Reckless Regrets
Chapter 80

Kade

***Two and a Half Months Later***

“Sugar, you need to sit down. Please. The baby isn’t due until next week, so all this walking is just going to wear you out.”

“I can’t sit down, Kade. My a*s hurts, and my h**s hurt, and my back hurts. The only time they feel anything close to okay is when I’m up and walking. Just let me do what I need to do; I promise I will be alright.”

Morgan’s stomach had grown from a small bump to a massive belly that she had to hold up with her hands anytime she wasn’t in a seated position. Vanessa was thirteen pounds at our last appointment and was probably going to gain another pound or so before she was born. Through all the aches and pains, Morgan rarely complained. She took everything in stride, and with Cameron stepping up to cater to her, she enjoyed being treated like a queen.

“I’ve got to pee again, and I’m hungry. I’d love some of that pizza we had in Paris, but I’ll settle for a bag of pretzels and some peanut butter,” she said. Morgan then shuffled out of the living room to the bathroom for the third time in thirty minutes.

“She’ll be fine; you remember I did that same thing with the twins? The moving around helps a lot,” Taylor advised.

“But Morgan’s worn out already since she can’t get comfortable enough to get a decent night’s sleep. How is this helpful?” I asked.

“Because she’s burning through what little energy she has left, and walking is taking the pain away from those achy joints. So when she does finally get to bed tonight, she’s going to pass the hell out, I promise you,” she advised.

“I hope you’re right. How are you feeling? Didn’t you guys have an appointment today?”

“We did, and everything is perfect. The girls are both healthy, and thankfully they don’t constantly fight like their brothers did; I couldn’t handle that a second time around.”

I was right when I’d predicted another set of multiples for Matt, Taylor, and Tyson. This time they were having twin girls, but still, one wolf and one hybrid and Aires and Henry were having a son. All around the packhouse, there was baby talk, and we were all excitedly awaiting their arrival.

“Let’s go, Tesoro, your lunch is waiting for you,” Matt popped his head around the corner and said.

“And how much of it is some leafy green crap?” Taylor replied.

“75%; now get in here and eat it, you’ve been eating junk all day.”

Taylor tried to give him a pout, but all that did was make Matt walk to the couch, lift his wife up, then carry her to the kitchen where a massive salad was waiting. “Kale taste like s**t,” Taylor advised when she looked down into the bowl.

“Maybe it does, but you’re still eating it,” Matt replied. I found it funny that now the only time he could tell Taylor no, or be firm with her, was when she was pregnant, and she hated that. Any other time, he let her do whatever she wanted, within reason.

Tyson walked in and leaned over the island, forked up some of the salad, and held it to Taylor’s mouth. She gave both guys evil stares, but soon opened her mouth and began to eat. “Kade’s letting Morgan have pizza and pretzels; with peanut butter! Why can’t I have pizza?”

“Morgan also ate an omelet stuffed with veggies for breakfast while you had a huge blueberry muffin. You have to balance this out, beautiful; you and the girls will suffer if you don’t eat right, and you know it, so stop complaining and eat,” Tyson replied.

“She’s so stubborn when she’s knocked up; I don’t know how those two deal with it,” Morgan slowly walked over and said.

“They love her; you’ll put up with anything when you love someone. You ready to eat now?” I asked.

“Yes. Loaded macaroni and cheese, please.”

“Uhh, that’s not what we discussed a few minutes ago,” I replied.

“I know, but like you just said, you put up with anything when you love someone. So let’s start cooking.” Morgan then walked away and took a seat next to Taylor.

By “lets,” I knew that Morgan meant me. Once she found it hard to stand without supporting her belly, it became routine for her to sit and instruct me while I did the actual cooking. It was fun at times, and sometimes it sucked, but my girls were being fed so I didn’t mind too much.

I followed her to the kitchen and began to pull out the supplies she named off. When Taylor saw what was being made, everyone got the death stares, and I was positive that if she could stab us the way she was thrusting her fork into that bowl, it would be a bloody gruesome scene.

***

Morgan

I knew that all the walking I’d been doing was good for something. I was utterly exhausted and couldn’t wait to pass out in bed. I’d ordered a body pillow with excellent reviews and was planning to wrap myself around that bad boy and sleep for an entire week. But before I could do that, I needed to check on Cameron.

