by BE Kelly
“How about ice chips?” he asked. Sophie nodded her agreement, breathing her way through the contraction. Ringer opened the door to go in search of ice chips and found Beth standing in the hallway, her hand extended into the room, giving him a cup full of ice.
“Not going well, I take it?” she questioned.
“I’m not done with the first step of the plan yet,” he admitted.
“Lord,” Beth grumbled. “Sounds like you’ve also been talking to Tank too.”
“Yeah,” Ringer breathed. “I’ve got this,” he promised, shutting the door. Ringer cautiously approached his wife’s bedside and waited for the contraction to ease up before handing her the cup of ice.
“Thanks,” she hissed, taking it from him.
“Soph,” he said. He needed to keep trying to reach her. His only comfort so far was that she hadn’t already kicked him out of her room. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I was a fool for believing that I couldn’t keep you and our son safe. That’s why I left. I didn’t think I’d be able to protect you if hunters came sniffing around.”
“Why would you believe that, Ringer? If they did come around, you’d be the only person I would trust to protect us.” Hearing Sophie admit that made him so damn hopeful she’d be willing to give him another chance.
“Reaper,” he started. Sophie groaned and for just a second, he thought she was having another contraction. She rolled her eyes and bit into another big piece of ice.
“Tell me you haven’t been listening to my egg head brother. You know he’s not your biggest fan, Ringer,” she said. “Shit,” she groaned. Sophie handed him her cup of ice chips and doubled over in pain again. “Hand,” she ordered, holding hers up for him. Ringer immediately took it into his own and just about doubled over himself when she squeezed it.
“Fuck, Soph,” he growled. Sophie breathed her way through her latest contraction, giving him some serious side-eyes.
“Give me a break, Ringer,” she shouted. “You’re a fucking shifter and you’re complaining about me squeezing your fingers too hard? I’m about to push a person out of my vagina. You do know that, right?” He felt a little green and queasy at the mention of how their son was going to come out of her. “Oh for fuck’s sake,” she growled. “You pass out on me and I’m going to lose my shit. Tell me you’re good, Ringer,” she ordered.
“I’m good,” he lied. “I’ll get it together. Just tell me you’ll forgive me, Soph,” he said. “I need you, both of you,” he said, putting his hand over her belly. He could feel the muscles bunch and contract and he knew she was about to have another contraction.
“I think we need to call the doctor in,” she said. “They are coming too fast now and I feel like I want to push.”
“Shit,” Ringer barked. “I’ll get him now.” He set her cup of ice down and opened the door to find Beth standing guard on the other side.
“I’ve already had the doctor paged,” she said.
“What? How did you know?” Ringer asked.
“Seer,” she reminded, pointing to herself. “He’ll be here soon.”
“How soon?” Ringer asked.
Beth smiled up at him, “You’ve got this Ringer. Just go back in there and do what the nurse will tell you to do.”
“Nurse?” Ringer asked. “What about the doctor?”
Beth shook her head. “There’s not enough time.”
“Shit,” he growled. “And, you know this how?”
She pointed at herself again, “Seer,” she said, rolling her eyes. “This is getting old and your son’s about to make his appearance. Nurse,” Beth called. “She’s pushing.”
“Ringer,” Sophie cried. “I need you.” He rushed back into the room, pulling her hand back into his own.
“I’m right here, Baby,” he promised. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Promise?” she asked. “You won’t leave us again?”
“Never,” he swore.
“And you’ll stop listening to my dumb ass brother?” Soph asked. “No offense, Beth,” she added.
Beth waved her hands in the air. “None taken. Your brother is a complete dumb ass sometimes.”
“I promise—no more listening to Reap,” Ringer agreed.
“Shit,” Sophie swore. “He’s coming.” A nurse popped into the room and lifted Sophie’s gown to take a look.
“She’s not wrong,” the nurse agreed. “His little head is almost out. I need for you each to take a leg and help hold it back. Sophie, with your next contraction, I want you to push with all your might. Can you do that for me?” the nurse asked.
