by Susi Hawke
“I didn't notice any change,” Micah said, looking at me curiously.
“You wouldn't have, not yet anyway. As I've explained to the Alpha in the past, we bears have a much higher sense of smell than you wolves do. Perhaps that is why so many us choose careers in the medical fields? Ah, a thought to ponder later, I suppose. But, nevertheless, Aries is definitely pregnant. I'll need to look him over and give him some prenatal vitamins to take.”
“Thanks, Doc,” I said happily. “We'll be by later, after the little guys have their nap.”
Doc Ollie nodded absently in his own odd way, and wandered off again. I looked over at my mate, who seemed to be frozen in shock at the moment.
“Gee, alpha. What's up with that face? I thought that they taught you in school all about what could happen if you popped a knot with an omega in heat,” I teased.
He looked at me then, his eyes full of wonder. “I know, I know. It's just that, I never really thought I'd have a pup of my own, and now I get to have three.”
My heart burst when he said that, loving that he considered my pups to be as much his own as this new baby would be. My mate was truly one of a kind. I guess that maybe Fenris did know what he was doing when he paired us.
After lunch, we took the pups up to their room, and settled them into their beds. They were both asleep before I could make it even halfway through the book I'd chosen to read for them.
We tucked them in, and then Micah took my hand, leading me quietly into our adjoining room, and silently closing the door behind us. While we'd been shacked up in the cabin, riding my heat out, our thoughtful pack-mates had brought Micah's things to my room, making it ours now.
“Nice digs,” Micah said, reading my thoughts through our open connection.
“I was assigned this room right before you arrived. I've never even slept in here yet, so it's new to us both, honestly.”
“Really? That's pretty cool,” Micah said with a smile, laying down on the bed and pulling me down beside him. “I guess that means we can break it in together then.”
“I don't how much breaking in that you think we can do with our little guys asleep in the next room.”
Wiggling his eyebrows, he rolled over on top of me and whispered in my ear: “Why do you think that I shut the door? You just have to be very, very quiet. None of those loud porn-star moans that you're so famous for, babe.”
I smacked his arm and bit my lip to hold in a giggle.
Thrusting his already hard cock against me, I groaned at the delicious friction through my jeans.
“See what I mean?” He whispered, while thrusting harder against me, “there you go already with the porn-star moans.”
After we fooled around for awhile, I ended falling asleep in Micah's arms. I woke up to the sound of his voice in the next room, and quickly got up and pulled my clothes back on so that I could join them.
After Doc Ollie was done examining our completely irritated daughter, he rolled back on his stool and suggested that I let her go play in the other room where Luke was watching Dylan. Luke was Doc's office assistant, and he was kind enough to watch the little one's that came in with their parent's when the need arose.
Doc had checked Dylan out first, and found him to be in perfect condition. Apparently his non-verbal behavior was either from trauma, or else he was just a late bloomer. We would watch him, and encourage him to talk. If that didn't work, then Doc told us that he could refer us to a child psychologist that lived over in the neighboring bear den.
Sara went willingly with Micah, and once he came back alone, Doc told us what was going on.
“Your daughter is tongue tied, to put it in layman's terms. It is a simple procedure to fix this for her, and you will find her speech improving dramatically afterwards. She may need to see a speech therapist to relearn how to make sounds, but then again, she is young enough that it could just correct itself.”
“What do you mean by tongue-tied, Doc?” Micah asked curiously.
“Basically, the little piece of tissue that connects her tongue to the base of the mouth is too short, or tight you might say, for young Sara to speak properly.”
“And how would you go about correcting this,” Micah asked before I could.
“It's a simple little clip actually. I will numb the area first with a topical anesthetic, and snip-snip, the problem is fixed. Since she's a shifter, she will most likely be healed before her next meal. It's simpler for us, than for humans, is it not? But, I digress. My point is, that this is quite simply fixed, and I can do it right here in the clinic. It will fix her right up, I can almost promise you.”
