Page 13

JAMIE

It was supposed to be beautiful. The miracle of life and all that shit alphas like to spew at innocent omegas who have no idea they’re gonna be split in half just to get the baby out.

My hands clawed at the bed sheets as Cameron tried to wipe the sweat off my brow before it stung my eyes. As if that was the pain I cared about when another contraction hit.

“You’re doing so good, sweetheart. Deep breaths.” Cameron leaned over me, focused on trying to keep me calm.

Good luck with that, buddy.

"You hate me, don't you?" I squeezed his hand until I could imagine bones breaking and popping right out of his skin. Maybe then he’d have a tiny hint of what I was going through. "This is what hating me feels like."

He shook his head calmly as if I was whispering sweet nothings to him instead of death threats. "I know it hurts, Jamie, but you’re so strong."

The doctor chimed in with some nonsense about how close we were, but he wasn't the one trying to push a boulder through a pinhole. Damn alpha-splaining.

Another contraction was building and I knew a monstrous tsunami was about to crash over me. The anticipation made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. "I'm being punished for stealing candy when I was a kid." I groaned and arched my back away from the bed as if I could escape the alien punching its way out of my body. "Punished for being an omega. For choosing you. For being an omega who chose you."

"Now, now." The doctor peeked out from somewhere below my knees. "You're doing just fine, Jamie. I need you to focus on breathing."

Cameron was nodding but he had sweat dripping down his temples too. Maybe my grip was tighter than I realized. Good. It still wasn’t close to what his spawn was doing to my insides. "Just breathe, sweetheart."

"You breathe!" I would have thrown something if I could. "This is your fault. You come breathe and see if that makes you feel better."

"I love you and I know it’s the pain talking." Cameron had been warned in advance to ignore my threats to murder him in his sleep. Dummy . He should definitely sleep with one eye open. "It’s just the pain talking. We’ll have our baby soon."

His little positive mantra rolled over me, and I didn’t even bother with the insult on the tip of my tongue. I’d have been angrier if I wasn’t so sure I was dying. I pulled Cameron’s hand toward my chest and held it with both hands, not out of affection but to make sure I took him with me. “It was fun while it lasted…”

Another contraction hit, and I saw black. It was bigger. Stupider. How did anyone survive this kind of torture? The whole world shrank to that one insane point of agony and I gave up. I wanted to shift, run, gnaw that baby out of me like a trapped animal. "I can't do it. I’m out." It was more like a whimper, and it pissed me off that I was whimpering. "Just let me go in peace. You’ll find someone else. You’ll be happy again..."

"You're not going anywhere, Jamie." Cameron’s voice was annoyingly calm, even softer than before. "You’re strong, Jamie. You’re so strong."

He kept nodding and holding on to me and being unbearably sweet. It made me want to rip his head off and kiss him all at once.

"Let's get you into position." The doctor stood up and started arranging my legs like they were on a mannequin. “You’re ready now.”

Cameron looked stricken like he wasn't sure I would ever forgive him.

I wasn’t sure either.

And then pain like I never knew possible washed over me and I pushed like my life depended on it. I was in charge now. The doctor could shove his ‘almosts’ and ‘ not yets ’ right up his own ass because mine was about to deliver a baby whether he liked it or not.

Time moved in slow motion as Cameron and the doctor both moved between my legs and all the pain and pressure I’d been feeling disappeared. I could breathe again. It was over.

Holy shit. It was over. My baby was out. “Cameron?”

“She’s perfect, sweetheart.” He choked on his emotion as he cradled a bloody mess to his chest. “Our daughter is perfect.”

“Our daughter?” I shook out all the rage I’d felt just a second ago and welcomed the flood of joy filling up my entire being. “She’s really okay?”

She was bright red and furious and howled louder than me. "Our little wolf." I meant it as a joke but I choked on tears that had nothing to do with pain. “She really is here.”

"You did it, Jaime." Cameron was so full of awe it was like he didn't believe we could bring something so beautiful into the world. His eyes were wet, and I knew mine were, too.

"We did it." I blinked down at the squirming, screeching miracle. "And it didn’t even hurt that bad."

He choked out a laugh and pressed his forehead to mine. “I’m gonna need a cast while a few hundred bones fuse back together, but I don’t even care. You were amazing. As always.” Cameron kissed the side of my face, oblivious to everything except the little red ball of fury we’d brought into the world. "She’s about as pissed at me as you were thirty seconds ago, but I hope she forgives as easily."

“She does.” I kissed him and then kissed the top of her head. “She just need a nap and a snack. It’s all anyone really needs when they’re mad.”

The doctor still had his gloves on and was doing stuff that I didn’t pay much attention to. "Congratulations, Dads." He was smiling like someone who didn't just witness me trying to kill my mate. “You did great.”

She quieted after a moment as if really committing to a nap. She was obviously a smart kid.

"What should we name her?" We had a list of options but none of our favorites felt right.

Cameron looked at me then back down at her. "We took a chance on each other and it was worth it."

I looked at him and nodded, in complete agreement. "Chance."

"I think it suits her."

And it did.

We wouldn’t have found each other if we hadn’t taken chance that put us in the right place at the right time. But sometimes life was just a series of turns and times and chances that all met up right where fate wanted us to be.

For more sweet and sexy shifters in heat by Aria Grace, check out these that you’re sure to enjoy.

Mateo was one of the few omegas who had climbed the ranks of the West Coast Coyotes. Most of that was the result of his hard work and above-average strength, but the other guys still attributed it to his other position...as Esteban's best friend. They grew up together and Este never treated him like an omega. He respected Mateo and trusted him with his life, which is why Mateo was the only person who could step in and help out with Stella after her mother's death.

Esteban just needed some time to figure things out before getting back into the groove of his daily life again, but when the rumors of a threat became more serious, he quickly realized that Mateo was more than just his friend and nanny. He was...more. Always had been. They just needed to get out of their own ways to accept the fact that they were meant to be mates all along.