Page 21 of Wrong Number, Right Grizzly (Dial M For Mates #7)

NIX

“Are you sure you don’t want a wheelchair?”

We were walking through the airport, and my mate was thirty-four weeks along. We’d been putting off the trip to my folks’, not because we didn’t want to see them, but something else always came up. But if we’d waited any longer, Ronan wouldn’t have been allowed to fly.

“I may be waddling, but I don’t need to be wheeled onto the plane.”

My grizzly couldn’t understand why we were going in a plane when we could have driven. He hated flying, but trying to explain how my mate couldn’t sit in a car for a day was impossible. Much as my beast saw what I did, there were human concepts he’d never grasp.

But he did love my folks, and they adored him. Most shifters I’d met since I was a teen had never understood how they, as humans, had raised me. And I always responded with one word: love.

I checked the phone as we headed to our gate. My omega dad, Adrian, had texted, and I showed it to Ronan as we walked. He asked me to read it because despite him saying he could walk, it was a long walk to our gate. I should have organized an assistance vehicle.

Yes, you should have . My bear said Ronan should be sitting, not walking.

“This is what it says. ‘We’re so excited to see you both and to welcome Ronan into our family. Your father has been cooking for two days. Hope you like to eat. Send hugs to you-know-who.’”

That’s me. My bear puffed out his chest, proud my dad had mentioned him.

“Hmmm, let’s see. Does a heavily pregnant omega enjoy food?” He giggled because he had a stash of food in his pack, and I had extra snacks in mine.

When we’d settled on the plane and were ready to take off, my beast closed his eyes and pretended we weren’t about to take off into the air.

“What if they don’t like me?” Ronan held my hand as we lifted off.

“Are you serious?” Though they hadn’t met, my parents had been doing weekly video calls since Ronan had gotten pregnant. They loved him already and were so looking forward to having us stay with them for a week. And they were excited to be grandparents.

Because I was an only child and my folks had just retired, they’d hinted at moving closer to us. Both Ronan and I supported that because we wanted our child to know their grandparents.

My mate ate all his snacks during the one-hour flight, and his grabby hands took the bag of food out of my carry-on too. I’d sneakily packed more in our checked luggage for the drive from the airport to my childhood home, even though it was only twenty minutes.

“The baby is enjoying the flight.” My mate cradled his bump. “They’re kicking me non-stop.”

As we walked into the terminal, my folks were there with a sign that read, “Welcome home, Nix, Ronan, and our grandbaby.”

They’d already “adopted” Ronan.

“How did they fit all that on a sign?” My mate giggled as my omega dad hurtled toward us, leaving my father to grapple with the sign.

Dad flung one arm around Ronan and pulled me close with the other. I breathed in the familiar scent of his shampoo, and the memory took me back to my childhood.

“My darlings, I’m so glad you’re here.”

He refused to let us go but maneuvered a little to allow my alpha father, Keith, to hug us.

“Are you hungry?” Dad asked. “I have nibbles in the car.”

Ronan’s eyes lit up, and he tucked his arm in dad’s and they spoke of food.

We talked during the short ride home, and our chatter was punctuated by my mate crunching crackers and nuts.

“I made your favorite curry and a less-spicy version in case the chili gave Ronan heartburn,” Father told us.

“Don’t worry. Our baby loves spice as much as we do.” Ronan held up an empty packet of chili cashews as evidence.

The house hadn’t changed much, and I looked forward to showing Ronan my childhood bedroom and the place in the back yard where I’d buried my hamster.

“Your swing doesn’t get much love these days, but on a summer’s afternoon, I get on it.” Adrian’s eyes were a little misty and I took him in my arms.

“Maybe we can set it up in our new place.” Father and Dad shared a glance.

“What? You’re moving?” This was the first I’d heard of it, though they’d mentioned they might, but that was always a maybe. “Where to?”

“Guess we have to tell him now.” My folks giggled.

“It’s across town from your place. About a twenty-minute drive.” Adrian’s eyes were fixed on me, as if waiting for my reaction. “It belongs to a friend, so it’s a private sale.”

They hadn’t signed the papers and would be flying into town next week.

“That’s so nice that you’ll be close by.” Ronan appeared to be genuinely happy his in-laws would be living in the same city as us.

“Is that the tree your grizzly climbed?” My mate pointed to a cherry tree.

“That’s it.” My father answered for me. “And his beast shifted halfway through the climb, and Nix thunked onto the grass.”

I’d broken my arm after that escapade, but it healed overnight thanks to my speedy shifter ability.

“You must have a lot of stories to tell of Nix meeting his beast.” Ronan was following Dad into the house.

My omega dad regaled stories of me eating dinner covered in fur and him waking me up for school when I’d had a half shift during the night.

We were staying in the guest bedroom with its own attached bathroom. But my mate was interested in my childhood room, and we spent an hour looking at my posters and reading out parts of my old diaries when I was learning how to control shifting.

Ronan picked up a photo of me as a teen with my dads and another guy.

Ted was a wolf shifter, and he was the one they’d asked to help me understand my abilities when I was struggling.

He’d also given them pointers on how to parent a kid going through not only human adolescence, but the shifter breakthrough where I met my beast.

As we ate my father’s hotter-than-hot curry and sweat poured off us, Ronan asked if he could have the recipe. “Nix isn’t one for cooking. He prefers to order in.”

“Tell me about it.” Father chortled. “He was never interested as a kid.”

“Because he was always in a hurry,” Dad added as he looked at me.

That was true. I always had somewhere to be or my beast was bugging me to shift.

After dinner as we sipped tea, my folks sat between us on the ancient sofa and flipped through photo albums.

“Awww, look at you, Nix, in your bear Halloween costume. You’re so cute.”

Father let my mate in on a secret. “The fur wasn’t part of the costume, but it was his grizzly’s.”

I cringed as photos of me as a baby, toddler, grade-school kid, and high-schooler were pored over and commented on.

Ronan wanted to know if it had been challenging raising a shifter as humans. But my parents told him he’d learn that all parenting was a challenge.

I fought back tears because no matter what I did, said, or how I acted, they loved me fiercely.

I’d missed these nights with my folks, even if they were showing Ronan pics of my bare baby butt.

They wouldn’t be in the new house by the time the baby arrived, but they’d make the move soon enough.

Becoming a father had me cherishing my family and wanting them close by.

“I love your parents.” Ronan was brushing his teeth, and we were getting ready for bed. “And they’ve embraced me as part of the family.”

"They're pretty special," I agreed, wrapping my arms around him from behind.

Our child would grow up surrounded by love from us and from my parents.

"I love you.” I kissed Ronan's shoulder and breathed in his scent while placing my hand on his belly.

"Love you too," he murmured.

After my mate fell asleep, I lay awake listening to the familiar sounds of my childhood home. The creaking of the stairs, Dad locking the front door, and Father asking if my dad had set the alarm before turning off the light.

Tomorrow I’d take Ronan around the neighborhood, pointing out where I went to school and where I’d played football.

Drive this time. No walking , my bear insisted.

I rolled on my side and placed a hand on my mate’s hip, content that he and the baby were safe and we were under my parents’ roof. I hoped I’d be as good a dad to my child as they were to me.