Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
Liam set the finished cradle in the room Theo had made into the nursery. A bunch of the pack had come up today from both outposts down below, and Dean and Gage had snowmobiled up to bring gifts, because if they didn’t give Theo a shower now for that baby, he was never going to get one in time.
The midwife seemed to think Theo was going to pop in spring, but there was no way.
Flat out. No question. Not going to happen.
He swore Theo was twice the size he had been at Yule, and now the snows were heavy, it was about to be mid-January, and that baby was going to come out fully formed like Athena out of Zeus’s forehead if Theo wasn’t careful.
Liam snorted, and Ryan, who had helped him move stuff, smiled. “What?”
“Theo. He’s going to blow. I don’t think he’ll wait until spring.”
“No lie.” Ryan laughed with him. “I’ll go get the fam setting things up. You get Liam and Gael out of the pool.”
That was easier said than done.
Theo loved the pool—loved it, but their son—that baby was a little water monster.
Gael splashed, he laughed, he rolled around. He was absolutely joyous every time he saw the pool. They were going to have to fence it off to make sure that Gael didn’t sneak down there in the middle of the night and take a swim.
Theo assured him that puppies were natural swimmers, but Liam just didn’t buy it.
There was something about Gael that brought changelings to mind, despite his ability to howl.
He headed down to the pool after clapping his brother on the back, smiling at how Theo was floating with Gael draped over his belly.
“Baby? We have visitors.”
“Visitors?” Theo patted Gael’s butt. “Do you want to go see the people?”
Gael growled softly.
“I bet there’s snacks.” Theo gave Liam the side eye. He’s so cute when he does that, but I don’t want to encourage it.
No, because when he’s older, it won’t be cute. And I don’t want to have to bite.
Theo nodded, “Fair enough. Come on, buddy, we’re gonna go back to the house. We can swim more later.” Theo didn’t give him a choice, didn’t make any arguments, just took the little boy up to the shore and handed him over. “Here you go; let me dry off. There’s clothes for him up here.”
“Got it.” Liam toweled off the slippery little guy before stuffing him into a diaper and a soft onesie.
Gael jabbered at him, and it sounded relatively happy—actually almost cheery. His son liked to visit with people. He loved snacks.
“I love you, you wiggle worm.” He nuzzled Gael’s cheek with his nose, and that made the baby squeal with laughter, kicking and giving him a huge, wet, gross openmouthed smack on the cheek.
“Da!”
“Theo, did you hear? He said my name. Say it again, say da.” Liam was over the moon.
“Uh-huh.” Theo sounded a little preoccupied.
“Mate, pay attention—this is important. He called me by name, he said Da. Do it again, do it again, son, say Da.”
“Da!”
“Very nice, dear. We have a—”
“Theo, why aren’t you happy for me? What is wrong with—” He glanced over, and Theo was naked now and holding his belly, his icy blue eyes huge.
The birthline was open, the baby’s head right there. “I think I need help.”
Theo was literally trying to hold himself together, and Liam wanted him to be impressed with Gael. Such an alpha.
Pack! We need you! The blast from Liam rang in his head, and then Liam was catching him with one arm and holding Gael in the other.
Theo just didn’t quite know what to do. His water hadn’t broken, but there was totally something down there, and he was holding it and it was wet and warm and he was petrified. “Is it going to be all right?”
“Fine. Everything’s going to be fine. Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine.” If you all don’t get down here right now, everyone in this pack is going to die!
“I heard that.”
Liam smiled at him, the expression a quarter step from psychotic. “Pretend you didn’t. This is a little unnerving.”
A little? He was pretty sure he was holding his daughter’s head in his hand. “You’re going to scare the baby.”
Liam looked at him with wide eyes. “Which one?”
“The one that just called you da. Maybe you should get some towels.”
“Come lie down. Or sit. Something.” They had some furniture down there now. Sturdy, waterproof stuff. So he settled Theo there, then plopped Gael in his little seat and strapped him in. They kept that at the pool for when Gael napped while they swam.
“Towels.”
“Something to catch her. I think something’s happening.” A huge cramp hit him, and he cried out in pain. “Something’s wrong. Help me!”
