by EE Silver
“Let him in,” Trey said. He heard the front door open, and waved in that general direction. “You’re early.”
“Quintus has an appointment with my family doctor,” Scott said, politely making noise with his footsteps even though Trey knew the vampire could move without a sound. “I was wondering if you’d mind going with me. We can call it your weekly socialization trip.”
“And if you walk me past yet another doctor, all the better?” Trey asked with a grin. “Is this family doctor of yours a neuro-ophthalmologist on the weekends?”
“No, but Morgan’s the best doctor I’ve ever met,” Scott said. Trey appreciated that he didn’t pretend innocence. “It can’t hurt to have him take a look.”
“Meddling pain in the ass.”
“Psychiatrist. It’s part of the job description.” He hesitated. “But seriously, Trey. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with Quintus and the cubs’ health. If anyone can help you, he can.”
“I’m not pregnant, in case it’s escaped your notice.” Trey said, rather than pointing out the fact that if all the doctors at Vale Valley General Hospital hadn’t be able to restore his vision, a visiting obstetrician was unlikely to be the one to work miracles.
“Stubborn asshole,” Scott huffed.
“Alpha werewolf. It’s part of the job description” Trey teased. “Even if I’m not much of an alpha or a werewolf these days.”
Scott ignored him instead of taking the bait. “Do you want me to get your coat for you?”
Trey nodded, grateful that Scott wasn’t going to call him on his attempted pity party. At least not right then and there; he’d be a fool to think it wouldn’t happen at all sometime in the near future. “Daisy’s harness first, though,” was all he said, though.
Scott held his piece until they were in the car, making their way down the rough mountain road that led into town. “Just because you’ve had to redefine the parameters of your life,” Scott said, “doesn’t mean you’re less of an alpha, you know.”
“I got two members of my pack killed because I was thinking about a guy,” Trey ground out.
“Your fated mate,” Scott reminded him. “And you told me so yourself that all the intel indicated that side of the compound should have been empty. I fail to see how that’s your fault.”
Trey sighed and leaned his head against the cold glass of the window. They’d gone over this a dozen times, but Scott just didn’t seem to get that Trey wasn’t feeling guilty unnecessarily. “It was my job to keep an eye out for threats. Bad enough I missed one, but I should have been the one to pay the price. Not Curly and Rats.”
The wipers swished back and forth twice as Scott gathered his thoughts. “I know your job was to watch out for your men,” he said. “And I know how surviving the attack would fuck with your sense of responsibility, but I’d say you’ve more than paid whatever price you imagine is needed for someone else’s mistake.”
“I was too busy thinking about that guy who’d stood me up,” Trey admitted. “I was making plans to hunt him down when I got home. To see if we really were as perfect together as I remembered.” There was no way to know if he might have seen warning signs soon enough to save his team, Scott had managed to drum that into his head at least. But a one night stand was a stupid thing to be distracted by at such a crucial moment, and Trey couldn’t help wondering if his blindness was his punishment.
“You and I both know fated mates are a hell of a lot bigger deal than a one night stand,” Scott said, doing that freaky thing where he seemed to be reading Trey’s mind. “It’s understandable that he’d be on your mind. Your wolf was probably going nuts wondering where he was.”
Trey shrugged. “He got used to it.” Sort of. He could still feel the urge to go out and find the man he was supposed to mate with for life. Not that Trey would do it now.
“Why didn’t you look for him when you got out of the hospital?”
“And say what? Hey, I’m blind and helpless and have a wicked case of PTSD. Want to move to the middle of nowhere with me and deal with my bullshit and nightmares for the sake of one night of hot sex?”
“You’re the least helpless person I’ve ever met in a long time,” Scott said. The road smoothed out under the car’s tires, and Trey could hear other vehicles speeding by them.
“I’m not allowed to lift weights without someone to make sure I don’t accidentally overload the bar and pin myself,” Trey snarled. “I have to pay people to do my shopping, to do my laundry and put it away for me, to clean my house. I. can’t do the basic functions of an independent adult. That sounds pretty damn helpless to me.”
