by Anya Byrne
Dean's smile grew fond and slightly exasperated. He kissed Will again, but this time, on his forehead, almost chaste. "Why must you always put on this brave mask of yours? Moon be blessed, Will, you never change."
But Will had changed, and so had Dean. They were different people now, so different from the young men they'd been when they'd first met. Will had been forced into becoming harsher than ever before, largely because of Dean. And Dean knew it too, because he didn't wait for a reply. Without another word, he stepped back and walked away.
Will stared at Dean's retreating back and absently wondered if it would ever get any easier to watch his werewolf mate leave him.
Chapter Six
One week later
"Pregnant?"
Parker stared at William Orwell's serious face, half-thinking he'd fallen into some peculiar dream. Surely, the man was joking. Parker might be able to accept werewolves—and even that seemed particularly fucked up—but he was just a regular guy, one hundred percent human. Last time he'd checked, human men couldn't get pregnant.
William almost seemed to guess his thoughts. "I know it's hard to accept, but it can happen. Thus far, it seems to be specific to true mates." He paused, as if considering his next words. "Actually, I gave birth to Jessie and Gavin gave birth to Shannon. And yes, I know it sounds weird, but... I'm afraid it's the truth."
Parker swayed and plopped down on the bed in the medical room. "I... Are you sure?"
"As sure as I can be without performing an actual scan," William said. "Your symptoms point to it, being quite similar to what I experienced throughout my own pregnancy."
Parker pressed his hand to the small lump in his stomach. He hadn't known what to make of it at first, and he'd kind of ignored it for a few days since Finn's well-being had seemed far more important than a swollen bruise or whatever the hell it could be. After that, the nausea had come, and the strange appetite, followed by a complete inability to eat. His moods were thrown, and while Parker blamed it largely on the fact that Finn had yet to recover, he knew the reason for it was more complicated.
"In the following months, you'll be experiencing some DNA changes that will allow you to carry the baby, as well as prolong your overall life expectancy," William elaborated. "Even so, I won't lie. This won't be easy. A man's body is not built for pregnancy, and it's very risky, both to you, and the child."
Great. As if Parker didn't have enough to worry about. William seemed to want to say more, but Parker kept the doctor from continuing. "I... I think I need some privacy."
William shot him a concerned look. "Of course. If you need anything at all, just let me know."
Parker nodded absently and stumbled outside. He didn't even know where he was going until his feet carried him to Finn's room. As always, it was guarded by a solemn-looking werewolf, but the man let him enter without comment.
Parker went in and closed the door behind himself. His gaze instantly zeroed in on the bed, where his mate still lay, completely unconscious.
Just the other day, Finn had finally turned back from his wolf form to a shifted one. Saul had assured Parker this was a good sign, and that soon, they'd see further improvements. So far, nothing had changed, and Parker had no idea what to make of Saul's idea of 'soon'.
Given his current condition, it was definitely a problem. Parker walked to the bed and plopped down on the chair next to it. He stared at Finn's sleeping face, trying to modulate his breath after Finn's own.
Pregnant. Holy shit. How could this be happening to him?
"You little asshole," he snapped at Finn. "Don't you dare leave me like this after you knocked me up."
Naturally, Finn didn't respond, and Parker buried his face in his palms, feeling bereft. He liked kids, but he'd never expected to actually have one of his own, at least, not anytime soon. His sexuality had made that sort of thing kind of difficult, and even if adoption or surrogacy counted as an option, he'd only have considered it after a long-term relationship with a man who shared his goals.
Things hadn't worked out quite the way Parker had expected. Here he was, with a child growing inside him, in love with a man who wasn't even human and who, on top of everything else, had fallen in a deep coma. Oh, God, he couldn't do this.
He didn't know how long he sat there and just cried, letting out all the pain, the fear and the confusion. A soft knock sounded at the door, snapping him out of his trance. Parker lifted his head and wiped his eyes. "Yes?" he called out, his voice a bit more croaky and far weaker than he'd have liked.
