Submitting to Fate (A Collection of Strays Book 5)

by Toby Wise

  “He should be here soon. Said he was letting Tony close the shop today so he could be here.”

  At a month along, it shouldn’t surprise me that my lovely mate is already showing. I remember Frankie’s pregnancy and how huge he’d been so fast, but it still surprises me. I feel like every time I see Wyn his belly is bigger. In another short month, his omega line will be forming just under his belly button, a seam that’ll allow the birth of our egg. I was so scared the day he told me he was pregnant but as the day grows closer, all I feel is excitement.

  Well, excitement when I’m not around Wyn anyway. He might be having a tougher time with this pregnancy than me.

  Just then, I let out a noise of pain and surprise as the side of my face lights up with pain. A ball bounces off, dropping to the ground and rolling until it stops at Lucien’s feet. The little dragon giggles and giggles before picking up the ball and running away.

  “Yeah,” Elwood says, adjusting his glasses and giving me an unimpressed stare. “He’s going through a bit of a phase.”

  I rub the side of my face, wondering if I’ll be sporting a bruise later. “Are all your things finally moved over?” Frankie asks as he stirs something in a pot. The smell of spaghetti makes my mouth water.

  “Yep,” I tell them. “It’s official.” Wyn and I have been taking things slow, getting to know each other, going on dates together. The sex has been mind-blowing. We haven’t been ‘Everett and Idris’ since that first time but that doesn’t make the sex any less amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever been so satisfied before. And that buzzing at the back of my head is there a lot less. I know that if it hits again, Wyn will be there to help silence it. Now, a month after mating, I’ve moved all my things into his apartment above the tattoo shop. It’s weird not being in Elwood’s pocket all the time but I’m finding that I don’t mind. I know where he is, I know he’s safe.

  “Da, Da, Da, Da!” Lucian calls from the other room, making me smile. Levi lifts his head, looking at the entrance of the kitchen expectantly. Lucian bursts into the room, a giant egg in his hands. I freeze, staring at the beautiful, shiny egg.

  “Oh,” Levi and I say at the same time, totally in sync. “Pretty egg.” I can’t even pause to appreciate my nephew’s amazing taste in shinies because I’m stuck staring at this egg. It’s a Faberge egg. It’s the purest white I think I’ve ever seen. There are diamonds laid all the way around it, making it shine in the sunlight that’s coming through the kitchen window. When the light hits it just right, there’s a shimmer of blue and black. Fuck. My dragon raises its head, wanting it for our hoard.

  My eyes leave the egg, turning towards my twin who’s stood in shock, staring at his son. “Lucian,” he says slowly. “Give Daddy the egg, sweetheart.” He approaches slowly but no, I’m not having that.

  I set Levi on the ground before darting forward towards Lucian. Elwood sees my movement, abandoning his slow approach and instead running to Lucian and picking him up into his arms. “No. Elwood. What the--”

  “French toast!” Frankie says quickly, cutting me off.

  I point at my twin, feeling betrayed and uncaring that it shows on my face. “What is this? Where did you get this? Why didn’t you ever show me?”

  “Tell him the truth, Elwood,” Frankie says, picking up Levi from where I’d abandoned him.

  Elwood bites his bottom lip before nodding his head slowly. “You remember what I told you about Jeff?” Jeff was a hunter that found us about two years ago. Trish, my past girlfriend, had convinced me that she was my mate. I was dumb, being led by my libido and heart instead of my head. I’d loved her with my entire being. And then one night, she snuck into my home and killed my parents. She tried to kill my brother and I too but I stopped her. For good. Jeff was her brother and had found us in order to apologize and compensate us for our pain. Nothing would ever help the pain of losing our parents but the gesture was appreciated.

  “What about Jeff?” I ask slowly, taking a step towards him.

  “When he gave us that money. He might have also given us this?”

  I open my mouth to respond but a knock on the door stops me. Frankie rolls his eyes as he walks to the door to let Wyn in. I’m frozen, glaring my twin down.

  “They’re fighting over a shiny egg,” Frankie explains as they enter the room. “It’s ridiculous.”

