Payton
“What about this one, Payton?” My mother showed me a piece of very pink material.
“Way too pink, Mom, and I do not know if I want to go with pink,” I said.
“You haven’t been sure about anything these days, Payton. What is bothering you?” she asked.
“Allison”
“Alison? What does Alison have to do with anything?” she asks.
“That is just the thing. She is not involved in anything. I have known Ally since birth mom, she is my best friend, and she is not going to be my maid of honor; she is not going to be there for the birth of my babies.” I said.
“I am so sorry, sweetheart. I should have known you were missing her through all this.”
“Alison and I always used to talk about our weddings and how we wanted to be each other’s maid of honor. And here I am planning my wedding and no Alison .”
“It is going to be alright, dear,” Mom said, putting her arm around my shoulder.
“No, no, it is not; it is just not the same without her. I am sorry, Mom, but I can not do this right now.” I dropped the material and stormed out of the kitchen and up to my room.
How can I get married without Alison by my side? I lay on my bed and cried myself to sleep.
Nancy Black.
I should have known Payton would need Alison now more than ever. They have always been there for one another. I cleaned up the wedding samples and drove myself home. I need to talk to James, Jaxson, and Maverick. I mind link them all to meet me in the Alpha’s office. We have to fix this for Payton.
Alison
“Ready?”
“Yes, babe, let’s do this,” I said
Caleb knocks on Alpha Brook’s office door.
“Come in.”
“ Good afternoon, Alpha.”
“ Afternoon Alison, Caleb”. The Alpha responds
“What can I do for you?”
“ Alpha, as you know, the other day, Caleb and I found out we are going to have a pup,” I said.
“Yes, and?”Alpha says. unamused
“Well, I was wondering if Caleb and I could take a month off and go visit my family. I would like to tell them I am pregnant in person.” I told him.
“ Before you say anything, Brooks,” Caleb spoke up.
“ I already spoke to Austin, and he is willing to fill in as Beta till I return.”
“ Ah, well, good then. Yes, fine, you can go. Just Caleb, keep in touch with me, and if Payton returns, inform me.”
“ Yes, of course.”
“ Thank you, thank you, Alpha!” I said excitedly.
“ You are welcome, Alison. When will you both be leaving?” he asks.
“ In the morning, if that is alright?”
“ Very well, have a nice trip.”
I got up, said thank you again, and ran out of the room to go pack. The Alpha kept Caleb behind. I hope he keeps the secret. I was shocked, hurt, and excited when Aunty Nancy called me to let me in on Payton’s pregnancy and wedding. I would do anything for my best friend and keep this secret. I will take it to my grave. Hold on, Payton, I am coming.
Alpha Brooks
“The trackers still have not had any luck finding Payton. They are moving on to the next town,” I told him.
“ Look, Greyson, you are my best friend. We have been all our lives, but look what you did to her man, and because of it, she rejected you and left with Mav. Maybe you should just give up,” said Caleb.
“I WILL NEVER GIVE UP. She is mine whether she rejected me or not. I never accepted her rejection.” I said
“ But you never did mark her. Therefore, if Mav marks her, the rejection is final, and the bond will be gone completely. “
“ I am an Alpha. Do you think I do not know that?” I said
“But it has been months now, and he still has not marked her. I have not felt it; I think they are too stupid to know that.”
“ Well, for your sake then, Grey, I hope not.”
“ Do you know something I do not, Caleb?”I asked him.
“ Sighs no. I wish I did. It is hurting Alison because she wants Payton back here with her, too.” he says.
“ Yes, I know she does. How is she doing anyway?” I asked.
“She is depressed but excited about the baby. She can not wait to tell her mom,” he says.
“I think this trip will help with her depression a lot.”
“ Good go pack, keep me updated,”
“Well do Grey.”
I will find you, Payton, and you will be mine again.
Payton
Wow, it is 1 p.m., and Mom is still not here. Normally, she is hereby 10 am for wedding planning. Maybe with me, storming off yesterday, she is mad at me or giving me a day off to rest.
DING DONG
I got up and waddled to the door.
“ SURPRISE “
“ALISON? Oh my god“. I pulled her in for a hug.
“ I have missed you so much,” I said through tears
“ I have missed you, Chicky. Look at you, you are a house!”
“Gee thanks”. We both laugh
“Hey, what does a guy have to do around here to get a hug?”
“Oh I am so sorry. Come here, Caleb.”
