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Lennon paid no attention. With the chair set up in the back garden, which was secluded enough to give privacy, they stripped off. It was hot, or rather too hot to be wearing the clothes that constantly seemed to push him past boiling point these days.

Naked, Lennon tested the stability of the seat and grinned when it never even groaned under his impressive weight. Getting up, he reclined the seat, placing his hands on the arms and came forward to balance out his weight. He placed first one knee, then the other on the padded cushion and used his arms to slowly lower his belly into the cushion.

He groaned in delight when his belly fit perfectly in the saggy padding, cushioning the baby and holding him secure.

See, I knew it would work.

Humans are so stupid. I won’t be able to rescue you from this.

Humph. Leave me be.

For the first time in weeks, Lennon felt comfortable. The nagging ache in his lower back didn’t feel so bad. He rested his cheek on his folded arms, eyelids drifting closed, releasing a contented sigh.

A persistent, increasing ache in his lower back woke him, and it took a second to realise where he was. How long had he been asleep?

Too long, we’re burnt to a crisp.

The fussing bat could be right, given how the skin on his back was tight when he flexed. But Lennon had an even greater problem when he didn’t have the upper body strength to heft himself up and backwards. Getting down had been a breeze when his center of gravity was going forward. Going back was totally different.

He sweated, secretly cursing as he tried, but to no avail. He could not haul himself out of the seat. The arms of the chair, which he’d praised for its sturdiness and had helped get him in and keep him from falling, were now a prison. After long minutes, he was slick with sweat, and his back ached worse than a whole mouth of aching teeth. His eyes sheened with tears when he saw no way out and started to rock the chair from side to side.

You’ll hurt the baby, his bat screeched.

Not as much as if I stay in the chair and go into labor!

He was overdue by nearly two weeks, by the doctor’s estimation. The pressure in his backside was enough to leave him panicking, trying to assess what his damn body was doing. The doctor said if he didn’t show signs of going into labor in the next twenty-four hours, they would induce him.

You’ve done this on purpose!

Lennon couldn’t say either way if he had, having moaned to the baby just before he came outside. You need to stop hiding, Daddy and I want to meet you. Hold you in our arms. Pops really doesn’t want a needle pumping medication into him.

A foot jabbed at his kidney, or it could have been a fist. He winced and stopped rocking to reach and rub the sore spot.

“I’m sorry, peanut. Brace yourself and Pops will do his best to cushion the fall.”

“What the fuck are you doing,” Kodi screeched from somewhere behind him.

He didn’t know how he looked from this vantage point, but his ass was huge and he couldn’t look in the least bit dignified in this position.

The urge to be snippy got him scowling and replying tearily. “What does it look like? I’m trying to get out of the chair.”

He was hauled unceremonially out of the contraption by large hands under his armpits and placed carefully on the lawn. He did his best not to look at the angry alpha, because in reality, he had a right to be mad at Lennon for being silly.

“Were you talking to peanut about falling?” Kodi asked, sounding outraged.

“No… yes, but… argh,” he cried at the sudden, awful cramping sensation gripping his belly. It went rigid and there was a distinct sound of fluid splattering grass. He glanced down, panting, trying to recall what the midwife said, while seeing nothing but his belly. Kodi froze.

“What was that?”

Lennon couldn’t answer as the pain crested and his ass splattered the grass with more… stuff. He counted in his head, working to keep the panic at bay when the pain seemed too severe for the beginning of labor.

“I think my waters broke,” Lennon grunted when he caught his breath. “I’m having a baby!”

“Fuck… shit… bollocks… what do I do?” Kodi’s anxiety rolled over Lennon.

They were outside in the garden, no phone in sight and this was not good when Kodi looked as panicked as Lennon felt.

Whatever Lennon was going to say was lost in the howl at the next sudden cramping pain. Wasn’t there supposed to be a gap between them? Was something wrong with him? He whimpered his way through the next pain holding his belly hostage. Why didn’t anyone tell him how bad this would be?