Damian rested his hand at her nape and pulled her into a long, heated kiss.
“I don’t think either is a losing option, beautiful. But if you insist, I’m all yours. Show me this surprise you have for me.”
They both stood and made their way upstairs. Angel held Damian’s hand and pulled him into their bedroom.
“As if I didn’t know this is where we were heading.” Damian laughed.
“No, silly. I mean, yeah, I definitely want you. And now that we’re up here we may as well stay a bit longer. But that’s not what I brought you up here to show you.”
“Everything looks the same. What’s the surprise?”
“Step over this way, my dearest Alpha.” Angel pulled Damian over closer to the baby furniture that had been sitting idle in the nook of their room. There was a picture frame sitting on top of the dresser.
“There it is,” Angel said.
Damian took a couple steps closer and picked up the frame. He read it, then looked at Angel. He looked at the frame again, reading the words one more time.
“Really?” he asked.
“Really.” Angel’s smile widened.
Damian walked over to her and placed his hand on her flat belly. She looked down and placed her hand over his, then rubbed it from her belly button down to her mound.
She glanced up through tear-filled eyes, and saw Damian’s beautiful blues were just as wet.
“This is a surprise. A fantastic surprise, beautiful.” He lowered his mouth to take hers. She moaned, and he swallowed her sound.
“I can’t wait to tell our parents,” Damian said.
“Let’s call them now. I’ve been dying to share the news, too.”
Damian pulled his phone from his pocket, then pulled Angel toward the bed with him. He sat down, then tugged her onto his lap. He didn’t know if he wanted to make love with his mate or tell the world that he was going to be a father. He fought his primal urge to copulate with his woman. Instead he held her tight and dialed the number for his mother. He knew she would want to hear first.
“Damian! How did I get so lucky to get a call? Is everything okay? How’s the new house? How’s my favorite girl, Angel?” She rattled off the questions so fast Damian couldn’t help but wonder if she were going to catch her breath.
“Mother, everything’s fine. Angel is doing great. Is Father close by?”
“He’s in his office, doing only Goddess knows what. That man never stops working, you know. I asked him to spend some time with me today and go for a nice walk, and he disappeared.”
“Men don’t like taking walks, Mother. You should know that by now. We actually hate it.” Damian laughed. “Can you go into his office and put me on speaker?”
“Damian, you’re worrying me. Are you sure everything’s okay? This isn’t like you to call me on a football Sunday and then ask to be put on speaker. What’s going on, son?”
“I guarantee everything’s perfectly fine. Please, Mother. Stop asking questions and do as I asked.”
“You’re quite the bossy one, aren’t you? I guess that Alpha thing suits you perfectly.”
“I didn’t mean to say it in a bossy tone. I’m sorry. Please, Mother, don’t think I meant any disrespect, because I didn’t.”
“Hold on. I’m going to knock on his door to make sure Jude hasn’t snuck over for some private meeting.”
Damian could hear the knocking on the door, then heard his father’s voice. He placed his phone on speaker, so Angel could hear his parents in the distance going back and forth, curious why he’d called.
“If they’d just get on the phone, they’d find out why we called,” Damian said, then laughed. Angel giggled.
“Damiano. To what do we owe the pleasure of this unexpected call?” Thor asked.
“Am I on speaker?” Damian asked.
He could hear the sound coming through the phone and knew his father had just pressed the button.
“You are now,” Thor said.
“What’s going on, Damian? Is Angel with you? Did you two have a fight?” Calista asked.
“Angel is right here with me. We haven’t fought a day in our time together. I love her more than anything, and could never fathom such a thing.” Damian said. He gave his mate a quick kiss.
“Give it enough time, Damiano. Trust me, it’ll happen. Even the best of relationships are met with disagreements.”
“A disagreement I can live with; a fight, never. I surely hope not, anyway. But that’s not why we called. Everything between us is great.”
