by AdamCharles
“Oh, I do, but my eyes still work the rest of the time as well.” Gideon grinned.
“I’ll leave you newlyweds to it then,” Mace said, sprinting back toward the cabins as their laughter echoed behind him.
Mace found Noah sitting outside in one of the rocking chairs. He sat in the one next to him. “You guys good?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Good. I’m not close to any of my siblings. It’s a blessing, one I hope more pups will have in years to come.”
“Me, too.” Noah stood up and extended his hand. “We didn’t get to finish our coffee.”
Mace took his hand and rose out of the chair. “We didn’t, but I cook today. You’re spoiling me. I want to do the same for you.”
“I like doing things for you. It’s fun.”
“Really?” Mace asked, laughing.
“Yes. It makes you happy. You looked so sad when we arrived. I like finding out all the ways I can make you smile.”
Mace paused with his hand on the doorknob. “I looked sad?”
Noah nodded and nudged him to urge him inside. “You did. I wasn’t sure what to make of you. Your mouth said you were ready to obey the alphas, but your eyes seemed lost.”
Mace closed the door once they were in. “Do I still look sad?”
Noah pulled him close and smiled. “Nope.” He gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then sat at the table. Taking up his cup of coffee, he said, “I believe you had plans to spoil me a bit today?”
Mace grinned and headed for the fridge. “Getting right on it now.”
Chapter Four
One Month Later
Mace tried to focus on the cinder blocks in front of him, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Noah wiping his forehead again. Noah hated it when Mace watched him too closely while they were working, but today seemed different. Mace wasn’t just worried because Noah was smaller and not as strong. There seemed to actually be something wrong.
Mace sat the level on top of the first section of the retaining wall and backed up. He stood there for a moment and then went to sit down. He waited a moment before grabbing a bottle of water from their little cooler. “Hey, you need some water?” he called, trying to sound like he was only offering because he was grabbing one.
For once, Noah didn’t act put out by Mace’s question. He stopped what he was doing and nodded, reaching for the water and moving toward Mace right away. He sat down and drained half the bottle, and Mace couldn’t help noticing how sweaty he was.
“Noah?”
Noah closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Yeah?” He then squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead.
“You okay? Getting too hot?”
Noah opened his eyes and looked around. “We’re not even in direct sun. It’s just humid. I don’t know why … I don’t feel good.” He put the water down and clutched his head.
“Tell me what’s wrong.”
Noah rubbed his fingers over his forehead. “My head hurts. Bad. I got dizzy a couple of times. And I feel so hot. Sweating isn’t really cooling me off at all, even when a breeze blows through.”
“We need to get you to a doctor.”
“You think?”
“Yeah. The clinic the elders established is so much closer here. It’s not as long of a trip as it was from your pack’s lands.”
Noah opened his eyes and looked over at Mace. “Give me a minute first. Let me rest. See if I feel better.”
Mace let his breath out in a huff. “A few minutes. That’s all. You could be sick.”
Noah drank some more water. “My stomach was a bit uneasy this morning.”
Mace rubbed Noah’s back and didn’t say anything. While male omegas often had varied heat cycles, Mace knew Noah’s next one was due. Yet it didn’t seem to be starting, which might mean he’d already gotten Noah pregnant. The idea excited and terrified him. Mace hadn’t said it, but if Noah was pregnant, he wanted them to stay together and eventually become mates. They’d settled into a routine and didn’t really talk about that stuff anymore. They just worked together each day and spent their nights tangling the sheets up.
“Any other symptoms?” Mace asked. “Could be one of those summer colds. They can sneak up on you.”
“Just headache. Dizziness. I’m not really nauseated. Just feel a bit uneasy down there.” He rubbed his stomach again.
“Maybe I’m wearing you out too much each night,” Mace teased.
Noah gave him a half smile. “It’s not that. I get plenty of sleep.”
“Okay. I mean, I am pretty demanding.” He tucked Noah’s hair behind his ear, worried at how sweaty he was.
