My back hurt, my feet ached, I was hungry, and I was horny. And I was further irritated by the fact that Levi wasn't around for me to complain to. Never mind the fact that he had gone to pick up Chinese because I had been craving it enough to threaten murder forty-five minutes ago. Now I wanted sex more than food, and he wasn't here.

I was already naked on the couch, prepared to jump him as soon as he came in the door. Forget food. Or maybe incorporate the food? I shook my head at the image of covering Levi in General Tso's. I liked spicy in the bedroom, but maybe not that kind of spicy. Depending on how long my need for sex overruled my need for food, we might find out.

Dammit. I couldn't even reach my dick, I was so fucking pregnant. And I was so fucking pregnant, I couldn't even lay on my stomach and rut against a pillow like a teenage boy to get relief. Preston wouldn't shut up about how much bigger I was with twins than he had been with Amy. Sure, that made sense, but he didn't have to mention it every damn time I saw him.

Maybe I was just being bitchy. But didn't I have that right?

I just wished we had a more certain due date. But since I couldn't pin down a conception date, all we had were guesstimates. And our best guess was two weeks from now. I couldn't imagine growing any larger. I grabbed a pillow and pressed it to my face to muffle my screams of frustration.

My scream covered up the sound of Levi unlocking the front door. "Are you trying to suffocate yourself?" he asked. I dropped the pillow to see him smiling at me with amusement, his arms full of bags of food. "I'd much prefer it if you didn't."

Yes! My mate was here! Finally, I could—I tried to leap off the couch and fell back.

I could—I tried to roll to the side, but my sciatic nerve screamed in pain and I collapsed in exhaustion.

I couldn't.

I didn't bother reaching for the pillow this time as I vented my frustration. Levi laughed, and I commanded him, "Come here."

Levi quickly set the food down and joined me, lifting me into a somewhat manageable position with us both on our sides. We didn't really fit on the couch this way, but it was comfortable for me, and Levi never complained.

One hand rested under my cheek while the other caressed my giant stomach on its way down.

"You sure you don't want to eat first?" Levi asked, just before stroking my dick with one finger.

"Shut up and kiss me," I growled. He complied.

I lost myself in the heat of Levi's hand, in the strength of his kiss. It made the aches and pains fade into the background.

Which made it even more disconcerting when all of a sudden, my legs were wet.

Levi stopped kissing me. "Uh, dude? Did you come already?"

I growled and closed my eyes. Even though this was my first rodeo, I knew what this had to be. "No, dumbass. I think my water just broke."

"But... but the babies aren't due for another two weeks!" Levi's mouth gaped open in shock.

"Well, tell that to them," I grumbled, pushing him away. I had to get off this couch and dry off.

Levi finally got with the program, scrambling up and pulling me with him. When I stood, it was like turning a pitcher upside down—more water just flowed out of me, soaking the carpet below me. Levi just stared at it.

"Don't just stand there! Get me a towel or something!"

"Right! Right. Towel. Then keys. Baby bag. Gotta get to the hospital."

I tried a few experimental steps after Levi, but that just seemed to release more liquid, so I waited impatiently for him to bring me a towel and then wrapped it around my bottom like a loincloth. By the time I started waddling back to our room, Levi had piled our hospital things at the front door and came around to shepherd me outside.

"Levi, I am not going to the hospital wrapped only in a towel. I need to get dressed first."

"Oh, good idea." He changed direction and ushered me to our room while I rolled my eyes.

I threw half my wardrobe on the bed, grumbling. What was I supposed to wear when this fluid wouldn't stop just leaking out of me? I'd read somewhere about buying adult diapers, and I'd meant to do that, but I’d thought we had time.

"What about these?" Levi asked, holding up a pair of his black sweatpants. They were entirely too large for me, but... it meant I could waddle with a towel between my legs and any wetness wouldn't be completely obvious. At least they had a drawstring, so they wouldn't fall off my ass.

"Give them here." I swapped out for a smaller towel and tucked it into a pair of clean boxer briefs—which Levi had to help me into.

