by Ardy Kelly
Ryan gave Troy a quick kiss on his way out. By the time the front door closed, the noise level in the front room had increased dramatically.
“He wasn’t kidding about the World War II impressions,” David said.
“You’ll learn soon enough, it’s when they’re quiet that you have to worry.”
Troy left the kitchen and returned with the oldest boy. “David, this is Phillip. And Phillip, this is David.”
He placed one arm across his waist and the other behind his back before executing a quick bow. “How do you do?” He turned to his dad. “Can I get back to playing now?”
“In a minute.” Troy pulled out three chairs, and motioned for everyone to sit. “First, we need to have a little talk.”
David took a seat. It felt humiliating to get the “Where do babies come from” speech at twenty-seven. Especially when he had to share it with a kid who probably knew more about the process than he did.
Troy put his hands in his lap. “Now, when two people love each other—”
Phillip interrupted. “Do you love Papa?”
“Of course I love Papa.”
“Because when Jessie was being born you said you’d cut off his balls if he ever came near you again.”
“I was joking,” Troy replied.
“Papa wasn’t laughing.”
“He was laughing inside. Anyway, when you mate with someone you love, you can make babies together.”
“David isn’t mated,” Phillip observed. “How did he get a baby?”
“David didn’t know he was an omega, so he didn’t know how it was supposed to work.”
Phillip looked at David. “You didn’t sell your cow?”
David shook his head, confused.
Phillip nodded. “They won’t buy the cow if they can get the milk for free.”
Troy gave a nervous laugh. “I don’t know where he hears these things.”
“You said it,” Phillip answered.
Troy nudged David. “Parenting tip: little pitchers have big ears.” Troy turned to his son. “When two people love each other, they use their magic to make a baby.”
“Do they need a wand?”
“At least one,” Troy replied.
“Where do babies come out?”
Troy lifted his shirt. “See this line? It’s my birthing line.”
Phillip pulled the waistband of his shorts down. “Do I have one?”
“You do but it’s very faint. You probably won’t see it until you’re older.”
Troy lifted David’s shirt up, and stared at his stomach. “Do you see the little bulge here, Phillip? That’s where the baby is growing. Pretty soon it will be so big you won’t be able to see any of David’s six-pack stomach muscles. They’ll just disappear. Never to be seen again.” He looked closer, running his finger along the waistband of the pants. “Just like I thought. No birthing line. We’re going to need that doctor.”
“Will I need a doctor, Daddy?”
“No,” Troy replied. “You can shift after giving birth, and that makes it all better. But David can’t shift.”
“Ever?”
“Never.”
Phillip stood and gave David a hug.
David hugged him back. “Thank you. What was that for?”
“Daddy says it will be a miracle if you survive.”
Troy swallowed. “I was talking about telling your mother. Not the pregnancy.” He clapped once. “So, continuing. For the next four months, that little bump will grow until it’s baby size. And then he’ll give birth.”
“How will I know when it’s time?” David asked.
“Kicking. They kick their way out,” Troy replied.
“Daddy said Kyle kicked like David Beckham.”
“The kicking opens the birthing line.” He lifted David’s shirt up again to take another look. “You’ll probably need a cesarean. Pity. I expect Speedos to make a comeback.”
David cleared his throat. “So…how do I…feed it?”
“You need some wet women,” Phillip replied.
“A wet nurse,” Troy corrected, and David looked relieved. “And lots and lots of formula. Infant cubs are voracious.”
Phillip stretched the neckband of his T-shirt as he peered inside. “Why can’t I feed babies with my chest like Sarah does?”
“It’s the way we’re made,” Troy said. “Omegas are very rare, and anytime they give birth is considered a blessing for a pack. The entire pack is responsible for the cub’s welfare, and that includes feeding.”
Phillip nodded solemnly. “Can I go play now?”
“For a little while. Then we have to get cleaned up. I’m taking you over to see David’s parents.”
Phillip ran out of the kitchen, far more interested in playing than learning about childbirth.
“That was a nice story,” David said.
Troy nodded. “Yes, it was. I just made it up. Actually, omegas were usually killed after giving birth to an alpha so they wouldn’t become attached to their child. Packs believed alpha cubs born from omegas had special powers and were destined to become the leader when they reached adulthood. They feared omega dads would emasculate them.” He stood. “So it’s not just humans who make up a lot of stupid rules about things they don’t understand.”
Troy called Diana. After hanging up, he turned to David. “Your parents are coming over at three. We’ll arrive at 3:10. Now, I need to find a sitter, then pick out an outfit before we give everyone the good news.”
At 3:10 precisely, Troy, Phillip, and David showed up on his sister’s doorstep. “Stay behind me,” Troy warned David. “We don’t want them getting a whiff of you before we’re ready to reveal the surprise.”
Constance and Raff were seated on the sofa, unusually happy. They were even holding hands.
David gave his sister a look, as he tipped his head toward the happy couple.
“I know,” she responded. “It’s like the Stepford Wolves.”
“You remember my oldest, Phillip,” Troy said as he pushed his son toward Constance.
