I help Hannah sit up enough for us to adjust the bed, and Foster slides behind her. He takes his shirt off, tossing it to me, and presses against her skin-to-skin. I feel the moment his purr rattles to life, because Hannah’s limbs melt. The relief on her face makes me wish I’d known to do that earlier. Next time, I’ll know.Ifshe decides she wants more children. If she doesn’t, that’s fine, too.
“Shepherd, you’re going to take one of her legs, behind her knee, and bring it to her chest.” A nurse mimics me on the other side, spreading around the baby bump so we don’t crush him. “Perfect. Okay, Hannah, it’s all you now. As soon as you feel the need to push, do it.”
A few seconds pass before she grits her teeth and bears down. Pain laces her cry, and a tear slips from her eye. Foster rests his head on her shoulder, breathing with her when she relaxes. “You’re doing so good, Angel. I’m so damn proud of you.”
Time slows as she continues to push. What feels like hours but is only twenty minutes later, the doctor pulls a pink, gooey baby into her arms. “Congratulations, Pack Wilson!” A nurse hastily dries our crying son before they pull aside Hannah’s gown and press him to her chest. A head of dark brown hair covers his skull, and the loudest cry fills the room.
“You did it, Wildfire.” Awestruck isn’t an accurate enough word to describe how I feel gazing down at my Beta holding our son. The love in her eyes as she rubs a finger over his chubby cheek brings tears to my eyes. She smiles up at me, exhausted but so damn happy. I press a kiss to her sweaty head and bring my forehead to hers. “I love you so much, Hannah. Thank you for letting us take this journey with you.”
Foster sniffles, hugging her closer as he stares down at our baby. “Your momma is one amazing woman,” he whispers. “We’re the luckiest pack in the world to have a mate like her.”
I can barely take my eyes off them, enraptured by the sight of the three of them wrapped up on the bed. Even sweat-soaked and tired, Hannah shines brighter than the sun. We’re lucky indeed.
After Hannah feeds him, the nurses take him to be weighed and measured. She peeks up at me, cheeks tinted pink. “Would you like to hold him after they’re done?”
Fuck yes,I would love that. Emotion clogs my throat, so all I can do is jerk my head in agreement. A nurse re-wraps his blankets, keeping him nice and snug, and then places him in my arms. Staring down at his small face, I fall harder than ever before. This is my son. Not by blood, but that will never change the way my heart feels.
As his teeny palm wraps around the tip of my finger, I vow to protect him, always. All of them.My pack.
An hour after our son made his way into the world, we’re cleared to bring Kaitlin back. I can’t stop smiling as I make my way to the waiting room to find them. A few feet from their chair sits an agent I recognize from the DAU. We share brief nods, but I don’t stop to chat.
“Sheppie! How’s Hannah?” Mom asks when she looks up from the puzzle they are building.
“Tired, but good.” I squat next to them and tap my daughter on the shoulder. “Hey, Princess, ready to meet your baby brother?”
I chuckle as she jumps to her feet, ready to run to our room. She pouts when I remind her to put the puzzle back first, but Mom helps her clear it quickly. With my princess in my arms, I lead Mom through the double doors and toward my mates. Foster holds the baby when I arrive, cooing softly as he walks him around the room. He grins when he sees us and passes our son back to Hannah.
“Come here, Little Bug,” she says, patting the bed beside her. I let Kaitlin go so she can clamber up. “This is your brother.”
“He’s tiny. And wrinkly.” We all laugh as she scrunches her nose. One hand reaches out to touch his hair. “Hello, brudder. I is your big sister. I can’t wait to play with you.”
Dragging my phone from my pocket, I snap a picture, capturing the way she stares down at him softly. It doesn’t last long, because despite her excitement, the baby won’t be able to play with her the way she wants for several months.She is quickly distracted by telling Hannah about the indoor playground and the food Mom bought her in the cafeteria.
I take the baby from Hannah, leaving her to cuddle with our big kid, and lay him in Mom’s arms. “Your grandson.”
Mom speaks to him softly, tears streaming down her cheeks in happy rivulets. “Does he have a name?” My head shakes. That’s Hannah’s decision, and it isn’t one she has made yet. For now, he is Baby Wilson. “I’ll call him Little Bear, then. He certainly is a fuzzy little fellow.”
She takes the rocking chair in the corner and enjoys holding her grandson for the first time. Our family has grown so much, and I’m incredibly grateful for all of them. My mates, our parents, our kids. This is a dream come true.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Hannah isasleep on the bed, resting between feedings. She amazed me today. Giving birth to our son and handling the pain with her head held high. I have never been more grateful that we share a matching birthmarks Fated connection. If we had shared pain instead… a shudder runs down my spine thinking about feeling even half the pain she did today. I would have passed out after the first contraction. My pain tolerance is abysmally low.
Keeping one foot on the ground, I gently rock in the chair, our baby sleeping soundly in my arms. He’s adorable. All squishy cheeks and wrinkly skin, with thick hair all over his head. The latter won’t last. Baby hair thins as they learn to move their heads, and it often changes color, too. I was born bald, and my hair grew in blonde patches, slowly shifting to the almost black curls I wear today.
What will our little prince look like when he’s older?
“If you look like your momma, you’ll be stealing hearts left and right,” I whisper.
My phone chirps from the side table. A text from Manny waits on the screen. I grab it and quickly reply, asking if he is free to video chat. Seconds later, his handsome face flickers onto my screen. “Hey, Hot Stuff.” I grin, joy bubbling in my chest as hisvoice filters through my ears and soothes my instincts. Listening to him talk is better than any song I’ve ever listened to. “I have a surprise for you.”
His brows rise. “Oh?”
Panning the camera down, I fill the video with my son’s face.Ourson, as soon as Manny accepts his place in my pack. “Hannah went into labor this morning.”
“Felicidades, Galán. He’s beautiful.” The softness I hear in his voice doesn’t hide the undercurrent of insecurity that briefly flashes through his violet eyes. Quick enough that I wouldn’t have caught it if I hadn’t been staring at him. This is something he’s brought up several times, and I’ve tried to reassure him. Proving that we aren’t going to wake up one day and decide he no longer belongs with us will take time.
“We’re taking him home tomorrow. You should come visit after work. Spend the night with me.”