“Can we be there, while you do it?” I asked hesitantly.
“Yes, but only you. The alpha dad can be here until she's comfortable, but then he must leave. I cannot risk inciting the protective alpha instincts that would cause you to try and fight me. This would create harm for the child if my hand should slip.”
Doc looked sternly at Micah as he said this. Micah simply nodded his acceptance, and we moved on.
“How soon can we do it, Doc?” I asked, knowing already that we would agree to do it.
“Honestly? I can do it right now, and examine you another day, so that you don't have to bring the girl back a second time.” Doc chuckled for moment, “The young alpha really did not care for being examined, did she?”
“You think that Sara's an alpha?” I asked curiously. We had joked about it, but I hadn't taken it seriously.
“How could that dominant child be anything else? Her alpha pheromones are off the charts for a girl her age. Again, it's all in the bear nose,” he said as he tapped a finger to the side of his nose. “Trust me, you will smell it clearly once she reaches puberty. But for now, you can take my word for it.”
“And my son?” I asked, “what is his classification?”
“Ah, that sweet soul is an omega like you, my dear. Through and through.”
“Wow,” Micah said. “I guess we'll have to watch how much we let Sara boss him around then. We'll want to make sure that our boy doesn't grow up being used to getting bossed around by alphas everywhere he goes.”
I looked at my mate, and smiled contentedly. I loved how much he adored my children, and thought of their every need. It would be funny, seeing how his ideas regarding omega's might continue to expand, now that he knew for sure that our son was one too.
“Okay, Doc.” I said. “Let's go ahead and take care of Sara first. I can come back tomorrow, or later in the week for my own examination.”
“I'll get Sara now,” Micah said firmly, “but we will definitely be back in here tomorrow to have Aries examined, if you have time.”
Doc smiled knowingly at my alpha mate, as I rolled my eyes with a grin. After Micah brought Sara back in, Doc had her lay back on the exam table, while I held her head. Nutter Daddy explained that this was something that she needed to have done, and that Daddy Guy, as she'd taken to calling me, was going to help the doctor while he checked on Dylan.
As always, she willingly did as my mate asked, and he stepped outside so that Doc could do his thing. Sara stoically laid there while Doc numbed her mouth, before doing the quick procedure a few minutes later. Afterwards, she allowed me to hold her while I carried her out to where Micah and Dylan were waiting. It was a small victory, but I treasured every second that I got to hold her little body against my chest.
Chapter 10
Micah
“Should you still be this sick, sweetheart?” I asked Aries while he knelt in front of the toilet, after purging yet another meal. “I thought that morning sickness was supposed to pass after the first month, and you're almost into the final stretch now! At this rate, the baby will be born before the sickness passes.”
Aries glared up at me and said: “I'm well aware of that, Micah. Trust me, I'm aware. Doc said that it's common for some people to be sick the entire three months of gestation. It looks like I was just one of those lucky fucking people.”
“Well, I don't
like it. Were you sick like this with your other pregnancies?”
“Hell, no. I was barely sick with Sara at all, and with Dylan, it passed after a couple weeks. This is totally new for me, and it fucking sucks,” he growled. “Now, can we just quit talking about it, please?”
I bit back any further comments, not wanting to piss my poor mate off any more than he already was. “How about I go and get you a cup of that mint tea, and some soda crackers then? Those usually seem to help, don't they?”
With a long-suffering sigh, Aries nodded his head as I helped him up to brush his teeth. After planting a quick kiss on his temple, I went downstairs to find his tea and crackers.
I walked into the kitchen to find Sy already plating a tray with a small pot of mint tea, and an array of crackers. He looked up at me, and smiled knowingly.
“Did you put your foot in it again?”
Nodding, I said: “I just don't understand why it upsets him that I care.”
“It's not that you care, my friend, it's because you hover,” Sy explained. “I know that you can't help it, it's just part of the whole protective alpha thing, but omegas need space sometimes, especially when we're pregnant and totally miserable.”
