Page 34 of A Baby for the Beast (Beastverse #3)

Hayley

" H ayley, sweetheart, you need to start pushing." The nurse is being gentle with me, and on some level, I understand what she's saying. But what my omega riddled mind is screaming at me and thus at the world is…

"I can't do this without my alpha!"

"You can." The nurse grabs my hand, which is twisted in the bed sheet, and gives it a squeeze.

"We've been told he's on his way, but so is your little girl," Doctor Jansen says from the end of the bed where he's waiting patiently for me to stop having a breakdown about Lucas not being here.

He's offered to purr for me, and I declined that so fast. I appreciate the offer, but I only want Lucas and Remus's terrible purr.

I'm on my hands and knees since I was told there were a few options that are common for giving birth, and this was the most comfortable for me.

Lilah's been with me ever since we left Janie's house, and Jace was too until the doctor told him he needed to leave because I was going into active labor.

Jace tried to argue and gnashed his teeth a little bit as Vilkas, his beast, came out.

When they saw we were starting to get into position, they looked like they wanted to puke a little bit.

As far as I'm aware, he's been guarding the door to my room since then.

I let out a desperate cry as the next contraction feels like my entire abdomen is trying to squeeze all of my organs out of my vagina and ass.

Apparently, I'm just so lucky that this baby is coming out quickly after my water broke.

Some omegas have labor that lasts for days, but not me.

Nope, I'm so quick I couldn't even get an epidural by the time we got here because I was too far along.

"Please, I need my alpha!" I cry again, my tears leaving salty streaks down my cheeks.

The hospital allows nesting, but again, I was too quick, and I don't even have anything from our house. Henry said he was going to get our go bag from the apartment. That seems like it was forever ago, and he's still not here.

Before I have a chance to recover from he last contraction, another one hits me. The wailing sound that erupts from my chest surprises even me with how pained it sounds. Doctor Jansen moves around behind me, and Lilah rests a hand against my shoulder, rubbing my upper back in soft circles.

"Hey, you can do this whether Lucas is here or not," Lilah tells me.

She pushes her glasses back up her nose with her free hand as she continues to try to soothe me.

"He's going to be here. He's going to be a good alpha and take care of you and your little girl.

But he's running a little behind. It's okay if you have her now.

He's still going to bond with her. He already has based on how he talks about the two of you. "

My chest feels hollowed out at Lilah being able to read me so well.

It's debunked science at this point, but it comes from years and years of old wives' tales that say that it's best if an alpha is there for the birth of the baby so he bonds with them, so he feels the need to care for the omega and their children even more.

I know it's not scientific, but it doesn't stop the worry pooling in my chest that if Lucas isn't here, he's going to change his mind about wanting to be in my daughter's life.

"What if he doesn't want us anymore?" I ask, whimpering because it's such a pathetic question, especially when I have my ass in the air, a baby trying to be born, and strangers staring at my coochie.

Lilah smiles and shakes her head. "That alpha isn't going anywhere."

Commotion from outside the hospital room causes tension to rise in the room as Doctor Jansen stands from his little wheeled stool where he was sitting and waiting for me to get over my emotions and finally push the baby out.

I chose an alpha doctor at first in case there were any issues during the birth.

The ones who do this are usually hyper protective of their patients, and I wanted that safety and security when I was doing this on my own.

Lilah's blocking my view of the door, but it wouldn't matter if she was or not, because I squeeze my eyes tight and let out a groan of agony as another contraction seizes my abdomen. I let out a pathetic sob and cry harder.

Then I hear it. The world's worst purr, the sound that makes everything feel right in the world.

My eyes shoot open, and Lucas is here, replacing Lilah, wearing nothing but his fighting shorts, looking all sweaty and worried and shiny with leftover Vaseline on his face.

He's so perfect. He kneels down beside the bed, a hand on my cheek, brushing my sweaty hair back, and another on my back, rubbing me just like Lilah was.

His purr is loud, rumbling all around us, and I panic for a second.

"No one say anything about his shitty purr. I love it."

Lucas smiles at me, his cheeks turning the cutest pink shade. Someone laughs, probably Lilah, who's off against the wall now that my alpha is here and she doesn't have to be my support. I nuzzle my face into Lucas's hand, my tears starting to dry up, everything feeling like it should be.

