Shifters in the Snow: Bundle of Joy: Seventeen Paranormal Romances of Winter Wolves, Merry Bears, and Holiday Spirits

by J. K Harper

  “Dillon and Dalton,” Robin said, giving me a quick glance.

  I nodded to her. “Perfect.” My family couldn’t handle another set of ‘L’ names to stumble over.

  “Here we go,” the doctor announced. “Take a deep breath, hold it for one second, then push until I tell you to stop. Push now.”

  Robin let out a terrified screech as she started.

  He nodded. “That’s it. Great job. One…two…three…four…five…keep pushing.”

  “Uhhhhhhhhhh,” Robin cried, trying to maintain.

  “Eight…nine…ten. You are doing so well, Robin. Dillon is almost here.”

  “Dalton,” she corrected him, panting heavily. “I want the first to be called Dalton.”

  “He’s coming, and here’s the next contraction, Robin.”

  “Oh Goddddddddddd I feel that.”

  “Push now. One…two…here’s Dalton’s head.” Dr. Rothstein looked up at her. “Stop pushing until I give you the queue. Nurse Jones, let’s get the suction going for Dalton.”

  “Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!” she shrieked as the nurse suctioned Dillon’s nose and mouth.

  “Okay just a little push, Robin,” he guided her, already pulling the baby. Dalton was all the way out. Dr. Rothstein lifted him to Robin’s line of sight. A moment later the little one cried, and I thought my chest would burst from the emotional overload. That little creature was my son.

  “Dalton’s here, Landon,” she whimpered as the doctor lowered the baby to cut the umbilical cord. Tears streamed down her face.

  “He is,” I agreed with reverence, finding it near impossible to take my eyes off him, even while the second nurse took him to get cleaned up at the station beside the bed. “And you did amazing, Mom.”

  “That’s right. You’re doing great,” said Dr. Rothstein. “One more to go, Robin.” He checked her womb for Dillon’s position. “You are batting a thousand so far, Mom. Baby number two is already head-down, and that means we can get you all wrapped up with your delivery in no time. I’ll be back in less than ten minutes.” He gestured to the first nurse. “Check on whether Dr. Sable is done with the Kessler C-section, and confirm that OR-6 is ready to go.”

  “Yes, Dr. Rothstein.”

  Robin gave me a worried looked after he left. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, no. It’s only a precaution. It’s rare for the second infant from a set of twins to need a cesarean when the first is delivered naturally.”

  “All right.”

  She was thoroughly drained. I ran my hand over her head, smoothing down her sweat-drenched hair to help her relax. “How are you feeling?”

  “Tired. When can I hold him?” she asked, looking longingly over at the neonatal nurse who had just cleaned and done the APGAR test on him.

  “Soon. You’ll get them both when Dillon arrives.”

  “The pain’s starting up again,” Robin announced. “Owwwww, is it supposed to hurt this much still?”

  I nodded. “That’s a very good sign.”

  “Oh God.”

  Dr. Rothstein hurried back in just then. “How’s Mom doing?”

  “Tired of all this pain,” Robin answered through gritted teeth.

  He stepped around to the bottom of the bed. “It’ll be gone soon. I promise. And there’s a contraction,” he confirmed, checking the monitoring equipment while examining the position of the baby. “Right on schedule.”

  “Can I push him out now? Please,” she asked, panting.

  “On the next contraction,” Dr. Rothstein told her, and motioned to the nurse before returning his attention to Robin. “We’ll repeat exactly the same steps, okay? Deep breath in, then bear down and hold.”

  “Okay,” she agreed.

  “Let’s get baby number two out, and you can rest, all right, Robin? Here we go. Breathe in now and hold…good, now push, and don’t stop until I tell you.”

  “Uhhhhhhhhhh,” she grunted, lifting her head off the bed as she pushed.

  “Very nice, Robin. One, two, three. Don’t stop now. He’s crowning.”

  Her voice rose with every second, but she bore down and kept the pressure steady.

  “The head is out. Great job. Seven, eight, here are the shoulders…and baby number two is here.” The nurse assisted him as they suctioned his airways and tied off the cord. “Robin, meet Dillon,” he said, raising the fragile little crinkly baby to show us. “You did a fantastic job, Mom. Congratulations to you both. Nurse, let’s get Dalton and Dillon ready to meet their parents.”