“ Wow, you are a house girl.”
I hit him on the arm, and we all laughed.
“I feel like a house to never mind”
“Oh my, where are my manners come in, guys?”
“Can we stay with you and Mav Payton? Or do you want us to stay with Alison’s parents?” Caleb asks.
“ No, no, no, please stay here with us, please,” I said, grabbing onto Alison.
“It is OK, Payton,” says Alison
” I am here now and staying for at least a month, OK?”
I hug her. I knew I missed and needed her, but I did not know it was this bad.
“I will get the bags from the car,” says Caleb.
“Ally, I am so sorry, we had to lie to you and hide things.” I started to say.
“ Shhh, now Payton,” she says.
” Come here, do not even stress over it, OK. I know why you had to lie and believe me, we understand.”
“Still I am sure you were hurt.”
“ OK, a little, yes, but I am not anymore, and I do not blame you.”
We hugged again. I am so happy she is here.
“ Wait! How did you know where to find me?” I asked.
“ Your mother called my cell last night and told me everything; she asked us to come.”
” Congratulations, by the way, on everything,” she says,
“But what about the Beast?”
“ Well, he thinks I am here to see my family. And I am. I will be spending some time with them as well. “
“And he bought that? “
“ Yes, because you see, you are not the only one who is pregnant, chicky.”
“WHAT!!! OH, MY GOD “ I threw my arms around her in a tight hug.
“ That is so awesome. Ally. congratulations “ I said
“ Where can I put these?” Caleb asked, coming in holding bags. I threw my arms around him.
“congratulations daddy”
“ Haha, thanks, Payton, now the bags?”
“Oh ah, turn right at the top of the stairs. Alison’s room is the 3rd door on the left.” I told him
“ My old room! Said Ally
“ Of course “ I smile
When Maverick got home, we all sat down, had dinner, and talked about the pregnancy. And of course some wedding ideas.
“ok listen, “ says Caleb
“ I am going to tell you something you may or may not already know, but I am going to tell you anyway; just do not tell anyone who told you.”
“ OK, what is it?”
“ When you marry and mate, mark each other,” said Caleb,
“I planned on marking her one day,” said Mav.
“ Trust me, Payton, mark each other,” Caleb says again.
” When you rejected Greyson, he did not accept your rejection, so the bond is still there.”
I gasped in shock. I thought rejecting him would have broken it?
“ Hold on, listen, calm down. If you mark each other, the bond between you and Greyson will then be broken fully, and you become each other’s chosen mates.”
We spent an hour talking about this, and we decided we would definitely mark each other on the wedding night.
“ What about this color?” Asked Allison. It was a dark, beautiful red.
“hmm I never thought of red for my wedding, but that is a beautiful color,” I said
“ What about this one, dear?” My mom asks, holding up a royal blue
“ Oh, I like that too.”
Since Ally has been here, my stress level has been down, and I am more excited about the wedding now. I was even able to talk to Ally about my fears about the babies and how I may not love them. She has been so comforting and supportive.
“ OK, I like this one. Let’s do red and white for the wedding.” I said
“Awesome beautiful choice”
We spent 3 more hours on wedding plans when I had to go rest. I am 2 weeks from delivering the babies, and my back is k*****g me.
Maverick
“Caleb, have you noticed how much happier our women are being together ?”
“Oh yes, man, those two are two peas in a pod. Alison is so depressed at home without Payton,” he says.
“ So is Payton, her whole demeanor is different now that Alison is here.”
“ Yeah, Maverick, I wish things were different, and we were all still together in one pack,” he says.
“ Maybe we can be,” I said.
“What? There is no way Payton would ever go back to the Dark Shadow Pack. “
“ No, there is no chance of that ever happening,” I said
” But think about it, Caleb; you and Alison can move here. This is her pack anyway.”
“ Honestly, Maverick, I have been thinking about it. Greyson is my best friend. You know that I would feel like I was betraying him more than I already am now.” He says
” But I think about my mate and how unhappy she is there without her family and Payton, and she can not stand Greyson.”
“Just think of it, man. Sure, you will not be the beta here, but maybe Jax will take you on with Zack,” I said.
“ Austin always wanted to be a Beta alongside his cousin anyway”
“. No one said my brother was a smart man.”
We both laughed.
“ I will think about it and talk it over with Alison,” he says.
I will know before our time here is done. Besides, Alison is scared of our pup having Greyson as their Alpha and role model.”
