Chapter 14
Quill looked at his reflection in the mirror and tweaked his bowtie once more. It had been straight before he touched it, but he couldn’t stop fiddling with his tux. He’d been nervous when they asked Angel to marry them, even though he’d known in his heart that she would say yes. And he was just as nervous right now, too. It wasn’t that he thought she’d be a runaway bride and he and his brothers would be left at the altar, but he couldn’t shake the nerves.
Ian was pacing at the door, and Brin was staring out the window. The first Saturday in December had greeted them with a blanket of fresh snow, which was exactly what Angel had been hoping for. The scenery was gorgeous – the trees and mountains were covered in white, as if nature had decided to grant their mate her wish.
Quill forced himself to stop tugging on the bowtie and cracked his knuckles, turning away from his reflection. The last two months had passed by so quickly he felt like time was on fast-forward. After returning from Beyton, they’d been busy preparing for the November gathering, and then their first Thanksgiving together. The week following the holiday had been a whirlwind, making sure everything would be perfect for their wedding day.
Shifters normally thought of weddings as just a formality, a way to unite with their mate through a shared last name and a legal document. But marriages could be undone, couples could split and file for divorce. In the shifter world, there was no such thing as divorce. A mate was a mate, for life. Angel was theirs, and they were hers, and no piece of paper made that bond any stronger or more meaningful. But Angel’s humanity demanded they follow tradition and marry her, and he could admit to enjoying the thought of her having their last name. There was something very cool about knowing that she’d soon be Mrs. Mercer.
“You okay?” Quill asked Brin.
He turned and let out a sigh. “Yeah. Just missing Angel.”
The night without their mate had been hard on all of them. Angel had stayed at Brierley’s cabin, and Ally had joined them, with Axtyn keeping guard all night. Quill and his brothers had gone out for a bachelor’s night hunt with the baro, chasing deer and racing through the woods at top speed. He hadn’t wanted to sleep in their bed without Angel, and his brothers had agreed, so they’d crashed in the family room: Quill on the couch, Ian in the recliner, and Brin in a sleeping bag on the floor.
“We’ll see her soon enough, even though it’s not soon enough,” Ian said, not stopping his pacing.
There was a knock at the door and Richard opened it. “We’re ready for you guys.”
“Thanks,” Quill said.
They followed Richard to the main room in the campground’s biggest building, what they referred to as the Lodge. The big building looked like a rustic log cabin, but inside it had a commercial kitchen, a large meeting room, and several other smaller rooms. Angel was getting ready in a small room off the meeting room, and he couldn’t wait to see her.
The wide double doors were open, and Harry and Taylor stood on either side of them in dark suits.
“Congratulations,” Harry murmured, extending his hand.
Quill shook it with a smile. “Thanks for your help.”
An electric piano stood in the corner of the room, and Whisper sat behind it, playing a soft, lilting melody. Angel had planned to ask Whisper to be her Matron of Honor, but her best friend had asked if she could play the music for them. Instead, Brierley took the place of Maid of Honor.
Whisper saw them standing in the doorway, and the soft music swelled to fill the room. Quill and his brothers walked down the wide aisle to the Justice of the Peace and turned to face the small group. Whisper’s mates and their son, Jasper, sat in the front row, next to Angel’s mom. Bliss, her mates, and their son were in the second row with Mack and Miracle. On the other side of the aisle, Ally sat with her mates and their other son, and Axtyn sat in the row behind them.
The music continued as Brierley walked down the aisle by herself, holding a bouquet of pink-tipped roses. She smiled at her mate, and then smiled at Quill and his brothers, taking her place on the other side of the aisle. Mark and Taylor had shut the door behind Brierley in preparation for Angel’s entrance. The music switched seamlessly to the Wedding March. Everyone stood and faced the doors, which opened slowly to reveal their mate and her step-dad. Angel looked like a real angel, in a snow-white dress, her blonde hair in long curls. The strapless gown hugged her curves, making his beast sit down in wonder.
She was beautiful all the time, but today she was ethereal. A goddess to be worshipped, and he and his brothers mere mortals who were fortunate enough to have her love. As she reached the end of the aisle, she smiled sweetly at them, her blue eyes glistening with unshed tears.
The guests sat, and the Justice of Peace asked who was giving Angel to Quill and his brothers. Fred answered, “Her mother and I.”