  “He’s out,” Robin whispered, looking up at me. “They’re here.”

  “They are, and they both look so healthy. You did amazing, honey.”

  “Here they are, Mommy.” The nurse brought the babies over and rested both on her chest, folding Robin’s arms so each hand covered a newborn’s back.

  My newborns. I was completely entranced by these crinkly little beings, and could not stop smiling.

  “There you both are. Oh my God, you’re so beautiful. Hi, babies. Hi, Dalton. Hi Dillon,” she said, gazing lovingly from one to the other. Then she glanced up at me. “These are our babies.”

  I leaned forward over the bed to get closer to them. “They are, and they’re perfect,” I told her, gently resting my hand on each of hers. “You did great.”

  “We did. I couldn’t have done it without you here,” she admitted.

  “I told you I wasn’t going anywhere.”

  She smiled and nodded. “Thank you. Do you want to hold them?”

  “Are you kidding? You’ll be wrestling me to get your hands on them at all pretty soon.”

  The doctor cleared his throat. “Congrats, again, Mom and Dad,” he said, stepping toward the door. “By the way, you have some visitors outside. We’ll send them in…three or four at a time.”

  Robin looked at him as he left, then back at me, confusion on her face. “How many people are out there?”

  “A lot,” I told her. “Probably my parents, brothers, and some cousins. It could be my entire pack, I’m not sure. They would have been here sooner if…well that’s water under the bridge, but now that they know, they’ll all want to meet the babies and be in their lives. We can talk about what that all means after you’ve gotten some rest.”

  “Okay.” She glanced up into my face. “I’m so sorry about everything. I was foolish.”

  “It’s behind us now,” I reassured her. I cupped her face, and she sank her cheeks into my palms, closing her eyes. “Today’s a new day. Lots to catch up on. Lots to celebrate.”

  “Sounds great…and I meant what I said earlier.” She lifted her gaze to me again. “I love you, Landon.”

  I brushed my thumb along her cheekbone. “I love you. And Dalton and Dillon. What you’ll find out pretty soon is that my family already loves them, and you. That’s why they came here. In my pack, we have our ways, and we can be gregarious and unruly, but our little boys here will grow up surrounded by a whole lot of love, Robin. I promise you that.”

  Tears misted her eyes. “I believe you,” she said, voice scratchy.

  I straightened up, but had a hard time letting my new family out of my sight. “I’ll go check, and if your father’s here, I’ll send him in first.”

  “Tiffany too, if she’s out there.”

  “No problem. I’ll be right back.”

  The waiting room was packed with all my family. Mr. Parker was here too, and Tiffany. They all got to their feet when they saw me.

  “Good night, everyone,” I greeted them. “A quick update. Robin is doing fine, and so are the babies. You’re about to meet Dalton and Dillon. She had twins!” The oohs and ahs, rounds of loud laughter, and cheers went on and on. I raised my hands to quiet them down again. “Mr. Parker, Tiffany, you can both go on in. Robin’s waiting to see you.”

  They nodded, and Robin’s dad patted my shoulders as he passed me to get going. “Congratulations, son. We’ll talk soon.”

  After they had left, I gave my kin some ground rules
so that Robin could get some rest tonight. With a family this size, rules were a must. “Mom and Dad will go in after Robin’s dad and friend. Then my brothers, the girlfriends and wives, and extended family in groups of three or four. Each group has three minutes at the most to say hello, then you all need to leave. Visiting hours are strictly enforced.”

  “How do they look?” Lucas asked.

  “Like me, of course. Blond and gorgeous.”

  “We’re all blond and gorgeous!” he shouted, which got everyone laughing.

  I would have told him I had to pay for that little coincidence for nine long months, but with the new questions it would surely generate, I left it alone. They all wanted answers as to how it took me this long to tell them about the brand new additions to our pack. Some of the women started up with swaddling tips and advice on sleep schedules.

  I promised we’d get to all of it in the coming weeks.

  Right now what I needed was to get my babies in my arms. All three of them.

