Arranged Bonds

Chapter 18: Decisions

I haven't seen Beatrix for a while and I'm now technically 4 months in werewolf terms. Only 2 months to go. Rose had her baby. A girl and she named her Danica just as she said she would.

Evie is so happy she's bubbling over with excitement as she leads me to meet her baby sister. Levi is in the bed with Rose, holding baby Dani's hand. It's an adorable scene. Cole is sitting in a chair beside her. A proud father. Evie runs to him, jumps into his arms. "Luna wanted to see baby Dani, so I brought her with me!"

Cole is smiling at her. "But you didn't remember to bring the lemonade for your mother silly girl." He's ruffling her hair and she's complaining as she rushes off to grab the cold beverage.

"She's beautiful Rose." I walk closer, greeting this new member of the pack, welcoming her.

Rose is beaming and I can only hope to look as beautiful as her after giving birth, but then again she's had a few days to recover before my visit.

I don't stay long before I head over to the opposite end of the clinic for my checkup. I might find out the sex of the baby's today, if they are in the right position.

I find Nox in the waiting room and slowly make my way to him. He's cleanly shaven today. Something he hasn't done in a while and I smile as I lean down to kiss his stubble free jaw. He jerks away, startled and I frown at him. I don't get to say a word before arms are wrapped tight around my waist and a growl is piercing my ears.

"Ahhhh! Nox!" I'm screaming for his help, but he just sits there studiously. He's acting so strange and I'm about to scream for Beatrix when a voice is in my ear.

"Don't ever kiss my brother like that again." I look up into another pair of silver pools. This one has his stubble and I'm shocked.

"Your... Your..." I can't form a sentence as I turn my head back. "Hux?" I'm questioning him. I've never seen him without a beard before. I never knew how identical he was to Nox until this moment.

Nox is growling again and I'm slapping his chest, trying and failing to pull away from his grasp. His hands are holding tightly to our babies and I can feel his jealousy in waves.

"Nox... I'm sorry I didn't realize... I've never..." I'm shocked again when I feel something hit me from the inside, impairing my speech further. It had felt like my stomach had dropped, like I was riding a thrilling theme park ride and my stomach had dropped from right under me.

I feel it again moments later and this time Nox is the one fumbling for words as his jealous anger dissipates in a matter of seconds.

I'm beaming, Hux forgotten until Beatrix comes out. She still looks bad and she can't make eye contact with Hux. There's a lot of tension in the room suddenly. She rushes us into the examination room and I'm behind the curtain, changing, so confused. I don't ask questions now though, this is about the babies.

Nox is seated beside me and Beatrix is placing the wand over the cold gel on my overgrown stomach. She moves it around while asking questions. I answer diligently. She seems hollow. "Baby 1 seems to be a.... Girl." I'm so happy. Girls to spoil and dress up and have tea parties with. "Baby 2 is.... Definitely... Not a girl. Baby 2 is a boy." I don't have time to process the information before she's rushing me out and I don't say a word.

Nox is quiet as we walk back to the pack house. "So...." I start. "When did Hux return and why am I just now hearing about it?"

He's scrunching his eyes, thinking. "He showed up the night of the attack." It goes unsaid that he's speaking about Beatrix's Rape. "He said he knew you were looking for him, thought you needed help. He followed you here. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to stress you out little bird." He's stopped now.We're standing on the back porch. Everyone scatters, giving their leaders some privacy.

"Why would that stress me out? I told you. Hux is like a brother to me." My hands are on my hips. I'm a little upset that instead of the excitement of knowing the sexes of the little kicking lives inside me we are arguing over this.

"There's a lot of tension around us, a lot of tension around them too. The whole pack is tense about this. I know you've noticed, but it's worse when he's actually around. You said he was drinking, well he still is. I don't know how to help him and I thought it would be best to keep it from you until I could make amends with him, if I make amends with him."

He hangs his head at the last part and I reach up to throw my arms around his neck the best I can with my now humongous bump between us. He bends to run his hands around our baby's. "Let's forget about that for now. I want to make some decisions." I'm pursing my lips, hoping this won't upset him. The last time I brought up names I was spiteful, so I haven't been able to ask him until now.

He slowly let's the tension roll off his body and we begin our ascent up the stairs to the bedroom. I grab the baby naming ok I borrowed from Rose and hold it out to him. "I want you to name them." I lower my eyes.

He sits on the couch and I can feel his joy in the new topic change. "You want me to?" He's smiling. I'm nervous. I'm hoping he won't bring up the name Lillian.

He's opening up the book, pausing to look in my direction, patting the seat beside him for me. "This is a decision for the both of us."

I sigh and lean against him as he flips through the pages. "I like Finley for a boy." I say just before he passes the page.

"I want to name them after birds. Just like you little bird." I scrunch my nose.

"Well then what about Willow for a girl, since you've cried like a weeping willow through this pregnancy?" He's laughing and running his fingers softly over our babies. I'm smiling.

"That could work..." I don't let on that I love it. "But what about the boy?"

"I think.... Talon?" He's indecisive on this one. Not as sure and neither am I. I scrunch my nose again. "Well we have a little while longer. We don't have to decide right now. We will think of something." And we will. Eventually.