by Dakota Wolf
Edgar swerved and weaved all throughout traffic. I tried my best to avoid hitting anyone, but man was it hard. His bike could fit in places my car could only dream of. Damn that son of a bear!
Hot on his trail, I felt like I was driving home. Then it hit me! He somehow knew exactly where Sam was! Fuck! I smashed the accelerator as hard as I could. I had to warn Sam.
Without taking my eyes off the road, I speed-dialed my omega. I had to let him know!
One, two, three, four rings. Damn! Answer! I hope I hadn't hurt him too much. Damn damn damn!
Just as I had feared, Edgar turned right into my neighborhood. I rang Sam again, but he was ignoring me.
"What are you doing, you stupid fool?" I leaped out of the car and confronted Edgar. "You're not touching my omega!"
The werebear turned and looked at me with fury in his eyes. "Don't you get it? I don't want your stupid omega! He's useless to me!"
Edgar's words stopped me cold in my tracks. He was right. I didn't get it.
"If you don't want Sam, then why did you bust out of prison and lead us straight to my house? You had to know Sam was here. Why? Why are you doing this?" I shook the bear, my nose touching his.
The bear looked down as if he were contemplating his words. "This may come as a shock to you, Mr. Coppiceman, but I actually care for Sam. I don't know what he's told you about me, but I can assure you that I'm not that bad guy I've been made out to be."
"Go on," I growled. "You have exactly two minutes to convince me not to slap the cuffs on you and haul you in."
Edgar explained that there was an actual bad guy looking for Sam. Someone bigger and much more powerful than he.
"A weretiger?" I shook my head. "What would a weretiger want with my omega?"
The bear smiled evilly. "Why don't you ask him."
Edgar's words shot cold steel through my heart. "You better not be tricking me, bear. Or I'll eat you for lunch."
"Sam!" I banged on the door, then fished out my keys, all the while keeping an eye on the crafty bear. If there was one beast I didn't trust, it was a werebear. I didn't trust em as far as I could throw em.
"Sam!" I cried out to the empty house. I frantically searched all around, but found nothing. The phone was still on the couch next to a box of Bon Bons.
"What did you do with him?" I grabbed the bear and slammed him against the wall.
"Me? You've had your peepers on me for the last hour. I'm telling you right now that Floyd, the weretiger, has something to do with this. We have to find him! Now let me go and let's find your stupid omega!"
"Sam's pregnant!" I slapped my hand against my mouth. "He wouldn't hurt the babies, would he?"
Edgar chuckled. "Ralph. We're talking about THE most ruthless mob boss this side of the Granger River. Trust me. If there was profit in it - and there just might be - he'd do more than just hurt them."
"So, what do we do?" I wrung my hands. Why on earth was I soliciting advice from a known criminal?
The bear sighed. "First, we need to track down the stupid cat. Then, I'll cover your tracks while you get the hell out of Dodge for a while. You need to let the heat cool down."
I stared at the bear uncomprehendingly. "Just leave? Like that?" I couldn't believe what the bear was telling me. Did he have an ulterior motive?
"Yes. If you ever want to see your omega alive again. You may be able to best me in a fight, but you will NEVER best Floyd. You'll just have to wait him out. He'll grow bored and find a new shiny."
Was this real? Why had I not heard of this Floyd character if he was some mob boss? I'd have to have a nice talk with Sarge about this.
I sniffed the air and caught Sam's pregnant scent. It couldn't be missed. Was that a hint of sadness?
"Come on, this way! Hurry!" I motioned for the bear. We both transformed and raced toward the omega. I prayed with all my strength that we could get to him before the tiger did. Unless it was already too late.
A deeper sniff told me that the tiger - whoever he was - had not been around. Yet. Assuming what the bear said was true, it sounded like a trap. Why had Sam left the house, anyway? That wasn't like him.
We were going to have to be extremely careful. I got the very strong impression that Edgar wasn't telling me the entire story. Perhaps the truth, but missing pieces.
