Page 34 of Feral: Part Two
I try to shift my position slightly, and Preston immediately hisses, his white fur standing on end as his lips curl back to reveal sharp teeth. Nathan just laughs and sits back on his knees, shaking his head with what looks like amusement. "Thane, you might as well just accept it. Based on the way Preston is acting, it's obvious that you're the father of these beautiful little pups. A healthy boy and a girl. They're both breathing well, good color, strong heartbeats."
"Why are they all foxes?" I ask, looking down at the two small forms nestled against Preston's belly. They're clearly healthy, but seeing them in animal form is disorienting. Beautiful, but I can’t wrap my head around the fact that we’re going to have little kits running around the house.
"Again, I don't know much about ferals, but they will probably stay in that form for a while. Long enough for them to be functional on their own, easily a few months," Nathan explains. "You'll be able to hear them the way you do Preston in this form."
I frown. "I can't hear Preston or Slate."
Nathan's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Really?"
I shake my head. Despite everything we've been through, despite the bonds we've formed, I've never experienced the telepathic connection that our Omegas have described. Maybeit's because I'm not fully feral, or maybe there's something about the bond that's different.
"Can we at least let Slate in here?" I ask, glancing toward where Slate is practically vibrating with need just outside the den. "He looks like he's going to die if he doesn't hold his Omega."
Slate has been a mess since he practically stormed in here. If I hadn’t known he was an Omega, the energy wafting off of him would have told me he was all Alpha, looking out for his precious mate. His dark eyes are wild with desperation, his hands clenched into fists as Kael and Malik hold him back from rushing into the den. Every instinct he has is screaming at him to protect Preston, to be close to him during this vulnerable time, but Preston's feral protectiveness is making that impossible.
Nathan shakes his head as he moves out of the den. "Unfortunately, not yet. Give it a few days, butFeralsare highly territorial of their children. Preston might rip Slate to shreds without even knowing what he's doing. Hell, you might even react."
The thought of our pack tearing itself apart just when we should be celebrating new life is terrifying.
"Right now, Preston needs rest and Slate needs to choose one of his dens around the place," Nathan continues.
"What are you talking about?" Slate asks, his voice tight with confusion and growing panic.
"You're not far behind, and while it's a little early to give birth, just the pheromones in the air might set you off," Nathan explains matter-of-factly. Slate just glares at him, but I can see the fear building in his expression. The idea that he might go into labor now, when Preston is in this protective state and can't offer comfort or support, is clearly overwhelming him. He opens his mouth to say something when Nathan adds on to his regular statement. “As strange as it is, while Slate should have anothertwo weeks at least, he’s ready to give birth. I can’t tell you how or why, but it seems that being so close to another pregnant Omega, their pheromones feeding off of each other pushed both of you closer to your delivery date.Exponentially.”
Honestly, that’s terrifying. Especially since we all know that most of this bullshit was manufactured byThe Collective.Kael pulls Slate into his side and presses a kiss to his temple. "You really liked the space in the pool house. What about that one?"
I expect him to agree, but Slate is starting to look freaked out, his breathing becoming shallow as the reality of the situation hits him. I think we all thought we’d just be together in the delivery room or the nest or wherever the fuck they had their babies. Knowing now that our Omegas can’t be in the same area without possibly clawing each other’s face off is going to fuck with us, mostly Slate.
Worse, Slate might not let any of us near him because none of us are the father.
"I need Preston," Slate whispers, his voice breaking slightly. "I can't do this without him."
"You won't be doing it without us," Malik says firmly. "Preston just can't be there physically right now, but we will be."
Slate tries to push past them again, desperate to reach Preston, but Kael and Malik hold him back. "Let me go! He needs me!"
My hackles raise, a protective growl rumbling through my chest against my will. Preston looks up and glares at Slate, his ears flattening back against his head, his tail straightening out before baring his teeth in a nasty snarl.
Kael tightens his hold on Slate. “Slate, look at how he's positioned, how his ears are back, how tense his body is. If you go in there right now, he will attack you. Not because he doesn't love you, but because his biology is overriding everything else."
I watch the exchange with growing concern, hating my own reaction because physically, there’s nothing I can do. Our pack is being torn apart by the very instincts that should be bringing us together. Preston's need to protect his young is conflicting with Slate's need to be close to his fellow Omega, and there's no easy solution.
The look in Preston’s eyes makes it worse. Just because I can’t hear them, doesn’t mean I can’t tell that Preston wants Slate just as much as Slate wants him.
“I want you too, okay? I want you too, Preston,” Slate mumbles as a tear falls down his cheek. He sags back against Kael’s chest, repeating the words over and over again.
I lean my head back against the wall, feeling the weight of new responsibility settling over me. Our entire dynamic is going to change with these precious bundles now in our lives. That's when I feel a small, warm weight plop into my lap. I look down to see Preston placing one of his babies there, then the other, before curling up against my side with a soft whimper of exhaustion.
"I'm already on father duty, I guess," I laugh, the sound carrying relief and joy in equal measure.
I look up to see Slate still staring, observing, and picking apart the situation, just as Kael says words I never thought I’d hear from my cousin. “You’re not alone in this, Slate. We might not be the biological fathers of your babies, but that doesn’t make them any less mine. When you give birth, I will be right there. Either beside you or right outside of whatever den you choose.” Slate tenses and twists to meet my cousin’s gaze, disbelief in his eyes as Kael gently pinches his chin. “I told you that I was going to work on being your Alpha, but that doesn’t make you any less my Omega. I’ll be there, okay?”
When Slate nods, it feels like everything is slowly settling into place. Like despite the circumstances we’ve been stuffed into, our future might not be as gloomy as we thought.
Slate
I feel almost displaced, sitting here at the kitchen table while the others move around me with a purpose I can't share. Not being able to see Preston, to check on him, to offer comfort during what should be one of the most important moments of our lives together is eating at me.