He kissed Angel’s cheek and sat beside Darlene, who was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. Angel gave Brierley her bouquet and faced Quill and his brothers. Quill took one hand and Ian took her other, with Brin wrapping his fingers lightly around her wrist. As the ceremony continued, Quill could only think about how much he loved Angel, and how different their lives were thanks to her presence. There was hope where there had been none. A future, where before it had been unsure. And so much freaking love that he woke up every morning thanking his lucky stars she’d gone out picking wildflowers that morning.
He kissed her after their vows; he’d promised to love and cherish her forever, and he knew he would. Not only in this life, but for all eternity. He tasted the salt of her happy tears, and his own eyes stung at how happy he was.
He’d never been happier.
Angel was their shared mate, and he silently vowed that no female would ever be loved as well as theirs.
* * *
Their honeymoon passed quickly. They’d opted to take Angel to a beach resort in Florida and get out of the cold for a little while. Ian had looked forward to lounging on the beach with his family and enjoying the sun, and although the days sped by, they thoroughly enjoyed their time. They’d all come back to the campground sporting tans and big smiles. It had been a sweet time for them, but he could say that about every day that he woke up with Angel.
They were all good.
Ian had enjoyed being away, but he was happy to get home and back to their routine. It seemed impossible that four months had passed since they first met Angel. His ordinary life had suddenly become extraordinary, thanks to their hyenas finding their truemate. He wasn’t one to wax philosophical – at least not out loud – but he did think that fate had been kind to them. When he’d been at the end of his rope and numb from the inside out, Angel had given him that first, warm embrace.
Nothing was as good as being loved and loving that person in return.
Angel’s voice drew him back to the present, where they were sitting on the couch in the family room and getting ready for their first day back at work. “I need something to settle my stomach.”
He and his brothers immediately went on alert.
“Are you sick?” Brin asked.
“What do you need?” Ian demanded.
“What’s wrong?” Quill asked.
She put up her hands with a laugh. “I’m fine. I think… Well, I don’t know, but I haven’t quite felt like myself for the last week. I don’t think it’s just coming-back-from-our-honeymoon blues.”
Ian’s brow arched. “Is there even such a thing?”
She shrugged. “I think so. We spent a week in newly-wedded bliss in a beautiful, tropical place. I was a little bummed when we left.”
“We were, too,” Brin said.
Brin walked into the kitchen and came back with a can of ginger ale and a glass with ice. “Here, love,” he said, as he popped the top and poured the pale liquid into the tumbler.
“I’m not really a ginger person,” Angel said, eyeing the glass.
“It’ll make your stomach feel better,” Brin said.
Taking the glass, she sniffed it in an adorable way and took a sip. She swallowed, licked her lips, and then said, “Nope.” She rushed to the bathroom where they heard her getting sick.
Ian and his brothers stared at each other in silence.
“Do you think?” Quill asked.
“I guess we’ll ask the missus,” Ian said.
Joy filled him at the thought of Angel possibly being pregnant. They found her bent over the toilet, resting her head on her outstretched arm.
“I think there’s more going on than an upset stomach,” she said. She opened one eye and looked at them, and then smiled. “I think I’m pregnant.”
They all moved toward her, and she put her hand up. “Stop! I just got sick, don’t touch me.”
“Love,” Brin protested. “Let us help you.”
She flushed the toilet and stood, then moved to the sink where she poured a large cup of mouthwash and swished it around. When she’d done that twice, and also brushed her teeth, she wiped her mouth with a hand towel and turned to face them.
“Okay,” she said, holding out her arms, “now we can touch.”
Ian and his brothers laughed and caught her in a four-way hug, talking over each other in their excitement.
“A test first,” she said. “Just to be sure. But I think if I’m getting sick, then I’m more than a few weeks pregnant. Which means I was knocked up when we got married. The scandal!” She put her hand over her heart in mock outrage.
Ian kissed her. “It’s a good thing you made honest males of us.”
Brin opened a drawer in the bathroom cabinet and pulled out a pregnancy test. Angel’s brows rose so high that they disappeared into her hairline. “When did you get that?”
“After we moved in here. We’d talked about denning-in, but decided not to this winter since the baro doesn’t do it because of their business. Before we said we wouldn’t den-in, I started stocking for that possibility, and that included getting pregnancy tests. You don’t mind, do you?” Brin asked.
She smiled. “Are you kidding? I love your wishful thinking.”
She kissed each of them, and then shooed them from the bathroom. “Let me pee in peace, please.”