  Chapter 14

  Robin

  Three Months later on Christmas Eve

  I dragged Landon out into the lobby of the main lodge of Dad’s resort, swaying to the Muzak version of Jingle Bell Rock. We had just enjoyed a mouth-watering seven-course Christmas dinner with over a hundred resort guests, including Landon’s large extended family. We were now on our way to my cabin at the edge of the resort.

  Sucking in a giddy, flirtatious breath, I stopped beneath the mistletoe. “Guess where we are?” I asked him, gesturing above us.

  Pulling me into his arms, Landon cupped my face with both his hands, molding my body to him. He grazed his thumb against my cheekbone, looking down into my eyes and tilting my head up.

  “Right where we’re meant to be.” My breath hitched as he leaned forward and kissed me gently. “Let’s get out of here before the boys start to miss their mommy.”

  I blinked back to awareness. It was Dad’s second time alone with Dalton and Dillon, although he did arrange for some help from one of the onsite child care workers. He was a natural, so neither of us was too worried, though the idea of being without my little boys tore at my chest. “I miss them already.”

  “Me too,” he whispered into my ear. “But I can think of other things to occupy your mind.”

  I bit my lip at the notion. It made my heart melt and my panties drench. Landon had been amazing these past three months, dutiful to a fault with the kids, and helping every second he was not working at the hospital. He was there when Dillon held his head up for the first time, and when Dalton pushed up on his hand from his spot on the baby blanket on the floor, lifting his head and chest up while on his tummy. Landon practically lived at my house in Sparks, and whenever he wasn’t available due to work, one of his brothers or sisters-in-law or parents would turn up to help me with the boys. Still, for all the time we had spent together, and as close as we had become, we had not yet been intimate. The first two months after having twins was a no-no in any case, and after that, I was getting used to the balancing act of two nursing babies at the same time. We both were.

  Tonight was different. All evening, I’d catch him gazing at me with so much love in his eyes, I could barely breathe. I had come to love Landon deeply. Mostly, I loved being wherever he was. Watching him hold our children protectively gave me so much joy. All those times he would rub my shoulders or massage my feet, or hold my hand in passing, those intimate moments brought us closer together than I’d thought possible.

  Tonight, I was ready for more.

  “Good idea,” I finally told him. “Let’s go.”

  The snow had fallen earlier, and for at least an hour straight, but as it was clear out, we walked over to my cabin arm in arm. The view was exquisite after such a heavy snowfall. Everything seemed to quiet down, forcing people to stop and take some inspiration from the awesomeness of nature’s power. Being up here on the mountain gave us a first-hand view of how small we really were, yet we had the potential to be completely connected to everything else.

  I stared at the dads and moms—maybe aunts and uncles—tugging their smaller children through the snow on sleds of all sizes, kids standing under snow-laden trees, and groups of teenagers throwing snowballs at one another or building snowmen, and others trudging through the winter landscape on snowshoes. The image had a familiar comfort to it, like I was meant to be here.

  Landon stopped me at the top of the cabin steps. “Are you happy, Robin?” he asked, voice gentle and eyes quizzical.

  “Yes, I couldn’t be happier.” I touched a gloved palm to his chest. “You and the babies have changed my entire existence. Being here, close to Dad, getting closer to your family, I feel alive again.”

  “I’m glad,” he said, stroking a lock of hair from the side of my face. For a moment, I didn’t think he would say anything more, but then he continued. “That’s why…let me show you.”

  My heart flew up to my throat when Landon took my hands, kissed each one and dropped to one knee. Right there on the snowy porch. I couldn’t breathe as he unzipped his winter jacket and reached into an inside pocket, and I thought I’d faint when he retrieved a bright red ring box. He opened it to reveal a sparkling white gold engagement ring with a huge diamond solitaire, and my knees went weak.

  “Oh my God. Oh my God!” I screeched with the little air left inside my lungs.

  Lifting the ring up to me, he said, “We have something special, Robin. I know the path that led us together and to this moment may seem like it all started a year ago, then ripped us apart for nine of those twelve months, but I’ve cared for you for a long time. In my heart, I’ve fallen in love with you over and over again. I have loved you forever, and I always will. Robin Parker, will you marry me?”

