Dark Moon (ManxMan)
Chapter 16

Colson and Aetos spend the entire day together for their date. Just talking, laughing, snacking and being together. Instead of dining out though, Colson and Aetos made their way back home and the vampire's makes them a tasty dish of spaghetti and meatballs.

The day had been so unbelievably perfect, Colson couldn't be any more happier. After dinner, they settle in front of the tv, watching an old episode of Gotham when it suddenly went dark out. The moonlight coming through the windows had stopped.

Both Aetos and Colson quickly made their way to the window. To check what was happening. The streets were lit enough for Colson to see a the lot of people who had been walking somewhere, stop and look up at the sky. Aetos pulls out his phone, ready to call Erik when suddenly the moon was back and this time it looked brighter than before. It must be Colson's eyes, because it also looked bigger. "What?" Colson asked.

The answer came when loud piercing howls filled the air and Colson just knew. He immediately understood. Erik and Cobie had finished the mating cycle. He had leant over the past week that, there were steps to this. The claim, the marking, the bonding. The bonding seals all three. It had to be done underneath a crescent moon.

"It's okay." Colson says to Aetos, smiling softly as the night was still lit with howls.

"It's Erik and Colson isn't it?"

"Yeah." Colson says, turning to smile at Aetos. "Let's finish this episode and watch another."

Aetos nods. He pulls Colson by the waist and they fall back into the couch again, cuddled up close as they watch the tv.

November came with snow.

Colson had practically ran out of the house when he had woken up to replace Astir covered by three inches of snow, the air cold. He doesn't even put on shoes and quickly regrets it once he steps on the snow. "Shit."

"Do you want to lose your toes to frostbite?" Aetos callas as he walks out of the house, a pair of FILA boots in hand. Colson quickly puts them on, huffing a bit when Aetos covers him with a jacket too.

Maybe running barefoot and dressed in thin pajamas wasn't the best decision Colson had ever made.

"Let's go in, babe." Aetos says, leaning close to press a his lips against Colson's in a soft, chaste kiss.

Unlike Colson, however, Aetos wasn't really covered up. He had on a thin faded band T-shirt and plaid pajama bottoms to match, boots covering his feet.

"How the hell aren't you shivering?"

"I don't really feel the cold." Aetos replies as he leads Colson back into the house. Colson pouts at the vampire.

"Well I feel the cold. Ugh."

Aetos snorts And leads him into the kitchen. Colson takes a seat at the kitchen island and watched Aetos flip on the kettle and takes out a large white mug as well as the box of cocoa he keeps in the cupboards above. "I want marshmallows in them too."

"I think Pytor ate the last of them." Aetos says as he puts two spoonfuls of cocoa into the cup.

"I don't think I like him again."

"I don't even understand the friendship you two have." Aetos says, elbows resting on the counter as his face rests on his palms.

Colson snickers and then shrugs. "He is a pain in my ass but he's still... nice. We get along well."

"Yeah, that's why last week you almost shoved his hand into the meat grinder because he said he preferred skimmed milk."

"Who even likes skimmed milk? What is wrong with him?!"

"Colson..."

"It's our friendship. We get along. Just like you and Erik do and even Cobie." Colson said. Aetos just nods in reply as he grabs the kettle and pours the hot water into the cup and then added a small pinch of salt into the cocoa before mixing it. "What are your plans for the day?" Aetos asked as he grabs one of his flasks from the fridge.

"I'm going with my brother and Erik for the ultrasound. I want to see little Colson."

"I'm pretty sure they aren't going to name their child after you." Aetos says before taking a sip. He chuckles when he sees the dark look Colson throws his way.

"I don't think I like you today." Colson huffs for the third time that day before taking a sip of his cocoa. He lets out a low groan once he tastes the drink. Though the house was warm, the hot cocoa warmed up the places inside Colson that stepping in the snow had frozen. It felt really good.

"You like me no don't you?" Aetos says smugly. "Don't push me or you'll end up dating yourself."

"Oh, now you're threatening me?" Aetos teased, taking a final gulp of blood before tossing the flask into the sink. He grabs the listerine he keeps in the kitchen and quickly washed his mouth while Colson replies.

"Not threatening. Just a warning."

"Is this some kind of weird foreplay thing?" Pytor asked as he walked into the kitchen, heading straight for the fridge. He had on a black shirt with a bright pink boxers with Charlie Brown printed on it.

Sometimes Colson just couldn't with Pytor. It felt like the vampire had a few loose screws.

"What the fuck are you wearing?" Colson asked, gesturing at the pink boxers. Aetos bit his bottom lip to keep himself from laughing.

Pytor looked down at himself and then looked back up to Colson and shrugs. "It's Charlie Brown."

"Oh my god." Colson giggles, trying his best not to snort.

Pytor rolls his eyes at the two of them before taking a seat beside Colson. Colson's laughter dwindles down, his smile still remaining on his face though. Lately, Pytor has been smiling more and more and Colson mentally thanks Toby wherever he was.

