Chris
'Alpha, it's time,' Chloe links.
Time?
Time!
Fuck!
I whip my attention back to the palace deep down in the valley and groan. Not wanting to waste another second I kick off, racing down the mountain.
I would go for a fucking run and be as far away as possible when Jess goes into labour!
Fuck!
'What's wrong?!' Jace asks, hot on my heels with Derek and Ryker taking up the rear.
Trees and boulders whip past us at a frightening pace as I race down the slope, instead of taking the winding path. I skid in the loose snow, narrowly avoiding a stump and bound over it, offering a silent prayer and thanks as the landscape levels out.
'Christ brother, trying to break your God damn neck?!' Derek grumbles, nearly crashing into the same stump. 'What's the rush?'
'It's time!' I don't bother to check on them as I take off once more, pushing my body to its max. Each stride I push harder, practically flying over the thawing landscape.
'Seriously!? Shit!' Jace exclaims, kicking his own speed into overdrive, running up on my left. His sudden burst of energy pushes me on faster, making it to the palace in record time.
Someone opens the front door and we crash inside, our mud and snow-slicked paws struggling for traction on the smooth stone floor. Bystanders jump out of the way and startled people scramble around.
"Chris!" Jude shouts from the top of the stairs. My attention snaps to him as he cradles Jess in his arms and carefully makes his way downstairs.
I shift and a second later joggers hit me from above. Sara smirks as I hastily tug them on and meet Jude at the bottom of the stairs.
"Hey there," I coo, seeing the frightened look in my mate's eyes.
"Chris," she whimpers, sniffing back a sob.
"I'm here baby." She reaches out, hooking an arm around my neck as Jude passes her over to me. "I've got you."
She tucks against my chest and I turn to make my way to the hospital wing. Halfway there, she goes rigid, whimpering as her breath catches.
"Breath through it Jess," Chloe calls. I'm so focused on Jess I didn't notice her follow us, but both her and Jude are right with us and the others are not far behind.
A moment later, she relaxes and catches her breath. Her discomfort is written across her face and she pants with her eyes closed and brows deeply furrowed.
"This sucks," she groans.
"I know baby, we're almost there." Doc meets us in the hallway with his staff, complete with a wheelchair.
Jess groans as I set her down. Everyone's talking but their words make no sense as I focus on Jess. Fortunately, Chloe has all the answers, leaving my attention on my mate as they wheel her into the hospital wing.
Everything happens in a flurry. They take her vitals while I help her strip and slip into the hospital gown. Sensors and monitors are attached to both her stomach to monitor the babies but also to Jess.
Through it all, I feel my heart race. I'm torn between excitement for meeting my pups and worry for Jess. I have to have faith in our medical team, they are the best of the best.
"No pushing yet Luna," Doc cautions. "We've got some time yet."
"But it's too early," she whimpers, fear lacing each word. "They aren't due for another month!"
"Babies have their own timeline," Chloe assures us. "Your scans have been good, they're well developed."
"You're sure?" Jess asks, uncertainty flooding back through our bond.
"Baby, they are the best, you're in good hands." She relaxes slightly at my assurance, meanwhile, Cyrus is pacing endlessly in the back of my mind.
Time ticks by at a snail's pace as we wait for Doc to say she's ready to push. As her contractions get stronger and come closer together, I struggle to stay calm.
Thank God I went for a run... After burning all that energy off I'm still this worked up, I can't imagine sitting here calmly without it.
"Owe, Fuck!" Jess hisses, her body going rigid. Each contraction is getting stronger, drawing more colourful curses from her.
I'm on my feet instantly, brushing her hair back from her sweat-covered brow. She groans, struggling to breathe through this one, her body hunching over itself.
"Breathe baby," I whisper. Her hand finds mine and she squeezes hard, her knuckles turning white as my fingers colour purple. "It'll be over soon. That's it."
Jess gasps and throws her head back, making my stomach drop.
Something's wrong...
Alarms start to sound on the monitor and a moment later the med team rushes in. My heart hammers in my chest, having been around to welcome every new pack member.
This isn't normal.
"What is it?!" I snap, my gaze darting from Jess to Doc and any of the nurses, desperate for answers.
"Alpha, please! We need to work," Doc begs, not even stopping to look at me as he strong-arms me back.
"Chris," Jess chokes out when I step away, reaching out for me.
Hands push into my side, guiding me around to the head of the bed. "Up here is safe and out of the way," Chloe directs. 'Try to keep her calm.'
'What the fuck is wrong?!' I snap more forcefully than I mean to but my mate's fear feeding back through the bond has Cyrus in a frenzy.
Chloe purses her lips as she watches me, her keen brown gaze weighing the pros and cons before sighing.
