Autumn After (Waiting Hearts World)

14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Cedric

Everyone was thrilled with how the festival was going. People were having fun, children were laughing, and cider, slushies, pies, and pumpkins were flying off the shelves. It was a great day. Even I had loved painting pumpkins, and that was very much not my thing. But I was quickly discovering that anything I did with Willow somehow became my thing. If he asked me to do cross-stitch, I’d sit on that porch and have the best time ever. If he wanted to dig rocks? Best day ever. If he wanted to build a barn? Best day ever—because that’s how it was. Every day with Willow was better than the day before.

It was one thing to know Willow was my mate, to feel the physical attraction, but these feelings we had for each other—this love that was growing—it just put everything else on the sidelines. Fate was real. Willow was meant for me, and every day I was discovering new reasons why. If our first few days were full of this much love and happiness, I was sure that the rest of our lives just might kill me.

I met him back at the baked goods table where he was re-arranging the remaining items. Fern had already gone off to do other things.

“I’ve been waiting for you.” Willow gave me a far-too-quick kiss.

“You have?” I mumbled against his lips. I wrapped my arms around his middle so that he couldn’t get away from me. Only now, our hips were aligned, and my cock was taking notice. The sucky part about being in a wolf pack was that everyone around you could smell your arousal. Not that I could hide the evidence anyway.

“Yeah, I have. I always miss you when we’re apart.” Gods, he was the sweetest thing ever. “I need to show you something. Can we go inside for a second?”

“Yeah, okay.” I signaled to James who took our spots at the table.

We were both due for a break. Willow and I had been on our feet for far too long, and there were a lot more hours left of this festival.

We walked the short distance to my cabin, then up the steps into the house. He shut the door behind us. It was much quieter inside, though we could hear the noise of the events going on around us. Here I could pull Willow into my arms without a care in the world. I could kiss him, strip him naked, and worship his body.

I moved to do just that, but he held up a hand.

“Is everything okay?” I asked. I sniffed the air to see if I could discern anything amiss with my mate’s scent. He didn’t seem distressed. If anyone had said something to him that would make him feel less than welcome, I would be having words. Seamus better not have upset my mate in any way. He had promised the Alpha he’d be on his best behavior.

“I think it’s even better.” He smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small plastic pen-like thing, handing it to me.

“What is this?” I asked, confused.

“Turn it over.”

When I did, it became abundantly clear. It was a pregnancy test. And it didn’t have just one line—it had two.

I didn’t know much about pregnancy or omega things for that matter—I didn’t even pretend to—but even I knew that two lines meant he was pregnant. We were having a baby. My throat tightened, and I felt the emotion welling up inside.

“Holy shit,” I said.

“Yeah, that’s good, right?” he asked, his voice tinged with nervousness.

“That’s... that’s the best,” I said, already choking up. I wrapped my arms around him and twirled him in the air, hugging him close before letting him down so I could kiss him breathless. My hands cupped his face, and the kiss deepened.

One kiss became two, became both of us stripping naked and ending up on the bed together. I was on my back and Willow straddled my hips. Both our cocks were hard and leaking.

“I’m just so freaking happy,” he said. His smile stretched a mile wide.

I laughed. “I am too, mate.”

Willow’s grin turned mischievous, and he rocked his hips. “Show me.”

I gripped his hips and flipped us over so that he was underneath me. “Gladly,” I said.

My lips went to his neck, flicking over the mark where I had left my bite. He moaned and thrust his hips up against mine. I dropped my hand to our cocks and jacked us off together. Between my movements and the rocking of our hips, our releases were so close I could feel it rising in me like a tidal wave cresting.

“You taste like sugar and apples,” I said into his neck. I nipped lightly at his skin.

His hips bucked. “You better get used to that. You have a baker for a mate. I roll around in sugar for a living.”

“I’m happy to lick you clean every day, mate. Just say the word.” I groaned, my eyes rolling back as Willow’s hands roved over my body. His fingertips danced over my nipples and up around my neck until he grasped behind my head. He pulled me down for kiss. Our tongues explored and tasted, and my wolf was just below the surface, desperate to come out and howl at the moon to let the world know that this man was mine and we were starting a family.

“So close, Cedric. So close.” Willow broke the kiss and arched his back.

I increased my speed, my orgasm following close on his heels.

With a jerk of his hips, cum spurted between us, landing in ropey white jets across our stomachs.

After a long moment of lying in each other’s arms, letting our breathing return to normal, Willow broke the silence. “We have to go back to work, don’t we?”

“Yes, we do.”

“And everyone will know what we were doing in here.”

I chuckled. “Yes, this will. We could stay here and hide out. But eventually, Fern will find us.”

“Eventually this cum will dry and we’ll be stuck together.”

I barked out a laugh, then reluctantly got out of the bed. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”

After we were all cleaned and dressed, inspiration struck. It wasn’t enough that the two of us knew that we were going to be fathers. I wanted the world to know.

And I had a pre-gathered audience right outside.

I grabbed Willow’s hand and dragged him outside.

“Everybody!” I hollered, unable to contain my excitement. This was news worthy for all to hear, and I couldn’t keep it to myself. “I have an announcement!”

“Oh gods, please don’t,” Willow said, wide-eyed.

“You don’t want to tell everybody?” I whispered close to his ear. Everyone was already looking at us, but if Willow wanted me to keep it quiet, I would. I would just have to make something up.

“No, go ahead. I’m just being dramatic.”

That wasn’t a word I’d used to describe my mate, but I laughed and agreed. And everyone was already looking at us, curious about the commotion.

I held up the pregnancy test. “We’re going to be fathers! My true love and I are going to be dads!”

Willow leaned into me and whispered, “True love?” so low that only I could hear.

“Yes,” I said, kissing his cheek. “My true love.”

The people gathered around us—which was most of the pack and a few visitors that were here just for the festival that didn’t know us at all—gave a fervent round of applause. Soon we were surrounded by people shaking my hand and pulling Willow into a hug.

There were well-wishes and congratulations. My father clasped me on the shoulder and pulled me close to him. “I’m so happy for you, Cedric. So happy.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Next there was Sid. He lifted me off my feet with enthusiasm behind his embrace. “Our children will be so close in age!” He kissed my cheek with a loud smack.

All the while, I held Willow’s hand, making sure he didn’t stray too far in this crowd.

When Seamus came near, my wolf rose to the surface and a low rumble escaped my throat.

Seamus bared his neck. “I came to offer my congratulations. And apologize to you both. Willow proved he was pack. His actions allowed for this festival to be a success. I’m ashamed of my actions, Cedric. Please forgive me. Both of you.”

Willow smiled. “Thank you, Seamus. I appreciate that more than you know.”

Tension released from my shoulders, and I put my hand out. Seamus shook it.

“I’m honored to call you pack, Willow. Welcome to Silverpine,” he said.

With that the crowd applauded louder. I kissed my mate’s cheek, feeling the wetness of his happy tears there.

“Welcome home, mate.”