Page 22

22

Five weeks later…

I t was barely past sunrise when Mael zipped up Echo’s driveway and parked his motorcycle behind the house. The morning fog had rolled in on the way over, forming a thick blanket over the ground, but the late summer sun would soon burn it away. Excited to finally see his mate again, he climbed off his bike and ripped his helmet off. After three months without his omega at his side, he was itching to hold Echo close. He raced up the back stairs and used the key Echo had given him before he'd left.

Mael slowly swung the door wide as quiet as possible, hoping to surprise his mate.

The surprise ended up being his.

An older couple were in the kitchen, in their pajamas. They stared, their eyes wide and jaws slack. The woman stood near the stove cooking breakfast while the man sat at the table, holding an open, folded newspaper in one hand. His coffee cup hovered midway between the table and his lips.

“Uuuhhh,” Mael said, scanning the interior again. He was in the correct house, right? The key had worked, so of course it was. “I’m here… to see Echo?”

The woman narrowed her eyes. “I suppose you’re the one who did that to him.”

“Excuse me?” Mael frowned. “Did what to who?”

She didn’t reply.

“Is Echo okay?” His frown deepened as he looked between them. “Is he here?”

“He is, and he’s fine,” the man replied, lifting one brow while lowering the newspaper and cup. Mael noticed the same blue eyes as his mate. His father, maybe? “Who might you be?”

Mael released the breath he’d been holding. Echo was okay. His shoulders dropped, and he relaxed his brow.

“Maelstrom Marino,” he murmured. “And you?”

“Echo’s father.”

Mael stepped closer and offered his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir.”

Echo’s father eyed Mael’s hand, seeming hesitant to shake it—but he finally did. He didn’t look too happy about it, though.

Mael turned to who he assumed was Echo’s mother. “Mrs. Fisher,” he murmured, offering her a hand as well.

She glared, crossing her arms over her chest, refusing his handshake.

Mael lowered his hand and backed up a few steps.

Tilly pranced toward him before curling herself around his ankles in a figure eight.

“Tilly!” the woman barked. “Get over here.”

Mael inwardly rolled his eyes. If the cat couldn’t be near him, would her son be allowed close? Not that he could say much. His mother hadn’t given Echo a warm welcome, either. Hopefully she’d be better the next time. She hadn’t given him many clues to where her mind was when he’d arrived home with Kaiden and the others.

Tilly leapt to the kitchen counter beside Mael, waving her paw at him, hinting she wanted his attention.

“Bad cat! Bad cat!” Echo’s mother roared, stalking Tilly’s way. “Get off the counter!”

Tilly leapt into Mael’s arms to avoid her wrath. He collected her against his chest with one arm and scratched between her ears. She purred loudly, giving the woman an insolent look. Mael gazed down at Tilly instead of acknowledging the anger on the woman’s face.

“Did you miss me, Tilly?” he whispered, giving her another scratch.

Tilly pressed her head against his fingertips and leaned her furry body against his. Her purrs vibrated against his chest.

“I’ve never seen that cat let anyone but Echo touch her,” Echo’s father murmured, one brow raised.

“Mom! What are you burn—” Echo strode into the kitchen in an old robe and froze two steps in. A gasp rushed out of his parted lips, his wide-eyed gaze locked on Mael.

Mael’s heart sped up the second their eyes met. He struggled to breathe. Echo’s face glowed, his eyes bright. They grew shiny with unshed tears.

After lowering Tilly to the floor, he marched closer, needing his mate in his arms. Echo launched himself at Mael, and they met in the middle of the kitchen. Seconds before he dragged Echo against him, he caught a glimpse of something. Before Echo could close the gap, he caught his mate’s hip and held firm. Frowning, he wrenched open Echo’s robe.

Whipping his head up, Mael caught Echo’s gaze.

“Surprise?” Echo whispered.

Mael’s knees went weak for a second, and he staggered back a step, turning his attention back to the swell of Echo’s stomach. He blinked a few times, his skin tingling all over. Mael moved his lips, but no sound came out at first. “You’re pregnant.”

When he lifted his gaze, he noticed Echo’s smile fading and doubt creeping in.

Unwilling to upset his mate, a slow smile stretched his mouth wider. Echo released a shaky breath, lower lip trembling.

