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|| FOUR HOURS AFTER THE DATE ||

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DYLAN ||

I seriously intended to go to sleep once we got home from our date, but I just couldn't get comfortable. Between this big fucking belly of mine, the pressure in my damn crotch and these damn cramps, I tossed and turned for the last four hours.

"Mmm." I groaned as another cramp shot through my stomach, this one decided to go through my back too and it made me arch against Raiden's chest as I clutched my stomach for like the millionth time since we got home four hours ago.

Holding onto my stomach and the blanket around my body, I take a few deep breaths to deal with the cramps. That's what Miles and Allio said I should be doing whenever they came because the stupid cramps which they called Braxton Hicks contractions, were my bodies way of getting ready to give birth.

I knew they couldn't be real because they only came every now and then and they weren't consistent like Miles said they should be. They also weren't that painful like he said they would be and I didn't feel like I was about to give birth, so the fake fucking contractions just needed to make their way through my body until eventually they would stop like they always have these past two weeks.

My mate was sound asleep so I decided to get up and pee after the cramp stopped. It took me a few minutes to actually roll over to the side of the bed and swing my legs over before pushing myself up off my pillow and standing. Walking to the bathroom and pushing the door open, I walk over or more like waddle over to the toilet and relieve myself.

Flushing the toilet and turning to wash my hands, another cramp hit me and made me hunch over.

"Fucking shit man." I grab the counter and breathe through this cramp that seemed to last a little longer than the one a few minutes ago. This one made my stomach super tight and my back hurt too.

"Thank you." I breathe out as soon as it stops and I can finally stand upright to wash my hands before walking out the bathroom.

I wanted some water, but my glass that I usually keep next to my side of the bed was empty and Raiden was starting to stir in his sleep, so I tried my best to quickly go downstairs to the kitchen and get some water before going back to bed.

Holding the bottom of my stomach, I walked down the hallway, down the stairs and through the livingroom before getting to the kitchen. As soon as stepped foot inside, I hunched over in more pain.

"Ahhh." This one was worst than the last, my stomach tightened so hard, it made me nauseous and my back started to ache even more. "Oh fuck." I pant out through the pain, trying to take a step towards the counter to help brace myself, but I couldn't move. So I stood in the entrance of the kitchen, gritting my teeth through the pain, hunched over and hugging my stomach for the minute or whatever it took for the cramp to stop.

"Shit.." I swallow harshly as I slowly stand upright. Deciding I didn't need the fucking water that bad, I turned back around to make it to my room, at least there I would have my mate to help me through these stupid cramps.

Walking towards the stairs, another cramp hit me and I almost fell trying to find something to hold onto, managing to grab the rail of the stairs. "Ow, ow, ow." I started to panic being all alone through these damn cramps.

I need my mate or I'm going to freak out.

"Raiden!" I yelled in-between the pain, dropping my head against my arm and clutching my stomach with the other, trying my best to bare through it.

"Dylan!" He yelled back, I could feel how close he was, he must have felt how distressed I was through the bond because he made it to me in record time. "Dylan, what the fuck? What the fuck happened?!" His voice was panicked, which wasn't helping me calm down.

He wraps his arms around me from behind and pulls my body upright to lean back into him.

"Babe, it fucking hurts.. these cramps aren't going away.. I need water or something." I cried against him.

"Pups, if they're not going away, we need to get to the hospital." He tells me just as another cramp hits me. "Ow, ow fuck." I whine against him, clutching my stomach.

He lowers his hands and rubs my stomach for me while I attempt to breathe out through this cramp until I feel it go away.

"I don't want to go there Raiden, it's just the fake cramps like Miles and Allio said."

"I don't think so pups, this might be real, your fake cramps never hurt like this... and I can smell your pheromones baby, they're strong, I think it's time to go." He tells me as another cramp hits me, this one caused me to hunch over in my mate's arms.

OH FUCK... he might be right.

No, no, no... I can't be in labor for real. This isn't happening, I'm not ready to have my pups yet. I'm not ready to be a fucking dad yet, not out in the open seriously, like with real pups in my arms who I have to take care of and shit. OH MY GODDESS..