“Yes, of course. He was the ring bearer. My, how you’ve grown.”
Diana popped the cork from a bottle of Chardonnay, and poured a glass for everyone.
Constance tilted her head. “Should you be drinking, dear?”
“I’ve pumped enough for Joshua to have seconds. But tonight I think we’ll all want a drink.”
“What’s the important thing you have to tell us?” Raff asked.
“Not yet,” Troy said. “We’re waiting for one more person.”
“We are?” Lionel asked.
Diana shrugged, as if this were the first she heard of it.
Troy pulled the curtain back. “There’s Mack. He should be here in a jiffy.”
Diana jumped from her chair and hurriedly grabbed the scattered baby supplies littering the front room. “You could have given me some notice before you invited the alpha of the pack.”
“I didn’t want to worry you,” he replied as he opened the door. “Mack, come on in.”
Mack stepped inside and surveyed the group. “What’s the emergency?” He paused as he sniffed the air. “Troy, are you pregnant again?”
“It’s not my pregnancy you’re smelling,” he replied.
Raff turned to his daughter. “You’re not…”
“No,” Diana said.
All eyes turned to Constance.
Before she could protest, Troy stomped his foot. “It’s David.”
“Congratulations,” Mack offered. “But I thought you weren’t a shifter.”
“He’s not.” Raff stood.
David recoiled slightly when his father sniffed him. He wasn’t used to his parent acting so wolf-like.
“How did this happen?” Raff barked.
“Does everyone in your family need a lesson on the birds and the bees?” Troy asked. “It happened the usual way.”
“There’s nothing usual about this,” Raff replied. “Are you recessive?”
> Troy spun toward Mack. “That’s where we need your nose. You seem to be the foremost expert on recessives, having mated two of them. Give him a good sniff.”
Mack took a whiff. “I don’t smell recessive. I barely smell wolf. But he’s definitely pregnant.”
In between the commotion and Raff’s belligerence, everyone had forgotten about Constance. “Oh dear,” she exclaimed. “Not again.”
“Not what again?” Diana asked.
Constance directed her question at Mack. “Is a recessive the one you bite to make them a full wolf?” When he nodded, she shook her head. “Then he’s not a recessive.”
Raff said, “For someone who knows almost nothing about shifters, you seem to know a lot about this obscure fact. Maybe you should tell us why, Constance.”
“Okay, but you children must never let your grandmother know you heard it from me. It’s a family secret, and even I’m not supposed to know.”
Diana clucked. “But with superior hearing comes superior gossip.”
“David is not the first omega we’ve had in the family. Your Great-uncle Aaron deflowered a French farm girl during World War II. He died in the war before the child was born. Of course, my grandfather’s side of the family took the boy in. They were disappointed when the child didn’t shift, but were even more surprised when the teenager had his first heat. Naturally, everyone assumed he was one of those dormant wolves…what did you call them?”
“Recessive,” Troy replied.
“Yes. A member of the family bit him, but he didn’t transform. He died from the bite.”
“This just keeps getting better and better,” David monotoned.
“How is he supposed to give birth?” Raff asked.
“We’re working on that,” Diana said. “We’re hoping Robby Hunt can help.”
“Is he a doctor?” Constance asked.
Diana narrowed her eyes at her brother, daring him to say a word. “Yes, he is.”
Constance’s worry lines deepened. “We need to find David a place to live.”
“I’m staying at the Welcome Inn.”
“You need to be on the ranch,” Diana insisted. “Timber Crossing is too far away.”
“You can have Diana’s old bedroom,” Constance said. “Your father’s not using it.”
The family started talking over one another as they planned out David’s life. He closed his eyes, wishing to be anywhere but here.
When the phone rang, David rushed to the kitchen. “I’ll get it.” The voice on the other end was like a gift from the gods.
“Are you ready to leave?”
Chet told me to trust him. “How did you know?”
“Do you really want to spend more time on the ranch while I explain it?”
David covered the mouthpiece before yelling, “Got to go. The sheriff is picking me up.”
Constance screeched. “The sheriff? Why are the police involved?”
“He’s dating the sheriff,” Diana replied.
David put the phone back to his ear. “How long before you get here?”
“I’m at the guardhouse, waiting,” Chet answered.
“I could kiss you right now.”
“I’m counting on it.” Chet hung up.
While David grabbed his coat, Constance stood up. “Is this sheriff the father? Does he know? What are his intentions?”
To save me from my family. “No, yes, and I don’t know,” he said, reaching for the door.
“If you don’t know his intentions, then you’re dumber than I thought.” Diana closed the door behind him.
Before David made it to the street, Troy rushed out of the house.
“Don’t run off before we’ve made plans,” Troy insisted. “How long are you going to be away?”
“Chet said for a day or two.”
“Perfect. Robby is taking his finals this week.”
“He’s a student? You said he was a doctor.”
“Did I?” Troy stopped. “David, even though we’ve only known each other a short time, I think of you as a friend. And so, friend to friend, I have to tell you that finding a shifter doctor is almost impossible. It’s not a field that appeals to us wolves. I think it’s the fluorescent lights. They have an annoying buzz and the flicker hurts our eyes.”
