Touch

Before Zacky even realized what was happening, they were at the mansion and Leah was being put in a room. He wa getting responses left and right from the guys telling him that they would be there as soon as possible. He knew they wouldn’t miss this for the world, they all wanted to be here to support him and Leah. Zacky sat in a chair next to Leah’s bed, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it. “I’m sorry,” he murmured softly. “I never thought about the amount of pain I would be putting you through or what you would be giving up by having my pups,” he told her, sighing heavily. He made a face as he could feel his wolf getting angry at him for apologizing, because naturally Leah should want this with him as his mate. He shouldn’t apologize. Zacky shook his head and took a deep breathe letting it out slowly. “I know it’s not the right time for me to apologize or even have this talk, but it’s better then not having it,” he told her softly, standing up and kissing her forehead.

“Where’s my baby girl,” Brian said as he burst into the room, flowers and balloons in hand, as well as baby gifts. Zacky rolled his eyes a little and stepped aside so that Brian could get to Leah.

---

Aubree screamed and cried out in pleasure, never feeling something so amazing and intense in her life. This had to top the night of her change for sure. He was being even more rough with her at that moment then any other time they’ve had sex thus far, and she loved it. Aubree could feel her knees begin to shake as her climax began to build, but she was trying to hold out for as long as she could. She didn’t want this feeling to end so soon. “Fuck, it feels so good,” she cried as she rested her head against the couch pillows. When Matt moved her legs again, she could feel him reaching a spot deep within her she wasn’t sure he’d ever reached before. Aubree could feel the sweat beads beginning to roll down and pool at the small of her back, which meant she was definitely going to need to shower after this. She hated smelling like sex and sweat. “I love your cock,” she moaned, biting her lower lip hard as she looked back at him. When Matt nipped at at mark, that was all it took to send her over the edge and reach her orgasm. Aubree screamed his name in sheer pleasure as her body shook, holding herself up the best she could by the back of the couch. “Oh fuck,” she cried.

All Leah could do was make a face at the nurse's response. She knew that made sense but she was in pain now and she wanted it to go away. "It's okay," Leah said softly to Zacky. She knew he - or rather, his wolf - didn't like the fact that he was apologizing to her. And a small part of her own wolf hated that he felt the need to, because deep down she knew she was supposed to want this. And technically, her wolf did want this; it was the human side of her that was absolutely terrified at what was about to happen. "I'm right here, Daddy," Leah said, seeing her father burst into the room. Despite how scared she felt, she couldn't help but smile when she spotted the balloons and gifts. "You know none of that was necessary," she told him. "But I appreciate it."

Brian leaned down to give Leah a hug. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Scared," Leah answered honestly. She avoided looking at Zacky. "I know this is going to hurt a lot."

---

Matt wasn't surprised that nipping at her mark was what sent Aubree over the edge. Hearing her scream his name the way she did only spurred his wolf on more and he growled as he gave a few final, rough thrusts into her before he felt his own climax take over. He pinned her hips against the couch as he came, leaning over her back for a few seconds as he caught his breath. As he pulled back, he noticed how spent Aubree seemed to be and his wolf was rather proud. Matt pulled up his boxers, giving her ass a sharp slap before he moved over to grab his phone, which had gone off while they'd been fucking. His eyes widened as he read over Zacky's message and he turned back to Aubree. "Zack texted, Leah's in labor," he told her.

Even though Leah said it wasn’t necessary, he still felt like saying what he had needed to be done. Only because of how she’d been handling the pregnancy lately. He hated seeing her so upset. Zacky walked over and sat in one of the chairs in the corner of the room. He never really understood why maternity wings were so damn extravagant compared to any other part of the hospital. You would think that the entire hospital would be this nice and spacious. Zacky crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Brian and Leah interact, trying to stop himself from thinking anything that might make him cringe. Like the fact that his best friends daughter was laying in a hospital bed as his mate, getting ready to give birth to their triplets. Zacky shook his head and ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply. It was honestly crazy to think about. But honestly, he couldn’t picture himself with anyone else. He loved Leah to pieces.

