Chapter 41

~Derek POV~

"All we can do is wait, Derek. In a couple of hours, we'll check the bandage. Let's just hope your bite took." I replayed those words in my head over and over again.

Behind me and to the left, in a hospital infant push cart, our son lay, in and out of sleep. Silas had been feeding him ounces of formula from a syringe here and there to stabilize him. Otherwise, he and Justin had deemed him pretty healthy, regardless of the danger he'd been in.

Aaden, though, had yet to waken. "You're missing everything," I whispered to her, not wanting to disturb Galen's rest, "you wanted him. Please baby, open your eyes and look at him." The good signs were that Aaden was still breathing and her heartbeat had come back strong. But, we had to figure out if it was momentary from my venom or if it had taken.

I hadn't held Galen yet, and I had asked for privacy from everyone, save Silas and Justin as they came in from time to time to check on Galen and Aaden. I hadn't come down or let anyone else up for hours. I just wanted this time to be for us, our little family. I wanted Aaden's first view as a werewolf to be of her husband and son. I wanted her calm and collected and safe just in case she was being affected by the nearly full moon.

I peeked at the clock. Five A.M. Galen was three hours old now, and Aaden hadn't moved an eyelash. It was scary how still she was, but it calmed me when I pressed my fingers gently against her wrists and felt her steady heartbeat.

Finally, I had to sit back. My spine ached from the hunch I'd been in for the last few hours, waiting for her to open her eyes. I rubbed my own. It hadn't occurred to me until that second that I hadn't slept in almost twenty-four hours. I felt the weight of sleeplessness hit me. But I pushed it away again, keeping a hold on Aaden's soft hand.

Sighing, I laid my head on the back of my chair. Deep in concentration on not falling asleep, I heard the door creak and defensively whipped around, startling Silas. "Sorry," I mumbled, resting my head back again. "It's fine, I was expecting you to be asleep to be honest." "I can't, not when Aaden could wake up at any time." "Yeah. Anyway, just came to check on Galen again. He's doing just fine, would you like to hold him yet?" "Can I be honest with you, Silas?"

He looked unsure, but I went on anyway. "It's not that I don't want to," I said, my eyes shifting to Galen's little swaddled body, "it's more like…I feel like I'd be robbing Aaden if I held him first. After everything she went through, she deserves to hold him first, you know what I mean?" "I do. But remember Derek, you are his father. It wouldn't be not right of you to hold him if he needed to be held. Before long, he's definitely going to need it. And I can't promise that Aaden will be awake." I sighed, feeling a thousand years old. "I know, but until then…"

"Speaking of Aaden, let's check her bandages."

~Aaden POV~

Everything was a blur. Had I imagined the yelling, the screaming? What the HELL was that burning pain in my side?! Then gentle pressure on my arm, a warmth on my forehead. A deep, velvety voice by my side.

Had I died? Had my baby made it if I had? A part of me was agonized by the fact that I might never see him. Did he look like Derek? Did he look like me? Talia? My mother? Again, what was the dull ache in my side? Part of me imagined that it was Galen, still kicking me.

My right mind came back somewhere along the way, and I could hear soft conversation. "Remember Derek, you are his father. …Can't promise Aaden will be awake."

I'm awake, I'm here! I wanted to scream out, but I couldn't make my body move. It was like I was in concrete. I felt it as something was pulled from my skin. "Well," the voice said, "it looks as though the bite took. She should wake when the process is finished!"

The bite?!

Derek had bitten me! That was the sharp pain in my side! I was a werewolf now! I wanted to stand up and jump and run. I could feel power rushing through my veins. My heart picked up, my excitement filling my chest. "What's wrong with her heart?" I heard Derek ask, alarm in his voice.

But what made my heart almost stop altogether was what I heard in the background. Soft little cries, gurgles, coos. Whatever the noise, I knew it. My baby.

My son! He was alive, and he was okay! I had to see him. Fight! Come on! Get up!

"Look," Silas said. Slowly, I was able to turn my head towards his voice. "Aaden?" That was Derek! My throat was rusty and raw from the screaming I'd done. But, I heard my own voice as I croaked out, "Derek." "Thank God!" He said, his hands gripping my arm.

"Open your eyes baby, slowly, it's bright."

