Linked By Fate

Chapter 12

My body is feeling heavy and I have no energy. It's by shear force that I'm standing on my feet right now. My appetite has all but disappeared. It is getting harder and harder for me to wake up in the mornings. Riley is beyond suspicious, yet he does not say anything. Knowing him, he's waiting for me to tell him what's going on. I've managed to block a majority of my emotions from our mate-bond, which is a huge help right now.

"Cooper, my lower back is bothering me. Could you massage it out for me?" Patterson asks me. He is the back-up goalie for Gibson. It's his night to play a full game. He did his thing last night, but he's not used to all the action that has been at the net as of late.

Though we won against the team that gave us our only loss thus far, there were a lot of injuries that came from that brutal matchup. It seems that everyone is out for Riley's blood with the amount of slams he's taken to the boards. The deep tissue massages that I've had to give him every night have put strain on my hands, but I could not tell him no and watch him suffer.

"Since you're taller than Gibson, you are putting more pressure on your lower back guarding the net. Stop bending with only your back. Bend your legs the way that I showed you during practice. After this massage, I will place an icy-hot pad on your lower back that you will wear during the first period. I'll check your back during the break to see if you need it longer or if I can remove it." Digging my hands deep in his tensed up muscles, I knew he was grunting from pain. "I know it hurts, but if I don't do this right, you could get injured."

"I get it, Cooper. I trust you and your skills. You're good at what you do. I've not seen anyone take their work as seriously as you do, even though you're physically worn out yourself as of late. For the record, your mate has eyes on you, so if you don't tell him soon about your pregnancy, someone else is going to figure it out and tell him. " My hands stopped moving for a brief moment. "If you're wondering how I know, my older sister is pregnant , so I know the signs. Your secret is safe with me. I placed some ginger candy in your bag that will help with nausea and your appetite.'

"Thanks Patterson. I plan on telling him at Christmas. I have everything planned out." Finishing with his back, I tapped his shoulder. "Pull on your shirt and go stretch out lightly with Coach. He wants to check in with you."

No sooner was he off my table, I walked over to my bag in search of the candy. Finding it, I slipped a piece into my mouth, chewing it slowly. The spicy flavor was intense, but my nausea began to diminish. When I turned around, I ran slap into Riley's chest with my face. His arms reflexively wrapped around my waist.

"Why are you sneaking up on me? Was there something you needed?" I asked when I looked up at him. Giult hits me to my core when I see the concern on his face.

"How long are you going to keep hiding things from me? You're not eating, you're more tired than normal, and you're a little pecked. You've been like this for a while. Wanting to give you time to come to me, I've backed off, but I won't hold back any longer. Talk to me, honey. What's going on with you?" Burying my face in his chest, I tried to hide my tears, but he wouldn't let me. "Why are you crying? Talk to me please."

Turning to my bag, I pulled out the envelope I had received from the doctor with the sonogram inside it, handing it to him. Watching his face as he looked at the contents, all his emotions hit the mate-bond at once, causing me to get dizzy and my knees to go weak. My eyes rolled in the back of my head and I felt myself falling into darkness.

Opening my eyes when I felt something cool pressed on my forehead, the ceiling greeted me. Turning my head, I see that Gibson is seated next to me, watching the game on the TV that's mounted on the wall. From the score, we're losing 2-0 in the first period. This is not good.

Sitting up, I lower my legs to hang them over the side of the table. Gibson looked over at me, assessing me. If it's already about to be the end of the first period, I've been out for some time.

"He's playing like crap, isn't he? No way this can go on. We can't afford to lose this game or for him to get hurt not having his head in the game." I questioned Gibson.

"You know your mate well. Xander and Alex had to physically pull him out. He was adamant about not playing until you woke up. If we want to have a chance, Jasper needs to know that you're awake and alright. Congratulations, by the way. We're all here for you guys if you need anything.

Riley must have told them about the babies when I fainted. My big strong alpha is out there worrying about me when he needs to be focused on his job on the ice. Closing my eyes, I tap into our mate-bond. "If you don't get your mess together, I'm going to withhold s*x from you until the baby is born. That means no hobs, no bjs, nothing." Pausing for a moment, I added, "I love you, Riley."

Cooper, look." Gibson shouted to me as he jumped up from his seat. On the screen, Riley had just stolen the puck, and was on a breakaway down the ice. Watching his footwork, I knew it. He was going for the shot we had been working on in private.

With the shot, he pulls up his stick with the puck on the end, flips around, shooting it into the upper corner of the net on the left side, with a flicker of his wrist. It happens fast, so all the moves would have to be watched in slow motion in order to see each one clearly. The bench goes crazy when the red light flashes on top of the net. Looking at Gibson, I told him to suit up and head down to the bench with the rest of the team, that I was fine on my own. His energy was needed on the bench.

Riley's joy and excitement, I felt it all through our bond. Tears leaked from my eyes due to the amount of love I felt for and from him. He has become my everything since we mated. Now we have a little bundle of joy on the way. I'm happy and nervous all the same. There are a lot of major decisions that will have to be made after we tell Rita and Braxton. Looks like the surprise I had for Riley will have to be transferred over to the grandparents-to-be.

Placing a hand on my stomach, I tell the babies growing there, "You're coming into a family filled with love. You will for sure be cherished by your papa and me. I promise to stay healthy so that you're healthy. I'm scared that I won't be the best mother, but I'll do what I can for you. No matter if you're an alpha, omega, or a beta, I will love you fully with my whole heart."

For the rest of the game, I talked with my babies about their papa, their godfathers, Xander and Alex, and their host of uncles that they will have when they're birthed into this world. Taking a good look at the sonogram, I saw that we were having twins. That explained Riley's reaction. The day I found out I was pregnant, I never even looked at it or I would have seen the two shapes that were present.

That fact alone, that we are having twins, helped me to realize what would be best for us for the rest of this year and our senior year as well. It'll be easier if I finish off my degree online. I'll stay home with the babies and let Riley do what he needs to do to ensure his future of going pro after graduation. Hockey is what he loves and I loved it for him as well. I will do whatever is needed for him to have that dream and for me to be by his side. My plans to have my own training facility can always come later. There will be plenty of time.

By the time the team reached the locker room at the end of the game, I had written down my thoughts about what we could do until we graduated. I'm one for writing down my options and then working them out individually in my head to see what fits and what doesn't. I want to pick the best possible solution for our family and our future.

Riley walks in, looking for me. His hair is matted to his forehead with sweat. At moments like this, I fall deeper in love with him. I don't tell him often that I love him, so when I do, I can only imagine how it makes him feel. Getting better at sharing my love with him is something I will continue to grow at. His eyes landed on me and I smiled at him with teary eyes. Through the link, I told him to get out of his gear, go shower and get dressed, and that I'd wait for him." Blowing me a kiss, he did as I suggested. It's a good thing we're heading home tonight. There is no way I want the team or the hotel to hear me in the throne of passion all night long.

"Why are you smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary?" Alex teased me when he stopped in front of me. "It's good to see the color back in your face. You had us all worried. So, I'm going to be a Godfather, huh?"

"Yeah, we are." Xander chimed in as he came up behind me. Both of them pull me into a sweaty group hug. "We are going to be the best Godfathers around."

All the other players joined in about how they were going to be the best uncles. There was nothing for me to do, except to be happy, to enjoy the moment. Most of these guys on the team have been with us since Riley started playing hockey his freshman year, so they are pretty much like family. So yeah, our babies are going to be blessed with so much love.

Looking up, I sent a silent prayer to my parents. "I hope to make you proud."