  Wyn comes up beside me, putting his hand on my lower back. “Yeah, but how shiny are we talking?” I know the moment he sees it. “Oh,” he breathes. “Yep. I give you blanket permission to murder your brother for that thing.”

  Lucian turns towards me, smiling wide, and saying, “murder!” Fuck. Elwood was gonna murder me. His eyes turn towards me with a glare.

  “Oh my gods,” Wyn whispers with a wide smile, looking at Lucian. “He’s just like my sister. I already love him.”

  I shake my head at him before turning back to Elwood. I raise my hands in surrender. “Here’s the deal,” I tell him. “Joint custody.”

  His eyes narrow and I can tell he’s weighing his options before finally he nods. “Fine. Every other week?”

  “Deal.”

  Frankie claps his hands. “Alright. I’m so glad that is over and settled.” He walks between us, breaking up our staring contest.

  The moment Elwood tries to take the egg from Lucian he whines. “My shiny!” Frankie hands him a silver spoon and he instantly gives up the egg in favor of the spoon.

  “Yep. Just like Ivory,” Wyn says, smiling over at Lucian.

  I put my arm around Wyn’s waist, ducking down to kiss his forehead. “Will you tell me about your twin?”

  He smiles up at me and my insides warm. “Of course. I wonder if she’ll come visit when the babies are born,” he ponders and it’s only just then that I realize with a start that not only am I about to be a Dad but I’m about to be a Dad of twins.

  “Oh shit,” I murmur.

  “Oh shit,” Levi calls behind me, making Wyn snort with amusement.

  “I’m the worst, aren’t I?”

  Wyn shakes his head, putting his hands on my chest. “I think you’re pretty great.” Then he gets up on my tip toes, kissing my lips. “Did you only just realize we were having twins?”

  I give him a sheepish look. “Maybe?”

  “You’re lucky you’re pretty.”

  “He’s not even the prettier twin,” Elwood says as he comes back into the kitchen after putting the shiny egg away. I will not forget to snag it to bring it home. But that can wait till after dinner.

  “I don’t know,” Wyn says, looking at me with a fond look. “I think we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one.”

  I stick my tongue out at Elwood before helping Wyn sit down, his extended belly giving him a hard time. He sits down with a huff and a groan. “I know Lady Fate literally made my body for this but honestly it’s such bullshit. My ankles are swollen, I can’t eat anything without having heartburn, I can’t sleep. And I can’t even feel my babies moving around like a normal pregnant person. I hate it.”

  Frankie gives an understanding look. “Try being a fox with a giant egg inside of them.”

  “Oh gods,” Wyn says with wide eyes. “How did you manage without killing anyone?”

  Frankie looks over at Elwood, heart eyes obvious. “My mate was such a help. Plus you know, the usual things. Indulging in cravings, back rubs, hot showers.” Then he leans in closer, covering his mouth as he whispers so the twins can’t hear. “And orgasms, of course.”

  Wyn smiles wide, nudging me with his elbow. “I like your brother in law. He knows his stuff.”

  I feel my cheeks heat at the comment. “Noted,” I whisper, making us all laugh. All in all, it’s a good night. It reminds me of how far I’ve come since meeting Dakota, and how much further my life is going now that I have Wyn.

  Chapter Ten

  Rhett

  I step into the living room, leaning against the wall as I stare at my mate. “Oh good,” he says, seeing me there. “Will you grab that
for me?” Wyn gestures at the frozen pizza on the table next to him.

  I walk over, smiling at him as I go. I hand him the whole, frozen pizza, watching as he balances it perfectly on his round belly. Wyn carefully snaps a piece off, popping it into his mouth. It’s the weirdest fucking thing I’ve ever seen, and yet I’m hit with a wave of fondness.

  “Did I tell you about Tony?” Wyn asks me. When I shake my head, he goes on a long winded tangent as I perch myself on the opposite arm of the couch. “So last month I swear he met someone. He came into the shop with one of those grins that said he just got laid. And usually that wouldn’t bring up any red flags because duh, of course he goes out and gets laid. Isn’t that how you two met, actually?”

  “Uh, yeah? We were at a club together and started talking but we knew there wasn’t a spark so he left me at the bar, drinking alone while he found someone to take home.”

