Fated, page 11
“Yeah!” Lupa cried. “Where’s a stick? I wanna try.”
Ever helpful, Ashe went to fetch another stick for her. He managed to find one that wasn’t as big, which I’m sure Lupa found disappointing but it was probably better for her teeth. Xander held it while she shifted and prepared to bite down. With a growl, Lupa did as Xander instructed and bit down on her own stick hard enough to break it.
“I did it!” she exclaimed, bouncing up and down. “Thank you, Uncle Xander!”
She nuzzled his chest and he licked between her ears.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “I’ll teach you again sometime, okay?”
“Okay!”
Xander came over to me with a satisfied smile. “How’s that braid looking, Sage?”
I glanced down at my handiwork. Leveret’s braid looked like less of a braid and more of a hair disaster.
“Not great,” I admitted, laughing.
“That’s better than I could do.” Xander kissed me on the cheek as I stood up, still holding Leveret in my arms. He was getting a bit big to carry but he still enjoyed it, unlike his free-running sister. “But it’s not so bad. How do you like it, Lev?”
Leveret nodded, even though he couldn’t see most of it. He tightly grasped the end in his hands. “I like it. Don’t undo.”
“Okay,” I said, pleased that he enjoyed my handiwork.
Leveret grunted like he wanted to go down. When he was on the ground, he ran after Ashe and Lupa, who had already gone ahead.
I nudged Xander, who was watching them with a smile. “Look at you, mister dad-in-training.”
He blushed. “What?”
“You’re so awesome with the kids.” I leaned my head on his shoulder and wrapped myself around his arm in a clingy way. “I like it. It makes me excited to have our own.”
The embarrassed look on Xander’s face melted into one of warm happiness. He pulled me closer. “Me too. It won’t be long now.” His voice softened. “Are you worried about delivering?”
I thought about it. I didn’t like pain—who did?—but I wasn’t as scared as I thought I’d be.
“Not when you’re here with me,” I said honestly. “With you, Xander, I feel like I can do anything.”
And that was the truth.
14
Xander
As much as I hated letting Sage out of my sight, I also felt the primal need to provide for him. My mountain lion was screaming out to hunt for my mate, and I couldn’t deny it any longer. It was another one of those moments where I was beyond grateful for the pack. If Sage and I lived alone as a pair, like other mountain lion shifters did, I would’ve had to leave him alone constantly to go hunting. The mere thought was unpleasant.
But here, with this strange and delightful mix of shifters, in this one big family, I never had to worry about that. Len and Morgan were both with him, and his brothers as well. Red—who was a surprisingly good babysitter for such a snarky guy—was juggling kids. The only one I didn’t remember seeing as I left was Remington.
It had been a few months since I joined the pack officially, but he always seemed to feel awkward around me. I had no ill will against him, but the idea of broaching the topic with him was uncomfortable. I didn’t want him to be afraid of me.
For the past week or so, Sage had a craving for fish, so I headed over to the river. There were small fish in the nearby streams, but nothing substantial.
Here in the glittering sunlight, there were bigger fish swimming against the currents. My tail twitched in anticipation. One swipe of my sharp claws and I’d have a meal for my pregnant, craving-addled mate.
A big one swam lazily into my line of sight, uncaring that it broke my reflection in the clear water. I slowly raised a paw and unsheathed my claws. As long as I was still, they wouldn’t notice me.
Just as I was about to snatch it out of the water—
“I’ve seen a bigger one around here, you know.”
Another reflection appeared next to me. Remington, in human form. The fish scattered.
I growled in frustration and shifted. “I was about to catch that fish.”
“I’m sure you can catch another one,” he said.
An awkward silence fell between us, neither of us knowing what to say. Remington wouldn’t come all the way out here just to ruin my chance at fishing. I figured there must be something on his mind.
“I’m hunting for Sage,” I finally said. “Is there something you want to talk to me about?”
A flash of embarrassment flickered across his face. “Sorry. I just figured if there was anyone I could tell this to, it was you.”
“Me?” I blinked.
“I was serious about that fish,” Remington said. “I’m not sure if anyone else in the pack has seen it, but I have.”
All this fuss over a fish? I thought it was odd, but Remington did seem serious about it.
“What’s so special about it?” I asked.
Remington frowned and observed the water. “It’s not native to this area. It’s a big koi fish.”
In all my travels, I’d seen a couple koi fish in human ponds kept as ornamental pets. It was definitely odd to hear of one in a wildlife reserve.
“Maybe someone dumped their pet here,” I suggested.
“It’s impossible for humans to get inside the wildlife reserve. I’m the only one who has the key to the gate, and the walls are designed to keep animals in and people out. Only shifters like us can freely go back and forth.”
“This seems to bother you quite a bit,” I commented.
Remington rubbed his arm. “When I first saw it, I kept thinking of the man that was inside my manor the night we met,” he mumbled. “Something tells me these two things can’t be a coincidence.”
As soon as he said it, my skin crawled. I didn’t want to think about him—the man that had almost hurt Sage.
“But he was a human,” I said.
“What if he wasn’t?” Remington argued. “What if he just had a form he didn’t want to shift into?”