“Then please, Damian, tell us why you called.” His mother demanded more harshly than she’d intended to sound.
“Who’s using the Alpha tone, now, Mother?” Damian laughed.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake.” Angel interrupted the banter between him and his parents. “We called to tell you both that we are expecting our first child. I’m pregnant.” A single tear streamed down Angel’s cheek. She looked at Damian and forced a smile through her tears. Damian moved his hand up to her face and used the pad of his thumb to remove the wetness from her face. His owns eyes had unshed tears welling up.
He held Angel’s face gently in his hands, then pulled her down until her mouth was on his.
They could hear his parents in the background, congratulating them and promising to visit, but Damian’s attention was on his mate. His heart was so full of love that he felt like he had been transported to another universe. Things didn’t feel real.
It seemed impossible that not very long ago he’d been desiring to find something different, hating the fact that his own promiscuity had left him feeling completely empty and unsatisfied. And now, he was the happiest shifter walking the planet, with his soul-mate by his side.
“We need to go. We love you both and will see you soon,” Damian said.
“’Bye, sweetheart. ‘Bye, Angel,” his mother said. His father said his goodbyes, too, before Damian disconnected the call and tossed the phone onto a pile of clothes nearby.
He lay back on the bed and pulled his mate down on top of him. He stared into her eyes.
“Are you happy, beautiful?” he asked.
“I couldn’t be happier.”
“Then why so many tears?”
“They’re tears of joy. I’ve wanted to give you a pup since the day we walked through the house and saw the nursery nook for the first time. I love you so much, Damian.” Angel lowered her head and nuzzled up beneath his chin. He took in her scent and stroked his hand down her golden silky hair.
“I love you, too, my Angel. So fucking much.”
Chapter 32
“Push, Angel,” Anita said. Damian held Angel’s hand as she squeezed so tight he wondered if she was trying to break every single bone.
“I am fucking pushing,” she ground out.
“It’s okay,” Damian said, and stroked her head.
“Is it, Damian? Are you as big as a house, and pushing, and trying to force something out that clearly doesn’t fit through me?” Angel growled.
Damian shut up. He knew better than to even try to answer that. He’d told her how beautiful she looked just weeks earlier and she went ballistic.
“We’re almost there. Take a quick break and breathe normally. On the next contraction, push with all your might and that should be enough to get this stubborn child out.” Anita wiped her sweaty brow with her sleeve. She’d delivered other pups in the past, but knowing Alpha Thor and Calista, and Angel’s parents were all sitting in the waiting room made her a bit more nervous than she should be. She was sent to Alpha Damian’s Pack to make sure the babies were taken care of, and she didn’t want anything bad to happen. So far, everything was going well. And with any luck at all, this final push would deliver a healthy baby.
“Ughh,” Angel groaned. “Can I push?”
“Yes, go ahead. Push, dear,” Anita encouraged.
Angel bore down and gave one final hard push, tightening her grip on Damian’s hand once again.
S
he felt the relief in her lower region as the baby made its way out into the world, and safely into Anita’s waiting arms. No smack was needed to get the baby to cry. The screams were loud.
“Congratulations,” Anita said. “”It’s a boy. And does he ever have a good set of lungs on him.” She laughed, and was joined by Damian and Angel.
Anita quickly set the baby on Angel’s stomach, then asked Damian if he wanted to cut the cord. He curled his lips, raised his eyebrows, and shook his head. She did so for him and then took the little bundle over to the heated basinet, where she cleaned him up and wrapped him in a clean, warm blanket before returning him to his mother’s arms.
“He’s beautiful,” Angel whispered.
“He’s handsome. You’re beautiful,” Damian said, then kissed her forehead.
“It’s okay for a baby to be referred to as beautiful. And he is. He’s perfectly beautiful to me,” Angel said.
“You’re right, my love. He is.”
“I’ll give you both as much time as you want, but remember you have people out there waiting to meet this little one. Do you have a name picked out yet?”
