to leave if we want to make it in time.”
“Right. Ultrasound. I totally forgot.” Paw’s Cove had no shifter doctor, so they had to go to Hazel Woods and see Doctor Ian Albright. Mary was supposed to give birth in four to five weeks.
“Mary’s waiting for us.” Andrei rubbed his hand down his side, then stood back and held out his palm.
Kirill took it and followed Andrei out of his office.
Chapter Two
Andrei squeezed Kirill’s hand as he stared at the black-and-white picture on the monitor, fighting tears of joy. A quick glance at his mate showed Kirill was in a similar predicament.
Mary chuckled and drew Andrei’s attention. “You two are insanely cute. My ex-husband wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic about our little ones.”
“Because he was a prick,” Andrei muttered. When his cousin Mary had called him last year to tell him Gene had divorced her and left her alone with four cubs, he’d immediately offered his help. He’d paid for her move and given her a house on clan lands. As a thank-you, she’d expressed her wish to make Andrei and Kirill’s biggest dream come true.
Kirill took Mary’s hand and leaned over to press a kiss to her long black hair. “You are a gem. I can’t wait to be a daddy and hold our little honey cookie. And I love that he or she will grow up with so many cousins.”
Andrei rubbed Kirill’s back and concentrated on the ultrasound again. This close to the birthing date, he was able to make out the baby’s head, rump, and limbs quite clearly. It was damn exciting.
Doctor Albright moved the wand over Mary’s huge belly, a tender smile on his face. “The baby has a strong heartbeat and is perfectly normal in size. Are you sure you don’t want to know the gender?”
“We want it to be a surprise.” Andrei met Ian’s gaze. “Kirill hates gender coloring anyway, so he painted the nursery in soft greens.” The shades Kirill had chosen made for a stunning set-up when combined with the white furniture Kirill’s father had bought for them.
Mary nodded. “And Kirill and I went out and shopped for a ton of green, red, yellow, and orange baby clothes.”
Andrei smiled as he remembered a cute onesie Kirill had shown him last week. It was bright yellow with a print of a cartoon bear and the words Papa Bear’s Favorite.
Ian took some measurements and noted them in the baby’s file. “Four more weeks and you’ll finally hold your precious. Are you glad it’s only one?” He smirked. “I remember Shea’s reaction when he saw his triplets for the first time. Poor guy’s face switched from white to green and back again. Thank Fate he had Viktor.”
Kirill nodded. “As much as I want to be a father, I couldn’t cope with three cubs at the same time. Don’t know how Shea and Dad do it.”
“Especially now Stefan’s mated and doesn’t have as much time anymore,” Andrei said. “Hey, Mary. Are up for a visit with Viktor and Shea?”
Mary hummed while Ian cleaned her belly. “Honestly, I’m tired. Maybe another day?”
A knock sounded, and a moment later Ian’s mate, Rose, opened the door to the exam room. “Darling? I got a call from Kyle Andrews over in Paw’s Cove. His stubborn father fell off a ladder trying to fix the roof. He’s afraid the old guy might have a concussion.” She winked at Andrei. “Second time this month.”
“Awesome.” Ian snapped his latex gloves off. “Mary, if you want, I can take you home so Kirill can go and see his dads.” He stood and pressed a couple of buttons on the ultrasound machine. It whirred for a moment. Ian snatched the picture of their baby and handed it to Kirill.
Mary straightened her dress. “Thank you, Ian. That would be lovely.” When she held out her hand, Andrei took it. He placed his arm under her back and helped her from the exam couch. She touched his chest, smiling happily. “Don’t look so worried, Andrei. I’ve been through this before, remember? I feel fine. I’ll let Ian take me home, take a nap, then pester someone for a meal.”
Andrei suppressed a snort. He suspected Mary had a thing for one of his enforcers, or maybe even Louis, but he wasn’t sure yet if anyone returned her feelings. “Sounds like a plan. But you’ll call me or Ian if you feel as though anything’s wrong.”
“Sure, cuz.” She patted his cheek—a little too hard—and waddled toward Rose. “While Ian gets