Page 32 of Claimed By Two Alphas

Macey had come into the world, and I’d bawled my eyes out at how much I already loved her. Three years later, Emmett had come into the world, and I’d cried again. Now I constantly pulled my hair out at how energetic they were, how much Emmett got into, and how motherly Macey acted toward us all, as if she knew how to raise a precocious one-year-old better than the grownups.

“You should put him in a steam cage,” Macey said. “That’s what I sawed them do to gorillas on the television.”

“Your brother might act like an ape when he gets older, but we’ll forget about steel cages for now,” Delvin said as he walked outside, going toward the grill. “Macey, sweetheart, why don’t you go help Daddy in the kitchen?”

“Yes, Papa!” She skipped off without another word. Delvin plucked Emmett from my arms. “You don’t bite your dad,” he said. “That’s a big no-no, Emmett.” He pointed at me. “He’s human, so we have to be really gentle with him.”

Emmett wiggled but went limp when Delvin held him by his scruff. I always thought Joshua or Delvin was hurting them when they did that, but they reassured me they weren’t, that mama animals carried their young this way and it didn’t hurt them. It subdued them. I’d never been able to bring myself to do that, no matter what either of them said.

“Now go play and leave the weeds alone.” Delvin set Emmett on the grass.

“You know he has no idea what a weed is,” I said. “He’s going to try and eat every dandelion in the yard. I told you to spray for them when the first one popped up.”

“They’re harmless. Let him eat them. He’ll discover they aren’t as tasty as he thinks they are.” Delvin fired up the grill. “We already baby-proofed the entire house. Let him have fun in the yard.”

“You’re just a big ol’ pushover.” I smiled. “If Emmett wanted to know how fire worked, you’d probably let him burn our house down.”

Delvin chuckled, and damn, I loved that sound. He was still as gorgeous as ever, and I didn’t think a day would ever come when I didn’t think so. The same held true for Joshua. If anything, I loved them even more now than I had four years ago. They’d taken to fatherhood like ducks to water, staying up for the late-night feedings, changing diapers, and rocking Macey to sleep, even though they’d worked all day at Bailey’s.

I haven’t worked there again. After that night with Nezat, they’d insisted I stayed home, that I got so much rest and relaxation that I was sick of sitting on my ass. After Macey was born, I gladly became a stay-at-home dad.

But Delvin and Joshua never left me alone. One was always there with me while the other went into work.

I’d also had a heart attack the first time Macey had shifted. I’d nearly dropped her because she’d been in my arms. Joshua and Delvin had been overjoyed, but I’d had ten years scared off my life.

Delvin pursed his lips. “Maybe not the house, but I would show him how fire worked and would teach him how dangerous it is.”

“I’m hiding anything flammable from you two.”

Delvin pointed at the grill. “Don’t touch my baby.”

He drew me into his strong arms and kissed me, showing me through that act how much he loved me as Emmett stuck a weed into his tiny mouth. Macey raced outside and wrestled her brother to the ground, digging the weed out of his mouth.

“Can you two stop sucking face and watch my stinky brother?” she demanded with a huff. “He can have choked on this.”

I laughed against Delvin’s mouth as Joshua came outside and joined us, bringing the tablecloths for the tables we’d pulled out of the garage for the cookout. “Don’t you want to make more of those?” he asked me. “I like Miss Bossy. I want another one.”

“I’m irraplacable,” Macey huffed.

“Irreplaceable,” Joshua corrected. He picked her up and placed her on his shoulders. She squealed with happiness as he raced around the yard with her, Macey shouting for him to go faster.

“Another one?” Delvin arched a brow.

“I can barely handle one Macey.” I groaned but wasn’t against the idea. I recalled my sister torturing me relentlessly when I was younger, sitting on me, making me promise not to read her thoughts.

She no longer lived in Hungry. My sister had gone off to college, had fallen in love, and now lived in Arizona with her hubby and two kids. We’d spoken from time to time but weren’t close.

My parents, however, I couldn’t keep them away from the kids. Delvin and Joshua weren’t the only ones to spoil them rotten. I suspected my parents knew the truth about my children, though they’d yet to ask me about it. Macey was a dead ringer for Delvin, and Emmett was the spitting image of Joshua. In personality, as well.

They both had my nose and chin, but other than that, they looked as if Delvin and Joshua had cloned them.

Did Joshua treat Macey any differently knowing Delvin was her father? Did Delvin play favorites knowing Emmett was Joshua’s son? Not in the least. Delvin spoiled Emmett to the point it had driven me batty. Joshua acted like the biggest kid when it came to Macey. She stuck to his side, his righthand girl, though she wasn’t as friendly and entertaining as Joshua was.

But when it came to her grandparents, Macey acted her age, coloring with Grandpa and singing with Grandma while my mom tried to pretend she knew how to dance. Macey didn’t care. She loved them, and they loved her right back.

I just dreaded the day one of my children shifted in front of them. That wasn’t a conversation I was looking forward to. They’d been stiff at first when they’d found out I was dating two men. Then my father had insisted on a strange, three-way wedding when Macey “came” into our lives.

That had been a hilarious day if ever there was one. We’d actually had to drive over an hour just to find a man who could legit marry us. But I wore my ring proudly, and so did my mates/hubbies. After that, my parents had warmed up to them, and now my dad and Delvin were as thick as thieves, while my mom spoiled Joshua rotten, as well as her grandkids.

---