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“Sweetheart!” Bruiser squeaked. He reached between Uriel’s legs to try and help, except this slowed down their progress.

“Get us to the end!” Uriel growled. “I’ll hold this in.”

Bruiser didn’t look confident, but he tugged Uriel along.

Five steps from the finish line, more of their baby slipped out.

“FUCK,” Uriel said. “Damn you Bruiser, you cursed us!”

Bruiser paled and winced. “Four more steps, you can do it!”

Uriel made another bow-legged step. He swung his hips and took another step, supporting their baby while his body tried its damnedest to push. “Gods fucking damn it!”

With great difficulty, he took the steps to the finish line, Bruiser at his side. All at once, the circles around them flared bright blue, and a gust whipped through the chamber. Magic flowed from Bruiser to Uriel in a great rush; the hairs at Bruiser’s temple turned gray.

“Half of my lifespan is now yours, so we can grow old together,” Bruiser murmured. “My omega.”

“Yours,” Uriel said hysterically. “Good, great, we’re bonded. Now help me.”

Bruiser yanked down Uriel’s pants and stuck his hands under Uriel. Their baby came out in a rush. Bruiser caught their child with one hand, and Uriel with the other.

“Fuck,” Uriel panted. “This is some birth.”

“You’re so fucking amazing, sweetheart,” Bruiser said fervently, kissing him hard.

His omega friends came up to help support him. They took the newborn and cleaned him up, then presented him to Uriel and Bruiser all wailing and clean.

“Welcome to the family, Eli,” Uriel said, choking up. Eli quieted when he heard Uriel’s voice. He squinted up at Uriel and Bruiser, and Uriel realized that Eli had a fiery-red birthmark on his foot.

“Look at you, Eli,” Bruiser said with such affection that Uriel melted. “Such a beautiful child.”

He leaned in to kiss Eli on the forehead, then accepted Cassie from Hunner so he could show Cassie her new little brother. Cassie stared at Eli and tried to grab his face. Bruiser caught her hand before an accident could happen.

Uriel sagged against his alpha, so damn relieved now that the stress of bonding and birthing was over. “We’re not having a book written about this.”

“I don’t know, Zenith is probably inspired by all these bonding circle births,” Bruiser said dryly.

“I am!” Zenith called over the crowd.

“As long as it’s not a book about us,” Uriel grumbled.

“You really enjoyed that book though. Especially the steamy scenes.”

Uriel groaned. “Don’t just announce that to everyone!”

“Too late,” Hunner said gleefully. “Zenith wants you to autograph his book.”

Uriel cuddled Eli closer to himself, so he could forget the chaos of his life for a bit. “I’m exhausted. Let’s have a nap.”

“Agreed,” Bruiser said. He scooped up Uriel and Eli with one arm and held Cassie with the other.

Together, the four of them headed upstairs in search of a bed.

(”Why don’t you use this book as a pillow?” Hunner called after them, waving his little pink book.

“Oh gods,” said someone.

“You’re right,” Hunner said, producing the book Zenith had written. “They need to sleep with this too.”)