For the Love of Cupidity: A Valentine’s Day Novella (Heart Hassle Book 4)

“No!” I cry-scream. “No. I did two! I’m tapping out,” I say, and I start tapping my hand against Ronak’s face. “Tap! Tap me out! Someone tap me the fuck out! My turn is over!”

“You have to,” the midwife says. “I already see the head.”

“You made me give birth to a freaking litter!” I wail at Okot accusingly as a huge contraction takes over me.

I start sobbing uncontrollably, while Ronak and Sylred try to hold up my legs for me since I don’t have the strength.

Sylred uses his sound soothe power to try to calm me down, but I’m so freaking exhausted and in pain that I don’t know if I have it in me to do it for a third time.

Ronak must sense this, because he puts his alpha voice on. “Push, Emelle!”

“Fucking fine! AHHH!”

I push until I’m pretty sure I popped every blood vessel in my entire body. The last of my belly seems to deflate like a hot-air balloon with no more air, and the third baby comes out of me.

“Is it a freaking bull?” I pant weakly, totally collapsed against Sylred and Ronak. “Cuz I need so m-many tokennnss n-now, Okot. Y’hear meee?” I slur. I’m so exhausted I can’t even speak.

The midwife holds up the baby—déjà vu—and I see another little girl. With my cupid wings and…a tail. A genfin tail.

My eyes snap to my genfins. “You…you. You got me pregnant…while I was already freaking pregnant!” I screech.

All three of them wince.

The midwife just chuckles. “It’s very rare, but it can happen,” she tells me.

I look at my mates murderously. “If there is another baby in me, so help me gods, I will literally smother you all in your sleep.”

The midwife full out laughs at that. “No more babies, child. You’re done. The afterbirths are already out,” she says, clearly cleaning me up.

I glare again at my guys. “Did you hear that? The afterbirths are already out, and I barely felt it, because my vagina just pushed out three freaking babies, including a baby bull!”

The babies start crying, and I instantly feel bad. “Oh, I’m sorry, babies! Mommy’s not mad at you. Mommy’s mad at your daddies.”

I open my arms for them, and very carefully, the guys hand me all three. I balance one in each arm, and let the third one nuzzle against my chest in the middle.

The midwife cleans everything up, including me, and then leaves, promising to check in again soon. Mossie brings Amorette home soon after, and when she sees three new babies instead of one, a new yellow flower pops out of her scalp. She plucks it for me and sets it on my nightstand.

“Thanks, Moss,” I say around a yawn.

“So precious,” she coos. “I’ll babysit any time. Except for nights. And seeding season. Or weeding Wednesdays.”

“Of course.”

When I yawn again, she quickly says her goodbyes and leaves so we can some rest. It was a long, long labor, and I’m beat. Amorette crawled into Sylred’s lap, and he’s humming a low steady song, sending soothing waves of power out for our babies.

Good thing our bed is so big, because all nine of us are in it. Five adults and four kids, snuggled in together.

Each of my mates is holding one of our children. The sight is enough to make me teary-eyed. There’s so much love in the room that my cupid boss mark is tingling against my skin.

I watch the guys as they gently rub the babies’ backs and coo soft words to them, while little hands wrap around big fingers, and small noises of content escape their mouths. I can’t contain my overwhelming joy, and every time I see the guys staring down at our babies with wonder and shining eyes, I get a bit choked up.

“I’m proud of you,” Ronak says quietly as he cradles our new son.

Evert reaches forward and gently cups my jaw, landing a kiss on my lips. “So fucking proud, Scratch.”

Okot is already asleep, our little bull daughter sleeping against his large chest, while Syrled continues to hum. Amorette is already fast asleep against him.

I thought I had all the love I’d ever get. But now? With all eight of them? My love is immeasurable.

“Triplets,” I say, shaking my head in wonder. “Two cupid lamassus and a cupid genfin. Did that really just happen? It seems so perfectly impossible.”

Sylred leans forward and kisses me on the top of my head. “But remember, love? You’re always doing impossible things.”

I smile. “That’s because I knew.”

“Knew what?” Ronak asks softly, careful not to wake any of our babies.

“That you all were worth every impossible thing,” I reply tenderly.

Evert grins, both of his dimples coming out. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Scratch.”

I smile back. “Best Valentine’s ever.”

The End