by Apollo Surge
The feeling was utterly incomprehensible and Will shuddered afterwards, holding onto Charlie tightly, not wanting to let him go.
“Oh my God,” Charlie said.
“Fuck,” Will cursed. He lay panting on the floor, his arms still wrapped around Charlie. Their bodies glistened with sweat and their chests heaved. Will rolled off of Charlie and lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling. Spikes of pleasure still stabbed at his mind, fading echoes of the radiant bliss. He wore a smile and pulled Charlie in close to him, then closed his eyes to let the emotions settle.
“You screw the life out of me,” Charlie whispered. He nuzzled up to Will, placing a hand on the wolf’s chest.
“And you make a mess of me,” Will said, raising his hand, looking at the viscous liquid dripping from his fingers.
“Oops,” Charlie said, giggling, handing Will his shirt. Will instinctively took it and wiped the liquid away before he realized that he had just gotten his own shirt dirty, and protested loudly, which only made Charlie laugh even more loudly. Will joined in, play-fighting and tickling Charlie until Charlie was begging for him to stop. Will was on top of him again, and kissed him lightly, stealing a kiss from Charlie’s soft lips.
“I love you,” he said, “and I’m looking forward to the family we’re going to raise together.”
“Me too,” Charlie agreed. “So what do you think it’s going to be like, having a child?”
“A lot of fun, and very difficult.”
“Mm, but it’s going to be amazing though. I wouldn’t want to go on this journey with anyone else. I know you’re going to be an amazing father. I can’t wait for you to teach our child about your history and culture, to teach them about balance and how to be the best versions of themselves. I know your life hasn’t been easy, but I think it’s going to make you into a great father.”
Will swelled with pride at this assessment. He’d wanted a child all his life, but had always been afraid that he would be too much like his own father. Now that he had made the decision to break ties with his legacy and the clan he felt much better, more confident in himself, and more at ease with his role in the family.
“I know that you’re going to be a great father too. You’re kind, compassionate, understanding, and I know we’re going to nail this. Together we’re going to be unstoppable, I just know it. Our kid is going to turn out to be amazing,” he said.
“I hope so, and we’re going to love them no matter what.”
“No matter what,” Will said, smiling comfortably at Charlie, and then he gave him another kiss on the head. They stayed there for a few moments, basking in thoughts of the future and the glory of their love, and then Will pulled Charlie up and led him to bed where they could lay comfortably. Will pulled the sheets over them, encasing them in a small cocoon. Charlie placed his head on Will’s chest, and draped his arm over Will’s waist. Will held Charlie tightly to him and closed his eyes, feeling blessed. For the first time in a long time he felt free of all burdens. The pressure of having to do his duty had been lifted from him, and although it had been a wrench to make the final break from his clan, he was much better for it.
Charlie’s breathing fell into a natural rhythm as he slipped into slumber. Will stayed awake for a little bit longer. In the back of his mind he could feel the wolf taunting him, teasing him, and in the forefront of his mind he felt his human side pushing the wolf away. He breathed in slowly, trying to make the two of them come to terms with each other. He could feel them wanting to war, but he seized control and ordered them to be quiet.
No longer would he feel threatened about one side of him conquering the other. He would indulge the wolf part when he was able, for now he was happy to be a human and think about the future with Charlie. He wanted his two sides to inform each other, to help him be the best father and partner he could be.
However, he hadn’t been entirely honest with Charlie. At one point he would seek out Brandon again and get revenge for his father’s death. Will didn’t know when, certainly not before his child was born, but he would hunt Brandon down eventually, and save his mother.
Chapter Thirteen
The following months passed quickly for Charlie and Will. After that conversation they went from strength to strength. Charlie could tell that Will was still bothered by Brandon’s invasion, but Charlie appreciated the fact that Will didn’t go off hunting him.
He spent more time with Lisa, as he intended, and the two friends went off shopping for baggy clothes to hide Charlie’s swelling stomach. At first it was easy to lie and say that he’d put on a little bit of weight, but it soon got to the point where he was undeniably pregnant. Obviously he couldn’t live his life like this, so he quit his job and withdrew from Monica and Enrique, saying that he and Will were going to go on a long holiday to get away from it all.
In reality, they hunkered down in Will’s apartment and planned the future, the main thing being a search for a new house. They also had regular appointments with Dr. Furz. The supplements did the trick, and Charlie didn’t have any other problems with fainting, or with the pregnancy. The baby was looking healthy, although both Charlie and Will decided they wanted to be surprised with the gender.
Even though Will was a private man, Charlie had spoken to him about Lisa and how she was losing herself. They agreed to involve her in the process as much as possible, so she accompanied them to their housing visits, offering her opinion freely, and sometimes when it wasn’t necessarily welcomed.