All of the kids had gone on a field trip organized by Matt’s parents, so he’d been gone all day, playing in an apple orchard and having the time of his life. When James and Giana dropped everyone off, all eight babies were knocked out, which made us parents extremely happy. But I still missed my big boy and needed to k**s him before bedtime.

I tiptoed into his room, where he was lightly snoring in his electric blue race car bed. I knew that he had to have been tired because his usually perfectly clean room had a few action figures and stuffed dinosaurs still set up on the rug. I squatted down to pick them up, then felt a sharp pain in my lower back, followed by a trickle of warm water running down my thigh.

I went down to my hands and knees and took a few deep breaths before I tried to push myself back up, but it was no use. I was sure that I was going into labor, and of all places, it had to be on my four-year-old son’s racetrack rug. My first thought was to link Kade, but when I did, I was met with a block. s**t! He’d told me they were having an important meeting, and I would have to text if I needed anything. As my luck would have it, my phone was on the charger next to my bed, so I was totally screwed.

I was hit with a sharp pain that made me want to vomit it was so strong. I shut my eyes and bit my l*p as I tried to breathe through it. I must have m****d or cried out in some way because I’d unknowingly woken Cameron.

“Mommy? Why are you on my floor? Did you want to play with the Rexasaurus? He’s really cool,” he sleepily told me.

“I’m going to have to play with him another day, baby. Would you do Mommy a favor and go to your Uncle Xander’s office to get your daddy? Tell him that Vanessa is coming, and I need him to come quickly. Can you do that for me?” I asked. I was trying to be as calm as possible, but I was internally panicking. If Cameron didn’t get Kade, who knew how long I would be on the floor waiting for help? I was a bear, so the only person I could link was my mate, and he couldn’t f*****g hear me.

“Are you okay, Mom?”

Cameron could see the pain on my face and probably noticed my labored breathing; he was so smart and observant. “Not really, big boy. That’s why I need your help, go get your daddy for me please.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back! Don’t worry, Mommy!”

Cameron jumped out of his bed and ran out of the room. I heard his feet as they hammered up the hardwood stairs and thanked the heavens that Kade was only one floor up. I began to hum as I felt my uterus have its first major contraction. It zapped my already depleted body, so as gently as I could, I rolled over to my side and curled into a tight ball. Sweat beads were forming on my upper l*p and forehead even though it wasn’t more than seventy degrees in the room, and I knew that my body was preparing for the battle of childbirth. As the contraction subsided, I heard another stampede of feet, but I could tell that this time, they belonged to the adults.

Kade rushed in, holding Cameron and gently set him on his feet before running to my side. “Why didn’t you text me, baby? Or call, I’m so sorry I had the block up.”

“My phone is charging, and I understand the block, we’re alright,” I said as I rubbed his cheek.

“I let Dr. Bennett know what’s up; she’ll be at the clinic in ten minutes,” Xander said from the door.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pull you all from your meeting, I know it was important,” I said. All five of the men were in the room, and I hated that they were making a fuss over me.

“It was important, but not as important as this. We can always reschedule,” Xander assured me.

“Is Mommy broken? Like Gill or my other mommy?” Cameron whispered from the corner.

“She’s alright, buddy. Your little sister is just ready to get here and see you, and it’s making Mommy’s tummy hurt a little bit, that’s all,” Kade stated. He then scooped me and began to carry me to the clinic.

“Could someone get Michelle up here to take care of Cam? I know he’s still tired from the field trip,” I told the men.

“I already linked her, Sugar. Just relax, and everything will be alright,” Kade gently replied. I shut my eyes and rested my head on his chest, and he carried me through the house to the clinic. I ignored all shouts and chaos while focusing on my breathing and not screaming out from the pain.

When we arrived, I was placed in my room and thankfully changed into a robe, allowing me to get out of the soaked clothes I’d come in. Kade was sitting at the head of my bed, wiping my face and peppering it with k****s while we waited for Dr. Bennett to show up. “Our son needs a new rug; I kind of messed up the one he currently has,” I said.

“I’ll take care of it, don’t worry.”

“Yes! We made it, and we even beat the doctor,” Taylor yelled as she barged in the room. Alaia and Aires were right behind her, and I was so happy that I had such amazing friends.

“You beat me, but not by much. Betas, are we ready to bring this little girl into the world?” Dr. Bennett walked in and asked.

“You’ve got this Sugar, I know you do,” Kade leaned down and whispered in my ear. He then turned to the doctor. “We’re ready; it’s time to meet our little princess.”