“Yes,” Sophie whimpered. “But, where’s the doctor?”
“We’ve got this,” Ringer promised. “Besides, Beth has already seen all of this and it’s going to be just fine, right Beth?”
“Absolutely,” Beth promised. “Just concentrate on pushing little Oliver out now, Sophie.”
“All right,” she said. Her lip quivered and Ringer wasn’t sure he had ever seen her so vulnerable. She reminded him of that little girl who used to follow him around her parents’ house like a lovesick puppy. Who knew that little girl would grow up to be the woman who owned his heart?
Sophie cried out with the next contraction and he and Beth held her legs as she bared down, trying to push their son out. “That’s so good, Sophie,” Beth praised.
“One more big push and I think he’ll be here,” the nurse added. Sophie took a deep breath and sat forward, pushing with all her might. Little Oliver came out squawking at the world, sounding every bit the angry pup. Ringer wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry when he realized he was doing both.
The nurse cut the umbilical cord just as the doctor hurried into the room. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I was in an emergency C-section and we’re a little short-staffed. Let’s take a look at how we’re doing.” He took the nurse’s place and checked out Sophie while the nurse whisked Oliver into the corner of the room to clean him up and check him over. Another nurse came into the room to assist the doctor and when they brought the baby over to Sophie, handing her the little guy wrapped like a burrito, she cried. Ringer sat down next to her on the bed and held both her and Oliver and his entire world felt right.
“Welcome to the world, Oliver,” Sophie cried. “He’s so perfect, isn’t he, Ringer?” He wasn’t sure he’d be able to speak past the lump of emotion in his throat. Ringer nodded.
“Everything looks great here, Sophie. I’ll leave you three to get acquainted and will check back in a few minutes,” the doctor said.
“I’m going to call Reaper and tell him Oliver is here. Congratulations, guys,” Beth whispered.
“Thanks, Beth,” Ringer said. “For everything.” She nodded and left the room.
“Thank you,” Ringer said.
Sophie smile up at him, “For what?” she asked.
“For giving me a second chance. For letting me be here for this—for him and you.” Ringer smiled down at the squirming baby and smiled.
“You want to hold your son, Ringer?” He did but a part of him worried that Oliver was so small, he’d hurt him.
“Yeah,” he admitted. “I do.” Sophie handed him over.
“Just watch his head,” she coached. “You won’t break him. Remember, he’s half shifter,” she teased.
“I’m going to fuck this all up, Soph,” he admitted. “Being a dad and a husband. Those are two things I never thought I’d be but I’m going to work my ass off to be the best at both. I love you both so fucking much,” he said.
Sophie giggled and snuggled into his side. “We are going to have to work on your cussing, Ringer. We can’t have our little guy’s first words being ass or fucking. I love you too,” she said. “Oliver and I will hold you to your promise but I know you, Ringer. I have my whole life and I know that you’re the kind of man who is true to his word. You won’t fuck this up because we’re in this together. We’ll figure this whole mixed-up, crazy life of ours together. We’re a team,” she said.
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“Team wolf,” he teased.
“Team wolf,” Sophie agreed. “And, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Rios
“You headed home?” Trace asked. His brother and he had been on shitty terms for the past few months and that Trace cared enough to even ask him that question made him smile.
“Yeah,” Rios breathed. “You have plans for tonight?” The two of them used to be able to talk about anything. Hell, they could communicate telepathically when they were both in wolf form, but that all stopped the day Aylen Nez rolled into town. Now, the two brothers could barely hold a fucking conversation to save their lives.
“Nope,” Trace said. “You?” Rios knew damn well what his brother was asking. He wanted to know if he’d be spending the night under his sexy as fuck woman. His answer was a resounding “hell yes,” but that was something he’d keep to himself.
“Nothing much. I’m tired tonight so I’ll probably crash early,” he lied. He was planning on being in bed early but not for sleep.