With a slight shock, I recalled what Dr. Pine said when I mentioned the strange non-shifter alpha.
Maybe he had an embarrassing animal, unlike your noble mountain lion form.
The idea made me frown. A fish shifter would have no reason to shift in a room, and even if he did, he wouldn’t have stood a chance against a big cat.
But something still didn’t fit. The man spoke to me as if I was a mute animal, not a shifter, like he didn’t think shifters even existed. I couldn’t make sense of this puzzle.
“I don’t want to worry you or anything, but I just wanted to talk to you about it,” Remington said, avoiding my gaze. “I feel like you’re the only person who would’ve taken this seriously.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Remington. I’m glad you told me.”
He glanced at me with a slight smile. “Um, by the way, I’m sorry I made such a scene about you joining the pack. I think the incident at the manor freaked me out and made me paranoid.”
I returned his smile. “Don’t worry about it. It’s history now. Besides, it’s good to have a little paranoia sometimes.” I glanced back to the river, where the fish were gathering again. “I’ll keep an eye out for any potential danger, especially now that the baby’s almost here.”
“I hope it’s not a big deal,” Remington murmured with a sigh. “Maybe it was just a trick of the light and I didn’t actually see anything.”
“Don’t doubt yourself. I believe you. By the way, what color was this fish?”
“Golden. Not orange like a goldfish, but actually gleaming like gold,” Remington told me.
“Thanks.” I gestured to the water. “Want to help me catch something before we head back?”
Remington perked up. “I’m probably not as good of a fisher as you, but I’ll try.”
We spent some time catching fish from the river. Remington was modest about his ability, but he managed to grab a fish the length of his paw with a quick bite. I snatched up as many as would fit in my jaws on the way back and hoped Sage would be satisfied with our results.
Spending time with Remington was surprisingly pleasant. We chatted on the way back and the conversation came naturally, with none of the previous awkwardness. I was glad we got over the tension hanging between us.
We were halfway back to the grove when a long howl split the air.
Remington spit his fish out. “That’s Hugo. He says Sage might be going into labor,” he said quickly.
My muscles sprang to life. I pelted across the field at full speed with Remington close behind me. Once I was past the ring of trees, I skidded to a halt and spat out the fish I’d collected before shifting and rushing to Sage’s side. He was laying in a makeshift den of dry grass and fur. His large belly was prominent now.
“Sage, is everything okay?” I asked as the other omegas made space for me.
He groaned, but it was in exasperation instead of pain. “I’m fine. Hugo was overreacting.”
“I was not,” Hugo said, frowning.
“You totally were. I just mentioned off hand that I thought I might be going into labor, not that I was for sure,” Sage mumbled. I noticed the sweat beading his forehead but otherwise he didn’t seem to be agitated.
“It’s okay. I’m glad Hugo called me,” I said, nodding to him.
Sage brightened. “By the way, did you bring me what I asked for?”
Remington collected the fish and gave them to Sage. “I caught one too, but I kind of panicked and dropped it on the way here,” he said apologetically.
“That’s okay! Thanks anyway.”
Sage shifted into a big-bellied wolf and tore into the fish with vigor. I couldn’t help but grin as I watched. It was satisfying to know my mate enjoyed it and that my effort hadn’t gone to waste.
He shifted back when he was done. He leaned back, settling into the den with a contented sigh. “Thanks, Xander. You’re the best.”
I curled up beside him, idly stroking his body. I couldn’t believe how much he’d grown in such a short amount of time. I enjoyed it as much as I could while it lasted, since I wasn’t sure if Sage would want to go through this again. My hand swept gently over his belly and he nuzzled against my chest with a smile.
“Wanna think about names again?” he suggested. His voice sounded a little tighter than before so I stroked his hair. He was still sweating, and I wondered if he was trying to get his mind off discomfort.
“Of course.”
“Should we leave you two alone?” Len suggested.
It was up to Sage, so I let him decide. He snorted and said, “You guys can stay as long as Hugo and Dax don’t make fun of my names like they always do.”
Dax crossed his arms. “I wouldn’t make fun of any name you chose for your own baby.” He paused. “Unless it was something really bad.”
“Okay, then regardless of sex, I’m naming my baby Dax Jr.”
Dax barked out a laugh. “I’d be honored.”
“I’m going to respectfully pass on Dax Jr,” I said. “Any other ideas?”
“Um… Well. I do kinda have a name I really like, but I’m not sure if you’ll like it as much as I do,” Sage mumbled. Judging by his blush and reluctance to tell me, I knew it was one he loved.
“Go on,” I urged.
“Okay… Um, I was thinking of that night when we sat under the stars together.”
“The night we discussed being fated mates?” I asked.
Sage smiled. “Yeah, that one. So I thought… How about the name Star?”
Hearing the name sent a pang of affection surging through my heart. It felt right. I kissed Sage on the cheek.
“Er, does that mean you like it?” he asked.
“I do,” I told him, smiling. “Our starry baby.”
“Oh, that’s such a cute nickname! Starry… I love that.”
None of the pack made any bad comments about the name. I was glad to see they all liked it, too. It was a unique name, certainly, but it suited a baby born to our unique circumstance.