“No,” Damian said.
“Damiano, Jr. That’s his name. Our little D.J.”
“Damian, is that the name?”
“If that’s the name Angel wants, far be it from me to disagree with this beautiful woman who continues to make me happier than I ever imagined possible.”
Angel and Damian carefully inspected their much-awaited little one. They looked at his hands and feet, holding each in their hands and commenting on how soft his skin was. Then Angel noticed he had a birthmark on the front of his neck.
“This is a good sign,” Angel said, rubbing the small patch.
“What do you mean?” Damian questioned.
“A birthmark on the front of the neck means he’ll be a great success,” she said.
“I’ve never heard of anything like that.”
“Well, I have. And I believe what they say about birthmarks. I’m glad he doesn’t have a birthmark on the back of his neck, like you do.”
“What does that mean?”
“A birthmark on the back of his neck means he’s going to be very aggressive and stubborn.”
“Maybe my mom and dad should have looked into this whole birthmark thing.” Damian chuckled.
Anita finished cleaning up and put a clean sheet under Angel, then brought her another warm blanket.
A slight tapping at the door made all three of them laugh.
“Fifty bucks says that’s my dad,” Damian whispered.
“I’ll bet money it’s your mom,” Angel whispered back.
“Shall we see?” Anita asked in a low voice.
They nodded.
Anita made her way to the door and opened it to reveal Thor, Calista, and Angel’s parents all huddled around the entry. They all laughed.
“Is everything okay? We heard the baby cry,” Calista said.
“Come on in. Everything’s fine. Wash up, then you can each hold him,” Damian said.
“Him? A little boy? Congratulations, Damiano and Angel,” his father bellowed, then pulled his son into a hug.
Everyone else offered their congratulations. Calista finished washing her hands first and quickly made her way to the side of the bed. Damian lifted his precious son from Angel’s arms, then handed him to his mother.
“Oh. My. Goddess. He’s so beautiful.” She looked at Angel, her eyes filled with tears. Angel smiled at her. “What a precious little gift. I never thought I’d have a grandson.” She walked over to the chair that was sitting near the foot of the bed and sat down. She then rubbed her fingers over the baby’s face and held his tiny hands in hers. She rocked him back and forth, while talking to him.
“What’s his name?” Thor asked.
“Damiano, Jr,” Angel said.
“Oh, Lord. Be careful what you wish for with that name,” he said, then laughed. Everyone else laughed except Damian.
“I’m just kidding, Damiano.” Thor cleared his throat. “Calista, my love. There are others who’d like a chance to hold this adorable little creature.”
Calista walked over to Angel’s mom, and placed the baby in her waiting arms. She, too, cooed and fawned over the amazing little creation. Her tears tumbled down her cheeks.
When everyone had taken their turn holding little Damiano he was handed back to Damian, who held him proudly.
“My son,” he said as he stared at the baby.
“We’re going to leave. We’ll see you again soon. Angel looks pretty tired right now,” her mother said.
Damian looked at his beautiful mate and saw her struggling to keep her eyes open. He sat on the edge of the bed, and with D.J. in one arm, fast asleep, he stroked his beautiful Angel’s face with his other hand.
“Get some sleep, my beauty. I’m not leaving. I’ll be by your side forever.”
Her eyes closed and she drifted off.
Epilogue
Over the next four years the Shasta Blue Strata Pack grew from seven to twelve.
Damian and Angel welcomed two more babies, Ariel, nicknamed Ellie because D.J. couldn’t pronounce it, and Dina. And they were expecting their fourth child soon. They’d already found out that the new baby was a boy, which made Damian and D.J. extremely happy. They had both gotten concerned that they were getting outnumbered by the females in the house.
Jordan and Mindy also welcomed a son, Jeffrey, and a daughter, Mikaela. Jeffrey was born nearly nine months after their honeymoon. After the difficult birth of their daughter, Anita advised them to think long and hard before having any more children. She was concerned that Mindy could lose her life in delivery.
