Chapter 26: The Morning After

Drew wakes feeling warm and complete. In place of the burning, gaping hole in his chest is his connection to his mates. It's unlike anything he has felt in his life, and more than Drew could have dreamed. Is this real? He looks down as hands press against his chest. Somehow during the night, they must have stripped each other. Drew can feel miles of bare skin pressed against him under the covers.

The warm body next to him jerks up. "The pups! They're alone!"

Austin stretches over Drew to comfort his panicking mate. "Monroe is with them."

Cameron lets out a sob of relief. "They must have been terrified. Our poor babies, I need to see them."

"Sh, it's okay, baby. I'll go get them."

Watching from between them, Drew isn't sure what to do.

Austin kisses Cameron, then Drew and gets out of bed. He tugs on boxers and is out the door.

Drew feels awkward as hell left alone with a worried parent. What is he supposed to do? "I'm sure they're fine?" He cringes at how stupid he sounds.

Cameron sniffs but doesn't respond to Drew's pathetic attempt.

"Daddy!"

Cameron lights up, lunging out of bed to embrace his three children. He smothers them with kisses all over their little faces.

Hoping to remain unnoticed, Drew doesn't move a muscle.

Austin stands at the door, smiling, before joining the family hug.

Two of the kids are crying, saying something about how they thought Austin and Cameron were dead. The other one, a girl, looks like she's trying to stay strong for the other two.

Drew feels like an outsider watching Austin and Cameron comfort their children and each other. If they weren't blocking the exit to the bedroom, he would have snuck out. Then the little girl turns to look at him and he freezes. Suddenly, he has all eyes on him. Time seems to stand still and Drew wishes he could disappear from the awkward moment.

"Dad! You're okay!"

Dad? Like an idiot, Drew looks around as if the girl could be referring to someone else.

The smaller girl, the one that had been crying, jumps onto the bed and launches herself at him like she's a hug attacker. Her little arms wrap arm him and she hugs him like he's not a total stranger.

"Um...hi?" Drew is still reeling from the dad comment.

"Fiona, why don't you introduce yourself first, hon?" Cameron suggests with a little laugh.

Fiona giggles, sitting back on Drew's chest. "Oops! Hi Dad! I'm Fiona!" She hugs him again. "I'm so glad you're okay and Daddy is okay and Papa is okay and everyone is okay!" Fiona shows her joy by bounces a bit on his chest.

"Fiona, gentle," Austin chastises.

She stills, her cute little face looking apologetic. "Sorry Dad."

Drew stares at the little girl on his chest and tries to keep the panic from his face. She sees him as a father figure and whoa, talk about jumping into the deep end. He manages an acknowledging nod at the apology.

Fiona moves to sit on his shoulder to play with his hair for some reason.

Cameron nudges the boy and he steps toward the bed. "Hi Dad. I'm Aaron."

Dad again. I have to be a parent now? I don't know how to be a parent! "Hi Aaron." He's a cute kid, appears to be a little shy. Maybe Drew can build a relationship with Aaron without too much awkwardness. It seems Fiona will be easy enough, it's as if they're already friends. I better talk to Austin and Cameron about how she is with strangers. She needs to be careful.

The last of the children, a girl, steps up. "Hi Dad, I'm Delilah. We were all worried; we weren't sure you were going to get here in time."

There was a little accusation hidden there; Delilah holds him responsible, smart girl. "Hello Delilah." Drew doesn't know what to say to her and decides honesty is best. "I didn't think I was either. I am grateful I did though." The outcome could have been much different for them all if he hadn't. Drew doesn't feel ready to be a dad but it doesn't mean he isn't going to try. If he has to work harder to have a relationship with Delilah, Drew is more than willing.

Cameron brushes Aaron's hair back from his forehead. "Have you pups had breakfast?"

"Uncle Monroe is making pancakes for us," Delilah says.

"They are probably ready by now," Austin adds. "Why don't you pups go and see? We are going to shower and dress and we'll be out in a bit. We'll need to have a nice family talk with all of us."

The kids nod. While Aaron and Delilah head to the door, Fiona makes no effort to move. "I like your hair."

"Fiona, breakfast time."

