* * *
Rowan waitedfor Mikhail outside A & E. He’d told Mik to link him into his Uber so he would know when to come out. He didn’t want to wait in the actual E.R. because it wasn’t great for him in his current condition.
When Mik pulled up, he got out of the Uber and thanked the guy distractedly, and Rowan was in his arms the next moment.
“Are you alright?” He could feel Mik’s eyes taking in every inch of his body, trying to make sure.
Rowan’s arms went around Mikhail, feeling much better now that he was here.
“I’m honestly okay, but I probably should have turned down the shift today.”
Mikhail hummed, and Rowan pulled back so he could look at his mate. “Go on, you can say it. You can say ‘I told you so.’”
Mikhail eyes danced even as he replied, “I would never.”
“Righttttt,” Rowan snorted, drawing the word out.
Mikhail chuckled and took his hand. “Come on let’s get you home.”
Rowan handed his keys to Mikhail and led them towards his car. It was probably his last day working as a nurse/midwife at his hospital, and that thought didn’t scare him. Not anymore.
Rowan wasn’t running anymore, at least not away from Mikhail. Instead, he was walking confidently towards the future that he could see with his mate.
It also didn’t hurt that he was going to be next door neighbours with his brothers. They’d joked about it as kids, hoping to live next to each other, but it would actually now be the case.
When they got in the car, Mik pushed the seat of Rowan’s Mini as far back as it could go, but he still looked a little uncomfortable. Again, Rowan was glad he hadn’t gotten the convertible.
It occurred to him that his car would fit a baby carrier perfectly, and his boot was definitely made for a stroller and any other kind of baby paraphernalia he might need.
Mikhail pressed the button to start the car, and he was about to put the car in gear when Rowan placed his hand over his mate’s, whose gaze immediately shifted to him, and Rowan blurted, “I think it’s time for us to go home.”
Mikhail chuckled. “We are love. Is this the famous pregnancy brain I’ve read all about?”
Rowan just smiled and shook his head. “No. I mean, I think it’s time for us to go home, to Whitfell.”
Mikhail’s eyes widened and his mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he finally spoke. “Are you sure?”
Rowan knew he was doing the right thing, and not just because Mikhail looked like he’d been given the best gift ever, but because Rowan knew it was where they belonged—him, Mikhail, and their baby.
“I have never been more sure in my life.”
Twenty-Seven
Mikhail
Every day, Mik fell more and more in love with Ro, but Rowan calling Whitfell home and moving back with him? That was everything. Now they really lived together, not that they hadn’t mostly been living together the past seven or so weeks—definitely the last two—but the hotel had felt very temporary. Rowan in their home doing up their baby’s nursery, that felt more permanent.
Mik would have relocated to Manchester for Rowan. He’d even found a couple of houses up in Warrington and Lymm that would have offered privacy for him to shift while keeping them in the Greater Manchester area.
Rowan hadn’t wanted to wait. He’d asked Mik if they could go back to Whitfell by the weekend, and since it was already Thursday, Mik had started the packing once they’d returned to the hotel. Rowan had tried to help, but Mik threatened to have him tied up if he didn’t stay in bed.
He’d only met Rowan’s mum briefly while Rowan got his suitcases packed. Sharon, as she’d insisted he call her, had come in from a night shift at the Post Office where she worked and was on her way to bed.
Since he’d refused to let Rowan drive down, Mik had arranged for one of their chauffeurs from the resort to pick Rowan’s car up.
Ro’s brothers were ecstatic to have him there, and not just because their family was growing. Malek and Malachi had shared how worried Axel and Alfie were about losing their brothers in the future because mating gave them extended life spans.
They’d only been back for about a week when Rowan decided to host the whole family for dinner. Apparently, he wanted to christen his new kitchen, especially since the smell of food didn’t seem to have him running for the closest bathroom anymore. They’d both learned Rowan had been affected by morning sickness worse because he didn’t have the mating bond to give him Mikhail’s strength.