Ian didn’t point out that they had excellent hearing, or that they’d had their hands and mouths on every inch of her body, because he didn’t want to embarrass her. Instead, he and his brothers sat on the bed and waited. She opened the door and said, “Three minutes. Who’s got the time?”
Ian lifted his phone, then opened the timer app and set it for three minutes. “Come here, sweetness,” he said, patting the empty spot between him and Brin. She sat, and he kissed her temple. “Are you okay?”
“Definitely. If I am pregnant, then it’s the right time for us. We’ve all got great jobs, a beautiful home, and we’re married. I can’t think of a better early Christmas present than finding out that I’m pregnant.”
“It’s perfect,” Brin said.
The timer beeped, and Angel sent Brin to fetch the test. “My nerves are shot. I’m afraid I’m just sick and not really pregnant. Already I’m decorating the nursery in my mind.”
Brin brought the test out, and he couldn’t hide the broad smile and twinkle in his eyes.
“Really?” Angel asked, her eyes brimming with tears.
“You’re pregnant, love,” Brin said, turning the test to face them. The test’s results were clearly marked pregnant, and Ian and his brothers cheered as Angel laughed and wiped at the tears that spilled over her cheeks.
“I can’t believe it!” Angel said.
“Now this is worth celebrating,” Ian said. He stood and pulled Angel to her feet, resting his hands on her waist. “How about we go out to eat?”
Her brow arched. “We have work.”
“I’m on it,” Quill said.
“No, wait, I want to tell them,” Angel said. She held out her hand for Quill’s phone, and selected Ally’s name from the contacts. When she answered, Angel shared the good news.
“Obviously you want to celebrate,” Ally said. “Take the day and enjoy yourselves.”
“Thanks, Ally.” Angel said.
“Trust me, you’ll want to have as much time to yourselves as you can before the baby comes. Then it’s nothing but sleepless nights and diapers as far as the eye can see.”
Angel laughed. “Thankfully I’ve got three husbands to help.”
“I don’t know how a human man and woman can handle it on their own,” Ally said.
Angel ended the call and then called her parents, and her best friends, and an hour later, they were finally ready to celebrate their good news – with a tumble in the bed as they roared their happiness to the heavens. A baby was on the way. Ian couldn’t wait to meet him. Or her.
“I thought I was happy before, sweetness,” he said. “You keep raising the bar.”
She grinned, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright with passion. “Every day I get to wake up with you is better than the day before. I think it’s supposed to be that way. Today is a great day. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring.”
* * *
Brin chewed on his thumbnail as they waited in the doctor’s office for Angel’s first ultrasound. She was officially two months along. They were all excited to get this first glimpse of their little one, no matter how tiny he or she would be at the moment.
A nurse called Angel’s name from an open door.
“Hi,” Angel said as she met her at the door.
The nurse said, “Your friends can wait for you out here for a moment.”
“Not my friends, my husbands,” she corrected.
The nurse smiled. “Okay, your husbands can wait here and I’ll come get them when we’re ready.”
Angel blew them a kiss and then she was gone down the hallway, the door slowly closing. A few minutes later, the nurse appeared and brought them back to an exam room where Angel, dressed in a pink-and-blue hospital gown, was seated on the exam table. The nurse excused herself and promised to return with the doctor.
Brin took Angel’s hand and kissed it. “Are you okay?”
“Of course. The nurse asked a few questions to see how I felt about you guys and the pregnancy. She was checking to make sure I’m not abused in any way. And she was a little surprised to hear that all three of you are my husbands, but I explained that you’re shifters, and then she understood. The doctor is a wolf shifter. It’s one of the reasons that I picked her, because she’s used to being around shifters. Also, Ally recommended her.”
“Are you excited to see our baby?” Quill asked.
“I’m pretty sure he or she will look like a peanut right now, but yes, I am.” Angel smiled and pressed her hand to her abdomen. Her eyes glistened suddenly and she gave them a watery smile. “I’m so glad that we’re together. I love you guys so much.”
“We love you, too,” Brin promised.
There was a knock and then the door opened, a woman in her late forties wearing a lab coat walked in, followed by the nurse.
“Hello, I’m Doctor Sherran.” She shook their hands as they introduced themselves.
“Nancy says that you’re hyena shifters,” Dr. Sherran said as she sat on a rolling stool at a built-in desk and began to type on a small laptop.
“Yes,” Quill said.