"But Daddy—"

Cameron shakes his head. "No. It's time for breakfast. You can spend more time with Dad later."

Fiona pouts a little but does as she's told. "Bye Dad."

Drew is surprised by the stirring of warmth he feels from the kiss she gives him on the cheek. Stunned, he touches the spot where she kiss his cheek.

"Drew?"

"Huh?"

"Are you doing okay? You look like you're a million miles away," Austin asks.

He had been, lost in his thoughts. "Is this real? All of this?" Drew can't explain what he means, between the bond and the kids and everything.

"It's real," Austin declares.

Cameron's beautiful, blue eyes stare at him. He moves back onto the bed. "Don't you feel us in here?" He asks tapping Drew's chest.

Drew looks between the two gorgeous men that fate somehow chose for him. "I don't deserve this. I don't deserve either of you. I definitely don't deserve those kids. All I've done is cause you pain." It's agony to think of what he put them through. Drew's heart aches to imagine how scared the kids must have been and he caused it. He feels like he's drowning in guilt, seeing their terrified faces. Because of me. "How can you look at me? I terrified your kids, traumatized them because I was too damned stubborn."

Cameron drapes his body over Drew. "The pups, our pups, will get through this, just as we all will, together." He presses a soft kiss over his heart. "We can feel the pain you feel. It hurts me to feel how much you are hurting."

"You'll learn Cameron is the most compassionate man you will ever know. He never lost faith in you. I confess I cannot say the same."

The guilt and shame Austin feels bleeds into the bond, soothed by warm forgiveness from Cameron.

"Feel that? That's our Cameron. Even when we don't deserve it, he forgives. I can't condemn you for lacking faith, Drew. We expected too much, too fast, and you weren't ready. That's my fault. I'm the alpha, it's my job to take care of our family and I failed to give you what you needed. In my failure, our pups were hurt. They almost lost us and I should have never let it get that far. I gave up instead of fighting. Alphas aren't supposed to give up. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? You are sorry?!" Drew questions in shock. "How can you think this is your fault? I'm the one who rejected you two and ran away like a coward! I let this happened!"

"I should have done more to help you understand what was happening. You were overwhelmed and alone. Of course you would run. I thought more about Cameron than I did you; that wasn't fair. You are as much my mate as he is."

Drew is baffled by how earnestly Austin is arguing with him. He is at fault, not Austin. How can he not see that?

"We're together now and safe, does how we got here matter?" Cameron asks. "Claiming blame and suffering guilt is not how we move on as a pack."

"No, it's not. Thank you for reminding me of that, love," Austin says.

How in the world did I get here? Hours ago, he was in pain and alone. Now despite the pain he has caused, he has a family. He has mates and children who call him dad. "Are you one hundred percent sure this is real?"

His mates smile fondly at him. "Yeah, we're sure."

Is he ready? "This is a lot to take in."

"Hey, take a breath," Austin orders.

The overwhelming weight eases. Drew feels Austin's confident support through the bond and Cameron's warm love. No, he isn't ready but he doesn't want to go back to his lonely existence.

"We're here," Cameron promises.

With them, he can adapt. He finally understands why Nick and Hank could accept the existence of Wesen. The bond with their mates and the support they get from them makes it possible. Otherwise, it would probably be too much to handle. "Okay."

"It was a long night, let's take a shower."

Guilt flashes through Drew, remembering how he'd used them showering to escape.

"This time you get to join us," Cameron says with an eager grin.

Guilt forgotten, Drew's body goes hot with the way the two men are looking at him. He tries to jump out of bed but crumples under the pain in his leg.

"Drew!"

Oh, shit. He'd forgotten about the bite.

"Let me see."

He moves his hands to expose the wound. Austin kneels down in front of him.

"This is a nasty bite," Austin growls.

"You were bitten!" Cameron yells, panicked. He scrambles over to Drew and runs his hands over his body checking for other injuries. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

Before Drew can respond, Austin interrupts, "I will hunt down who or whatever attacked you."

"Me too," Cameron agrees.

Their eyes glow red and fangs peek out from their mouths, a glimpse of the animals hiding within them. Instead of feeling afraid, Drew feels weirdly protected.

"Cameron, you can stop. I'm not hurt anywhere else." Drew's words don't have any effect; Cameron is too focused on inspecting his body for wounds.

