12. Rigg
12
RIGG
A small group had gathered outside as I finished my cup of coffee. I heard their voices drifting up to me, but my mind was already focused on getting home. Over the past twenty-four hours, we set up a plan that I felt confident about. It would be a big job to take down the labs that had tormented shifters for decades. But now it was time to wait. We’d set things in motion and had to rely on some of our inside contacts to get us to the next stage. Until then, I was going to wait with my family.
Alden stepped forward when I walked out onto the porch. “Heading out?”
“Yeah, getting antsy to be home.” Just talking about the lab and the efforts they put into finding escapees made me anxious to be with Niles and the children. The kids said they were thrown away, but they still had big gaps in their memory, so maybe they weren’t meant to be out on the streets. Regardless, I needed them all in my arms. “Call me as soon as you hear anything.”
“I’m hoping it’s soon, but we’ve got to time everything perfectly.” He clapped my shoulder and then gave me a half hug. “It was great having you here. You and your family are always welcome here.” He looked me right in the eye. “I mean that.”
I nodded and swallowed back the emotion I felt. They were truly a family, and being a part of their pack wasn’t a bad idea. We didn’t have to live in River’s Edge to be a part of their community. And Niles missed having a pack. “I’ll talk to Niles about it. Thank you for your generosity.” I tried to sound casual, but it really meant a lot to me that everyone had been so welcoming.
The drive back home went by quickly, but I was as impatient as I’d always been on the road. I seemed to be born with the persistent urge to be somewhere else, never content where I was. But this time, I knew where I was headed. My mind immediately pulled up visions of Niles’s familiar scent and the sound of the kids’ voices when they roused me in the morning.
Being away from them for even one day was too long.
As soon as I walked in the door, I knew something was different. Niles’s scent filled me as I took a deep breath, but there was something new in it.
“You’re back!” Niles tried to hold back the kids until I was fully inside, but they broke free and were all over me—four wiry arms tangling around me as they tried to climb up me. It was fucking amazing.
“Daddy Rigg. You were gone so long.” Lily held her arms up for me to lift her.
“Sorry, sweetie. I’ll try not to leave again for a long time.” I blew a raspberry on her neck, and she giggled.
“Did you bring us presents?” Connor was the more practical of the two. A little dude with an agenda.
Lily pulled my chin to face her. “Did you see a wolf?”
That seemed to spark Connor’s interest. “Did you bring us another wolf?”
“Presents later.” Niles pulled Lily out of my arms and stepped against my chest. “When you get back from Grandpa Joel’s.”
“He’s taking us for a sleepover.” Lily pushed her face next to Niles’s so she was included in our group hug. “We’re gonna eat candy and stay up all night!”
I lifted Connor and gave him a cuddle too. “Sounds like fun.” I glanced at Niles. “I hope you were well behaved for Daddy Niles.”
“They were angels.” Niles smiled, and I could see the exhaustion in his face. “Angels on speed with a need to cause chaos. But we had fun.”
I stared into his eyes and tried to convey all my love and adoration for him. “I missed you all so much.”
He smiled, knowing what I was saying. “Us too.”
“Five more minutes and then we’re outta here.” Grandpa Joel appeared from the kitchen with a bag in his hand. “We have lots of crafts to work on tonight.”
“Don’t worry, Gran’pa. We got all night!” Connor loved to stay up all night but never lasted beyond the first ten minutes of a movie. “We might need more candy, though.”
He came to my side and patted my shoulder. “Glad you’re back, son.” He walked past me to the front door. “I’ll get the car packed, and we’ll give you two some privacy to get caught up.”
“Don’t leave without us!” Connor smacked a kiss to my cheek and then launched into Niles’s arms and kissed his cheeks too. “Gotta go, Dads. See ya manana.”
“Manana?” I chuckled. “Was I gone long enough for them to learn Spanish?”
Niles shrugged and let Lily follow her brother. “Dora.”
As much as I missed those two, I was excited to have some alone time with Niles. There was something different about him that I needed to get to the bottom of. “You’re leaving me already? I was gone a whole day and I only get five minutes with you two? You better hug me tight so I don’t forget who you are.” I dropped to my knees and held my arms open.
