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

Chapter 15

Barrett

Holding my baby for the first time was one of the most memorable moments of my life. It’s closely followed by the entire birthing process and the moment I watched my mate shift into a bear. All three were pivotal in how my life turned out.

With a sleeping cub on my chest, I was able to take in the smiling faces of those around me. Nolan’s parents had tears on their cheeks as they took us both in. It’s as if their happiness radiated through the room with their stares.

And my mate — he was the happiest of all. You wouldn’t know it from the way he was bawling his eyes out though.

From the minute Lenny, our precious boy, was born, Nolan became nothing more than tears and hiccups. For such a strong Alpha, he was weak for family.

Or rather, he was vulnerable.

Dr. Hepbuck left us all alone after ensuring the baby was fine, and I was all stitched up. He said he’d be back later to take the cub for his examination. Rather than the normal human stuff they do in hospitals, the facility here needed to make sure all his shifter parts were in order.

I was also warned he might shift if his beast got the urge to meet us. My mate could also force it if the doctors were worried in some way.

It’s been a struggle not to think of what that would be like. How in the world was I equipped to take care of a literal baby bear?

I’m a human. My skin would easily come open at one swipe of a baby’s errant claw. And I was pale enough to bruise if they squeezed too tight. How could I subject a child to that level of pain of knowing they hurt their parent?

“You did so well, Barrett. I’m thankful to you for all you’ve given us,” Nolan’s mom said as she shuffled closer. Still holding Lenny meant I drew the attention of everyone in the room.

His dad eased up behind her, arms wrapping around his mate with familiarity. “She’s right, as is the case most often. I’m honored to call you our son-in-Fate. This match couldn’t have been more perfect.”

Nolan’s tears kept going even as he nodded his head along. I smiled over at him on my other side. He was a mess, but he was my mess. I wondered if this would be his reaction to all the bear cubs we had together. It kind of made me want to get started on the next right away.

The vulnerability he showed only made me want him more.

“Do you want to hold him, Papa?” I raised my arms a bit, motioning to my mate.

“I’d love to.” With careful movements, he took the bundle of baby from my arms. I’d say he was tiny, but it would be a lie. Lenny was a chunky baby. The doctors assured me that was normal for a bear shifter. Well, any shifter really. It was something about their enhanced genetics. I’d have to research it more before committing to a den of cubs and a lifetime of pregnancy.

It was hard to believe I was already eager to go through all this again. The months leading up to this moment were tough. I didn’t think I’d ever want to repeat the process.

Yet holding our son and seeing the joy it brought my mate washed all that discomfort away. Knowing I could do this for him, for us, made it all worth it. Every nauseous moment. Every hypersexual night of restlessness. Every stretch mark. I could appreciate them all now that I had Lenny.

He was the greatest gift I could be given.

Or maybe that wasn’t true. It was a tie.

Because Fate had gifted me his papa, my mate, as well. And without him, there would be no Lenny. The two of them made my heart whole. I would love them until the end of my days, which thanks to our bond, would be a long way off.

As I watched Nolan rocking our son, I settled deeper into the bed. Everything was going to be ok. Life hadn’t exactly gone as planned. In fact, it was better.

I had a mate. A child. A family, thanks to Nolan’s parents coming back to town. And then there was the town that had welcomed me.

Speaking of which, a knock came at the door. “Come in,” I called out.

It opened to reveal several people. Nolan smiled at them.

“Wow! What are you all doing here?”

The group moved into the room as one unit. A large basket and balloons were in the arms of the man in front. He extended it toward me with a big smile.

“We wanted to welcome the newest member of the town. Congratulations to you two!”

I nodded as I took the heavy basket. Before I could shift it to a more comfortable position, Nolan’s dad lifted it and moved it to a side table.

“Thank you,” I told him.

He winked. “Nothing to it. Sometimes the shifter side of us forgets how heavy stuff can be for those that don’t have our extra strength. It’s only right for me to help you along.”

There was no doubt in my mind Nolan’s kindness came from this man. And his big heart was all his mother. They’d gone above and beyond for us, despite my protests at letting them in during the actual birth.

“Mate, let me introduce you to our visitors.” Nolan’s words drew my attention to him. He went about telling me everyone’s names and designations. I tried to keep up with it all, though exhaustion weighed on me by the time we reached the eighth person.

I yawned, then covered my mouth quickly to cover it. “Sorry! It’s been a day.”

The group laughed. I didn’t feel as if it was to make fun of me or anything. More like they understood in some way. I had a feeling a few of them did by the looks they shot my way.

“We’ll leave you to get some rest,” Wallace, the basket carrying man, said before spinning around and herding everyone out.

As the door shut behind them, I sunk back into the hospital bed and closed my eyes. It was a relief to be back to our main group. I’d felt like I had to be ‘on’ the whole time we had visitors. My need to be liked was directly linked to not wanting to embarrass my mate.

Lenny fussed a bit, so Nolan handed him over to me. I wasn’t quite sure what to do considering the only thing I figured he’d want was something I couldn’t give him.

Except… I felt a tug in my chest. It wasn’t painful or anything. More like a heavy sensation.

When I looked down, I was surprised to see something leaking from my nipple. My wide eyes flew up to meet Nolan’s.

He winced, then motioned to his mom. “Can you help with this part?”

She clicked her tongue at him as he eased her hands over where I held Lenny. Turning him toward my chest, she tilted his chin until his mouth was able to latch onto my nipple.

There was an awkwardness to the position. His little mouth struggled to get ahold of me for a few seconds, then there was the feeling of suction and relief all at once. I sighed, not realizing how much tension I’d held.

“I’m lactating?”

“You are, dear,” she told me gently while rubbing the crown of Lenny’s head. “Just as your body adapted for the pregnancy, it will adapt to be able to nourish your cub. Not all parents are able to, but it seems as if your body is perfect for it.”

When I turn to face Nolan to see how he feels, I find him staring at me with a heated gaze. I gulp, then focus back on our son. No need to get aroused while feeding him. That would just make this even more strange.

And I think it only feels strange because I hadn’t even considered this as a possibility. Despite all my research to prepare me for giving birth, I didn’t consider the aftereffects like my healing body or the possibility of breastfeeding. I just assumed getting him out was the hardest part.

“You might need to give me a crash course on this, Mom,” I told her once Lenny started fussing again.

She laughed, then lifted him and moved his little head to the other side. “There’s not much to tell. He seems like a natural, much like his father was. He latched right on and sucked me dry every chance he got.”

Nolan fake gagged. “Don’t talk about me breastfeeding!”

“You’re acting childish, son. It’s natural. Besides, you’re obviously into men. There are no mommy issues lingering or anything.”

I giggled when Nolan rolled his eyes at her. Those two were fun when they went back and forth. Nolan’s dad hummed from the sidelines, wisely staying out of things.

The rest of the feeding consisted of a crash course in all things lactation. I took mental notes, then settled more when she reassured me I could call her anytime, day or night. I was also reminded that they’d be staying with us for a few days, so she’d literally be just a few feet away if I needed her help.

With that settled, I let the last of my tiredness steal me away. Lenny was safe in Nolan’s arms, and I was wiped from the birth and feeding combo.

I knew when I woke up, I’d be back at it again, but I didn’t care. This was my life. It was far better than I ever dreamed it could be.