Page 37 of Two Wrong Turns

There was a sheen of sweat on his forehead, and he gripped the rails tightly as his stomach tensed in pain.

I took one of his hands, giving him something better to hold on to, and I sent calming waves through our bond. He sighed and leaned his head to the side to look up at me.

"We're going to have a baby," he said softly, almost reverently.

"We're going to have a baby," I repeated with a smile. "And I'm going to be with you every step of the way. You've got this, mate. Let's bring this cub into the world so we can be one big happy family."

The doctor strode in before we could say anything else, snapped on a pair of gloves, and said, "It's baby time."

The room dissolved into laughter, which broke the last bit of tension. I was thankful for everyone who'd shown up. Through Fate’s timing, I’d been given a perfect mate and soon we’d welcome our precious cub, who I couldn’t wait to meet.

They'd all changed my life in such a short time.

Chapter 15

Barrett

Holdingmy baby for the first time was one of the most memorable moments of my life. It’s closely followed by the entire birthing process and the moment I watched my mate shift into a bear. All three were pivotal in how my life turned out.

With a sleeping cub on my chest, I was able to take in the smiling faces of those around me. Nolan’s parents had tears on their cheeks as they took us both in. It’s as if their happiness radiated through the room with their stares.

And my mate — he was the happiest of all. You wouldn’t know it from the way he was bawling his eyes out though.

From the minute Lenny, our precious boy, was born, Nolan became nothing more than tears and hiccups. For such a strong Alpha, he was weak for family.

Or rather, he was vulnerable.

Dr. Hepbuck left us all alone after ensuring the baby was fine, and I was all stitched up. He said he’d be back later to take the cub for his examination. Rather than the normal human stuff they do in hospitals, the facility here needed to make sure all his shifter parts were in order.

I was also warned he might shift if his beast got the urge to meet us. My mate could also force it if the doctors were worried in some way.

It’s been a struggle not to think of what that would be like. How in the world was I equipped to take care of a literal baby bear?

I’m a human. My skin would easily come open at one swipe of a baby’s errant claw. And I was pale enough to bruise if they squeezed too tight. How could I subject a child to that level of pain of knowing they hurt their parent?

“You did so well, Barrett. I’m thankful to you for all you’ve given us,” Nolan’s mom said as she shuffled closer. Still holding Lenny meant I drew the attention of everyone in the room.

His dad eased up behind her, arms wrapping around his mate with familiarity. “She’s right, as is the case most often. I’m honored to call you our son-in-Fate. This match couldn’t have been more perfect.”

Nolan’s tears kept going even as he nodded his head along. I smiled over at him on my other side. He was a mess, but he was my mess. I wondered if this would be his reaction to all the bear cubs we had together. It kind of made me want to get started on the next right away.

The vulnerability he showed only made me want him more.

“Do you want to hold him, Papa?” I raised my arms a bit, motioning to my mate.

“I’d love to.” With careful movements, he took the bundle of baby from my arms. I’d say he was tiny, but it would be a lie. Lenny was a chunky baby. The doctors assured me that was normal for a bear shifter. Well, any shifter really. It was something about their enhanced genetics. I’d have to research it more before committing to a den of cubs and a lifetime of pregnancy.

It was hard to believe I was already eager to go through all this again. The months leading up to this moment were tough. I didn’t think I’d ever want to repeat the process.

Yet holding our son and seeing the joy it brought my mate washed all that discomfort away. Knowing I could do this for him, for us, made it all worth it. Every nauseous moment. Every hypersexual night of restlessness. Every stretch mark. I could appreciate them all now that I had Lenny.

He was the greatest gift I could be given.

Or maybe that wasn’t true. It was a tie.

Because Fate had gifted me his papa, my mate, as well. And without him, there would be no Lenny. The two of them made my heart whole. I would love them until the end of my days, which thanks to our bond, would be a long way off.

As I watched Nolan rocking our son, I settled deeper into the bed. Everything was going to be ok. Life hadn’t exactly gone as planned. In fact, it was better.

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