Page 19 of Roman (Destined Paranormals #7)

Chapter 19

Roman

I didn’t think Beau could be any cuter, but I’d been wrong. He was effectively three months into his four-month pregnancy, and I didn’t know if he had any more room to grow. I would never voice it out loud, but he had a waddle to him now, and it was the cutest thing. Of course, I did all that I could to make him as comfortable as possible. We had to be careful while getting him from our house to Treasure Ridge now, though, because there absolutely was no hiding the fact that he was pregnant. Sadly, that meant he’d had to start riding in the back seat of the SUV. I much preferred he rode up front with me, but we couldn’t risk him being seen by someone at a stoplight.

“Do you think they’ll let me hold the baby?” Beau asked, pulling me from my thoughts as we sat at a red light in Timber Valley. There were only three more streets to go before we would be through town, and then it would be only a few more minutes before we arrived at the cabin. “Of course they won’t. They’ve only met me the once when they were in the bakery. They don’t know me, so why would they let me hold the new baby.”

I shook my head and reached between the seats. Beau’s smaller hand found mine, and when he gave it a squeeze, I smiled. “I’m sure Phineas and Ramsey will have no issues with you holding Rynn. All you need to do is ask. Yes, Ramsey is going to be a bit protective, but that’s normal for any alpha.”

“I just don’t want to overstep. But I’m excited. I’ve not really ever been around a baby before. Sure, there were people in our village that had babies, but my family consisted of me and Evan.”

“I’m sure they’ll let you hold the baby,” I told Beau again. I’d made it to the outskirts of town, and now we only had a few more minutes before we would be at the cabin. It was secluded enough that there shouldn’t be any issues getting inside without Beau being seen, but the last I’d heard, that had been addressed with Konrad, and the cabin currently had a security fence that was being installed around the perimeter. It would have a coded gate, much like our neighborhood had, and although it sounded like it would be a headache, the council was taking the safety of everyone seriously.

I felt the turmoil that Beau was experiencing through our bond. I glanced back at him, wishing more than ever that he could be up-front with me. “Why are you so conflicted? What’s going on? You’re excited to be meeting the family for longer than a few minutes, are you not?”

“Yes. I was talking to Philip earlier. He is excited to see me again. But I’m a bit nervous to see Ramsey and Phineas. I know Phineas had such a terrible pregnancy, and Ramsey is a bit intimidating.”

I grinned. “That is probably a good thing since he’s one of the council’s enforcers. But between you and me, he has been in trouble with Chief Daegal more than anyone else when it comes to gargoyle enforcers. He’s going to be protective because Phineas just gave birth, but he was the one that was the voice of reason when you and I first discovered each other.” I would never be able to thank my brother-in-law for that.

I pulled into the cabin’s driveway and, moments later, parked near the door. I glanced back at Beau but found him staring out the window. After I got out of the SUV, my tiger was on alert, but there was no threat to our mate or unborn child. There was nobody nearby, so I rounded the vehicle and opened the door for Beau. He spared me a glance but quickly slid from the SUV. We hurried inside, and it was there that I was finally able to pull him into my arms.

“Hey? What’s going on?”

Beau took a deep breath. “Nothing. I just want Phineas to like me. I’m your mate, and yeah, Philip and I get along well, but I’ve never been able to do more than chat with Phineas. And even then, I didn’t want to bother him too much because his pregnancy was so difficult.”

“He’s going to love you. Philip was always the much more serious twin, and Phineas was always more carefree. Trust me when I say that you and Phineas are going to get along just fine.” I only had Evan to worry about, and in all honesty, even if he didn’t like me, I wouldn’t have cared too much. Beau was my mate—my focus.

“I hope you’re right. I mean, you know the twins better than I do, obviously.”

I leaned down and kissed Beau, pulling away when the desire to linger presented. We had a very healthy sexual relationship, and although it had only seemed to increase as Beau’s pregnancy progressed, now was not the time to start anything.

“You have nothing to worry about. I understand that your pregnancy has made you a bit more emotional, in your own words, but you truly have no need to fret.” It was such a relief when I finally felt Beau relax through our bond. His shoulders lost the tenseness they’d held, and although it was a good thing he was finally relaxing, I had to wonder if perhaps it wasn’t something else that was bothering him.

I pushed the newly installed button on the wall, letting whoever was on transport duty know that we were here and would need a lift to the mountain. Seconds later, a familiar face came through the doorway that led to the back of the cabin.

“Timothy. I guess I should have called out to see if anyone was here. My tiger didn’t sense anyone though.”

“I wasn’t here. I’ve just found that sometimes I frighten people when I suddenly appear in front of them. I’ve taken to popping into the kitchen’s pantry and then coming through to see what everyone needs. To Treasure Ridge, I assume?”

“Yes, please. We’re going to my brother’s house to see his new baby.”

“Ah, yes. Ramsey’s baby?” Timothy asked. “Chief Daegal has shared the news of a new gargoyle baby around the mountaintop for over a week now.”