“I—”
Sage stopped abruptly and stared off into the middle distance, which worried me.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Huh.” Sage put his hands on his belly with a thoughtful expression. “Uhh… I think they heard us talking about them, ‘cause I’m pretty sure they’re trying to come out. Like, right now.”
The meaning of his words hit me.
“You’re going into labor?” I exclaimed.
“Hm. Uh. Yep, pretty sure.”
Len and Morgan were there in an instant, ready to walk him through it. I stayed glued to Sage’s side and held his hand for support. Sage clenched his eyes shut and breathed heavily for a moment.
“Ow,” Sage complained, wincing. “Okay, was that a contraction? Because it sucked.”
“They do suck,” Len said sympathetically. “It might be more comfortable giving birth in your shifter form.”
“I agree,” Morgan chimed in. “It’s a lot easier than pushing out a human baby.”
Sage bit his lip. “Okay. I can try it…” He glanced at me with a flicker of unease in his eyes. “You won’t go anywhere, will you, Xander?”
“Never. I’m here, Sage, and I’m not leaving,” I promised.
He smiled nervously. “Then… can I lay in your lap?”
I sat and summoned him closer. He shifted to become a wolf, then plopped his chin on my thigh with a small whine.
I hoped for Sage’s sake that it wasn’t going to be a long night.
15
Sage
I thought being pregnant was hard enough, but everything about giving birth majorly sucked. Well, except the fact that Xander was doting on me and giving me lots of attention. That part was nice. But the rest of it was garbage.
I whimpered as another painful pang went through me. Len was right, at least—it was less uncomfortable to do this in my shifted form. How humans pushed babies out of them was a complete mystery to me.
Xander pet my fur, from between my ears down to the base of my tail. The long, calming strokes was pleasant and distracted me from the discomfort.
The contractions were getting closer together now, which I hoped meant that this would be over soon. My sides rose and fell rapidly as I breathed hard.
“Talk about something,” I grumbled to Xander. “Anything.”
“All right. How about… What do you think our baby will be?”
I’d been wondering that the entire time I’d been pregnant. “I dunno. I mean, it won’t matter to me either way.”
“Do you think Lupa might like another wolf her age to play with?”
I chuckled. “I think Lupa would like any kid her age to play with, regardless of species. She’s always wearing out Leveret and Ashe.”
“True.” Xander went quiet, still threading his fingers through my fur. “You won’t mind if it’s a mountain lion, like me?”
I remembered what Xander told me about his past and felt a flash of irritation towards his omega father. “Hell no! You know that already.” I growled and headbutted his thigh. “Don’t say dumb things like that again.”
Xander grinned. “Sorry.”
“That’s it. I made up my mind,” I announced.
“About what?”
“I’m gonna love Star twice as hard to make up for how your omega father treated you.”
Xander’s eyes widened and a shocked, soft expression spread over his face. He was strong and tough, but in this moment, I saw fragility in him. He smiled slowly and leaned down to press a kiss on my forehead.
“Thank you, Sage,” he murmured. “You’re the perfect fated mate.”
Hearing him say that lit up my heart. I whimpered with affection, craning my neck to lick his face all over. He chuckled but didn’t object as I bathed him with my wolf tongue.
The contractions came and went, making me grit my teeth and bear it until they passed, but having Xander around to pet my fur and talk to me made it a lot easier. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him. My family was around too. They gave me and Xander space while the boring part of labor passed but were nearby in case I needed them for something.
“Ugh, why is this taking so long?” I complained. “Come out already!”
“Looks like our baby’s as stubborn as we are,” Xander remarked, obviously amused.
“Star, come out right now or you’re grounded,” I warned.
Shockingly, Star did not come out.
“That does it. My baby’s going to be born grounded.”
Xander smirked. “I’m sure as soon as you see Star’s face, you’ll take back that punishment.”
“We’ll see about that.”
A wave of agony suddenly tore through me. I gasped and accidentally dug my nails into Xander’s thigh. He held me, waiting it out.
“I’m here. Bite down on me if you need to,” he said.
“I’m not gonna bite—argh!”
A sound between a growl and whine came out of me. I breathed heavily as the pain worsened. My body felt weird and tight—I knew Star was trying to come out right this second.
“Len, Morgan!” Xander called.
They hurried over immediately, but without any panic. I appreciated both their calm demeanors since I was freaking the hell out.
“Keep breathing,” Morgan said. “It helps.”
I tried to take his advice but my deep, steady breaths were interspersed with zaps of pain. I whimpered. I wanted to hold Xander’s hand, but if it was this hard in my wolf form, it would’ve been way worse if I shifted.
As if reading my mind, Xander said, “I’m here, Sage. Just tell me what you want and I’ll do it.”I shut my eyes. “Keep petting me? Please?”
“I will.”
Xander’s large, warm hand moved in calming motions down my back. The sensation of his touch was a healing salve. I let out a shuddering sigh and felt my body relax as Xander touched me. The sharp pangs of pain were still there but dulled, as if Xander put a glass wall between them and me.
I strained with the effort of pushing something out of me, and—
