Two Wrong Turns (Love Sync Mates Season Two #9)

Chapter 14

Nolan

"You need to breathe, sweetheart." I told my mate for the fifth time in as many minutes.

He was damn near hyperventilating with his worry. I understood where his frustration was coming from.

Not only was he in the last few weeks of pregnancy, but I had just dropped the bomb on him that my parents were coming for a visit. And mind you, we made it this far without them coming, so I personally felt like it was overdue for them to show up.

They’d been all up in my business since the moment they picked me up from the hospital after I was born and they signed the adoption papers.

When Mom texted me earlier, I contemplated keeping the secret to myself and pretending like I had no idea they were coming.

But knowing my mother and father, they would make it abundantly clear if there was any confusion that we had spoken, and she had warned me.

I didn't want to lie to my mate either. He deserved to know the truth, always. I expected honesty from him, and it was only fair that I did the same in return.

Only I was regretting it deeply at this moment because the big fat tears rolling down his face broke my heart. I wanted to comfort him and tell him everything would be okay. It seemed the more that I did so, the more distraught he was.

He hiccupped. “It's not going to be okay. They're going to hate me. Just look at me.”

He waved his hands at his stomach. The previously flat area was protruding with his bump.

I rubbed it affectionately as I always did, and he whimpered. He loved it when I touched him this way. I knew it would soothe a bit of his worry, so I kept going as I spoke.

“My parents are overjoyed at the fact that they're going to be grandparents. They're ecstatic that I'm having a little cub that they can spoil. It doesn't matter how you look, which by the way, I feel like the correct answer here is gorgeous and stunning. You should let it go. If you're worried that they'll not like you as a person, you shouldn't be concerned with that either. You're my mate. Fate deemed you as mine. They already love you too.”

There were a few sniffles, and then he wiped his eyes and glanced up at me from where I had him tucked under my chin.

"You really think so?" he said, his voice a pitiful mess from how hard he had cried.

I kissed the tip of his nose. "Of course, I promise they're going to love you. They're so happy, and the only reason they're coming down is more for the baby than for me and you. We'll be completely forgotten once we have our child."

He smiled. "You really think they're just going to come in and take over?"

I rolled my eyes. "You'll understand once you meet them. They can be a bit much. With how long they've been alive, it's understandable. They've lived through just about every major event in the world."

His eyes went wide. "How old are they?"

I clipped my tongue. "I'm not supposed to tell you. Mom has this thing about her age, and if I tell you Dad's, then you'll probably be able to guess hers. It's a whole thing. I've just learned to keep my mouth shut."

My mate tilted his head back and stuck his bottom lip out. "But I want to know. How will I ever be close to them if I don't understand anything about them?”

I took advantage of the position we were in and pressed my lips to his. It was a soft kiss, though when his mouth dropped open and his tongue skimmed across my lips, it turned hungry quickly.

I let him have his way with me for a little bit, giving him the power when normally I was the one to control. His pregnancy had made him a ball of raging hormones.

Sometimes it manifested with tears, other times through anger. The majority of the time, though, it was through sexual discovery.

We had explored a variety of kinks and role-playing during the short five-month pregnancy. My mate wanted to try it all to know what satiated him best. Part of me wondered if they would stick around once he was no longer carrying our cub.

I kind of hoped some of them did because watching him fall apart like that was my addiction.

I wanted to keep him close and spoiled as much as possible, but I also knew that having him get pregnant again so fast was going to be a concern.

He had struggled through this pregnancy. With his human nature, his body had to work overtime to adjust. Thanks to the magic, he’d made it to the end.

However, mentally, he found himself torn between what was happening and what he felt like should be happening based on his research.

I personally felt like there was so much happening all at once. There was no way he would be able to keep up. Even most shifters struggled with knowing that they would be pregnant right away and start a family.

Shortened gestation sped up the process of things. Oftentimes that meant our families and relationships and even careers took a back seat to what nature intended.

Of course there were ways to prevent pregnancy. They weren’t the most pleasant, but they could be done. I intended to speak with the doctor about it the next time he came by. My mate deserved at least some time to rest between cubs.

