“I’m taking you in,” I told him, not really expecting an argument, and not getting one.
I tapped on my phone to call Gavin. “Hey, Trevor is in labor,” I said without preamble when he answered. “Can you keep Stacia until Keifer can get there?”
“You know we will,” he said. “We’ve got it all handled. We’ll come get the dogs too, just like we planned.”
“Just really give them some extra attention,” I said. “I know they’ll be worried with us leaving like this. They can already sense something’s up.”
I glanced at them where they’d taken up a post in the nursery with us, watching and waiting, in full-on protection mode. I squatted down next to them when I hung up with Gavin.
“It’s going to be okay, guys,” I said softly, rubbing their bellies. “It’s just time for the baby to come.” I tried to be soothing with my voice, letting them know everything really was fine and they didn’t need to worry. I trusted Gavin and Kyle to take care of them, but I wanted to reassure them as best I could before we left.
Within the next five minutes, Gavin came to get the dogs and I had Trevor and our hospital bag loaded into my car. I called Keifer to let him know it was go time and that Stacia would be with Gavin and Kyle until he could pick her up. Then we were off, headed toward the hospital.
“Slow down, it will be fine,” Trevor said with a laugh.
“I know you have total faith in me to handle things,” I said, grinning. “But I’d really rather leave delivering a baby to the experts.” I nevertheless slowed the car a bit, even if my instincts were pushing me to get him to the hospital as quickly as possible.
When we arrived, I found a wheelchair, and then got Trevor settled in it before pushing him inside where we were ushered into an exam room to wait for Dr. Maddie Reed, who was on call but would have been here for the baby’s birth regardless. Maddie was one of our pack, and she was always present at any new cub’s entry into the world.
While we waited, I tried to distract Trevor from the pain of his contractions, which I could tell were getting worse with each one. “Our little man is almost here,” I said, holding his hand as he breathed through another contraction.
“What if it’s a girl?” he asked between pants.
I chuckled. “I’ll be just as happy. But I thought that was why we were having a C-section…”
Trevor shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“Yes, a sea-section, so we could have a bouncing baby buoy.” I tried to keep my face deadpan while I said the joke, but I think it fell flat when Trevor frowned.
“If that’s supposed to be a funny pun, you need to brush up on delivering them.” Trevor giggled, and then grimaced and squeezed my hand.
“You okay?” I asked quickly.
“Yes, but no more dad jokes.”
“But I’m a dad, I have to joke, and you’re one too.”
Trevor smiled. “Yes, and we’re going to expand our family any moment. I can’t wait to meet him or her.”
We didn’t have to wait much longer. Maddie showed up and gave Trevor a quick exam. “Get ready, guys. You’re about to have a new pup.”
She ordered an epidural and then nurses were wheeling Trevor to the delivery room, getting him all prepped for the C-section, which was something we’d previously decided on. I stood with him the entire time, holding his hand and whispering words of encouragement. He looked up at me while biting his lip, a tiny hint of nervousness in his eyes.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, you’ll be fine,” I said.
“I know, I’ve got you by my side.”
I leaned over and kissed him, just the slightest brush on his lips. He smiled, and his grip on my hand wasn’t quite so crushing. After that, the C-section went fast. The next thing I knew, a strong cry filled the room. My heart leaped. My baby. That was my baby. I looked down at Trevor, a huge grin on my face.
“A healthy baby boy,” Maddie announced, holding him up for us to see. “Do you want to do the honors and cut the cord?”
A boy! We had a boy. “Absolutely,” I said. My hand trembled just a smidgen as I cut the cord, and then a nurse wrapped a blanket around the tiny screaming newborn and handed him to me. The minute she placed him in my arms, his cries stopped, and he blinked up at me. My heart swelled as we made eye contact for the first time. This little child who’d been growing inside my mate. My son.
I stared at him in wonder, feeling like I already knew him even though I was seeing him for the first time.