Nonetheless, his visitor must have heard him, because the door opened and Jessie stepped into the room. "Hey. Can I come in?"
Parker nodded. "Sure."
He liked Jessie. The man had a quiet strength that reminded Parker a bit of Jensen. "What's up?"
"Dad told me about what happened," Jessie said as he carefully approached. "I hope you don't mind. He was concerned, and he wondered if you'd like to speak to someone you see as closer to your age."
It was a peculiar phrasing, but Parker decided he was better off not knowing. It wouldn't hurt to have someone who could listen to him. "I'm... I feel lost. I'm just a regular guy. I never would have dreamed werewolves existed, let alone that I'd end up expecting a child from one of them."
Jessie nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I can understand that." He laughed lightly. "For most of my life, I thought I was human and then it turned out that I wasn't. Shook me quite a bit. But... You're not me. Do you regret it? Do you regret being with Finn?" His expression sobered. "You don't have to keep the baby, you know. No one would blame you if you decided against it."
Parker blinked at the other man. He hadn't expected Jessie to say something like that, and if he wanted to be perfectly honest, he hadn't even considered abortion as an option. It wasn't that he didn't want the baby. That wasn't it all. Now that he took that idea into account, he realized how hard it would be for him.
Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around his belly. "I don't regret any of it," he told Jessie, "at least not in the way you might think. Finn... It's going to sound crazy, but I fell in love with him the day we met. And this baby is part of both of us. I grew up in an orphanage, Jessie. I don't think I could ever abandon it or hurt it in any way."
"Fair enough. For the record, I don't think Finn would understand any choice you made. He and I don't know each other very well, but he's a good man, and I think he'll take good care of you. Besides, in the long run, it's worth it."
For the first time, Parker realized Jessie had put on quite a lot of weight since they'd met. "You're pregnant too," he said in a daze.
Jessie chuckled. "You just noticed now? I must be better at hiding it than I thought. Although I suppose I'll have to seclude myself in my room soon. Wouldn't want Kyle or Jack to ask any questions."
Yeah, that wouldn't go over well. Saul had repeatedly emphasized the necessity of keeping Finn's werewolf nature a secret. Under different circumstances, Parker would have been thrilled to spend time with the boys, but with everything that had happened, he hadn't been able to focus on them much.
"I spoke with Alicia," he told Jessie. "She's still recovering, but she'll probably want them back in a few weeks."
"I'm sure everything will be okay when it comes to the boys," Jessie replied, not unkindly, "but that wasn't really what we were discussing. " He reached for Parker's hand and squeezed it. "He'll wake up, Parker. You'll see. And until he does, you have us for anything you need."
Parker knew he shouldn't allow himself to fall onto the comfort of a man who had his own concerns. Nonetheless, he squeezed Jessie's palm back, one brief moment, before releasing it and facing Finn once more.
Finn hadn't stirred, but Parker suddenly couldn't bear not touching him anymore. He slid out of the chair and onto the bed, curling by Finn's side while being extra careful not to accidentally jostle Finn. He took Finn's hand and pressed it to his belly. "Wake up," he whispered to Finn's slack features.
He he
ard the door open and close, and guessed Jessie must have left. Closing his eyes, he settled in to wait and hope.
****
A few weeks later
"So you'll be staying here, Parker?"
Parker scanned Alicia's face and forced a slight smile. "For now, yes. I took time off. A lot of unexpected things happened... But I can't go."
Alicia sighed and stared over Parker's shoulder. Parker knew what she was looking at—her three sons, saying goodbye. "I don't want to leave him," she whispered, "not again, not now."
"I know, but he has a family of his own," Parker said gently. "He'll be fine."
Alicia wiped her eyes and took a deep breath, as if trying to steady herself. "You're right. Of course. You're right."
She didn't seem convinced, not that Parker could blame her. They'd kept the truth from the children, but Kyle and Jack were both very clever. While they hadn't figured out exactly what was going on, they'd gathered enough to fear for their brother's safety.
It had been a rough couple of weeks, for all of them, with the threat of attack always looming. Thankfully nothing had happened, and now, Alicia had come to pick up the boys.
