Chapter 16
“Damien,” a whisper floated to his ears. Damien groaned and rolled over; he knew who was trying to wake him up and why they were trying to wake him up.
“Damien,” the voice became louder and shook him a little. He wondered if he ignored it, if it would just go away, but he knew better.
“Damien, wake up damn it!” Ali yelled at her mate while shaking him.
“Damn it woman, let me sleep!” Damien replied to Ali and rolled over once again to get as far away from her as possible.
Ali pouted and crossed her arms while she sat on their bed. For the past month Damien and Ali had been going at it like bunnies and every morning Ali would wake her mate up to smell her. It was partly Damien’s fault anyway, telling Ali that his nose could pick up her pregnancy long before a pregnancy test could. So the woman had him smell her regularly, particularly in the morning because that’s when one’s natural scent is strongest; before the day’s scents are imbedded into your skin.
“All I want is a family and you’re denying me of that,” Ali said to Damien’s back.
She heard him sigh and watched as he rolled to face her, “That’s bullshit and you know it.”
Then Ali smiled, “Yeah but it woke you up didn’t it?”
Ali chuckled as Damien rolled his eyes and heaved a huge sigh. “Fine,” he gave in, “come here.”
Ali soon found herself wrapped in his arms and snuggled into his chest. She felt him bury his face in her hair then down to her neck. Damien made his way down her body looking for any changes in her scent.
Damien made it to her stomach and found nothing out of the ordinary at first; her natural lilac and fresh rain scent, his more woodsy smell and… something new.
Ali felt him stiffen and buried her hand in his hair, “Is something wrong?” she asked but Damien ignored her. He pried open her legs and continued to evaluate her. If Ali wasn’t so comfortable with Damien, this would be pretty awkward.
“There’s something…” Damien said vaguely and Ali’s heartbeat picked up. “What is it?” she asked.
Suddenly Damien’s head popped back up from underneath their sheet and he stared at her, “There’s a new scent but I’m not completely sure,” he trailed off.
“You don’t think it could be what I think it is?” she asked, her excitement was bubbling up but she held it down in case disappointment was just around the bend.
“I don’t know. I need a second opinion. Get dressed,” Damien said as he got up out of their bed.
“A second opinion? Damien I don’t feel comfortable with anyone else smelling around my parts like you do,” Ali said.
Damien smirked and walked back over to her and put his arms around her waist, “I wouldn’t let anyone sniff around you like I do, mate. Trust me, you’ll be fine.”
Ali made a face, still not sure but trusted her mate regardless and got dressed. Damien grabbed her hand and pulled her through the many hallways that Ali was starting to memorize.
They stopped in front of one of the many guest bedrooms and Damien knocked. “Who?” Ali started to ask but her question was answered when the door opened and they saw a sleepy-looking, shirtless Almighty Alpha staring at them.
“What do you want boy?” the father said to his son.
“Can we come in?” Damien asked, avoiding the question.
It looked like Liam was about to send them away when Georgina’s voice came from in the room, “Oh let them in dear, it’s not like we have anything to hide.”
Liam grumbled something but stepped back and opened the door wide enough for Damien and Ali to walk in.
“Oh God! Mother! Put some damn clothes on!” Damien yelled as soon as they walked in and both got an eyeful of Georgina’s naked frame.
Georgina scoffed, “This was how you were made, Damien. What did you think, the stork brought you?”
“Please don’t give me the image of what you two were doing in her here together,” Damien said.
Georgina just shrugged and continued to lotion her legs after she pulled on a robe. Liam walked over and stretched his long frame across their bed. “What do you want Damien, your mother and I were spending quality time together,” Liam said with a grin towards his mate.
Georgina held back a giggle while Damien looked like he regretted making the journey down here. Ali answered for him, “Damien said that he needed a second opinion.”
“Regarding what dear?” Georgina asked.
“Regarding my scent,” Ali replied.
Looking bemused, Georgina walked over to Ali and stuck a nose in her direction. “I don’t understand what you… oh, well hot damn,” Georgina said with a smile.
“So it’s true? I wasn’t just getting a false positive?” Damien asked.
Georgina motioned for her mate to have a smell as well and Liam did just that. A huge grin broke out across his face as he slapped Damien on the back and Damien winced.
“Well congratulations you two!” Liam said.
Ali then let her excitement bubble over. She turned to Damien, “So it’s true? I’m pregnant?” she asked with a little squeak at the end of her question.
Damien smiled lovingly down at her, “Yes, you’re pregnant.”
Ali squealed with joy and started to a little happy dance around the room. The three wolves watched her with amusement. Georgina started to tear up, “I never thought the day would come when I’d be called Grandma.”
Damien rolled his eyes, “Mother, the child is smaller than a pea right now; don’t you think it’s a little early to get emotional?”
“You need to get used to emotional women, son,” Liam said, “Pregnant woman are the worst when it comes to random crying moments.”
Damien looked at Ali as if she had a disease, “You’re not really going to cry are you?”
Ali laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist, “Not if you keep me happy with all the weird food cravings I might have and give me foot rubs when they’re swollen.”
Damien nodded, “Whatever you need, just don’t cry.”
