Jaded Hearts
Chapter 106

Taylor

“I swear, if these two don’t stop fighting in there, I’m going to kick them out myself,” I complained.

We were two weeks away from my due date, and I was huge. I’d long lost the ability to see my feet or sit or stand on my own, and my skin was stretched so tight I had to continuously rub coconut oil on my belly to combat the itch. My body was only so big, and it seemed that the babies were fighting for real estate, leaving me to suffer.

“You can’t kick them out, tesoro. They’re not ready.”

“I need them to be. These little boys are driving me crazy,” I replied.

After we were finally rid of Drew and the vampires, I was lucky enough to have a stress-free pregnancy, but that didn’t mean it was easy. Jaylon grew a little faster than his brother, Julian, so I had to have weekly checkups to make sure my little hybrid baby wasn’t sucking all the nutrients from his sibling.

But what he lacked in size, Julian made up for in spunk. He may have been smaller, but he didn’t let his brother push him around or aside. This was all being made obvious by the sickly alien-like roll of my belly as the two fought it out for the third time this morning. The pressure in my uterus was insane. Couple that with their constant tussling, and I was ready to tap out.

I squealed for joy as Tyson brought me a cup of warm chamomile tea. After I would drink it, the boys would pass out, and I’d have at least an hour of peace before the battle would start all over again.

“They fight like you two did when you first met. It’s ridiculous,” I mused as I rubbed a knot in my belly.

“I’ve said all along that our little gladiator’s in there. They used to fight bears in the Colosseum. He knows where he comes from,” Matt proudly stated.

“This bear is his brother, his twin brother. I’m not dealing with this s**t for the rest of our lives.”

“They’re cramped, sunshine, I’m sure they’ll get along fine once they’re born. They just need their own space.”

Another parallel to their fathers. Over the past few months, I’ve thought about Tyson moving into the packhouse or us building a bigger house for the six of us to share. Anything to put my family all under one roof.

The guys were not having it. Tyson loved his house, and Matt didn’t have any plans to leave the packhouse before he retired. They had the utmost respect for one another and the relationship I had with each, but they did not want to live together. So, we had double nurseries in both houses. Thank god they both had good jobs because buying four of everything wasn’t cheap.

“Just wait. Once they’re born and sleep in separate cribs a couple of times, they’ll be begging to be back together.”

Tyson cradled my elbows and pulled me to my feet. “It looks like the tea did the trick, so how about a walk outside? I think you can use some fresh air to get your b***d pumping.”

* * *

He took my hand and led me to through the back yard towards his house.

“Where are we going?”

“I wanted to show you something.”

“I hope it’s something good. Oh, good food. Is it food?”

He laughed and kissed the back of my hand. “It’s not food, gorgeous, but I can get you some afterwards if you’re hungry.”

We walked around to the east side of the house, where a beautiful garden full of pink roses was blooming. The smell was incredible and made me want to lay a blanket on the ground and breathe in the scent all day.

“You planted these?”

“No. I’m terrible with plants. My mom did.”

I spun around with a huge smile on my face. “You finally talked to her?”

“I did. We’ve been talking for a few weeks, actually.”

A few weeks? I didn’t even know.

“Why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve been there with you the first time.”

“She asked for it to just be me. We had a lot to repair, and it was something that needed to be done with just the two of us. There was a lot of apologizing and explaining and crying that went on; it was tough.”

I walked over and took his hand in mine. “Are you alright? Is there anything you need me to do?”

“Just enjoy the garden, baby. She said the pink roses are for love, happiness, and beauty. All the things I want your life to be filled with.”

“What did she say about Jaylon? Is she excited to have a grandson on the way?”

“Very. She turned her spare room into a nursery as soon as she could. And she’d like to have dinner with you soon if you’re up to it.”

“Of course I am! Your mom was always so sweet to me, especially after you left. She probably knew how I felt about you even when I refused to admit it to myself.”

“She knew because I told her. The day I left, I told her I was leaving so I could take care of you. Once she knew, she let me go without another word. She didn’t want to keep me from my other half.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. I was so happy for him. He finally had everything he wanted.

