“I’m pushing!” Ian panted.
He heaved. Brad held his omega, watching his face, hoping it went okay, hoping none of the scary shit would happen, like placenta abruption or a wall rupture. Ian was at risk for that.
At any time... Brad could lose his omega.
Brad had a few people die in his arms on the job, and he knew how fragile lives could be. Couldn’t bear to think about Ian gone, just like that.
“You’re doing great,” Brad croaked. Winced when Ian squeezed his hand so tight, it felt like his knuckles were grinding together.
“Hurts,” Ian hissed.
Brad dropped kisses on Ian’s face, smelling sweat and rose and honey. His omega. His most precious person.
Ian heaved again. When he bared his teeth, Brad said, “We won’t have any more after this. I’m not gonna put you through this again.”
“We damn well won’t,” Ian snapped, the tendons on his neck straining. “Or you’ll find yourself missing balls, Brad Saxon.”
Brad grimaced, his balls shrinking toward his body. Yeah, maybe two children was the perfect number.
“He’s crowning,” the midwife said. “Just a little more, hon. Now, push!”
Ian pushed, his nails biting into Brad’s arm. He heaved, and heaved, and Brad held his breath, his heart pounding so hard he couldn’t think. Just wanted Ian to come out of this safe. And Xavier, too.
Then a bloody mess slid out of Ian, and the midwife caught the baby, cleaning him up with a towel. Brad looked to Ian first. Ian sank back into the pillows, his hair matted with sweat, his chest heaving from the exertion.
He was alive, he was fine, and Brad swallowed hard, his eyes burning.
Brad scooped Ian into his arms, dropping kisses on Ian’s face. He pressed his cheek against Ian’s. Just so he could touch his omega, make sure Ian was truly here with him.
“You’re the best,” Brad whispered. “And the bravest, and I love you.”
Ian smiled tiredly, nuzzling against Brad. “Love you, too.”
Feet away, Xavier began to wail. Brad and Ian looked up; Ian broke into a wider smile.
The midwife stepped up to them, setting a dried-off Xavier carefully on Ian’s chest.
“His heartbeat is normal,” she said. Brad couldn’t help the overwhelming relief that soaked into his bones. Ian sighed, relief flickering through his eyes, too.
Xavier wailed, his tiny fists clenched, his eyes squeezed shut.
“Hello, Xavier,” Ian murmured, hugging him close. “Your Papa and I are so happy to finally meet you.”
Brad’s throat tightened. He leaned in, kissing Xavier gently. “Hey, Xavier. Listen to your dad. He’s the boss.”
Ian chuckled. Xavier quietened, as though he was listening to Ian’s voice. So Ian murmured to him, rocking their baby. Brad couldn’t help the overwhelming relief that washed through his chest.
His omega really was fine. Ian was alive, Xavier was healthy, and back home, Gwen was probably asleep in bed, safe.
This wasn’t the future Brad had anticipated for himself. He hadn’t thought he would, with the way he was so much younger than Ian, and with how lives had been lost at his hands.
But Ian had seen past all of that. He’d accepted Brad into his life, and he’d given Brad a purpose again. They were both healing. With Ian, Gwen, and now Xavier, it felt as though Brad’s life was finally complete.
“Mine,” Brad murmured, pulling Ian and Xavier against himself.
“Yours,” Ian said, his eyes warm and bright with love.
Brad held them, and his heart soared.
Epilogue Six months later
The wedding took place on a February morning, with the wintry breeze swirling around the bare tree branches, and mallards quacking on the lake nearby. This early on a Saturday, the park was quiet, peaceful—perfect for a ceremony by the park’s tiny white gazebo.
Brad stood before a gathering of their friends and family, his heart pattering. They’d invited forty guests—mostly the off-duty personnel from the fire station, and a few of Ian’s ex-colleagues. Then there were their friends, too.
Harris and Valen chased after their son; Landon had gone running off with a rose bouquet from the rows of white chairs. Their omega, Sam, laughed, their toddler by his feet, their infant in his arms.
The other firefighters sat behind Sam, nudging each other, grinning when Landon threw the rose bouquet at Harris. Harris scooped up Landon, presenting the bouquet to Valen.
Valen grinned and linked their arms. Together, they strode together to Sam, kneeling before him.
Brad chuckled when Valen handed the bouquet back to Landon, who gave it to his omega dad.
On the other side of the aisle, there were a few of Ian’s friends. June’s wife, Cher, was a bubbly omega with orange hair. She sat in the front row with Gwen, holding a toddler in her arms.
Ian had dressed both Gwen and Xavier—Gwen wore a denim jumper with a plaid shirt. Xavier squirmed in her arms, dressed in an adorable rabbit outfit.
Gwen looks like a farmer who’s just caught a rabbit, doesn’t she? Ian had said this morning. Brad had rolled his eyes.
It wasn’t the most appropriate, but it was their wedding. And Brad wanted anything that would make Ian smile.
He glanced past Ian’s other friends—Dale from the childcare center, with his alpha, Greg. They had a boy with them, maybe five years old. Greg was braiding Dale’s hair, and Dale was singing a song to their son.
Brad had heard that Dale had been Ian’s colleague back at the college, and he’d married his student, too.
Funny how the world worked, Brad finding another couple who had been through the same things he and Ian did.
The rest of Ian’s colleagues sat with Greg and Dale, omegas with friendly eyes and cheerful smiles. Then there was Olivier, too, and Levi. Behind them, past the rows of seats, Ian waited with June.
Brad’s heart skipped when their eyes met.
There wasn’t much distance between them, maybe ten yards. But when Ian smiled, the rest of the world faded away, and Brad’s heart thumped for his omega.
After Xavier’s birth, Ian had been recovering slowly. They’d taken turns caring for their baby, Brad sleeping in
