Chapter Twenty-Six
Seth
The months had flown. Between settling into the cabin while our home was being built and getting used to our new roles in both herd and shimmer and everything involved in getting ready for the baby, the days on the calendar disappeared.
Before I’d gone to San Diego, I had thought I was doing a lot around the shimmer, but with both my fathers and Indy’s planning to retire, we were taking on more and more of the day-to-day work.
Sometimes together and others separate. Bram also would have responsibilities as pack royalty, but with his advanced pregnancy, most of that could wait.
“Like what?” Bram stood with hands on hips in an unfamiliar display of belligerence.
“A number of things. We can try induction in various ways or even a C-section if it seems necessary.” She said it with such calm, but our omega did not take it that way.
“I refuse any of that. I will bring this baby into the world completely naturally. No pain meds, no induction drugs, no nothing.” He glared at her then at us. “And I’m not hearing it from either of you.”
“Well, there’s no need to get upset now. You have time and there are things you can do at home to help labor start,” she soothed. “Like taking daily walks, or some say spicy foods help… Any omega can give you advice. Or sex. Orgasm has been known to start labor for a number of my patients.”
“Okay, I will do whatever I have to. See you next week, Healer. Come on, alphas. We have a baby to get out of me before I explode or have to have unpleasant medical procedures.”
Indy and I looked at each other. At the start of the pregnancy, our omega had been voracious, but in the last few weeks, his desire had tapered off.
He was so big and uncomfortable, we understood why he wouldn’t want to have sex.
And we’d abstained from having it with one another too.
But as he stomped out of the healer’s office, I had a feeling we’d be having some afternoon delight in just a little while.
And we would have…if we’d made it all the way to the car and home before his water broke.
I wasn’t sure whether to be disappointed that we weren’t going to get to be intimate together or relieved that the baby was coming. As a good alpha, I should go with relieved, I knew. But pregnant Bram was very sexy. And once he gave birth, we wouldn’t be able to be intimate for several weeks.
Still…relieved. Because I didn’t want him to feel so bloated and achy any longer or certainly not go through a C-section or induction. Not ever. Pivoting, we marched back inside the office and into the birthing center at the back.
A nurse checked us in and got our omega settled, telling us not to upset our omega and to be sure to wash our hands. She went for the healer who came in laughing. “Missed me already? Let’s take a look and see how you’re doing.”
He was not fully dilated but had been partially when she checked him earlier and had made progress on that already “Well, looks like we’re going to have a baby today.
On a serious note, I am glad you went into labor naturally.
It’s easier on you and the baby. Would you like pain meds?
I know you said no before, but you don’t have a lot of time to change your mind. ”
“Nothing. Maybe some water?”
Despite the progress he’d made, the afternoon passed and early evening before he was ready to push. I took his hand. “You’re a hero, omega.” It had been so hard to watch him go through all the pain and be unable to make it better.
Indy stroked his other hand and gave him a soft kiss. “Squeeze hard if you need to.”
“Okay, Bram, on the next contraction push as hard as you can. Your baby is ready to meet their daddies.”
That made it sound so real. I wanted to say we weren’t ready.
That we hadn’t taken enough classes in baby care to be trusted with a whole person, but one look at my mates and I knew they had this.
And me too. Together, we’d made a loving family and we’d be able to do whatever was needed in order to take care of each other.
“One more push, Bram.”
He let out a grunt and squeezed our hands tight.
And then the healer held up a little body covered in blood and other fluids. The baby’s first cry was primal, and Bram released our hands and held out grabby fingers.
“Give me a minute to clean him up and measure him,” she said. “Which of you is going to cut the cord?”
We both held the scissors and snipped and a few minutes later, while the healer was still finishing up with our omega, I had a chance to hold our son.
Gabriel. He had bright blue eyes, which the healer said would likely change, a cap of dark hair, and ten perfect fingers and toes.
I wanted to look at him and cuddle him all day, but Bram had opened his hospital gown and was waiting for skin-to-skin contact.
There he was, in our omega’s arms. A whole person. A new family member. I pulled my phone out to call my dads, but they were already in the doorway along with Indy’s folks. There is no HIPAA among shifters, and someone, probably the nurse, had already told our families the baby was coming.
And I couldn’t mind. Gabriel would be so loved. He was a lucky baby and we were his lucky family. My heart swelled so big, I was afraid it would burst. We all looked down at the baby in his omega daddy’s arms and gave a collective sigh.
After all, he was perfect.