Byron grumbled and took one of the seats that the nurse had maneuvered beside Nicole's bed.
Hugh took the other.
They both sat there and just watched Nicole for a little while.
As he'd done earlier, Hugh watched for the small signs of life and felt relieved and reassured at seeing them.
"One of us is going to be a dad," Byron said, a little awed at the prospect.
"I know, scary, huh?"
"Tell me about it."
"Wonder which one of us is the daddy."
"It doesn't matter. Either way it'll both be ours, and, if it favors one of us more than the other, then we'll maneuver it so we both have a kid of our own at least. That seems only fair," Hugh said with a grin.
"I wonder if she'll be pleased about the prospect of being a mom?"
Hugh shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. "Most women want kids, don't they?" he murmured.
"I suppose. But she's thirty-five. She'd have had them by now if she wanted them, wouldn't she?"
"I don't have all the answers, Byron!"
"I know," Byron replied sullenly.
"I wonder if Durst being arrested will make it easier for her to accept us. That combined with the baby will surely make her see sense."
"I hope so. I'm sick of fighting her over it! Dammit! When is she going to realize that she's ours?"
"Don't worry, she'll figure it out soon enough," Hugh said with conviction. "Things have to change now that she's pregnant, and it will make her feel more secure knowing that we want the baby. Hopefully she'll want it as much as we do!"
"I'm glad we claimed her now. Even if it was more spontaneous than we would've liked. Hell, it saved her life, didn't it? It probably saved the baby's life, too. It seems like everything happens for a reason, doesn't it?"
"Hmm, yeah, it seems like it does indeed. That nurse was pretty puzzled that more damage hadn't been done. So claiming her obviously means she heals faster than average. Nice to know that for a fact, isn't it?"
Byron stood up for a minute and leaned over Nicole. He bent down and murmured into her ear, "I love you, Nicole. Remember that and wake up feeling it." He pressed a kiss to her ear and then another to her lips and finally bestowed one on her belly where his or Hugh's child rested. Either way, it didn't matter. Like Hugh said, it was theirs.
"You're becoming a romantic, Byron."
"Hell, it had to happen sooner or later. Some lucky woman had to catch me!"
Hugh chuckled. "Yeah, that's true. Me, too. Although I wouldn't say she was lucky. She's going to have a hell of a time accepting us for what we are and what our heritage means for our children. I thought I was going to have a heart attack trying to keep the wolf reined in when I saw her in the ER though. I wanted to go and kill that bastard for hurting her. I think it's a good job that I didn't know she was pregnant at that time. I probably wouldn't have been able to stop it!"
"Yeah, I must admit it was pretty damned tough to hold back the growls, especially with Nicole looking so hellishly still. Even now, she doesn't seem to move at all. It's a little frightening."
"Yeah, but be reassured with what the nurse said. Not only that, we have proof that claiming her has shored her defenses and she's now stronger. I have to admit that that's a huge relief for me."
Byron nodded. "I wonder when she'll wake up."
"Fuck knows. I hope it's soon. She is too still, isn't she? It'll be reassuring to see her open her eyes and talk to us at last. Saying that, the nurse will probably come and wake her up soon to make sure she's okay."
Both men settled back into their seats to wait out Nicole's sleep or the nurse's visit. It was harder than either cared to admit to refrain from jumping up and getting into bed with her and closing her into a protective sandwich. Their wolves' instincts were definitely riled and only touch, their mate's touch, would stop them from mentally prowling around nervously.
As time passed, the quietness of the ward and Nicole's peaceful breathing combined with the earlier highs and lows, ups and downs of the evening, made both men fall into an uneasy sleep, both ready to awaken if Nicole even so much as fidgeted.
* * * *
Scrunching her eyes shut, Nicole raised a hand and rubbed them. They felt unbearably dry, and they ached terribly. She touched a hand to her head and grimaced at how tender it was to the touch. She remembered how painful it had been when Joe had struck her there. It must have only taken her a few seconds to pass out from the pain. He'd punched her once, and she'd fallen. He'd slammed her head against the floor after that. Thankfully, she'd already been drifting toward unconsciousness when he'd done that.