Hopefully he would want more. Even if he didn't, I would be forever thankful for the family he's given me.

My parents had said they wouldn't be in for a couple of days, which gave us enough time to clean up the cabin and make space for them in the guest bedroom.

When Barrett fell asleep on me during the movie I put on to get him to relax, I eased him down and got to work. There wasn't a ton to do but the sooner I could get it done and back to him, the better.

It was my day off too. With me needing to work tomorrow, he was going to be alone again. I liked to have as much prep work done for him as I could since his range was limited now. He couldn't bend over and put his shoes on, and driving was a chore.

His belly was so big, we had even joked with the doctor that there had to have been more than one baby inside him. We'd been assured that that's just the standard for human-shifter pregnancies. Given his smaller frame, it was inevitable that his belly would be more pronounced.

When I finished my tasks for the day and went back into the living room, I stopped at the threshold simply to watch my mate. He was so peaceful in sleep. His hand rested atop his belly, and I could even see tiny movements across his skin where his shirt had ridden up.

I basked in the happiness that my little family had created.

Thank Fate for bringing him here.

Two days later, my parent’s rental ambled up the driveway as my mate squeezed my hand tightly.

I could feel the worry pulsing through our bond. He was a nervous wreck, though on the outside, he wore a smile that was meant to charm.

It was his artist smile as I had come to learn. I only knew because he had made it when talking on a video call to his agent a couple of weeks back. I had managed to catch the tail end of the conversation, and I’d called him out for the extremely fake expression.

He told me that sometimes, he had to put on a face even when he wasn't in the mood. When I asked him if he'd ever done so with me, he scoffed and said that he never had to fake anything with me.

“Going to love you,” I repeated to my mate.

He nodded, his smile remaining in place as my parents parked and climbed from the car.

My mother took off using her shifter speed as she approached. I stepped in front of Barrett and put a hand up.

“Easy, Mom. Baby on board,” I reminded her.

She stopped as she reached me. Then pushed me aside and gently wrapped Barrett in a hug. “Oh you're so precious. Such a perfect little mate for our Nolan. The Fates have blessed us.”

Barrett gently wrapped his arms around her and patted her back. His eyes were wide as he looked over her shoulder at me.

Dad and I laughed silently, knowing just how powerful Mom could be. Dad clapped me on the back and winked. “Congrats, son. I think you're going to make a great dad.”

My heart swelled at the praise he so easily gave me. My parents were my biggest supporters and though they didn't live in town anymore, they still checked in with me often.

Them being back was going to be an adventure, not only with a baby living in our space, which was going to be an adjustment for all of us, but I had a feeling that they wouldn't be turning around and leaving as soon as the baby was born.

I wouldn't be surprised if they were already in the market for a house close by.

When Mom finally let go of Barrett, his smile was a bit more genuine. Whatever she said to him while I was talking to Dad must have eased the rest of his worry, or at least the majority of it.

We switched over, and I got to hug Mom. She gave me a bone-crushing squeeze as Dad pulled Barrett into a quick pat.

He knew how my inner beast would feel with another man's scent on him. Even though it was my father, the animalistic side of me didn't understand.

It only wanted to protect and defend.

Mom wasn't a threat because she was so obviously female.

Like I said, it didn't make much sense. Hindbrain and all that.

Besides, Dad wasn't the overly affectionate type. Mom was though, which is why she looped her arm through mine and then dragged me up to the house while motioning for my mate and my father to follow us.

“You have to tell me everything. I want to know the story from the beginning.”

I groaned. “Mom, I've already told you everything. There's nothing new.”

Barrett snorted a laugh, then tried to cover it with a cough.

Mom turned to him. “Will you tell it then, Barrett? I would love to get your perspective since my son is not a very descriptive storyteller.”

“Mom, just because I gave you the high points doesn't mean I'm not descriptive. You don't need a four-hour story about how things went.”

In a surprising move, Barrett stepped forward and put his hand on my shoulder to gently push me away. He didn't have near enough strength to do it, but I moved just the same.

He slipped his arm over Mom's and tucked her hand into his elbow, then led her over to the couch. He motioned for her to sit and then he eased himself down beside her.