I chuckled. It was always exciting when any new baby was born, but I could understand the created gargoyle’s excitement. Gargoyle babies weren’t exactly common, and the council now had three gargoyle babies.

“Yes,” I told the older warlock. I pulled Beau a bit closer, and seconds later, that familiar swirl in my stomach happened. We went from the cabin to the transport building on the mountain, and with a wave from Timothy, Beau and I were on our way toward Ramsey and Phineas’s house. “I should have thought to ask to borrow Ramsey’s XUV so you wouldn’t have to walk.”

“It’s not a far walk, and the exercise is good for me. I spend a good deal of my day on my feet while I’m at work. And I walk from here to the bakery.”

“Yes, but we can actually see the bakery,” I told my mate as I pointed at the building. It was up and running smoothly, and it had been decided that on Sundays, the bakery would be closed, and Saturdays, it would only be open for a few hours. Lewis was more than willing to run it seven days a week, but the council had insisted that it be closed on Sundays and Saturdays be part days. It was better for those that worked there, just as the council itself only had a very few in on the weekends.

“Sure, but that short distance is nothing compared to standing all day. It hurts less when I’m walking.”

I looked down at my mate. “What do you mean, hurts less? Are you in pain?” I asked, suddenly worried.

“No more than any other pregnant omega. You try carrying an extra fifteen pounds in your stomach. Our little one loves to push against my bladder, kick my kidneys, and keep my diaphragm from being able to expand.” Beau sighed. “It’s all expected and nothing out of the ordinary. Especially with our baby being so large.” Beau looked down at his rounded pregnancy belly and rubbed it with his free hand. “It’s not like I’d ever complain. I’m not. I love being pregnant with our son. I do wish he wouldn’t decide to do tumbling when it’s bedtime though.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that and agree. Many times, Beau had become restless when it was time for us to go to sleep. His reasoning had always been that he couldn’t get comfortable because the baby always became active then. More than once, I’d taken him to the bath, and after he and I had relaxed in the tub for a bit, I would end up carrying a sleepy Beau to our bed. Whatever worked at this point, I was all for it.

“Very well,” I told my mate. “But you won’t be upset if I ask to use it to get you back to the transport building, will you?”

“No. I’m sure by that time, I’ll be worn-out. I’ll probably not want to walk back, even if it’s only a ten-minute walk.”

I didn’t want to tell my adorable mate that it was only a ten-minute walk if he moved a bit faster. I had no experience with being pregnant or having to waddle when walking, but I had no doubt that there were all sorts of challenges pregnant omegas faced on a daily basis.

“Have you thought about names? We already have the nursery finished, but I was trying to come up with some names for the middle name the other day and kept coming back to Cooper. That’s a good middle name for a tiger shifter, don’t you think?” Beau made a noise, worrying me, but he looked up at me with imploring eyes. “What’s wrong? If you don’t like it, I won’t be upset. I just thought it would be a good middle name for our son.”

“No,” Beau said. I was going to agree with him without question until he stopped and grabbed for me. “I want that for his name,” Beau said. “It’s a perfect name, and actually, it’s on the list of names I was thinking about.” Beau suddenly narrowed his eyes. “Did you sneak into my thoughts and pick it because I liked that name so much?”

I held my hands out in surrender. “No, I promise. It’s one that I just really liked and thought was fitting.”

Beau nodded quickly. “Good.” He started walking again, and I fell into step beside him. “Can we give him your dad’s middle name? Doesn’t Cooper Daniel sound nice?” Beau asked. He looked up at me, his face now hopeful. “That sounds like a tiger alpha, right?”

I couldn’t love this man more. I stopped him with a gentle tug on our joined hands. When Beau looked up at me, I smiled down at him. “I love you, Beau. So much. I love that you want to honor my father. I think it’s a wonderful name.” I leaned down and kissed Beau again but once more kept it quick. There would be plenty of time for deeper kisses once we were home, but now wasn’t the time.

“Good. Then that’s settled. Now we just need to wait for baby Cooper to arrive.” Beau sighed. “I think I agree with Constantine and what he said about me not making it to my due date. At least, I don’t think I want to be pregnant that long. I’d love to stay pregnant as long as I need to, but I’m afraid that if I get much bigger, I’ll be really uncomfortable.”

I agreed completely. “We’ll make sure Dr. King checks up on you frequently.” I hadn’t told Beau, but I’d already been in contact with the doctor about Beau’s pregnancy. He’d stated that it was possible that Beau might need to be placed on bed rest if his stomach became too big because it could cause his body issues. I wasn’t sure exactly how, but it hadn’t exactly helped calm my tiger’s restlessness.

We continued our walk, the neighborhood that the enforcers lived in coming into view only minutes later. When we entered the neighborhood, the sound of children playing could be heard. Off to the left, there were some toddler-aged children swinging while their parents pushed them. Beau and I went to the right toward the house Ramsey and Phineas shared. It only took a few minutes, even with Beau’s slower pace, but I felt my own nerves increase as we walked up the walkway at their house.

