I set up his office with a chaise lounge so he could e-mail and video chat with clients when he felt up to it. I loved hearing their stories and seeing their holiday photos as they reported in. I loved seeing Aidan light up even more. Sometimes we talked about hiring on a few young mages to help him and Gloria run things. The interview process would be lengthy and tedious. So, we decided it was best to put it off until after Baby Edgar was born.
Each morning we measured his belly to track and report the growth to Gloria. We estimated Baby Edgar’s due date to be right after Yule. I couldn’t wait to meet the little person our love made. I was sure he’d look just like Aidan with blonde hair and a big smile that lit up his green eyes.
Zera came over one afternoon and modified Baby Edgar’s clothes for his wings. Gloria chased her out of the house after she gave Barric a little too much help. The harpy wasn’t our only guest during Aidan’s bedrest. Harvey and Scott came by with Baby Max and their girls too. Not everyone is lucky enough to know who their in-laws were before their child was born. We lucked out, because Harvey and Scott were great people and between them had enough magic to relate to us. Harvey slowly forgave Zera for scaring Scott. He might have held his grudge forever if he didn’t see the way his eldest child lit up when she walked into the room.
In the evenings I sent the guests home by six so we could have dinner and quiet time together before bed. We lay on the sofa listening to Yule music. Aidan watched the snow and I watched him. I ran my hands over his now huge pregnant belly. At certain times of the day Baby Edgar would kick around and fluttered his wings. Feeling him move under Aidan’s skin was unreal. There was a little person growing inside of my mate and it was amazing. When I first met Aidan, I admired his ambition and lean muscular frame. I loved the way he laughed and the spark he brought into any room he stepped into. Since conception I marveled in awe at the strength and endurance of his beautiful body. Soft enough to cuddle around and want to protect, but strong enough to nurture a life and usher it into the world.
“What do you think will happen will the harpies come back?” Aidan asked me one evening while we watched the snow.
“I think some will choose to come back and some will stay where they are. I don’t think the breaking of the spell will force them out of the Other World. Some like Zera will love being here fulltime. Others will only come to visit. Some might never step foot on Earth’s soil.”
“What about everyone else?”
“We’ll deal with that when the time comes. I don’t think it’ll change much for those outside of the witchy states. Zera said harpies used to be able to hide their wings. Maybe once the spell breaks, they’ll be able to do that again and blend in if they want to. Mostly I think they’ll be more harpies born on Earth. Like we fulfilled whatever our ancestors thought was necessary for that to happen again.”
“I hope so. It’ll be nice if Baby Edgar can have friends like him. I don’t want him to grow up feeling like he’s always on the outside looking in.”
“He won’t,” I shook my head. “He’s part of a family. All of us are different in some ways, but we don’t cast each other out.”
“I love how you can do that,” Aidan grinned.
“Do what?” I arched a brow.
“Make me feel better when worries spin around my head.”
I kissed Aidan hard unable to resist the draw of his body. Our sex life hadn’t suffered since conception, but I always wanted to be closer to him. He returned my kiss parting his lips and sucking my tongue into his mouth. As we kissed, we undressed just enough for all the right parts to line up with the right places.
Longing spiraled through my core as I rested a hand on his plump pregnant belly and slid my cock between his firm round ass cheeks. He moaned and ran his fingers over my face. His pregnancy slowed down the speed, but not the passion of our lovemaking. His condition forced each of our movements to be deliberate and slow drawing out the tiny moments of pleasure into long moments of being lost to each other.
I nestled my face in Aidan’s neck and shoulder as I slid into his slick omegahole. As I rocked my hips, he let out a happy sigh. Pleasure spiraled over my cock, but I forced myself to keep my thrust slow and steady. Aidan’s hand slid down my arm and entwined our fingers over his pregnant belly. I kissed his neck coaxing him into relaxation and chasing away his worries. The future was never certain, but ours looked brighter than ever.
Aidan’s moans filled the living room and drifted into all parts of Montero Manor giving the blessing of happy mates to the house. Passion burnt between our bodies as each thrust, I made into him brought us closer to the release we longed to share.
Aidan’s nails dug into my palm as the friction built inside of him. He moaned and my name rolled off his lips as the fire between us exploded. Him first. He writhed and panted as pleasure washed through his green eyes. His pleasure only fed mine both in person and over our mate link. I held back a triumphant howl to protect his ears as my dick twitched inside of him and spilt its seed. Aidan’s lips found mine. We kissed hard and fast as I thrust into him spilling the last of our passion for the night.
“I love you so much,” he panted in the afterglow of lovemaking. “I couldn’t imagine living my life with anyone else. There’s no one else in the world I want to raise a baby with or fulfill a prophecy with.”
“Good,” I let out a playful growl, “because I don’t plan on sharing you with anyone.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Aidan
The week of Yule I stayed downstairs because the spiral staircases were just too much for my heavy belly. I told Luc he could sleep upstairs in bed, but he took up a post in the recliner near the sofa to keep me company and be close by in case I needed anything. My porting skills weren’t the best yet and porting around wasn’t great when you were pregnant anyway. Moving your own molecules through space and time was a feat all its own but moving those of another being’s got complicated.