Four tiny arms enveloped me and two soft heads rested against my chest. “Don’t be scared, Daddy Rigg. Daddy Niles will play with you and make sure you’re not sad.”
I grinned up at Niles and winked. “Yeah, I’m sure he will.”
A minute later, the three other most important people in my life were driving away, leaving me alone with my mate.
I pulled Niles against my chest and looked into his eyes. “Okay, what’s this really about? Joel wouldn’t usher them away if there wasn’t a very good or a very bad reason. Which is it?”
Niles took a deep breath and then kissed me, falling against my chest. “Definitely good.” His whispered words made my heart quicken to match his.
I led Niles to the couch and pulled him onto my lap, holding him tight. There were toys and clothes scattered everywhere, and the cabin felt perfect to me. I hadn’t realized how hard it had been to fully breathe until I saw everyone safe and sound and felt my mate’s warmth against me.
“Okay, enough with the suspense.” I kissed his forehead and sighed. “Your heart is pounding like it might burst outta your chest. Tell me what’s up before I start imagining the worst.”
Niles rested his head against my shoulder and took a deep breath. “We’re gonna have a baby.”
For a moment, my mind went blank as I processed his words. “Are you sure?”
Niles nodded. “Yep. Joel suggested it when I puked earlier, and then I took a test. The line was faint but definitely there.” He shifted his weight so he was straddling my thighs and could look me in the eyes.
“Wow.” I hadn’t allowed myself to hope for something like that. With my genetic makeup, I didn’t know if I would be fertile or not. I hadn’t dared to believe Niles and I could continue to grow our family.
Niles bit his lip, waiting for me to react.
All I could do was pull him closer and nuzzle into him. I buried my face into his neck and breathed in heavily. Then I caught it. The slight addition to his scent that was undeniably a part of me. Our growing child.
Niles melted into my arms. I lifted him as I stood up and carried him to the bedroom.
Our mouths connected as our hands roamed, exploring and relearning every curve. I could never be away from him again. It hurt too much to be gone, but the reunion was off to a great start. My fingers coasted along every familiar line of his torso and then down to his thighs, not taking anything for granted.
“Don’t ever leave. I hated not having you around,” Niles murmured against my skin between soft kisses.
“Me too.” I repositioned the weight of my body to carefully hover over his.
I’d never get used to the way Niles looked at me—like I was the only damn thing in the world that mattered.
His breath was warm against my neck as his fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me in like he couldn’t stand the space between us for another second. “I need to feel you inside me, alpha.”
"I need to make you mine in all ways, omega," I whispered low and rough against his ear.
“Yes.” He shivered, and his body pressed closer to mine, eager and open for what was about to happen.
Our mouths met in a desperate tangle of teeth, tongues, and promises to always be there for each other and our family.
Niles was slick and ready for me when we were finally undressed and ready to complete the mating bond. I’d waited long enough. Too long, maybe.
Lying in the center of the bed, I pulled him over my lap so he could control the pace. After lifting him up, I positioned my cock directly under him so he could slowly lower onto me. My eyes drifted shut as he sheathed me in his wet heat.
He slid down slowly as my hands mapped the planes of his back and the curve of his ass. Every breath he took fueled the fire under my skin.
When he landed on my pelvis, Niles arched his back and gasped as I completely filled him. “You’re in charge, omega. Take what you need.”
He lifted and dropped at a fast pace, quickly driving our desire to the point that holding back was nearly impossible. When he was close, my mate leaned forward and pressed his forehead to mine. “I love you, alpha.”
Our hearts were racing in sync as I dug my fingers into his hips and pounded up into him. “I love you too, omega. So fucking much.”
I reached for his cock and quickly stroked him. “Come for me, sweetheart.”
Every thrust drove me closer to the edge. Every moan was his answering reply. We weren’t just moving, we were promising each other forever. When Niles began to whimper against my ear, I pressed my teeth to his neck and bit down.
“Yes, alpha!” Niles came with a loud cry as the mate bond was finally complete.
“Mine forever, omega.” I came inside him, coating him with my seed as my knot locked us together.
“Forever.”