by L. C. Davis
Our life.
When had it even become that?
“Are you okay?” Devon asked, resting a strong hand on my shoulder.
I looked up, smiling as I realized I must have spaced out. “Yeah, I am. Better than okay,” I admitted. “Guess it’s just finally starting to sink in.”
“I know the feeling,” he said with a soft chuckle that made my chest feel warm. He kept his arm around me as we walked down the aisle, and I decided to get the yellow onesie. We picked out a few more things, including a car seat Devon said got the best ratings. I couldn’t help but smile as he rambled on about all the safety features and the fact that the company had never had a recall.
“What?” he finally asked, looking at me when he realized I was grinning at him.
“Nothing,” I said mischievously. “I just never knew you were such an expert.”
He rolled his eyes. “It’s my job to protect you both,” he said, putting the car seat in the cart.
His words were casual, but something in them hit me with the same force as his first declaration of love had. It stayed with me as we finished shopping, capping off a surprisingly perfect day.
It’s my job to protect you both.
I’d never thought of myself as being someone who needed protection. Even though Chase tried to be a protective big brother, he still knew I was capable of solving my own problems and didn’t take kindly to attempts to intervene.
Somehow, it was different with Devon. Things that should have bothered me didn’t. Instead, it made me feel…safe.
I hadn’t realized I felt anything otherwise until he came along. I knew he would make our daughter feel the same way. He already loved her. I could see it in his gaze as he stared down at my growing belly, running his hands over the bump in adoration. I could see it in the way his eyes lit up the first time he’d felt her kick, and every time since.
There was no doubt in my mind that he loved her, so why did I have such a hard time accepting that he really did love me, too? If there was one thing I’d learned about him over the last six months, it was that he was a man of his word. He said nothing he didn’t mean, and he was someone who faced life’s problems head on rather than leaving someone guessing about how he felt.
Still, despite how badly I wanted to believe it, there was part of me convinced it was a lie. Even if he didn’t realize it, surely he would realize the same thing Trevor had. Would he throw me away then, too?
The thought was unbearable, so I pushed it down like I had all the grief after my breakup. I knew if it happened again, it would be so much worse. Even though I had only known Devon a fraction of the time, I felt more for him than I ever had for Trevor. More than I ever had for anyone.
Without even meaning to, I’d given him my whole heart, broken as it was. All I could do was hope he wasn’t going to shatter it into even smaller pieces.
Chapter 11
Sawyer
I was due soon, since most omegas gave birth between seven and eight months. I was close enough to the latter that my anxiety had gone from me worrying the baby would be premature to me worrying about giving birth.
There were other things on my mind, too. Namely the fact that I had been living with Devon all this time and grew to like it more each day. I’d been sure we would butt heads, as different as we were, but I only found myself more and more attached to him.
And it scared the hell out of me.
That night, he had to work late in the city, so I’d gone over to my brother’s for dinner. He answered the door with their newborn daughter in the carrier on his chest. He looked tired, but his eyes were brighter than I’d ever seen them.
“Hey, Sawyer,” he said warmly, stepping back to let me inside. “You’re just in time.”
I stepped inside, looking around. "Usually, I'd be tackled by now," I remarked, wondering where my oldest niece and nephew were.
Jeff chuckled. "My sister decided to give us a break tonight and took them to the movies with her kids."
"And you invited me over instead of napping?" I asked doubtfully, following him into the kitchen.
He just smiled and poured us both a glass of sparkling water. I could smell something cooking in the oven, and for once, my nausea didn't make it unpleasant. Chase was at the counter, putting the finishing touches on a salad.
"Hey," he said, even more chipper than his usual self. "Glad you could make it."
I raised an eyebrow, looking between them. "Okay, who replaced you two with pod people?"
Jeff sighed, leaning on the counter as he sipped his water. "This is the first adult company we've had in months," he admitted. "I'm just glad to be having a conversation that doesn't center baby shark."
I snorted. "Guess I'll be dealing with that soon enough."
They exchanged a knowing look.
"How are you feeling?" Chase asked.
"Tired and sick more often than not," I admitted. "But I'm getting used to it."
"You'll be giving birth before you know it," Jeff said with a wistful sigh.
I stared blankly at him. "You make it sound like something to look forward to."
"Well, not in the moment," he confessed. "But it’s still something you'll remember for the rest of your life."
"That's what I'm afraid of," I said flatly.
Chase took what turned out to be a vegetarian pizza out of the oven and came to join us at the counter. For once, I had an appetite in the evening.
"And when are we going to meet this alpha of yours?" Chase asked. He wasn't usually overprotective, because I wouldn’t put up with it, but he was still an alpha and he had his moments.
I sighed. I had known this was coming. Devon had already asked me when he was going to meet them, and I knew it was inevitable. I wasn't even sure why I was putting it off. Maybe the idea of him meeting my family just made it seem more real somehow.
At one point, I would've been afraid of that because I wasn't ready, but now, I was afraid of losing the happiness I had finally found.
