“I got the result right before you started your closing prose. And I know I probably should have told Ronan, but it didn’t seem right to add one more wrinkle to this day. But I couldn’t resist taking the test, Teal. I’m more than a week past my heat and they are usually accurate then. And I know it would be traditional for me to tell the alpha father first, but ‘traditional’ isn’t really our style.”
Sorcha angled his body to whisper directly into Teal’s ear. “I wanted you to be the first to know I’m pregnant. That I’m carrying our baby. Another beautiful child for all of us to love. I need you to wake up so we can tell Ronan together, and Niall and Jax. Our lives are about to get a whole lot more complicated. But also more wonderful.” Sorcha put their entwined hands directly over his belly. “I need you to wake up. Because I can’t do this without you.”
***
Sorcha must have drifted offin the chair. The next thing he knew, Ronan was standing next to him in Teal’s room, shaking him awake. Sorcha looked around and registered that it was pitch black outside and the hospital sounds had quieted.
“What time is it?” he asked Ronan.
“After midnight. I ended up staying at the house longer than planned because Garin had a screaming nightmare, which of course woke his brothers up.”
Sorcha recalled the patient way Garin had spoken to Zayne earlier that night. “He’s such a fighter. But I guess fear comes to all of us in our sleep, no matter how much we try to push it down during the day.” That had certainly been the case in Sorcha’s life.
“True,” Ronan agreed. “Garin is a great kid, but he’s definitely got that alpha instinct to not get too emotional.”
Sorcha stretched and stood up, inviting Ronan to sit on the chair before settling on his lap. “That’s why he’s so lucky to have you for a papa. Kino too. You demonstrate a better way to be an alpha. It counterbalances all the crap they see elsewhere.”
Ronan looped his arms around Sorcha’s waist, kissing his jaw. “I hope so.”
“I’ve been sleeping better since moving in with you and Teal, and now Niall and Jax, than I had my whole life before that. Even with everything going on and how bananas it’s been,” Sorcha said.
“It’s not a mystery.” Ronan grabbed Sorcha’s chin between his thumb and index finger and gazed at him. “You’ve never lived in a house where you were truly loved by so many people. I hope you always sleep well in my arms.”
Sorcha snuggled against Ronan. “I know we talked about me going home once you came back, but it’s hard. Everything in me is screaming to stay next to Teal.”
“I understand. But there’s nothing to do here but sit and hope he wakes up. You need your rest too, based on what I saw when I walked in. It would also put my mind at ease knowing you’ll be there when our boys wake up. Not that I don’t think Niall and Jax can handle things, but our sons need you too.”
“Teal needs me.”
“Which is why you should come back to the hospital later this morning, after you and the boys get a decent breakfast.”
Ronan’s drive to safeguard Sorcha’s well-being had Sorcha’s chest bursting with affection. Sorcha smiled thinking that the alpha was already taking care of their baby, even without knowing it. He couldn’t imagine a better papa for their child.
Sorcha arrived home to find Niall and Jax waiting up for him. The betas inquired after Teal and were relieved to hear that his condition hadn’t worsened. Even if he wasn’t awake yet.
When Sorcha announced his intention to turn in, the betas seemed reluctant to go to their side of the duplex.
“I know it’s strange.” Niall sounded genuinely apologetic. “Because we’re just on the other side of the wall. But we’re worried about you being alone over here, with Ronan and Teal gone.”
Sorcha walked over and gave Niall a kiss that was too quick to be called lingering but too long to be considered a peck. Niall looked startled, but he smiled at the omega’s brashness. His smile deepened when Sorcha gave the same type of kiss to Jax.
“I love that you care, but I’m fine,” Sorcha told them. “I promise to call, or heck, I’ll bang on the wall if I need you.”
Sorcha intentionally mentioned the wall because he knew Niall and Jax would immediately think of the voyeuristic sex fest they’d shared that weekend.
For whatever reason, Niall and Jax seemed more hesitant about the deepening relationship between the five of them than Ronan and the omegas were, although Niall gave hints he understood things were shifting. The cautious beta just wasn’t ready to admit how deep the change was. Jax was simply stubborn.
When Sorcha eventually told them he was pregnant, he wanted it to be with the understanding that Niall and Jax would be an important part of the baby’s life, assuming that was something they wanted. And based on the way they stalled going out the front door, Sorcha guessed they did.
What that would look like didn’t matter. They’d continue making it up as they went along, doing what felt right to all of them. With no shame. And no regrets.
But first the betas had to surrender to it.
Sorcha gambled that sending them to their unit would drive home the point of how much they did not like that wall between them, literally or proverbially. Sorcha wanted it gone too. But tearing it down would require all of them.
***
In the morning, Niall stayedbehind with the kids while Jax brought Sorcha to the hospital.