“He’s beautiful,” I said, moving closer to Trevor and bending down to place him in his arms. I didn’t let go, though. I kept one arm around my son and the other around my mate.
“He has red hair,” Trevor said, running a hand over our son’s tiny head.
My throat tightened, and I swallowed against the lump in my throat, my eyes pricking with tears. He looked just like Trevor.
“He’s perfect. You’ve given me a strong son,” I said, looking at him in awe.
He was looking back at me just the same. “You’ve given me everything I ever wanted,” he whispered, tears shining in his eyes as well.
Maddie and the nurses gave us a few minutes to bond with our son before getting him cleaned up.
“What should we name him?” I asked.
“I love the name Silas,” Trevor said, his gaze fastened on the tiny bundle in his arms.
“I think that’s perfect. How about Tyler for a middle name?”
“Silas Tyler,” he murmured, smiling. “I love it.”
“Silas Tyler Meredith,” I said, taking Trevor’s hand. “Trevor, I know I’ve already claimed you and made you mine, but I want to give you the kind of wedding I know you’ve always wanted, so will you do me the honor of going through a claiming ceremony with me?”
He looked up at me, his eyes filled with joy. “Yes, I’d love to.”
The claiming ceremony was an old tradition with shifters, something not everyone did, but our pack seemed to have brought it back into fashion because over the past couple of years we’d had three, Trevor’s friend Kyle being the last one.
The next hour was a bit of a mix of getting both Trevor and Silas cleaned up and declared sound, and then getting them settled into a recovery room. Once baby Silas was back in Trevor’s arms, one of the nurses told us we had visitors in the waiting room if we were up for it.
“Send them in,” Trevor said immediately.
A few minutes later, Stacia appeared in the doorway with Keifer, who’d brought her up to meet her new sibling. She was practically bouncing, a huge grin on her face.
“Stacia,” I said, going to her and taking her hand. “Come and meet your baby brother.”
“A boy! Yay!” she exclaimed, her smile growing even larger.
I led her to the bed where Trevor was holding him. “Stacia, meet Silas Tyler Meredith.”
She edged forward a look of amazement on her face. She looked from Silas to Trevor to me. “I love him so much already!”
I chuckled. “You’re going to be the best big sister ever.”
Trevor nodded. “He couldn’t be luckier.”
I looked back at Keifer who was standing in the doorway, a proud smile on his face. He gave me a smile, happy for me. I smiled back then turned to see my beautiful mate with one arm around my little girl, the other cradling our son. Stacia leaned in closely to Trevor, resting her head on his shoulder as she ran her finger over Silas’s cheek. A wave of emotion choked me up at the sight.
I didn’t think I’d ever been happier than I was in that moment. Joy and gratitude filled my heart. I was beyond thankful that fate had brought Trevor and me together, and we were finally one big happy family.
20
Trevor
We settled on the end of August for the claiming ceremony for two reasons. The full moon happened to coincide with the day Jason had first recognized I was his mate the previous year, and it was also technically a blue moon, which meant there were two full moons in one
calendar month. It had nothing to do with the color, but it had brought to mind the vow I’d made to Kyle about the day a shifter claiming me was the day the moon turned blue. Though Jason had already claimed me, the opportunity to have our ceremony on this night just seemed like fate.
Anticipation thrummed through me as I stood in a room in the Lodge with Kyle, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Stacia preened in front of the mirror, admiring the dress I’d had custom made for her.
“You look beautiful,” I told her, coming up behind her and placing my hands on her shoulders. Stacia did a little twirl, the shimmery layers of her pale pink dress floating up and around her. “Just like a little princess.” Especially with those shoes. She’d wanted sequined slippers, but not just any slippers. They were decked out in a rainbow of pale pastel sequins. I loved them.
She turned and hugged me. “I can’t wait for you to be a wolf too!”
I couldn’t either. I was nervous, but excited. Today was the day all my dreams would come true. I looked over at Silas in the bassinet set up in the room. He was sleeping soundly, like he always did.