I..... am..... panicking!

SHIT...

What if I'm a bad dad? What if I'm like Dean?

What if I treat my pups badly? What if I can't protect them? I'm only 23 years old, I'm still a fucking pup myself, how am I supposed to take care of real pups? Three of them at that!

What if I drop them? What if I don't know how to change a diaper? What if I'm mean to them or they hate me? What if they get sick and I don't know how to make them feel better?

What if they are hybrids?

What if... oh fuck... what if...

"Dylan! Baby, breathe!" I suck in a sharp breath as my mate's words flood my mind. Blinking a few times and breathing harshly through the pain of this cramp or contraction probably.

The moment I feel the contraction stop, I melt into his arms and I couldn't hold back my tears.

"Raiden, I'm not ready, I'm not ready... I can't be a dad yet, it's too soon babe, I'm-I'm scared." I shake my head frantically against his shoulder before he gently turns me around to face him and his hands move from my body to cup my face.

"Puppy, you're going to be a great father, this is what you wanted, for your pregnancy to be over and you're almost there, you just have to get through this last part." His voice was soothing, but it didn't bring me the kind of comfort I needed.

"Raiden." I cried. "I'm scared, it's too soon, I can't do this... Maybe I can just hold them in for like another week and I can get used to them coming then?"

"Puppy, I don't think that's how this works.. you can't just hold them in, our cubs want to come out now.. they want to meet their dads." He kissed the tip of my nose, then pulled back to look into my eyes. Wiping away my tears, he smiles softly.

"You will be a great dad Dylan, you are nothing like Dean or Jake... not even Liam... you are your own person and you will love our cubs like no other, we will get through everything together as a family and they will love you and appreciate you and most importantly... you will show them what it feels like to have the love of their father in their lives."

My lip trembled at his heart warming words as more tears fell freely down my cheeks, which my perfect mate wiped away.

"I'm scared." I whisper, he nods.

"Me too."

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes, but I know with you by my side, I can do this."

I nod again and smile gently. "I can do this with you by my side too."

He smiles brighter and nuzzles my nose with his. "That's what I like to hear, say it again."

"I can do this with you by my side." I repeat my words through my sobs and he nods again.

"Ready to go?" He asks and after a few minutes and another contraction passing through, I nod.

"That's my man." Babe whispers before kissing me, then helping me to the car.

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"Raiden, hurry the fuck up!" I yell, panting through the pain of the biggest contraction I've felt in weeks.

"I'm going as fast as I can pups."

"Stop fucking calling me that! I hate that name, you're a fucking idiot!" I yell again, punching the window.

"I know you don't mean that, so I'm just going to say ok my love and we're about 10 minutes away from the hospital."

"Do they know we're coming stupid?!"

"Yes they know we're coming love."

"How? How do they know?! You didn't even call anybody!"

"We have a pack link for a reason sweetheart."

I fucking hate it when he's right and I hate him even more because he's the cause of my fucking pain right now. I swear my dick and balls feel like they are about to fucking explode if somebody doesn't get these pups out of me!

"Ahhhhh!" Another contractions rips through my abdomen and I hit the headrest of Raiden's seat because I was put in the backseat. "Drive faster!"

"Ok pups, ok." He tells me as he speeds up too much.

"Slow down you buffoon!"

"You just told me to drive faster, pups."

"Well yeah! Drive faster, but slow the fuck down!"

"I don't know what that even means pups, but ok, whatever you want baby."

Ignoring my mate's foolishness, I clutch my stomach and hunch over in the backseat. Panting through the pain coursing through my entire fucking frame. Everything hurts, literally everything, even my eyebrows hurt and I didn't even think that was possible.

"Ahhhhh! Raiden, please help me!" I cry out as another contractions rips through me not even 30 seconds after the last one.

"Breathe baby, just breathe. Almost there."

"I don't know how to breathe, it hurts!" I whine leaning my head against the back of his seat.

"Deep, steady breaths baby, in and out like Miles and Allio showed you."

I try to do whatever my stupid mate told me to do and not a minute too soon because I felt the car slowing down, until we actually stopped and I picked my head up to see we finally arrived at the hospital.

