Hunter's Secret

Hunter’s POV

“These directions are the worst directions I have ever seen in my life!” I shout, feeling frustrated.

“Maybe we should take a break? You have been trying to put that crib together for two hours now,” Emma calmly responds, and I blow out my breath.

“Fine. Do you want some lunch?” I ask, wiping the sweat off my brow with the back of my hand. When I offered to help Emma set up the nursery for the twins, I didn’t expect to be running all over creation to get, put together, and place everything in the room by myself.

The twins are due in about a month and Emma decided she wanted to finally get the nursery set up for them. It has been about six weeks since we buried him, and Emma told me that this morning was the first morning she was able to wake up without immediately crying. Surprisingly, she hasn’t cried at all today and she actually seems excited to prepare for the arrival of the twins.

She should be excited. She is going to be a mom very soon. I am excited that she is excited. After our little moment in the cemetery, we started to hang out more. Sometimes with Raine and sometimes just the two of us. The beginning weeks were mostly spent reminiscing and remembering specific memories of our times with him. I think Emma and I needed each other in a way that no one else could understand. Now that I have gotten to know her more, I completely understand why he loved her so much. She is pretty amazing.

Raine has been completely accepting of my new friendship with Emma and has been spending more time with her dad who is back at home now. He is still slowly recovering but is getting better and better every day. He was in the infirmary for almost four weeks before he was allowed to go home. He had to have five different surgeries to repair the internal damage to his organs. If Cameron hadn’t gotten to us when he did, Titus certainly would have died. I ran my hands through my sweaty hair, momentarily lost again in the weight of his sacrifice.

‘Hey, you okay?’ Raine checks in over mind-link and I smile.

‘Yeah, just thinking about…Cameron.’

It is still hard to say his name, but I am trying. My therapist told me that talking about him is a good way to work through my grief. Raine and I started attending therapy together to work through what happened to her and what that means for us as a couple. Plus, we also both started going to individual sessions too. We both wanted to make sure we were healthy. *Our* pack needs us to be healthy.

‘I figured but I wanted to make sure. How are things going?’ she asks with a slight teasing tone.

‘I needed a break. Fixing us some lunch now.’

‘Okay, I will be home around dinner time,’ she tells me.

‘Sounds good, lovey. Tell your dad I say hi.’

‘I will. Love you.’

‘Love you too.’

“Hunter?” Emma calls from the nursery.

I grab the plates of lunch and walk back to the nursery.

“Sorry, I was talking to Raine. Here is your lunch. I just decided to make…,” I say, offering her the plate.

“Hunter,” she interrupts, and I pause at the seriousness in her voice.

“Emma, are you okay? What’s wrong?” I hurriedly ask, setting both plates down on the changing table.

“I think my water just broke…” she whispers, and I look down to see the front of her pants and the inside of her pantlegs darkened with fluid.

“Uhhhh what do we do?” I ask.

“I don’t know! It is too early! They aren’t supposed to be here for another month! This is bad!” she blurts out and starts panicking.

“Okay, okay, okay. I will call Raine. You go sit down? And try to breathe?” I suggest, not really knowing what to say. This is way out of my element.

“Sit down!?! I am in labor now! I need to get to the infirmary, like now!”

“Yeah, you’re right. Sorry. I don’t know what I am doing!” I say, trying to calm the panic that is rising in my own voice.

“Well, let’s go then!” she states, moving toward the door.

“If we shift, we can get there faster.”

“I can’t shift, Hunter! I am pregnant! God! You are such a man right now!” she shouts, frustration and anxiety lacing her tone.

“Shit, I forgot. Okay, I will shift, and you can climb on. River will get you there safely.”

“Fine. Now move it!” She flicks her wrist at me, and I scurry out the door, quickly shifting into River. He crouches down so he is level with the height of the porch and Emma slightly struggles to climb on, but she eventually does and tightly grabs River’s fur in her hands.

We moved as fast as we could without her falling off in the direction of the infirmary and I linked Raine.

‘Change of plans, lovey. The twins have decided that today is a good day to meet the world. Emma’s water just broke. We are on the way to the infirmary now.’

‘Damn, they are early. Okay, I am on my way too. I will get there shortly after you will. I will call the doctors. You just focus on getting her there safely.’

‘Sounds good.’

I close the link and link Emma as she sucks in her breath.

‘You okay?’

‘No!’

‘Do I need to stop?’

‘No! Just get there faster!’

‘Hold on.’

She tightens her already tight grip on River’s fur, and he stifles a growl in response.

‘Do you want me to tell Ryan and Emery or your mom?’ I ask Emma.

‘I already told Ryan and Emery. I don’t want my mom there. That would not be helpful.’

‘No problem. I will make sure she stays out.’

‘Thank you, Hunter. Also, I just want you and Raine with me in the delivery room.’

‘Okay.’