“This place is lovely,” Beau said as we reached the porch. “You know, for all of the time I lived here on Treasure Ridge, I never came over here.”

“Why not?”

“Because there was no reason. I didn’t want to impose on any of the mated enforcers. I lived with Evan, but only because I was allowed to. I didn’t venture out much, actually.”

I knocked while thinking about Beau’s words. I’d seen his memories. All of them. He’d been happy to be allowed to come with his brother, and he’d not really seemed terribly unhappy spending his days watching television. It was something new to him, and even I had joined him in his love for a certain sitcom about four guys who all worked at the same university in California.

The door swung open, and I was surprised to see Phineas standing there. I had expected Ramsey, or possibly Philip or Knox if they were already here, but there was my baby brother, who had just given birth two weeks ago.

“Oh my fates. You look like you are ready to pop,” he said as his eyes zeroed in on Beau’s stomach. “Can I touch it? I know I only liked a few people to touch my belly when I was pregnant, but every time someone tried, Ramsey would growl at them.”

“Phineas?” Beau asked.

“Oh, yeah! Hi!” my brother said. “I thought you realized. I don’t know why since you’ve only met me once and then only for like a split second, and the bakery was slammed with people.”

Beau looked up at me, his eyes suddenly worried. “Will I look that amazing two weeks after giving birth?”

I bit my lower lip to keep from laughing.

“You will! It’s a blessing, actually,” Phineas said. He reached out and grabbed Beau by the arm. “Come inside. You need to meet Rynn, and really, there’s no reason for you to stand on the front porch.” Phineas pulled Beau inside, with me following my brother and mate. Phineas gave me a hug, and when he held on for a bit longer, I gave him a tighter squeeze. I met Beau’s eyes over my brother’s head and found them smiling at us. “You’ll have to pry Rynn out of Ramsey’s arms though, but he’s been pretty good about sharing. Although your best bet is when he’s also cuddling Hazel. Then he’s more likely to not complain too much about giving either of them up for even a bit.” Phineas turned and held out his arms toward Beau.

I watched as my mate gave my brother a hug, and something inside clicked. My family was finally together. Beau and Phineas hadn’t had a chance to meet because of how difficult Phineas’s pregnancy had been.

“It’s so good to finally meet you again,” Beau said.

“Same. And thank you for all of the yummy goodies you sent over,” Phineas said. “You do not know how much they were appreciated. When you have to lay around and watch your toddler run around and can’t chase her, life gets frustrating. Insert distracting donuts, cakes, and whatever those amazing puffy things are, and life is so much better.”

Beau smiled. “I’m glad they helped. I can’t use my magic very well right now, but I can have Lewis send some over tomorrow if you want.”

“Yes, please. Always. Any of them. They’re so good. I’ll send Phineas, and maybe then I’ll get the chance to actually feed Rynn for a change.” Phineas sighed and touched his chest. “Not that I’m complaining, because I’m not. Ramsey is such an amazing daddy. And it’s so beautiful to see him completely enamored with both of them.”

“Are we going to get to come in and at least see them, or are you going to just tell us about them and make us continue to wonder?” I asked, teasing my brother. He’d always been talkative, and him being mated and a daddy hadn’t changed that.

“Oh, yeah,” Phineas said. He leaned down close to Beau’s stomach. “You need to learn to tell me to stop talking when you’re older. Your uncle Phineas talks too much when he’s excited. Or nervous.” Phineas stood up and smiled at Beau. “I’ve been nervous about meeting you again. I know we’ve texted, and you’ve talked to me a few times on the phone, but it’s not the same.”

“No, it’s not. Philip has told me so much about you during family dinners though, so I think I probably have an advantage.” Beau rubbed his stomach and sighed. “But I’m not sure how many more I’ll be able to make. I know Roman hasn’t told me as much, but I’m aware that Dr. King has mentioned that I might have to go on bed rest if a certain someone gets too much bigger.”

Phineas’s eyes widened. “That’s certainly not fun.”

He would know since he’d basically spent his entire pregnancy on bed rest. First because he was so sick and then because the pregnancy was just that difficult. I was thankful that I was mated to a tiger shifter and I didn’t have to worry about all of the extra things that happened in gargoyle pregnancies. Add in that Phineas was a fox shifter and his pregnancies were only on average ten weeks long, that meant his poor body had to work extra hard to create all three forms of their little gargoyle.

“There you are,” Philip said when we entered the back room where everyone was gathered.

“Sorry,” Beau said. “I’m slow now and can’t walk that fast,” he added as he waddled over to the couch, where he leaned heavily on the arm and then carefully sat down with my help.

“Understandable,” Philip said. “You look like I did when I was about to give birth. Only I had two in there. Are you sure you’re only having one?” Philip asked. The room suddenly went quiet, and all eyes were looking at me and Beau. Was it possible that one of the babies had somehow been missed and Beau was actually carrying twins? Wouldn’t that just be a surprise.