"Soon," I promised.
"Hopefully before the baby comes," Jeff said pointedly.
"He doesn't have anything to hide, does he?" Chase asked, a dangerous look coming into his eyes.
I groaned. "No. He wants to meet you," I finally admitted.
As they processed it, a look of hurt came over both their faces, which was worse than suspicion.
"It's not like that," I insisted. "I want to introduce you, it's just…"
"What is it?" Jeff asked gently, putting his hand over mine. "You can tell us."
I hesitated, knowing he was right. I could tell them anything, but I wasn't big on talking about my feelings. After Trevor and I had broken up, I just wanted to retreat from the world. Even from my own family.
My feelings for Devon were even stronger, and that scared the hell out of me, because I had known Trevor for years. If I felt this strongly about Devon and we had only known each other for a matter of months, how much more was it going to hurt when he inevitably left?
Or worse, he would realize he was stuck with me because of the baby. Being someone's burden was even worse than the idea of being abandoned.
"I don't know. I guess I'm just scared," I said, trying to focus on my plate even though I'd lost my appetite.
"Scared of what?" Chase asked.
I shrugged. "Taking things too fast. Scaring him off."
I regretted the words as soon as they were out of my mouth, but I couldn’t take them back. Jeff's eyes softened with understanding.
"I may not have met him yet, but from what you've told us, he really doesn't seem like the type where you have to worry about that," Jeff said gently.
"He’d better not be," Chase muttered into his wine.
"He's not," I conceded. "I just don't want to screw anything up."
They exchanged another look and I scowled. "Would you two quit doing that?"
"Doing what?" Chase asked innocently.
"The psychic twin thing," I answered.
He just laughed. "Listen, little brother. I know I gave you a hard time, but if this guy can't see he hit the jackpot, he doesn’t deserve you or this kid. But I know you better than anyone, and I can tell he's not that kind of guy."
"What makes you so sure?" I asked warily. I wanted to believe him. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but Chase's opinion meant more to me than anyone's.
"Because you love him," Chase answered.
I stared at him in shock for a few seconds before I managed to get my thoughts together. "I loved Trevor…"
"I know," said Chase. "But not the same way. You put everything into that relationship, but I could tell it was work. Work only you were willing to put in. That kind of imbalance never works, no matter how hard you try to force it.'
"He's right," Jeff said, taking his mate's hand with an adoring gaze. "You need someone who's right by your side. Someone who knows what he wants and isn't afraid to fight for it."
I considered their arguments, still not sure how I felt. The moment I'd heard those three little words, it was like a punch in the gut, which was usually how the truth hit me. Long after I'd driven home, those words lingered.
You love him.
No matter how I tried to deny it, I knew Chase was right. Somehow, without even realizing it, and despite trying to do the opposite, I had fallen in love with Devon. I loved him, and that just meant I had everything to lose all over again.
Chapter 12
Devon
I only had a few hours before Sawyer got back from shopping for more baby things with his brother-in-law. In that time, I had to somehow get everything I'd secretly bought to furnish the nursery into the room I had managed to keep Sawyer out of for the last couple of months. Since he was redesigning the house, that was more of a challenge than I had expected, but when I told him I just wanted complete control over the “man cave,” he simply rolled his eyes and moved on.
The pastel border I had just put up around the room complemented the light yellow paint, and the paper border was adorned with cute little stuffed animal illustrations. I wasn't an interior designer by a long shot, but I had managed to get his opinion on various aspects of the nursery’s design under the guise of planning or renovations, and the few things we had already picked out together at the store.
I wasn't sure how he was going to react to the fact that I had already purchased everything on his wish list, but he didn't seem like the type to change his mind often. And I wanted this to be a surprise. The whole house would be, but I wanted there to be at least one area he didn't have to put any work into. And I wanted to have the perfect place where we could come home with the baby and they could both just rest.
That night, I planned to unveil more than just the nursery. As far as I knew, he had no idea the house he'd been redesigning and overseeing renovations on was meant to be his own dream house. I wasn't good at keeping secrets, so I was amazed I’d managed to pull this one off. Of course, that didn't mean he would say yes.
Since I didn't want to subject him to my cooking, I had ordered in from his favorite restaurant and set up what I thought was a pretty romantic table downstairs. I had just put the finishing touches on the nursery when the food came, and after setting the table, I only had fifteen minutes to spare before he was due back.
I got dressed, trying to pretend like I wasn't even more nervous than I’d been for my prom more than a decade ago. The stakes were a hell of a lot higher. I wasn’t just impressing some omega I had a crush on, I was impressing the only man I had ever loved, and the one who was carrying my child.
I hadn’t really thought through what I was going to do if Sawyer said no, though the fear had plagued me plenty for the last few weeks. Ever since I had made up my mind to ask him to be my mate before the baby came.
It was always walking a tightrope between what I knew and how I felt, and being afraid to push him away. It finally felt right, though. And waiting certainly didn't.