As we stalked Sam, my mind kept wandering back to what the bear had cryptically said. Ask Sam. I hadn't yet delved into Sam's past much as it wasn't particularly relevant. But maybe I should have. What did Sam know about this weretiger? Why was he after him?
And, more importantly, what did the weretiger want with him? If it had something to do with the babies, surely there were plenty of easier marks in the city. I shook my head. This couldn't have anything to do with them.
But what, then?
I didn't have time to ponder the thought as we suddenly came upon Sam standing bewildered in the middle of the forest. I started forward, but the bear put a large paw on my shoulder.
"Don't." Was all he said and it was in such a voice that I felt compelled to obey.
"But --" I tried to argue, but he shushed me with a finger to his lips. "Stay here. Don't move."
I shivered as I realized my omega - my pregnant omega - was in danger! And there was nothing I could do about it.
I watched the werebear as he crept away - seemingly in the opposite direction of my Sam. What was he doing? Where was he going? Was this some kind of elaborate double-cross?
A twig snapped behind and I whirled around and saw nothing. That worried me even more. Every sense was on high alert. I strained my ears and sniffed every particle of air, but neither smelled or heard a thing.
From what Edgar said, the weretiger was around here somewhere. But where? I suddenly grew paranoid. Every chirping bird, every blowing leaf, every crack of a twig could be him.
But when I looked, I saw nothing. At this point, Edgar was gone. I could only see my omega standing under a tree looking around helplessly. I wanted so badly to go and hug him and hold and tell him that everything would be okay. But would it?
A weretiger? They were known to be some of the craftiest werebeasts alive. They usually rose to positions of power - usually underground - where their talents could best be put to use.
I shivered again as the thought of facing down a weretiger was terrifying. But what was Edgar doing? Was I just supposed to stand here looking stupid? What if the tiger attacked?
The moment happened so fast, my head spun. The large, massive weretiger leaped out of nowhere and sprung upon the helpless omega. I screamed, but it was too late.
"Put down the weapon." Floyd demanded, his voice deep and gravelly.
I had pulled out my sidearm, but the tiger was too fast.
"What do you want with my omega?" I shouted, shivering inside.
"I'm the one barking orders. Now put down the weapon or Samuel gets it." The tiger growled.
"Samuel?" I dropped the weapon. It was a helpless feeling knowing that the perp had the drop on me.
"Do as he says!" Sam shouted. "I'll explain everything later."
Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a furtive movement. It was Edgar! And he had a gun! Holy smokes. I had to keep talking. To keep the tiger busy and unaware. What did I say?
I put my hands up. "I promise I won't attack. But for the love of Catniss would someone please explain what the Sam Hell is going on?"
The tiger boomed out a laugh that made mine sound puny and weak. A shiver of fear raced up my spine. It was an unfamiliar feeling. One that I'd rarely felt before and one I hoped to never feel again.
I was completely powerless against this beast.
"Why don't tell your illicit lover the truth. Tell them who you really are." The tiger tightened his grip on the blade.
My hands clenched in rage. On the one hand, I did not want this beast to hurt even a hair on Sam's pregnant head. But I also needed to know this...truth they spoke of. Had he been lying to me?
This was what Edgar had
been talking about. I steeled myself for what was about to come. But nothing could've prepared me for what my beloved said next.
Sam hung his head as if in shame.
"What is it, Sam?" I shook with adrenaline.
"This...this beast --" He spat. "Is my...is my..."
"Go ahead and tell him, Samuel. Doesn't he deserve to know the truth?"
Sam coughed and tears streamed down his face. He looked so helpless and weak. My heart ached and reached out to him.
"Sam? Is something wrong?" I asked. Edgar crept forward with all the stealth of a bear. I really wanted to find out what was going on before Edgar did whatever he was going to do.
Sam looked up at me, his eyes red and puffy.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. The time was never right."
"Tell me what?" I pounded my fist into my palm.
"Floyd, the weretiger, is my father." The moment he got those words out, Edgar pounced from behind a bush, knocking the knife cleanly out of the weretiger's hands.
