Scents of Sandalwood and Rain

by Carter Thomas

  “... I'm sorry. Forgive me?”

  Shan Xianyan gives him a kiss and says, “I forgive you.”

  They spend a while cuddling before eventually cleaning up and find that they're both hungry enough to finish the leftovers from earlier. Both realize that they can get around using suppressants and are happy with it. Now, all Shan Xianyan needs to do is tell Liu Zhashi he's ready to marry his Omega in the summer.

  ◆◆◆

  Liu Zhashi seems to take the news okay. Sure, he grumbles in irritation but accepts that Anxiang Valley will be expecting a wedding in the summer of next year. If Shan Xianyan noticed anything, it might be that Liu Zhashi is slowly accepting him and that he knows that makes Liu Zuan happy.

  After that, the months seem to fly by. It's late November and snow starts to fall on Anxiang Valley. Shan Xianyan has no idea where the time went since he's been so busy studying and caring for his Omega. Sure, Shan Xianyan has had to massage Liu Zuan's swollen feet, rub soothing oil on stretch marks, bring him meals when he refuses to get out of bed due to fatigue, and general comforting for all the aches and pains that come with being heavily pregnant but Shan Xianyan doesn't mind. Shan Xianyan knows he's partly to blame for Liu Zuan's predicament so he accepts the responsibilities that come with it.

  It's on the third day of a snowstorm, when Anxiang Valley is buried under two and a half feet of snow, Shan Xianyan senses something is off while cleaning the house. Moments after he senses it, he hears Liu Zuan call out from across the house, “S-Shan Shui...”

  Shan Xianyan strides quickly to check on his mate and realizes the issue when he sees the wet spot through Liu Zuan's robes. Liu Zuan's water must have broke and Shan Xianyan can smell that he's panicked. With a bit of fear, Liu Zuan says, “I have had pain off and on for a few hours b-but I didn't think I was going into labor. I thought it was the false contractions like the midwives have been saying I've been having.”

  Knowing that his mate is going to give birth for real this time and it's not a false alarm, Shan Xianyan tries to reassure despite his own fear, “I'm taking you to the midwives. I... can't be with you during the birth but I will be waiting and standing outside to support you.”

  Liu Zuan seems disappointed but nods. They've known this for months. The midwives are all Omegas and Betas and do their practice inside the Omega housing area unless an Alpha female is giving birth. They specifically said that Liu Zuan will have to go to the housing area to give birth and Shan Xianyan won't be allowed in because he's an Alpha. Normally, they would have argued but then they remembered what happened to Liu Zhaoxian and want to be prepared for emergencies. Liu Zuan might be scared not having his mate beside him but he has had a couple months to prepare. Both of them have. Shan Xianyan is stressed that he can't hold his hand to reassure him through it. In fact, he's a bit disappointed he won't see his children as soon as they're born.

  Putting on some winter clothes, Shan Xianyan holds Liu Zuan's hand as he leads him through Anxiang Valley to the Omega housing area. When Liu Zuan has a contraction, he squeezes Shan Xianyan's hand like a vice grip and doesn't even let out a whimper. Shan Xianyan manages to catch the attention of a midwife from outside the area. She approaches and sees Liu Zuan, already suspecting what's happening.

  “Oh dear, he's in labor,” she says that in a calm tone.

  “Yes, please take care of him,” says Shan Xianyan, letting go of Liu Zuan's hand so he can reluctantly join the midwife. Liu Zuan looks over his shoulder as he follows after the midwife. His eyes seem to plead, wishing Shan Xianyan could stay by his side. As much as Shan Xianyan would love to join him, he realizes he needs to tell Liu Zhashi what is going on.

  Breaking one of Anxiang Valley's many rules, Shan Xianyan runs throughout the city as he searches for Liu Zhashi. Of course, he needs to tell his future father-in-law that he's going to be a grandfather again. He's perplexed when he can't find him at his house, the library, or in his usual meditative area. Where could he be? He's winded by the time he finds him and surprised who he's with. Liu Zhashi is at the entrance of Anxiang Valley, greeting Nuo Fang, Wu Shenxin, and Liu Zhaoxian holding his baby. Shan Xianyan can't believe it. They actually arrived with impeccable timing.

