"It's finally here!" Zoey cried.
"Not so fast," I told Zoey. "Daddy still needs to get it out first. Zo, we're going to drop you off at Uncle Ulysses's place, all right?"
"Yay!" Zoey whooped in excitement. Her eagerness to see her friends Andrew and Elizabeth outweighed the novelty of a new sibling for now.
I punched the speed dial number for the pre-arranged ride. "Baby's on the way. We need to get to the hospital ASAP."
Tires screeched outside a moment later. Everything was on standby for my mate's birth. I spared no expense making it as smooth, easy and comfortable for him as possible.
I held Chris's hand as I helped him out of his seat. He leaned on me for support.
He grunted with effort. "Thanks. I don't know how I'd do this without you, Roshan."
"Well, it's a good thing you don't have to. I'm always here for you. Now come on, let's bring that half-manticore cub into the world."
Chris let out a breathless laugh. "Oh, great. If it comes out shifted, the hospital's gonna think I'm possessed."
I chuckled. "Well, about that..."
* * *
As an overprotective alpha,I didn't take my mate to just any hospital. This was a specialized place disguised as a "normal" human hospital, but it was run by a fellow shifter—the only doctor I trusted to take care of Chris's birth. Part of my reasoning was that manticore babiesweresometimes born shifted, and I didn't want to give a human nurse a heart attack.
Chris was set up in a fabulous private suite where everything was tailored to his utmost comfort. I stood by the bed, holding his hand the entire time. I happily endured him crushing it during each contraction. Human omegas could be stronger than they looked.
A doctor strode into the room. With his white-blond hair and ice-blue eyes, he had an almost cold appearance, but as soon as he smiled at Chris, his demeanor turned inviting and warm.
"Hello, Chris. I'm Dr. Daemen. I understand this is aspecialcase, so I'llbe helping you deliver your little one today."
Chris shot me a confused glance.
"He's a shifter, too," I whispered.
"Oh! Nice to meet you." Chris held out a hand to shake, but another contraction ripped through him and he groaned. "Ow..."
Daemen got into position and spoke soothingly. "Don't worry, Chris, it won't take long. The baby's impatient to come out. All you have to do is push, all right?"
His words had a relaxing effect on Chris, and hell, even me too. Chris nodded and pushed, gripping my hand for dear life. His face was red and sweaty from effort.
"Excellent job," Daemen said. "Just a little more..."
Chris nearly ripped my arm off with the next wave of effort. But it was worth it. A sharp, high-pitched cry split the room.
Chris gasped, wide-eyed. "What happened?"
Daemen chuckled. "You had a baby, Chris."
"ALREADY?" Chris cried.
"Yes. The little cub must've been bored with the scenery in there," Daemen joked. "He practically jumped right out on his own."
Chris's eyes watered. "He? It's a boy?"
After a moment of cleaning and bundling up the baby, Daemen handed us our new child. "That's right. Here you are. Congratulations, you two."
It ended up being a good thing we chose Daemen to deliver our baby, because hewasborn as a tiny manticore cub. He was a lump of golden lion fur and frail wings all bundled up in a blue blanket.
"Oh my god, he's adorable," Chris murmured.