"And I'm your brother!" Edgar cried out!
For several moments I stood, rooted the spot like a bug in a spider's web.
"Sam! Run!" I called out and opened my arms.
Floyd reached out to grab the wily werecat, but Edgar swatted him away.
"I'm sorry, Ralph!" Sam darted into my arms, knocking me over. I wrestled with the werecat, peppering his face with kisses, but Edgar's scream brought me back to reality.
"Hand me the gun!" I barked at Sam.
Sam did as I instructed and with the coldest look in his eyes, warned me: "Don't allow him to live. I know it sounds cold, but trust me. He would've ripped out my babies and sold them on the black market. He may be my father, but he's the most evil beast I've ever met."
Sam's words shook me to my core. Kill him? I'd never shot anyone in my life. A whirlwind of emotions swept through me and before I could act, the weretiger slammed into me, knocking the gun up into the air.
Several long moments passed as I watched the gun flail through the air. I was helpless to stop it. Sam screamed, but it sounded distant and faraway. Just as the weretiger laughed and reached out to grab my gun, Edgar climbed on my back and sprung himself toward the gun.
"No!" Sam screamed, but wisely stayed out of the fight.
The two massive beasts collided in midair. I'm not sure exactly what happened next, but only one came down alive.
Sam
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Ralph peppered me with a thousand questions.
Edgar stepped forward, his large frame shaking. "It was a family secret. Sam and I broke away from dad's mob gang. We went into hiding for several years. It was all we could do to keep ourselves alive."
I hugged the alpha tightly to my chest as he called for an ambulance. Edgar had checked Floyd's pulse, but the weretiger had taken a bullet to the heart. For as long as I live, I will never, ever forget the terrible screeching, wailing sound of my dying father. Now, though, this whole, terrible nightmare was over.
"What will you do now?" Ralph asked the werebear who, himself, was badly injured.
Edgar sighed deeply and watched as they put our father's body on the stretcher. "I'm respected enough that I'm going to take over my father's place and disband the organization." He smiled. "I'm probably going to be sending a lot of miscreants your way. Hope you can handle them."
The next few weeks were a dizzying whirlwind of emotions. The babies in my belly grew rapidly and I knew the time was near. While I hadn't had many pregnancy symptoms in the beginning, they seemed to all collide near the end.
I had grown particularly fond of ham and now I couldn't stomach it. I could barely tolerate cheese and cereal, but ham and other meats were out. My stomach felt queasy pretty much all the time.
And with my belly jutting out like a beachball, I was finding it hard to even walk. Simple things like sweeping or cleaning a high cabinet had become extremely difficult - if not impossible. Ralph was a God-send. He took as many personal days as he could - especially closer to the due date.
It was weird laying back on the sofa watching cat videos while Ralph cooked and cleaned and brought me food. It was almost like he was my personal servant! If I hadn't been in so much discomfort, I would've found it funny.
Many nights we laid awake just listening to the babies, talking to them, laughing about them. We discussed our hopes and dreams. I'd never felt closer to anyone than I did to Ralph at that moment.
I thought about that night when I knew that somehow, someway, my life was going to change. I had a strong premonition that I was going to be starting a new chapter in my life.
I had no idea how right I was. Or how it would come about.
I didn't know that the bumbling cop who nearly shot me in the middle of the night was fated to be my alpha and sire of my babies.
"What should we name them?" I proposed about a week before they were to spring into the world.
Ralph leaned back against the headboard, a wide grin plastered on his face. "I've been thinking about this. How about one of the omegas is named after you?"
"Sam?" I scrunched my nose.
"No, Sammy."
I thought about it for a moment and tasted the name on my tongue, then nodded. "That sounds perfect. But what about you?" I stroked my lover's chin, running my fingers through his thick fur.
"Me?" He looked genuinely surprised.