I nodded glumly, wishing that I could do something to cheer my mate up and take away his suffering.
“Listen, why don't you go play with your pups, and I'll take this up to Aries and keep him company for you this morning.”
“You'll make sure that he rests and doesn't strain himself?”
Sy rolled his eyes, and said: “I'll make sure that he's comforted, and gets some food down. He doesn't need to rest, he needs to not puke. Simple as that. Now, go get your monsters, and I'll tend to your mate, okay?”
I reluctantly let him go by with the tray, pushing back my urge to go and coddle Aries, knowing full well that it would only piss him off.
“He's sick again, huh?” Jake asked knowingly as he walked in the kitchen.
“Yeah, and he gets mad every time that I try to talk to him about it.”
“Get used to it, buddy. This is pure omega territory, and there's nothing you can do but ride it out. You think this shit is rough? Wait until he's in delivery and they kick you out of the room.”
“They wouldn't dare!” I bared my teeth at the thought of being kept away.
“Exactly. That right there, that whole protective, cave-man shit that we alphas do? That's why you won't be allowed near the delivery area. Apparently, we couldn't deal with seeing our mate go through something like that. That's what they told me, anyway.”
“But you're the Alpha! How could you be kept away from your own mate's delivery room?”
“When it comes to this kind of thing, rank doesn't matter. If your not the doctor or another omega, you're not welcome in there. It's just how it is. But chin up, it will all be over in the next few days, and you'll get your mate back. And a precious new pup as a bonus. Trust me, it will be okay,” Jake assured me.
“I guess. I'm just gonna go take the pups out to play, get us all outside for awhile.”
“Now that's a plan! Take the little guys and run around with them, they'll get your mind off your mate worries for a few.”
“You make it sound easy, Jake.”
“I know. But, trust me. I was messed up the whole time Kai was pregnant too. It's easier for me, because I'm on the other side of it now. If he ever catches again, you'll see a whole other side of me, and it won't be nearly as calm as I'm advising you to be,” he laughed.
“Excuse me? If Kai ever catches what?” The spunky little alpha-mate said, as he came walking in with Erin on his hip. “You'd better be talking about me catching a human cold, because that's far more likely since I've got three pups right now and only two hands.”
Jake laughed. “I was just talking Micah down, he's stressed about Aries. I was telling him that he didn't see me when you were pregnant, but if you ever caught again, he'd see a whole other side of me.”
Kai rolled his eyes dramatically. “Let me put it out there like this, Micah. His Aunt Cat had to forcibly drag him out of my delivery room. Seriously. The dude didn't know how to back off.”
I grinned, loving how the two of them meshed so well together. It was good to see my old friend settled down so happily.
“Seriously though, Micah.” Kai said, “Don't worry about Aries. He's okay, if he wasn't, Doc would have said something. He's really good about this stuff. I know it's hard, especially with how sick that poor Aries has been through this whole pregnancy, but don't worry. He'll be okay. He's still getting enough nourishment, whether it feels like that to you or not. Just tell your wolf to shut the hell up, and let Aries do his thing. Trust me.”
I nodded, and asked Jake: “Any other helpful tips before I go shift with my pups?”
“Yeah,” he said with a smirk, “make sure you get laid in the next day or two because you'll have to wait awhile after he delivers. And that's if he'll even let you touch him again.”
“Oh, bullshit. Because that's what a nauseous omega with a watermelon in his gut really wants? To get laid? Seriously, Jake. Did your parents drop you on your head as a pup?” Kai glared playfully at his mate with a quirked brow.
“I dunno,” Jake said with a smirk, “I seem to remember another omega that really want to get some that magical knot action right up until delivery.”
“I'm done. I give up. Micah, ignore my mate, he's an idiot.” Kai stalked out of the room muttering under his breath, while Jake laughed his ass off.