David shook his head in resignation. “I’m going to die.” Brushing past Troy, he headed to the guardhouse.
“Wait up,” Troy called as he ran after him. “You’re not going to die.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I only do happy endings.”
David waved him away as if he were a fly. “This isn’t a story. This is my life.”
Troy grabbed David’s sleeve with surprising strength. “You don’t know the first thing about me. What you see is the guy with a career and a happy family. You don’t know how many shit storms I’ve survived in my life. I didn’t grow up in a place like Lone Wolves Ranch or in a Morehouse mansion. There were times in my life I could have given up and just been a pawn in someone else’s game, but I expected more from life. When life gave me lemons, I used them for ammunition and fought back. I worked for my happy ending.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You are a parent now. You’re at the only place I know with a shifter healer and a soon-to-be doctor. If you aren’t going to fight for your happy ending, how about fighting for your child’s?”
Troy turned and walked away, leaving David in the middle of the street.
Up ahead, car lights flashed on and off, and he watched Chet get out of his car. By the time he reached him, the sheriff had the passenger door open.
“Before you complain,” Chet said, “I don’t plan on making a habit of this. But I think you could use somebody to take care of you right now.”
Back at Diana’s home, Constance was fighting for her own happy ending.
The thought of her son’s belly swelling with new life was not an easy scene for her to imagine. But what if it swelled with twins?
A year ago, she would have seen it as the salvation for the Morehouse line. Now she worried Mother and Grandmama would see it as a brief interruption in the Morehouse family tree. A biological aberration, or perhaps, a refreshing of the gene pool.
It would be best to keep this secret, but she needed to find out everything she could about Great Uncle Aaron’s love child. David’s life depended on it.
When she knew David was safe, she would do the same for his children. The Morehouse legacy had outlived its purpose.
Once out of earshot of the ranch, Chet asked, “Did it go that bad?”
David tilted his head questioningly.
“You’re looking pretty glum.”
“This is nothing. You should see my dad,” David replied.
He reached over to smooth a cowlick in David’s hair. “Want to talk about it?”
“No. I just want to pretend that I’m not pregnant, I want to ignore that Troy found me a veterinarian for my obstetrician, and I want to forget the last omega who couldn’t shift died from a wolf bite.”
“We can do that,” Chet replied. “It’s not like anybody would believe you if you told them.”
David laughed. “Thank you for that. Thank you for confirming that all of this is crazy.”
“Timber Crossing is kind of famous for crazy.”
“Glad we’re getting out of here for a few days.” David took a deep breath. “Where are we going?”
“Southern California.”
“Can you be more specific?”
Chet shook his head.
“I get it,” David replied. “Secret watcher stuff. Will I be required to wear a blindfold?”
“It’s not secret,” Chet said. “I’m just not sure exactly where it is. But I’ll know it when I see it.”
David swatted at a fly buzzing around his head. “This takes not asking for directions to a whole new level.”
“It’s kind of hard to ask where the big house with the hot spring vortex is.”
He swatted at the fly again before stopping. “There aren’t shifter-insects, are there? I don’t want to be convicted of murder.”
“Not that I know of. But people do say, ‘I wish I was a fly on the wall…’”
David rolled down his window and herded the fly out of the car. “What’s the assignment, or is that a secret too?”
“There’s a new watcher.”
“Are you the official watcher welcome committee in California?”
Chet shook his head. “No. This is the first time I’ve been asked…um, you know…had this kind of a vision. The guy doesn’t know he’s a watcher. Or even what a vortex is.”
“Oh yes. Your visions. Can’t the new guy just stand there and see what he’s supposed to do?”
“It doesn’t work like that. Different vortexes have different powers.”
“And someone showed up to teach you?”
Chet nodded. “A guy named Theo. My car broke down just out of town. He was waiting at the side of the road for me.”
“And you believed him?”
“He had a tow truck, so I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Theo told me that the hardest part of meeting a new watcher was convincing them you weren’t crazy.”
By the time Chet finished describing his initiation, they were parked in front of the Welcome Inn.
David stared at the Victorian building without moving. I don’t want to spend the night alone. Being with Chet made everything feel as if it were going to be all right.
“Would you like to come in? Maybe have a sleepover?”
Chet smiled. “I’d love to.” He pulled a duffel bag from the backseat.
David narrowed his eyes. “Did the vortex tell you I was going to make the invitation?”
“No,” Chet assured. “But I was hoping you would. And I did plan a few excuses to get one.”
As they entered, Trisha came down the stairs. “Back so soon?” She gave a conspiratorial wink.
“Soon?” David asked. “This feels like the longest day of my life.”
“It’s not over yet,” she replied cheerfully.
Chet followed David up the stairs. Beyond the door to his room, the soft glow from dozens of votive candles greeted them.
David stepped back to check the door. “This is my room, right?”
Chet gently guided him inside. “Yes. I asked Trisha to do something…romantic.”