"You both suck."

"Why yes." Colson smirks. "Yes we do suck but so do you." Colson snickers and Aetos slaps a hand over his mouth.

Pytor glared at the two of them before taking a sip of his blood.

"I don't think you two dating is a good idea." Pytor said white a shake of the head.

Aetos walks around the island and moved close to Colson, who hands him the mug so he could take a sip. Pytor stares as they did that, sticking out his tongue in disgust at the two of them.

"You're just jealous."

"Why would I be jealous when I have a beautiful boy of my own." Pytor shot back, grabbing his flask and stalking out of the room. Colson laughs a bit, leaning back a bit so he could rest his head against Aetos' chest. "You're a menace."

"I didn't do anything."

"Of course you didn't." Aetos replied, pressing a kiss to Colson's head. The two of them talk for a while before Colson decides to get ready so he could head to the pack house.

It took him a couple minutes to shower. Colson stands in front of the mirror and checks on the black spots. The spots were still on his back but now there were some at the back of his right knee. Colson doesn't know what to do or what those spots were, maybe he'll talk to Erik and Cobie about it today. Once he had decided that, he made his way out of the bathroom and pulled on clothes. Black leggings and one of Aetos' jumpers that he found deep in his closet, that covers his hands. It was blood red. He also replaces socks in Aetos' room as well as a long black overcoat and then he was ready.

Aetos couldn't stop looking at him when he walked out of the room. So maybe Colson has begun shopping in Aetos' closet. Aetos' closet was big enough to be a clothing store and the man had a lot of clothes that Colson liked. "You look good."

Colson blushes, the tip of his nose and ears turning a sweet shade of red that made Aetos smile softly. The vampire closes the distance between them and kisses him softly. Tongue licking at the seam of Colson'as lip, cajoling his mouth open so he could taste him.

Colson leans closer, hands gripping Aetos' shirt tight while the vampire's hands were cupping his cheeks. Their lips moving in sync, tingle going through their bodies, Colson's heart beating fast. It continues this way until the pull apart, their nose pressed against each other.

Colson wonders if it was going to always feel this way? Like it was special? Like every time they kissed was their first time? Like his heart was going to go crazy?

"If you keep kissing me like that, I'm going to stay and do things that would make old ladies blush."

"I won't be opposed to that." Aetos replies, stealing a kiss from Colson.

"Nooo. I've got to see C-"

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Colson was interrupted by the buzzing sound of his phone, he pouts a bit as he pulls it out of his pocket and snorts when he sees its Cobie calling. Immediately he picks the phone, Cobie speaks...

"Where the ever loving fuck are you? I said twelve? Do you know what time it is? Does it look like twelve to you?! You do not make a pregnant person wait! Start running here or I will fucking punch you! It's too cold for this shit you're pulling." Cobie yelled!

Colson's jaw almost drops and he straightens up a bit. Aetos looked like he was about to just drop to the floor and laugh.

"I don't hear you running!" His twin snaps and Colson gives Aetos a small kiss goodbye before running out the door. He couldn't run all the way to the pack house, so he was going to take any taxi he sees.

Five minutes into his run, he does replace a taxi. When he finally got to the pack house, he ran inside, coming to a halt when he sees Cobie seated on Erik's lap in the sitting room, dressed warmly in a jumper and coat.

Colson blinks at the scene. Where the fuck was the Cobie who had been screaming at him?

"Hey, see. Colson is here. He got here on time." Erik said, coaxing Cobie who had tucked his face in his Alpha's neck.

Colson watched with amusement as Cobie takes a peek, his eyes widening when he sees Colson.

"I thought you were never going to come." Cobie says, getting off Erik and reaching for him. Colson immediately wraps his arms around his brother, locking eyes with Erik who just mouths.

"Mood swings..."

Colson remembers how his mother used to take care of the pregnant, back in the little town they were staying at when they were little. Werewolf children are carried for six months while humans were carried for nine months. With werewolves, the pregnancy lasts for six months because they grow fast.

So the carrier had everything, from the morning sickness, food cravings and more from the third week till the end of the pregnancy. Cobie was five weeks in and he looked like he was bathed by sunlights, he was glowing. "I'm sorry I'm late:"

"It's okay. You're here."

Erik stands up from the couch and made his way to the two brothers. "Let's go now. We have an appointment to keep."

Colson holds onto Cobie and together they made their way into the car. Cobie calling shot gun before Colson could even think about it.

"I'm a little nervous."

"You're going to be an amazing father. Everything is going to be fine." Erik immediately replies, taking his eyes off the road for a few seconds so he could look at his mate.

"I agree with Alphie. We'll be there every step of the way. So you aren't going g to be alone in this." Colson adds, reaching forward to hold onto Cobie's shoulder, squeezing a bit.

"Thank you."

Colson smiles and just as he was about to pull back his hand he sees it. A small black mark, the shape and size of a small dot in the crevice of his fore and mindless fingers. He quickly grabs his hand and rubs at the mark, trying to keep his heartbeat leveled so Erik wouldn't notice the spike.

