by Cree Storm
Robert quickly kissed each of his mates, then ran from the room.
Deja looked at Casius, then Asbuth. “He’s my mate, isn’t he?”
Casius stepped closer and took Deja’s hand. “I don’t know for sure, bro, but from everything you’ve said, it sounds like it.”
Sadness filled him as he accepted the truth of his words and theirs. “Is he a shifter?” Deja asked in a whisper.
“Yes, he’s a black panther,” Asbuth replied.
“Then he would know that we’re mates just by sight or smell or whatever, right?”
Asbuth sighed heavily, his face also turning sad. Deja knew Asbuth was on the same track of thinking that he was. “Yes.”
Deja nodded absently, then stood and wrapped his arms around his waist and turned away from them and whispered, “Which means he knows and ran. Which also means he doesn’t want me.” Deja left the room feeling dejected.
CHAPTER 2
“You fucking come near me again and I swear on all things good in this life that I will castrate you!” Angelo yelled at his mate Morgan as the man tried to help him into the hospital bed.
“Angel, I know it hurts, but I’m just trying to help you,” Morgan insisted as he reached for Angelo’s arm again.
Angelo slapped the hand away and growled at Morgan as he climbed onto the bed. “You did this to me! No wait, it was those two harpies, the butterfly dragons Helio and Briar. You’re all responsible for this. Get me those two so I can pluck their damn wings off one by one, then they can have an inkling of the pain I’m in.”
“I know you don’t mean that, Angel. I know how much you adore Helio and Briar and how grateful we both are for this amazing gift they have given us. Please, my love, just let me try to help ease some of your pain,” Morgan said lovingly as he took Angelo’s hand in his.
“I see things are right on schedule then,” Rob said as he strolled into the room.
“Right on schedule for what? A fucking lobotomy? Because that is exactly what I am going to do to you for taking so damn long to get down here!” Angelo threatened.
Rob laughed. “Yup, right on schedule. The threats, the screaming. Next comes the―”
But before Rob could finish, Angelo started crying. “Morgan, please make it stop. I changed my mind, I don’t want to do this anymore. We can still adopt, and I wouldn’t have to go through this.”
“Then there is the deal making and the tears,” Rob finished as he walked around Angelo, checking his vitals.
“Oh stick it up your ass,” Angelo hissed.
“And back to the terrorizing pregnant person. Okay, then, so your vitals look great. From what I was told about Rhys and Twix’s births, they had a pouch that formed along their lower abdomen that opened and allowed the babies, or eggs as it were, to come out. So, let's raise your gown and have a look at your belly,” Rob said as he pulled up a rolling stool and placed it at the foot of Angelo’s bed, then sat.
“I need you to put your feet in the stirrups, Ang, then slide your butt to the edge of the table.”
“I’m not a woman and the baby isn’t going to shoot out of a vagina, Doc, so I think you’re in the wrong place,” Angelo huffed.
Rob gave him a shocked, horror-filled look, his mouth dropping open as he gasped, “You’re not a woman? Oh my god, there’s a pregnant man in my hospital. Someone call the National Inquirer, we’re about to become filthy rich.”
Angelo narrowed his eyes at Rob and his lips thinned. “You know, Rob, you were always a pain in the ass, but since you got mated you’re a sarcastic pain in the ass. Normally I would be loving that, but I’m not appreciating it right now. I hope you get preggers so you can feel what this shit is, then maybe you’ll get more compassion. Morgan give the Doc a dollar, so he can buy a better bedside manner. Now do something. Ooooowwwww!” Angelo screamed as his back arched off the table and he grabbed his stomach.
* * * *
Nope, he was not stepping into that mess. Shadow thought to himself as he moved away from Angelo’s door and headed back out of the ER toward the exit. He only hoped that baby came soon, so that Angelo and Morgan could get back to being the wonderful, loving couple they were.
Shadow stepped off the curb and headed to his squad car, then slid in. After turning on the ignition he keyed up the mic and radioed dispatch. “Delta seven four.”