“You’ve always been a fucking awful liar,” Trace accused. “You hear from Mom today?” His brother already knew that answer too—he hadn’t. Rios hadn’t heard from his mother since helping out their dad. His parents had been estranged for a little over a year now and his mother couldn’t seem to find it in herself to forgive him for helping his Pop land on his feet and find a place to live. What was he supposed to do? He couldn’t just let his father live on the streets so he put him up in a nice apartment and his mother basically wrote him off. Trace took their Mom’s side if there was such a thing as sides, and she called his brother daily. Trace usually brought up that fact whenever he wanted to make Rios feel like shit. It seemed to be a topic of conversation a lot lately. Especially after the whole fiasco with sexy little Aylen. She was supposed to belong to Trace, not him but that wasn’t how things worked out.
Rios had purchased Aylen as a gift for his brother but ended up scenting her and making her his mate, completely fucking up his plan. He had heard a rumor that there was a female shifter who was also a seer and he knew his brother would love to have her. Trace had struggled for so long to find his place. He never seemed to fit in with Perdition and Rios knew that might not change just by introducing a woman into the equation, but it was worth a try. Hell, Rios would have done just about anything to get the old Trace back. He wasn’t the same since he got out of the Marines and Rios was starting to realize that he might never be.
“You know I haven’t talked to Mom for a damn long time. You talk to Dad, Trace?” His brother stood from the barstool where he had sat most of the night nursing his beer, crossing the barroom to where Rios stood.
“And, you know that I don’t want to have anything to do with him. He fucking cheated on Mom, Rios. How can you help him after what he did to her? She deserved so much fucking better than he gave her—especially after thirty-two years of marriage.” Rios had heard the accusations. His mother told him she even had proof of his father’s infidelities but whenever he had asked her to produce it, she’d come up with some crazy excuse and change the subject altogether. And then there was the way his father looked him in the eye and swore that the rumors were all a lie. In the past year, Rios had never caught his Pop with another woman whenever he’d casually stop by to check on him. How could he call his father a liar? His mother was asking him to believe her but without the proof, he just couldn’t. He had been the victim of a woman’s lies before. Lies nearly destroyed his fucking life and he knew that he’d never let false accusations rule his life again—not even if they were being made by his mother.
“What if Ma’s wrong?” Rios asked. He knew his question would piss off his brother but he had no clue Trace would go as far as to push him up against the front door the way he did. “Take your fucking hands off me, Brother,” Rios growled.
"How can you call me your brother and talk about our mother like that? You calling the woman, who gave up everything for us, a liar?” Rios wanted to tell Trace that it wasn’t something he did lightly but without proof, he wouldn’t play judge and jury to his father.
“Get the fuck off me, Trace,” Rios ordered. His enforcers stood in the corner of the bar, watching for him to give the signal to step in. Rios wouldn’t give it—not against his brother. Trace might have forgotten what it meant to be brothers but he refused to. They had been through too much together to forget the fact that they were once best friends. Rios waited Trace out and he could see the exact moment his older brother retreated into his protective shell. He lowered Rio back to the floor and nodded.
“Have it your way, little brother. Isn’t that the way things usually work around here? I mean, look at Aylen. She was supposed to be mine, right? Look at how that turned out.” Trace shook his head and walked back over to the bar to pick up his half-empty bottle of beer, taking a swig of it. “Just go home to your woman, Brother,” Trace said, not turning back to look at him. Rios wanted to talk this out. He wanted to tell his brother to stop being a complete douche but he was already shutting him out. He knew that when his brother got this way, there would be no reaching him.
“You forget who’s alpha around here, Brother. My kindness and ability to overlook your disrespect will only extend so far. You’d do well to remember that,” Rios warned. “I’m still your alpha and this club’s Prez.” Rios waited his brother out, hoping for some response from Trace but he should have known better than to hope for that.
“Will do, Brother. Stay in my lane and obey my alpha,” Trace spat. “Got it. Any other rules?”