My favorite part of my big pregnant belly was that I had a built-in table for everything from dinner to my laptop. I didn’t even need a tv tray. Not that I worked much in the days leading up to Yule. Mostly, I watched cheesy holiday movies with Luc. Our favorite was about a rabbit shifter who tried to steal a dragon egg to buy Yule gifts for his mother only to fall in love with the dragon’s older Alpha brother. It was beautiful and made me bawl every time I thought about it.
Baby Edgar moved around a lot that week. Gloria came by every day with her shiny new portable ultrasound machine and checked his progress. He was slowly turning himself to point his head down towards my groin and lining up for his big debut into the world. I tried not to think too hard about my part in his entrance. I took omega studies in high school. I knew how babies were born but didn’t want to psych myself up before it was time. Gloria and I talked about breathing and positions, but outside of those conversations I didn’t let myself think about how the baby would come.
Gloria decided the big whirlpool bathtub downstairs was the perfect place for me to give birth and gave Barric the job of sterilizing and closing off the room until the big moment came. She was really helpful when she snuck over early one morning to wrap the gifts I bought for Luc. I thought I had more time to wrap the phoenix feather quill set and the dragon scale art replica of Baby Edgar’s sonogram photo. The scales glimmered in lifelike colors. I hoped Luc would want to hang it above the mantle when he unwrapped it.
After the gifts were wrapped Gloria put them under the tree adding to the mountain of presents others had dropped off. We decided the most logical place to celebrate Yule this year would be Montero Manor. Moving around wasn’t my favorite thing to do with my big pregnant belly in tow. I teared up when everyone agreed to come here to celebrate with me.
Luc and I made the most of our time alone. Soon we’d share each other’s attention with Baby Edgar. I didn’t mind though. I looked forward to our little family gaining a new tiny member. I really looked forward to his arrival, because then he wouldn�
��t flog my bladder and make me waddle like a penguin on speed to the bathroom at the most inconvenient times.
The morning of Yule Eve, Luc was up way before me. I heard him puttering around in the kitchen but had myself a lie in anyway. If Baby Edgar was anything like Baby Max, I didn’t think I’d get much sleep after he came. We had a bassinet for him in our room so we wouldn’t have to dart up and down the long halls of Montero Manor the first few months of his life.
Most people didn’t start their Yuletide celebration until the night of Yule Eve, but our guests started to show up around lunchtime. Gloria, Barric, and Zera arrived first. Zera brought a huge jello mold of a Yule tree. It leaned a little to the left and looked like it might topple over at any moment, but it was a good first attempt. Then Scott, Harvey, and their kids arrived with a huge gingerbread mansion complete with snowmen in the yard and little gumdrops shaped like holiday lights strung across its iced roof.
“All these desserts are making my mouth water,” I laughed to Luc.
“Let’s have lunch!” Luc declared.
He never made me wait when I was hungry. He was afraid I’d faint again, but that wasn’t in the books for me. I ate at the slightest hint of hunger not wanting to repeat the near miss of almost kissing the attic floor. Luc made my plate and everyone else made their own. We all gathered in the living room and ate together. The girls ran circles and shook the wrapped packages under the tree.
After lunch we turned on another holiday movie. This one was about a wolf shifter who worked undercover trying to stop a thief who stole Yule trees from malls. The catch was the thief was his true-mate who stole the trees and took them to hospitals with sick kids and orphanages. That one made me bawl too. To be honest, I cried most of Yule Eve, because my hormones wouldn’t give me a break.
When the sunset we decided the girls should get to open a few gifts before bed. Scott wanted to give them the huge doll house they bought, but Harvey said that should wait until morning otherwise they might not sleep. In the end, they each opened a Yuletide story book. Barric read both books to them as they settled down in their little sleeping bags and drifted off to sleep.
We watched another movie and ate holiday sweets. We cracked into the gingerbread mansion and ate heaping helpings of Zera’s jello tree before it collapsed. As midnight and the time to light the Yule log approached my back started getting stiff from the sofa. No matter which way I twisted I couldn’t get comfortable. Luc watched me out of the corner of his eye instead of watching the movie.
“I’m okay, Alpha,” I said over our mate link so I wouldn’t disturb the others watching the movie. “I’ve just been on the sofa too long.’
“Do you want to switch seats? You could sit up on the recliner.”
“Please. Maybe that will help, but I need to pee first.”
Without saying anything Luc stood up and scooped me off the sofa. Gloria paused the movie as he carried me off to the bathroom and then back to the recliner. The chair was definitely comfier, but my back still hurt. Inside my chest, my wolf paced and huffed. Our time was close, but we already knew that. Sometime in the next few days we’d give birth and welcome Baby Edgar into the world.
The movie ended minutes before midnight which was the traditional time to light the Yule log. The girls and Baby Max were still out cold, but the little ones hardly ever stayed up late enough to watch the lighting. Luc gathered all the stuff he prepared before and crouched down in front of the fireplace. I leaned forward to watch and a sharp zip of pain shot up my back.