It seemed as if she was paying the penalty for that now! Damn. Everything hurt and every breath she took smelled strange. She sniffed a little and could've sworn she smelled smoke. Acrid, pungent, disgusting smoke. Her lips curled with distaste as she grimaced.
The facial movement actually caused more pain, and, with a sigh, she tenderly opened her eyes and peered out at the world.
Seeing a mass of blurry swirls didn't exactly help her headache any! After blinking a few times, her vision cleared, but she saw with some confusion that she was in bed, with Hugh and Byron napping beside her, and she was hooked up to an IV. What the hell? What was going on?
She looked around and smiled as she realized that each man had a hand on her blanket-covered foot. Their faces were pressed into the mattress, and they were clinging to her feet like a child did a teddy bear. The thought made a laugh gurgle in her throat.
She was so taken with the image before her she didn't hear the nurse come in. She almost jumped when she heard her voice.
The nurse said cheerfully but quietly so as not to wake the sleeping men, "You're awake then. Good. I didn't fancy waking you. You looked very peaceful. Plus, these two boys needed to sleep. They've been up and down like a jack-in-the-box every time you so much as twitched!"
"Yeah, I'm not feeling very peaceful now, though. My head's throbbing like crazy."
"I'm surprised your voice isn't more hoarse and gravely. After that much exposure to smoke, you should be feeling a lot worse than you are. So thank your lucky stars that everything's fine."
Nicole smiled. "How long have these two been here?" she asked.
"I have to say you're one lucky lady. You've got not one but two of these gorgeous creatures hanging all over you! I'm very jealous, I'll have you to know. They've been here since you were moved into the ward last night. I think they would have been here earlier but I heard them say they had to go to the station and make a statement. Can you handle making one of your own? There's a cop here to take it if you can manage it."
"Maybe a little later, when my head stops hurting so much."
"No worries. By the sound of it, you're lucky to be alive at all!"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the cop that came to take your statement, he was telling me what happened. I'm assuming Joe Durst is your ex-husband, right? He's been arrested for arson and attempted manslaughter. That can't be good, can it?"
"No. It's not good at all. How's the house? Did they manage to stop the fire?"
With a look of sympathy, the nurse shook her head. "I'm afraid it burned to the ground."
Lifting a weak hand, Nicole rubbed her tender forehead and tried to massage the headache away. It felt like an impossibly mammoth task. A pulse pounded through her skull and made the pain even worse. The ache combined with the news fatigued her terribly.
The nurse stepped forward and fingered the drip and checked some figures before mumbling, "I'll leave you to these two hunks," she said then paused, hesitating before continuing. "Do you remember me telling you that you were pregnant?"
Eyes wide open now, Nicole gulped. "Pregnant?"
"I'll take that as a no."
She shook her head then winced. "Yeah, I don't remember that."
"Well, now you know," the nurse said with a smile before she left the room.
The sound of the door closing made the
men sit up with a jolt. They stared blankly at each other for a second then their heads shifted simultaneously to face Nicole. Seeing her awake, they both breathed an audible sigh of relief and stood up to press soft kisses to her cheeks and then to her lips.
"Thank God you're awake!"
"How are you feeling?"
"I feel a little raw, to be honest. My head's killing me."
Byron pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head and murmured, "What did the nurse say?"
"Nothing really. She just checked my vitals, I think. And she told me that . . . I'm pregnant," she said on a rush.
"Are you happy about that?"
"I think the more appropriate question is, are you happy?"
"Why is that more appropriate?" Byron queried with a frown.
"Well, it's usually the father or in this case, the fathers, who freak out, isn't it?"
"Oh, I see what you mean."
"In our family, Nicole, we take care of our responsibilities."
She interrupted him. "I don't want to be a responsibility. I've known I'm having a baby for five minutes and already you ruin it by making us both sound like an encumbrance!"