Sara and Ryan came through the door first, both of them running.
“What’s wrong?” Sara’s eyes went wide.
“Oh, fuck. I’m on it.” Oddly enough, it was Ryan who sort of slid into home plate, hands cupped underneath the baby’s head as it popped out, the pressure inside him easing. He leaned back, trying to make room.
“Okay, I have her head. She looks good.” Ryan smiled at him. “Scootch your butt up some?”
He nodded, just sobbing. He didn’t really hurt. He was more terrified.
“What the fuck is going on?” Liam demanded. “She’s in a sack of water! Is she okay?”
Ryan’s head whipped around. “You are the alpha here. You get over there with your omega and be helpful. What the fuck is wrong with you?”
The words were harsh, but they seemed to snap Liam out of it, and his mate hurried to hold Theo’s hand. “What can I do?”
“I’m scared.”
Liam’s gaze sharpened, and he leaned forward to kiss Theo. “I’m here. We’ll be fine. I promise. You’re going to be fine.”
“I’ve got the towels. I’m ready to catch her.” Sara didn’t look worried, and that eased Theo some. “She’s a little bit early, but she looks pretty well-formed. Have you been in labor?”
Theo shook his head. “I didn’t feel a thing. Just a little gas.”
“Wild. Lucky bastard.” Sara winked at him. “Okay, Ryan, stay with it.”
“Can you push again? Just to get her shoulders out?”
He didn’t think it would matter if he could—she was coming, and she didn’t give a shit if he wanted anything.
“Breathe, baby.” Liam held his hand and then sort of propped him up to help him get a better angle.
“I remember them saying that you had to breathe, so let’s do that and then we do what Ryan is asking you to do.
You push. That’ll help her know that it’s actually time for her to come, and that nobody’s upset. ”
“No, I guess I should be grateful.” He hadn’t hurt. He hadn’t been in agony. And now he was about to have a baby. Another cramp hit him, and he curled his back, bearing down as hard as he could before he pushed.
Then the baby was there, and Ryan’s hands were filled with their little one, still floating in the amniotic sac.
He was lucky enough to watch Ryan strip it away, water going everywhere. And Sara went in and cleaned out her mouth.
For a moment, there was silence, and then suddenly there was a scream. A wild scream as her arms and legs went stiff, and she took her first full breath.
Behind that noise, he could hear little Gael sobbing, and he could hear other pack members, including Fen going, “What the hell is this? Wasn’t this supposed to be the surprise baby shower?”
Liam took control then. “Everybody, please! We need somebody to take Gael. I need more towels and things to clean Theo up before I close the birth line as best as I can. Ryan, give that baby to Theo so he can hold her.”
Theo had to admit it was finally like Liam was a general ordering his troops around, and he was so damn relieved.
There was a huge amount of bustle and activity, but all he saw was his little girl staring at him, telling him how pissed off she was. “Hello, Heather. Happy birthday.”
Her little face screwed up, and she didn’t cry or scream, but she told him in no uncertain terms that she had been ready and he hadn’t been waiting for her like he was supposed to.
Liam put a hand on the baby’s head and then kissed her cheek. “God, she’s beautiful. Hello, baby girl. Your daddies love you.”
“I can’t believe I had her right here at the pool.” He couldn’t believe his water hadn’t broken. This whole thing was amazing.
“They say that being born in a sack like that means you’ll be a healer. I think that’s amazing.” Niall’s voice was soft and soothing.
“Really?” Theo smiled down at his little girl. That would be amazing. “A pack seer.” He looked up at Liam. “That would be all right, wouldn’t it? It wouldn’t be too hard of a life for her to have that expectation.”
“She’ll be who she’ll be, and whatever she chooses, we have her back.”
Theo loved that—that ferocity, that belief that all would be well.
Liam couldn’t stop beaming. He thought his mate looked so happy. “I’m sorry I lost it there for a minute, love. It’s all good now. You’re safe and so is the baby.” Sara was cleaning him up. He could feel everything moving around him, but all he could see was Heather and Liam.
He smiled at his lover, his mate, his soul. “He called you Da. Our little boy called you by your name.”
Now he could appreciate it.
Now, finally, blessedly, he could relax.