A year later…
“Thank you so very much,” Cotton said, shaking the elder omega’s hand. “It’s a treasure unlike anything we have so far in the collection.” He gazed at the old family bible. It had to be at least four hundred years old and held a wealth of information. “I promise you we’ll work hard to preserve it.”
“I have no cubs of my own. I’m the last of my line,” the elder male said, his frail body trembling some. “I know it’s in good hands with you, Cotton.”
Cotton drew the male close, hugging him. He stepped back, still awestruck with the family heirlooms so many omega families had parted with, entrusting them to Cotton. “It will hold an honored spot in the new museum, I promise you.”
The male smiled, his wrinkled face weathered with time. A thought occurred to him. “Perhaps you could share some stories from the past. I’d love to record them for future generations.”
A smile came to his face as an idea formed in his mind.
“I don’t know that I’m up to it today—but soon, I would like that very much,” the male said.
Cotton helped him to the door, down the front steps, and out to male’s caregiver–who waited just outside. He waved them away before walking back toward the front door of their makeshift museum. For now, it was a portable trailer that had once been used at the school before the new building had opened. Now, he and two other omegas used it as a space to collect, record, and store the items the den’s omega families brought to share.
Off in the distance, he heard the sounds of heavy machinery. Their trailer was on the outskirts of the construction, near where their building would soon be. After cataloging the family bible, he wrapped it carefully and put it into the safe that housed the most precious of their finds.
He glanced at his co-workers. “I think I’ll go to lunch, if you don’t mind?”
“Go ahead,” one said as the other smiled and nodded.
Once he left the building, he headed toward the construction. Cotton smiled as he saw the new addition. He walked down the brand new sidewalk along Running Bear Avenue. Of course, that’s all there was, besides piles of dirt, foundations, and steel. One sidewalk—but it was the first of many, and he saw some workers pouring another row. For now, the one he stood upon led to the construction trailer, where Cotton was headed, looking for his mates.
Inside it, he saw all three of his males hovering over a set of blueprints, staring silently. He slid in behind them and stared, as well.
“What are we looking at?” Cotton asked.
All three turned to him, surprised. Apparently, they’d been so lost in thought, they hadn’t realized he was there.
Dillon wrapped one arm around Cotton and rubbed the other hand down the front of his expanded belly. “We ran into a problem and need to make a change—only we can’t see an easy way to make it happen.”
“Perhaps you need to step away from it for a little while. Come have lunch with me. Then your heads will be clear and maybe you’ll figure it out,” Cotton said. “I’m famished.”
Nikos spun on the stool he sat on, exposing his rounded abdomen as well. His wasn’t as large as Cotton’s, but it wasn’t that far behind. “I’m in. I’ve been starving for the last hour.”
“There’s no way we can say no to a pregnant mate,” Ari said, helping Nikos to his feet. “Two of them? Inconceivable.”
All four of them exited the trailer and climbed into Ari’s big dual cab. Of course, he and Nikos had needed a little help getting in. Once they made it to town, they stopped at the diner that had become a habit.
Now they couldn’t take a booth. Cotton couldn’t fit—so they took a table toward the back.
After they placed their order, Cotton wanted to share. “I had an amazing idea today.”
“Do tell,” Ari said with a smile.
“An elder came in today—with a four-hundred-year-old family bible. It was amazingly detailed,” Cotton said. “And it got me thinking of all the history he’s seen. I asked him to return, so he could share some of his stories with me—and I could write them down for a written history, when it came to me. A visual history. Record our elders’ stories and have an entire collection of first person accounts of our past. Perhaps not just the omegas, but all our elders.”
“That sounds amazing,” Nikos said. “And like a huge project. It might overtake what you’re doing now.”
“I think I can do both,” Cotton said. “Although my focus is the museum right now. But I thought I might approach the alpha and see what he thinks of the project. Once the museum’s collection is set, I could turn my focus to the video histories.”
“I can’t imagine him not loving the idea,” Dillon said, taking Cotton’s hand in his. Dillon brought Cotton’s hand to his lips and pressed a kiss. “Whatever we can do to help, you know we’re there for you.”
“Agreed. The alpha seems to respect the past—and that the only way forward is to remember where we’ve been,” Ari said. “And as new shifters come to the area, they can better understand where the bears who settled here come from.”
Nikos reached across the table and laid his hand on Cotton’s free hand. “I love how much you’ve grown since taking on this role with the museum. Seeing you with so much joy for what you’re doing is wonderful.”
Cotton smiled, realizing in that moment just how blessed he was. “It beats the mines.”
“I bet,” Ari said as their food was delivered.
Cotton was famished. He dove in, devouring half his plate before the pains hit.
He reached for his abdomen, doubling over.
“Cotton?” Dillon cried.
“He’s coming,” Cotton cried, just as another pain hit.
* * * *
Deep into the evening, Cotton lay resting on a hospital bed at the clinic. Dillon held their son, swaddled in his arms as both Ari and Nikos sat on either side of him, watching the tiny cub sleep.
“I didn’t know they could be this tiny,” Dillon whispered, staring at what had to be the most beautiful face he’d ever seen.
“You have a dozen brothers,” Ari said. “And almost all your brothers have kids. You’ve seen babies before.”
“I never got this close. I was always afraid to break them,” Dillon said lowly. He was still petrified he’d harm the tiny babe, but he had reinforcements on either side. He couldn’t stop staring at this little life they’d made from nothing but love. “How can I love something that I’ve never known this much?”
“It’s sort of the way I felt when I first saw you,” Nikos said. “I didn’t know you, but I knew you were mine and you were meant to be with us.” Nikos sighed. “This is a little different—but somehow the same. He’s ours… and we love him because—”
“He’s family,” Dillon finished. He’d felt something the same when he’d first met Ari and Nikos. They’d completed some part of him, feeling like they’d been there forever and were meant to be at his side. It hadn’t been hard to accept them into his life, not when they’d opened themselves to Cotton, too. And now their little family had grown, and would soon grow some more. “I can’t imagine the two of you not being our family.”
Ari leaned in and pressed his lips against Dillon’s before allowing Nikos to steal another kiss.
“I love you, Nikos,” he murmured before turning to Ari. “And I love you, too.”
“What about me?” Cotton murmured from the bed. His eyes were hooded—and he looked exhausted.
Dillon carefully rose to his feet, still cradling the babe. “Would you like to hold your cub?”
Cotton grinned, tears in his eyes. He nodded and reached out his hands. Ari carefully lifted the back of the bed some as Dillon gingerly placed the babe in Cotton’s arms.
“He’s perfect,” Cotton murmured, smiling widely.
“Just like you, my love,” Dillon whispered before pressing a kiss to Cotton’s forehead.
All three sat on the edges of the bed, watching the little cub yawn.
And then the McCreary clan loudly descended on the quiet room—ready to welcome the newest little McCreary to Bear Mountain.
The End?