Chapter 25

“Sweetheart, are you okay?”

He nodded at Mason, who was looking at him through the rearview mirror. “Just…just drive a little faster, alpha. Please.”

“Of course.”

“Alphas, the two of you have to try to calm…oh, shit!” he shouted when the pain hit him again. He huffed and puffed as he regulated his breathing to the best of his ability. “Don’t…don’t be frightened, alphas. You’re…you’re both releasing an overpowering odor. Your anxiety isn’t…isn’t helping me at all.”

The alphas didn’t respond verbally, but within minutes, he was able to breathe better. He could detect the normal scents of his alphas once again. They helped to ease his nervousness. For the remainder of the journey to the hospital, he was bombarded with multiple contractions, but Kian continued to kiss his forehead and whisper soothing words in his right ear. He squeezed his alpha’s hand and thigh whenever the pain overwhelmed him.

In all honesty, he had no idea when they reached the hospital. All he was aware of was the immense relief he felt at the sight of his doctor. He didn’t even know when he was wheeled into the operating room, but he heard his alphas screaming outside the room. He was informed the alphas weren’t permitted entry into the room because it was highly likely they’d go feral when he was cut open for the C-section, which would put him, the babies, the nurses, and the doctor in danger.

Fortunately, his alphas stopped shouting after a minute or so. His heart beat faster and harder when the IV was placed in his arm because he’d soon be meeting his babies face-to-face. Then there was the epidural to numb the lower half of his body. Time passed in slow motion after that. He didn’t know how many minutes drifted by as the doctor and nurses performed the C-section, but he lay his head down and attempted not to think about the blood or the fact that his stomach was sliced open.

He couldn’t deny he was more than a little scared, but he had faith in the doctor and nurses. All his fears disappeared when his first child was placed in his arms after the baby had been cleaned up. He sobbed as he placed a gentle kiss on the baby’s forehead before rubbing his nose tenderly against his son’s cheeks. He repeated the same scent-marking process with his two other sons. He was still carrying his third child in his arms when Kian and Mason rushed into the room.

“Baby.”

“Sweetheart.”

“Hello, alphas.”

The alphas were about to approach him and the baby when two nurses gave one son each to the alphas. Blake smiled and cried while watching his alphas nuzzling and kissing the babies in their arms. He was delighted when Kian and Mason approached and stood on either side of him.

“What are we naming them?” Mason asked. “Are we still in agreement with Patrick for the oldest, Alexander and then Carter for the youngest?”

Blake grinned at Kian. “Sure. Kee, we should also tell him now.”

Mason stared at Kian and Blake in confusion. “Tell me what?”

“I don’t have any siblings, but I have plenty of cousins to carry on the family’s name,” Kian said.

“So do I,” Blake added. “But, Mase, your parents are all only children as well. You have no cousins to continue your family’s name.”

“Blake and I agreed a few days ago that the babies will all take on your last name instead of ours.”

Mason gaped at them. “But…are you sure?”

Blake nodded. “Yes, alpha. In fact, Kian and I will also change our last names to yours. It doesn’t matter who the winning sperm belongs to. The three of us are going to be their fathers, so we will register our family as the Armstrongs.”

“Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” Kian said. “Anyway, let’s swap. I want to hold one of my other sons. You can have the one in my arms.”

It wasn’t easy for the alphas to transfer the babies between them, but they managed to do it in the end. Blake suppressed his amusement as he observed the alphas cooing at all three babies. He could tell how protective the alphas would be of their children. It was also obvious how difficult it was for both alphas to relinquish the triplets to the nurses several minutes later, but they agreed with plenty of reluctance after being reassured that the babies would be all right.

Blake was put in a hospital room with two beds in it, but the other bed was empty. It was similar to having a single room of his own. The doctor visited him later to check on him and to tell him he would be given more pain medication later to take the edge off any post-surgical pain. In addition, he would be hospitalized for a minimum of two days. After that, the doctor would have to be certain Blake was healing before he could be discharged. The alphas stood on either side of his bed and kissed him briefly one at a time before thanking him.