'Please Chloe,' I whisper. Jess squeezes my hand hard once more and I run my thumb over her knuckles, desperate to soothe her.
'One of the baby's heartbeats dropped. It's back up,' she adds quickly. 'This can happen, but it may mean not waiting...'
'But you guys said she's not there yet?!'
"Are they okay?" Jess asks, her voice wavering with worry. She's finally able to catch her breath and pins Doc in place with her gaze.
"Yes Luna," he assures her. "One of the readings dropped..." he trails off, his expression guarded as he takes in all of the data.
"Tell me," she demands.
Doc freezes but Chloe is unfazed, moving to her side. "Your little ones are too eager to meet you," she says, her voice soft and calming. "They are big and strong... You may need a c-section for all of your safety."
My gut drops like a rock.
An operation...
'Only if it comes to it, Alpha,' Doc assures me. 'The risks are minimal and much safer than if we do nothing.'
Jezus Christ...
"Will it hurt them?" Jess whimpers, I feel her heart racing. Like always, her concern is for everyone else before herself.
"No Luna, it's for their safety and yours." Doc smiles kindly at her, his reassuring energy does wonders to calm her. "Let me see if I can reposition them first okay?"
Jess frantically nods and Doc begins pushing on different spots but I don't miss the nurses that slip away. I shift my attention back to my near frantic mate, bringing my free hand to cup her cheek.
'He's setting up the OR,' Chloe confirms. 'Everything will be okay, you just need to focus on your mate and keeping her calm and distracted.'
My jaw hurts from how hard I'm clenching it and my head throbs from my no doubt sky-high blood pressure. No one talks about how terrifying and helpless this can be.
"Thank God you're here!" Chloe exclaims, drawing my attention to Mira as she walks in.
"You can fix this?" I ask, eyes locked on hers. Mira shakes her head, offering a sympathetic smile.
"But she can help," Chloe counters.
As if on cue, Jess flinches as another contraction starts. She groans, clenching her teeth, her lips peeled back as she suffers through it.
Alarms start screeching, their angry sounds causing my heart to hammer. "Hang on baby."
"We can't wait any longer," Doc warns gravely. "Go ahead Mira."
Nurses busy themselves getting Jess' bed ready to move but Mira walks confidently over to my stricken mate. She gently lays her hand on her stomach and Jess relaxes, her eyes shooting to Mira's.
"That was a fucking option?!" Jess gasps.
Mira laughs. "Pain is part of contractions... part of labour. If we're bypassing that, I can bypass the pain," she explains with a wink as they shuttle us down the hall.
"Alpha," Nurse Lily calls, stopping me from entering the prep area.
"No, I'm not leaving her," I growl.
She shakes her head and holds up a blue gown. "You need to slip this on first." I grumble, not wanting to be separated from her but know it's for Jess' health. As quickly as possible, I don the gown and cap and follow her into the surgical room.
-----
"Baby," I whisper. Jess is fast asleep, having slipped under after the procedure. Doc was more than happy to leave her sleeping while Mira healed her. They settled her back in her room but I know she'd want to be awake now.
"Jess," I coo, trying to coax her awake. My thumb traces circles on her cheek and she leans into my caress. "Baby, wake up." She sighs and takes a deep breath in and her honey gold eyes flutter open and find mine.
"Hey," she mumbles, smiling sleepily at me. Her delicate fingers trail across my cheek. I place a soft kiss on her palm, feeling my heart swell even more for this woman.
The recovery bed is massive, leaving plenty of room for both of us to lay facing each other on our sides. Even with Mira's attention, she couldn't erase the dark circles from Jess' eyes, but her honey-gold irises glow in the low light.
"You did it baby," I whisper, feeling my voice choke with emotion. She furrows her brows as the fog of sleep loses the last of its grip. As if to put in his two cents, one of the two bundles laying between us makes a sound and Jess instantly snaps to.
She brings her trembling hand to her mouth and her eyes begin to water as she stares at the babies nestled against her. As if she's afraid to break them, her hand moves and hovers above them.
"They're here," she breathes out. Bundle number two stirs, as if sensing her mother's hand near her. My own silent tears roll down my cheeks, watching my precious mate and our pups finally meet.
"They wouldn't settle down, then Chloe moved them over and they instantly quieted," I explain.
Jess finally manages to peel her teary eyes away from them and back to me. "Are they... I mean, there's nothing..." Quiet desperation lurks in her gaze, gutting me.
"Shhh, baby they're perfect."
Jess lets out a sigh and beams at them for a moment, finally skimming her fingertips across each of their foreheads. "We did it," she chokes out, bordering on a sob.
"God, I love you so much Jess." My chest feels like it could explode under the pressure right now. I never knew I could feel this much love at once.