"Nicole! We're the ones that are happy about the baby. You're not exactly looking over the moon!" Hugh snapped then exhaled and said more calmly, "Look, let's not argue if your head is sore. We're very happy about the baby, okay?"
She looked down at the sheets and knotted them in between her fingers. "You're sure?"
"Yes, of course, we're sure. Are you happy about it?"
"I've wanted a big family since I was a little girl. Of course, I'm happy."
"Well then, there's no problem, is there?"
"No, I suppose not. I just don't want you to feel trapped."
"Trapped, ha! I should be so damned lucky. Anyway, as I was saying before you started accusing me of classing you as a responsibility, you're pregnant with my baby and now you're going to marry me, okay?"
"Why the hell can't she marry me? The baby's mine, as well!" Byron argued, butting in.
"Is that all you give a damn about? The baby? What about me!" She clutched her head as her raised voice made her head ache a little more.
"What do you mean what about you? This is all about you!"
"Nicole," Byron said impatiently. "We've been gearing you towards something like this for the past few days. Hell, didn't you realize that? You're the one that kept trying to split us up! But now, with the baby, even you can't refuse. If trapping you into marriage because of the baby is the only way to do it, then we'll damn well do it!"
"You really want to marry me?"
"So much so we're going to argue all the way to the aisle about who gets to be your husband!" Byron confirmed.
"Nicole, this has always been deeper for us than it has for you. I love you and I know that Byron does, too. We've been on eggshells where you're concerned the entire time we've been together. I just think that we should at least get married for the baby's sake. I know you've been wanting to get back with Joe to support your family, but I'm sure we can help them if you'll give us a chance."
"You really love me?" Nicole asked, her voice filled with uncertainly. "You're not just saying that because I'm pregnant?"
"Of course not! Hell, Nicole, surely you know this is more than just sex for us? Surely you've realized that by now? What more could we have done for you to realize how much we care?"
"I don't know, but Hugh, Byron, I'm older than you, doesn't that bother you?"
"Don't you think it's a little late to be asking that?"
"That makes me feel a lot better, Hugh!" she retorted testily.
"Well, for God's sake, you're blind to our feelings for you. We wouldn't have gotten involved with you at all if your age freaked us out. It's not like it matters anyway."
"Why doesn't it matter?" she asked, partly out of suspicion and partly out of confusion.
Byron started, "We have to tell you something important, and this isn't really the best time to do it." He then hesitated and looked pointedly at Hugh.
"Our bodies are different than yours," he muttered nervously.
"You mean because you're guys?" she asked, uncertain of what they were trying to get at, not knowing where the hell they were leading with this off-kilter comment.
"Well, yeah, because we're guys, but you know …." Hugh scratched his head and looked at Byron for assistance.
"No, I don't know. Would someone tell me what the hell you're going on about?"
"You won't believe us if we tell you," Byron complained.
"Plus you'll try to run away," Hugh added.
She inhaled deeply and silently prayed for patience. "Of course I'll believe you, and my head is aching too damned badly to even consider getting out of bed, never mind running for the hills. Now tell me what's bothering you before I start to really get freaked out!"
"Are you sure you won't run?" Byron asked, narrowing his eyes as he watched her face, gauged her reaction to the question to better understand if she was telling the truth.
"Byron!" she yelled and then clutched her head as it began to throb. "Do you want as big a headache as I've got now? If you don't, then answer the damned question."
"We're werewolves," Hugh blurted out.
Nicole's smile lit up her face. "You're joking, right?"
"I told you that she wouldn't believe us!" Byron chastised Hugh.
"At least she hasn't run away! Be thankful for small mercies!" Hugh informed him.
"You mean, you're serious?" Nicole asked them, a frown of confusion creasing her brow.
"Yes."
"You're telling me that you're werewolves?"
"Yes."
"Like from the movies?"
"No. We change into wolves not monsters."
