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“Not really. I’m fine. It’s just…” Rey sighed, words trailing off as he shrugged his coat open to reveal a flannel covered bundle tucked against his chest. Kept dry and warm against the Alpha’s heat, the bundle gurgled at the light seeping in around its swaddle.
“What the actual fuck, Rey,” Beau snarled, wheeling back several steps as if the baby would cut him down.
“Who is that,” Devin asked in a whisper, one foot sliding back as she eyed the infant with a wariness it didn’t deserve. It was more the circumstances, she reasoned, not the baby itself, that caused fear to tingle up her spine.
“I found her, Devin. We raided a warehouse, she was in with the crates they stole from us,” Rey whispered as he shrugged his coat free, quiet steps taking him into the sitting room. Sitting with a quiet groan, he cradled the baby closer to his warmth as she squirmed. “There were no women there, sweetheart. Just the smell of them, and they weren’t… it was a shipment, if it was anything, you understand?”
“You think they took the baby from…” Devin trailed off, swallowing hard as the vision of Omegas packed like sardines into a metal container rushed to the forefront of her thoughts.
“It’s the only thing I can think of.”
“What,” Devin cleared her throat, hand slashing a hard line through her troubled thoughts. “What are you going to do with her?”
“If you’re up for it, I thought we might keep her.” Rey’s brows rose, not daring to give a glimmer of his thoughts as he held the baby girl out to Devin.
Devin took her on instinct, cradling the baby close as the soft flannel peeled away to show pale auburn curls sticking up in every direction and creamy skin.
“Theresa can come more often,” Rey reasoned, laying out his plans for Devin to understand. “We can turn my office into a room for her, until, maybe, we find a bigger place. If you’re up for it. If you’re not okay with this, we’ll find her a home.”
“She’s so small,” Devin whispered, arms curling tighter around the baby girl.
“Gabe was that size at eight months.”
“He was a preemie, Daniel. You can’t go by his size.”
“We’ll take her to Annan today, make sure everything’s okay. I’m sure she can give us an age on her.” Rey sat forward, fingers traversing the line of Devin’s arm where she cuddled the little girl. “What do you say?”
“I say you better go get a crib, otherwise she’s going to have to sleep in the bed with us.”
“Just for now,” Rey murmured, rising to brush a kiss against Devin’s brow. He was all action after that, snapping out orders to Beau as to what needed to be done. Clearing out the office, the files and furniture needing to be stashed away elsewhere. The crib and such purchased and moved.
Devin stopped listening as she meandered towards the bedroom. Bone deep exhaustion set in, her restless night making itself known as she climbed into the nest with the baby who slept on. She was so small, so helpless. Even during the worst of it, Gabriel had seemed stronger and more resilient.
“Mama,” Gabe called, poking Devin’s arm hard where he’d clambered up into the bed to perch next to them.
She must have fallen asleep, the baby girl tucked close in a pocket of warm sheets and blankets. The same baby girl who peered up at them with wide blue eyes that showed curiosity and wariness in equal measure.
“Did someone feed you, baby boy,” Devin asked around a yawn as she shuffled up the bed.
Gabe gave a slow nod, all of his attention centered on the baby.
“How would you feel about a baby sister?”
“She doesn’t look like me.”
“Jonas and Marie don’t look like each other,” Devin said, referring to two of Gabe’s playmates from the park. Their mother was a Beta, divorced twice with a child from each.
“What’s her name,” Gabe asked as he crawled closer to get his face close to the girl’s.
“She doesn’t have one yet. You want to help me pick one?”
“Daddy didn’t pick one like me?”
“Nope, this is all you and me, buddy.” Devin smiled as Gabe reached out, hands as gentle as a five-year-old can be as he pet the squirming girl to soothe her.
“Pansies!” Gabe lurched back, his smile brilliant as he aimed it at Devin. He’d learned the name of the flowers just last week when Devin planted some along the front walk.
“Hmm, that’s a good name, but I think it’s best for a middle name. Let’s try to think of something else for a first name.” Devin tried not to laugh at his crestfallen expression that morphed into a seriousness that pulled his brows low over his pale brown eyes.