Scott made a rude noise. “You know that’s bullshit. You and Daisy live by yourselves and you have a career that brings in a steady income. Just because you have to alter the parameters to fit the hand you’ve been dealt doesn’t make you any less independent. If you were helpless, you’d have let that human therapist put you in that assisted living place with all the nurses ready to wrap you up in cotton wool for the rest of your life.”
Trey couldn’t help the way his face scrunched up in disgust at the thought of giving up his space, his ability to choose what he wanted to eat, when and how he exercised. “Fine. You have a point,” he admitted. “But I can’t expect a man I barely got to know to change everything just for the dubious privilege of living with the hot mess I am. I’m not at all the man who fucked a hot omega in the back of a limo for the giggles any more, and even if I found Hunter again, it’d be the worst kind of bait and switch. And that’s even if he’d be interested in a broken mate when he couldn’t be bothered to show up for a whole one in the first place.”
“Then maybe you should try dating new people,” Scott said. “Find a mate who comes into the situation knowing exactly who you are now. Get a few babies in that big house of yours.”
“I can’t even move the furniture in my house,” Trey snorted. “Kids would be a disaster. Besides, I don’t need pups of my own when you and Quintus are going to give me plenty of nieces and nephews to spoil rotten.”
“It’s not the same, and you know it,” Scott said as the car slowed to a stop. An ambulance siren went off nearby, cutting off quickly as a large diesel engine rumbled past. Ambulance heading to the ER, Trey noted with relief.
“It’s as close as I’m going to get,” Trey said, unfastening his seatbelt. “Come on, introduce me to your doctor friend with all the answers. I can’t wait to feel how big Quintus has gotten since the last time we had dinner.”
Scott just laughed and got out of the car. Trey didn’t mistake it for the subject being dropped, but he’d take the reprieve. Even if it meant yet another disappointing conversation with yet another specialist. Because friend or not, there was no way Trey was going to admit to Scott that he had no interest in dating anyone that wasn’t Hunter, even after all this time. It was insane, but every time he thought about his future, all he could see was bright blue eyes and messy blond hair.
Chapter Four
Hunter
The cold gel on his abdomen wasn’t enough to distract Hunter from the blurry cluster of pixels on the screen. Unending morning sickness aside, sometimes he still wasn’t quite sure he believed he was pregnant. Certainly, his brother would have a lot to say about that, but Hunter was sick of rehashing the same old arguments.
“Hey there, baby,” he murmured.
Morgan’s face softened at that, whatever lecture he’d been gearing up for fading away. Instead, he printed a copy of the image and handed it over. “You appear to be a healthy ten weeks pregnant,” he said. “ten weeks and five years.”
Hunter hummed thoughtfully. “I wonder if it’s a girl,” he said, tracing the edges of the image. “I always wanted a daughter.”
“You could find out easily enough—”
“Not happening,” Hunter said, cutting Morgan off. “You know why.”
“It’s a nice thought to wait for your mate,” Morgan allowed as he handed over a handful of tissues. “But this
isn’t natural, brother. No one’s body was designed to be pregnant this long.”
“We’re gods,” Hunter pointed out as he cleaned up and straightened his clothes. “We decide what’s natural.”
Morgan rolled his eyes. “Only within the scope of our Imperium. And you don’t need to be Odin to know you can’t hold onto a single moment indefinitely. That’s why there’s a past for me to watch over.”
“It’s not indefinite,” Hunter said, rolling his eyes right back as he hopped off the exam table. “And we don’t have the time to get into this. You have appointments waiting and I need to meet your patients so I can find my Valkyrie. I can feel she’s close, and just about ready to come into this world.”
“You know, in a town like this, pretty much anyone could be carrying her,” Morgan pointed out. “There are a lot of magical beings having kids these days.”
“Check the history. Valkyrie are almost always born to divine parents,” Hunter said with a shake of his head. “That’s why they usually have their own Imperium. Besides, as rare as it is for gods to get pregnant, don’t you think it’s a little convenient so many of them are knocked up in one place at the same time?”
