Chapter 15
Chapter
Fifteen
Liam was finally finding time to work on the cradle for his baby. The winter had brought a lot of indoor time, and he had found himself in a room sort of off of the main corridor that went down to the pool where he could do his woodwork and hide it from Theo.
He was carving it out of a single piece of cured tree trunk that he’d found, and he was super proud of the way it was looking. Liam understood it was traditional for alpha mates to do this for their omegas as long as they had the skill to do it.
The whoosh of the planer and the clunk, clunk, clunk of the carving knife with the hammer soothed him. While he would never be the kind of woodworker his brother’s mate Fen was, he really found that he enjoyed this.
Theo was with Gael, Sara, and Ben in the kitchen.
They had found that Sara loved to bake, but cooking she was indifferent to.
She had done it because she felt like she had to.
So Theo and Ben were creating all sorts of amazing things they could make with the stuff that they’d put away for the year—dried mushrooms, canned tomatoes, and such—while Sara created fresh bread, muffins, and cookies.
He was going to have to really get out there and chop some wood soon in order for him to keep his alpha figure.
“Brother, are you in here? Have you seen my dogs? They’re all just—” Ryan opened the door and looked in at the pile of pups surrounding him. “Ah, never mind. I see you have them.”
“I do. They all wanted to be in here while I worked. I think they liked the smell of wood chips.” He grinned at Ryan. “Close the door! I don’t want to show off anything that Theo is not supposed to see yet.”
“Sorry!” Laughing, Ryan stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “This is kind of an amazing workroom. I didn’t know you had so many tools.”
Liam scoffed a little bit, feeling his ears heat. “I didn’t either. It sort of just happened.”
“Really?” Ryan looked at the pegboards on the wall, and he reached up to touch a rasp. “These kind of look old.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking it’s either a dragon magic or maybe the house has some sort of a ghost, you know?” That would’ve sounded crazy to him, even a couple of years ago, knowing about the wolves and the dragons, because Liam would have said he didn’t have any magic in him.
Now he knew better. Now he knew that his life would never be the same.
It didn’t have to be the same. Now his normal, boring life got to be a constantly changing universe, with magic around all the corners. His home with his brothers had been replaced by his pack, and now instead of being lonely, he had a mate and an instant family that was growing minute by minute.
He beamed at Ryan, who he thought felt the same way, even if he didn’t have a mate yet. “What do you think?” He dusted the top of the cradle off where it had a little roof over where the baby’s head would go.
“I think it’s super cool, man. I can’t believe you could do this. I didn’t even know you had it in you.”
Liam scoffed. “I always wanted to make a dugout canoe. Do you remember that? Like, so I could float down the branch of the river that ran behind the trading post.” He’d always, always wanted to do that after he saw a documentary on TV about how it was done.
The thought of taking a huge piece of wood and making a boat out of it made him incredibly intrigued.
“Oh, dude! You should. You totally should. I’d love to help with that.”
“Yeah?” He beamed at Ryan, because they were bonding as brothers like they never really had before. “I would love that too. We’ll start in the spring. Shouldn’t be too hard to find some downed wood.”
“No, it shouldn’t, and we can totally do this. I’m so excited.” Ryan came to kneel next to him on the pad he’d put down to keep his knees from getting sore. “What can I do to help now?”
“You can take this rasp and start working on shaping the angled edge I want along the top of the hood here. See where I did the initial bit?” He showed Ryan the angle he’d tested, which he thought looked great. It would deepen maybe an eighth of an inch with sanding.
“Sure. I won’t be in your way?”
“Nope. I’m working down at the foot.” He figured as long as neither of them really pushed it back and forth too much, they should be golden.
“Cool. I… thanks for letting me come out. Up. Whatever. I love the home we’re making.”
“Me too. How are you doing with making friends with Ben and Sara and her mate?”
Ryan started filing. “Okay. The kids adore me. But the adults… I think they think I smell funny.”
“What?” He raised his eyebrows at Ryan. “Do they sniff you?”
“Not exactly, but I do see them wrinkling their noses once in a while.”
Liam laughed. “Maybe you need to bathe more.”
“Ha ha, very funny. I’m swimming in the underground pool twice a day, most days.” Ryan waved a hand. “Maybe it’s just like Theo always says. My wolf is playing games and is hiding. If I have one.”
“If Theo thinks that you have a wolf, then you have a wolf. I think—” Liam stopped and kind of grinned over at his brother.
“Well, I don’t know what I think. But if there are two of us who can shift.