---

Aubree clutching so hard onto the couch pillows that her knuckles were turning white, panting heavily as she came down from her intense orgasm high. She moaned as Matt slapped her ass, her hips jerking forward a little. “Slap my ass again, Sanders, and I’ll take you up to that bedroom and never let you leave,” she purred, licking over her lips. She was going to follow through with her promise, too, until she heard the next words that came from Matt’s mouth. “Oh my god, we have to go!” She yelled as she shot up, making a face when she felt her cum mixed with matt’s Run down her tthighs. “Fuck, I need to shower first.” Aubree grabbbed her clothes and ran upstairs to their room, throwing them in the hamper and finding some fresh ones before taking the quickest shower of her life. She couldn’t believe her sister was in labor, she had to get there fast and be there for her. “Okay, I’m ready!” She said, pulling matt’s Hoodie over her head to hide the tiny bump that was already forming on her own body. She didn’t want anyone to ask any questions or turn heads just yet, she didn’t want to take any attention away from Leah and the triplets.

"But when it's all over, you'll have your pups to finally hold in your arms," Brian said.

Leah forced a smile onto her face. She knew that's what most women thought about to get themselves through the pain of childbirth. Finally getting to hold the pup or child they'd been nurturing and carrying in their bodies. But that was what Leah dreaded the most. With the pups here, there would be no more avoiding the situation. She was going to be a mother and the thought still made her stomach curdle a little. She still didn't think she was ready. She just hoped she could handle it. A few minutes later, a nurse came in to check her progress, during which her dad thankfully stepped out of the room. "How much longer?" Leah asked as the nurse threw her gloves into the trash.

"You've still probably got a little while," the nurse answered. "You're only dilated to about a three and a half and since this is your first litter, you'll likely progress pretty slowly. But you never know."

---

Aubree's reaction to his announcement didn't surprise Matt at all. He had a feeling that she was probably a lot more excited about this than her sister. And Matt was excited, too. He knew how happy Zacky was to have pups and pass on his genes and these pups would be the first members of the third generation of their pack. It was an all-around exciting time. "Alright, let's go, then," Matt said. He reached out to rest his hand on Aubree's stomach, smiling. Before too long, it would be their turn to finally welcome their pup into the world. Since it was much easier to travel to the council mansion in wolf form, Matt transformed as soon as he was out the front door. He waited for Aubree to do the same before he headed off in the direction of the mansion, stopping at the front desk to ask for Leah's room number.

Aubree’s face flushed as Matt rested his hand on her stomach. She couldn’t wait until it was their turn to finally welcome their pup into the world. She also couldn’t wait to get her hands on one of her nieces of nephews, she had baby fever and desperately wanted to hold one. Aubree followed Matt outside after making sure Bella had food and water, locking up behind her. She transformed into her wolf form, shaking a bit from the weird feeling she got in her stomach. The doctor did tell her that changing to her wolf form would be slightly uncomfortable, but it was nothing to worry about. Aubree ran as fast as she could to the council mansion, pushing her legs as hard as she could. It also felt good to be able to get out and run like this. When they finally got there, she asked for Leah’s room number and thanked the nurse when she gave it to her, quickly making her way up there with Matt. Before entering the room, she grabbed a mask and some gloves, putting them on. “I hear we’re delivering some babies,” she said as she slapped her glove on her wrist, standing in front of her sisters bed. Aubree has to admit, Leah looked absolutely miserable and it made her so glad that she was only having one pup.

---

Zacky listened intently to how much longer it might be, sighing softly. He knew that this could take a while. It was a long process and he was just glad that right now she wasn’t in any excruciating pain. He just hoped that she wasn’t in labor for over a day or anything. Zacky looked up when the door opened , raising a brow as he saw Aubree and Matt walk in, Aubree with a mask and gloves on. He snickered and shook his head as he watched, standing up so that Aubree could have his seat. He’d go get more chairs if he needed to. “I’m glad you guys could come,” he said as he gave Matt a side hug sort of thing. Jimmy and Johnny said they would be here as soon as possible, but Zacky was just happy that Aubree was able to come to Leah. He was hoping that having her sister here would help cheer her up a bit. “You gonna stick your hand up her vagina and see how dialated she is?” Zacky asked Aubree as he raised a brow at her, tilting his head to the side. When Aubree turned to him with a devious look on her face, he got scared.

“No, I was thinking more along the lines of sticking my hand up your vagina,” Aubree told him, rolling her eyes.