Alpha Simmons had pointed out that, in all likelihood, the entire reason why Alpha Adler hadn't made a move yet was because of the children. He couldn't risk going against the Secrecy Accords again. Parker didn't fully understand werewolf legislation, but Finn's family had assured him that Gavin's mother and siblings would be fine once they left.
That didn't make the departure easier. Parker turned to watch a tearful Gavin hug his brothers. "You'll come visit, won't you?" Jackie asked, his voice trembling.
"I'll try," Gavin assured him, ruffling his little brother's hair. "Once Shannon's a bit more grown-up."
"You should bring him," Kyle said seriously. "We can play together. I'll teach him to call me Uncle."
There was laughter all around, the children's innocence breaking the gathering tension. Alicia shook her head at her boys and chuckled. "Come on, kids. We have to go or we'll miss our bus."
With twin resigned sighs, Kyle and Jackie entered William Orwell's car. The doctor was already waiting to drive the small family to the bus station. Alicia turned toward Parker one last time, and Parker kissed her cheek, largely because he wanted to avoid her embrace. He didn't want her to notice his growing belly. "Take care," he told her.
"Thank you," Alicia whispered, "for everything."
In response, Parker just smiled. He clapped Gavin's shoulder and gestured his new friend forward.
As Gavin and Alicia spoke, Parker gave them privacy and focused on the children in the car. "You be good, all right? I'll come visit as soon as I can."
Jackie and Kyle both nodded. "We will," Jackie promised.
"You can come when Gavin visits," Kyle offered in turn.
Parker found tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. He pushed them back quickly, hating how hormonal he'd become. God, he was going to miss them, but he had to let them go. He could fall apart after that.
Alicia finally hugged her eldest son and then slid into William's car. Parker stepped back and waved at his friends. As William drove off, the children waved back and kept doing so, until the car disappeared around the corner, discreetly followed by a second vehicle—Saul's way of 'just in case'.
As soon as they were gone, Gavin retreated inside to see his son. Parker remembered what William had told him before he'd left, and headed toward the kitchen. An hour later, he was still halfheartedly trying to consume a sandwich when Gavin entered the room.
"You need to get some sleep." Gavin scowled at Parker as he sat on the couch, Shannon in his arms. "And eat more. I know when I was pregnant I ate so much I turned into a whale."
Parker picked at his meal, knowing Gavin was right, but still having trouble complying. "I just... It's been so long. And... I'm so confused, Gavin."
Gavin gave him a sympathetic look and Parker abandoned the sandwich on the kitchen counter in favor of sitting down on the tiny couch next to Gavin. "I miss him. How is that even possible? We barely know each other."
"I realize this is hard. But you have to believe he'll get better. He'll wake up any moment now, and then you can kick his ass for knocking you up and deciding to take a nap after that."
Parker couldn't help it. Even through the stubborn tears he was still fighting back, he smiled. "Sounds great," he replied as he caressed the small lump in his belly.
In the past couple of weeks, he'd gone from shock, to disbelief, to acceptance, to happiness, to depression. He'd then oscillated between wild enthusiasm and crushing sadness that Finn wasn't here to share these moments with him.
Gavin and Jessie had been very helpful, though, and so had William Orwell. Without them, Parker would have probably had a nervous breakdown, especially since the Simmons pack still remained in a state of complete chaos.
"Have you heard anything from Alpha Simmons, Andreas and Erdi?" he asked his friend. Now that Gavin's brothers were gone, they could speak more openly of what had been going on.
Gavin shook his head, his expression sobering. "Nothing specific. Saul doesn't say it, but he's worried. The silencer guilds are notoriously unpredictable, and apparently, an advance Gathering is never good. According to Jessie, they're fine—he'd have been able to tell—but beyond that, it's a mystery."
Parker slumped against Gavin's shoulder, absently tickling Shannon's chubby chin. "I really hate this. It's so fucking clear that the guy is crazy and wants the Simmons pack lands. Why does anyone want to debate it?"