If Theo believes you can, then I imagine it’s just a matter of time. Maybe you have to meet your mate.”
“How weird was it?” Ryan asked. “I mean, to all of a sudden have somebody who was yours.”
“It was wonderful. I didn’t know how to feel.
I didn’t know what to do, even.” In fact, it was so overwhelming that sometimes Liam just didn’t think about it because it was so huge.
Literally, Theo had called to him in his mind.
Seriously, called to him in his mind, and he’d heard it.
“It’s wonderful, and I can’t imagine not having him. ”
“Well, I’m so glad you found him, just like I’m glad Rory found Fen. I know both of you were so restless.”
“You are too, Ryan. That’s why you came up here.” Liam tilted his head, shaving a little more wood off the end of the footboard of the cradle. “You’ll find what you need. The mountain will provide it. I’m starting to believe that with my whole soul.”
A knock sounded on the closed door, and Theo called out to them. “I’m taking Gael to the pool if you guys want to come.”
“How did he even know we were here?” Ryan murmured.
“I’m starting to think Theo is a little bit like Niall. Maybe a touch of seer in him.” He smiled and called out, “Coming, babe. You just go on ahead.”
“Sounds good. I’ve got towels in the diaper bag and bottles. Someone bring cheese.”
That was a clear and definite order if he’d ever heard one.
“Bringing cheese. Aye, aye, Captain.” Ryan could be such a turd, but it did amuse him to tease Theo, and Theo gave back as good as he got.
“I’ll put the tools away if you go get the food.” That way, he could go see Theo and Gael and give them some kisses maybe before Ryan got back.
“Sounds like a plan.” Ryan put the rasp back on the pegboard before heading off.
Liam carefully stowed everything else, then wiped off sawdust with a towel before going to join Theo down at the pool.
He grinned when he saw his mate walking Gael along the edge of the water. “Hey, love.”
“Hello.” Theo gave him the smile that was always only for him. “How is your secret lab coming along?”
“Good. I’ll be ready to take over the world soon.”
“I would ask what you’re doing, but you never tell me.” Theo chuckled as Gael splashed with his little feet. He was getting so mobile, and he had thought Gael was much younger than he was when they’d first arrived. But he realized that the poor baby had just been undernourished.
“It’s a secret, but I’m sure you have some ideas.
How many things could I be doing in a room like that?
” Liam moved close to take Theo in his arms from behind, peering over Theo’s shoulder at Gael, who looked so happy to see him.
He put his hands on Theo’s belly, which was getting bigger every day, and he felt the flutter of movement under his palm, which made his breath catch and his whole body go on high alert.
Theo only laughed. “Not sure. Building a time machine. Making prison doors for somewhere in the caverns. Building some sort of lighting contraption to make everything a little bit easier to see.”
He cracked up, and little Gael laughed right along with him, making him smile.
“I know, baby! I’m laughing with Daddy, huh? Are you ready to swim?”
“You don’t want to wait for Ryan?”
“Heavens no. He’s getting food. You know him. He’ll put together an entire tray of snacks. And then he’ll bring Ben and who knows else with him.”
“Oh, excellent.” Theo beamed over. “Go to Papa, little one. He wants to swim with you.”
“I always want to swim with you, baby boy. Come on.” Liam grabbed Gael and swung him around, watching as Theo sat down to dangle his legs in the pool. His feet were swelling a little bit these days. Not too badly yet, but he was moving right along with this pregnancy.
It wasn’t long before Theo slipped into the water, coming over to join them.
“Mmm. There they are. My two favorite wolves.”
Gael let out a tiny howl, and it was so damn adorable that all he could do was throw back his head and laugh.
Then Theo answered, and Gael’s eyes lit up, the baby howls absolutely heavenly.
Liam found himself howling along, the sound echoing through the chamber. And when another voice joined in, he knew it was his brother, and he had never been more proud.
He didn’t know if Ryan even knew he was doing it, but he heard it and so did Theo and Gael. And that was all that mattered.
Theo beamed at him. He’s going to be so very happy.
He is. So are we. I felt the baby move, love. She moved just for me, I think.
That doesn’t surprise me. You’re her papa. She’s gonna love you. Goddess, Theo honored him.
He smoothed his hands over Theo’s body. Are you feeling all right?
Gael dropped an openmouthed slobbery baby kiss on his chin.
I am. I’m fine. I feel good, in fact. Healthy.
Excellent. He liked to check in, make sure Theo was thriving.
Theo nodded, bumping him with that swollen belly.
He laughed again, and they all floated together, Liam holding up his whole world.