But Charlie had another plan for her as well. One day, he pulled her aside to speak to her in private.
“You’ve been a great help to me and Will, and I want to ask you something. You probably know what it’s going to be, but I thought I’d make it official anyway. Would you like to be the godmother to our child?”
As soon as Charlie asked the question Lisa’s face lit up with joy. She flung her arms around Charlie’s shoulders and hugged him tightly.
“I’d be honored. Have you told Will that one day we want Tara and your kid to be best friends, or maybe even married?!” she squealed.
“Not yet,” Charlie said, smiling gently, “but I will.”
Hiding out was difficult at first, but Charlie soon got used to it. It was quite lovely really, enjoying a secluded life with his soul mate. They spent time getting the house ready for the incoming child’s arrival, and spoke about the future.
There were times when Charlie found Will brooding, gazing out of the window towards the direction of his home. A pang of sorrow always lanced through Charlie’s heart. He wished that Will could have done something more about Brandon, something that wouldn’t have cost Will his life. Charlie wished that he could have done more as well. Whenever he thought of that terrible battle he felt his stomach churn. The air had been on fire with anger as the two wolves had raged in battle. Chunks of flesh had been ripped out and tossed through the air. Charlie remembered the smell of blood, and the silence that followed Thomas’ death.
He knew what it had taken for Will to give up the quest for revenge, and Charlie tried to show him every day how grateful he was. He wanted to spend his whole life making it up to Will, for Will had basically cut away his past all for the sake of his future with Charlie.
Charlie rarely brought up the clan, but it was on his mind a great deal. He tried not to think about how they had left Delilah and the others at the mercy of Brandon. He told himself that it was just the way of the wolves. They believed that might made right, and Brandon had proven himself the strongest. Even if Will challenged him there was no guarantee he would win. It was perhaps selfish of Charlie, but he was glad that Will had turned his back on his clan and focused on his new family, the one that showed him nothing but love.
The house was in a secluded, quiet area, which was perfect for Will’s lifestyle. Whenever he wanted, usually at night, he would shift into his other form and disappear into the shadows, leaving behind nothing but a trail of footprints. Charlie would always watch him leave, adm
iring the ability of his love to transcend nature. The sight made his heart swell, and would often speak to his unborn child.
“There goes your father, and one day you’ll be running alongside him, I hope.”
Part of Charlie was a little envious that the child and Will would most likely share this special bond, and that he wouldn’t ever know what it was like to change into something else. However, he knew that he and the child would have a bond that Will couldn’t share either. Charlie carried the child, nurtured him with his own body, and that was something sacred.
In other times, they made love, even when Charlie’s abdomen had swollen completely. Will seemed to be turned on by the smooth dome, and he couldn’t keep his hands off Charlie. Will explained it one night when they were laying together, lazing on the floor beside the fireplace, wrapped in each other’s arms. He told Charlie that the pregnancy had flooded Charlie’s body with different kinds of hormones, which changed his scent, and it fed Will’s desire.
The months stretched on and life fell into a comforting rhythm. There were no visits from anyone from the clan or Ian, although apparently Ian continued to linger around the bar, hoping to catch Charlie, clinging onto something that would never happen. Charlie pitied him for not being able to move on with his life and find something that would make him happy. It was a troubling facet of human behavior that people seemed determined to hold onto something that caused them pain rather than letting go and being free to walk into the future.
But Charlie did not dwell on that for he had too many other happy things to focus on, and he wanted to cherish every moment. The pain and nausea were annoying, as was having to take all his supplements every day, but he told himself that they were a small price to pay for experiencing this joy.
When he hung out with Lisa he complained about the aches and pains and toll it took on his body. She responded with glee, that finally Charlie could properly understand what she had been going through with Tara.
Experiencing pregnancy was far different than Charlie had thought it would be. Of course there were practical matters that he had anticipated, but there were other things that simply hadn’t occurred to him; the mood swings for one. Sometimes he burst into tears for no reason at all, and when Will asked him what was wrong he had no explanation. There were other times when fear took hold of him and upon experiencing one niggling ache he was sure that something was wrong with the baby, and rushed to Dr. Furz, who inevitably told him that there was nothing wrong.
Charlie also found out from Will that he was seeing Dr. Furz as well, in more of a therapeutic capacity, talking about the mental balance that all werewolves had to strive for. Charlie noticed that Will seemed a lot less tense after these conversations, and was glad that Dr. Furz could help him.
In quiet moments, Charlie often found himself in a contemplative mood, sitting in his chair, gazing out at the wider world.
“What’s on your mind?” Will asked him.
“I was just thinking about all we have here, and how lucky we are. A lot of people in our position would be struggling to get by right now, but because we have your wealth a lot of the pressure is taken away from us.”
“Our wealth,” Will corrected.
