alexis whispered.

  "I'm glad that's finally out of the bag. Let's continue with everything else, back to my concerns. I want you to take the rest of the year off. I want to monitor your weight for a bit. For the next couple of months, sit on your butt and be pampered. I'm sure your strong alpha wouldn't mind looking after you for a bit."

  "No, I wouldn't mind in the least." He stepped back looking down at Alexis who still had a dazed expression on his face. He kissed his mate on the side of his head.

  "You want me to sit on my butt for two months?" Alexis asked.

  "Yup," Williamson said, smiling. "And I don't mean working from home. Veg out on the couch and watch television. Do some mindless things. Just focus on you and the babies. Nothing else."

  "That's going to be hard for me." Alexis sighed and leaned back.

  "I know, but this is for your health and your cubs."

  "Fine." Alexis pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Maverick chuckled. "I'll be there with you."

  "What? You can't take off more time off of work."

  "Did you forget I own the company? I can do whatever the hell I want."

  That made Alexis smile. "Okay." Alexis turned and looked at Williamson. "Is sex off the table?"

  Doctor Williamson rolled his eyes. "No, sex is fine—just no acrobatics. And fit some meditation time in between all the sex I know you'll both be having."

  "Damn, and here I thought swinging from the chandelier was allowed,” Alexis said rolling his eyes.

  Maverick snorted trying not to laugh.

  Doctor Williamson sighed and rolled his eyes. “Now that we have that settled. Let's get to the good stuff. Let's see how the little ones are doing."

  * * *

  Alexis

  Twins. Shit.

  Alexis couldn’t believe it. He looked down at his stomach, wondering how he was going to handle taking care of two babies.

  Am I going to be a good parent? Will I really be able to do this?

  He turned his gaze to Maverick, who had taken his hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing his fingertips.

  “We can do this.”

  “Are you sure?” Alexis didn’t hide the uncertainty in his voice.

  “Yes,” he answered with confidence.

  “Okay,” he conceded. At this point, Maverick seemed to know what was best for them, which took a load off his shoulders.

  They stared at each other, and Alexis loved gazing into Maverick’s beautiful, light blue eyes. Who will our babies look like? Will they have my eyes or Maverick’s? Will they both be werewolves or warlocks?

  So many things were running through his mind he hadn’t thought about before. An image came to him of a child smiling up at him that resembled a miniature version of Maverick, and it made him crack a smile.

  “All right, proud daddies. Take a look at your little ones,” Doctor Williamson said, drawing their attention back to him.

  Alexis covered his lips, holding back his gasp. This was the first time he was seeing his babies on the computer monitor. Usually, he’d have Williamson tell him if the baby was fine or not and what he needed to do.

  He’d always looked away and covered his eyes when it came time for the ultrasound. Seeing them now made him recognize his shame of how disconnected he’d been from his children. Tears welled in his eyes, and he hoped one day they would forgive him for being neglectful to their needs.

  “Can I have a picture of them, please?” he asked.

  “Of course, you can. And I’ll also give you the ones from the other visits as well.” Williamson smiled. “I knew one day you’d be asking for them.”

  “Thanks, Brian,” Alexis said as he wiped his tears away.

  “Are you ready to know their sex?” Brian asked.

  “No,” Maverick quickly said.

  “What? I thought you wanted to know?” Alexis asked.

  “I do.” He reached up and scratched the back of his neck. “But our moms want to do a gender reveal thing at your baby shower.”

  “Why do they get to know before us? And how did they talk you into agreeing to this?”

  “It’s what they asked for, since they laid a guilt trip on me.”

  “Seriously, you cave to two—"

  “—Strong-willed women who know how to use their grandmother privilege already,” Maverick finished. “I tell you what, my beautiful mate. Why don’t you call and tell them you want to know the sex of the babies, and see how well you stand up to them.”

  “Fine, I will when I speak to them later.”

  “You do that. I’m simply going to stand by and watch you squirm.”

  “I’m not afraid of our mothers.”

  “Anything you say, dear.” Maverick chuckled, making Alexis scowl at him.

  “You guys are cute,” Brian said.

  “We’re more than cute,” Alexis told him.

  “Maybe.” Brian chuckled. “So, we’re going to wait on gender reveals?”

  “Yes.” Alexis sighed.

  Truthfully, he didn’t want to go up against his and Maverick’s mothers. Not when they were trying to build a family.

  Chapter Eight

  Alexis

  Later that night, Alexis sat in the chair next to his mate with Maverick’s brothers and parents sitting on either side of them. He looked at the vast body of pack members sitting in front of him.

