Epilogue
Kade - Two Weeks Later
W e were lying in bed together, limbs tangled and just waking when I felt the change. I looked at Blake and watched his nostrils flare. His eyes immediately softened and filled with tears.
“Does this mean what I think it means?” I asked him.
“I think it does. Do you want to get Dr Flemming to come out and see you?”
“What time is it?”
“A little after seven.”
“He won’t be at the clinic yet. Do you think he has time to fit us in?”
“I think he’ll make time for his alpha and favorite patient.” He grinned.
The merge was still in process, but Aldrin had moved his clinic to the community center in the omega houses.
It meant more people were coming and going from the pack each day as his other patients needed to be seen.
The plan long term was to have a clinic in Sweetwater half the week and the rest be in the compound.
While the bears had been apart from the main pack, Dr Flemming had only seen patients on bear land.
Blake didn’t want that for Aldrin or any of his patients, and the doctor seemed happier with Blake’s plans.
It also meant that the Flemmings were living with us in the short term until they could renovate a house for them.
We’d lost several enforcers when it had gone down with Rincoln, so we had some spare houses for the bears that were joining.
Not all of them were, and Blake and Jason had expected this.
Some could not see Blake as any different from his father.
Some just didn’t want to be in a pack any more, and that was more than fine.
No one was going to be forced to swear to Blake.
Rather than using the pack link and alerting half the house, I called Dr Flemming.
“Aldrin Flemming.” He always answered calls the same way, and it never failed to make me smile.
“My scent has changed.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Two minutes later, Blake was letting an excited Dr Flemming and James into our suite. With him, he carried a machine and his black medicine bag. “First thing, let’s do a test. Kade, take this, and go pee on it. Bring it through here with the cap on once you are done.” He handed me a pregnancy test.
“What’s that for?” I gestured to the machine.
“Well, if that comes back positive like I think it will, judging by your scent alone, then we can scan you. Omega gestation is shorter than humans, so we should be able to pick up the heartbeat.”
“Why not just scan him, then?” Blake asked, and I smiled at him. He’d read my mind.
“Just in case we don’t pick up a heartbeat today. We will test every day until we get a heartbeat and monitor you the whole time.”
There were so many things that could go wrong at this stage. I was thankful I had a great doctor.
The test didn’t take long to do, and I returned to the main room with shaking hands. The test didn’t even need the three minutes it had said on the box. Positive. Within a minute, that other line had shown up. We were having a baby!
“Thank The Luna!” James exclaimed as Aldrin sat with a smile on his face watching his new alpha openly weep.
I went to Blake, and he pulled me onto his lap. “Thank you.” He kissed me gently, laying a hand over my stomach. “We are so blessed to have this miracle. I wish my mom was here to meet her grandbabies.”
“Me too. I’m sure she’s watching over us all.” Blake squeezed me close. Nothing felt real. “I guess I’ll have to take some time off from the council when the baby comes.”
“We’ll work it out so you can still work if you want to.
There are plenty of pack mates that will help look after our little one.
Perhaps your Papa would like to come stay here?
” Blake suggested. In shifter families, it wasn’t uncommon for the grandparents to stay with the parents for a little while to help with the baby.
Papa was still living in my house, but being closer would be better.
The house was no longer my home, I’d made it here with my mate and our pack.
“That’s a good idea.” I rewarded him with a kiss. This whole thing felt weird. Almost like I was watching a stranger live my life. Being pregnant was a dream come true after weeks of thinking it would never happen for us.
“Right, let’s get you scanned, then. I’m so excited to say that to you both after so short a time!” Aldrin looked nearly as energetic as his mate normally did, and it was sweet on the usually more stoic doctor.
He got me to lie down on the couch and lift my t-shirt. I’d taken off the jeans I’d put on just before lying down and pushed my underwear lower. The gel was cold and Blake let out a little laugh at my yip as it landed on my skin.
Aldrin switched on the machine and ran the wand over my abdomen, pushing down firmly in the gel and moving it around. A couple of minutes passed, and I worried that there was nothing to see, that the test was a false positive, or I was losing the baby already.
Then we heard it. The flub-flub noise of a heartbeat I remembered hearing from Angelica’s scans. The wand moved and there was another whomp-whomp. Another movement and another slightly unique sound.
We all looked at each other and at the screen. Aldrin moved the wand again and there it was, clear as day. Three little heartbeats.
“Is that?” James asked.
“Yes.” Aldrin confirmed.
“But it’s never —“
“It has, but such a long time ago.” Aldrin said, his face a look of wonder.
“What was it that Janet said, my love? You were important to The Luna. That you’d put things in motion.” Blake reminded me of that day weeks ago.
“I dunno if she meant three babies!” I knew I sounded slightly hysterical.
“No, maybe not, but you’re on the council.
This is a clear sign The Luna favors you.
One baby would have been cherished, but three?
That’s a portent. You are important to our goddess and she’s chosen this way to show that to the world.
I’m so proud of you, Kade. I love you and our babies.
” Tears flowed freely down Blake’s face.
“Congratulations, Alpha, Alpha Mate. Within the next five months, you will be parents of triplets!” Aldrin beamed.
Over the last month or so, I’d come to recognize the hand The Luna played in her shifters lives and my faith in her was restored. She’d given me so much love. The gift of not only my true mate, but three babies too. I couldn’t wait to start this parenting adventure with my mate.
Blake
“Incoming.” I warned my mate.