“I like you that way.” Noah’s smile faded as he blinked a few times.
“Noah?” Mace said at the exact moment Noah’s eyes rolled back. Mace caught him as he slumped over on the log they’d been sitting on.
Mace tried to support him as he looked around. He rested Noah on the ground and then ran over to where a couple of betas were working on repairing a fence.
“I need one of the trucks! And go tell the alphas I’m taking Noah to the clinic.” He held up his hand as one of the guys threw him the keys, and then he looped back around to where the vehicles were parked. Even though he’d wanted more time for him and Noah to be together without having to think about making a decision yet, he hoped Noah was in fact pregnant. Panic filled him at the mere idea of anything else being wrong with the sweet man he’d gotten used to having at his side.
* * * *
Mace felt like pacing, but the two alphas took up the small waiting room as they both did exactly that. They’d questioned him repeatedly about all of Noah’s symptoms, and he’d been borderline offended by the end of the conversation.
Now, no one spoke as they waited for news.
“How fucking long does a pregnancy test take?” Thomas asked.
Mace shifted on his chair. “Peeing on a stick is quick, but they don’t exactly make over-the-counter tests for male wolves. It’s gotta be blood work, and that could take an hour or so.”
Gideon looked over at him. “You’ve been studying up?”
Mace nodded. “Yeah, here and there. Mostly stopping by here and asking questions.”
“Do you want him to be pregnant?” Gideon asked.
Mace felt weird answering that question in front of Thomas, but he wanted to be honest. “Yes. Because if he isn’t, that means he’s sick. I don’t want that.”
“You two doing well?” Thomas asked.
“We’re fine,” Mace said.
Thomas crossed his arms. “We’ve been staying out of it ever since Noah and I had that talk. I’m asking because it might be important very soon.”
Mace sat back and looked at them both. “He wants to have a choice. So that’s what I’m giving him. No pressure.”
“Not much of a choice if you don’t tell him how you feel,” Gideon said.
“How I feel is between me and him right now,” Mace replied.
“You care for him. I saw your face when we walked in here,” Gideon said. “And I think—” Gideon stopped when the door opened.
Dr. Phillips, the newest doctor to return to the pack after attending college in the outside world, stood there smiling. “Am I giving the news to everyone?”
Mace stood up. “I’m his partner.”
The doctor raised both eyebrows, looking to the alphas. “Um … we can go in the other room, I guess.”
Mace felt both of the other men looking at him. “Tell us all. Sorry. I’m feeling protective.”
The doctor smiled again. “With good reason. He’s pregnant. And he needs to take it easy.”
“I’ll make sure of that. Can I see him?” Mace didn’t turn to look at the other man, as that would invite questions. The alphas would have to wait.
“Sure. And he can go home whenever you like. We’ve made him an appointment for a few weeks from now.”
Mace glanced to Gideon. “We’ll talk later. Let me take him hom
e and get him settled.” He followed the doctor without saying anything else.
Noah sat on an exam table putting his shirt back on, and he looked up nervously when Mace entered the room.
Mace couldn’t stop his reaction. He smiled and crossed the room, pulling Noah into his arms and kissing him. “I’m really happy. I was so scared it might be something else.”
Noah didn’t return his embrace, and they stared at each other. “What’s wrong?” Mace asked.
“Are they here? The alphas?” Noah asked softly.
“Yes, but I told them to leave us alone.” He took both of Noah’s hands. “Hey, listen to me, okay? Nothing has changed. We both still have a choice. But right now, my choice is to take care of you. And to make sure Thomas and Gideon understand that they can’t force anything.” He kissed Noah’s forehead. “Don’t worry, okay?”
“They said the baby’s fine. Too tiny to tell much, but I’m … stable or whatever. But I can’t work anymore. They said just light housework and stuff.”
“You do whatever they say. I’m being serious. I’m going to take care of you a hundred percent.”