  Nuo Fang notices him first and calls over, “Shan Xianyan!”

  Shan Xianyan jogs over and Liu Zhashi seems annoyed. Wu Shenxin and Liu Zhaoxian have sweet smiles. Liu Zhaoxian says while holding his sleeping child, “Hello there, we made it in time for the birth?”

  “Running is not allowed in Anxiang Valley.” Liu Zhashi is blunt and crosses his arms.

  Shan Xianyan pouts a bit at Liu Zhashi but informs the group, “Actually, you are just in time. Liu Zuan just went into labor.”

  All their eyes widen and Liu Zhashi pushes past Shan Xianyan in a hurry towards the Omega housing area. Liu Zhaoxian carefully hands his child to Wu Shenxin and says, “Excuse me. I must assist my brother.” Nuo Fang and Wu Shenxin seem to understand and let him walk briskly after his uncle.

  Shan Xianyan watches them for a moment until Nuo Fang gets his attention by asking, “Are you scared?”

  When he turns, he gives Nuo Fang an honest look and admits, “Terrified.”

  Stepping forward and resting a hand on his shoulder, Nuo Fang says, “You'll be okay. I've survived three months of fatherhood so far. You'll be fine.”

  Shan Xianyan smiles and says, “Thank you.” He turns his gaze to the baby boy in Wu Shenxin's arms. Shan Xianyan thinks the baby must have more Liu genes in him from appearance but can see it's Nuo Fang's child. Releasing a calming scent, Shan Xianyan asks, “May I hold him?”

  “Of course.” Nuo Fang motions Wu Shenxin and his mate complies with letting Shan Xianyan take the child into his arms. It seems to wake the child and he stares at Shan Xianyan with an annoyed look.

  “You look so mad, little one,” says Shan Xianyan in a higher-pitched voice meant to be calming to a young child or animal. The baby makes a soft sound of complaint but Shan Xianyan gently boops his nose. “You're so cute. I wonder if you have a name yet.” He looks at the other two for an answer.

  Nuo Fang proudly says, “Nuo Heyuan.”

  “Aww, what a nice name. He's a little A-Yuan now,” Shan Xianyan says before handing the baby back to Wu Shenxin. Shan Xianyan realizes how much he wants to be close to his mate and says to his adoptive brother and old friend, “I need to be close to Liu Zuan. I hope you get settled.”

  “Shouldn't be a problem. Go to him,” Wu Shenxin says while rocking the baby. That's all Shan Xianyan needs to hear to start running through the snow again back to the edge of the Omega housing area. He will wait as long as he needs to to see his children.

  ◆◆◆

  The wait is nail-biting. Shan Xianyan paces back and forth near the building he knows Liu Zuan is in but not entering the housing area. He's not alone either. Liu Zhashi, who is an Alpha, is standing there with his arms crossed near him. Both Alphas are stressed but tolerating each other because they're both worried. It's been hours, close to dusk now. Every once in awhile, both of them will tense when they hear what sounds like a scream from Liu Zuan. It's worse for Shan Xianyan because he feels the pain slightly through the bond he shares with his mate and knows he's in intense pain.

  There are a couple times when Shan Xianyan almost breaks the rule just because he can't take Liu Zuan's screams but Liu Zhashi stops him and reminds him, “The midwives and Liu Zhaoxian are taking care of him. I know his screams are hard to hear... but that means nothing is going too wrong if he's coherent enough to scream.”

  That calms him enough to go back to simply pacing but it's driving him crazy. He wants to physically see that his mate is okay.

  Finally, there's a sound that makes both Alphas freeze; the cry of a baby. After sharing a look of shock and understanding, both Shan Xianyan and Liu Zhashi have a total disregard for the rules and enter the Omega housing area. At first when Shan Xianyan knocks on the door, no one answers. Both Alphas get antsy until a midwife finally respo
nds and lets them in. Both of them see the sight before them and are almost relieved it's not as bad as they thought it would be. Liu Zuan looks exhausted and he has been covered up to have some modesty with the Alphas coming into the room. In Liu Zhaoxian's arms, a baby is being wiped clean and is crying loudly. Liu Zuan's eyes find the newcomers to the room. He smiles gently and they hear him say, “Shan Shui... Father...”