“Will you let me help you cook when she comes?”

“Not a chance. My heavily pregnant fiancé will be sitting with her feet up and relaxing, not slaving in a hot kitchen. What kind of man do to take me for?”

I started to laugh, then realized what he had just said. “Fiancé? When did that happen?”

“Hopefully, now.”

He got down on one knee and took my hand.

“When I first saw you, I was immediately obsessed. I knew that I would do any and everything you asked of me if it meant it would make you laugh or smile. Never had a person meant that much to me, but I was just a boy and had no idea what that feeling was.

“Then I got to watch you grow up, and I knew that I was in love. That love was raw, intense, and powerful. I made a ton of stupid mistakes and did things that hurt you and made you cry, which was never my intention, and I thank the Mother Spirit every day that you forgave me and gave us a chance.

“When you agreed to be with me, I didn’t think I could ever be happier, but I now know that that isn’t true. I don’t want to be your boyfriend anymore; I want to be your husband. I want you to wear my mark every day for the rest of our lives. You share my home, my life, and now my son. I want you to share my name too.

“So, will you marry me, sunshine? Will you finish what we’ve started and make me whole?”

My heart was beating a million miles a minute, and the fact that I really, really had to pee no longer seemed so important. So, I said the first thing that came to mind.

“What the hell took you so long, you a*s? I’ve been waiting months for you to ask me!” I yelled.

He tilted his head and narrowed those beautiful hazel eyes at me.

“Uh … is that a yes or …?”

“Yes, it’s a yes! How could it be anything else?”

He stood up and held my face in his hands. “I never thought I’d get yelled at while proposing, but then again, it is you I was proposing to, and you’ve always kept me guessing. I love you, baby.”

“I love you too.”

We shared a deep, beautiful k**s that made me shiver all over. His k****s affected every inch of me, every single time.

“We’ve never talked about it before, but how do you mark me? Is it the same as wolves with a bite?”

“Yes, but it would be on your left wrist, not your neck. We bite one another at the exact same time and become one. Our lives, as well as our deaths, become intertwined.”

“How do you mean?”

“Many bears live happily with their partner and never mark them. It’s not something that’s required for us. Honestly, most bears have no marks at all, and that’s because the mark makes you whole.

“The rhythm of your heart will match mine exactly. If you’re ever afraid or hurt, I’d feel it as if it were happening to me. And when your time is over, and you leave this world, I would leave with you. A marked bear cannot live without their partner. We’re one life in two bodies, so when one body fails, the entire life goes along with it.”

“So, if you die, I’ll die too?”

“No, you’re not a bear. And I’m so thankful for that. If something happens to me, you’ll still be here. It’s the bear who can’t live without their partner; luckily, my partner is a protected wolf and exempt from that aspect of things.”

“But you said one life in two bodies.”

“Yes, and you have another life with Matt. That shouldn’t end because I die, and it won’t. I’ve never been more grateful to him for turning you to a wolf before I could turn you into a bear. It just lets me know that this is the way things were always meant to play out.”

I couldn’t imagine a life without him in it. The thought stole my breath and brought tears to my eyes. But he was right; I had Matt, and I had my children. They needed me, and I’d do whatever it took to be here for them.

“That’s beautiful and sad. Love is like that sometimes, I guess. Can we do it now?” I asked.

“No, the jolt could force you into labor early. We don’t want that, do we?”

Before I could answer, I felt a sharp pain, then a pop, and a slow trickle of fluid began to run down my leg. “Looks like that’s what Jaylon wants. My water just broke.”

“Now? But we’ve still got thirteen days. What if they’re too small? What if they get sick?” He panicked, looking down between my legs.

“Do they look too small to you? They’ve had perfect checkups the entire pregnancy. Now, are we going to the hospital, or do you have more questions for me?”

“s**t! Sorry, sunshine, let’s go.”

He leaned down to pick me up, but I stopped him.

“Let me walk, please. It helps labor progress, and I don’t want this to take any longer than it needs to.”

He nodded and took my hand while we walked back. I linked Matt on the way, and he came rushing out the door and across the lawn.