Miles, Allio and 3 other nurses rushed outside the emergency doors and over to my door.

"Oh thank Goddess, get these pups out of me!" I snarl, taking Miles hand just as I heard Raiden growl.

My attention snaps to him and he shook his head before grabbing my hand from Miles and helping me into the wheelchair.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I ask, sitting down before he starts to push me inside, following behind Miles, Allio and the nurses.

"I'm sorry pups, Onyx and I got a little protective just then.. I'm sorry, I'll try to keep it in check." He tells me before apologizing to Miles. "I'm sorry about that."

"Trust me, it's not a problem Raiden, I actually expected it.. Majority of the fathers I see act the same way if not worse, it's a miracle that I'm still unharmed at this point." Miles laughs.

"What do you mean?" I ask, swallowing the bile that creeped up.

"Well pregnancy is a vulnerable time for the expectant parent and the other parent usually becomes an all out protector during the pregnancy, especially during the birth and sometimes after because of the little ones being so much more vulnerable."

I listened to Miles explanation before looking up at Raiden, who was clenching his jaw.

"Don't go all protector mode in there Raiden, I need them to actually get our pups out without having to worry about you and Onyx ripping someone's throat out." I warn him.

"I'll do my best pups." He tells me, never taking his eyes off the people ahead of us. I sigh knowing he actually would try his best, but most likely he would jump on someone by the time this was all over.

Once we were actually inside the hospital, Raiden continued to push me in the wheelchair... I cried out from another contraction as we got off the elevator onto the labor and delivery floor.

"Can you please get Dylan Harris prepped inside SURGICAL ROOM 2." Miles tells one of the front desk staff before walking off.

"Of course doctor." She tells him as she walks around the desk and over to where Raiden was standing. I didn't miss the moment when he growled quietly as she approached.

"Goodevening Dylan, I'll be taking to SURGICAL ROOM 2 to get prepped for your C-Section and Raiden, if you can follow the other nurses to your prep station." She smiles, trying to push the wheelchair, but Raiden had a death grip on the handles.

"Back off." He snarls, putting his body between me and the nurse. I look at her apologetically.

"Don't worry Dylan, this is totally normal.. sometimes our beasts take over in this moment to protect their vulnerable mates and little ones." She tells me before looking back at Raiden.

"We have someone here that might be able to persuade you a little better." She says as Eva comes around the corner.

"Eva?" I breathe out.

"Hi nephew! I see I'm needed a littler earlier than expected."

She smiles before glancing at Raiden and snapping her fingers. My mate's whole body goes stiff and his eyes widen as the nurse takes the wheelchair from his grasp and pushes me off down the hallway.

"Fuck." I hiss as another contraction rips through me. Instinctively I look behind me for my mate, knowing he was ok, but I was still scared and I needed him.

"Deep breaths nephew!" Eva sings out as she stands next to Raiden's stiffened form. "Try to relax, Raiden will be in the surgical room as soon you are both prepped."

We turn a corner and I can no longer see my mate or Eva and I start to panic even more as the nurse pushes me into the surgical room they all spoke of. Inside were Miles, Allio and 8 other nurses.

"Why so many people?" I ask nervously.

"Because we have a big job today, a vulnerable dad about to give birth to triplets and a very angry, protective papa leopard to keep calm." Miles tells me as two of the nurses offer me their hands.

I take them and they gently pull me to my feet, the weight of my stomach causing me to hunch over.

Slowly we all walk over to the bed in the middle of the floor, I notice two machines next to it labeled Vitals and Anesthesia, on the other side of the room were three weighted beds, where I'm guessing they would put my pups when they were born. There was a table full of medical equipment and tons of blankets and towels on another table. The whole room smelled sterile, which just further brought on my anxiety of the whole thing.

I'm actually about to have my pups..

I'm about to be a dad..

Sitting down on the bed, the extra pressure in my crotch shot up through my stomach, causing me to groan before the nurses began to prep me.

"Ok Dylan, you're going to get a spinal epidural now, so I want you to hold my hands and sit as still as possible. If you feel a contraction, let us know." The nurse in front of me instructs and I nod, grabbing her hands trying my best to ignore the creepy crawly feeling I got from touching another being that wasn't my mate.

