Chapter 8 Spike
SPIKE
I woke up before dawn with Tyler's scent filling my senses. Well, it wasn’t just his scent anymore. Now it was a mashup of his and mine.
His warm body was curled against mine like he'd never be comfortable anywhere else.
January snow piled against the windows, but inside our cabin, we were safe and warm. It was still hard to believe that not only had I found my fated mate on Christmas Eve, but now, barely a week later, he was carrying our child.
Our future.
I placed my hand on his still-flat stomach and felt the bond between us pulse with contentment. My reindeer wanted to run through the woods to celebrate the new life we’d created, but I couldn’t bear to leave Tyler yet.
Soon. We’ll run soon.
Nothing in my life had prepared me for this rush of protectiveness and love that was all-consuming since finding Tyler.
He stirred, and his eyes opened slowly. That sweet smile that made my heart hammer against my ribs flashed up at me. "Good morning, alpha." He pressed himself closer to me and sighed when his morning wood hit my leg.
I nuzzled his neck and kissed his warmth. "Good morning, little omega. How are you feeling?"
"Hungry. Again." He laughed and stretched. "Your baby wants pancakes."
"My baby, huh?" I kissed his forehead and slipped out of bed. "Then pancakes it is."
As I padded to the kitchen, the wooden floors were cold beneath my bare feet. The cabin had always been home to me, but now with Tyler here, it truly was complete.
When we cleaned out his apartment in the city yesterday, I’d expected more hesitation or even regret from him. But Tyler was as eager to live with me permanently as I was to have him under my constant care.
A few minutes later, I heard Tyler approach from behind me.
He stood in the doorway wearing one of my long hoodies, which swallowed his slim frame.
My chest swelled with pride at the sight. "I can bring you breakfast in bed." I flipped a pancake with practiced ease.
“Nah, it’s fine.” Tyler slid onto one of the kitchen stools. "I couldn't stay in bed without you. Too cold."
I poured a glass of orange juice and placed it in front of him. "What did you decide about your job?" I tried to keep my voice casual, but the thought of my pregnant mate commuting back and forth to the city made me and my beast growl.
Tyler looked down at his juice and shrugged. "I was thinking of quitting, actually."
I placed a stack of pancakes in front of him. "Are you sure? I know how much you love your work."
"I love you more." He drizzled syrup over his breakfast. "And our baby. You’re my priority now."
I sat beside him and took his hand. "How about you talk to them first? See if there's a remote option? I don't want you to give up something you care about if you don't have to."
His eyes met mine, surprised. "You wouldn't mind me working?"
"Of course not. As long as you're taking care of yourself and our little one." I squeezed his hand. "I want you to be happy, Tyler. That's all that matters to me."
The smile he gave me was worth everything.
Later that day, Tyler called his manager while I cleared snow from the driveway. When I came back inside, he was sitting on the couch with a bowl of ice cream. "They don't want to lose me." He beamed. "I can work remotely until the baby comes, and then decide what I want to do after."
I put the bowl on the table and pulled him into my arms. "See? Told ya. You're irreplaceable."
"Not really." He relaxed against my chest. "But I get to keep my clients and my salary, so it’s good for now."
"Perfect." I kissed the top of his head. "Now, while you were sorting that out, I was thinking about the cabin."
Tyler looked up at me and cocked his head. "What about it?"
"It's perfect for us, but with the baby coming..." I led him to the back of the house and pointed out the window to the cleared area behind the cabin. "I'm gonna build an addition. Two bedrooms, so we'll have the nursery and a space for you to work."
His eyes widened before he bit his lip. "You can do that?"
"I built my entire workshop myself. An addition is nothing." I wrapped my arms around him from behind and rocked him in my arms. "I want our babies to have everything they need."
“Babies?” Tyler stilled in my arms. “Do you hear two heartbeats?”
“Not yet.” I had warned him that multiples were more likely with shifters. “But even if they don’t all come at the same time, I want to be ready when they do.”
Tyler nodded and looked out the window again. "I love you, Spike."
My heart skipped at the sound of that. I'd never tire of hearing those words. "I love you too. Both of you."
Time began to pass in a blur of planning and preparation. I started the addition as soon as the ground thawed in early March. In the meantime, Tyler set up his office in our bedroom. His laptop and monitor barely fit on the small desk by the window, but he never complained.
Each morning, I'd give him a kiss before heading out to work on the addition, and each evening, I'd come inside to find him engrossed in Zoom meetings and emails. Sometimes I'd stand in the doorway just watching him work, marveling at how lucky I was.
One evening in April, I found Tyler staring at the empty room that would become our nursery with his hand resting on his slightly rounded belly. "I was thinking about a forest theme." He spoke to the window without turning around to face me. "With animals and trees. What do you think?"
I wrapped my arms around him and rested my chin on his shoulder. "I love it. A little woodland for our little deer."
"Maybe I can paint a mural myself." He was tense in my arms while he waited for my response. "A night sky with stars and pine trees and forest animals. Maybe even a big reindeer watching over everything."
My throat tightened with emotion. "I'd like that."
The next day, I came home with cans of paint in forest greens, twilight blues, and earthy browns.
Tyler's face lit up when he saw them. "You remembered all the colors I wanted!"
I set the cans down and slipped my hands in my pockets. "Of course I did. I listen to everything you say."
He threw his arms around me, and I breathed in the scent that was now sweetened with pregnancy.
"I got something else too." I pulled a small paper bag from my pocket and handed it to him.
Tyler carefully opened it and pulled out a small wooden reindeer figure. “Like the one you made me. It's beautiful."