“Tesoro! Are you alright? Why are you walking? We need to get to the hospital now. We don’t have time for—”

“Chill out, handsome! I’m walking because I want to, and it’s good for me. And we were on our way to the hospital before you stopped us. Calm down and come on.”

He took a deep breath, then grabbed my other hand. He must have told everyone what was happening because there was a flurry of activity when we walked in the house, but thankfully, it wasn’t chaotic.

Morgan was making her way down with my hospital bag, and Kade had Genesis and was taking her and the other kids to the playroom, where the nanny would look after them. Alaia was in the kitchen, directing the staff to have lunch and dinner brought over for all of us, making one less thing for us all to worry about.

When we made it to the labor and delivery room, I was happy to see that it was bigger than the last one. Almost twice as big, actually. And it was needed; my circle and family just kept getting bigger and bigger.

“Okay, daddies. You two sit down and relax. I’m going to go change.”

“What do you need me to do?” Tyson asked.

“Sit. Relax. The boys won’t be here for hours, so there’s no need to panic,” I told him.

I walked into the bathroom, then heard Aires yell from the other side of the door. “Oh! I made it. I thought I’d have to shimmer to get back in time. Where is she? How are the boys?”

“Please stop running, beautiful. It’s not good for the baby,” Henry sweetly replied.

“I’m only four weeks, mi amor. I can still run.”

I couldn’t help but smile. He was so soft and gentle with her but never failed to push the guys to their physical limits at each and every training. Aires had been helping him with the sessions, but as soon as they found out they were pregnant, he asked her to stop.

They were adorable together.

“I’m in here! I’ll be out in a second,” I called out to her.

Once I was done, I shuffled out and saw Henry hovering over Aires, making her sit down and drink water. So sweet.

Alaia and Morgan came in a few minutes later and adjusted the blinds and set up my music. They were the best. “Okay, Henry, you’re out front with the guys,” Alaia told him.

“Of course, Luna. But please make sure Aires drinks her water, and if she gets too tired or weak, I’ve got this thermos for her,” he said. Aires rolled her eyes but smiled at him and kissed his cheek.

“She’ll be fine, I promise. But I’ll keep my eye on her for you, okay?”

“Thank you.”

He gave Aires a small bag of snacks, then walked over to the waiting area where Xander, Kade, and Alexi were waiting.

“It’s so strange to see him like that. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it,” Matt said from his spot in the corner.

“I don’t think any of us will, and he’s got the ladies under some spell where they think he’s Prince Charming,” Tyson replied.

“Oh, zip it, you two. Henry is sweet and charming, just not to you guys. It’s his job to train and condition you, and by looking at the physical shape every one of our fighters is in, he’s obviously good at what he does,” I told them.

Matt walked over and helped me with getting comfortable while we waited for the doctor.

“Mom and Dad send their love. They’ll be on the next plane home but probably won’t make it in time for the birth. Mom is pissed that dad talked her into this last-minute trip.”

Giana and James were in Brazil for Giana’s Birthday. No one expected the babies to come so early, and I was sorry that they would miss the birth of their first grandson.

“It’s alright. They’ll see the babies tomorrow. They just get to miss all the b***d and screaming.”

“It’s baby time!” Dr. Bennett sang as she swept into the room.

“Are you always this excited?” I asked with a small laugh.

“When it comes to babies, yes. I’m a pack doctor; I’m usually dealing with bloody and angry wolves, so this is a welcome change,” she smiled.

A nurse came in and skillfully hooked me to the machines while the doctor did her check. “How long have you been feeling the pressure?” she asked.

“Since late last night, maybe twelve hours?”

“Sounds about right, You’re already seven centimeters. We should be pushing in another hour or so.”

“Seven?! How are the boys? Are they alright?” Tyson rushed over and asked.

She looked at the monitors and the readouts. “They both look perfect. Strong, healthy heartbeats. They’re just about ready to meet everyone.”

“So, a couple of hours then? I can do that,” I said.

These little boys had been kicking my a*s lately, but it seemed like they were finally ready to cut me a break. Oh, how wrong I was.