“You know you're gonna pay for that later, right?” I asked him with a grin.
“Oh, trust me, I'm counting one it!” Jake chuckled wickedly, as I shook my head and walked away smiling.
The pups and I played together for the rest of the morning out in the peaceful sunshine along with Luke and Ryan, the young omega teens that were members of our pack.
Sara loved playing with them. They were much smaller than my wolf, so she could tackle them easier. Ryan usually let her take him down, while Luke would challenge her and make her work for it.
I let them tussle, while I helped Dylan hunt a mouse. I figured that it was never too early to teach my omega son how to take care of himself in the wild. At his age, it would probably scare him more than the mouse, if he actually caught the damn thing. But, it was good to teach him how to track it's scent.
As it got closer to lunch time, I chuffed out a command to Sara before I lifted the little ball of fluff at my feet by the scruff of his neck to carry across the parking area, to the porch of the lodge where we all liked to shift and change.
I grinned when I saw Luke pick Sara up the same way, as he and Ryan followed me over. Once we were all shifted and dressed, I took the pups in for their lunch, with the two brother's still following along behind me. They ended up joining us, along with a couple of my alpha friends, Maxx and Owen.
“So, what have you guys been up to? I've barely seen either of you since I moved here. What's up with that?”
“We've been hanging out with the bears a lot. They've been teaching us some cooling hunting techniques,” Maxx explained.
“I was wondering. I've seen you guys in passing, but that's about it.”
“Yeah, well, you've also been kinda busy with the whole mate and babies thing yourself,” Owen chimed in.
“That's true,” I had to admit. “Hey, do you guys know a bear named Karl?”
“Oh, yeah,” said Owen. “He's a really nice guy! How do you know him?”
“When I drove in a few months ago, we had a flat about five miles out. Karl showed up out of nowhere and insisted I let him change it for me. I promised him a lager one of these days, I should probably see about paying up for that at some point.”
“Dude,” Maxx said. “You do NOT want to go drinking with the bears! Those fu-umm-fun guys will drink you under the table.” He caught himself mid-swear when he noticed Sara listening intently from her spot over at the kids table.
I chuckled at the faint blush th
at was crawling up his neck. “What's wrong, Maxi-pad? You scared of getting in trouble with my pup?”
“Shi-umm-shoot. That girl is more alpha that all of us, I'm pretty sure. You should have heard her lecturing us yesterday, because we were rough housing in the clearing while her little brother was nearby. If she wasn't so tiny, I would be scared of her.”
“Pssh. Like you're not anyway,” Owen grinned. He looked over at me and winked before he continued: “Maxx can't handle getting schooled by a pup. You should have seen him nearly piss himself when she stood there with her hands on her hips, yelling up at us. It was hysterical.”
We joked around some more, until I noticed Dylan rubbing his eyes. “Time for me to go, guys.” I told my friends, “As much as I'd like to stay longer and hear about how my tiny daughter scared the piss out of Maxx, even tough little soldiers like her need their afternoon naps.”
Motioning for the kids to come on, I cupped a hand over Luke's shoulder and thanked him and his brother for helping me out with the pups this morning.
“It was a pleasure,” Luke said shyly. “I like your pups. They're sweeties.”
Maxx snorted at that, which had Owen choking out a laugh. I grinned in amusement as I bent down and picked up Dylan, reaching for Sara's hand.
“Say good-bye to everyone, Sara.”
“Bye, everybody. I see you waiter.”
The guys look confused, so I echoed her and said: “Yeah, see you guys later.”
Smiling proudly at how much clearer her speech was getting though, I led her out of the dining area and headed for our rooms upstairs. As much as I'd hated having to let Doc snip, clip, or whatever the hell it was he'd done to her, it really had been for the best.
The downside was that the clearer her speech became, the more her natural alpha bossiness started to show as her confidence grew. Not that I minded it all that much, I was proud to have a feisty girl that had no problems facing down huge alpha men.
