Chapter 62 Reaper 39

Chapter 62 Reaper 39
“What the actual fuck Roman!” Reaper swore from the passenger side, as the car they were traveling in swerved dangerously, barely missing an oncoming car. Which honked angrily. Their cars were almost indestructible, the best on the market, yet he didn’t fancy having a head on crash. Bethany would worry, especially after what happened to Ollie. Plus, he had all sorts of things he wanted to do with her when he got home, and healing would put a delay on that. 

Twenty-Four hours was more than long enough without the feel of her smooth skin under his lips, thanks very much.

Behind them, Requiem muttered under his breath. His knuckles white as he gripped the door handle to stop himself sliding about like an overgrown baby who hadn’t been strapped down.  “Roman, stop it.”

“I need to pull over.” Romans voice was strained as he turned the wheel in a jerky movement, sending them careening onto the hard shoulder. His knuckles were white as they gripped the steering wheel.

“What the hell is going on?” Reaper leaned over; his face worried. “Were you injured?” The thought was absurd. It had been the most uneventful extraction mission possible. It definitely didn’t need three of them.

It was almost too easy.

And Reaper knew if things seemed too easy, there was usually a reason. Still Requiem trusted his little techno wiz of a friend.

“Not injured.” Roman leaned his head heavily on his arms, his voice muffled. “Stomach…”

“Do you need to shift, maybe you are coming down with something. The last place we ate was funky as hell and not in a good way,” Reaper tried. Shifting would help him, if it was a case of food poisoning. His wolf had a much tougher stomach than the man.

“It's not food poisoning.” Requiem had slid out of the back and opened the driver's side door.  “I’m surprised you haven’t clicked on yet” He leveled his yellow eyes on Reaper for a second.

How was he supposed to know what was going on? His stomach felt fine.

“Come on big lad, let's get you into the back. I think we need to get you back to your mate.”  Requiem almost carried Roman to the back, closing the door firmly behind him.

“Shit,” Reaper flashed back at a memory he had tried so hard to keep buried. That night in the desert.

When he had been awoken by the most agonizing stomach cramps he had ever encountered. Even being shot was nothing in the pain he had felt that night. Nothing was. How he had writhed in agony, calling for his mate, adamant that someone was hurting her, until Requiem made him sleep.

“Rory…” Reaper reached for his seat belt, clicking it firmly into place as the car lurched forward. It wasn’t something he usually bothered with, but he knew how quickly they were about to move. “Do you think Rory is in labour?” He muttered.

Requiem didn’t take his eyes off the road, as the car flew forward. Accelerating to over a hundred in a matter of seconds.

“What do you think? Don’t worry Roman, you will be with Rory in less than an hour. I promise.”

“Is that what I felt all those years ago? Bethany giving birth to Liv?” Reaper couldn’t help but ask, as they overtook another car with a jolt.

“Yes.”

“But you wouldn’t let me go to her.”

“You didn’t even know where she was Reaper, stop dragging it up. Do you think I was happy keeping you? Hell, I didn’t even know at the time. It was only after I saw Liv that I pieced together all the dates.”

“It felt like I was dying.”

Requiem nodded. “I know”

“How do you know?”

There was silence, and then Requiem's voice cut through. He sounded choked by tears.  “Because I felt it when Amber died giving birth to our child.”

Reaper swallowed hard. He thought he knew everything about the big dragon. He knew his mate had died, but not once had Requiem mentioned a child.

Requiem was overwhelmingly protective of their mates and children. If he had lost his own family, it all made perfect sense.

“She died giving birth to my son, I never even got to hold him.” His voice was gravelly. “I won’t have him…” He cocked his head into the direction of the back seat, and at the giant shaggy wolf who was laying whining behind him. Roman had shifted but even his animal was having a hard time dealing with the pain. “Go through that”.

“Oh Rory!” Bethany was crying openly, tears leaving streaks in her makeup. She sobbed once.

“Oh, Rory, he’s perfect.” As gently as she could, she laid the tiny bundle onto her friend's glistening chest. Covering him with a clean towel.

“He?” Rory’s eyes fluttered closed. A single tear escaping her closed lids. “Did you say ‘he’?”

“A beautiful baby boy.” Bethany kissed her sweaty brow. “You did so well!”

She watched as Rory peaked under the towel. A smile spread across her sweaty face.  “Oh my god, he is so tiny!” She was crying freely now. “And beautiful. But so, so tiny. How can something so tiny hurt so damn much?”

They shared a smile. Mothers sharing a secret.

“Let me go and see what that is.” The pounding on the front door was getting louder, the front windows shook as she slipped from the small room. Wiping the blood from her hands.

She had helped Rory give birth. It hadn’t quite sunk in yet.

The young blonde wolf was hurrying to open the door, almost being trampled on as Roman barged through. Requiem and Reaper close behind. They stopped at the sight of the blood on her hands.

Roman’s eyes went wide, filled with fear. “Rory,” he whispered. “Where is Rory?”

Bethany stepped aside. “She is in the back room, go and meet your child.”

“Is she okay?” Reaper gripped her tight, his arms around her shoulders. “Are you okay?” he searched her face.

“They are fine, perfect in fact.” She rested her forehead on his chest. “Perfect.” Now the adrenaline was waning, she felt tired. Her limbs started to shake.

“You need…”

“I’m fine, Reaper, honestly. I need to help clean up, and have a quick shower…” Her last words were muffled as Roman came rushing out of the room, sweeping her into his arms and showering her face with kisses.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”