Despite their anger and suppressed violence, their touch is light. Still, Drew winces when Austin touches his bite wound.

Austin takes a deep breath and holds it for several beats before releasing it slowly. The calming breathing makes the red bleed away and his eyes return to normal. "We're going to have to get this cleaned up. It's going to hurt. Afterwhich, you are going to tell us what happened to you and who we need to kill."

Austin looks like he feels worse about it than Drew does. "Going to kiss it and make it better?"

"I can blow you. You'll forget all about the pain."

"Uh." The offer shouldn't be as enticing as it is considering Cameron still has red eyes and fangs.

Austin carefully lifts him into his arms. "What the hell? I can walk." Probably.

"You were attacked when I wasn't there to protect you, an attack which I still know nothing about. If you think I'm letting you walk when I can carry you, you are mistaken, mate," Austin explains haughtily.

"I second that, Alpha," Cameron says, following closely behind them. "Blutbaden alphas don't always pamper but this time, it's a necessity. You were attacked, Drew. You will be pampered."

Drew has little experience with pampering and both his mates seem determined. "I'm not good at sitting back and letting someone take care of me." It has been a long time since he's been carried in a man's arms.

"You'll get used to," Austin answers confidently. He sets Drew down carefully and takes the offered first aid kit from Cameron. "Our relationship dynamic may be new in the Blutbaden world but I'm still an alpha and Cameron is still a submissive. Our instincts may evolve but we are what we are. My first instinct will always be to care for my mates and our family. That includes you."

Taking that in, Drew watches Austin take out the supplies.

"While Austin tends to your wound, why don't you tell me what happened?"

Until this moment, Drew hadn't realized Cameron's potential for violence. The look in his red eyes is predatory. Not the sexy kind either.

"Cameron, calm down. We'll hear the details after but first, you need to regain control."

Cameron growls but one sharp look from Austin stops him. He walks over to the window.

"Give him a moment; he gets upset when anyone in the pack is hurt."

Someone else he's hurt.

Cameron turns away from the window, eyes and teeth back to normal. "Stop feeling guilty, Drew."

"Can you feel everything I feel through the bond?" The confusion, guilt, joy, love, sorrow, and all the emotions he can't decipher.

Cameron smiles gently. "With some training, you'll be able to control what emotions go through the bond. The stronger the emotions, the more likely it is that we will feel them through the bond. Don't worry, we'll help you."

Help. Drew looks away.

Austin stops working on his wound. "Stop whatever foolish thoughts are running through your head right now."

Eyes shut tight, he can't bear to look at either of the men. "You'd be better off with a mate you didn't have teach everything to." Drew knows nothing about their world. Feeling stupid makes him defensive.

"Open your eyes and look at me, Drew."

The forcefulness in Austin's voice has him obeying.

"Your pity party is over. No more feeling sorry for yourself. You are our mate because you are meant to be. We want no one else and will have no one else. It will be our pleasure to teach you everything you need to know about our world and our lives. We love you. Okay?"

Drew swallows, blinking back unexpected tears. "Okay."

"Good."

Cameron kisses Drew lightly. "The fates blessed us greatly."

"You truly believe it was fate, that I'm fated to be here with the two of you?" Drew is not a fanciful person. Believing in fate or anything he can't see with his own eyes has never been his strong suit. His grandmother can attest to that. Drew wonders how many of his grandmother's unbelievable stories might have had a kernel of truth. Judging from what he is learning, almost anything is possible.

Cameron draws him back from his thoughts when he answers, "Yes, we do."

The thought of that being true blows him away. He's where he is meant to be, with who he is meant to be with. Drew thought this kind of shit only existed in fairy tales.

Finished with the bandage, Austin sits back on his haunches. "All done. Now, how about you tell us how this happened?"

Was the attack last night? Mere hours ago? It feels like a lifetime ago. Drew feels as if he's a different person than he was before he realized the truth. Maybe I was. "Yeah, I—"

The sharp sound of a cell phone ringing from the bedroom cuts Drew off. The three men still at the continued ringing and exchange looks. Their bubble is broken and the outside world has intruded. It had to happen but if only they could have had more time.