He looked precious in a pale blue suit that was the same style as mine. The only difference was that mine was a shimmery silver. I felt confident, knowing I’d never looked better, and it was because of Jason. He made me feel complete, accepted in every way, and more sure of myself than ever before.
There was a knock on the door, and I looked at Kyle. It was time. My stomach felt a kaleidoscope of butterflies was just let loose. I took a deep breath. This was it.
I picked up Silas, and Kyle led Stacia and me toward the back door of the Lodge. I could hear strains of music and saw the waiting group of our family and friends, which mainly consisted of the pack and those who knew of the existence of shifters.
Kyle gave me a hug. “See you in a minute,” he said, and then he headed out the door to take his place as my best man.
I peered through the window, catching sight of Jason standing at the end already, Keifer next to him as his best man. The sight of Jason took my breath away, and I couldn’t get out to him fast enough.
“Okay, Stacia, let’s do this,” I said, taking a hold of her hand.
She grinned up at me. “Let’s do it!”
We walked out of the doors, hidden a bit by the floral arrangements that covered the grounds. Jason had gone all out, taking the ultimate job of our wedding to an extreme I’d never seen before.
A rainbow of colors made it seem like a woodland fantasy. A fairy tale. Magical.
It was a dream wedding beyond anything I might ever have imagined. All my favorite flowers in creative arrangements left me in awe of Jason’s talent. His dream wedding too. Something I now knew he’d always longed for as much as I had.
Not just the dream wedding, but all of it. A mate and a family. The whole package. We had it all, and I thanked fate every day for bringing us together.
When I got close to the head of the aisle, I saw Brock, Cole and Liam—kids of some of Jason’s closest pack mates—standing there behind the arch with Bonnie and Clyde. Cole and Liam each held one of their leashes, and Brock held a pillow with ring boxes resting on it.
They looked great in matching black suits, variations on what Silas and I were wearing, but with the color and details of the suit I knew Jason would be wearing.
“You ready for this, guys?” I asked the huskies. “You look fabulous, by the way.”
Jason had created special arrangements for the dogs’ collars, and vines twined up the leashes. He’d wanted them to be as much a part of this as well.
The music swelled, and that was our cue. Brock went first, carrying the rings down the aisle. Liam and Cole were next, leading Bonnie and Clyde.
“You’re turn, Stacia,” I said with a wink. I bent down and gave her a hug. “I love you.”
“I love you too!” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “I’m so glad I get to have another dad, but I’m even happier it’s you.”
She gave Silas a peck on the cheek. He was still snoozing in my arms, snuggling in close. Then Stacia turned and started down the aisle, scattering rainbow petals in her path.
When I stepped beneath the arch, there was a hush over the crowd. Then everything faded away as my gaze locked with my mate’s. Even from that distance, I could see his eyes gleaming as he swallowed hard. He gave me the most adoring smile, like I was everything to him, and my heart felt like it might explode with the love coursing through me.
I started down the aisle, holding Silas close, my focus never leaving Jason. He looked absolutely striking in his dark suit, perfectly tailored to his wide shoulders and narrow waist. I walked toward him, captivated, feeling as if I were floating toward him in our own little dream world.
When I reached the end of the aisle, I stepped up next to him. He placed his hands on my arms, looking down at me, and then Silas, his face full of love and awe. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him, and everything in my world narrowed to just the four of us. Jason, me, Stacia and Silas. Everything I needed right here.
Even though Jason had already claimed me and our mate bond was sealed, committing to each other in front of our family and friends was still one of the most momentous moments of my life.
I handed Silas to Keifer, and then Jason and I took our rings and said our vows. We’d chosen matching wooden rings, etchings of the forest and a wolf head carved into them. A symbol of our love and our life and our future together.