Noah licked his lips. “I didn’t expect you to be so happy.”
That hurt a bit, though Mace wasn’t sure why. “Why not?”
“I don’t want you to feel obligated. I worried about this from the start. Your personality … the way you want a family … to be there for the pup.”
Mace swallowed. “If you don’t want me, just say it. I’ll still take care of you. And I won’t be an asshole if you meet someone else.”
Noah sighed and squeezed Mace’s hands. “I’m crazy about you. I worry, though.”
“That makes two of us. It’s only been one month. Neither of us has the answers.” He lifted Noah’s hands and kissed them both. “Crazy about you, too, in case you can’t by how hard I get just from your scent.” He took a deep breath. “There is a subtle difference.”
Noah let go of Mace’s hands and reached for some papers. “Doc gave me some stuff for both of us. Main thing is calling if we’re concerned about anything.”
“And shifting?”
“I can still shift for a while, but I’ll lose the ability at some point.” He flipped through the papers. “It’s all in here.” Then he smiled. “Good thing is we can have sex like normal. I was glad to hear that. He said my hormones will be nuts. Maybe even more intense than when I’m in heat.”
Mace smiled and pulled Noah close for a kiss, but as they parted, a frown came over his face. “Are they sure? I don’t want to hurt you or the baby.”
Noah actually laughed. “I think they know what they’re doing.”
Mace still felt worried. Quietly, he said, “You’re more to me than a sexual partner, Noah. So much more.”
Noah sobered. “I know. I wasn’t trying to be flippant. Or dismiss your feelings.”
Touching Noah’s cheek, Mace said, “Let’s get you back to the cabin and go from there.”
Noah only nodded, but he looked a bit wary, as if he both did and didn’t want to continue the conversation.
As they left, Mace was glad to see the alphas had already gone. He didn’t want anyone telling him what to do right now, not even Noah. He glanced at the omega as they walked out to the truck. He’s mine to take care of. They both are. I just have to get him to loosen up and let it happen. Then, he’ll see that this is working, that being together is still right even if it was someone else’s idea.
“What are you thinking over there?” Noah asked.
“I’m wondering if you’re going to have weird cravings. I’ll stop by the store after I get you home.”
Noah snorted. “I think I’ll be fine.”
“Hey, I’ll run out and get anything at any time.”
The corners of Noah’s lips turned up ever so slightly. “I’ll keep you informed, then.”
“Damn right you will.” Mace grabbed his hand and kissed it quickly before cranking the truck, glad to see Noah relax, if only a little.
Chapter Five
Four Months Later
Mace sat by the river and leaned back against a tree while Noah lay on the blanket they’d spread out and rested his head on Mace’s knee. Mace toyed with Noah’s hair, only letting go when he needed to turn a page.
“You know, all these books you keep reading are about female humans having babies,” Noah said.
Mace didn’t look down at him, as he was studying a diagram showing him where to massage Noah’s back. “Well, there aren’t any about shifter pregnancies, female or male, so I have few alternatives.”
Noah sighed and rubbed his stomach. They’d found out a few weeks after his arrival that Mace had indeed gotten him pregnant in those first days. Mace had been excited, but uneasiness had set in almost immediately. He hadn’t expected to care for Noah so much right away, and the thought of him even being in discomfort bothered Mace.
Putting his book down, Mace put his hand beside Noah’s and rubbed gently. “It’s so tiny right now. It scares me.”
Noah laughed. “That’s how babies begin. Tiny.”
“Does it bother you not being able to shift?” In early months, the shift would still come, but at a certain point, it sort of “turned off”, as the doctor had said. Noah wouldn’t be able to shift again until a month or more after the baby came, once he’d recovered from the Cesarean and his muscles and incision had healed.
“The stretches are helping. I don’t ache so much anymore.” He rolled to his side and eyed Mace’s zipper. “So damn horny, though.”
Mace hardened at those words. “What do you want?”
