Filed To Story: Secret with Betas Daughter: Skylar Story Series
Dakota winks at me. I wish I could lift my foot to kick him, but those muscles are not functioning right now.
I look around the room as a distraction. It’s kind of a disaster, but also huge. “We’re in the hospital?” I can’t help but question. I don’t remember this room at all.
“After the situation with dad,” Cam looks at me seriously, “And then talking to Alpha Reggie and Gentry about you giving birth we added annex so we could all fit comfortably. We needed to be here to help you heal and mom said to keep the girls close too.”
I look around again. “But there aren’t any cribs for them.”
There’s a changing table that seems to be fully stocked on one wall with a door that must go to the bathroom, based on the towels I can see hanging. The opposite wall has a long counter with a sink and cabinets above and below. A drying rack full of bottles can be seen. I am sitting in the middle of a standard hospital bed, but next to it is a massive bed that is rumpled and unmade.
“Do you think we could put them down for more than a few minutes? It’s hard just handing them over to Sierra and Jena when they stop by.”
Dakota laughs at himself.
“I thought I was possessive over you. This is so much more intense, Bitty. They sleep with us, everynight.”
“That will be an interesting habit to break once I am all healed up.”
I laugh as I watch them process. “I mean, based on the way I feel right now, it’s going to be a little while, but still…”
Epilogue 5
“Yep. On it.”
Dakota blurts, momentarily disturbing the tiny girl in his arms. He recovers quickly whispering to her, holding her close to his face and smiling like an idiot, but she loves it smiling at the sound of his voice, or maybe his familiar scent. I’m not sure what they can sense right now. He doesn’t look away from her when he asks, “Should I get three cribs or one big one for them to share?” He jumps up, but makes sure not to disturb her again now that she is settled and starts pacing the room, I’m sure mindlinking someone. I just laugh before I groan at the soreness.
“What! What is it?” Oliver pats me with one hand, they are so natural at this. It’s like they have been training for holding babies their whole lives. He continues to rub my leg while he is using the other hand to hold… wait I don’t know their names.
I shake my head from the distracting thoughts. I thought that side effect would go away when I had the girls, I guess not. “Nothing, I’m just sore, but what are you calling them? Did you name them?” “We’ve been waiting on you, Love. I know we talked about it, but nothing was ever decided. Is there anything in that magic little brain of yours telling you what they should be called?” They all sit back down and I get a good look at my girls for the first time.
Fat little pink cheeks and button noses. They all have little blonde chick fuzz poking out of the tops of the blankets they are wrapped in. They are all sleeping so I can’t see what their eye color is.
Cameron hands me his bundle. She squirms just a bit as she settles into my arms and he is instantly on edge, ready to snatch her up if she even squeaks. I have to give him a glare before he settles down and takes a breath and leans back. I adjust the blanket around her to get a better look. As soon as her full head is exposed it’s like she knows I want to see her. She looks at me with these wide, piercing green eyes just watching me and her name hits me as she smiles. “Charlene. Charlie.”
I smile back at her and then nuzzle her sweet face into mine wanting her baby scent burned into my memory. She’s my jasmine girl. After a few more snuggles I hand her back to Cam who starts cooing her name immediately while rocking her.
Oliver is next to hand over his gift like she is made of glass. I look her over the same way as Charlie. Her warm golden eyes look like the sunrise and she smells like sweet roses. “Oriana. Ori” I whisper and look at him. He holds my gaze for a brief second, but only has eyes for his little girl. I don’t know if his smile has ever been that wide. Even for me. He takes her back and starts pacing like Cam, just whispering nonsense and looking way too adorable for their own good.
Dakota slides over with his cargo. “You really are amazing, Smalls, you know that?” I just smile at him and look at our daughter as he places her in my lap. She’s moving more than the other two, trying to stretch and get her arms free of the cumbersome blanket, looking a little miffed at being confined. I have a feeling I know what color her eyes are going to be before she looks up at me.
“Danielle. Dani.”
I don’t even hesitate with my blue-eyed, juniper girl. I laugh as she wrinkles her nose at Dakota’s kisses.
