Page 275 of Claim Me
"As you know, I haven’t always followed my father’s suggestions." Blue chuckles softly.
I hesitate for a moment before adding quietly, "And that’s probably a good thing. But I don’t think it discouraged him… maybe quite the opposite. He told me you’re the most precious of his children. His greatest treasure. And honestly, I agree with him. You’re a treasure to me too, Blue…"
Those sapphire eyes move slowly across my face. He parts his lips like he wants to say something, then closes them again, only to repeat the motion a moment later.
I get this strange feeling, somewhere at the edge of my subconscious, almost semi-telepathic, that Blue wants to say he loves me, but simply can’t put it into words. But I’ve already accepted that he doesn’t do "cheesy" confessions and moved on, appreciating everything he is and all the other aspects of our relationship.
He swallows and looks away before sinking into thought.
Finally he says, "In our house there was always favoritism toward omegas. My father devoted the most time, attention, and care to me, Sebastien, and Jacob. My brothers Victor and Thor were always pushed to the side. Father treated them like a necessary evil, he considered them limited, even though they weren’t stupid at all… I don’t want to become that kind of parent. Regardless of the child’s gender, I want to treat them equally."
"Well… I’ll admit I’d love to have an omega son, someone like you, just as gifted…"
Blue suddenly turns toward the window.
"Let’s not place such high expectations on him, Gabriel. Let him choose his own path. The most important thing is that he’s happy."
I blink, suddenly realizing how much freedom of choice means to Blue, considering that after his accident he never truly had the full range of options he craved.
"Of course," I whisper. "He’ll choose whatever he wants… And health matters more than gender anyway. Maybe that sounds cliché, but when I think about priorities, that’s how I want to arrange them in my head."
Blue smiles gently. "True."
I slowly move closer to him, lifting my hand and brushing it softly across his stomach.
At that exact moment, I feel a tiny kick.
"He reacted. He’s kicking!"
"He probably already wants to meet his father." Blue smiles. "It'll be soon, Gabriel…"
"And I want to hold him in my arms and tell him he has my love until the end of my days."
And again, that uncertain look moves across Blue’s face like he’s wrestling with something internally, but I stay quiet. I stay by that. Words aren’t as important.
BLUE
The contractions start during a weekly meeting with my directors.
I don’t let it show, though, and I finish the meeting anyway, although Gabriel’s eyes, from where he’s sitting in the opposite corner, keep widening more and more because he can feel my pain.
The moment the meeting ends, he walks over, wraps an arm around me, and quickly leads me out of the conference room.
Against my will, a wave of stress rises inside me, and Gabriel seems to sense it. He wraps both arms around me and lifts me into the air.
We’d already agreed earlier that the birth would happen at Malden General, where a special room is waiting for me.
"Everything’s going to be fine," Gabriel whispers against my hair, and even though I know it will, I’m forty-two years old. I have waited a very long time for this moment, and now that it’s finally here, it feels overwhelming in a way I can only partially process.
We ride the elevator and head straight into the limousine. Gerard’s eyes go wide the moment he sees Gabriel carrying me in his arms, but, like any classy chauffeur, he doesn’t comment.
We drive to Malden General.
Thankfully, it’s not too far, only about thirty minutes away. Meanwhile, Gabriel pulls out an app that diligently tracks the timing between contractions.
It’s strangely comforting how seriously he’s taking all of this. I watch him while, with a furrowed brow, he carefully records every contraction in the app, making sure we have the timing correct.
When the next wave hits me, he shifts immediately, placing his hand on my lower back. His pressure feels grounding, right where the pain coils, and I realize he’s not just guessing what to do. He’s actually paying attention to my energy through our Bond.