  “Right,” Wyn says, tossing some more frozen pizza into his mouth. I cringe as I hear the crunch of it. “Anyway,” he says, stretching the word out. “But now he keeps acting like he’s silently pining. Or something. I don’t know.”

  I’m struck all over again with how much I love my mate. He’s laid out on the couch, in nothing but his black boxers and black robe, which is open and fallen to the sides. His big belly on display but covered by the frozen pizza. His beard is growing in, dusting his jaw. He hasn’t showered today, has barely gotten up from the couch.

  “Gods,” Wyn murmurs, wiggling his toes at me. “Can you itch my foot? I can’t even fucking see my toes let along reach them,” he complains. “I can’t see my cock, can’t see my feet. My ankles are swollen.” Wyn takes another bite, no longer breaking off pieces but biting into the pizza as a whole now. “I’m so sick of being pregnant,” he says with his mouth full. “Plus,” Wyn adds, waving his hand at me. “There’s so many things I want to share with you in the bedroom and I just don’t have the energy to put you over my non-existent lap.”

  “Hey, Wyn,” I whisper.

  “Yeah?”

  “I love you.” It’s like I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Even at what he would probably label his very worst, I still can’t stop loving him. He’s my omega, my everything. And he’s carrying our babies inside him. My chest feels like it might literally burst. And in a way, it has in the form of my words coming out.

  “Oh,” he breathes, tossing the pizza onto the table. His eyes are shiny as he smiles at me. “I love you, too.”

  I duck my head, smiling down at my feet. “Good,” I whisper, not knowing what else to say. Thankfully at that moment, there’s a knock on the door. “Saved by the bell,” I tell him, making him roll his eyes playfully at me.

  “Such a brat,” he says, tossing a pillow at my back.

  “Well guess what,” I say right before leaving the room, “you love this brat!”

  Quietly, I barely hear him say, “yeah. I really do.”

  I answer the door with a wide smile, looking down at Star, our family’s midwife. Her snow white hair has a streak of orange in it, making it almost look like it’s on fire. She’s been taking care of my entire family, making sure everyone’s healthy through their pregnancies, and deliveries go on without a hitch. I won’t lie and say I’m comfortable around her though. Something about her makes the hair at the back of my neck stand on end. Her eyes are too knowing, too old, too wise.

  “You look like the cat who just caught the canary,” Star says in greeting.

  “Nope,” I tell her, opening the door wider so she can step in. “Just got a mate that loves me. Surprising, I know.”

  She pauses, looking up at me. “Not that surprising, dear. Sometimes the best thing we can do in life is to just submit,” she pauses. “To Lady Fate, of course.”

  I can feel my cheeks heat up as she looks at me. Like I said. Too fucking knowing. I follow behind her, looking at the ground, trying to push my embarrassment down as I go.

  “Seems I have the perfect timing,” Star says, setting her bag down on the ground and making her way over to Wyn.

  “What do you mean?” I ask her, only now looking up and finding Wyn’s face scrunched up in pain.

  Wyn’s face is bright red before he releases the breath he was holding. His hands touch his stomach and I only now notice the long line crossing over his stomach just under his belly button. “Oh,” I breathe.

  “Yeah. Oh,” Wyn says, a bite to his tone that makes me frown.

  “You’re not allowed to be mean to me,” I tell him, crossing my arms over his chest. “You just admitted that you loved me!”

  “I’ll be as mean as I want to be, damn it,” he says back. “You’re the one who put this thing inside me. It’s your fault we’re in this mess.”

  “How is it my fault? I wore a condom!”

  “And I was on birth control!”

  “Children, children,” Star says, making both of our eyes dart over to her. “Shall we just blame Lady Fate and be done with this dumbass argument? Last time I sat down and thought about it, I remember there taking two to tango.”

  I groan, covering my face with my hands. “Why are you like this?”

  “You two would be lost without me,” she says, kneeling beside Wyn. “Now get your ass over here and hold your omega’s hand.”

