Three
Rowan
Rowan knew what—or ratherwho—Mikhail was as soon he figured out that they were shifters. It also explained the man calling him “mate” when he’d walked in the room, although when he’d said it, Ro hadn’t bothered to pay attention to it.
“How long can you stay?” Axel asked. Ro was now in Axel’s home, helping his brother give his nephew a bath.
“Well, I took a couple of days off,” Ro chuckled. “I thought I would have to try and talk you guys into coming home with me.”
“Let me guess. So you gave yourself enough time to persuade us out of our cult life, huh?” Axel’s tone was teasing. “Grab the towel, please.” Axel nodded towards the towel on the heated rail.
Rowan grabbed the towel and held it open. He watched as Axel lifted his son, and held him to his chest, Ro couldn’t help but ask, “Was it weird for you?”
Axel snorted as he supported Mason with one hand and used the other to open the plug that drained the baby tub into the shower. Ro wrapped the towel around his nephew, holding it around Mason until Axel could use both hands.
“I think you have to be more specific. My life took a sharp turn into weird one wolf and a pregnancy ago.” Axel chuckled as he walked out of the bathroom attached to the nursery.
“Not to mention your new house has en-suites in every room as opposed to all of us trying to get to the shower first back home,” Rowan teased. “I’m so happy for you, Ax, even though I am kind of mad about the fact you didn’t tell me.”
“How would that conversation have gone?” Axel snorted as he laid his son down on the changing table. “The wolf part was crazy, but the pregnant part was out of this world.”
Rowan felt a pang in his chest... that was the question he wanted answered. For as long as he could remember, he’d always loved babies. That was what drew him to nursing and then to getting certified as a midwife. Even though he’d known he would never experience a pregnancy, he’d always been amazed by everything it entailed.
His mind was always imagining what it was like to carry a child beneath your heart.
You could… The thought floated into his head, but he shook it off, focusing instead on his conversation with Axel.
“I thought we told each other everything.”
Axel spread his palm over Mason’s belly, keeping him in place on the changing table, then faced him.
“We do, Ro, and I swear I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how… and then Mason came along, and all I wanted to do was call you because I wanted you to meet him.”
“So why didn’t you?” Rowan couldn’t help the betrayed note in his tone.
Axel sighed. “Why don’t you get your nephew ready for bed while I make him a bottle.”
He knew his brother was stalling, but Rowan was happy to get some baby time. He loved babies and had always wanted one of his own.
As he diapered Mason and got him in his reindeer onesie, he asked Axel something he was ashamed to even voice. “So how come you could tell Alfie, but not me?”
He heard Axel sigh as he finished snapping the last button on Mason’s onesie closed. Ro lifted his nephew into his arms, then turned so he was facing Axel and saw that his brother was standing in the middle of the room, the feeding bottle against his chest. Rowan took a seat in the rocking chair… or were they called gliders now?
“I technically didn’t tell Alfie," Axel sighed. “He got in trouble, and... well, Malachi did Malek and I a favour and went up to Manchester to pick him up for us, and he scented Fi and the rest is, well, you know..."
“Baby?” Rowan supplied helpfully.
Axel chuckled. “Well, yeah.” Ro’s nose crinkled as Axel’s words sank in. “Hold on. What kind of trouble did Fi get in? He was supposed to be travelling and working his way through Europe. When was he back in Manchester?”
His brother bit his lip, and Ro knew what that meant. It was Axel’s way of trying to keep a secret—not that he was any good at it.
Well, apparently, he was better than Rowan thought.
“Spit it out, Ax, before you choke on it.” Ro shook his head at his younger brother. He also held his arm out for the bottle in Axel’s hand.
Ax took a couple of steps forward and handed his brother the feeding bottle. His eyes met Ro’s but immediately lowered to his son in Rowan's arms.
But Ro was patient. While he waited for Axel to gather his thoughts, Ro put the teat of the bottle at his nephew’s lips, and the little guy immediately latched on.