Mael dragged Echo into his arms. Sliding a hand to the back of Echo’s head, he captured his mate’s lips. His shock had shut down his brain, and words failed him for a moment. Pouring every ounce of the adoration and awe he felt into a kiss would have to do. Echo melted into him, though it was harder to get as close when they had a baby between them.

A baby.

Mael dragged his lips from Echo’s, his gaze dragged back to the swell. He placed his palm there, needing to touch it to know it was real.

He was going to be a father.

They were going to be fathers.

“You’re so big,” Mael murmured.

“That’s exactly what every omega in the world loves to hear,” Echo muttered.

Mael chuckled and stole another kiss. “Sorry… I just meant… it’s only been three months since your heat.”

“That’s what happens when an orca puts two big babies inside a little dolphin,” Echo’s mother muttered.

Mael’s gaze whipped to the woman’s, almost having forgotten they weren’t alone, and flipped back to Echo.

Echo’s jaw tightened as he tossed an angry glare his mother’s way.

“Two?”

With a little shy smile on his face, Echo slid a hand down his little baby bump and nodded. “Two.”

Mael shook his head, almost feeling dizzy. He stumbled back and sat down at the kitchen table before pulling Echo between his knees. Sitting he was almost as tall as Echo was standing. Lifting his hand, he pressed his palm against Echo’s belly.

“Twins,” Mael murmured. “Well, they do run in the family.”

Echo shook his head. “Not twins.”

Mael frowned—but then realization struck. Echo had two wombs. “Oh shit. One in each?”

Echo nodded.

Mael reached out and caressed Echo’s swell. He was going to be a dad times two. They were going to be parents, raising their children together.

They were bringing new life into the world.

He smiled so hard his face hurt, but his smile broke, and a sob nearly escaped him. He tugged Echo against him and held on tight.

“Hey,” Echo said, running a hand through Mael’s hair. “Are you okay?”

Mael leaned back and wiped a tear from his eye as he blew out a shaky breath. “Yeah. I’m good. Great, even.”

“You don’t seem great,” Echo whispered.

There was no way he could tell Echo the thoughts running through his head with others present. He felt a sting at the backs of his eyes and willed it away. “I promise you I am,” Mael whispered. He forced a smile.

Echo searched his face, clearly not buying it.

Mael leaned down and pressed a kiss to Echo’s belly.

Mr. Fisher cleared his throat.

Echo turned to the side and looked between his parents. He wore a tight little smile when he looked back at Mael. “Mael, have you met my parents?”

“Kind of,” Mael murmured. But not really.

“My mother, Joanna, and my father, Ed…” Echo turned to his parents. “And this is Maelstrom. My mate and the father of your soon-to-be grandchildren.”

The only sound in the room for several seconds was Tilly lapping up water from her bowl.

“Well, since my focus was pulled away, I’ve burnt our breakfast,” Echo’s mother announced, glaring at Mael instead of speaking to him. Her gaze flipped to Echo. “I guess your father and I will have to go out to eat. We can bring you something back.” He walked closer to the table and paused beside her mate. “Come on, Eddie.”

“Have a nice breakfast. It was nice meeting you,” Mael said in their direction as they walked out.

Echo’s father was the only one to pause and glance his way. “It was… nice…” He cleared his throat again, his gaze whipping to Echo before he shook his head and left them alone.

“Well, now I know how you felt when you met my mother. At least you only had one parent staring daggers at you, though.”

“They haven’t had much time to digest our news,” Echo said. “I hid my pregnancy from them because I wanted to tell you first. But then my mother walked into my bedroom without knocking a few days ago and I was only in boxers.”

“You don’t walk in to someone’s bedroom without knocking,” Mael groused, frowning. “What if your dick was hanging out?”

“Mine doesn’t hang out,” Echo reminded him.

“Oh, yeah… well, still. You knock.”

“Yes, you do, but my mother has always had boundary issues.”

“I didn’t realize they lived here,” Mael said, hoping he was wrong. He hadn’t gotten the sense anyone else lived there with Echo except Tilly.

“They don’t,” Echo murmured, and Mael was immediately thankful. “They came home six weeks early from their extended vacation. They’d rented their house while they were gone and had nowhere to live, so they’ve set up camp here.” He sighed. “Their renter is moving out this weekend, so I should hopefully soon be free. I love my parents, but five weeks is four and a half too many.” He shrugged. “More so for my mother than my father, but at this point we’re all getting on one another’s nerves. I’m ready for peace and quiet.”