"Because even if Alpha Adler is crazy, he's still an Alpha," Jessie said from the doorway. "And apparently, if he were to be punished for his transgressions, it would cause yet another imbalance. With what's been going on here, Alpha Simmons isn't in a very good place, or considered very trustworthy."
He looked tired as he literally waddled into the kitchen. He'd grown quite voluminous in Parker's time here, and these days, he was even more depressed than Parker, since his own mate had departed into the unknown to fix a situation that was not his fault. He'd also been trapped in his room for a while now, since clothing had stopped being enough to hide his condition.
"You feeling okay, Jess?" Gavin asked as he watched his friend.
"Nope. I feel like crap." Jessie plopped down on a chair and grimaced. "Well, actually, I feel like a balloon that's going to pop any moment now. And apparently, I'm going to keep growing. Cos you know, I'm special, and I just had to have twins."
"It'll be worth it in the end," Gavin whispered, his gaze going to his sleeping son.
"Yeah," Jess whispered, his hand resting on his large stomach. "I just wish Andreas..."
He trailed off, since they were all in agreement on that one. Even Gavin was worried, because with Alpha Simmons gone and Finn out for the count, Saul had been forced to take over the leadership of a pack he didn't belong to.
At least Kyle and Jackie were safe, and Jensen hadn't been drawn into the mess. Courtesy of his concussion, Jensen didn't remember anything about the shape-shifting attackers. He'd been returned to the Amaretto, and while the Simmons pack still had people watching him, so far, he hadn't been targeted again.
Parker was debating giving Jensen a quick call to make sure everything was all right when he felt it, a niggle at the back of his mind. At first, he couldn't tell what it was. In fact, he almost thought he was imagining it. That fear soon faded, though, settling into a sudden certainty.
He shot to his feet, drawing alarmed gasps from both Jessie and Gavin. It would have probably been a good idea to reassure his friends, but he was too focused on that knowledge, on the hope that finally, he'd see Finn's eyes opening again.
****
Parker.
That was the first thought that burst into Finn's mind the moment he came to. Regularly, when he recovered consciousness from an injury, there was a process, opening his eyes, taking heed of his condition, testing each muscle to figure out what damage the silver poisoning�
�it was always silver poisoning—had done. However, now he simply shot out of the bed and he was halfway across the room before he even became aware there was someone else there with him.
Saul intercepted him and grabbed his arm before Finn could make his escape. "Shh. Lie down. You're still recovering."
Finn shook his brother's hands off, aware that Saul meant well, but also knowing now was not the time to rest. "Parker. I need to see him. We were attacked. Lisbet... She tried to—"
"We know," Saul interrupted him. "And I didn't say you can't see your mate. He's fine. Erdi stepped in before they could harm him. You remember Erdi, right?"
Finn nodded, a little dazed. "The silencer. Andreas's friend."
"Quite," Saul confirmed. "He was tracking the movements of the Adler pack, and he kept them from hurting your mate. So breathe and relax. Parker is safe. Besides, you've been very ill, and I suspect Gavin and Jessie might have my hide if I let you do anything stupid."
Finn arched a brow. "I do believe we've been through this before, Saul—the other way around."
It was almost funny if he thought about it. A few months back, he'd been the one who'd watched over his wounded brother while Saul recovered from Lisbet's attack. Despite the way things had eventually turned out for Saul, Finn knew better than to believe it necessarily meant his own mate was fine.
"Fair enough," Saul told him. "Just calm down. You can reach out to him through your bond, and you'll be able to tell that he's unhurt."
Saul was right, of course, and if Finn hadn't been in a panicked haze and his last memory hadn't been of his mate in Lisbet's clutches, he'd have figured it out himself. He took a deep breath and sought out the incomplete link between him and Parker.
It was there, steadier and stronger than he'd expected. Finn released a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. "Okay. I'm calm. I still want to see him."
"Well, that's fine, but you should probably get cleaned up a bit at first. Perhaps even get dressed. I know it's a delay, but we have guests on the premises."
