I pulled the ring out of my pocket for the hundredth time, just making sure it was still there. Hanging from a chain. Thad was officially at the swollen extremities stage of his pregnancy, and his fingers and toes often resembled adorable little sausages. So, although I didn’t want to wait until after the baby arrived to propose, I knew trying to fit a ring on his finger tonight would be a bad idea. The matching gold chain that I hoped he wouldn’t mind wearing around his neck was the best solution I could come up with.

Assuming he said yes.

I ordered a limo to drive us around for the night because I wanted to make this birthday special and I didn’t want to worry about parking or not being able to makeout on the road. The car arrived at exactly five, just as Thad stepped out of the bathroom looking like a runway model. His ginger locks were piled in a perfect mess on top of his head while the sides and back were shaved short. He was easily overheated these days and would have gone completely bald if I hadn’t mentioned liking something to hold on to while he was sucking my dick.

Since I wasn’t the one driving, and I wanted tonight to be fancier than Mapleville could offer, we went a few towns over to a new steakhouse that had been getting rave reviews. I wasn’t sure I could get the reservation for tonight, but when I mentioned it was both of our birthdays and that I planned to propose at dinner, they quickly found a table for us. I just hoped the eagerness that was displayed over the phone didn’t seep into their service and give away my surprise. At least not until I was ready for the big reveal.

Once inside the restaurant, we were taken to a beautifully arranged table in the center of the restaurant. Okay, not subtle at all...but Thad didn’t seem suspicious as he took the seat I offered and admired the menu.

“This place is amazing, Ren.” He glanced around the room as if he were looking for the president or a celebrity of some kind. I made a mental note to take him to nicer restaurants more often. “How did you get a reservation? I heard they’re booked six months out.”

I waggled my eyebrows from above my menu. “I have my ways…”

He looked at the menu again. “Well, if this is one of your ways of getting in my pants later, it’s working. I’m officially in love.”

My breath hitched as I stared into Thad’s emerald-green eyes. We’d already declared our love for each other before I moved in, but it still made my heart skip a beat and my belly flutter every time I heard it with such sincerity. “I’m glad to hear that.”

He smiled broadly as he ooh’d and aww’d over the menu. My anxiety was growing by the minute and I needed to pop the question before I could focus on anything else. Just as Thad looked up at me to tell me his final selection from the menu, I slid off my chair and dropped to a bent knee in front of him.

His eyes grew to the size of beach balls as he watched me pull the gold band from my pocket.

“Alistair Thaddeus Eardt, you have been the most important person in my life since the first moment I saw you.” I reached for his hand and held it to my chest while he covered his gaping mouth with the other. “I plan to spend the rest of my days loving you and taking care of you and our family, and I’d like to start that as your husband as soon as possible. Will you marry me?”

Tears streamed from both eyes as Thad nodded vigorously and dropped down into my arms. “Yes, alpha. Always yes.”

I buried my face in the crook of Thad’s neck and held him while I inconspicuously wiped a rogue tear from my cheek. “I love you, Thad.”

“I love—” Thad bucked out of my arms and almost hit the floor before I caught him.

“Are you okay?” I asked. He looked pale and not at all as happy as I expected him to be at this moment.

Thad shook his head and slowly looked down between his legs. “My water just broke.”

“Oh shit.” I pulled out my wallet and threw several twenties on the table. I wasn’t even sure if we’d ordered anything yet, but we’d definitely made a mess, so someone deserved a big tip. We just didn’t have time to wait around to figure out who. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”

I swooped Thad into my arms and walked out of the restaurant. Our driver was smoking a cigarette across the parking lot and saw us approaching. He immediately opened the door so I could slide Thad into the back of the car and then got the engine started so we could take off. Of course, we were a good fifteen minutes from the hospital, but the doctor had assured us on all our recent visits that first babies are usually slow to deliver, so I expected we’d have several hours if not a full day of waiting ahead of us.

I was wrong.

We’d barely gotten on the road when Thad started pulling off his pants. “It’s coming. I can feel it.”

I helped him undress but didn’t believe him until I saw with my own eyes that he was already crowning. “Drive faster!” I screamed to the driver as I helped Thad into a comfortable position.

We’d watched tons of videos about all the different birthing positions possible, so I’d hoped one would feel right to Thad when the time came. “How do you want to do this?”

He shook his head as he moved from his back to all fours. “I don’t know. What if we do it wrong?”

“That baby is coming whether we’re ready or not, so just brace yourself and push…”

“I don’t want to.” He had his forehead resting on the seat as he took fast and shallow breaths. “I want to wait for a doctor.”

I wanted that too, but I wasn’t sure it would happen. “Okay, just breathe through the contractions for now.” I took exaggerated breaths to help pace him. Within a few moments, Thad was focused on me and mimicking my breathing.

“Yeah, that’s better.” His face was red and distorted in pain so I didn’t believe him, but I figured if he was strong enough to lie about his pain, he was strong enough to handle it. “I can hold on.”

“Five more minutes,” the driver called from the front seat. “We’re almost there.”

“Hear that, Thad?” I rubbed his back and kept my breathing steady as he braced for another contraction. “We’re almost there.”

He nodded but didn’t open his eyes. “So is the baby…”

“What?” I moved back to Thad’s legs just in time to see my baby’s head emerge, quickly followed by the rest of my sweet baby boy.

“Sweep the mouth with your finger,” Thad whispered as he collapsed onto the limousine floor. “I need to hear it.”

“Him, little omega. We have a baby boy.” I did as I was told and was rewarded with a ear piercing squeal from my son.

“A boy?” Thad opened his eyes and smiled. “We have a son?”

I pulled my shirt over my head and wrapped the baby in it to ward off the chill just as the car pulled to a stop. “We’re here.”

“I want to hold him,” Thad said even as the door was opened and a nurse reached in to pull him onto a gurney.

“We’re right beside you, baby.” I climbed out of the car and let one of the doctors wrap the baby in a blanket before placing him on Thad’s chest as they were both wheeled into the hospital. “Always.”