But he wouldn't have to help me for much longer. It finally hit me that this was happening. The babies were coming. I'd hold them in my arms and be able to see my toes again—and right at that moment, I wasn't sure which I was more excited about.

Probably the babies.

Okay, definitely the babies. But my toes were pretty exciting, too.

I made Levi grab an extra towel on the way to the SUV and put it underneath me before climbing into my seat. Levi made sure I was settled, then threw the bag into the back, muttering, "Hospital bag, check. Car seats, check. Cell phone... uh... check. Keys..."

They jingled, and I dug my fingers into my thighs. "Levi..."

Levi closed the door and ran to the driver's seat. "Should we call anyone? Let them know?"

I didn't care what he did as long as we were on our way to the hospital. "Levi, just drive."

I screamed through another contraction.

"Are you sure you don't want an epidural?" the nurse asked again. "It'll be too late soon."

I grabbed her by her scrubs and pulled her face as close to mine as I could. If I hadn't needed drugs to get through six years of hell, I could manage it for six hours. "No. Fucking. Drugs."

Her face went white, and when I released her, she scrambled as far away from me as she could while still being in the room.

"Can we get someone else?" Levi growled, standing by my side. "And where is Dr. Anderson?"

"Right here, dear," the doctor said, entering the room. "Mariana, can you send in Rachel to replace you?"

"And no more asking about drugs," Levi said firmly.

Dr. Anderson patted his arm placatingly. "I'm well aware of Cody's wishes, Levi. I'm sorry Mariana wasn't respectful of them. I will handle it later. But right now, we have some babies to birth."

The door to the room opened and closed, and a new nurse came to stand by Dr. Anderson's side.

"Gentleman, this is Rachel. Rachel, you read my notes?"

Rachel nodded with a no-nonsense manner. "Of course."

"Now, Cody, let's take a look..." Dr. Anderson pulled up a short stool and lifted the gown that lay over my legs. My muscles were burning, like something was trying to rip me apart. "Looks like baby number one is crowning! We're about to start pushing, but take a minute to try to relax, take a few ice chips, and concentrate on your breathing.”

Levi came behind me and started trying to massage my shoulders. "Get your hands off me," I growled. Every touch, every sound was distracting me right now.

"I was just—"

"Don't."

"Do you want me to—"

I knew it was driving both him and his wolf insane, not knowing how to help me, but the best thing he could do right now was nothing. I needed every iota of mental capacity to focus on getting through this.

"No. Don't talk. Don't move. Just let me focus."

"Are you having a baby or robbing a bank?" Dr. Anderson quipped, breaking the tension.

"Doc, don't make me laugh! It hurts!" I complained.

"It releases painkilling hormones," she countered. "And you're going to need them. Ready?"

I did my best to take a deep breath. "Ready."

"On three..."

Levi hovered next to me, not moving as I’d commanded. Now that the moment was upon me, however, I wanted the comfort of his touch. I reached out and grabbed his hand and felt some of the stress leave him.

"One... two... three!"

Irene Katelyn Thurman-Evans was born seven minutes before her brother, Allan Thomas, at 4:12 in the morning. Irene after my mother, Katelyn after Levi’s. Allan after his father, Thomas after mine. These kiddos might never meet their actual grandparents, but at least they’d carry a piece with them their entire lives.

After both babies were cleaned up, had their first feedings, and were bundled into warm outfits, their bassinets were placed between my hospital bed and the couch Levi managed to fold himself into before we called Ray and Papa P and chaos descended on us.

"Who's your favorite uncle?" Ezra asked Irene shamelessly. He answered for her in a squeaky voice, not caring she was asleep or too small to even understand him. "Uncle Ezra!" He lifted one of her fists in mock triumph.

Zeke held Allan. "Well, if you're her favorite, then I'm this little dude's favorite."

"What about the rest of us?" Boomer asked. "Are we chopped liver?"

"It's a twin thing, Boomer. You wouldn't understand." The older twins wore matching expressions of smugness as they held the new twins.