She glanced at Angel and said, “Hyenas are more often male than female, but it depends on how much the baby takes after you, since you’re human. Generally speaking, predator shifter DNA is dominant. The way you’ll know is if you start getting hot flashes around month four.”
Angel’s eyes widened. “Hot flashes?”
Dr. Sherran nodded. “Hyena pregnancies have specific markers throughout the length of time, and hot flashes are one of them. Since they’re more often boys than girls, if you do get hot flashes, it’s a good bet that you’re carrying a boy hyena. Although, genetics is an interesting thing, and mixing shifter with human can change how the pregnancy behaves, as well as the baby.”
“He or she should be able to shift, though?” Angel asked.
“Most likely. But like anything in life, there are exceptions. I know of a few shifters who have shifting parents of the same breed and are unable to shift, so the luck of the genetic draw can change the outcome for the baby. It’s hard to tell until a child becomes a teen whether they’ll be able to shift or not.”
Brin didn’t care if their kids were shifters; he just wanted them to be healthy, and for Angel to have an easy pregnancy.
After the doctor finished with all her questions about Angel’s health history, the nurse brought in a portable ultrasound machine.
“At five months, we’ll send you to the radiology department and they’ll do an ultrasound on the belly. If the baby cooperates, you’ll get to see whether you’re having a boy or a girl. If you want to, that is.”
“Oh, I definitely want to know,” Angel said as she laid back on the table and put her feet up in the stirrups. Brin and Quill both held her hands on either side of the table, and Ian stood by her head with his hand on her shoulder.
“We do, too,” Ian said. “Gotta start thinking up some awesome baby names.”
Angel winced as the doctor pressed the ultrasound wand into her and concentrated on the screen.
“You okay, baby?” Brin whispered.
“Ah, yeah. Just…uncomfortable.”
“Sorry,” Dr. Sherran said. “It’ll just be a few minutes while I get some measurements.”
The doctor clicked around on the screen with a mouse, made notes, and murmured things to the nurse. “Okay,” Dr. Sherran said as she turned the screen to face them fully, “here’s your baby. You’re nine weeks along. Your due date is August eighteenth.”
“Oh, look! He’s so little,” Angel said, her eyes glistening with tears again.
“He’s perfect, just like his mom,” Brin promised.
“Or she,” Quill said.
“I think it’s a boy,” Angel said. “Call it mom intuition.”
“Whatever he or she is, they’re going to be so loved,” Ian said.
“You’re all adorable,” Dr. Sherran said, smiling. “I love this part, when a family is so excited for the new baby.”
They waited for the doctor to finish, and then she said, “Get dressed and meet me in my office across the hall.”
Brin handed Angel paper towels so she could clean herself, and then he gathered her clothes from the chair in the corner.
“You guys are all smiling really broadly,” she said as she tugged her jeans up. “I think you’re as happy as me.”
Quill chuckled. “We are, sweetheart.”
After talking to the doctor about the pregnancy, Angel made an appointment through the receptionist for the ultrasound at five months, and then a visit the day after that with the doctor.
“The time will go fast, I’m sure,” she said as Ian opened the door to the truck and helped her into the passenger seat.
“We’ve got lots of time to decorate the nursery and get ready for our little one,” Quill said, waiting for Ian and Brin to get into the back before he sat behind the wheel. He turned on the engine and said, “We need to celebrate.”
Angel arched her brow. “We’ve been celebrating ever since the pregnancy test came back positive.”
“Well, you know that we always want you naked and glowing with pleasure, but I meant we could go to dinner somewhere and then stop at one of the baby stores and look around.”
“Oh! That would be so nice,” Angel said.
Brin squeezed her shoulder. “What are you in the mood for?”
She looked thoughtful and then said, “Steak.”
“Oh, it’s definitely a boy,” Ian said. “Only nine weeks along and she’s already craving meat.”
She laughed. “We’ll see in a few months, but right now, momma needs a big steak and then her sexy mates.”
“You have the best ideas, sweetness,” Ian said.
Brin settled back in the seat and smiled. So much had changed in their lives since Angel had stumbled into them. He’d wondered for so long if they’d ever be able to recover from their father’s deeds, but Angel had been their balm. She’d helped them heal the damage and start fresh. Every day was brighter because she was theirs. He’d wanted love, and he had it with her. And in a few months, they’d be welcoming the first of what he hoped were many children – girls as sweet and beautiful as their mother, and boys as fierce and loyal as their fathers.
The future was wide open for them, and he’d never been happier.