“Convenient for me, at least,” Morgan said.
A knock sounded at the door, and Morgan opened it to reveal a very pregnant demi-god merman and his mate, who was holding an entirely mortal baby. The merman cocked an eyebrow at Hunter.
“I didn’t realize you were seeing a patient,” he said.
“Not at all,” Morgan said. “This is my brother, Hunter.”
“Got to say, I’m not keen on running into a god of battle when I’m a month away from giving birth,” the merman said. Behind him, his mate clutched a little tighter at the baby.
Hunter laughed. “Don’t worry, as far as I know it, there are no new wars brewing on this plane or any other. Besides, I was just leaving,” Hunter said, but extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
The merman hesitated, but gave in when his mate nudged him. “Kingston,” he said, accepting the handshake. “This is my mate, Jonah, and our daughter, Anya.”
Try as he might, Hunter couldn’t tell either way if Kingston was carrying the Valkyrie. She didn’t feel any closer than she had before, but it could simply be because she wasn’t quite ready to be born. Or it could be because Odin’s heir’s mate was the one he was looking for. Hunter suppressed a huff of irritation and forced a smile.
“I’ll let you get to it. Have a nice day,” he said, slipping out of the room and closing the door.
“God of battle?” a voice asked, and Hunter looked over at the were-cheetah in the waiting area. “That doesn’t sound like a good thing.”
If Kingston had looked ready to pop, this omega looked like he’d been pregnant at least as long as Hunter. Some of his surprise must have shown on his face, because the cheetah laughed.
“Cheetahs have big litters,” he said by way of explanation. “Scott’s parents are over the moon about so many cubs to spoil, but I have to admit that I’m ready for this part to be over.”
“You must be Quintus,” Hunter said, taking the seat next to him. “I’m Hunter, Dr. Morgan’s more interesting younger brother.”
“And god of war,” Quintus prompted.
“Battle,” Hunter corrected. “And strategy, and the present. Among other things. Hardly an ill-omen, even if I do shift into a raven.”
Quintus smiled and shook his head. “Life surrounded by gods is anything but dull,” he said, hands absently stroking the wide expanse of his belly. He flinched. “Oof, that was a heck of kick. Someone must recognize a relative is nearby.”
“May I?” Hunter lifted a hand, but didn’t invade Quintus’s space. He waited for Quintus’s nod before resting a hand on his belly. Frustratingly, he couldn’t tell if the Valkyrie was there, either. But Hunter forgot his disappointment as soon as he felt a tiny foot pressing against the palm of his hand. “Oh, my.”
“Something else, isn’t it?” Quintus said, looking so peaceful and happy that Hunter was briefly overwhelmed by envy. “Do you have any of your own?”
Hunter shook his head. ”Not yet,” he said. “Soon, hopefully. Just waiting until I find my mate before I do that.”
“That’s smart,” Quintus said, laughing softly when the baby kicked Hunter’s hand. “I couldn’t imagine doing this on my own.”
Clearing his throat, Hunter withdrew reluctantly. “Speaking of, where’s your mate? I haven’t seen him in decades.”
“He was picking up a friend, but they should be here soon,” Quintus said, and brightened. He nodded to the hallway behind Hunter. “There he is.”
Hunter turned around to greet Scott. They’d spent a lot of time together once upon a time, and Hunter was looking forward to catching up with his old friend. Then he saw the man with Scott.
And everything stopped.
Trey was, if at all possible, more gorgeous than Hunter remembered. He’d slimmed down from the bulky body Hunter remembered so fondly, to a trim runner’s physique, but still wore form-fitting clothes that begged to be peeled off at the soonest opportunity.
Hunter was up and out of his seat, rushing up to Trey in an instant. “I can’t believe you’re here,” he said, cupping the sides of Trey’s face in his hands.
But Trey jerked away, panic flooding his face even as Scott yanked Hunter back by the collar of his shirt. Instead of recognition, Trey bristled with anger.
“What the fuck?” Trey spat. “The hell is your problem? Don’t sneak up on a blind guy, asshole.”