  I do what I’m told, but not before rolling my eyes and giving a huff. The tiniest smile plays at Wyn’s lips when I do. I get on the couch behind Wyn, making him lay back against me. “I love you,” I whisper against Wyn’s head, kissing his ear. “Just in case you’ve forgotten since I last told you.”

  “You’re such a little shit,” he hisses out, his hand finding mine and tightening. “Fuck.”

  “But here’s the thing you gotta remember. I’m your little shit.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Star does something with his belly and Wyn makes a pained noise. Everything inside of me clenches up, wanting to do something to help.

  “Tell me something, Wyn. Anything that I don’t already know about you.”

  Wyn makes another whining noise. “Gideon and I tried for years to have a baby,” he tells me, surprising me to my core. Even though I’d given him blanket permission to talk about Gideon, he very rarely does it. And now, in this high stress time, he decides to talk about him. My Wyn is something else.

  “We tried for so long but it never happened. It’s why I was so angry when I first found out. I tried to have Gideon’s baby and it never happened. But I shag with you once and get pregnant on accident. It didn’t feel fair.”

  My other arm wraps around his middle, holding him tight against me. “I’m sorry,” I tell him seriously.

  Wyn sniffles, turning his head to look at me. “It’s okay. Gideon and I had a good life together. We adopted so many fur babies.”

  “Of course you did. And I’m sure you spoiled them just as much as you spoil Dog.”

  He lets out a wet snort. “Of course.”

  I lean down and kiss my mate, wishing I could take all of his pain away. We pull back, our foreheads pressed together.

  “Congrats boys,” Star says, making us jolt away from each other. She snorts, giving us a look. She carefully holds up our egg, setting it into Wyn’s arms.

  “Holy shit,” I breathe. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life.”

  “Hey,” Wyn whispers. “What about me?” Yet, his eyes are locked on our egg, unable to look away.

  Our egg is the most stunning red color. When Wyn shifts it, it shimmers with dark purple and orange. In that moment, I know I would literally die to keep this egg safe. It’s a heady feeling that threatens to steal my breath. Star continues helping Wyn, no doubt making sure his omega line is taken care of, but we’re both too focused at taking in our egg, looking at it from every single angle.

  “I love them already,” Wyn whispers.

  “Me too.” Dog meows at us before hopping up onto the couch. He looks at the egg before bumping it with his nose. It’s like he knows he’s getting some siblings really
soon. My little family. My family.

  I know I’ve always had a family with Elwood. That family grew with Dakota and now it grows as everyone finds their mate. But this is somehow different. This little unit is mine and wholly mine. Wyn, our egg, and Dog. And I love them all so much it aches.

  “Thank you,” I say to Star, only now noticing that there are silent tears falling down my cheeks.

  “You deserve it,” she whispers back with a soft smile, reaching up to pat my cheek. “Lady Fate knew you’d need someone really special. You’ve both been through more than most people ever experience and She knew you’d need each other to heal and grow and finally find happiness that’ll last for the long run.” Star stands up, picking up her bag. Somehow she’s made it look like she was never there despite literally just delivering our egg. “This feeling you’re feeling right now? Don’t forget it when times get tough. And above all else, try not fucking it up, alright? This is a blessing, treat it as such.”

  Star gives us a small bow. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get going to help my favorite unicorn.” Excitement runs through my veins at the thought of my niece or nephew being born on the same day as our egg.

  “Damn,” I murmur. “She really doesn’t pull her punches, does she?”

  “Nah,” Wyn says with a smile. “She’s too smart for that.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Wyn

  With Master Eggsellent placed carefully in my backpack, I trudge my way to Dakota and Charlie’s backyard. They’re having an old fashioned Fourth of July cookout. The sun shines down, warming my face as I walk and I find myself smiling. Before nerves can start turning in my belly, a familiar hand wraps around my own.

  I look up at my mate as we walk, his brown eyes lit up with joy. He’s so oblivious to what he does to me, how he puts me at ease, how he takes care of me without even realizing it. It’s hard for me to accept I’ve been given this life, this gift. I thought I had gotten my one true love in the form of Gideon. He made me happier than I knew was possible, and when he passed away, a part of my soul shriveled up and died right along with him. But now, part of me feels like I’m finally living again instead of just existing.