"Someone should get that," Drew says. It's not his, since his is probably still at the cabin in the middle of nowhere. Neither Cameron nor Austin move a muscle and finally the ringing stops. "Or not."

"It's unimportant."

The ringing begins again. "I have a feeling they are going to keep calling until someone answers."

Austin rises from his knees and walks toward the phone.

Trying to lighter the serious mood, Drew tilts his head, giving Austin's retreating ass an appreciative look. "Do you think he'll let me take 'im?"

"Uh…" Cameron's expression turns thoughtful. "Before you? I would have said no but adding you into the mix might change things. Maybe?"

"I'll take those odds."

"He does have a nice butt."

"Yeah, he does," Drew agrees. "What about you? You ever want a piece of it?"

"Nah. Goes against my instincts."

"To top?"

Cameron shrugs.

"You do want to top?"

Cameron ducks his head and mumbles softly, "Maybe you. Not Austin."

"Anytime you like, angel." Drew looks up as Austin walks back into the bathroom.

"I know who you are, Sean Renard's aunt, the seer." Austin presses the speaker button, letting them all hear her response.

"Yes, that is me. I was also with your mate last night."

No, it can't be. "Vivian?"

"Yes."

Renard's aunt? She was the one stalking me? Can this get any weirder?

"I must warn you, Drew was bitten by a lycanthrope."

A heavy weight settles in the bottom of his stomach. Cameron moves closer as if seeking comfort or offering it or more likely a bit of both. Austin is trying to appear unaffected by the statement but Drew senses the worry hiding behind his stoic eyes. "That's bad, isn't it?" I knew it was too good to be true. What the hell did I get bitten by? "They're poisonous or something aren't they? Am I going to die?"

Austin crouches in front of Drew. "Lycanthropia is caused by a virus, one that anyone can get, including humans. All it takes is a scratch or a bite from a lycanthrope."

If his mates hadn't been holding him, Drew would have jumped up. "Are you fucking kidding me? I'm going to turn in to that!" He remembers the feral look in its eyes; there was nothing human left in that thing. "I won't. I'll kill myself first!" Drew struggles against his mates' hold. "You didn't see what it was! Please, I don't want to become a monster."

"Sh, love. We'll figure this out," Austin promises.

Cradled between his mates, Drew voices his greatest fear, "I don't want to hurt either of you."

"We will find a way to help you."

"A cure?"

Austin shakes his head. "There's no cure but that doesn't mean we can't find a way for you to live with lycanthropia." He grabs the forgotten phone, realizing Vivian is still on the line. "Vivian?"

"Yes, I'm still here. There is one more thing I need to say. Drew's lycanthropia will make or break your triad bond."

Cameron's hand goes to his stomach. "Our bond will not be broken."

"But maybe it'd be better…" Drew tries to protest.

Cameron repeats more forcefully, "Our bond will not be broken. We are bound, the three of us. The life we created grows within me, Drew. Can you not feel it?" He takes Drew's hand and rests it on his stomach.

He feels something, an inexplicable connection. How could he have forgotten? They'd warned him about the pregnancy. How am I supposed to be a father now? Drew scrambles away from Cameron, in his panic not registering the pain in his leg. "What if I hurt the baby? What if I hurt the kids?" The baby and the kids are defenseless unless Cameron or Austin protects them. If he was scared of the monster he is going to become before, he's terrified now. "Stay away from me!" I need to go. Where's my gun? I need to protect them from what I'll become.

"Drew, calm down. It's going to be okay."

Panicked, he holds his hands up to fend off Austin's approach. "No! It's not! I'm turning into some sort of fucking monster and Cameron is pregnant! With my baby! And the kids are here! Don't you understand?!" Drew sobs. His perfect world is already falling apart. Austin's arms wrap around him and the thread snaps, the fight going out of him. "You have to kill me."

"Oh, baby. Don't think like that."

Unresisting in his misery, Drew allows Austin to hold secure in his arms as Cameron changes the sheets. He can feel the alpha's strength bostering him through the bond, restoring his empty reserves.

"Why don't you take a nap with Cameron and I'll talk to Monroe and Nick. We will find something that can help you, Drew."

Drew tries to get off the bed but Austin holds him down. "You are going to leave me alone with Cameron!? What if I turn into that thing!?"