Rios shook his head and walked out of Tito’s he was done trying to reach his brother—at least for tonight. He’d never really give up on Trace completely. That wasn’t what family was about and Rios knew that even if it took the rest of his natural life, he’d never quit trying to reach Trace. A good brother would never give up and he wanted to be a good brother to Trace again. He was done failing him.
Aylen
Aylen watched as her twin cousins left the grocery store together. She wasn’t planning on running into them today or any other day, for that matter. She had spent most of her time avoiding them and the other worrying about running into one of them. Remi and Oryana were relentless when it came to trying to get answers from her and she wasn’t sure she had any to give them. Aylen worried that she’d never know how to tell them that she had given up her life in New Mexico, to be with a man who had purchased her, had her kidnapped and brought to New Orleans, to be his brother’s mate. How did she tell her family that she had fallen in love with him at first sight when she didn’t believe such bullshit was even possible?
It wasn’t a secret that she and her sister, Kaiah, were part shifter and part seer. Their mother was a seer and they came from a long line of women who could see through their dreams. Her twin cousins were the most gifted seers Aylen knew. They had spent countless nights over the past few months, since she got into town, trying to track her down in her dreams. Aylen was having a tough time blocking them and lack of sleep was becoming a big problem.
The shifter half of her was a little bit harder to explain. Her mother never really told her or Kaiah who their father was, but on occasion, they’d get birthday cards or little gifts in the mail from a man named David and when they were old enough to ask, their mom told her and her sister that he was their dad. It wasn’t until they were teenagers that they learned their father was a shifter. Aylen had overheard a conversation between her mother and her grandmother, Anali. They were arguing over whether or not Aylen and Kaiah had the right to know that they were part wolf. Overhearing the two of them turned her whole world upside down and she never figured out how to right it again. Well, until she met Rios.
Aylen had spent almost four days tied up in the back of a fucking van, scared out of her mind. She had reached out to Remi and Oryana in her dreams, communicating with them at every chance she got. She was convinced that she was picked up by traffickers and when they finally got to NOLA and her abductors told
her that she had been bought and paid for, Aylen realized her greatest fears had come true. She was prepared to fight like hell before she let any man touch her body. She was a virgin and the thought of just giving herself to a man who had paid cash to have her made her physically ill. But, Rios changed all that for her.
His guys hauled her into his office in the back of the bar and practically tore off her filthy clothes and pushed her down onto his desk. Rios inspected her body, taking in every inch of her, scenting her and when he finished, she belonged to him. It was as easy as that. He said she was his and she was. It was more than a feeling for Aylen. Wanting Rios went deeper than that—she needed him. It was as if she was made for him and him for her.
Rios hauled her naked body over his shoulder and carried her into the main bar. All eyes were on the pair of them but the way Rios watched her, touched her, made her forget everyone else around them. He let her slide down his big body and when her feet hit the hardwood floor, he looked her in the eyes and asked, “Do you trust me?” Aylen couldn’t explain why she did, but she nodded.
“Yes,” she stuttered back.
“Good,” he growled. “My name’s Santiago Rios but you can call me Rios. You belong to me now, got it?”
Aylen nodded and smiled up at him. “Yes,” she said again. Rios unzipped his jeans and Aylen’s eyes followed his hands down to where he stroked his shaft.
“This is Aylen Nez,” he yelled to the guys who had gathered around them. “And, she belongs to me. No one else will ever lay a paw on her.” Rios pushed Aylen up against the wall and rubbed his hard dick against her ass. She didn’t make a move to protest. If she was being honest, she wanted what he was promising to give her. This is for them, Baby,” he said. “Later will be just for us.” Aylen whimpered and nodded her consent.
Rios ran his hand between her parted legs, spreading her moisture and she bucked against his hand. No man had ever touched her like that before. “This is mine,” he said. “You are mine.” Aylen nodded and moaned, pushing back against his body.