Charlie smiled. “I just think of Lisa, who has been struggling so much. I think she’s afraid that she’s never going to find a way out of the rut she’s found herself in, and I was thinking about what you told Enrique and Monica as well. There are so many kids out there who need homes. It breaks my heart to think of them waiting for something that may never come.”
“I was thinking about that too,” Will said. “I actually thought Lisa might do well working for me, managing the investments and looking for new opportunities. I’d like to take more time to spend with you and our child.”
Charlie was a little surprised. “You think she has what it takes?”
“She has a good attitude. I think with some training she would do well.”
“I really appreciate that, Will, thank you. I’m sure it’ll mean the world to her. I’ll tell her that the next time we have her around for dinner. But what about the other thing?”
“Are you hinting that you’d like to adopt a child?”
“Maybe more than one,” Charlie said, and he thought he was doing a great deal more than hinting.
Will stroked his chin and pursed his lips.
“I’m not opposed to the idea, but I think we should have our first child before we decide to bring in any others.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Charlie said, happy that Will hadn’t dismissed the idea out of hand. The one thing he knew for certain is that he wanted even more kids. It was somewhat funny because when Lisa had been pregnant with Tara she had sworn off having any more, but Charlie wanted to experience this again. He thought it was the most wonderful thing in the world, and sometimes he just looked down and stared at his pregnant belly, in awe of the miracle that had happened.
But, nothing could last forever, and eventually the baby had to come out. Nine months had passed, and Charlie was glad that that had stayed the same for he wanted there to be as few surprises as possible.
Dr. Furz had arranged for a private birth, and explained to Charlie that he would be performing a caesarean. Will insisted that he be there too, and was right beside Charlie, holding his hand tightly. Charlie lay on his back, praying that he could make it through this final challenge and give birth to his beautiful baby.
The haze of the epidural made him hazy, and this coupled with his natural happiness made him quite delirious. A blissful smile was etched upon his face throughout the procedure. He felt Will’s hand squeeze his, and he heard the positive comments from Dr. Furz. Time held no meaning for him in these moments, and he wasn’t able to tell if minutes or hours had passed. But he did look up and see the awestruck look on Will’s face. Charlie’s eyes drifted down to the see the writhing baby being held by Dr. Furz, the baby that had grown within him.
Charlie was completely overwhelmed and tears began to cascade down his cheeks. Will helped him into a sitting position as the cry of the baby came sharp and clear, filling the air.
Dr. Furz handed the baby to Charlie, and at one glance Charlie could see that the baby was a boy.
“He’s so beautiful,” Charlie said, happiness swelling inside him. Will leaned down and kissed him on the head.
“He takes after you,” Will said.
Charlie cradled the small, writhing body in his arms and saw pure potential. The future seemed endless, filled with possibilities, cloaked in happiness. Charlie blinked away tears.
“We’re so happy that you’re here, little one. We’ve been waiting for you,” he said, his voice trembling with emotion. Will caressed Charlie’s head and put his hand out towards the baby as well. The baby reached out and curled his tiny fingers around Will’s pinky. The baby was impossibly small. Charlie couldn’t understand how such a small thing could exist, yet here he was, the child that had grown inside him given form and flesh, a life in his hands.
“Have you two thought of a name?” Dr. Furz asked.
Charlie looked up at Will and gave him a nod.
“We’ve been tossing a few about, but I think we have one that fits. We’re going to call him Thomas.”
It had been Charlie’s idea to name their child after Will’s father. When he suggested it, Charlie hadn’t been sure that Will would actually go for it, but it seemed to be a fitting tribute and a nice way to keep the family legacy going, although not in the way Will’s father would have wanted.
“Well Thomas, you are very lucky to have two parents who will give you all the love in the world,” Dr. Furz said, and then he left the family together.
“He’s just perfect isn’t he?” Charlie said, emotion overflowing within.
“He is. More perfect than I could ever have imagined. He’s everything we’ve dreamed about,” Will said, smiling widely. Charlie was exhausted physically and mentally. He nestled himself against Will and enjoyed the feeling of
holding his baby in his arms.
“We’re all going to be so happy together,” he said. His eyelids grew heavy and each blink lasted longer than the previous one. Will told Charlie that he should get some rest, and while Charlie protested his body sank into the bed, and rest seemed to take hold.
Happiness flowed out from his soul and filled him up all the way from his head to the tips of his toes. He had a beautiful baby, a loving partner, and no woe in his life. There were only good times ahead, and as he felt the tempting grasp of sleep pulling him into its embrace he surrendered fully, but before he did he cracked his eyes open one last time to get another look at the scrunched up face of his baby boy Thomas. The baby’s eyes opened warily, and as they did they shone as brightly as Will’s.
Charlie’s head lolled back and he enjoyed a satisfied smile. Thomas was going to take after his father.