Dispatch voice, “Delta seven four.”
“Delta seven four, Angelo is at the hospital and being taken care of. Delta seven four, code twelve,” Shadow responded.
“Delta seven four, code twelve, copy. I’ll notify the chief about Ang,” the dispatch voice came back. “Proceed to designated route out on Mountain Pass, copy?”
“Delta seven four, copy.” Shadow returned the mic to its holder and put the car in gear. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed out to the main road heading into Crystal. God this job was boring. Sure he liked having something to do and joining the Crystal police force had been a given at the time seeing as he had nothing better to do when he first moved here, but damn, Shadow missed battle.
Just like Savage, Shadow had spent many years in one army or another, since the American Civil War, when he joined the Militia. Being a paranormal had afforded him that opportunity and Shadow had jumped at it every chance he got. He loved being a soldier, it gave him a purpose in life.
Even though his last tour with Wade and the guys had made him feel like he had done his time, enough was enough and he wanted to start actually living, Shadow was happy when they were approached about the Black Op’s team. His thought was that he would have the best of both worlds. But since that last mission in South America when everything had gone FUBAR, and they found out someone was after their team, Shadow knew it was time to walk away from that life for good and try to find something else.
At first he thought joining the police department would be a great choice to still give him that rush he lived for. That feeling he was doing something good in the world, something right, and giving back, but once he got on the job, he quickly realized he had made a grave mistake.
Not that being a police officer wasn’t a good and honorable profession, because Shadow had nothing but respect for the men and women in blue, but it just wasn’t for him. Sure he was a badass and trained better than any police training could ever show him, but in a small town like Crystal, where paranormals were the top of the food chain and the paranormal council leaders lived, there wasn’t much action on a day to day basis.
Now, going off to sit on the side of the main road between Crystal and Maddox, was like falling into the abyss. Very few cars used the pass and those that did usually stuck to the speed limit because of the twists and turns. So it was very rare he actually got to pull someone over and give them a ticket.
But, this was the life he chose for now. He made a promise and he would honor it. At least until he talked to Nash and Wade about not doing it anymore and Nash could find a replacement. What he would do after that Shadow had no clue, but he was sure he would figure something out. Maybe he needed to call his best friend Snake and go out for some beers? Snake was the best friend Shadow had ever found in his long life and the man never let him down. Snake would help him clear his head.
Feeling a little better now that he had a plan to talk to his buddy about everything, Shadow turned right and headed down the long, deserted road. As the miles passed by, Shadows thoughts turned to a stunningly beautiful voice that had drawn him in like a bee to honey.
When he first heard that voice something inside him made him search it out. Shadow had no idea what was happening, all he did know at the time was he had to get to whoever was singing. His feet had moved on their own, against his will, but had it really been his will?
The voice was captivating, mesmerizing, and almost ethereal. He had been enthralled, as if bewitched, and the allure to find the source was too great. When Shadow stepped up to the door and saw his friend Asbuth along with his new mates there, he suddenly realized whose room he w
as standing at. The little human who was brother, or like a brother, to Asbuth’s dragon mate. But then there was the songbird, sitting beside the bed, pouring his heart out in the words he sang.
Shadow could hear all the anguish and pain, with a hint of remorse, as the slip of a woman, as he first thought, sang to the unconscious man in the bed. Suddenly the woman jumped to her feet and her voice grew louder, sadder, and Shadow felt a need to go to her and wrap her in his arms. To take away her suffering.
But when she lowered her voice at the end, he heard it, the harsh treble of a man's voice mixed in and Shadow knew. The remarkable voice belonged to a man, not a woman, and Shadow looked upon the form with more interest.
Not that he didn’t like women because he thought they were okay, nice, but he was only attracted to men. That was one of the reasons he was so relieved to be placed in Wade’s team. An elite force of Navy SEAL’s made up of just homosexuals. It had never been heard of before, and they still had to watch who found out, but it made all their lives easier. The trust, the bond they forged was unbreakable.