My brothers burst through the doors. “Congratulations!” They shouted, filling the room with their joy.
“Aldrin told everyone that was awake,” I explained to the confused Flemmings and startled Kade.
James chuckled and hugged his mate tightly. “He’s just excited. I’ve never heard of a shifter having triplets!”
“Should we be worried?” Kade asked. I felt a trickle of fear over the bond.
“I’ll do some research to refresh my memory, but I believe it should just be like a standard pregnancy.
” He smiled and looked between us. “You might go into labor earlier and the babies might be smaller. I’d expect you to spend the last week or so of the pregnancy in your wolf form to make it easier and more comfortable for you.
I’ll start getting equipment sent to the clinic so we are as prepared as we can be.
” The doctor sounded assured, and his confidence bolstered mine.
I felt Kade take a deep breath and relax, his joy returning.
“So I’ll still be able to shift?”
“Oh yes, in fact, I’d recommend changing regularly to keep you all healthy.” James nodded at his mate’s words.
“That’s great because I want to celebrate the full moon and the babies with everyone. I’d like to shift since it’s my first run as Alpha Mate.”
I felt the wide grin split my face, filled with pride at my mate and excitement for our rapidly growing family. “Axel, I need to borrow Dalton. We have so much to do to get ready for the babies. A nursery, clothes, everything they need.”
“Woah, slow down, brother. I’ll call him and we’ll start making a list. You and Kade can pick out things you like and we can handle the rest, okay?”
“Thank you.” Axel nodded and pulled Chase from the room, the Flemmings following after.
“I need to call Dakota and let him know. He’s going to be so happy for us.
” Kade rose to go find his phone. “Would you call Papa for me and tell him our news?” Kade was always pushing me and Jasper together in the hopes that we would bond.
There was a softening on Jasper’s side. I had no issues with the man, but it wasn’t working fast enough for my impatient mate.
“Of course.” I located my phone and made the call, hearing Kade’s call in the background.
“Kota? I’m pregnant!” A pause and he pulled the phone from his ear. “I know! Your parents were just here. Triplets! Can you believe it?”
Jasper answered the call, so I turned my focus to him. “Hello Blake.” His voice was guarded.
“Hello Jasper. We have some fantastic news for you, and Kade wanted me to be the one to tell you.”
“Where is my son?”
“He’s on the phone to Dakota.”
There was silence on the line and I feared that I’d put my foot in it again. It was impossible not to notice the tension between the pair. Neither was forthcoming about why there was such a tense atmosphere between them.
“Kade is pregnant. With triplets!” I said to break the silence.
“Oh, my goddess! Really?”
“Yes, we heard the heartbeats just a little while ago. We’d like you and Angel to join us to celebrate later. We’re going to have a barbeque and the full moon run with the pack.”
“Congratulations. Really. I’m happy for you both.
See you later, okay?” Hearing the genuine delight in his voice had me hoping there was a thawing of the ice between us.
I wanted to love Jasper for Kade’s sake, if nothing else, but his Papa was determined to keep me at an arm’s length.
Perhaps our babies, his grandchildren, would help us grow closer.
I made my goodbyes and wrapped my arms around my mate, cherishing this moment of alone time before the pack joined us to celebrate.
The sun was beginning to set, and we were all outside in the backyard of the house. People milled around, bright happy voices filled the space and my wolf felt at peace.
I watched Kade as he moved between groups of our pack-mates. His smile was wide as they congratulated him. He glowed with health and delight.
My wolf felt elated that we had put so many pups in our mate. His triumph burned hot inside me and I mentally pushed at him to calm down. We had to protect our mate and care for him during this time so that nothing could go wrong and rob us of our happiness.
Jasper caught my attention from where he stood next to a food table.
He was passing out snacks to some of the pups, but his focus was on Kade, or rather the man next to him with an arm around him.
I wasn’t surprised that my wolf didn’t react to Dakota touching my mate.
He was our family and not a threat to our bond.
Dakota was holding Angelica balanced on one hip, while his other arm was around Kade, ruffling those wild curls. The three of them were deep in conversation, Angel listening to Dakota in rapt silence. She’d gravitated to her favorite bear as soon as she had arrived.
Jasper didn’t seem to realize that Dakota was watching him just as much as he was watching Dakota. I was happy to let them dance around whatever this was as long as it didn’t affect my mate in any way. He came first to me in everything.
“We really are happy for you, brother.” Chase said as he settled into a seat beside me.
“I wish you could have this too,” I said sadly.
“I don’t,” he said firmly. “I’m happy to be the fun uncle and babysit. I don’t need kids of my own.”
“We’re going to need the help with three of them.”
“Just as well you have your pack around you. Anything you need, Alpha, and we’ll do our best to make it happen.
” Roan settled at my feet. I’d taken him off the gate and made him Kade’s assistant and guard.
There was no one else aside from my already overworked brothers and cousin that I would trust with my mate and pups.
I squeezed his shoulder. “Thanks, Roan.”
Kade joined us then, looking exhilarated but slightly tired. “Make way for the pregnant person. I need to chill out for a minute.”
Shuffling over in the seat, I pulled him down gently. Roan took a hold of his feet, popping off Kade’s shoes, and started rubbing them. “Best get practicing at this.”
Kade laughed and wiggled his toes. “I never thought I’d be as happy as this.” He looked up at me and kissed me softly. I love you, Blake.
I love you too, Kade.
The End
Kade and Blake will return in His Rejected Alpha Mate.