Ali smiled up at him, “I love you, and I love you guys. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a family,” she ended a little choked up.
“You said no crying,” Damien said desperately as his mother and his mate hugged and bawled into each other’s arms.
Liam placed a hand on his son’s shoulder, “I’m proud of you boy, I hope you know that.”
Aw hell, even his tough ass father was getting emotional on him too. “I know Dad.”
“And, um,” Damien started nervously, “I’m glad I’ve got a father like you.”
Liam suppressed a smile then nodded and then the moment was gone, thankfully for Damien.
~
Well the last nine months of Damien’s life were both heaven and hell mixed into one awful, yet tasty, cocktail. It was heaven seeing his beautiful mate – and new wife, something about Ali not having any bastard children – grow larger every day with his offspring inside of her. The hell was that she reminded him it was his entire fault she was growing so largely.
His father was most definitely right about emotional women, but Ali didn’t cry much, she was more of an angry pregnant woman. Not that anyone would believe him if Damien told them. They just thought she was the perfect, glowing new mother, but when alone, Ali was a she-devil.
And as Damien sat behind her and gritted his teeth and she crushed the bones in his hands into dust, he knew he wouldn’t change her for world.
Antonio, mid-wife extraordinaire, examined his wife from underneath the classic white sheet. Damien would have barked and growled seeing another man so close to his wife’s privates but Antonio was as straight as a circle, which placated his wolf.
“Okay honey, you’re fully dilated so it’s time for you to push,” he said from beneath the sheet.
“About freaking time,” Ali muttered before she took a deep breath and pushed. Damien watched anxiously as Ali’s face turned red with exertion, then blue due to the fact she wasn’t breathing.
Damien was about to tell his mate to breathe like he saw them do in all the movies (he he, hoo) when a piercing cry filled the air.
“Well hot dog honey! You got that first one out with one push! Kudos to you!” Antonio exclaimed.
Ali took in many gasping breaths before saying, “Is there anymore up there? Tell me now before I close for business.”
Damien and Ali wanted the sex and how many children they were having a secret. Unlike their real wolf, werewolves rarely had litters like some would think. But Ali was connived there was a handful of pups in her, much to Damien’s chagrin and disbelief.
“Well, I didn’t see your ultrasound, so I say you push ‘till we get your placenta and then we know you’re done.”
Damien didn’t understand what was going on and he was glad he didn’t get the terminology or he’d probably lose his lunch.
“Damien,” Ali said with a tired grin, “You look a little green in the face, love.”
“You’re in labor and you’re worried about me? I’m fine,” Damien said.
Ali gave a small laugh, “You forget that if you go, so I do I. So it’s kinda in my best interest to keep you alive.”
Damien was going to answer her snarky remark with one of his own when she took another one of those deep breaths and started pushing away.
Two deep breaths later, Damien and Ali were juggling four little bundles of joy. Ali was crying and Damien was still in shock that he was not only a father, but a father of three healthy boys and one beautiful little girl.
“Just like in my dream,” Ali said softly as she kissed one of her boy’s soft black hair.
Damien was about to ask what she meant when he felt a soft, pink hand on his chin. In his right hand his little boy was asleep, but in his left, he was holding their only daughter.
While all of his boys looked like him, his only daughter looked just like her mother in her coloring. She had the same auburn hair, curly atop her head, the same heart-shaped face and the same hazel eyes. He knew that he’d be beating young wolves off with a stick when she got older and he was ready for it, especially when she had three brothers to protect her.
“So, let me see my grandbabies!” exclaimed Georgina when she burst into the room.
The boy in Damien’s arms sleepily opened his eyes, took one look at Georgina and decided she wasn’t worth his time then went right back to sleep but Georgina didn’t mind since she had three other grandbabies to spoil.
“Who I want to see is the heir to our throne,” Liam said as he approached the couple and their children.
Liam examined them, “Which one of these handsome boys will be the next Alpha?” he asked with a smile.
Ali smirked, “The throne goes to the oldest right?” she asked.
“Of course, so point out which of my grandsons will be ruling,” Liam answered.
Damien could barely hold back his smirk, “Actually, Liam, the next Alpha is this little one,” Damien said.
“What?” Liam said before looking down to the baby Damien was holding in his left arm.
“But,” he started, “That’s a girl... You’re telling me that you had four kids and the only girl in the bunch is going to be the next Alpha?” Liam asked, astounded.
Ali was giggling now, “Yes, is that a problem?” she asked, suddenly serious.
“No, of course not, there’s nothing that says that my granddaughter can’t be King,” Georgina said with a smirk of herself. She obviously found the irony funny.
Georgina put a comforting hand on her mate’s shoulder and he nodded, “Of course,” he said, still in shock, “She will be a great ruler one day.”
“So,” Georgina changed the subject, “What are these handsome children’s names?”
“Well, our youngest,” Ali motioned to the boy sound asleep in Damien’s arms, “He’s Anthony Cole and these two,” Ali motioned to the ones she was holding, “Adrian Michael and Damien Jr. Liam,” Liam grinned; “And our little girl, and our oldest, is Paige Nicole.”
Liam’s grin widened, “Well welcome to the family Anthony, Adrian, Damien Jr. and Paige.”