Knock that off. I’m trying to watch this.
“Ancestors of old and new, of Gilmore and Montero, we invite you to celebrate with us,” Luc said.
Another pain twisted my insides. I swallowed down a grunt and missed what Luc said next.
“Alpha,” I whispered.
All eyes turned to me.
“Get the tub ready!” Gloria said.
A warm gush washed over the insides of my thighs.
“It’s time,” Luc said.
He smiled, but his eyes had the frenzied look of an animal in danger.
“Help me get him to the tub,” Gloria stood up, but Luc was already by my side.
“It’s time,” I nodded and pressed my forehead against his, “and it hurts.”
“I know. It’s going to be okay. We’re all right here,” he whispered to me.
“Make goo-goo eyes later. Let’s get him to the tub before the baby comes! Gilmore pups don’t mess around when they want to come into the world!” Gloria snapped her fingers.
“She’s bossy,” I managed a weak smile for him as the next contraction ate my thoughts.
Everything happened in a blur of motion and pain. Barric and Zera raced ahead to fill the tub with warm water. Luc scooped me up and carried me into the prepared bathroom with Gloria on his heels.
“Thanks, you two,” she said to Zera and Barric, “but you can wait in the living room with the others.”
Zera opened her mouth to protest but was cut off by my growl as another contraction tried to eat me. My wolf panted and paced my chest faster as they disappeared from the bathroom. Luc and Gloria helped me undress. With my wiggling and squirming from the pain it was a two Alpha job. Then I was in the tub of warm water. Luc held my hand and I tried to squeeze his off to get rid of some of the pain. He gritted his teeth but didn’t complain.
Gloria was right about Gilmore pups not waiting around when the time came. Less than an hour later, Luc cut the cord and Gloria passed me the most beautiful baby to ever be born on Earth or anywhere else. He had Luc’s big blue eyes and my smile. He had Grandma Rosa’s high cheekbones and stubborn dimpled chin.
Somewhere in the house commotion started. I wasn’t sure where or when, because of the hormones and exhaustion flooding my brain.
“You help him clean up,” Gloria rose to her feet. “I’ll take care of the party!”
***
Luc helped me and Baby Edgar settle into bed. Noises and voices sounded all over the house like hundreds of uninvited guests showed up. He threw up a hand and the world went silent except for the beautiful if agitated cry of our little bundle of joy. He didn’t like all the ruckus on his first day on Earth. He tucked his little white wings in close to his back and latched on for his first meal.
“Aidan! Aidan!” Zera squealed over the coven link. “They’re back! Well, some of them! The prophecy was real! Barric is my true-mate too! The spell is broken!”
My tired mouth hung open in shock. I was thrilled that the harpies could visit Earth whenever they wanted, but too tired to join in the celebration. I stayed put where I was with our tiny little family. Luc cuddled in close to me grinning like a fool.
“He’s so perfect. He’s perfect and you made him,” Luc whispered to me.
“We made him. I just did the heavy lifting. I have a question for you, Alpha,” I said resting my head against his shoulder without looking away from Baby Edgar’s perfect angelic face framed by the familiar blonde Gilmore locks.
“Anything for you.”
“We didn’t talk about godparents,” I yawned.
“Who did you have in mind?”
“What about Zera and Barric? They’re true-mates. Gloria is already their auntie by blood. Harvey and Scott are his future in-laws by true-mates. Let’s give Barric and Zera a role too so they don’t feel left out.”
“I like that idea,” Luc smiled and kissed my cheek.
The bedroom door swung open. I started to say go away no one was seeing my baby anytime soon, but then a ghost looked right into my soul. Grandma Rosa stood in the doorway in her favorite crimson gown wearing the biggest smile I’d ever witnessed on her battle-hardened features. Before I could speak Luc was off the bed pulling her into his arms. She laughed like a schoolgirl as he picked her off her feet and spun her around. It was hard to imagine my Grandma’s life before me. I always thought Luc didn’t have friends, but he did. He was just at the odd age where most of the people he was close too were
older than him and they’d moved on. Tears spilled over my eyes as he set her on her feet.
“It’s good to see you, old friend,” she grinned. “Now, let me see my great grandson!”
“How are you here?” The words gushed over my lips before I could stop them.
“You spilt blood on a full moon, child. You invited me here.”
“Labor isn’t a battle,” I laughed still feeling loopy from exhaustion.
“You know better than that by now. Giving birth is facing death head-on and saying, ‘Not today, fucker!’” She roared in laughter that swept through Montero Manor. She took up Luc’s spot on the bed next to me and kissed my cheek. Luc didn’t complain at being kicked out of bed for her. He simply moved to sit on my other side.
“He’s so beautiful, Aidan. Look at those eyes! Those wings! Are you happy?” She cupped my chin and looked into my eyes. “You are. I can see it. Both of you wear love so well. You rest now, Aidan. I’ll be here as long as I can.”
“I’ve missed you, Grandma,” I managed to say while stifling another yawn.
Mated for the Holidays: A Holiday Mpreg Romance in the Hemlock Mpreg Universe Page 19