"Starting the spinal."

I heard the anesthesiologist say then I felt a cold substance on my back and then a sharp pain seconds later as the anesthesiologist slowly pushed the needle into my spine. I took some few deep breaths trying not to focus on the tingling pressure that radiated up my spine, then down my legs and made my entire body feel warm. I think I felt him put something on my back to keep the tube in place, but I couldn't see.

"Spinal complete." He announces and the nurse in front of me smiles.

"You did great Dylan, let's lay you down and I want you to put your arms out in a "T" shape."

Once I was laid flat with my arms stretched out, the nurses pressed something with their feet and the whole damn bed started to move upwards, I guess to a level that would be comfortable for Miles and Allio to do their jobs.

I seriously hope Allio's scaredy cat nature doesn't come out during this super serious procedure.

"Starting the IV."

"You're doing great Dylan." The anesthesiologist encouraged me, his reassuring words brought me some comfort as I took deep breaths through my panic stricken nerves, never once taking my eyes off the ceiling.

"IV is all done." The anesthesiologist called out.

"Alrighty, let's get this party started and let's meet some babies!" Miles sings out, wiggling his butt as I watch the nurses put up a blue medical tarp in front of my chest and not a moment too soon because I heard a thunderous roar rip through the hallway before the surgical room doors were shoved open.

I let out a huge sigh of relief as I felt the closeness of my mate. I hear him rush over and take my face in his hands before planting kisses all across my features.

"I'm so sorry puppy, I didn't want to leave you, these fuckers.."

"It's ok babe, you had to get prepped too." I nod nervously as I see his blue scrubs, face mask, shoe coverings and gloves that matched the nurses and doctors.

"How are you doing?" He asks, tucking a stray hair under my hair mask.

"I'm ok, just really nervous." I breathe out.

"Me too pups, me too.. do you feel any pain?"

"No." I shake my head as he kisses my forehead again before taking a seat in the stool that one of the nurses pushed over for him.

"Alrighty Dylan, do you feel this?" Miles asks on the other side of the tarp, I had no idea what he was talking about, so I just shake my head. "No."

"What about this?"

"No."

"This?"

"No."

"Perfect! Let's get started, you should meet your little ones in just a few minutes."

I sigh again before swallowing nervously. Holding my mate's gaze, I nod my head, finally ready to meet my pups.

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RAIDEN ||

The nurses that carried my stiffened body to the prep area, rushed through doing what they needed to do because I'm sure they knew Eva wouldn't be able to hold me for much longer. I was about to lose my shit if I didn't get to my baby and my cubs before his surgery actually started.

I could feel how distressed he was, how anxious, how scared, how much he wanted me there with him and it wasn't helping in calming my nerves.

The moment I broke free of Eva's magic, I rushed through the hospital and found my pups operating room without any help.

When I seen him, he was laying flat on a bed in the middle of the room, his arms were stretched out by his sides, a doctor sat next to him that I could only assume did his IV. Miles and Allio stood behind the medical tarp and there were 9 other nurses in the room, including the one that took Dylan away from me.

I made sure to send a threatening glare her way before rushing over to my love's side and showering him in my affections because I knew he needed it just as much as I did.

After Miles made sure he couldn't feel anything, he said they were starting the procedure. I sat next to my love, patiently waiting and holding his hand, so he would know I would always be here and there's nothing in this world that could make me leave him in this moment.

He stared into my eyes the whole time, I could see the fear in his eyes and his bottom lip trembling as we listened to Miles and Allio work behind the medical tarp.

"How are you doing Dylan? Any pain?" The anesthesiologist asked, my love shakes his head.

"No." He rushes out his answer, never taking his eyes off mine. I knew from his actions that he was using me as his anchor, so I made sure to pull down my mask, so he could see my entire face and he sighed once he did before swallowing nervously for like the thousandth time.

"I love you." I tell him, he nods frantically.

"I love you too."

A few more noises of the medical equipment behind the medical tarp and then we heard Miles voice. "Ok, ready to meet baby number one?" He asks.