The other addition to the Pack was Jordan’s sister, Roxanne. She surprised everyone when she showed up one morning. It was then that she shared the news that she was planning to become a permanent resident. When Maverick told them all that Roxanne was going to stay with him, it didn’t seem to bother any of them, except Jordan. He was furious.
Jordan and Maverick didn’t speak for several days. And as much as Roxanne tried to intervene and get him to understand, he refused to listen to reason. He was devastated that his sister and best friend were living together, and not mated.
He’d wanted better for his sister. And he knew his father would be livid to find out what she was doing.
“Not everyone has a soul-mate, Jordan,” Roxanne tried to reason with him. “It’s okay to just have someone special you like spending time with. Maybe one day things will change between us, but if they don’t I’m fine with that. Maverick’s a good guy.”
“What’s Dad going to say?”
“He already knows. I told him before I left.”
“No, you didn’t. I don’t believe you.”
“Call him. I’ll admit he wasn’t the happiest I’ve ever seen him, but I told him this was a win-win for everyone,” Roxanne said.
“How’s that? How in the hell is my sister shacking up with some guy a win-win?”
“Jordan, listen. He’s not some guy. He’s your best friend.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t going to be mated. No Alpha was going to want me with my past. Hell, most Betas wouldn’t want me for their soul-mate, either. So, sitting around the house with my parents, pretending that Mr. Right was going to come along and sweep me up, was a delusion. What I found in Maverick is the best I’m going to get, honestly. And he makes me happy. Truly happy. The fact that he even wants me is blessing enough from the Goddess that I’ve found my ‘mate.’”
“Maverick isn’t exactly as pure as the driven snow, either,” Jordan quipped.
“That’s my point. We’re just two wild, carefree souls who have each other. Please, little brother, be happy for us. Please. And talk to your best friend. He really misses you.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
Jordan stood and stormed off to find Damian. He told his Alpha about the conversation he’d had with his sister.
“She has a point, Jordy
. We can’t pick who others fall for or love. If we could, you already know Jude would have chosen anyone except Mindy for you. But you were adamant about her. And look at you guys now. You’re both happier than pigs in shit.”
Jordan laughed. “You’re right. But--”
Damian interrupted him. “But nothing. Wait. Here’s a ‘but’ for you. Butt your way out of their business. She’s your sister, and her happiness should mean everything. Maverick’s your best friend. I’ve been biting my tongue through all of this, but I think you’re acting pretty fucked up. You’ve treated him like shit, and all he’s done is be the best possible person and Wolf your sister could have hoped for. It’s time to bury the hatchet once and for all. Go find him and make things right again. Can you do that?”
Jordan felt like an idiot, hearing the words Damian spoke. He was right, and Jordan knew it. Maverick had done absolutely nothing wrong. Jordan was the one who was wrong.
“Yeah. I can,” Jordan said.
“Good. Now scram. I need to go find my absolutely gorgeous mate and give her another hug. She’s my world, and I intend to make sure she knows that every single day.”
“When’s the next little one due?” Jordan asked.
“Any day now. I’m so excited. Another little boy. My little bookends.” They both laughed.
Angel appeared in the doorway and looked out at her soul-mate and Jordan sitting on the porch.
“Hello, my dearest,” she said.
“Hey, beautiful. I was just finishing up with Jordan. Are you okay?” Damian asked.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I just had another idea for our son’s name.”
“I’m all ears,” he said.
“What about Brian?”
“We’ll see about that, my love,” Damian said.
He looked at Jordan and whispered, “She’s going to name the baby what she wants to anyway. I’m not sure why she’s even asking me. Like I have a say in this.”
“Did you just say something, Damian?” Angel questioned.
“Baby, I was just telling Jordan how much I love and adore you, and how happy you make me. So fucking much.”
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