I did, ever so slowly, the light burning, but I refused to close them so quickly. I had to see everything. After a minute, I could see Derek. My sight was crystal clear, like I'd been given invisible glasses with 20/20 vision. Derek's breath caught, his heart sped up. "Wow," he breathed.

"What?" I cleared my throat twice before getting the full word out clearer. "Your eyes." "What about them?" "You'll see," he said, smiling deviously before leaning down and pressing his lips to mine. "I almost lost you there Aaden. I love you." I smiled, kissing his chin, "I love you too."

I forgot everything when I heard a sharp little cry to my right. My head snapped to the tiny noisemaker, and it was then that I believed, truly, in love at first sight.

The baby in the cart looked nothing like I had imagined. I would never have been able to think up something so perfect. He was tiny and pink, wrinkled all over from months inside me. His teeny soft head was covered in thick, black hair. His eyes were scrunched up in his fussing, his little legs curled up close to him. From the bed, I could smell him. Newborn baby smell, but tinted with Derek's scent.

I stopped for milliseconds to take in his smell as well, and Silas's. Derek smelled of forests and ashes. Silas was low-key scented, just a light hint of clean linen.

But Galen's cries interrupted me again. "Galen," I heard myself whisper. Upon hearing my voice, my infant son cried a little louder, demanding my attention. "Silas, please?" I asked, almost pinned to my spot entirely by his little wails.

Silas smiled, walking over and lifting the tiny baby from his bed. He carried him gently to me before leaning and pressing the baby into the crook of my arm. I didn't realize that I was crying until a single tear landed on Galen's cheek. "Sorry," I whispered, ever so carefully wiping it away. Sniffling, I hugged him close to me, his softness overtaking me.

"Worth it all?" Derek's voice asked quietly, lovingly, moments later. "Every single bit." My voice was still coated with tears. "He's not eaten in a while. Silas has been giving him formula here and there from a syringe. He was considerate enough to think you might want to nurse him." "He's so awesome," I laughed, noticing then that he had silently slipped from the room. Nervously, but bravely all the same, I lowered my gown and brought Galen's mouth to my breast. I resisted yelping as he latched on, sucking hungrily. It hurt, but it made me feel better knowing that not only had Silas respected my unspoken wishes, but Galen knew who I was. Already, he was so smart.

"That right, my darling," I cooed, softly rubbing my hand over his downy head, "I'm your mommy." I looked up to Derek, whose gaze was intense on our baby. I hadn't thought about him being jealous over the baby and was suddenly worried. Derek's eyes flew to mine then. I forgot. I was a wolf now, my emotions would immediately be responded to by him. "What's wrong?" He asked. "I didn't ask you about this. I wanted to do this from the beginning. I forgot about it affecting you." "What?" "Nursing him." "Why would you worry about how I felt?" "Men tend to get jealous over-" "Oh, that bullshit. No, I'm not jealous, and I'm not going to be. It's healthy, for both of you, and it's what you wanted. Plus, I'm sure if I had been brave enough to tell you that I didn't want you to, you'd have told me right where to stuff it, maybe even shown me if I was 'lucky' enough." I laughed out loud, startling the baby.

"Well, you're right about that." I laughed, "It builds a special bond between mom and baby. I read about it when I first found out I was pregnant. I wanted to see if I could. Obviously I can. Mommy's poor baby was starving." I cooed to my dark haired angel.

"There's no question as to whose hair color he got," I smiled, running my fingers gently over his head again. "Guilty," Derek smiled widely, proudly. "Probably has your eyes too," I smiled, "Mommy did all the work and you came out looking like daddy. Figures."

"Did you hold him yet?" I asked, pulling myself away from Galen's now-sleeping little body. "No, I wanted you to have that." "I wish that you had, he's all softness. Here," I said, holding him out. To my surprise, Derek didn't protest, but instead, his hands shot out, placing themselves strategically behind Galen's head and tiny body. Slowly, with almost scared movements, Derek pulled Galen to himself. The look in Derek's eyes made me feel warmth travel through my lower belly and throughout my chest. It almost hurt to look at them. Derek maneuvered the baby into the crook of his arm and laid back against the seat, his eyes not leaving our son's little face.

If only I could pause this moment in life, and live in it forever.

**As far as here, everything is perfect! Aaden has survived and Galen is safe and beautiful! But, they must remember the war outside their doors. Please R&R and have a good day!**