"Right," she said, sucking in a nervous breath. "You're not just saying this to tease me, are you? Because that would just be cruel!"
"Nicole, why would we lie about something like this?" Hugh asked.
"I don't know." She blinked as if she could clear her head as well as her vision and then said, "Okay, change into one then."
"Not in a public place, baby."
She gulped. She hadn't been expecting that answer. "Right. So you're werewolves. That means that our baby is a werewolf, too?" That thought made her panic. "Is it going to be something horrible because I'm not a werewolf?"
"No, when we bit you, when we claimed you, your body adapted to accept us rather than reject us. Now, you're stronger and the baby is protected, too," Byron informed her, patting her on the belly as he spoke.
"You're werewolves," she said a little dazedly. "I think I'm going to be sick."
Hugh quickly passed her the bowl that the nurse had given him the night before after warning them that Nicole could feel nauseous and sick when she woke up because of her concussion and pregnancy.
"I take it this isn't a good sign?" Byron asked sarcastically.
"No, she could have reacted better, couldn't she?"
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Nicole said between dry heaves. "Why the hell did you have to tell me this? Now I'm just going to freak out!"
"We had to tell you to make you believe we love you," Byron replied simply.
"What do you mean?"
"You're our mate," Hugh told her matter-of-factly.
The ease in which they said it, in which they accepted her reaction, calmed her down some. She relaxed enough to murmur, "Mate?"
"You are meant for us and only us. You are the heart of our heart, the soul of our soul," Byron said softly.
"Like human soul mates?" she asked. "How do you know that?"
"We know by your scent and by the way we react around you, by how possessive we feel about you and how we need to protect you. We can tell by how much we lust after you and want to fuck you senseless. These are all signs that you're our mate. That's why we claimed you the other day," Hugh told her quietly.
"You mean when you bit me, that was claiming me?" she shrieked. "
Then what the hell is the point in getting married if you've already gone ahead without my permission?"
"Baby, the claiming isn't like that. Obviously it's not recognized by human law, and, secondly, marriage is about protecting you and the baby. We tried not to claim you. We really wanted to talk to you first before we did it. But you were talking about leaving us . . . and we overreacted," Byron said with a shrug.
She exhaled softly. "Please tell me this is a joke."
"It's not a joke," Byron told her, his voice flat.
"Oh my God. You're really werewolves, aren't you?" she asked, her words a little strained as she recalled the bite and how it had turned her on.
"Yes, we really are. When you're discharged, we can go home and show you, if you want?"
"Yeah," she said, gulping nervously. "Yes, I would really like to see that." His words made her remember something else. "Oh God! I don't have a home to go back to!"
"Of course, you do, Nicole. Haven't you realized yet that Byron and I are your home? Just like you are ours?"
"I . . . I never thought about it like that. What does being a mate mean?"
"How do you mean?"
"Well, is there anything weird I have to do?" she asked nervously, her fingers kneading the blanket.
"What like run around the woods with no clothes on?" Byron teased.
She hit him on the arm and glared at him.
He just grinned back at her.
"He's just messing with you. No. Really, being a mate is a good thing," Hugh said earnestly. "We can't cheat on you. It's physiologically impossible now. We don't want anyone else. Our wolves couldn't stand another woman's intimate scent after knowing yours. But you could cheat on us. Even though your body might not want to. Your head could take the lead and cheat on us. So effectively, you hold our hearts in your hands.
"When we bit you, our saliva blended with your blood. That means that your hormones are more supercharged now and that your body can handle our sex drives. It also means that you're hyper aware of your senses and preternaturally aware of things other humans don't even notice.
"The only real downside is that we'll be very protective of you. We'll try not to get in your way, but it's going to be hard. Normally, when a male claims his mate, they seclude themselves away for an extended period of time. It's a little like a honeymoon, but no one else is involved. It's basically sex and sleep and food, all day every day. It's to calm each mate down so that they're not so jumpy about their mate's safety. I suppose it's to make them a little sick of each other, as well," he finished jokingly.
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