"Yes, you, you big oaf!" I kissed him lightly on the lips. "You need an alpha son to carry on your name. What about Ralph Jr.? He could go by the nickname Junior." I looked into the strong lion's deep, emerald eyes hopefully. He was lost in thought and as handsome as the day we first met.
He stroked his chin fur thoughtfully. "You don't think it would be pompous?"
"Heavens, no! You're a lion, remember? This is your pride!"
"Well, okay. As long as this is something you want." He reluctantly agreed.
"Yes! Now what do we name the other four? I've got a couple of ideas, but what are yours?" I grabbed his paw and put it on my belly right where one of the alphas was kicking.
Ralph giggled and the sound warmed my heart.
"No, but seriously. What do we want the other four to be named?"
"Hmm..." He thought about it. "How about Jacob? Now you pick." He snuggled me closer - so close I could actually hear his heartbeat.
"One of the ideas that I've had kicking around is Mitch. Sound like a good alpha's name."
Ralph nodded thoughtfully and smiled. "That's a great name, actually." He studied the ceiling for several minutes, thinking of the next name. Finally, just when I thought he'd forgotten, he blurted out: "Adam!"
I laughed. "Adam it is! That takes care of the alphas. "Now for the last omega. Let me see..." I had about three names to choose from, but now that the time had come, I couldn't pick.
"Help me choose from between these three. Bert, Oliver and Bill."
"Those are some interesting names. Maybe we should write these down for the next litter."
I looked up at him, my eyes as wide as saucers. "Next litter?" I couldn't believe I was hearing those words. "I hadn't even thought about that yet. You sure you want more?" My heart raced and my palms grew sweaty.
"Yeah, why not?" He kissed the top of my head. "In for a penny, in for a pound, as I've always said. But let's get these out first."
"Oh yeah! That's a good idea."
"How about Oliver?"
That night we made sweet, passionate, gentle love. We fell asleep naked and in each other's arms. Nothing in the world could have been better than that.
Ralph
I was shaken awake very insistently. It had been a long night of tending to a VERY pregnant Sam. He'd been complaining of aches and pains and swollen feet and headaches and all manner of ridiculous symptoms.
If I could've taken away his pains, I would have. But it was his to bear.
Right now, though, I was operating on about two hours of sleep. The last thing in the world I wanted was to wake up.
>
"Ralph! Hurry! Wake up!" The insistent shaking grew a voice.
"What? Go away!" I waved the unwelcome intrusion away. Odd that it sounded so much like Sam. I was so tired I must've been hallucinating.
"They're coming!" He cried out, shaking me even harder.
"Who? I haven't cleaned yet! The turkey's in the oven..." The next thing I recalled was hitting the ground as Sam had pushed me off the side of the bed.
"The babies!" He clenched his teeth and contorted his face in what looked like pure agony. "They're here!"
I picked myself groggily up off the floor and when I saw the hugely pregnant omega standing over me clutching his stomach I realized at that moment that it was time.
My eyes flew open wide and a stab of pain filled them as the first rays of the sun intruded upon my sleepy state. They were here! Our babies! All six of them! I sat up quickly, then had to steady myself before I could stand.
By the time I had gained my composure, Sam already had the bag and everything. He even had the car warmed up.
"It's go time!" I kissed him on the lips, grabbed his hands and led him outside. It was still a bit chilly, so I wrapped a coat around his slender frame.
"It'll be okay..." Sam looked in my eyes and reassured me. Why was it the alpha's who always seemed to need reassurance during the birthing process? I shook my head at the irony.
Sam
Four hours later after what the doctor said was the quickest, easiest birth he'd ever seen, six furry bundles of joy emerged into the world, peering around them, their eyes bright and shiny, their faces full of life and curiosity.
Who were all these people clapping and cheering their entrance?
When the nurse handed me my first baby, I gazed down upon it with a sort of reverence. I created this! This new life - this baby kitten - was mine! But there were others. One after the other they were born into this world and I held each one in turn.
Ralph was rock-steady. He stayed by my side the entire time, holding my hand, making sure I was comfortable and that all my needs were met. I could not have asked more of him.