The song stopped, and Shadow suddenly became aware that he had not been the only one drawn to the voice. At least twenty to thirty people stood around him, all enraptured by the small human’s voice.
When the man turned, Shadow thought he would swallow his own tongue. He had never in all his long life seen any man, or anyone for that matter, as jaw-droppingly gorgeous as the human who now stood staring at him.
As the remarkable creature came closer, Shadow noticed his amazing silver eyes, plump, soft, pink lips, high cheekbones, and long platinum blond hair with the single strip of pink on the side. The beauty was at least a foot shorter than his own six feet three inches and had to weigh over a hundred pounds less than his two hundred and forty pounds.
As the man drew near, Shadow couldn’t help but to touch. He had raised his hand and cupped the man's cheek, and a zap of lightning raced through his body. Instantly he knew who he was standing before. Who it was he was touching. His mate.
In that second of knowledge, Shadow knew he had to get away. There was no way he could take a mate. Not now and maybe not ever. So he did the one thing he knew he was good at, he turned and disappeared, but the little minx had found him. No one had ever found him if Shadow hadn’t wanted them to, but this amazing man had.
Truthfully it wasn’t like he had gone all stealth warrior, but with the crowd surrounding the door, Shadow had been confident he would make it to the elevator and leave quickly before anyone spotted him. And even though Shadow had been impressed that his mate had found him, he knew they couldn’t be together. Shadow had walked away and that was how he intended it to stay.
CHAPTER 3
“Oh my fucking gods, get it out!” Angelo screamed as he gripped Morgan’s hand tighter.
“You’re doing great, Angel, just breathe,” Morgan encouraged him as he held Angelo up in a sitting position and rubbed his lower back.
“You fucking breathe! Shouldn’t you be cutting me open by now, Rob? What the hell?” Angelo hissed through clenched teeth.
“Seeing as, like you have already informed me many times in the past hour, that you are in fact not a woman, you won’t be pushing, so I am monitoring you and waiting for some kind of sign, like a pouch or a slit or something to form,” Rob replied.
“You’re… waiting? You’re waiting! I’m gonna kill him,” Angelo screamed as he tried to grab for Rob, but Morgan wrapped his arms around Angelo’s chest and held him tightly. “Stop holding me back, Morgan. I need to push his teeth through the back of his head!”
Angelo did his best to breathe through the next contraction, but they were coming so close together he was barely able to think let alone take a breath. He knew Morgan was taking his labor hard and he felt horrible for the things he was saying. Suddenly tears started falling as he blubbered, “I’m sorry, Morgan. I love you. I’m so sorry for saying such hateful things.”
“I know, baby. It’s okay. I know this isn’t easy for you,” Morgan said as he gently kissed Angelo’s sweaty brow.
Just then another pain hit Angelo and he shouted, “How the fuck do you know? You get to stand there and be all consoling and shit, while our child is trying to rip my insides out!”
Morgan looked at Doc Rob, “Surely there has to be something you can do?”
“I already contacted Ezra and he was going to see if Helio and Briar might be able to help with Angelo’s delivery,” Doc Rob stated.
Angelo’s shout of agony almost kept the three men from hearing the two men just outside the door.
“I don’t want to,” Helio’s soft voice came from out in the hall.
“But we have to, Helio or that baby won’t come out,” Briar argued.
“Bevis and Butthead, get your tiny asses in here and do something. Now!” Angelo ordered.
Helio stumbled through the door first, being pushed by Briar who followed close behind. Both of the Butterfly dragons were pale and looked scared to death. Angelo didn’t want them afraid, but he wanted the beast inside him that felt like it was clawing through his stomach, to get out.
“Helio, Briar, tell me you know how to get this baby out,” Angelo asked as he panted, sweat rolling down his face and stinging his eyes.
“Um…we…um,” Helio hedged.
“What is it, gentleman?” Rob asked.
“Well, you see, when we granted your wish, we didn’t really… um…” Briar said.
Angelo’s eyes went wide as what he knew they were trying to say came to him. “You don’t know. You just put this baby in me and have no idea how he or she is going to get out. Oh my fucking gods I’m gonna die like this!”
