Page 169 of Omega's Flight

"We're almost there," Bax said in encouragement. "He's crowning."

"Phew!" Holland said and grinned. He sucked in another lungful of air and began to push. I watch Julius as the baby's head bulged through Holland's omega line, the horrified fascination slowly losing its horrified part. He even leaned in as Bax worked his hands in underneath the baby's upper body, supporting him as one last push slithered him out into Bax's grasp. The baby's first wail made him jump, but I thought I caught a hint of longing on his face as Bax carried the baby up to lay him on Holland's chest. "Little boy!"

Yes, that definitely was longing on Julius's face as we gathered to welcome the little boy to the family of Mercy Hills. He didn't even notice when Felix and Jason quietly disappeared with the afterbirth and Bax began the tedious process of cleaning up Holland's body and wrapping him up so his omega line could seal again.

Then Felix and Jason came back again, their hands empty. "We should be going, got an early morning tomorrow," Felix said pointedly, and put his hand on Julius' elbow. "Let's give them some time together," he whispered.

"Oh, yeah." Julius took a step toward the door, like a sleepwalker, but stopped after a couple of steps. "Congratulations," he said shyly, and blushed when Quin and Holland thanked him with stars in their eyes.

I let him and Felix get away, then turned to everyone. "I should go too. Little boys really take it out of you." I rubbed my belly and laughed as Holland elbowed Quin and grinned up at him.

"Give me a hand to wash him up?" Bax asked. "Unless you're really tired?"

I felt a flush rush up into my cheeks, being asked to help with this very special moment. Beyond just being an extra hand, or someone to run for help in an emergency. "I'm not that tired." So I got to hold the bowl of warm water while Bax stroked the birth fluids away from the little boy's body, and then from Holland's chest, and helped him wrap the baby up in a soft blanket.

Holland let Jason help him into a clean nursing shirt, then took the baby back and rocked him gently. "There's my boy. My little alpha."

I raised my eyebrows at that and glanced up at Bax. Bax shrugged and turned to Holland. "You sure you want to put that label on him already? I don't think it did Fan any good."

Holland sighed and glanced up at him. "No, I know you're right." He frowned and trailed his fingertips over the baby's head, then down over his chest. "He is an alpha, though. I can feel it, in his head and his heart. He feels like his sire." He raised the hand to stroke it along Quin's neck and shoulder. "You still okay with Lonnie?"

Quin nodded and reached out to stroke the back of his fingers down the baby's cheeks. "It's a good name for an alpha."

Holland smiled. "Then Lonnie it is. At least this omega power is good for one nice thing." Holland glanced over at me. "Would you like to know what you're having for sure? Though I'm not certain I can read him through you."

I gaped at him, my skin prickling with the shock of adrenaline as I realized what he'd done. No one had ever been able to say what a baby would turn out to be, except for a male omega.

Until now.

He smiled crookedly and leaned back. "Or maybe not. Sometimes the surprise is nice, too."

"Yeah, I think we'd like to be surprised," I stammered after a too long moment. "Besides," I added after. "You're tired. And there's plenty of time, if you want to try later and see if you can." I'd hurt him while my brain had been running in circles, it was obvious, but the lines on his face had softened when I said that. And maybe I'd like to know. Or maybe I'd ask him to keep it a secret from me, no matter what he learned. I could do that, and he would keep his word to me, because that was the kind of shifter he was.

I nodded to Quin, who watched the two of us closely with sharp understanding in his eyes and he nodded back. I leaned in over the edge of the bed to hug Holland. "Thank you for inviting me," I whispered. "It was an honor."

He smiled and the strain in the air disappeared. "You're family now, right? My door is always open to family."

I hugged him again, just a quick one, then Bax, Jason, and I left the little family alone to get to know each other.

C H A P T E R 1 1 5

"A re you sure you want to move right now?" Cas asked with only a hint of desperation in his voice. This was the fourth time he'd barked his knuckles taking their furniture apart and it probably wasn't going to be the last time either.

Raleigh lounged in the doorway, a cookie in one hand, the other one running in slow circles over his belly. "I want to be in the new place before he comes." He was due any time now, though he didn't seem to be feeling the anxiety that was likely to eat Cas alive. It was his fourth, though, Cas conceded —possibly familiarity with the process bred a certain careless attitude toward it.

"You're not..." Cas paused and nodded toward Raleigh's belly.

"No, still just practicing. Soon, though, I think." He ate another bite of cookie. "Are you sure you don't want me to help?"

"I'd be skinned alive."

Raleigh laughed. "By who?"

"I don't have that many fingers," Cas told him, making him laugh again. He watched his mate stuff the rest of the cookie happily in his mouth and then turn and stare toward the front of the house.

"I think they're back."

"Damn." He'd only gotten the girls' bed taken apart—Henry's was proving to be a bigger challenge than he'd expected.