  “I have a few things to get to before we celebrate.”

  “What are we celebrating, Alpha?” one of Maverick's members asked. She had a sweet, grandmotherly face and smile. “Could it have something to do with the beautiful man sitting by your side?”

  Maverick reached over and took Alexis’s hand, squeezing it in support. He’d been a little nervous, but sitting next to his mate helped ease his jitters.

  “I was going to leave this for the last announcement of the night,” he said, turning to look at Alexis with a dazzling smile. “But since Constance brought it up, I might as well tell you all now.”

  The man had been smiling since they’d left the doctor’s office. He’d smiled the entire time they’d driven over to his apartment and packed up the important stuff Alexis would need. Maverick kept giggling like a schoolboy who’d just got his favorite candy. It was kind of adorable to see a big, bad alpha wolf acting so giddy.

  Alexis leaned over and kissed Maverick on his lips, pretty much giving Constance and anyone who was thinking the same thing an answer. He leaned back and smiled. “Hurry up and tell them. I want to celebrate our news in a very different way.”

  “All right, folks. Let’s get going. The Alpha and his mate want to celebrate becoming mates,” Alexis heard a member say.

  “Let me finish this up.” They looked away from each other to see some were starting to get up with smiles on their faces, eager to come up and wish them congratulations. “He’s also carrying the next pack heir.”

  The entire room erupted in cheers and congratulations.

  They were so loud. Nonetheless, he understood their joy. Alexis was about to cover his ears, but someone pulled him from his chair and into a hug. Alexis couldn’t help but feel the delight coming off the person in waves. He almost teared up when the person whispered in his ear, “Thank you for bringing light back into the Alpha’s eyes.”

  After all the cheering and congratulations, Maverick continued on with the rest of the meeting. His voice was commanding,yet soothing to Alexis’s ears. But his eyes started to droop a bit. He was trying to listen, but he couldn’t fight it any longer and allowed his eyes to close. When he opened his eyes again, it was because he felt as if he was moving. He hummed as Maverick's scent engulfed him. He moaned, burying his face into Maverick’s chest.

  “Is the meeting over?” he asked, closing his eyes.

  “You’re awake,” Maverick said.

  “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.” He wrapped his arm around Maverick’s neck.

  “It’s okay. You can’t help it. Plus, your doctor wants you to start getting
some rest.”

  “True,” he said, opening his eyes as Maverick laid him down on the bed.

  “Are you still tired?” Maverick leaned closer to him, kissing his lips gently.

  Alexis hummed and pulled Maverick down beside him. “I’m suddenly feeling energized after my nap.”

  “Good,” the alpha wolf growled low in his chest.

  Maverick deepened their kiss, erasing all thoughts from Alexis’s mind. His heart was filled with bliss as his mate made love to him that night.

  He was starting to fall in love with Maverick Knox.

  Maverick

  "Have you decided what you want us to do with C. A. Silver yet?" Matthus asked him over the phone.

  He was in his home office trying to get some work done while Alexis took a nap. Maybe Doctor Williamson had it right to be concerned about Alexis, since all he'd been doing was eating and sleeping the past couple of weeks.

  "Yeah," Maverick answered. "I want Alexis to remain the CEO. According to Alexis, his brother Cullen will be taking off some time after the twins are born. So in the meantime, I want to send Enrique to help Cullen in a temporary status as Vice President until Alexis returns."

  "Are you sure he's going to go back to work after the twins are born?"

  "Maybe not right away. But trust me, he's not the stay-at-home dad type."

  "You two are growing closer, I see."

  Maverick rolled his eyes at his brother's sarcasm.

  "Jealous? Did you think we'd be at each other's throat every fucking minute of the day?" Maverick didn't hide the irritation in his tone.

  "Calm down. I didn't mean it the way it came out."

  "What the fuck did you mean then?" he snapped.

  "I…I'm not over the fact he erased your memories and the babies from you. But I see he’s made you happy in the short time you two have been together," Matthus explained.

  Maverick closed his eyes and smiled. Matthus could be a prick sometimes, and he sucked when it came to showing emotions, but he was a good brother and friend.

  "I don't blame him anymore. I understand why he did it."

  Maverick didn't need to explain things to Matthus. But he also didn't want his brother to continue to distrust his mate because of his actions. Maverick remembered everything from that night. From their conversation, the dances they shared, and he remembered feeling how he could easily fall in love with Alexis.