  “Yes, oh my God, yes I’ll marry you! I love you so much, Landon,” I said ecstatically.

  Landon was beaming, and his eyes never left mine as he pushed the ring up my wedding finger. He got to his feet and covered my mouth in a kiss that started off tender but quickly turned urgent, and then he pulled away to look down into my eyes. “Get inside so I can make love to you all night long.”

  I opened that door with lightning speed and it still wasn’t fast enough. Inside, I couldn’t take my eyes off the engagement ring, but Landon was not looking to waste any more time. Walking me backward to the bedroom, his eyes went dark and dangerous. His hands found the zipper of my winter coat, opening it and dragging it down my arms.

  “You’re all mine,” he growled. “And you’re so beautiful.”

  I stared up at him, suddenly self-conscious. “Remind me of that when I’m home in my robe and slippers with matted uncombed hair after less than three hours sleep.”

  He stopped in place and held on firmly to my shoulders, eyes brimming over with alpha male possessiveness I had only seen when he was with the babies. “You are stunning. You’ll always be sexy to me.”

  “Are you sure? Even with the robes, tired eyes and perpetual ponytail, weight gain, and the smell of baby spit up and baby powder in my hair? Even after sleepless nights, diaper changes, breastfeeding, and all of that times two?”

  Gripping me around the waist, he picked me up right off the ground and lifted me into his arms. “You’re the mother of my children, you accept me for who I am…” He looked away, eyes filled with emotion. “And for what I am. Soon you’ll be my wife. Always remember this, Robin. You are everything I’ve ever wanted. You. Are. Perfect.”

  I stroked his cheek. “Make love to me. I’m ready. I want you, Landon O’Halloran.”

  Looking up at me with a passion so fierce that my core clenched, Landon stalked into the bedroom and deposited me into bed, stripping off each layer of clothes on our backs until we were both completely bare. That wild, predatory look in his eyes took my breath away. We needed no words. I could hardly get any air into my lungs right now, anyway. I ran a hand down his bare chest, excited from just the feel of his tight muscles. My legs wrapped around his waist, and I lifted my head up to ki
ss him. He groaned into our kiss, and my hands flew up into his hair, eager for him to taste every bit of me. God, how I’d missed being this close to him.

  His hands reached under my ass, pressing me closer, if that was even possible the way he enveloped me with his large, broad body. I moaned as he pulled from my lips and leaned down to taste my neck. It was as if time had stood still, and not even a day had passed since we were in this very spot a year ago. I pressed my eyes shut, enjoying the way he touched me, trailing kisses down my body, giving extra attention to all the places that filled me with anticipation. I flinched when his lips teased my lower belly, and he stopped and flashed me a fiery look.

  “I am going to worship you for the goddess that you are, woman,” he rumbled, in a gravelly voice that came from deep in this throat. “Every. Square. Sacred. Inch.”

  Returning his gaze to my body, he continued, moving lower.

  Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

  And all the wise men and animals in the nativity scene.

  Sparks exploded behind my eyes when his lips touched my most sensitive bundle of nerves. His hands moved eagerly down my sides, stopping to grip my hips as he began to feast on me like a hungry man. I fisted his hair, squirming and whimpering. He took me over the edge with just his lips and teeth and tongue, delivering a climax I had been waiting to release for a year. I was still shaking from that powerful orgasm when in one fluid movement, he climbed up my body. He opened and rolled on a condom, and resumed kissing me, greedy for contact.

  His thick erection pressed against my folds, driving my need for him right through the roof. I grasped his hips, pulling my lips from his kiss long enough to tell him I couldn’t wait any longer. With a growl, Landon pinned my hands above my head, positioned himself at my hot, wet center, and without a second of hesitation, he thrust deep inside of me. I was out of my mind with pleasure, overcome and even more turned on from the sensation of being trapped and unable to move my hands. Needing to compensate for it elsewhere, I tightened my leg’s grip around his waist, lifting my hips to meet him stroke for stroke. He kissed me hard again, and I groaned into his mouth. I couldn’t stop rolling my hips as his hot flesh buried into me, filling me so completely that my toes curled.