  Liu Zhashi goes to his son's side, even holding his hand and scenting with a comforting smell. However, Shan Xianyan can't keep himself from approaching Liu Zhaoxian to see his child. Shan Xianyan feels... different. Something inside him feels like it has changed seeing the baby that is of his flesh and blood. One of the things the midwives taught him before today was that he might experience powerful emotions when first meeting his child but he's not prepared for what he feels now. Liu Zhaoxian seems to understand and carefully transfers the baby into his arms. They’re a girl from what he notices. She seems to calm when she is in Shan Xianyan's arms. He's not sure if it's his presence alone or because he's naturally producing a scent that parents can produce to calm their infants but he feels good that his child is calm from his touch.

  Shan Xianyan already knows instantly he would die for this child. His life is changed and he will do everything he can to make sure she grows up healthy and strong. Liu Zhaoxian stays close, smiling in empathy because he understands what both Shan Xianyan and Liu Zuan are feeling. Shan Xianyan collects himself enough while holding his daughter to turn his attention to Liu Zuan. There's still another baby on the way and Liu Zuan meets his eyes weakly. There's a chair at Liu Zuan's bedside so Shan Xianyan sits down and encourages, “One more to go and you can rest... she's beautiful, by the way.”

  Liu Zuan is not good at showing it but Shan Xianyan can tell that Liu Zuan takes a little bit of pride knowing he produced a healthy child. The two midwives get Liu Zuan's attention now that Liu Zhashi and Shan Xianyan are at the bedsides to comfort him and encourage him. The midwife instructs, “I'm going to need you to give me another big push. I know it's painful but you're close to being done.”

  “Liu Shundao, you're doing really good.” Liu Zhashi tries to encourage while holding his son's hand.

  Liu Zuan tries to follow the midwife's instructions as he's having a contraction. They can all tell that he's trying not to scream like he did before or is simply too tired to scream. This process repeats for over half an hour until another baby starts to cry and Liu Zuan lets his body finally relax from exhaustion. His eyes follow the midwife that holds the second baby and cleans them so Liu Zhashi may hold them. Shan Xianyan gets a closer look at the second baby to discover they’re a boy. Huh, a son and a daughter. He and Liu Zuan must be really blessed.

  Liu Zhashi gives a rare smile as he holds the whimpering child, muttering, “You're precious.”

  Shan Xianyan examines Liu Zuan with a glance and senses his mate will be alright. He may be very tired from hours of labor but he will recover with rest. Even the midwives confirm this as they say that Liu Zuan will be able to go home in two days. He needs rest and to make sure he can feed the children. They had assured that another Omega had given birth a week ago and is nursing in case, for some reason, Liu Zuan can't nurse his own children.

  That night, Liu Zhashi and Shan Xianyan don't leave Liu Zuan's side and help him watch the newborns. Liu Zuan holds them both after a short nap to regain his strength. It's simply spent with the newborns and making sure everything is okay. As Shan Xianyan starts to fall asleep, he misses Liu Zhashi make the comment, “I'm proud of both of you.”

  ◆◆◆

  The new parents, along with Liu Zhashi's reminder that Shan Xianyan is marrying into the clan, decide that the babies should take Liu Zuan's clan name. If they ever decide to have another child then that child can be named after Shan Xianyan. The name of the girl is Liu Xuechi and the boy is Liu Yin. Shan Xianyan doesn't mind the decision because he and Liu Zuan got to discuss the given names anyway and Liu Zuan agreed to Shan Xianyan's suggestions.