"You realize they're never going to stop with that twin schtick," Ray murmured to me. I smiled sleepily. I had worried at times about not having family for the kids to grow up with—but I realized that had been a foolish concern. Levi and I might not have any living blood relatives, but we definitely had family.

"I wonder how Amy's going to react when she sees the babies," Noah said.

"Was she ever that little? I don't remember her being that tiny." Preston lay his head against Noah's chest, his alpha's arms wrapped lovingly around him.

Levi had slipped into the bathroom after greeting everyone, and still looked half asleep as he came out. "Where's Cindy?" he asked.

"She stayed home with Amy. Our little girl has a runny nose, and we just didn't want to chance passing it on to the babies."

I hadn't even thought about that. These little creatures were so fragile! How in the world were we going to keep them alive to adulthood?

Levi saw the panic raising in my eyes, and turned to ask Zeke for Allan, who was closest. My anxiety stopped in its tracks and turned to concern when I saw Levi had somehow managed to tuck his shirt into the back of his lacy teal boxer briefs. I mean, thank goodness it wasn't a thong, but...

I opened my mouth as Levi turned back to me, trying to figure out how to tell him, but then he was placing Allan in my arms, his back to his entire team who couldn't help but notice his less-than-macho underwear. I didn't want my babies' birth to be tainted by their teasing Levi for his secret. There was nothing shameful about it, but would everyone else on his team feel the same?

Noah caught my eye and shook his head. I breathed a sigh of relief. No one would say anything... at least for now. They were aware of the idea of an appropriate time and place... or at least Noah was, and he'd keep the others in line.

I tried to snake an arm out from under Allan to fix Levi's shirt, but he moved away too fast as he went to pick up Irene.

"Where's Jonah?" I asked. Other than Cindy, he was the only other missing member of our crew.

Our crew. I wasn't sure when I had come to include myself, but it sounded right.

Boomer shook his head. "Too many cameras. He wouldn't step foot on the property."

"Cameras?" I asked, confused. I knew Jonah didn't like having his picture taken, but everyone was aware of that and generally gave him fair warning before taking snapshots—though to be fair, there had been a lot of pictures this morning.

"Security cameras," Levi specified. "He's... a little paranoid."

"Which is kind of funny, given he's the one always hacking into security systems for us," Ezra said.

Zeke shrugged. "That's probably why he's paranoid. Doesn't trust anything he can easily break in to."

Everyone got their chance to snuggle each baby, and even though I stayed in my bed, I found myself yawning.

Papa P stood and made a shooing motion. "Okay boys, I think it's time we get a move on. You just let us know when Wendy says you're ready to come home, and we'll make sure everything is ready for you."

"Wendy?" I asked sleepily.

"Dr. Anderson," Papa P supplied. "She's been a friend of the family since I gave birth to Noah."

"Thanks for coming by, everyone," Levi said, settling each baby into their bassinet and seeing everyone to the door. "We really appreciate it."

"No, thank you for letting us take some of your precious time with your family, son." Ray shook Levi's hand. "Those are some mighty pretty babies you have there."

Levi beamed, looking back at me. "They have a pretty papa," he said, his smile soft and gentle, no irony at all. I looked away. I was only tearing up because I was so exhausted. It had nothing to do with my amazement and gratitude that Levi never once indicated that he thought of the babies as anything other than his.

His words from my first day here came back to me, about how he knew who my baby’s daddy was… and I finally understood he’d meant himself all along. He’d planned to be their father from the moment we’d met? I dashed away my tears as he closed the door and turned to me.

"Levi, come here." As tired as I was, I put the strength of a command in my tone.

Levi's eyes glinted with anticipation as he prowled over to the bed, leaning over me, clearly anticipating a kiss. "Yes, my omega?"

I circled my hands around his back and he leaned into my touch. I smiled at him, then jerked his shirt out of his underwear.

Levi's expression shifted from confusion to mortification and he reached back, as if he couldn't believe he'd been flaunting his secret publicly for the last half hour.

I patted his cheek and leaned up for a kiss. "You're welcome."