"Okay, you ready to have this baby?" Doctor Jansen says behind me.

I tense, waiting to see if Lucas is going to freak out now that he's here and my doctor is an alpha.

He's known about my doctor for months now, but it's a whole other thing when he's currently between my legs, eye level with my bits.

Lucas's eyes don't leave mine, his purr doesn't stop, it's like he doesn't even register anyone else in here other than me.

"I'm ready," I say, taking a deep breath.

When the next contraction happens, I bear down, pushing as hard as I can, gritting my teeth and screaming behind them. Lucas purrs louder, the ratty sound trying to cover the cries of my pain.

"Good job, Hayley," Doctor Jansen says. "A couple more just like that."

"It hurts," I whine.

Lucas swallows hard, shifting so he's closer to me. He's a little agitated, like he wants to crawl into this bed with me, wants to hold me and purr right up against me to help with the pain. That's not happening, though.

"Strong omega," he murmurs, stroking my cheek as his other hand travels down my spine in soothing strokes. "So strong."

"Hayley, you need to push," Doctor Jansen says as another contraction twists.

I bear down as hard as I can, and he was wrong about needing to do it a couple more times, because my daughter is born. There's relief, and then the air is filled with a frail, sharp cry.

"Does Dad want to cut the umbilical cord?" Doctor Jansen asks, and I don't hesitate when Lucas looks down at me, a question in his eyes. I nod.

"Yes, he does," I answer for Lucas, whose throat works like he's trying not to get emotional.

He strokes my cheek once more before turning his full attention to whatever's happening at my backside. The nurse comes over to me, offering me a sip of water and dabbing my forehead with a towel.

"You did so well, Hayley," she tells me, making so many of my worries fade away. My daughter is still screeching behind me, but the sound moves closer, until a tiny, perfect, kind of gross-looking baby girl is held in my alpha's hands right where I can see them both.

"She's beautiful," Lucas says, this time unable to hide his emotions.

"Let's get Mom rolled over so she can bond, and then we'll take baby to get cleaned up," Doctor Jansen says.

The nurse helps me to roll over and props me up with the bed tilted.

Lucas moves so slowly with our daughter, looking like he's scared that he's going to break her if he moves too quickly or in the wrong way.

My breasts are out for everyone to see, but this isn't a sexy moment.

No, Lucas places our daughter against my chest, her tiny screeches starting to settle as my purr comes out soft and content.

"Perfect girls," Lucas murmurs, his fingers skating over our daughter's back before he cups my cheek. "My perfect girls."

"Yours," I nod, wiping away at the fresh tears spilling down my face. "All yours."

***

As far as I'm aware, Lucas's in-laws and my parents have been in the waiting room for the last couple of hours, waiting for us to let them back in here to come check on us and meet the baby.

Too bad for them, I'm perfectly content to keep both Lucas and Tessie all to myself for the next, oh, eighteen years.

I'd say longer, but she'll be an adult by then.

I doubt I can keep her all to myself when she's an adult.

Lucas hasn't stopped purring since he came in.

He also hasn't changed. Henry has clothes for Lucas and our bag of supplies, but he hasn't been allowed back here yet either.

Tessie is fast asleep on my chest again.

She used Lucas as a pillow after she was brought back to us after her cleaning, but I wanted her back almost immediately, and Lucas didn't argue.

In fact, he looks content to just lean against the bed, his hands on both of us as he watches.

"We should probably let them come back here," I grumble.

"We don't have to do anything," Lucas says. "I'll tell them all to fuck off right this second."

I giggle, shaking my head. He'd do it, too. If it were for me, I don't think there's anything he wouldn't do. "No, we really should let them back here. Will you ask the nurse if it's okay?"

Lucas sighs because he doesn't want to leave the two of us, but he nods before helping me to sit up.

I keep Tessie pressed against my chest and get up from the bed to place her in the bassinet the hospital provided us with.

I swaddle Tessie up just like I was taught and have been practicing on and off for the last nine months.

Lucas stays right behind me, watching over my shoulder, a hand on my lower back as we both admire our sweet little girl.

"Do you want anything else?" Lucas asks me, pressing his lips to his bite. "Food, a drink, anything?"