“ Do you blame her, man?”I asked.
“ No, no, I can not.”
Payton
Ouch, what the hell? OK, you two in there settle down, will you? I lay back down, trying to rest. My back is still k*****g me. I can not even lay on it. About 15 minutes later, another pain shot threw me. Ooh, that hurt babies. Then, another 15 minutes, another pain. OK, something is not right.
“ALISON” I yelled to her.
I heard footsteps coming down the hall.
“ Yes, Chicky?”
“ Something is wrong, Ally!”
“ What? With what honey?”
Another pain hits me
“ OOH” !!!
“ OH GOD, is it the babies?” she asks.
I nod my head yes as I deal with the pain. I am in
“ OK, I linked Caleb. He is with Maverick. They are going to meet us at the hospital. Let’s go, Mommy. “
Alison helps me to my feet, down the stairs and into the car. She drives down the mountain road to the pack hospital. I have never seen Alison drive like this before.
When we got there, Maverick, Caleb, my parents’ brother, and 2 nurses with a stretcher were waiting outside for us.
Maverick and Caleb helped me out of the car and onto the stretcher. I was wheeled in right away.
It has been 4 hours and still no babies. Alison and Maverick are in the delivery room with me. My mother stuck her head in a few times to see how I was doing and to tell me they could hear me screaming all the way in the waiting room.
I grabbed on to Maverick’s shirt collar and pulled his face to mine and, in an angry voice, and threw gritted teeth. I yelled at him
“DRUG’S, I WANT DRUGS NOW”
“I will go get the doctor, love,” he said, running out of the room, returning with the doctor.
“ OK, Payton, let’s take a look and see how you are progressing, shall we?” says Doctor Sandra
“Drugs please, I need drugs,” I said
“ Oh no, can do Payton, your fully dilated sweetheart; it is time to push,” she says.
For the next 10 minutes, I was screaming through the pushing. At one time, I broke Maverick’s hand. But finally, baby one is born.
“It is a boy!” says the doctor, placing him on my chest. Well, Maverick cuts the cord.
“ He is so handsome, Payton, “ says Alison.
She is right. He is so handsome, so tiny.
I cried when the nurse took him away from me to weigh him. I still had to deal with pushing out baby number two. I sent Alison with my son to watch him.
All of a sudden, it felt like he was going to be stolen from me. After a few minutes, I looked up, and Alison was holding my son wrapped up, smiling at me.
“ I have him. Momma, let’s bring his sister into the world now “ she says
She stands next to me again, holding the baby as the doctor says
“OK, dear, time to push.”
3 minutes later, my daughter is placed on my chest,
I break down crying again; she is so tiny and beautiful. I never thought I could love something so much, and I have 2.
“ You did a great job, baby,” Mav says, kissing me.
After being cleaned up, both babies are placed in my arms. I am looking down at them crying and smiling; all the doubts I had about not being able to love them were gone. I could not love them anymore. If I tried, Allison left to inform everyone waiting in the waiting room that the babies were there.
“ I love you so much, Payton,” a teary-eyed Maverick said to me.
“I love you, too.”
“ Look at them, Maverick, their perfect, so perfect.”
“Just like their mommy.”
“Can we come in now?” I looked up and saw my family at the door,
“ Come in, guys,” says Maverick.
Everyone gushes over the babies. At first, I could not bring myself to let them go. They were mine. But after 30 minutes of my mom working on me, I gave them up but could not stop watching them. They are mine, so little, so perfect, and mine.
“ So, “ says my dad.
“What are my grandbabies’ names?”
I and Maverick spent months working on names until we finally agreed on names.
“ Well, everyone, Meet Cole Greyson Matthew’s “
Everyone gasped.
“I know I know,” I said,
“But I figured I would at least give him the middle name of the Beast.”
Everyone smiled in understanding
“ And what about our little princess,” asked my mom?
“ Everyone meet Melody River Matthew’s “
“Wow, such beautiful names, guys,” Allison says.
After 30 minutes of visiting, everyone leaves due to the visiting hours and doctor’s orders. I learned to breastfeed my babies before I lay them in their small hospital cribs on wheels and fall asleep till the next feeding.
Cole Greyson Mathews Born July 26th, 2005 6lbs 7oz with black hair and blue eyes
Melody River Mathews Born July 26th,2005 5lbs.5oz with black hair, hazel eyes