“What do you think I want?”
As much as Mace longed to meet every one of Noah’s needs, this one had been a point of contention. Noah wanted Mace to fuck him the same way he had before they’d known about the baby. The doctor had said it would be fine, and that knotting wasn’t a problem either. But Mace didn’t feel right about it. He handled Noah gently all the time, even when he demanded rougher treatment.
Mace reached over and touched Noah through his jeans, cupping the hard shaft. “I could suck you right here, if you’d like.”
Noah liked having sex outside, so Mace hoped this would appease him for now. But the younger man shook his head. “I want you to knot me. Really give it to me.”
Mace frowned. “It’s strange that you aren’t worried now. You seemed far more concerned before the baby.”
Noah rose and got on his knees. His hands went right to Mace’s zipper. “That was before I had a long talk with the doc. Before my hormones made me want you every second.”
“You didn’t before?” Mace teased to distract Noah.
Noah only grinned and continued what he was doing. He pulled Mace’s cock out and bent to lick the head. After suckling a bit, he pumped the shaft and looked up. “It doesn’t hurt a damn thing. The doc explained it.”
The doctor had explained everything, in great detail. Male omegas were born with a uterus, though it was in a somewhat different position than it was in a woman. Sperm worked its way into the bloodstream in multiple ways, mostly through the collections of blood vessels in the intestines. When an omega was in heat, there would be an egg ready for fertilization. Once a pup was conceived, it all stopped until a month or so after birth.
“The sperm will die within a day,” Noah said. “It’s not like the baby is gonna be floating in your cum.”
Mace hadn’t been thinking anything like that, but now he was. “That’s a gross image.” He sighed. “I guess it just … seems disrespectful to do all those dirty things with you while you’re carrying our baby.”
“It’s good for the baby to feel you close. If I’m happy, the baby is happy.”
“It’s not developed enough to be happy or sad or anything else.”
Noah sighed this time. “I want to have sex. We can go as slow and gentle as you like. Just don’t deny me.”
As Noah returned to sucking him, Mace arched and rubbed Noah’s back. “T
hen take your clothes off.”
Noah hesitated, looking around, but then he did so. Mace knew Noah didn’t care so much about someone seeing them. Noah worried Mace wouldn’t be attracted to him as he grew larger. Right now, Noah had a bump no bigger than a slight beer belly. Once he was naked, Mace pushed him to his back and kissed him there, making it very clear yet again that he didn’t mind.
Mace worked his way down and set to sucking and fingering his omega. More and more each day, he thought of Noah as his. In the long term. They hadn’t talked about it at all since the day they’d had it out with Thomas about matehood being their decision. They never used the word love, but Mace found himself thinking about it more and more. He knew he wouldn’t be able to let Noah and their pup go. His feelings for Gideon were gone. He hadn’t said that either, but he hoped Noah had noticed the change in him and how he looked at Gideon, how he talked to him.
Noah moaned as he thrust into Mace’s mouth and came. Mace sucked down every drop, his body aching with need. He felt his own seed heavy in his sac as he licked up every drop, only to find Noah still hard. This had been the pattern lately, and he met his omega’s gaze, enjoying the abandoned way Noah lay there panting and gazing at him.
“Please take me,” Noah said.
“We need lube.”
Noah licked his lips. “I just need that talented tongue. Don’t even really feel like waiting for that.”
Mace ignored that and got lube out of his pocket anyway. Noah held his knees and lifted his ass as Mace prepared him. “Just want to be sure,” he whispered as he moved his slicked digits in and out.
“Come on, I’m fine,” Noah said, his tone a bit impatient.
Mace smiled and winked at him. “You’re gonna have to get used to the attentive version of me. You’re stuck with him.”
“Good.”
Mace had expected an objection, and the response made him pause. He moved up and kissed Noah briefly, looking down into his eyes. Noah pressed his lips together and tangled his fingers in Mace’s hair. “Fuck me,” he whispered.