The fact that it could be hours before the pups arrived was absolutely the last thing Leah wanted to hear. She was over this shit already and she just wanted to be done. Not long after the nurse stepped out of the room, the door opened once again and this time, Aubree and Matt entered the room. Leah only stared at her sister as she spoke, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She wasn't exactly in a joking mood at the moment. She was too busy coming to terms with the fact that in a few hours, she would be an actual mother. "Can we please stop talking about my vagina?" Leah asked, looking between Zacky and Aubree. She shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable as another contraction rippled through her abdomen. How the hell was she supposed to handle this for hours upon hours? She just wanted her fucking epidural at this point.

---

Once the nurse had given them Leah's room number, Matt followed Aubree as they made their way upstairs. He almost opened his mouth to ask Aubree what the hell she was doing when she grabbed a mask and gloves but she'd stepped into the room before he could. Matt laughed out loud when Aubree spoke to Zacky, ducking his head a little to avoid irritating Leah anymore. Since Zacky had given up his seat to Aubree, Matt decided to go and get a few more chairs for himself and Zacky. Jimmy and Johnny could go and get their own damn chairs when they finally got here. "Has Brian been in to visit yet?" Matt asked, dropping into one of the seats he'd dragged in.

"He stepped out while they checked how dilated I was," Leah answered. "I think he went to get something to snack on."

Zacky glared at Aubree, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at her. He reached for the nearest thing he could find, which happened to be a diaper that was for whenever one of the pups finally popped out, and threw it at Matt’s head. The other man should be lucky that it wasn’t a dirty one. “You’ll get your epidural soon, baby. Hang in there,” he told Leah as he noticed another contraction rip through, frowning a little. He really hated seeing her in pain, he also hated feeling it. It was almost as if he was experiencing it himself and it wasn’t very pleasant. Zacky sighed heavily and rubbed his face before looking back over at Matt and then back at the twins. “How about we give them some privacy while we go make sure Brian isn’t buying up the entire gift shop,” he told Matt, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him out of the room. Even if Leah wasn’t in much of a talking mood, he knew Aubree would be and it was always good for them to spend some alone time together. Zacky let out a big breath once they were out of the room and on the elevator, groaning heavily. “I’m actually terrified for this,” he told Matt, his eyes wide.

:line:

Aubree snickered, taking off her gloves and mask and tossing them in the trash. Right as she was actually about to make herself comfortable on Matt’s lap, Zacky had to go and drag him out of the room. Aubree rolled her eyes eyes and plopped herself in the now vacant seat, resting her hands casually over her stomach. Now that she was pregnant she’s wanted to be by Matt’s side every second of every day. It was a real problem. Aubree cleared her throat a bit as she looked at her sister, tilting her head to the side. “So in just a few hours you’re gonna be a mommy. How do you feel?” Aubree was really hoping that Leah was getting at least a small smidge excited. She didn’t want her sister to treat the pups in any weird way because she didn’t want his, not that Aubree actually thought that Leah would do something like that. She knew that her sister would make an amazing mom, she just had to believe it for herself.

"I fucking hope so," Leah grumbled, hearing Zacky say she would be getting her epidural soon. She was over this. But then again, the aftermath of all of this wasn't exactly something she was looking forward to, either. She still didn't feel maternal and she still didn't feel ready to be a mother. Leah watched wordlessly as Zacky took Matt and left the room, sighing as she tried to get comfortable. But it was almost impossible. She avoided looking at her sister as Aubree spoke, instead just picking at the blanket lying over her legs. "Right now all I feel is pain," Leah mumbled. She knew that wasn't the answer Aubree was looking for but she couldn't exactly say how she was really feeling. She wasn't ready to be a mommy, still didn't want to be a mommy, but she knew nobody else would understand why she still felt that way. Leah was going to have to get very good at acting if she didn't want anyone to realize what an awful person she was.

---

"Hey what the fuck, why are you throwing shit at me?" Matt asked, glaring at Zacky. He picked up the diaper and tossed it at the other man. He huffed as Zacky dragged him out of the room but followed nonetheless. He was sure Leah was feeling a little crowded and they were going to be stuck in that hospital room for hours so they might as well get out while they wouldn't be missing anything. "Well yeah, man, you're about to be a dad, that's some scary shit," Matt said. He thought about his own impending fatherhood and yeah, the idea was terrifying. "But you've got this, Zack. As soon as your pups are born, you're going to wonder why you were ever scared in the first place. And you've got the support of your pack behind you, so you and Leah are never going to be alone."

