January

There was snow falling on New Year's Day, and Drake only knew about it when he woke up to check on Tessa. She'd been craving some hot chocolate, and he sleepily made his way to the main house to find some extra supplies.

The Morgan clan had retired to their private rooms to hibernate for the winter about three weeks prior. Drake was beyond tired, because he couldn't rest like he'd done all those winters in the past. His cub was due any day, and his beast wouldn't let him sleep more than a few hours at a time.

Tessa, on the other hand, had been sleeping like a pregnant bear should. He only woke her to check on the babe, and when he did, she'd beg for food. That was normal and nothing to worry about, but it made for a tiring winter rest. After the hot chocolate, Tessa would hopefully sleep another few hours, and Drake could get some rest, finally. He didn't care. As tired as he was, he'd do this every winter if his mate was carrying his cub.

As he descended to his room, he heard Tessa suck in a harsh breath. It took him three steps to push the door open to their quarters. "Tessa?"

"The baby is coming," Tessa panted as he entered the bedroom. She was standing beside the bed, bent over as her hands rested on the tops of her knees. A puddle of water pooled between her feet.

"Okay, little one," he said, setting the cup of hot chocolate on the bedside table. "Let me get the bed prepared. I need you to sit in this chair."

He maneuvered her to the recliner next to their bed. He grabbed a blanket from the end of the bed and set it down before she slowly eased into the seat. Stripping the sheets from the bed, he retrieved a plastic sheet and placed it over the mattress. He'd been planning and training for this day since he came of age many years ago.

"Do we need to call Harold?" she asked. "Are you sure you can do this by yourself?"

Drake smiled where she couldn't see it. Even in labor, his mate was full of questions. He wouldn't change that for anything in the world.

"I know what I'm doing, but if you would like for him to assist me, I can place a call right now," he offered.

"I want you to deliver our cub." She paused, panting as she rested her hand on top of her rounded belly. He checked the clock to keep time of her contractions. "Can you call him though? Can we keep him on standby should anything happen?"

"I can do that," he replied, finishing up what he needed to do so he could focus his time on her comfort. "I'm going to help you back into the bed, and we will wait until the cub is ready to come into the world."

Tessa took his hand after arguing she could do it herself. With a hard glare, Tessa smiled and shook her head, "Yes, Sir."

"Good girl."

He took a moment to text the cat's healer, and a reply came back with an offer to help if he was needed. Drake told Harold he'd be in touch. He climbed into the bed beside Tessa and held her through the next contraction.

Eight minutes apart.

The next few hours were spent with Tessa increasingly becoming more uncomfortable. She cried a few times, but never complained about the pain. Drake was in awe of her strength.

"Have you picked a name?" he asked, trying to keep her mind off of the contractions.

Four minutes apart.

Tessa nodded her head and squinted her eyes when the next contraction hit. She breathed through it, and finally fell back into the pillow. Drake took a cool washcloth and laid it across her forehead.

"I can't believe I have the sole responsibility of giving our child a name." She rolled her eyes, rubbing absently at their child through her belly.

"It's tradition," he shrugged. "I hope you picked my son a strong name."

"I only picked a name for a girl," she teased and sucked in another breath. The contractions were changing, and Drake waited patiently for Tessa to breathe through them.

Three minutes apart.

"Oh, no," he teased, tweaking her nose. "It's going to be a boy."

"It's a girl," she argued, narrowing her eyes.

"You can't know that," he frowned. "Unless Harold told you what the sex of our cub was after that last ultrasound."

Tessa shrugged and laughed, "He didn't tell me. I just feel like it's a girl."

"Well, I feel it's a boy." Drake knew she was teasing him, and he loved her for it.

"I guess we will find out soon," she winked and cuddled closer to his side. He rested his hand on her belly where his cub still remained within the protection of its mother's womb.

The next contraction hit and Tessa curled in on herself. Drake soothed her by petting her head and whispering encouraging words in her ear. She didn't cry out again, but he could feel her pain as if it was his own.

Two minutes apart.

"I feel pressure," she said a few moments later.

"Let me look," he offered and took his position at the end of the bed. Drake steadied his hand and pushed her gown up where he could see if the cub's head was visible. Tessa cursed when he shook his head. "Not yet, little one."

"I can't do this much longer," she panted with the next contraction.

"It's almost time," he promised.

"I really need to push, Drake," she said, gritting her teeth.

"Not yet, Tessa," he ordered. "You will push when I tell you to."

"It hurts," she cried out when the next contraction hit.

Within fifteen minutes, Tessa was in so much pain, Drake actually became worried. He shot off a text to his brothers and the healer. He hoped Rex and Gunner were awake enough to hear the messages. Harold replied he could be at the house in ten minutes, but Drake held him off. Tessa wanted Drake to bring their cub into the world, and he was going to give her that wish.

"Okay, Tessa, I need you to push on the next contraction," Drake said after taking a look.

The next hour was hectic as Tessa worked her body to deliver their child. Drake stayed focused and did everything exactly the way he was trained.

Finally, at five minutes before midnight, his daughter was delivered. He held the cub close to his heart as he cut the umbilical cord.

"It's a girl," he said in awe. At that moment, he didn't care what sex the cub was, because the child was his and Tessa's.

And she was perfect.

Her face was rounded like a cherub and her legs were long and thick. His thumb slipped into her tiny palm and she squeezed him hard and tight. "Aren't you the strong one?"

"Let me see her," Tessa begged, tears streaming down her face. "Give me my daughter."

Drake carefully bundled his daughter and rested her against Tessa's chest. His mate brought their cub to her breast, and he watched as she fed for the first time. His eyes were wide as he stared at not only one woman he loved with all of his soul, but two women who completely owned him.

"What's her name?" he asked as he kissed Tessa head.

"Her name is Aria Shay Morgan," she announced with a grin, looking up into his eyes.

"It's beautiful."

Drake held his mate and cub, thankful for the day that Tulley sent Tessa to his land. She'd taught him how to love and gave him everything he ever wanted in a mate, and now she had provided him an offspring.

"I love you, little ones," he said to them both as Aria and Tessa dozed off to sleep.

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This story officially ends here.

Though not much views but i still think it was a decent story at my part.

Comment here if you think i should write some kind of sequel like story of the other characters or something like that with an imaginative idea and I'll try to take it in work.