“How are you going to tell them apart?” He looks up at me, he can’t stop smiling.
“Are we really going to have this conversation again?” I roll my eyes, but he looks confused.
“Uh, yeah.”
He sounds unsure like I asked him a trick question. “They smell the same and they are identical…in every way. Trust me we checked.”
I laugh and Dani smiles as she bumps around on my belly. “Well, you three are going to have trouble, they are going to give you a run for your money and I am going to laugh the whole time.”
“Are you serious? They look different to you?” Oliver sits down again.
“And their scents are different, just like Cam and Kota when we were younger and now that the three of you are identical, I can still tell you apart. What color are their eyes to you? What do they smell like? Does everyone else see what you see?”
“Yeah, they each have a bracelet on their ankle that just says ‘Baby 1’ ‘Baby 2’ and ‘Baby 3.’ We knew we needed to keep track of the first born.”
Oliver starts. “And they don’t have any other obvious markings. Their eyes match our crazy swirling hazel.”
“And they smell like a garden.”
Dakota laughs. “All flowery.”
“It’s all been recorded in Alpha Reggie’s family book and Elena started one for us to continue here as well.”
Cam finished the thought “Ori was first, just so you know. So far they all seem the same. Even Sierra’s parents stuck around after Brock was born to help us with all of the tracking. I bet they will want to know what you see and smell just like with us.”
“Just so you know, I think all the girls got some kind of magic. I mean, how do you explain them having everyone wrapped around their little fingers just days after breaking free? Silas, Mack and Milo stand guard when they are here. Even Brock is calmer the closer he is to them and he’s only a month old.”
?
I smile. They are adorable little girls, who wouldn’t be awed by them? “Maybe the same way I was always able to calm all of you. Even Sam reacted to me.”
I just shrug. We’ll understand more as they get older. “Did the healer say how long had to stay in this bed?” I look longingly at the massive, pillow soft bed next to me.
“She doesn’t want us to jostle you just yet. I asked yesterday. We can ask again when she comes to check the girls and all of your vitals now that you are awake.”
Of course Oliver did.
I just nod and go with it. My energy just seeped out of me all of a sudden.
“Sleep, Love. The girls are due to eat soon and we have enough stored to leave you alone for a couple days.”
“But, I want to feed them too.”
I whine. I just want to hold my girls, but we won’t all fit here in this tiny hospital bed. I can feel tears starting to well up. I want to spend time with them and I feel guilty for being so tired.
I blink as a hand caresses my face. “Tell you what. Sleep, give it another day of rest, just for you to heal, and I will move you tomorrow, no matter what, and you can snuggle them all you want. Alright, Bitty?”
I blink back the tears. “Okay, thank you Oliver.”
He leans in to kiss me on the lips and I get a kiss and snuggle with Ori. Cam and Kota follow with Charlie and Dani.
They manage to help me get snuggled in myself and I am out before my head hits the pillow.
Epilogue 6
I was kept in the hospital for a full week after I woke up. Sierra’s parents took all kinds of samples for testing and actually packed a bunch up from me and the girls to take back to their lab to see if they can find a pattern or a way to help our family in the future. Elena and Gentry made sure that we had all of the best healing herbs and spells too.
Everyone was extra careful with me and I got it…sort of. I know that no one knows what is going to happen, but according to the legend of our family, having the first female was supposed to be the most traumatic part. No one actually talked about the healing part after or what happened when it was over. So we are just winging it as usual when it comes to me and my weird abilities.
No one has said anything, but I know everyone wants to know if Ori will have gifts or if all three girls will. According to our legend, it should just be Ori as the first born, but the guys and I have talked about it and nothing has been according to plan when it comes to me, so we can’t rule out that all the girls will carry whatever crazy genetics I have. We also have to assume that any other kids we have will carry the genes too.
Any kids we have from now on should be normal pregnancy and birth. I don’t think my mates are going to take any chances though. I can’t believe I am already thinking about ‘next time’ but I know there will be If I can get pregnant at any time without a heat, then we are going to end up with a brood.