Zacky knee that Matt was right. The pack was always going to be there to help him and Leah through everything. Well, at least him. He was still worried about Leah not taking to being a mother, though he would never admit that to anyone. This was supposed to be such an amazing time. They were welcome their next generation soon. So not only was it an exciting time for him and Leah as parents, but also for the pack as a whole. “Alright, let’s try and find Brian,” Zacky said as they stepped off the elevator. He made his way toward the gift shop, or what they called one anyways. Just as he thought, Brian was browsing the baby section with a shit eating grin on his face. Zacky shook his head as he approached the other man, clapping him on the shoulders. “Having fun?” He asked, scaring him.

---

Aubree sighed heavily as she watched her sister. She could tell that she was definitely in pain and she envied her. Why, she wasn’t so sure. Aubree finally was having a pup after trying so hard. Her and Matt were going to get the baby they wanted so desperately. Maybe it was because her sister just so easily got pregnant and didn’t want any of it. But that’s usually how it works, right? Aubree shook her head a little as she crossed her legs and arms, staring down at the floor. “If you need me to take care of them, or help Zacky, I will,” she told Leah, looking back up at her. “Don’t treat those babies like shit just because this isn’t what you wanted. It’s not their fault and you need to remember that. I don’t care if you’re ready or if you want this, it’s happening. I don’t wish on you what I went through, because it haunts me every day. But something needs to knock some sense into you.” Aubree got up and left the room, looking for Matt. She needed him right now. Her hormones were obviously all over the place and the only thing or person that could calm her down was him.

Leah resisted the urge to roll her eyes as Aubree started sprouting off promises to help take care of the pups. Of course, she knew that everyone would pitch in to help with the pups, just like they would when Aubree's pup was born. But that didn't change the fact that Leah was the one whose life was about to be turned upside down. When her sister to speak again, Leah's head snapped up from the spot she'd been staring at on her blanket. She knew her sister was jealous of how easily she'd fallen pregnant but that didn't mean she had any right to berate Leah the way she was. Leah watched her sister leave the room and then promptly burst into tears. She knew the pups hadn't asked for this, but neither had she. Didn't anybody care how she felt about this whole situation? That she was about to be forcibly thrust into a role she had almost no desire for at all? Of course Leah wanted to feel like a mother because she knew that was what the pups deserved. But forcing herself to feel that way would only foster resentment.

---

"Yeah, we should probably try and find him before he buys everything in the gift shop," Matt said, laughing. Not surprisingly, that was where they found their alpha, browsing the baby section. Matt chuckled when Zacky scared him, earning a scowl from Brian. "Haven't you bought these pups enough shit?" Matt asked.

Brian turned his frown on Matt. "They're my first grandbabies, I could never buy them enough," he answered.

It was painfully obvious how excited Brian was about the rapidly approaching birth of his grandchildren. Matt could only hope that he would be as excited when they broke the news of Aubree's pregnancy, especially since she was only having one pup instead of a litter. But deep down, Matt knew his fears weren't very well based. They would all be excited for another new addition to the pack so soon after Leah and Zacky's pups. Minutes later, Matt heard someone approaching and when he turned around, he was surprised to find Aubree, looking upset. "Aubree, what's wrong?" Matt asked, trying to keep his voice low so Brian and Zacky wouldn't hear.

Zacky bit his bottom lip softly as he watched Brian frown at Matt and him. It was cute how excited their alpha was over his first grand babies and Zacky was really happy that he was able to give them to him. Zacky looked over when he heard footsteps and an upset Aubree, suddenly a wave of sadness washing over him. That instantly made him panic a little and he wondered what was wrong. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. I’m going to go check on my mate,” he said as he patted Brian on the shoulder before walking out of the gift shop. Zacky quickly made his way up to Leah’s room, slowly and quietly approaching the door. He could hear her cries and it instantly made him frown, walking inside and shutting the door softly behind him. “Baby? Are you okay?” He asked her, walking over to the side of the bed. He wasn’t sure if there was something wrong with the pups or if her and Aubree had a really bad conversation. He knew how jealous Aubree was over the fact that Leah got pregnant and even though Zacky felt kind of bad for Aubree, it was no reason to come at his mate in any way. But sister will be sisters and they do tend to fight. But if Aubree said anything out of hand, Zacky wouldn’t hesitate to have a few words with her.

