by J. R Fox
“You just hold his hand, even if he crushes every bone you have.” She rubbed something from a jar onto Gabriel’s back, and then onto his belly. There weren’t many painkillers that did much for a werewolf, but there were people who had closely-guarded secrets. Dean would have happily given up his entire fortune if she—Mara, that was her name—had asked for it, just to make this a little easier on his mate.
He never truly forgot, but it was at times like this that he remembered how much he loved Gabriel, and how much love he already had for their children. Being right on the edge of fatherhood made the cloud that had been hanging over Dean’s psyche for the past four months or so lift, as though it had never been there.
This was what he’d been waiting for, and it was all going to be worth it.
“Talk to him, but don’t expect an answer. Your voice will help,” Mara said as she unpacked more supplies.
“Hey,” Dean moved so he was closer to Gabriel’s ear, and could whisper so he wouldn’t be overheard. “I know you’re in a lot of pain, and I’m gonna make that up to you a hundred times over, but I’m so happy right now. You mean the world to me, and I’m so glad I’ve got you. The first time I saw you, I thought you were beautiful, and you know what? I still think you’re beautiful right now.”
He took a deep breath, and then continued. “And I’m gonna rebuild this clan and set everything right, for you and for the babies, because you deserve it. I’m sorry I’ve been distant and weird lately, but I got through this because of you. I owe you everything I have, and I love you so much.”
“Aww,” Mara interjected. “This is about to start happening for real, so be ready. Tell him he’s a good boy and this’ll all be over soon.”
Dean cleared his throat to switch to what Gabriel called his alpha voice—he wasn’t sure if it was run-of-the-mill psychology, or something more mysterious, but Dean did know there was a particular tone he could take, and people were compelled to listen to him. If ever there was a use for that with Gabriel, it was in keeping him focused on this.
To Dean, the pain seemed endless, so he couldn’t imagine what it was like for Gabriel. He kept talking softly but firmly, urging him to breathe, to push, to relax and stop worrying and just listen to Mara, because she knew what she was doing.
Both an eternity later and far too soon, Dean found himself being handed the first baby, wrapped in a clean towel and impossibly tiny, settled into a form halfway between wolf and human, with tiny wolf ears sticking out from her head. She’d learn in time to control it, but there was nothing more perfect in the world to Dean.
He maneuvered himself so that he could show her to Gabriel as he continued to work on the second one. “Look what we made.” Dean beamed, unable to help himself. “She’s so beautiful.”
Gabriel nodded, and bowed his head to kiss her forehead with so much gentleness that it made Dean tear up.
Before too long—before Dean could even come to grips with his daughter—he was handed a son, as well. Gabriel collapsed into the bed by the time Dean managed to pull his eyes away from the second, perfect baby—this one complete with slowly-swaying tail sticking out from his towel.
He was about to hand the babies over, but by the time he looked again, Gabriel had fallen asleep.
“Let him be,” Mara said as she began cleaning up. “I’ve left a list of things you can do to help over the next few days, while he recovers. This is family time, and you shouldn’t confuse the babies with any scents that aren’t you or Gabriel, so no visitors for at least two days unless it’s an emergency. Then call me.”
Dean nodded, and left Mara to pack and go. Even if he thought he might be useful to her, he couldn’t take his attention away from the tiny, precious lives in his arms for long enough to do so.
Not wanting to leave Gabriel either, Dean curled up beside him with the babies between them. He’d only doze at best, and he was sure they’d all benefit from a couple of hours’ rest.
***
Gabriel woke a day or two after giving birth—it was hard to keep track of time, since all he’d done was sleep, feed babies, eat, and cuddle—to Dean licking him where he was sore. He made a startled noise when he figured out what was going on, which, unfortunately, caused it to stop.
“This was on Mara’s list. She figured you’d be too tired to shift far enough to do it yourself… is it helping?”
“Please don’t stop.” Gabriel lifted his hips and spread his legs a little further. He’d remember to thank Mara for throwing that suggestion in later.
Dean had been almost ridiculously attentive from the moment Gabriel had gone into labor up until now, and it wasn’t something that looked set to stop anytime soon. Gabriel wasn’t complaining, especially about Dean’s tongue soothing him where he was still tender.
Under normal circumstances, he might have left Dean do this all day, but soon enough he became too sensitive to handle it any longer and was forced to wriggle away.
“You okay?” Dean looked up at him with concern.
“Just over sensitive. Thank you, though. I’m not going to be able to take a knot for another few days, as much as I’d like to.” Gabriel smiled wryly. Only that he knew he’d be in agony immediately, he wanted to be that close to Dean right now. His body would recover quickly, but not quickly enough for Gabriel’s tastes.
On the bright side, he wouldn’t go into heat again until the twins had been weaned, so they’d have plenty of opportunities to do that without having to worry about spontaneous heats or accidental pregnancies. Right now, Gabriel never wanted to go through that again—though it wasn’t impossible that he’d forget, in time, how painful it had been.
One of the twins made a sound, and Gabriel rolled off the bed instantly to go see to them. Dean followed, yawning widely. They’d already discovered that parenthood was exactly like people said—a state of being constantly sleep-deprived and hyper-alert to the sounds the babies made, but not wanting anything about that to change.
Gabriel picked Anna up and rocked her gently, running a fingertip over her soft, velvety ear. She wasn’t old enough to experiment with her form yet, but Gabriel thought that of the two of them, she’d be the one constantly shifting no matter how many times she was told not to do it in public.
When he was a toddler, that had been Gabriel, so he thought he was in a good position to tell. Adrian seemed quieter, perhaps a gentler soul than Anna. They were too young yet to determine whether they’d be alphas or omegas, but if Gabriel had to guess, he expected Adrian to present as an omega, but take after his father in everything else. They had the same vibe about them.
“I love these babies, right?” Dean said, picking Adrian up carefully. “But I’d think they were cute even if they weren’t mine. They’re so cute.”
“They’re very cute.” Gabriel chuckled. Dean was taking to fatherhood well, even if he was perhaps a little younger than was ideal for it. They’d figure all of this out. “I want to take them to see their grandmother in the next few days,” he said, unsure what Dean’s response would be.
“Of course,” Dean said softly. “I meant what I said about fixing all of this, while you were in labor. I’m gonna make everything right for these two. And for you.”
Gabriel leaned in to kiss the scar Sammie had left on Dean’s cheek. He’d gotten it defending them all, and Gabriel liked it as a reminder that his mate was more than willing to stand and fight—even to face death head-on—for his family.
“Good. They deserve to have the peace their parents worked so hard for.” Gabriel rocked Anna gently, then moved to sit on the bed. Dean followed with Adrian in his arms.
“And they’re gonna have it. This is everything I have, and there’s nothing I won’t do to protect it,” Dean promised.
Gabriel believed him. There was a lot of work ahead of them, but the twins were the hope of the entire clan. They represented an alliance that would be solidified over the coming months and years, so that by the time Anna and Adrian were old enough to un
derstand the concept, their family would be sprawling and untouchable. Their lives would be safe, and peaceful, and everything their parents’ and grandparents’ hadn’t been.
That was all Gabriel had ever wanted, and he was determined to do whatever it took to get it. With Dean by his side, he was confident there was nothing they couldn’t accomplish.
END.