  Just as Nuo Fang warned, Shan Xianyan and Liu Zuan don't get much sleep. Arguably, Liu Zuan gets more sleep because Shan Xianyan is the one who is the more hands-on parent. He takes the initiative to check on the newborns, change their cloth diapers, and comfort them no matter what their reason for crying is. Of course, Liu Zuan must be the one to nurse them every few hours despite returning to his cultivation training. Shan Xianyan purposely abandons his cultivation studies but it's because he's happy being a parent. At first, Liu Zhashi is annoyed that Shan Xianyan stopped studying but soon realizes it was for Liu Zuan to be able to focus on his studies, Besides, Shan Xianyan's talents include being good at caring for infants (with guidance from midwives, of course).

  Despite the new stress of the babies around, a year and a half passes. Many trials and tribulations happen. There is drama with the neighboring clans over resources and territory that lead to Shan Xianyan and Liu Zuan postponing their wedding to participate in peace talks. Nuo Fang already married his mates and Wu Shenxin has a child (which Shan Xianyan knows the truth that the child didn't die during birth and the baby girl is sent to live with Wu Xinshi and his own mate) but that is before one clan started their demands for territory from the Wu clan. Even with the wedding postponed due to clan spats, Shan Xianyan eventually starts wearing white Liu clan robes to prepare for his role as Liu Zuan's husband. It's the least he can do.

  By now, their son and daughter are able to walk short distances and it puts both parents on edge because their daughter takes after Shan Xianyan and likes to get in trouble. Even worse, her brother will follow suit if he thinks what she's doing is fun. Hell, both of them became hard to handle once they learned to crawl. Liu Zuan doesn't quite have the sixth sense for knowing if their children are up to no good but Shan Xianyan feels that sense go off at least three times a day because Liu Xuechi really is adventuresome and it's not in her best interest sometimes. Liu Zuan left the front door open once on the way to lessons, having forgot to close it from fatigue, and Liu Xuechi wandered quite a ways before Shan Xianyan realized she went out the door. Shan Xianyan quickly found her but he had been sent into a panic over it and it caused an argument between him and Liu Zuan that night. They both realized it was a mistake and made up but it was still terrifying. It does bring up the realization for both of them that the babies are growing quite fast. Before they know it, they'll be three years old and start presenting signs of a dynamic.

  Since it's summer, it's time for Shan Xianyan and Liu Zuan to take the babies to Youshen to visit. They pack up a cart of their things and Shan Xianyan uses some of his own cultivation magic to lull the babies into a nap so they don't cause much trouble during the journey. They haven't seen Nuo Fang since the peace talks and even longer since they've seen Yang Qinghu and Nuo Feng'en. Shan Xianyan is not sure if they're eager to meet the babies since they have Nuo Heyuan as their grandchild but he knows Liu Zhaoxian will want to see his nephew and niece.

  “Shan Shui.” Liu Zuan catches Shan Xianyan's attention from making sure the sleeping children are comfortable. He quirks his eyebrows and Liu Zuan says, “We should head out before the rainstorm that's expected.”

  “We should.” Shan Xianyan agrees.

  He thinks that's all Liu Zuan has to offer until his mate approaches him and holds his hand. There's a moment they stare at each other until both give a gentle smile and share a kiss. They're doing fine. That's the most important thing.

  Thank you for reading! See you hopefully when the sequel arrives!

  Look out for “Touch of the Jade Heiress”!

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to everyone who supported this work when it was still fanfiction. Hopefully, a new group of readers can come to enjoy this work as much as I did writing it. I appreciate you all and wish you all well.

  Thank you to #writingcommunity for enabling me to publish this novella and giving me advice on what to do with it. You all are so nice to me.

  Thank you to Judy, you’re
so kind for proofreading this for me and making sure it’s better quality than my debut novel was. You’re the best.

  Lastly, thank you to you reading this. The fact you made it to the end means a lot to me, whether you liked the story or not.

  About the Author

  Carter Thomas is an author that grew up in the Pacific Northwest and loves cats, coffee, anime, reading novels and fanfiction, and video games. He got his start in writing at a young age and hasn’t stopped writing since (although, he will admit he didn’t feel like he got decent at writing until his twenties). He likes to write many genres as long as they feature LGBTQ+ characters and the characters can be relatable to the reader (hopefully).

  His social media includes Twitter (@promareflame and @carterwritesYA); he often updates about writing, fan art, other fandom topics, and general ranting on this platform