He rubbed at his hand and prayed to the goddess that it got cleaned. He rubs, one, two times and then checks, letting it a silent relieved sigh when he sees the mark was gone.

Shit.

What the fuck was going on?

Colson wants to ask Erik but he couldn't. The man was the Head Alpha to thousands of wolves and his mate was pregnant and going through mood swings. His mate who also happened to be his, Colson's, brother.

He couldn't bring it up now. It was his problem and he was going to solve it one way or another. The ride to the hospital was filled with talk between Erik and Colson when Cobie fell asleep, head resting against the mirror, Erik mentioning how Cobie woke him up in the dead of the night to ask for black cherry ice cream. Which he then went on to eat with bread.

"You're excited though." Colson said. "I can tell. You keep smiling whenever you mention his crazy cravings."

"I am." The Alpha grins. "He's carrying my child and he has started showing too. He had the cutest little bump I've ever seen."

Colson frowns. How come he hadn't seen it? He looks at his brother and just like him, Cobie was wearing what had to be one of Erik's jumper because the thing swallowed him up too.

"He's a bit self conscious about it. He was worried he was...huge." Erik said as he pulls into the driveway of the small hospital. "He just looks perfect to me. Beautiful and perfect."

These two, Colson thinks to himself, were made for each other. Colson knows how good looking his twin was because he knows just how good looking he was. But for someone to see past that, to love his every flaw, to accept Cobie's past, to protect him and to love him so fiercely. And vice versa, because Cobie just stares at Erik with these bright eyes. They both balance each other out in different ways and Colson is sure many people agree.

"You two give me cavities."

"I could say the same for you and Aetos." Erik tossed back, leaving Colson speechless for a brief second. Colson hadn't said anything to either his brother or Erik. Ugh. Wolves were such gossips.

Colson gets out of the car and waited as Erik woke Cobie up, his twin blinking up at his Alpha slowly. Colson stayed by his brother's side as they walked into the clinic. They were quickly ushered into a room and Cobie was told to lay on the bed by a male nurse.

"Good afternoon. I'm Doctor Finley and I'll be your attending obstetrician." The man said. Colson stared at the doctor in front of them, he was tall, lanky with dark hair and glasses.

"How many weeks along are we?" The doctor asked as he grabbed a small white container.

"Five week's Cobie replies, his hand firmly in Erik's.

"Alright. Can you please raise up your shirt?" Dr. Finley asked and Cobie complies.

Colson watched as the doctor runner the clear liquid on Cobie's tummy. "This is a transducer and it is used to collect the sounds that bounce back and a computer then uses those sound waves to create an image that would be shown right there." The doctor says, pointing to the small computer beside him.

"It won't hurt him, right?" Colson asked.

"It won't. We just want to check if the baby is doing alright." Doctor Finley replies. He places the transducer on Cobie's tummy, moving it around while he focused on the screen where a black and white picture appears. "Any headaches, nausea?" Doctor Finley asks.

"Every fucking day." Cobie replied.

"He also has cravings and he has started showing." Erik adds. Colson steps closer to his brother, eyes on the screen.

"Those are completely normal." The doctor says, he moves his hand a bit and then smiles. "There we are." He quickly attach his stethoscope to his ears, moving the wand with his free hand.

He looks up after a couple seconds, big smile on his face. "I've got good news." He says and then pulls back his stethoscope. He turns a dial to the machine connected to the transducer and a sound fills the room.

A heartbeat.

All four of them fell quiet, tears slipping out of Cobie's eyes as he held onto Erik tighter. Reaching out for Colson's hand too with his free one

A heartbeat.

It was beautiful and unbelievable.

"Wait..." Erik says, tilting his head to the side. "I'm hearing six heartbeats. One for Colson, me, Cobie and the Doctor. The other two..."

"You're having twins!" The doctor says. "Congratulations!"

Colson lets out a loud cheer, doing a fist pump with his free hand, a big smile on his face because he fucking called it! He knew it! People should always listen to him because he is always right.

"W-What?"

"You are carrying twins. At five weeks, human babies are the size of a peanut but yours..." Doctor Finley touches the screen, circling where two dots were. "Yours are the size of an orange. We'll be able to know for sure if you are carrying pups in three weeks but I'm eighty percent sure you are."

"Oh my god." Cobie and Erik chorus at the same time while Colson just couldn't stop smiling. He leans down and pressed a kiss to Cobie's hair.

"Two babies!" Cobie smiles, tears running down the side of his face. "Twins. I'm having twins. We're having twins." Cobie says, looking right at Erik, the heartbeats still loud enough in the room.

Erik bends down and peppers kisse sover Cobie's face, pulling back to wipe his mates tears. Colson was happy for them. He could imagine a little boy and a girl running around the eyes with rainbow colored eyes, squealing and laughing and playing. He watched his brother and his mate and knew that they would be incredible parents.

But still.

Twins.