“What?” Hunter asked stupidly. He finally noticed the assistance dog standing protectively at Trey’s feet, the way Trey’s beautiful golden eyes seemed to look at right through him. “But how?”
“Hunter, my friend,” Scott said, holding him back with an arm tight around his chest. “Trey here prefers to shake hands with new acquaintances.”
“We’ve met,” Hunter managed to choke out. “Trey. I’ve been looking for you for so long.”
Trey froze. “Hunter?”
Scott’s hold loosened in shock. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This is the guy?”
“Trey,” Hunter said, feeling like his heart was fit to leap out of his chest and land at his mate’s feet. He struggled free of Scott and grabbed one of Trey’s hands, kissing his fingers. “Trey, what happened?”
But for some reason, that was entirely the wrong thing to say. “No,” Trey said, yanking out of Hunter’s hold. The German Shepherd at his feet planted itself firmly between them, a warning curl to its upper lip. “No, you don’t get to ask me that when you’re the one who vanished first.” He drew himself up tall, shoulders back like the SEAL he’d been when they first met. “Besides, it was just a one-night stand. What do you care?”
Hunter stumbled back, breathless from the unexpected hit. His stomach knotted painfully and it felt like there was a rock lodged in his throat, and Hunter couldn’t have spoken in that moment if his life depended on it. After a handful of seconds, Trey nodded as though he’d gotten an answer, and tightened his hand around the dog’s harness.
“Thought so,” he said, voice tight as a drum. “Scott, tell your friend I couldn’t stay. I’ll get my own ride home. Daisy, exit.” He spun on his heel and hurried away, the assistance dog unerringly taking him to the elevators.
“But—” Hunter tried.
“Let him go,” Scott said, grabbing at Hunter’s arm to keep him from following. “I think you have some explaining to do.”
“I have to—” Hunter swallowed around the stone in his throat, trying to force it down even as he watched Trey calmly step onto the elevator and back out of his life. “You don’t understand, Scott. He’s my mate.”
“I understand just fine,” Scott said in an infuriatingly calm voice. “But what you don’t understand that Trey’s been through a lot, and the last thing he needs is to have you in his face before he’s had a chance to process.”
“That’s not it—” What Hunt
er had thought was anxiety suddenly blossomed into something much sharper. A burning, twisting pain tore through him, low in his abdomen, knocking him to his knees. Panic filled him even as his vision went dark around the edges. The baby.
“Hunter?” Scott cushioned his fall, but couldn’t keep Hunter on his feet. “What is it?”
But unconsciousness was already claiming him, and the last thing Hunter knew was Scott screaming for Morgan.
Chapter Five
Hunter
“I told you it was a bad idea, but did you listen? No. Because it’s not as though I have access to all the bad ideas in history to compare it to!” Morgan’s words were angry, but Hunter could see the deep line of worry between his eyes, so he let his brother vent, even as he pulled the ultrasound machine back out and squirted cold gel onto Hunter’s abdomen. “I can’t believe you thought this wouldn’t come back to bite you in the ass. Should have had the baby like everyone else and then we wouldn’t be here, now would we?”
“To be fair, I didn’t think it would take five years,” Hunter admitted. “And I didn’t think he’d reject me. We’re fated. He’s not supposed to be able to do that.
“Yeah well, you’re not supposed to be pregnant for half a decade, either,” Morgan snapped as he ran the wand over Hunter with smooth, slow strokes completely at odds with his irritation.
And then he stopped, his shoulders relaxing. “It’s okay,” Morgan said, turning the screen to show him. He flipped a switch and the speakers started playing the rapid lub-dub of the baby’s heartbeat, and Hunter fell back against the exam table with relief. After a moment, he realized Morgan was back to frowning at the screen and all the worry came right back.
“What’s wrong?” Hunter asked, clutching at the table’s edges.
“Something’s different,” Morgan muttered. He moved the mouse and clicked on something, leaning in close to the screen. “It’s strange…”
“What?” Hunter asked, barely able to squeak out the word. “What’s wrong with my baby?”