My wolf stirred as I slipped Jason’s ring on his finger, and I felt Jason’s wolf reach out to me, our consciousness connecting in a way that was hard to explain. I’d been able to feel Jason’s love for me the moment he’d claimed me, but this was different. Like we truly were one soul.
When Jaxon proclaimed us fated mated forever more, Jason took me in his arms, cupping my face as he stared down at me. His dark brown eyes were soft as he tipped his forehead against mine.
“I love you, Trevor,” he whispered, and then he captured my lips in a claiming kiss. My heart soared, and the music swelled, and we practically floated back down the aisle together hand in hand.
Back inside the Lodge, Jason led me straight to a room. “I want to get a moment alone with you before the reception keeps us busy the rest of the night.”
He’d gone all out for that as well. The inside of the Lodge had been transformed into an elaborate reception hall. There may have been even more flowers inside than there were outside. He’d also planned a party to end all parties.
So a moment alone with my mate sounded perfect. He took me in his arms and kissed me again, slowly and tenderly, his lips warm and supple. When he finally broke the kiss, leaving me breathless and a little horny, he kept his arms tightly around me.
“I couldn’t possibly ask for anything more,” he said.
I knew exactly how he felt. But there was just one more thing I was waiting for. “When can I shift?” I could have technically shifted weeks ago, and I’d practiced communicating with my wolf so we’d both be ready, but we’d agreed to do it tonight.
He chuckled. “You’ve waited more than long enough, I know. But I think we’d have a lot of disappointed guests if we went for a run before we’d even cut the cake.”
I tipped my head to the side as if I were considering doing just that, and then grinned. “I suppose I can wait just a little bit longer.”
I was grateful for the moment together, but it was over all too soon. Jaxon knocked on the door and told us it was time to make our grand entrance. Then we were heading out into the reception, cheers and congratulations greeting us.
It was a whirlwind after that. People everywhere wanting to talk to us and congratulate us personally. I hardly got a chance to breathe until Jason told me it was time for our first dance.
We walked out onto the dance floor, and he took me in his arms. Kyle was playing DJ now, and he gave me smile as he started the song Jason and I had chosen for our first dance.
The strains of “Wonderful Tonight” fil
led the room, and I lost myself in Jason’s warm eyes as we danced, thinking back to that night at his house when I’d first known this was the life I wanted. And I’d gotten it all. Even more than I could have hoped for. We swayed to our song until the last notes faded away, and a round of applause broke out. Then the music kicked up and others joined us on the dance floor.
I stayed in Jason’s arms, taking it all in, a smile on my face. Stacia was in the middle of the dance floor, twirling round and round to make her dress float up around her. Keifer stood to the side, smiling and watching her as he held Silas.
“I couldn’t be happier, Jason,” I told him when he spun me around and then pulled me in against him. “It really is a dream come true.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” he murmured. He glanced up and lifted an eyebrow, and I turned to see what he was looking at. Keifer had handed Silas off to Bryce and was following Greer out to the dance floor.
“Why are you looking at them like that?” I asked when I saw Jason watching them speculatively.
He grinned at me. “Just that I know Keifer must be over the moon right now.”
“Really?” I turned my head to look at them again. “Keifer and Greer?”
He shrugged. “Maybe?” He lowered his voice and leaned close to my ear. “Keifer’s always had a crush on Greer. Like, for years and years.”
“Interesting.” Keifer was our age, friends not just with Jason, but Jaxon as well.
“Yeah. He’s always kept it to himself, though. I mean, he’s Jaxon’s dad. A lot older. But I think Keifer has a thing for older men,” Jason said with a laugh.
I could see it. Greer didn’t look like he was old enough to be Jaxon’s father. Being the former pack alpha, he was a big guy, strong and confident. He also had a youthful attitude that made him seem a lot younger than he was.
“Does that matter?” I asked, genuinely curious. “That he’s older?”
“I think he’s felt like he couldn’t do anything about it, being Jaxon’s friend and what not.”
Doggone Daddy Page 17