---

Aubree followed Matt’s scent until she found him in the gift shop, frowning and wrapping her arms around his middle. She really just wanted to go home now until the pups were born. “I’m an asshole and a sorry excuse for a sister,” she mumbled into his chest. She was on the verge of tears but she wasn’t going to let herself cry. She meant every word she said. Aubree’s maternal instinct made her want to punch Leah in the head and tell he to grow up, that it wasn’t about her anymore or how she felt. Sure, it wasn’t fair that Leah was having pups when she didn’t want to, Aubree understood that. But it wasn’t the pups fault. “I want a nap, I want a back rub, and I want ice cream,” she said with a deep, shaky sigh. She shook her head and pulled away, adjusting her hoodie before walking off and looking for some ice cream. She found a freezer, reaching in and getting a snickers ice cream bar before taking it up to the counter and paying for It. She opened the wrapper and took a bite of the ice cream, raising a brow as she passed her dad with his arms full of baby gifts. “Good lord,” she murmured, shaking her head. She only hoped that her dad would be that excited when he found out that Aubree was pregnant. Usually the excitement calms down after the first litter. she wasn’t even having a litter, she was just having one pup.

"I'm fine," Leah said, wiping at her eyes. She really wasn't but there was no need to worry Zacky. And she didn't feel like repeating her conversation with Aubree to him. "I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed. And I want my epidural. And I want something to eat. I just..." She paused, letting out a ragged sigh. She was just so over this whole situation but it would never actually be over. If she could switch places with Aubree, she would do it in a heartbeat. She wished her sister knew that. Leah knew how much Aubree wanted pups and how much being a mother meant to her and she would give it to her if she could, especially if it meant she didn't have to. "Will you go get me some ice chips?" Leah asked softly, looking at Zacky. "I'm thirsty and that's all I can have."

---

Matt's eyes widened a little when Aubree's arms wrapped around his middle. Getting over his surprise rather quickly, he wrapped his own arms around her shoulders, rubbing her back comfortingly. "You are not either one of those things," he said to her. "Let's go talk outside. After you get your ice cream." Once Aubree had her ice cream in hand, Matt led her outside to one of the benches near the hospital, where he assumed people came to smoke. "So are you going to tell me what's going on?" he asked, looking over at Aubree. "Why did you say you were an asshole and a sorry excuse for a sister? Did you and Leah get into a fight?" He knew Aubree wasn't exactly thrilled with her sister's apathetic attitude towards her pregnancy and becoming a mother.

Zacky frowned as he looked over Leah. She didn’t seem fine at all, but he wasn’t going to push the issue. He knew better than that. “I’ll go get you some ice chips and see if you’re ready for an epidural yet,” he told her, leaning over and kissing her forehead before he left the room. Zacky went to the nurses station, asking them for a cup and some ice chips. He thanked the nurse before asking about when Leah could be checked again, sighing softly before going back to the room. He sat the cup on the little bedside table, opening the pitcher that had the ice in it and pouring some in her cup before handing it to her. “Here you go, baby,” he said softly. “The nurse said the doctor will be here to check on how you’re dialating in another 30 minutes or so. I know you’re in pain, but it’ll be over soon. I promise.”

---

Aubree sighed heavily as she sat down on the bench. She shrugged as Matt asked his questions, taking another bite of her ice cream before explaining to him what happened. “I know I should feel like complete and utter shit, but I don’t really feel that bad. Because I meant what I said, I’ll take care of those babies if I have to. I’ll help Zacky while she does whatever she wants to do.” Aubree frowned and finished off her ice cream, getting up and throwing the trash away before sitting back down. “It just hurts my heart so much, Matt. Thinking about how Leah doesn’t want the triplets. They can feel that, doesn’t she understand? Maybe I just don’t understand.” Aubree put her head in her hands, groaning. She just wanted what was best for any pup. She wanted them to feel loved and be taken care of the way they should.

"Thank you," Leah said softly. She knew that Zacky didn't believe her when she said she was fine and she was glad that he didn't push the matter any further. It wasn't a discussion she wanted to have right now, when she was hours away from giving birth to their pups. Hell, it wasn't a discussion she wanted to have ever. When Zacky returned a few minutes later with a cup of ice chips for her, Leah quietly thanked him before scooping out a few pieces of ice and popping them into her mouth. She was relieved to hear that the doctor would be coming to check her soon. She was ready for her epidural. She knew it obviously wouldn't take away all of the pain away but it would help a lot. "I hope they hurry, I'm ready for my epidural," Leah said.

