Ulric wanted to hold them, too. “You did it,” he told Gage, his voice rough.
“You did it, too.” Gage grinned, his arms full with their babies. Ulric would’ve reached out for him otherwise.
It wasn’t until Gage had gotten stitched up and they’d all been wheeled into the neonatal ward, that Ulric had a chance to cuddle with his family. Gage got permission to push their hospital beds together. He and Ulric shuffled sideways until they lay next to each other, their arms brushing, one son on each of their chests.
Then Gage rested his head against Ulric’s, bringing Ulric’s hand up to kiss his fingers. “This is what it’ll look like when we get home, too.”
Gods, Ulric looked forward to that. Gage helped ease Sage onto Ulric’s chest, next to his brother. And now there were two children on Ulric—the babies that he and Gage had been carrying for so long. Two lives that he and Gage had created together. They smelled sweet, along with Gage’s clove and Ulric’s anise scent. They smelled like family.
“They’re so beautiful, babe.” Gage smile warmed Ulric’s entire body. “Can’t wait ‘til we can snuggle together with these guys.”
Ulric had a sudden vision of all of them together, the boys growing up happy in their home, Gage with him every step of the way. Ulric would make sure that his children both knew they were loved.
It hadn’t been an easy journey, facing his fears, his poor regard of himself. But then he’d met Gage. And Gage had showed him that he was worthy of love; Gage had proved over and over that he would be there for Ulric no matter what.
Ulric could look at himself without cringing now. He could appreciate the sight of Gage kissing his bare body—he could almost see what his alpha saw in him.
His heart full of gratitude and love, Ulric held his children close, bringing Gage’s wrist to his lips. He kissed the silver scar on Gage’s scent gland. “Thank you for being mine,” Ulric murmured, so happy he could cry.
Gage’s smile in return was full of joy. “Forever yours, babe.”
Epilogue
“Dino roar!” Sage stuck his fingers out in an imitation of a T-rex’s claws, chasing Gage through the living room. “Eat Papa!”
Gage laughed and ran away in slow-motion, giving Sage a chance to catch up. Before Sage could, Florin cornered Gage from the other side of the couch, flapping his arms like one of the flying dinosaurs.
“I eat, I eat!” Florin tried to bite at Gage; Gage had the good sense to stay away from those teeth. Except Florin latched onto him anyway, tiny teeth gnawing at his pant leg.
“Nooo,” Gage groaned. “I’m being eaten! Daddy, save me!”
“Technically, I’m not old enough to be your daddy,” Ulric said, biting down a laugh.
Gage rolled his eyes. “Not that sort of daddy.”
Ulric grinned. “I think that new dino cartoon was a fantastic idea. Keeps them occupied, lets their imagination run wild.”
“Yeah? Are you going to turn into a dinosaur and eat me, too?” Gage grasped Sage and swung him up into the air; Sage shrieked in delight. At his feet, Florin reached up, wanting a Sky High Fly too.
In a way, Gage was glad Sage and Florin weren’t identical twins—it would’ve been so difficult to tell them apart. Unlike his brother’s green eyes, Florin’s were hazel like Ulric’s, except they both had Gage’s dark hair.
Ulric strode over, swinging Florin into the air. Florin squealed. “Maybe I’ll eat you later,” Ulric said. “After these dino terrors have gone to bed.”
“Terrors!” Florin said, smiling toothily.
“Yeah, definitely terrors.” Gage hugged Sage close, flopping down onto the couch. Moments later, Ulric followed suit, Florin squirming on his lap.
The boys had turned two a couple months back. They’d gone to the park to celebrate, Florin and Sage sharing a birthday cake. Ulric had picked it out; after the initial cake-eating, Gage had fed Ulric some of the leftovers in bed.
After spending entire days with their boys, sometimes it was nice just to have some quiet time with his alpha, too.
Sage squirmed off Gage’s lap, squeezing with Florin onto Ulric. “Me, me, me!”
“What do you want, hon?” Ulric asked.
“Hug!” Sage beamed.
Ulric laughed and pulled both boys into a hug.
Having Sage and Florin didn’t just bring Gage and Ulric closer—the children had loved Ulric from the very first day. Gage had witnessed Ulric’s delight when he played with them, he’d seen Ulric looking at himself in a mirror, only for any wistfulness to fade away when one of the children tottered up to him, wanting kisses.
Slowly, over these years, Gage had convinced Ulric that he was beautiful all the way around. Ulric still had curves, and Gage especially loved his ample ass. Sometimes he thought maybe Ulric might get tired of how much Gage grabbed his butt, except Ulric always smiled whenever Gage did that. These days, Ulric walked more confidently, he held his head higher.
Ulric thrived when he was loved; Gage was only too happy to give it all to him.
“You’re beautiful,” Gage whispered in his alpha’s ear. “My stud muffin babe.”
Ulric snorted, elbowing Gage lightly. But the compliment turned the tips of his ears pink.
“Damn, Ulric.” Gage caught Ulric’s chin and kissed him full on the lips. Every time Ulric got flustered, Gage wanted to pin him down and kiss him senseless. “So glad I married you.”
He stroked the ring on Ulric’s finger, remembering Ulric walking down the aisle with him, hand in hand, Gage’s family surrounding them. Their neighbors had been there, too. So had Gage’s cousin, Jesse, and his family. They’d all shaken powdered cheese onto the aisle.
Ulric had been breathtakingly beautiful in his suit, promising to be Gage’s. Then Gage had kissed him, and like a lot of the times he kissed Ulric, everything else faded away, leaving just them and their little family, Ulric the most perfect person in Gage’s life.
Ulric’s parents hadn’t been at the wedding. His mom had said something about her failing business. Gage was