I suddenly felt shy. "For the baby. The first of many forest friends."
Tyler’s eyes filled with tears, and he clutched the little reindeer to his chest. "This is perfect."
By June, the addition was nearly complete, and Tyler's stomach had grown into a perfectly round bump. I finished my workdays earlier and earlier, unable to stay away from him for long. As his belly grew, my protective instincts seemed to also grow exponentially.
One afternoon, I returned to find Tyler surrounded by grocery bags.
"What's all this?" I casually surveyed the mountain of baby supplies.
Tyler looked a little sheepish as he folded a receiving blanket. "I might have gone overboard at the store."
I picked up a package of newborn diapers, then another, and another. "How many of these did you buy?"
"Twelve packages." He bit his lip and shrugged. "Is that too many?"
I tried not to laugh. "Maybe, but better to be prepared, right?"
"That's what I thought! And look, I got these too." He pulled out a pack of tiny onesies with forest creatures on them. "Aren't they perfect?"
"Yup. Just like you." I helped him put everything away and smiled at how he’d rearranged the pantry for the third time this week.
My omega was nesting, and my heart swelled with pride.
One night, I found Tyler in the newly finished nursery. The walls were a masterpiece of twilight forest scenes with tall pines reaching toward a star-filled sky. Woodland creatures peeked out from behind trees and bushes, and just as he'd promised, a strong reindeer stood watch over everything.
He was hanging the wooden mobile I'd carved of tiny forest animals dangling from delicate branches.
I scooted the bassinet out of the way so I could get to him. "Need help?"
“Yes, please.” He reached for the ceiling but was just a few inches short.
I secured it above the crib we'd assembled together, then we both stepped back to admire the room.
"It's perfect." I slipped my arm around his waist.
"It feels real now," he whispered. "We're gonna be dads soon."
I kneeled down in front of him and pressed my lips to his stomach. "Hey there, little one. Your daddy and papa are waiting for you. We've made you the most beautiful room in the world, and we've filled it with love."
Tyler's fingers threaded through my hair, and when I looked up, tears streamed down his face.
"What's wrong?" I stood immediately.
He shook his head and sniffled. "Nothing's wrong. I just never thought I'd have this. A mate. A baby. A family." He wiped at his eyes. "I was always alone before you, Spike. And now I'm not."
I gathered him against my chest with his baby bump pressing against me. "You'll never be alone again. I promise."
As summer bloomed around our cabin, Tyler's belly grew rounder. We spent evenings on the porch swing, usually with my hands caressing his stomach and feeling our baby kick.
"This little one is strong," I murmured one night in the fall. "Takes after their papa."
“Mm.” Tyler rested his head on my shoulder and sighed. "I hope they have your eyes."
"And your smile." I kissed the top of his head. "Your kindness."
"Your bravery and strength." He traced a figure eight on my thigh.
I held him tight to my side. "Your artistic talent."
He laughed. "Your antlers?"
I tickled his side gently. "Now that will be exciting to see."
Those were the moments I treasured most. So quiet and peaceful yet filled with anticipation for a wonderful future together.
The next morning, I received a text while chopping firewood for the coming winter. Can you come inside?
I dropped the axe and ran inside with my heart pounding.
Tyler was in the kitchen, staring at a puddle on the floor. "My water didn't break," he said as soon as he saw my panicked expression. "I just dropped my lemonade. But I think I felt a contraction."
I placed my hands on his shoulders. "Are you sure?"
He nodded and bit his lip. "It wasn't painful, just...different."
"I'll call Dr. Weir." I reached for my phone.
"Wait." Tyler grabbed my hand to stop me. "They could be Braxton Hicks. False contractions. Let's time them before we panic."
I reluctantly agreed, but I couldn't focus on anything else for the rest of the day. Despite his insistence that he was fine, I hovered near Tyler and watched for any sign of discomfort.
Around dinnertime, he winced and placed a hand on his lower back.
"Another one?" I was at his side instantly.
He nodded. "Still not bad. About thirty minutes since the last one."
"That's it. I'm calling the doctor." I pulled out my phone and dialed.
Tyler didn't argue this time. After a brief conversation, Dr. Weir assured us this was likely early labor and to come in when the contractions were five minutes apart. I didn’t like waiting, but it was all part of the process.
That night, I held Tyler close, keeping my hand splayed over his belly.
Our baby shifted restlessly throughout the night as if sensing the coming change.
"Are you scared?" I whispered into the darkness.
"A little. But mostly excited." Tyler was quiet for a moment before he turned in my arms to face me. "We’re gonna figure this out, right? Parenting.”
"We’re gonna be great. And when we aren’t, we’ll learn and get better." I kissed him softly. "You and our baby are my everything."
He smiled and nestled closer. "We feel the same way, alpha."
And finally, when there was a chill in the air and leaves were turning golden on the trees around our cabin, it was time.
Tyler's due date was still a few weeks away when I woke and found him sitting at the edge of the bed, breathing deeply. "Tyler?"
He exhaled slowly. "Contractions are getting stronger."
I sat up immediately and reached for my phone. "How long between?"
"About fifteen minutes now." He grimaced. "I think it's time to get ready."
I leapt out of bed with adrenaline surging through me. This was it. After nine months of planning, our baby was finally coming. I helped Tyler to his feet and held him steady as another contraction washed over him.
"I'm right here, sweetheart." I pressed my forehead to his to keep him focused. "I've got you. Both of you."
He gripped my arms and breathed through the pain. When it passed, he looked up at me with determination in his eyes. "Let's go meet our baby."