My heart pounded as I heard Jeff's car pull up out front, followed by Sawyer's voice as he said goodbye to his brother-in-law. I couldn’t even wait for him to open the door himself.
He seemed surprised to see me on the other side, but his face eased into a smile I had grown to adore. "Hey," he said, looking me over. "Did you just get back from work?"
He was looking over my change of clothes, definitely more formal than I usually wore to dinner.
"Yeah," I lied, hoping it wasn't painfully obvious. I stepped back to let him in, helping him out of his jacket. My hand brushed over his stomach and my heart skipped another beat. The sight of the changes that had come over him as the pregnancy progressed filled me with a primal sense of pride and satisfaction.
"How was the shopping trip?" I asked, taking a couple of bags from his hands.
"Good," he said. "I saw a few cribs today. I was thinking we could go back to the store in the morning and look at them together."
I smiled, trying not to betray my amusement. "Yeah, that sounds great.”
Sawyer paused, sniffing the air. "What is that? It smells delicious."
"I ordered take-out," I answered, leading him into the dining room. He stopped in the doorway, and his eyes widened as he looked at the table, complete with flickering candles and everything.
"From where, Paris?" he asked, looking up at me. There was suspicion in his gaze. It was hard to keep anything from him.
I smiled. "Well, the renovations are all but finished, so I figured we could use an evening to celebrate."
That seemed to satisfy him, and to my surprise, he actually put up with me pulling out his chair without a fuss.
"That's sweet," he said, smiling a little. "Very."
I sat down across from him, passing him a glass of sparkling juice. "Seems like we moved in here just yesterday," I said, deciding to ease into the subject.
"Yeah, it does," he said thoughtfully. I watched with bated breath as he took a bite of the food, as if I were the one who'd made it. When he seemed to be enjoying himself, I relaxed. He looked up at me, tilting his head quizzically. "Is something wrong? You seem a little on edge."
"No," I said quickly, probably not doing much to challenge his impression. "Not at all. Just excited."
"About the renovations?" he asked, taking a sip of his drink.
"Well, that," I agreed, reaching for his hand instinctively. "But not just that."
His gaze softened in understanding, and his lips parted like he wanted to say something. I was about to preempt him before I lost the nerve, but when a look of pain contorted his face and he brought a hand to his stomach, that apprehension took a backseat to another.
"What's wrong?" I asked, immediately jumping up from the chair and rushing to his side.
"My stomach," he muttered, leaning forward a bit. "It's felt weird all day, but not that sharp."
"You’ve been in pain all day?" I demanded.
He grimaced. "I wouldn't call it pain."
I groaned inwardly. "Of course you wouldn't." That wasn't saying much. Sawyer was probably the toughest person I knew, alpha or omega. Leave it to him to be going into labor and think it was nothing.
"We need to get you to the hospital," I said, helping him to his feet.
He looked startled. "The hospital? It's not a big deal, probably just indigestion."
I gave him a look, but before I could respond, he doubled over with another startled cry, clutching his stomach. I managed to catch him, keeping him upright. "Oh, shit."
I held him, looking down at my watch. Shit was right. "It's only been a few minutes. If the contractions are that close together, you really are going into labor."
Panic came across his features as I helped him out into the living room. "I haven't even packed a bag," he protested.
"I did." When he looked at me, I added, "About a week ago. It's already in the car. Unless you think I should call an ambulance."
"No. I'm not giving birth in an ambulance. This baby can wait."
I eyed him doubtfully
as he let me help him out of the car. I wasn't sure that was how babies worked, but I knew better than to argue with him right now. Hopefully, this kid wasn't as stubborn as he was.
Chapter 13
Sawyer
I’d gone from doubting I was in labor to being convinced this baby was going to come before Devon had even finished the paperwork at the front desk. Once we were taken to a room and the nurse had recorded more vitals than I knew I even had, though, things slowed down. Big time.
This kid was already being defiant.
In the time that had elapsed since they’d given me some pain meds that were supposed to leave me lucid, Devon had called both our families.
So much for arranging the perfect time to get them together.
I hadn’t planned on meeting my future in-laws drugged and laid up in bed, but that was just how things were going lately.
“You sure you’re ready for company?” Devon asked, reaching down to stroke the hair away from my damp forehead.
I nodded. “It’ll be a distraction. Besides, if they wait, it could be all night at the rate she’s going.”
He gave me an understanding smile and left the room. When he came back in, Chase stepped in along with an omega who looked a lot like a younger Devon.
“Hey,” Chase said, smiling broadly at me from the door. “You look like shit.”
I flipped him off before I remembered another omega was there. He just snickered.
“Sawyer, this is my brother, Tyler,” Devon said with a chuckle. “Tyler, my mate.”
“A pleasure,” Tyler said, smiling at me. “I see you get along as well as we do.”
“Nice to meet you,’ I said sheepishly. “Devon’s told me a lot about you.”
“Likewise,” Tyler said, his eyes glimmering with amusement. “I’m glad to finally have the chance to see the man who tamed my brother in person.”