"I can't believe it," she murmurs, caressing their cheeks. Both babies start wrinkling their noses and waking up. Their dark lashes flutter open, showing off beautiful blue eyes ringed with gold.
"Hello, little ones." My voice is husky and thick as I take in my family. As they wake up, both babies start to fuss.
"I think it might be time to stretch your legs," Chloe pipes up from the sidelines, nodding at me. "Sounds like we're finally hungry."
Jess smiles and lifts her chin for a quick kiss as I get up. Cyrus fights me every step of the way, not ready to leave his pups yet.
I hover at the doorway, watching as Chloe and Nurse Lily gently move the babies, adjusting the bed so Jess can sit up. Once in position, Chloe hands her the pink bundle, turning her attention to me and raising a brow.
"I'm going," I say with a chuckle, offering my palms. She doesn't take her eyes off of me as I back through the doors grinning the whole way.
Hands grip my shoulders, dragging me away from the door as Jace and Derek crash into me. Exuberant voices are lost in the din and my grin just grows as my friends congratulate me, asking questions faster than I can answer.
"They're good," I laugh, taking in the smiling faces. Even Nex and Sara are waiting in the overcrowded hallway, her ripe belly looking ready to pop at a moment's notice.
"Goddess above, I can't believe they're here," Derek breathes out, his smile matching my own. "When can we see the rugrats?"
The murmurs die down instantly as dozens of eyes lock on mine, pleading. I shake my head throwing my palms up. "Whenever she's ready, but I think that'll be tomorrow. It's getting late."
A chorus of groans ring out, clearly disappointed to have to wait, but I won't rush Jess and truth be told, I'm not ready to share them yet.
Clucking from the back parts the crowd as Grandmother walks over, her arm linked with Ethan's. Her crystal blue eyes shine with pride as she smiles up at me and pats my cheek.
"Your parents would be so happy, Christopher," she manages to say though her voice is thick. "So happy."
I cough to clear my throat. My parents always talked about growing old surrounded by grandkids. When Derek dropped out like he did and my mate took so long to reveal herself, I was beginning to wonder if there would be anyone to pass the pack down to.
The door behind us creeks open and Chloe peeks out. "She's all settled, though I wouldn't let this mob at 'em yet."
'What about these two?' I question, knowing Chloe won't hesitate to say no if it's in Jess' best interest.
She opens the door wider, stepping aside with a nod. I wrap my arm around them and sweep them in, hearing Jace grumble behind us.
The door clicks shut behind us and Grandmother sucks in a sharp breath. She feels so small sandwiched between me and Ethan.
Her eyes are glued to Jess as she cradles the blue bundle to her chest, quietly humming the same melody that Willow does. She practically glows in the soft light as she fusses with the baby. Lily whispers something and adjusts the blanket for privacy.
"Would you like to hold your sister?" Chloe asks Ethan.
The kid did well up to that point but the colour instantly drains from his face as he looks like a deer in the headlights. "I can't," he gasps. "Can I?"
"Of course you can," I assure him, steering him over to the chair beside Jess' bed. She smiles up at him tenderly as he takes a seat.
Lily brings the pink bundle over, instructing him to cradle his arms and support the head then gently transfers the baby. Ethan stays stock still for a moment, not even breathing.
She opens her bright eyes, looks up at her big brother, and I swear I see him melt. "Hi," he chokes out. "Welcome to the family."
Grandmother, Lily, and Chloe instantly 'aww' but Jess lets out a relieved sob, happy tears rolling down her cheeks. Just when I think I can't take anymore, my heart swells more.
Jess fidgets and straightens up, putting the blanket aside as she focuses on the blue bundle in her arms. Her gaze shifts to mine and I feel my chest squeeze tighter.
"Would you like to hold your son, Alpha?" she whispers, her own voice choked as she carefully holds him out for me.
I scoop the tiny bundle up and look him over. His eyes are shut as he borders on sleep once more, letting out a big yawn. I brush his silky black hair back from his forehead and he snuggles down.
Grandmother chokes back a sob but the giant smile on her face gives her away as she hovers. As much as I want to hold him all night, I pass him over and watch as she melts.
"He's perfect," she chokes out.
Suddenly, everything we've been through, all we've fought for is worth it. Having my family safe and sound is everything I've ever wanted.
I move over and take a seat on the bed next to Jess, wrapping my arm around her. She smiles up at me and leans against me, nuzzling my chest.
Our bond hums brighter than ever in the back of my mind, letting me know just how happy she is. Before long, her breathing evens out as she slips under once more.
I struggle against my own heavy lids, content to hold Jess and watch my family but before long I join her. The last thing I feel is a blanket pulled up as Jess snuggles up against me.