District Shifters Collection
Page 57
“Nothing,” she said quickly, wanting to ease Noah’s concern. “I’m just happy. I have the best family in the world, my sister’s happy, and our best friends are here with us.”
“That last part could change if you’re going to get all soppy on us,” Raina laughed.
Chessa laughed with her. Noah sat down beside her and wrapped his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. She felt tired suddenly, but it was a warm, contented sort of tired, the kind that made her see she had never been happier than she was with Noah.
4
Every part of Brianna hurt in one way or another, and she had never felt so tired as she did now, but as she pulled the blanket aside slightly and looked down at the perfect little face there, she knew she would go through labor a thousand times for him if she had to.
Archer climbed onto the bed beside her and wrapped his arm around her. She rested against him as he cooed at the baby.
“He’s beautiful.” Archer smiled. “I’m so proud of you, Bri.” She smiled up at him, and he kissed her. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too,” she said.
The baby pulled an arm free of the blanket. Archer reached out to tuck it back in, and the baby’s tiny hand locked around his finger. Brianna felt a rush of love flood her as she looked at the baby holding onto Archer’s finger, like he knew who he was and that he would die before he let anything hurt the baby. Archer rubbed his thumb over the back of the baby’s hand, and then he gently pulled his finger free and tucked the arm back into the blanket.
“I had an idea for his name,” Archer said with a smile at Brianna.
They still hadn’t managed to find a name they could both agree on, and eventually, they had decided to wait until their baby was born and see if his face instantly spoke a name to them. It hadn’t worked. At least not for Brianna, but it sounded like maybe it had worked for Archer.
“I was thinking we could name him Logan. You know, after Logan who made all of this possible,” Archer said, indicating to the three of them.
Brianna knew what he meant. Without Logan and Raina rescuing her, she would have been sold off to the highest bidder by a Matchmaker, and without the money from Logan, her second chance at living the life she wanted, she never would have been able to come to Nebraska for medical school. She looked down at the baby again.
“Logan,” she said, trying it on for size. She loved the way it sounded, and she instantly knew it suited him. “It’s perfect.”
“So, Logan it is, then?” Archer asked almost shyly.
“Logan it is,” Brianna confirmed with a smile.
They fell silent for a moment, both so intent on baby Logan. Brianna could feel the worries she’d had through the end of her pregnancy slipping away. She’d worried about the labor, about whether or not the baby would be healthy, even about the mundane things, like what she would do if she forgot to pick up her hospital bag on the way out of the door. And now, finally, she could let them all go. All except for one. The one that hadn’t changed, the one that still bothered her. She sighed as she tried and failed to push the last worry aside.
“What is it?” Archer asked.
“Nothing, really,” she said. “I’m just worried about how I’m going to keep up with my college work, go to my internship, and be a good mom to Logan. He deserves my full attention.”
“We’ve been over this, Brianna. If you want to leave school and be a stay at home mom, then do it. We’ve got plenty of money,” Archer said.
“I don’t want that, though. I’m so close to being a qualified doctor, and I don’t want to have to start all over again when Logan is a few years old. I know I’m just being silly. Plenty of moms work and are still good moms. I’m just worried I won’t be one of them,” she said.
“You’ll be fine,” Archer reassured her. “You have the whole pack on hand to help with babysitting duties, and you’re rocking college and your internship.”
“I know. I guess I’m just a little nervous, that’s all,” Brianna said.
“That’s normal. It’s a big change, but give it a few weeks, and you won’t even remember why you were so nervous. You’re going to be a great mom.”
“And you’re going to be a great dad,” Brianna replied with a genuine smile.
Archer could always make her feel better, and he never lost patience with her, just gently talking her down, even when her worries were the same ones she’d voiced a million times.
“Knock, knock,” a man’s voice said from the doorway. Brianna looked up to see Sven, Archer’s beta, in the doorway. He was holding a blue balloon with IT’S A BOY! written on it. “The nurse said it was okay to come along, but I can come back later, if you want me to.”
“Don’t be silly.” Brianna smiled. “Get in here.”
Sven smiled at her and came in. He put the balloon beside the crib, and then he looked at the baby in Brianna’s arms.
“May I?” he asked. Brianna nodded and handed the baby to Sven.
“His name is Logan,” Archer said.
“I like it,” Sven said, nodding his head. “Somehow, it suits him.” He sat on the chair beside Brianna’s bed, holding baby Logan. He cooed at the baby and asked Brianna about her labor. It had been quick, and for that, Brianna was grateful, which she told Sven.
A nurse came into the room and took Logan away for his checks. Sven looked at Archer.
“I actually wanted to talk to you about something while I was here,” he said. “I know it’s bad timing, but I need to just ask you and get it over with.”
Brianna could hear the nerves in his voice, but he was smiling and she didn’t think it was going to be anything to worry about.
“Okay,” Archer said, nodding for Sven to go on.
“I met someone. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted,” Sven said with a grin so full of lovesickness that Brianna almost laughed. “She knows what I am; I told her when I felt myself falling for her. We’ve done the test, and she has the Sanmere protein in her blood. She wants to be one of us, and I want to ask her to be my mate, but obviously, you need to approve her, because I’d want her to join the pack. I was just wondering when you’d be able to fit us in. I know you’ve just had a baby, and there’s no rush—”
“Sven,” Archer interrupted him. Brianna didn’t think Sven would have ever stopped talking if Archer hadn’t spoken. It was funny to watch Sven, who was always so in control, acting like a lovesick teenager. “She’s in.”
“What? But—” Sven started.
“No buts. If you love her, she must be a good person,” Archer said.
Sven nodded his thanks to Archer, and then he hugged him tightly.
“Thank you,” Brianna heard him whisper.
“I can’t wait to meet her,” she said when the moment was over and Archer and Sven were seated again.
“You’re going to love her, Brianna,” Sven said. “And maybe we’ll have our own baby soon.”
“Oh, imagine if you had a girl, and our children grew up and got married to each other,” Brianna said.
“Slow down,” Archer laughed. “Our boy is barely an hour old, and you’re already planning his wedding.”
Brianna laughed, but she knew Archer was right. She wanted time to move slowly, to let her cherish each day. Archer had made Brianna’s life perfect, and now Logan had completed their little family.
“I’m so happy, I feel like I might burst,” she said.
“Nah, that’s just the stitches,” Archer chuckled.
Brianna elbowed him, but she was laughing, too. Everything had turned out even better than she ever could have hoped it would.
READ MORE ABOUT SANMERE SHIFTERS IN A NEW SERIES BY LOLA GABRIEL!
Shifting Fates: Sanmere Shifters 1
Fae Loyalty: Sanmere Shifters 2
Dragon’s Clutch: Sanmere Shifters 3
Shifting Truths: Sanmere Shifters 4
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Thank You
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Lola Gabriel
About the Author
Lola Gabriel loves reading and writing paranormal romances. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, she has fond memories of retreating to the woods for long hikes. The towering evergreens, natural waterfalls, and soothing rain often set the scenery for her characters’ romantic encounters.
Find out more about Lola Gabriel at SecretWoodsBooks.com