“Talyn called me about a week ago to tell me his bonded mate was close to giving birth.” The man smiled as if he was the proudest grandfather on earth. “Wouldn’t miss my first grandchild being born for anything in the world.”
The guy turned and extended his hand. “Good to see you, Cooper. How’s the family?”
“Good.” Coop shook the guy’s hand and then pulled Olin to his side. Olin stared up into the prettiest honey-colored eyes he’d ever seen. “This is my bonded mate, Olin.”
The guy’s smile widened. “Good to see you finally settled down, Cooper.” Syn’s father shook Olin’s hand. “Names Salvador, and this is my wife, Hilda.”
Olin smiled at the gorgeous woman. “Nice to meet you.”
“Are we too late?” she asked. “There is a little redhead downstairs running around demanding that someone hug him.”
Syn took off down the hall as Coop waved a hand at Talyn’s bedroom door. “Syn said Gabriel was in labor.”
“I must go in there,” Hilda said as she moved past everyone and slipped inside Talyn’s room.
“She thinks a woman’s touch cures everything,” Salvador said.
Olin’s head turned when he heard his aunt shouting for him. He pulled from Coop’s grip and had started to make his way down the hall when Aunt Mya appeared at the top of the steps. She wore a smock, and her hair was in rollers.
“Where is my nephew? Dane called me and told me he was in labor.”
Olin chucked a thumb at the bedroom door. “In there.”
“Do you know anything about birthing a baby?” Coop asked her.
“I’m about to learn.” She had a wide grin on her face as she scooted past them and hurried inside.
“Do we go in?” Olin asked Coop.
“I think it’s crowded enough in there,” Coop said as he grabbed Olin’s hand and led him toward the stairs. “Besides, Dane needs a hug.”
Olin burst out laughing. “He always needs one or is trying to give one. The guy is a hot mess.” Olin sobered slightly. “But he’s a great friend.”
“He is,” Coop agreed as they went downstairs.
To Olin’s amazement, it seemed that every last one of Talyn’s Enforcers were in the kitchen.
“Did Dane call all of you?” Olin asked.
“They should be here for the birth of their alpha’s first child,” Dane said as he looked at Olin as if he’d made a mistake.
“They should,” Olin agreed.
An hour later, Salvador entered the kitchen. “It’s a boy!”
Cheers erupted in the kitchen as everyone congratulated Salvador on becoming a grandfather and Syn on becoming an uncle. Thirty minutes after Salvador’s appearance, Talyn walked into the kitchen, and the back slaps and congrats started all over again.
Talyn held a hand up, and the room quieted. “Gabriel is doing fine and is sleeping, so please don’t visit with him until he’s well rested. We’ve named our son Anthony Alexander Bourne.”
Olin gasped when he heard a name that hadn’t been spoken in a very long time. Alexander had been his uncle’s name, Gabriel’s father’s name. A slight sheen of tears gathered in not only Talyn’s eyes but Syn’s and Salvador’s as well. Anthony had been Talyn and Syn’s brother, but he had been killed while on active duty in the military.
Olin spotted Karidon leaning against the counter. Olin made his way through the packed kitchen until he was at Karidon’s side. “Hey.”
Karidon gave Olin a weak smile. “Hey.”
Olin wasn’t sure what came over him, but he threw his arms around Karidon and hugged him tightly. Not only was this Coop’s best friend, but also, from what Coop had told him, Karidon had suffered greatly while being kidnapped.
Karidon hesitated and then wrapped his arms around Olin, hugging him back. “Thanks, I need that.”
“I think I’ve been hanging around Dane too long.” Olin chuckled.
“Hugs!” Dane raced forward and grabbed Olin, hugging him.
The redhead had reached up to grab Karidon when his hand slid over Olin’s birthing ring. Pain shot down Olin’s spine, and he cried out.
The room grew deathly quiet as Coop shoved everyone out of his way, cutting through the crowd like a predator going after prey. His canines were elongated, and his claws were fully extended.
Dane shrank back and tried to move away, but the kitchen was too packed, and he could only press his back into the counter.
“It was an accident!” Dane whimpered.
In the blink of an eye, Syn was standing in front of Dane, his massive body swallowing the little Prim up whole. “You know it was an accident,” Syn said.