---

"I know you will but you shouldn't have to," Matt said. "Leah isn't a kid anymore, she knew what she was doing when she laid down with Zacky. If she didn't want to get pregnant, she should've been more careful." Matt knew he was probably being a little harsh but he agreed with Aubree in that he didn't understand how Leah could so outwardly show that she didn't want her pups. "But hopefully she'll change her mind once the pups are born. Because you're right, they can feel that. And they deserve better." Matt sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "You want to go back inside now?" he asked Aubree. "Or we can go somewhere else for a little while. I'm sure Zacky or your dad will let us know when it gets closer to time for Leah to actually give birth."

Zacky sat down in the chair nearby, folding his hands in his lap as he stared down at them. He was excited and really nervous for the pups to get here. He wanted so badly for Leah to come to her senses and begin feeling like a mother and be as excited as Zacky was. He knew that she felt alone, but he did as well. He never pictured that the excitement of his first littler would be one sided. He looked up as the door opened, smiling at the doctor as he came in, along with a nurse. Zacky watched as they checked to see how dialated she was, biting his lower lip.

“Looks like she’s ready for that epidural,” the doctor said, pulling his gloves off and tossing them in the trash. “The nurse will be just a few minutes to give it to you, then we’ll go from there.”

Zacky nodded and thanked the doctor before he left, sighing heavily and stretching in his seat. “Won’t be long now.”

---

Aubree played with a loose string on her hoodie while she listened to Matt, nodding. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to go back inside now or not. She was enjoying the fresh air and just being outside. She sighed heavily and placed her hands on her stomach, smiling to herself. Aubree was so happy to finally feel complete. Of course she was still terrified of something happening, but she was still pretty confident things were going to be okay with her pregnancy. “I’m enjoying the fresh air,” she said softly before taking his hand in hers and placing it on her stomach. “I’m kind of hungry too,” she murmured as she furrowed her brow. “Even though I just ate that ice cream bar.” She shook her head and relaxed, looking up at Matt. “Do you have any names you’ve been thinking about yet?” She asked him curiously. One thing she was terrified of was to pick out a name. She didn’t want to be in too much of a rush, but she knew that this pregnancy was going to fly by.

Hearing the doctor's words, Leah perked up for the first time since she'd been admitted. Finally, she would get a reprieve from this pain, at least for a little while. It was only a few more minutes before the nurse returned with the supplies for the epidural and Leah would have been lying if she said she wasn't at least a little nervous when she spotted the size of the needle. But honestly, she would let someone hit her with a car at this point if it would stop the pain. The nurse had her sit up on the edge and of the bed and pull her gown away from her back and then Leah felt the cold sting as the nurse washed the injection site with the iodine. "Come hold my hand," Leah said, looking at Zacky.

---

Matt smiled as Aubree placed his hand on her stomach, rubbing his thumb over her shirt. "Well we can stay out here for a little while," he told her. "Or we can walk up the street to Dairy Queen and grab a cheeseburger? Since you're still hungry." He shot her a teasing grin as he started walking. Even if they didn't get anything else to eat, he thought a walk was a good idea. "I mean, not really," Matt said, thinking about Aubree's question. "I thought it would probably be best until we find out what we're having, you know? That way we can just focus on narrowing down one name instead of two. Because we both know we're both stubborn and picky as fuck and it's going to take us forever to pick out a name."

Zacky watched as the nurse prepped for the epidural, smiling as Leah asked for him to hold her hand. He walked over and took her hand in his, bringing the back of it up to his lips and placing a soft kiss there. He kept watching the nurse, swallowing the lump in his throat as he saw the gigantic needle that was about to go into Leah’s spine. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking away so he didn’t pass out. He could handle a lot, but needles definitely weren’t one of them. “You’re going to be feeling great in no time, baby,” he told her softly, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. He was really glad that she was finally getting the epidural because he hated seeing her in pain. This was one of the things he just wasn’t looking forward to at all and neither was his wolf. If he could trade places with her and push out three pups, he would.