I don’t know how I feel about being in the room with her as she delivers my best friend’s children. But I don’t really have time to think about that because we arrive at the infirmary and the doctors are already outside and waiting on us. River crouches down, getting as close as he can to the ground so the doctors can help her down. They got her down and settled onto a bed before wheeling her back. She reaches out her hand for me to take and I shift back and jog to catch up with her bed. She grasps my hand tightly, like she is afraid I am going to leave.

‘Lovey, I am back with Emma. She asked you and I to be the ones with her in the delivery room.’

‘Really? Okay, then. I about 5 minutes away.’

‘Okay.’

We get into a room and the doctors and nurses flood the room. They try to move me away and Emma starts crying when I let go of her hand, so I move back over to her. A nurse tries to move me again and a growl slips out, surprising everyone, including myself.

“Alpha, we need to place an IV. Please let go of her hand so we can do that. Just move behind the head of the bed,” the nurse tells me, and I follow her instructions.

Emma reaches for me again, and I place a hand on her shoulder. She is hooked up to monitors of all kinds. Someone is taking her blood pressure; someone is checking the heartbeats of the babies, and someone is helping her get into a gown. I keep my hand on her shoulder but keep my eyes on the floor. This is not my place. I shouldn’t be here. This is Cameron’s job. But he can’t be here. So, I am but it feels wrong.

I hear the door open, and I don’t have to raise my head to know it is Raine. She joins me behind the head of the bed, staying out of the way but providing support for Emma.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ Raine asks me over mind-link.

‘I don’t think I should be in here. This is Cameron’s mate. Not mine. This feels wrong.’

‘Do you have feelings for her?’

‘What? Of course not.’

‘Then you are the only one concerned. Emma wants you here because she is scared. I don’t have a problem with you being here either. If you feel that uncomfortable then you can leave, I will stay with her.’

‘Are you sure you are okay with me being here?’ I hesitantly ask.

‘Is that why you feel worried?’

‘Yes,’ I answer honestly.

‘Hunter, you are the most loyal person I have ever known. If you say there are no feelings there, I believe you. Why else do you think I would be comfortable with you spending so much time with her by yourself? I trust you completely. You both lost your everything when he died. It is okay for you two to bond over that loss.’

‘He wasn’t my everything. You are.’

‘Yes, he was. But that is okay. I am not jealous. Our relationship is different than what you had with him. I am your different everything. And that is how it should be,’ she tells me confidently, slipping her hand into my free one.

‘Really?’

‘Yes. You are my mate. I can *feel* your love for me. There is not a single reason I should doubt that. You being here for Emma during one of the most intense and intimate moments of her life, does not make me concerned. I know you are mine. Just like how I know that I am yours.’

‘I love you so damn much, Raine.’

‘Ditto, Hunter. I love you.’

She closes the mind-link and I bend down to give her a quick kiss.

Now that the initial panic is over, I move over to the side of Emma’s bed and take a seat. Raine sits on the other side and gently picks up Emma’s hand.

“Thank you both for being here. It really means so much to me,” Emma states.

“Of course. We are happy to be here,” Raine responds for both of us.

“But?” I ask, sensing that Emma has something else she wants to say.

“But I don’t think I want you here anymore, Hunter. I thought I did but it just reminds me of the person who is supposed to be holding my hand right now.”

“I completely understand,” I reply, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Really?” she questions.

“Yes. I was kind of feeling the same way but didn’t want you to think I didn’t want to support you.”

“Oh good. I was worried about telling yo..ahhhh!” she groans with a contraction. She takes an intentional breath before trying to speak again, “Raine, can you stay?”

“Of course. I will stay the whole time if you want me to. Hunter can go back and help finish preparing the nursery,” Raine replies, offering us both a smile.

“Thanks. Hunter, don’t forget to..”

“Put the cribs so they are facing each other, make sure that the room is equally divided and ensure that each drawer and shelf are stocked. Yes, I know, Emma. You have already told me. I will make sure it is to your liking.”

She genuinely smiles and I smile back, standing up from my chair.

I walk over to Raine to kiss her on the top of her head before leaving the room with a small wave which both women return. I step out of the room and am greeted by Ryan and Emery who have matching faces of concern.

“She is in labor. Both twins are doing okay with the contractions right now. The doctors are monitoring her carefully. Raine will stay with her. I am headed back to your house to finish setting up the nursery,” I quietly explain, and they both let out a sigh.

“Thank you, Alpha,” they say in unison, and I nod my head before I turn to leave. With my back turned, I smile at their cuteness. I wonder if Raine and I will ever get to that point, where you kind of become the same person. I wouldn’t mind that. She is the perfect mate, and she pushes me to be better all the time.

When I get outside, I let River take control so we can run back to their house. He shakes his whole body, almost like he is shaking off his emotions.

‘River? You okay?’

‘Just missing my Beta right now,’ he responds, picking up a light jog.

‘Me too. Me too.’

We get back to the house and River lets me take control back. I let myself into their house and headed straight to the nursery with some cleaning supplies to work on cleaning up the mess from when Emma’s water broke. I get it cleaned up and wash my hands before readying myself to tackle the world’s most difficult to assemble crib. Times two.