“Well, if you want to know the story, I'll tell you my perspective all day long. I love our story.”

It was very obvious that Barrett was trying to suck up to the woman. She didn't care because she was getting her way.

So dad and I each took a seat and listened while Barrett regaled her of how he was on this journey to find himself and how he had stumbled upon this tiny town when his GPS didn't work anymore. He told her about our first meeting in the diner and how he had drawn the bear on the napkin.

He explained how when I shifted for the first time, he made the connection between me and his drawing. About how he felt such a sense of relief and completion.

Every single word he said was true — even the slight exaggerations.

I could feel it through the bonds. I could smell the rightness of it in the air. And my heart simply melted with every single word he spoke. I fell more and more in love with him.

I couldn't imagine life without him, nor could I picture a future in which this never happened. Where I’d have gone on with just my day-to-day work life, getting lost in the monotony until I died.

Would I have eventually found someone and mated with them purely to settle? Or would we have found each other another way? Would we have inevitably wound up together because Fate didn't give up?

I had to believe that was the case. The circumstances were odd, sure, but there was no doubt in my mind just how aligned we were; how perfectly everything was timed.

By the time Barrett finished his story, it was time to start dinner. As I went into the kitchen to start cooking, Mom joined me, leaving Dad and Barrett to bond.

She bumped my hip and whispered, "I like him. He's a great son-in-law, and I can see you're smitten."

I smiled. “I am, Mom. I love him so, so much. He's my family. That's my child in his belly. Soon, you’ll be a grandma.”

Her smile grew a million times wider. “I will be, and I'll be the best damn grandma this town's ever seen.”

I raised my brow.

“Does that mean what I think it means?”

She threw the towel over her shoulder. “If you think it means that we're moving back here so I can be close to my very first grandchild and also get to see my son and bond with his mate, then yes. If you think it means anything else, then no.”

I laughed loudly at her sarcastic tone at the end.

“Do you have a place, or will you be staying here until you find one?”

“I figured we'd last about a week here. Really give you a chance to get to know us better.”

“Mom, I already know you. I lived with you until I was grown.”

She shrugged. “That was mom-me. I’m different than adult-mom. You know this.”

We'd gone out to drink once. It was meant to be a little mother-son time where she wasn’t the parent, and I wasn’t her child. Dad didn’t come because he wanted to catch up on some reading. Either way, it was very different to see her throw a shot back rather than tell me to take out the trash.

I nodded as I went to work on the burgers I had been marinating.

“That's true, but it's still just an odd way to say it, Mom. Besides, the baby will be here soon, so no point in holding back.”

A gasp drew our attention to the living room.

Dad's head whipped our way. “Soon might be sooner than you think, son. Your mate's water just broke.”

Mom pressed her hand to her chest. “Oh, what perfect timing. The baby is coming. Quickly, let's move, gentlemen. It's time to hustle.”

In typical Mom fashion, she got us all outside in the car and to the hospital in no time.

I put on my scrubs and went into the delivery room. Mom had asked to come with me, but I told her it probably wasn't a good idea, considering she only met my mate a couple of hours ago.

“Modesty is still a thing for the humans,” I’d said.

She agreed to stay behind and wait with Dad. With them settled, I went into the room where my mate was laid out across the inclined bed.

There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead, and he gripped the rails tightly as his stomach tensed in pain.

I took one of his hands, giving him something better to hold on to, and I sent calming waves through our bond. He sighed and leaned his head to the side to look up at me.

"We're going to have a baby," he said softly, almost reverently.

"We're going to have a baby," I repeated with a smile. "And I'm going to be with you every step of the way. You've got this, mate. Let's bring this cub into the world so we can be one big happy family."

The doctor strode in before we could say anything else, snapped on a pair of gloves, and said, "It's baby time."

The room dissolved into laughter, which broke the last bit of tension. I was thankful for everyone who'd shown up. Through Fate’s timing, I’d been given a perfect mate and soon we’d welcome our precious cub, who I couldn’t wait to meet.

They'd all changed my life in such a short time.