---

Aubree really liked the idea of Dairy Queen, nodding excitedly. She could definitely use some chili cheese tots and a slushee. “That’s a great idea,” she told him with a nod, agreeing with him about waiting until they knew the gender of the baby. Aubree had a feeling that it was going to be a sweet baby girl, but who knows. “I have various names for both genders picked out honestly, but they’re names I’ve always had written down since I was little.” Aubree bit down softly on her lower lip as she stared down at the ground as they walked, remembering all the reasons for why she chose the names she did. She definitely didn’t just liked them to like them, they all had meaning behind them and that’s how she wanted to name her baby. She wanted their name to have meaning. “Hopefully we find out the gender soon, though because I really want to get started decorating the nursery,” she said with wide eyes, bouncing slightly. Aubree had Pinterest boards upon boards of nursery ideas and shebcouldnt wait to use them. She’s been wanting to decorate something in the house and Matt would never let her touch any of the other rooms.

Leah held on tightly to Zacky's hand as the nurse inserted the needle into her back. It wasn't so much painful as it was just really uncomfortable but she was still glad when it was over and the nurse told her she could lay back down. It wasn't long before she felt her lower half slowly starting to go numb and for the first time in hours, she wasn't in pain. "We're going to go ahead and check to see how dilated you are, okay?" the nurse said. This time Leah wasn't able to move her legs, so she simply laid back as the nurse arranged her legs as needed and went through the process of checking her dilation. "Looks like you're about six centimeters, so it shouldn't be too much longer," the nurse said.

---

"Well you'll have to share them me, once we get home and get a little rest," Matt said. He didn't really have any names picked out but he'd always thought that it would be Aubree who did that, anyway. Of course, he'd want a little say in what they named their pup. "Shouldn't be too long before we find out," Matt said. As they reached the restaurant, he held open the door, letting Aubree step inside. "And then you can decorate the nursery to your heart's content." He smiled at her as he followed her up to the counter, surveying the menu. The thought of planning a nursery and choosing a name for their pup excited Matt more than anything, especially with Zacky and Leah having their own pups. He only hoped things turned out better this time.

Zacky quietly watched everything that was going on around him, listening intently and taking mental notes of anything that was being said or done. He sighed in slight relief when the nurse said that it wouldn’t be long now. They were almost to that counting down phase and he couldn’t be happier. He was excited to finally meet the pups but he also wanted this to be over for Leah. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the amount of pain she was going through right now. Zacky couldn’t wait to hold them in his arms and see how beautiful they are. He also knew that Leah was going to be an amazing mother, even if she didn’t think she was going to be herself.

---

Aubree rocked on the balls of her feet as she looked over the menu. Why, she wasn’t sure , because she pretty much already knew what she wanted. When it was their turn to order, she told the lady that she wanted a large chili cheese tots and a pickle flavored slushee. She stepped back and let Matt order what he wanted, grinding and biting down on her lower lip. She was so excited for her food and it was a bit obvious. Aubree grabbed a few napkins and straws and condiments that they may need, and went over to find a place to sit. It wasn’t long before Matt came over to the table with their food, which she was thankful for. Aubree grabbed a fork and instantly dig into her tots, moaning at how good they were. “God, theyre so good,” she said with a big sigh. “Pretty sure theyre almost as good as an orgasm. Maybe even better,” she said with a small smirk, taking another bite.

It shouldn't be long now. As innocent as they seemed, and as happy as most people would be to hear them, those words absolutely terrified Leah. In what would likely be a matter of just a couple of hours, the pups would be here and she would be a mother. And she still felt woefully unprepared. She wasn't equipped to handle the responsibilities of being a mother. She wasn't ready. But at least with the epidural, her level of physical pain started to decline. Slowly, she felt the lower half of her body becoming numb but she knew that wouldn't help as much once the contractions grew strong enough. "Are Matt and Aubree coming back?" Leah asked, looking over at Zacky. Surely they wouldn't miss the birth.

---

Matt let Aubree place her order before he stepped forward to place his. In stark contrast to her odd choices, Matt's was rather simple. Just a double cheeseburger, with a sprite. While Aubree went to save them a table, he stood at the counter to wait for their food. It wasn't long before he was being handed a tray and he thanked the teenager behind the counter as he took it. He looked around for Aubree, spotting her nearby and walking over with the food. "Here you are, ma'lady," he said, setting down the tray with a flourish. He grabbed his cheeseburger, unwrapping it and taking a bite as Aubree dug into her chili cheese tots. "Better?" he repeated, smirking. "I'm gonna have to change that."