“We’ve talked about the birth!” Mathlin called after him. “There’s no need to panic!”
“I know, but it’s the birth of my pup! I’m gonna be a dad!” Titan grabbed their entire stash of towels and hauled it to their bed.
When he finally hurried out and scooped Mathlin into his arms, Mathlin said, “Well, Jannie’s your pup too.”
Titan almost tripped on the way to their bedroom. “What?”
Mathlin frowned. “You’ve been caring for her as your own all these months, Ti. She’s as good as yours, too.”
Titan stared, his eyes wide. “Fuck. All this time I thought... it was just a story we were telling our customers.”
Mathlin smiled and reached up, brushing his fingers through Titan’s hair. “You’ve been a great dad to Jannie. I want you to be her actual dad, too. That is... if you want.”
“Of course I want,” Titan replied, choking up. He pressed a rough kiss to Mathlin’s lips, stealing his breath away. It was only when another contraction rolled through Mathlin, that Titan broke the kiss and sat on the edge of the bed, cradling Mathlin in his lap. “What do I do now?” he asked when the wave was over.
Mathlin panted. “Clothes off. It might go faster this time, it’s not my first.”
Titan scrambled to help him undress. Then he spooned Mathlin from behind, rubbing Mathlin’s swollen belly. “Will you tell me when you’re about to...?”
“Of course.” Mathlin tangled their fingers together, and Titan kissed him wherever he could reach.
“Mine,” Titan rumbled. He leaned away when Jannie and Wildcart chased each other into the bedroom. “Would you like them to stick around for the birth, or would you rather have the pack watch them for a bit?”
“Would the pack mind?” Mathlin asked. But he reached out for Jannie anyway. “Let me cuddle her first.”
“Hey, lil pup. Even though you’re not really a pup. But you’re—you’re mine now, too.” Titan’s breath caught. He scooped Jannie up and cradled her against his chest, looking a little overwhelmed. Then he pressed a kiss to the top of her fuzzy head. “Someday, when you’re older, you’ll call me Papa too, huh?”
He grinned and handed her over to Mathlin, letting them snuggle. When Mathlin’s next contraction rolled around, Titan set Jannie in Wildcart’s cargo basket, and Hamilton took them away. He settled behind Mathlin again, strong and warm. Protective.
“You’re amazing,” Mathlin purred.
“So are you. You’ve always been amazing, and I’m blessed to have you as my omega.”
Mathlin shivered, snuggling his alpha harder. Then his body contracted again. “Soon,” Mathlin said. And he shifted into a black cat, still lying on his side.
Titan rumbled. He shrugged off his clothes and shifted into a huge grey wolf, wrapping himself around Mathlin on the bed.
Then, Titan began to lick him. He licked Mathlin’s face and chest; he licked down Mathlin’s side and over his swollen, furry belly.
“That helps,” Mathlin purred, stretching his limbs.
“Good.” Titan continued to lick him.
The contractions began to roll through Mathlin with increasing frequency.
“Is this where I tell you to push?” Titan asked warily.
Mathlin hissed.
“Sorry,” Titan yelped, licking Mathlin’s face again.
Mathlin pushed with the contractions, giving a low purr when Titan curled more tightly around him, so his warmth soaked into Mathlin’s back.
His alpha was here with him. Encouraging him. It was so much more than he’d had before.
Mathlin pushed and pushed, panting and biting the towels. Then, finally, something slipped out of him, bedraggled and dark gray.
Their kitten.