2 years later
“AH! What are you doing? Don’t teach her to do that! What is wrong with you?” Ava shouts at Dakota who has Dani standing on his shoulders ready to dive into the pool.
The rest of us are laughing. There is no stopping Dani when she gets an idea in her head. If she wants to try something she’s going to whether we approve or not. So we have just learned to keep her as safe as we can. Ori is standing on the sides observing. She is all in on this too. She actually came up with the idea to jump from higher and higher surfaces to see how high they could get. But being the thinker of the three she made it sound so exciting that her daredevil sister had to try jumping off Daddy’s shoulders first. My Charlie girl is coloring at the little table we have by the pool, pretending not to pay attention. She is more quiet than the other two, but no less daring. She’s going to have to be the one we watch the most, she will be sneaky. The three of them together spells absolute trouble and they’re only two. ****Alphas! You are needed at the border. We have a situation.”***
It wasn’t a panicked message, but I could feel the urgency. I look at my mates as we walk in and I can tell they are mindlinking together. “If you even suggest that I stay behind you will not get laid for a month. Understand?” I shoot a look at each of them.
It’s been two years since the girls got here and three since the battle with Vincent and Adrielle. I think that they have some form of PTSD now and always think someone is coming for me or the girls. We leave Sierra, Jena, Ava, Elena and Gwen in charge of the kids and we all head out to the border.
Mateo and Sam weren’t going to be left out. They follow behind in a second SUV and Lil will meet us, she’s running a patrol.
We pull up to our newly renovated border. The humans don’t know why it was adapted, but it is completely for our safety. There is an entry road and an exit road about five miles apart with a dense grove of trees between. It adds to the ambiance of the preserve we live on and has actually attracted more tourists which is good for us. The money has helped many of our families get back on their feet after the battle and with our pack members running almost all of the stores, shops and hotels we can keep an eye on everything. Several of our warriors actually do guided hiking tours. This keeps the humans happy and our wolves safe to roam.
A young warrior named Liam is standing over someone on their knees. He’s too big for me to see past, but I can tell it’s a guy. I take a deep breath and freeze. There’s no way.
“What is it, Bitty?” Oliver has his arm around my waist immediately feeling my hesitation. The pound of his heart keeps me focused.
Cam walks up to Liam. “What’s going on?” He stands next to the warrior looking down on whoever they have in custody, looking like the intimidating Alpha he is. He, Dakota and Oliver have actually put on more weight since I had the girls, and it’s not in a dad-bod kind of way. They started training more, training the with the pups more. They have taken this protective dad thing to a whole other level. I have to shake my head, I can’t let my libido distract me. I can feel Oliver chuckle behind me, he knows what just ran through my mind.
Warriors more, and wining t
“This guy says he has business with the boss, but he won’t say what. He hasn’t said anything since he asked to talk to Alpha Sky.”
Cam looks over his shoulder at me, this is his biggest fear, someone coming to attack me or the girls. He’s actually woken us all up with his nightmares.
“It’s okay.”
I tap Oliver’s arm around my waist, Cam needs me right now. I need to be in contact with him so he’ll let me see who this is. I think I know, but I have to see it with my eyes to be sure. I grab Cam’s hand and place myself in front of him, he wraps his other arm around me and pulls me back to his chest.
“Figures you find a way to bypass being a Luna and become an Alpha.”
Robbie laughs. He is scruffy and filthy. The last couple years have not been good to him. He looks emaciated and worn out.
“I’m here Robbie, what do you want?”
I have to stay neutral. I haven’t seen him since he brought Elena to us. I assumed he died in the fight with the rest of the rogues. Cam squeezes my hand when I say net
Robbie’s name. He wasn’t prepared for me to know him, let alone be familiar enough to have a casual conversation. I don’t know if he recognizes the name from when we rescued Elena or not.
“Actually, Alpha…Are you really an Alpha?” I roll my eyes and nod. I tilt my head to let him know to get on with his story. His small attempt at bravado slips. “I was actually wondering if you had a place in your pack for me. I know you took in a bunch of people from Vincent’s uprising and I tried to stay away and live on my own, but, well, you can see that isn’t going so well for me.”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.