Page 63 of Galaxy Between Us

I don’t know how we missed all the signs. His due date is right around the corner, and he was tossing and turning uncomfortably last night. It’s strange being so focused on this one moment for months and then, bam! Here we are and it’s somehow still surprising.

Raul answers with a yawn, and I quickly explain to him our predicament. Following his instructions, I fetch some clean towels, and he promises to be here shortly.

Lying on his back with his knees up, Ari breathes through the pain.

“You got this, baby. The doctor will be here soon, okay?” I drop to his side, holding his hand tightly. He nods stiffly, crushing my larger fingers in his.

Thick, molten hot guilt churns in my gut for the duration of his labor. We’ll be on paternity leave soon. Both of us. And before we get back to Comet XI, I’ll need to look him in the eye and explain to him how badly I fucked up his career.

Unless there’s still time to fix it.

Chapter XXVII

“It’s a female Alpha!” Dr. Raul cheers, being the first to hold my baby and welcome her into the world.

Another doctor quickly stitches my stomach closed as I struggle not to pass out.

They warned me that it’s perfectly fine to let go and be unconscious during the extraction and clean up, but I can’t let myself miss this moment. It’s too beautiful. They’ve numbed my lower belly, so I power through the exhaustion no matter how blurry my vision is.

“Yes! I fucking knew it!” Knox’s cheer is muffled as he pops up beside me with uncontained excitement, “Can I hold her?”

I watch the doctor carefully transfer the precious bundle to my mate’s arms. He gazes down at her, unblinking and smiling wide with joy. The picture is one that I commit to memory, and I know it will live at the forefront of my mind for the rest of my life, the way he’s cradling our baby for the first time. The emotions strike us and I can feel the overwhelming gratitude across our bond as a third one solidifies within our souls. My heart swells with love for my new family. I feel as complete as the day Knox and I became mated.

“Hi, Luna,” he sniffles through a broken whisper as she starts to cry with him.

My gratification soars, and I’ve never been prouder to be an Omega. I feel so accomplished seeing my mate holding my greatest victory in his hands.

Knox’s pink, watery eyes raise to mine.

“Thank you,” he mutters with deep sincerity, trying hard to contain himself during the tender moment. Rocking back and forth, he holds her closely, fueling her bond with fatherly love. Without much energy, all I can do is smile back, converting my words into feelings and then pouring them into our family bond.

Knox has a hard time letting her go once I’m stable enough to connect with her against my chest. I can hardly wrap my mind around how small she is. Just a soft, tiny bundle tucked beneath my chin. It’s crazy to think that my little Alpha is going to be bigger than me when she’s older.

I accept her warm weight on my skin, funneling love into our fresh bond to strengthen it. Her tie to us thrums and vibrates with life, immediately becoming familiar with us.

Wiping his eyes, Raul eventually leaves me and my daughter to rest, while Knox sits beside me to place a hand on both of us as I drift to sleep with my baby. He stays by our side for hours. My protector. My love. My everything.

“Thank you guys so much,” I say for the thousandth time as my mom and Knox’s mom quickly put together the necessities for the nursery. Our dads are downstairs with Luna, attempting to capture some of her first baby pictures. At this age, she mostly just sleeps and eats, but every breath she takes is adorable and photo-worthy. She’s a beautiful baby with one big blue eye and one big brown one. A unique and perfect mix of me and Knox.

“It’s nice getting together with everyone,” my mom says while filling the crib with bedding. “We should do this every weekend.”

“Now that would be fun,” Knox’s mom agrees with a chuckle, situating the reading corner and clearing out empty packaging.

My mate pops in a second later. He’s been disappearing to the balcony for business calls a lot lately since our leave came earlier than expected. His stress heightens as he sees me standing in my white lab coat instead of resting in bed.

“What are you doing up?” he whispers, joining my side.

“I’m just going to stop by work to wrap up a few things and check in with everyone.”

“I already called and told them you were in labor.”

“I know. I just want to go in person, make sure everything is situated before I’m gone for a few months.”

“You don’t need to go in for that. They’ve got everything under control.”

I stare at him with my brows dipped, unsure why he’s so antsy. Our moms eavesdrop, but don’t comment on our argument. Closing the nursery door, I usher my mate to the hallway.

“I wasn’t asking for your permission, Knox. I’m not going in to do work; I just want to update my operators and say bye to everyone. That’s all.”