Briar rolled his eyes, saying, “Technically we didn’t put the child in you. We just gave you the ability to have children and…”
“Shut up and do something!” Angelo shouted as another pain hit him and he gasped and rolled from side to side.
“Calm down, Angel, you’re not going to die like this,” Morgan said, softly trying to soothe him.
Angelo snarled, “Did you just tell me to calm down? I know you didn’t tell me to calm down, Morgan. I have an idea. How about I grab you by your dick, pull it so I can wrap it around your throat and give you a hard-on until you choke to death, and then I tell you to calm down, hmm? Does that sound good to you?”
Morgan flinched, then he turned to the butterfly twins. “Okay, so this is happening. This baby is ready to come out, so we need to do something. Seeing as you two were so generous in giving us this wonderful gift, is there something you can do to help our baby be born?”
“Um…” Helio scrunched his face like he was thinking really hard, then suddenly smiled as he met Angelo’s gaze. “I can take the pain away,” he announced happily.
Angelo growled as he bared his teeth. “And you’re just telling me that now-w-w-ow, ow, ow, son of a bitch!” He screamed as he doubled over, clutching his stomach.
Helio quickly moved to Angelo’s side and placed his hands on his stomach and suddenly the sensation was gone. There was no pain, no cramps, nothing. Angelo sat up and breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Helio replied with a smile and moved away.
“So now what?” Rob asked.
“Now, I believe we let mother nature take its course,” Briar replied and pointed to Angelo’s stomach.
Angelo looked down to where Briar was pointing and spotted a small white light appear on his abdomen, then it began to expand. As it grew, the light became brighter and suddenly it engulfed both he and Morgan. Angelo could still faintly see the others standing around his bed, watching carefully, their eyes all bugged out as their gazes stayed focused on the light.
A soft humming sound came and Angelo looked back down to his belly. There was a strange vibration that began to pulse through him and Angelo grabbed Morgan’s hand in a death grip.
“What is that, Morgan?” Angelo asked. It felt strange to have no concerns over what wa
s happening. A wave of peace and tranquility washed over him and suddenly Angelo was filled with love. He could feel every fiber of his being consumed by it.
“I don’t know, my love, but I can feel it. I don’t know how, but I can feel everything that is happening inside you,” Morgan replied as he brushed a lock of Angelo’s hair from his brow, then placed a gentle kiss there.
As Morgan pulled back, Angelo could see the tears of joy in his mate’s eyes and he knew that all the pain he had suffered had been worth it to feel what he was experiencing now, and to see that look in Morgan’s beautiful eyes. He would give his mate a thousand babies just to see that look again, to feel all the love pouring off Morgan and onto him.
The light pulsed and they both looked back toward his belly just in time to see what looked like a small flame magically appear through his flesh, but there was no wound. The flame danced in brilliant sea green and purple colors as it swirled together, rising from his body.
Morgan slid his arm further around Angelo’s shoulders and held him tight as they both watched in amazement.
The flame grew, swirling and flickering but Angelo could feel no heat or chill coming from it. As the colors wrapped around them both, the purple turned a deep, rich color that reminded Angelo of Morgan’s dragon. The sea green swirled around the outside of the flame, then turned and crashed through the center of the purple causing a spark, like a small explosion. The light that emitted from the flame was almost blinding and Angelo closed his eyes slightly and turned his face, but he didn’t want to miss anything.
When the sea green and purple light faded, Angelo noticed his stomach was back to its normal size, no longer looking like he ate a basketball, and a small sea green phoenix with deep purple wings and purple spikes that ran down from the crown of its head, along its spine to the tip of its tail, all consumed in flames, lay on his stomach curled up in a ball, sleeping peacefully.
Angelo and Morgan both reached out at the same time and together they gently touched their young. Once they both made contact, the flame brightened again in a flash, blinding them, then in the blink of an eye it was gone, and the most perfect, beautiful human baby Angelo had ever seen lay curled up on him.