"You won't until the full moon. Last night was the last night of the full moon. We have time until the next one."

The panic skittering through his body calms. "We do?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Without the fear of turning into a monster any second, Drew reaches out to Cameron. Something in him loosens at touching his mate. They must feel it too as their faces lose a tightness he hadn't noticed before. Drew wishes he could make some sarcastic joke and laugh off his panicked reaction but he is too emotionally raw.

Cameron tugs him close. "Cuddle with me. I love to cuddle when I'm pregnant."

Drew drapes over Cameron's back, arm around his stomach.

Cameron threads his fingers through his over his stomach. "I wonder how many we are going to have?"

How many? "What do you mean?"

"Blutbaden firstborns are always triplets and technically, this pregnancy is our first."

"..."

"Drew?"

"..."

"Drew? Are you okay?"

An elbow to the stomach jolts him out of his shock. "Uh, my heart just stopped for a second there." Three babies? At once.

Cameron turns around to look at Drew face to face. "Do you not want children?"

"It's not that. I never thought I'd have a family. It's happening faster than I expected and I'm trying to catch up." He's trying to catch up with everything that's happened. Wesen, the mating, lycanthropia, male pregnancy, fatherhood. He had been reeling from the three kids calling him dad and now he might be adding three infants to the mix? Six kids? Drew can't wrap his mind around it. He can't think of that now. It's too much. His head will explode.

"Lean on us, Drew. You don't have to be strong with us. If there is anywhere you can be vulnerable, it's with us."

"You're beautiful, you know."

Cameron rolls his eyes. "Don't change the subject or no sexy times for you later and I will be very upset with you." He offers a sultry smile. "I have a feeling I will need both my mates to satisfy me tonight. You wouldn't want to disappoint me, would you?"

Bribed with sex, smart man. "You are evil."

"No, just horny," Cameron says with a wink.

"Fine, you win."

"I always do."

Drew doesn't doubt it. Figuring he might as well start expanding his knowledge. "Tell me about male pregnancy. How does it work?"

NB*M* HG*SR* NB*M*HG*SR* NB*M* HG*SR* NB*M* HG*SR

Austin finds the pups in the playroom with Nick and Monroe.

"Papa!"

Three eager bodies crash into him and Austin falls to his knees to wrap his arms around his pups. Last night, they almost became orphans. "I love you, pups." It feels wonderful to have them in his arms, warm and safe. They shouldn't have had to seen what they did. Austin wishes he could go back and change the past but he can't. He, Cameron, and Drew will have to watch the pups and make sure they are coping with what they experienced. Hearing they tell him they love him too soothes a bit of his guilt.

Austin kisses each of them. "Delilah, I need to talk to Uncle Monroe and Nick about something. Can you watch over you siblings? We'll be down the hall in my office if you need anything."

His serious little alpha catches on easily. "Yes, Papa." Delilah then herds her siblings back to what they were doing.

Austin turns his attention to Monroe and Nick. "Thank you for everything," he says, addressing them for the first time.

"You know we'd do anything for you and the pups, and you'd do the same for us." Monroe lays a hand on Nick's expanding waistline.

He nods. Nick's due date is fast approaching and they'll have triplets of their own. The three of them walk to Austin's office. With the door shut, Austin doesn't waste time. "I'm going to cut straight to the point. Drew was attacked and bitten last night by a lycanthrope."

"What's a lycanthrope?"

Monroe explains, "It's like a Blutbad on steroids with no mental awareness of who or what they are or were."

"We're hunting a lycanthrope then?"

Austin shakes his head. "It's dead. The problem is the bite." The confusion in Nick's eyes makes it clear he doesn't understand what a bite means for Drew. "Lycanthropia can be transmitted to humans through a scratch or a bite."

"Shit."

"I need the two of you to try your contacts, see if anyone has anything he can try to help him at least retain his mind and help him with his control over the lycanthropia. Drew needs this for his peace of mind." To underscore how serious the situation is, Austin adds, "When Drew found out he is now a lycanthrope, he wanted us to kill him. He doesn't want to hurt anyone, us especially. We must find something, anything, that will help him and there is very little time. We have only until the next full moon."