Mael chuckled. He eyed Echo’s belly again, unable to stop himself from caressing it. He lifted his gaze and smiled.

“I sense sadness in you,” Echo said, scrubbing his palm along Mael’s overgrown beard.

“I’m very happy,” Mael murmured. “It’s just…” He sighed, caressing his omega’s belly, and held back a tidal wave of emotion. “I’d told myself for nearly two decades that I didn’t deserve a family of my own. How could I have one when my brother couldn’t? I’d taken his future from him. His chance to have children. His legacy.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “It was almost a comfort thinking that we might not be able to have children. It was the punishment I thought I deserved.”

“I think you’ve punished yourself enough,” Echo said.

He closed his eyes a moment. When he reopened them, all he saw was love in Echo’s eyes.

“I dreamt of Gale when we were on the return leg. He told me the very same thing. That it was time to let go and live my life.” He chuckled wryly. “Of course, it wasn’t Gale. It was my own subconscious, but… having that dream and now coming home to this?” He pressed another kiss to Echo’s stomach. “I can’t be fully present with you and our children if I can’t let go of the past.”

“You need to forgive yourself,” Echo said.

“I’ll work on that,” Mael whispered.

Echo smiled softly before hugging him tight. “Did you get Kaiden home safe?”

“We did,” Mael replied. “But sadly not his dad.”

“Oh no,” Echo murmured. “What happened?”

“Great white attack,” Mael said. “It was over a dozen of them. They came out of nowhere. They got Roy before we’d even registered what was happening.”

“Are your brothers okay?”

“Yeah,” Mael said. “One got a little piece out of Havoc’s dorsal, but he’s healed up now.”

“How’d you all get away from a dozen great whites?”

“We split up. Two or three chased after each of us. Then it was just a matter of flip one, gut, repeat.”

Echo shook his head, eyes wide. “Did you take Kaiden back to Alaska?”

“No, we did stop there, though. We gathered my aunt’s pod and brought them all down with us. Maki Island is their home for now. Permanently if they choose.” He smiled. “Stopping to pick them up made our trip home stretch a bit longer.” He caressed Echo’s back, pulling his mate a little closer. “I’ve missed you like mad.” He kissed Echo slowly, savoring it.

Echo sat on his lap, leaning into the kiss. He wrapped his arms around Mael’s neck, sliding one hand higher. He twisted his fingers into Mael’s hair.

After a couple of seconds, Mael pulled away and stared into the face he’d longed to see for weeks. “Hi.”

Echo grinned. “Hi.” He brushed through Mael’s hair. “You need a haircut.” He growled. “Forget I said that.”

“Why? I do. I must look a mess to your parents. I haven’t had time to stop by a barber yet…” Mael said before pressing a kiss on Echo’s collarbone. “All I wanted was you.” He brushed Echo’s hair back to drop another kiss on his mate’s neck. “Your hair’s longer, too.” He twisted a lock of Echo’s silky strands around one finger. “I like it.”

If he’d thought Echo beautiful before, seeing his mate glowing from pregnancy made his heart clench.

“You know… my parents will likely be gone at least an hour, if not more,” Echo said. “And while we need to wait for them to get dressed and leave before we celebrate, but there’s a big, empty bed upstairs where we could cuddle until they’re gone.”

Mael’s cocks had already thickened the second he laid eyes on his mate. Echo’s suggestion only made it worse. He groaned as his shaft pressed painfully against the inside of his jeans.

“Can we? I mean, I know pregnant folks can have sex… but with two? Would it be too much?”

“Go slow and be gentle with me at first and we’ll be just fine,” Echo said, brushing Mael’s hair back. “If anything hurts, I’ll tell you to stop.”

Mael drew Echo close and inhaled his scent. It had changed a bit. Likely hormones and pregnancy caused… but Echo still smelled like home.

Echo rose and offered a hand. “You haven’t seen your omega in months…why aren’t you already in bed with him?”

Mael grinned. He stood and then dragged his mate close for a kiss. “If your parents weren’t here, I’d put you on that kitchen counter and finish what we started after our first night together.”

“We can save that for the day after they leave,” Echo said, grinning. He took Mael’s hand and led the way to the stairs.