Tanner stood over us both, and my Beast went on guard. The human part of me trusted Tanner, but the Beast saw another type of predator in the room while Darius was at his most vulnerable. We’d protect Darius at this moment, even knowing we didn’t stand a chance against a vampire. Neither love nor the Beast were logical.
I almost shuddered with relief when I heard the front door bang open, the scent of one of my anxious mates preceding him down the hall. Corvin burst into the room, a growl already on his lips.
Tanner sighed. “This is going to be rough, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “Sorry, Doc. It’s instinct.” I looked at Corvin. “Come here—your Omegas need you.”
Yeah, I included myself in that, because I was freaking the fuck out on the inside. Corvin was across the room and on his knees beside us in an instant.
“I’m so proud of you, D,” he whispered in Darius’s ear. “We’re going to be parents today because of you.”
Tanner was talking us through the whole process, which was probably safest. “Okay, I’m just putting antiseptic on the skin to kill any bugs. I know Manix aren’t susceptible to infection, but better safe than sorry, amiright?”
With a big sponge thing, he turned Darius’s stomach yellow with some kind of liquid, then threw the sponge in a trash can he’d made appear from somewhere. I looked at the rest of the things he had set up. There was a weird metal tray which held a range of scissors and scalpels, as well as other things I had no clue about but assumed were necessary.
The front door opened and closed again, and then Beckett and Cooper were there. It was going to be crowded in here, but we’d make it work. Darius needed us all.
Tanner looked between all the broad shoulders and wild eyes. “Well, this is going to be a tight squeeze. Now, I need clean blankets to wrap the babies in, and I need for everyone to stay as calm as possible, for your Omega’s sake.”
He wasn’t Manix, but the doctor’s cool confidence in this situation was authoritative in its own way. Beckett nodded, his eyes lingering on a writhing Darius, before he disappeared into the hall. He reappeared moments later, laying a stack of blankets down on the dresser.
Tanner sucked in a deep breath, and cut. “I’m just making an incision through the first three layers,” he said softly, and I wasn’t sure if he was repeating it to himself like a recipe or if he was keeping us informed. Maybe a little of both?
Darius whimpered, and I put my hands on either side of his head, pushing as much of my newfound Omega calm at him as I could. Actually, for once, I wasn’t really pushing it. It was flowing out of me naturally, like it knew now was its time to shine. The new Omega inside of me knew that this was the moment she was needed most, and I almost wept when Darius’s body unclenched.
“Woah, Omega. I get why everyone says you guys are like a Xanax now. Even your Alphas look more chill,” Tanner pointed out, a goofy grin on his face. “Moving the muscle and cutting the peritoneum now. Alpha, if I could just get you to put on those gloves and hold this open for me, that would be great.”
He motioned to Cooper, who looked like he was going to pass out at the suggestion. Even so, Cooper didn’t hesitate, putting on gloves and holding the instruments that Tanner indicated.
“Okay, now I just need to cut here. And now here.” Cooper made a groaning sound, making Tanner look up sharply from what he was doing. “If you’re going to puke, don’t do it into his abdomen, mate.”
Cooper pressed his lips closed, and Darius started to look down. Yeah, that wasn’t a good idea. I gripped his chin, tilting his head up to look at me.
“Are you ready?” I whispered. “You’re amazing at this. You’re going to be the best father. You all are.” I held his eyes with mine, because while I’d dressed my fair share of meat, it was hard to watch a knife slide through someone you love.
I stroked my thumbs over his cheekbones, mouthing “I love you,” until Tanner gave a small grunt.
“Alpha, come here. Bring a blanket. Take off your shirt too.”
Beckett leapt forward, literally ripping his shirt open. Tanner pulled out the first baby and I… It was beautiful, curled up into a ball but silent. Tanner passed the baby to Beckett.
“Congrats, Alpha. A girl. Rub her back vigorously and she’ll—” The baby let out a wail, her whole face screwed up. “She’ll do that. Corvin, come over and cut the umbilical cord. Then someone needs to wrap her up and keep her close.”
He looked up at me and Darius. “You’re doing great, Omegas. One down, two to go.” He looked over at Beckett, who was gazing at the baby with wide-eyed wonder. “Hand the baby to Darius, Alpha, we’ve got work to do. You too, Corvin.”
Beckett laid the tiny, fluid-soaked baby on Darius’s chest, tucking a blanket around her body. Her eyes were screwed closed, but as soon as her skin touched Darius’s, her whole body relaxed, like she recognized his heartbeat.
Tears splashed down onto her damp head, and I realized they were mine. “She’s beautiful,” I whispered, my voice choked and rough. “So perfect.”
“Another girl,” Tanner announced proudly, handing a second baby to Corvin, but this baby didn’t need any careful rubbing. She came out squawking, and it was the greatest sound I’d ever heard.
Corvin wrapped her up like a messy burrito, and moved her to his chest as if she was made of glass. As soon as the baby’s cheek touched Corvin’s chest, she stopped crying. God, she was so tiny. Smaller than one of Corvin’s hands, but just perfect.
The final baby came out, and Tanner grinned. “A boy. He’s tiny, but look at those bright eyes, Papa,” he said to Beckett. Corvin cut the clamped umbilical cord one-handed, and then Beckett wrapped the baby quickly and held him to his chest.
“He’s not crying. Should he be crying?”
Tanner frowned. “Bring him over here.” He unwrapped the baby a little and looked at his chest and skin, before smiling. “He’s fine, just a quiet one. That’s okay, little one. Your sisters sound like they’ll be loud enough for you as well.” Beckett moved away, and Tanner looked over at a pale-faced Cooper. “You’re doing a great job. Just the placenta still to go.” He pulled out what I could only assume was a sea monster. “A couple more stitches here, ah, okay. Now you can let go, Alpha.”
