A baby! Eek! I could barely organize my own apartment, let alone look after a living breathing human/shifter. I made a mental note to beg Corey to give up his career and be a nanny to my child. Even he, in pushing me to use Love and Hate, never saw this in my future.
Getting more irritated with Brad’s silence, I punched his number in the phone, but as he answered with a curt, “Yes,” the tears that had been threatening since I got in the car spilled over my cheeks and I sobbed, “Brad!”
There was a momentary silence before he answered, “I’ll call you back.”
Twenty
Brad
“He shouldn’t be able to bring Gabe into this.” I spent the past hour pacing back and forth across Soren’s bedroom floor. We’d spent I didn’t know how long looking at the old books trying to find some kind of loophole to keep Gabe far away from the disaster that was Barrett and his son. Although as Barrett had actually made the challenge, my gut told me it was ninety-eight percent Barrett and only two percent Barry.
The end result was the same either which way. My mate was in danger.
Not that I would lose. Of course I wouldn’t—but what if I did?
“Agreed, but unless we can find something in writing that says he can’t...he did, and we are just going to have to deal with it.” I hated that he was right. More than hated it.
My phone rang and I looked to see it was Gabe. I couldn’t talk to him. Not yet—not when my bear was pushing me to go rip Barrett’s heart out of his chest for putting my mate on the line. But also...I couldn’t ignore him.
“Answer the phone.” Soren got up, book in hand, and headed back into his secret room.
“Hello.” That was neutral, right? He wouldn’t suspect I’m about to come undone.
“Brad!” Was that excitement in his voice? Or the opposite? No way could he have found out about what Barrett had done.
I froze. What kind of an alpha was I who would just freeze like that.
“I’ll call you back.” I slid off my phone and shoved it in my pocket, raising my eyes to find Soren side eyeing me something fierce.
I deserved it.
“Did you just hang up on your mate?” He tsked.
“No.” He growled low, yet forcefully. “I didn’t hang up, I said I would call him back.”
“Why would you do that?” He huffed and shook his head. “His needs come before your own. That’s how it works.”
“Think I don’t know that? Why do you think I’m such a mess. If he saw me or heard me this way it would stress him out over something he has no control over.” As I said the words, I heard the error of my ways. Mates didn’t hide things from each other.
“I see you're putting the pieces together,” he gloated. “Mates are two halves to a whole—keeping things, especially things like this from him, will do neither of you any good.” He walked over and grabbed the book I had been looking at—more like staring at since I’d already read the blasted thing. It was official, Soren and I knew far more about the ways of old than anyone in Willow Den, including, I suspected, our eldest elders.
“You need to tell him about this Barrett and Barry challenge, and he has to meet the den, and you need to stop thinking he can’t handle things.” For someone without a mate, he sure seemed to understand things far better than I did.
“But he’s—”
Soren cut me off with a growl. “If you so much as hint that it’s because he is human I will bleed you where you stand and only feel bad about it because I would then have to clean my favorite rug. Fate sent him. He is not only perfect for you, he can handle—no, thrive—in whatever comes your way.”
“You’re right,” I mumbled.
“What was that?” At least this time he sounded amused and not pissed off.
“You’re right, Alpha.” I rolled my eyes.
I looked over to the clock on the wall and cussed under my breath as I remembered that Gabe had a lot going on at work today. I took out my phone and sent him a quick message telling him I would see him later. It wasn’t the ideal way to fix things, but it was better than getting him in trouble for taking personal calls while he was meeting with students.
“There.” I slid it into my pocket feeling like crap. Maybe I needed to buy him flowers—the epitome of romantic gestures.
“Get out of your head.” Soren snapped his fingers in front of my face. “You have a lot of grovelling to do tonight if I were to guess, so we best figure the rest of this out now.”
“There’s nothing to figure out.” I sighed. “The laws of old make his challenge valid. I just have to make sure I’m the one walking out of this fight to the death.”
And really, even with my hatred running red for Barrett right now, the idea of putting down one of our own because he was trying, as twisted as his methods were, to give his son a leg up in life was already gnawing at me.
“Then let’s talk about Gabe and introducing him to the den. They will like him.” He said that having met him only the one time and in the weirdest of circumstances—ones that had Soren leaving naked. But ummm…okay.
“He’s amazing,” I agreed. “And Barrett is probably already starting a counter mission to get everyone to see him otherwise. It is his way.” Shit, those two didn’t even let my run be done before he had reported my mating to anyone who would hear it. “Maybe—do you think we should do something to counteract that?”
“Nah, people know how he is. Barrett has been horrible ever since his Yuri died.” They had never been true mates, which most likely accounted for the fact that he thought I would just mate his son. He didn’t understand the connection only a true mate could give you. He did love his mate, though, in his own way, and their death was something he never had gotten over.
“The den knows he is what he is. If anything, they will be sad he is going to go out this way.”
“You sound confident.” I scratched behind my ear, my fur too close to the surface.
“I am. And you need to be too.” He pulled off his shirt. “Your bear needs out if you are going to be able to handle the rest of the day. I can scent him and your eyes keep going back and forth.”
“Ha, and you thought your days of your bear helping me control mine were over.” I tried to infuse some humor in the harsh reality that I was right.
“Get your ass outside. I’m hankering for some fish.”
And my bear really did need to run.
Twenty-One
Gabe
Sitting at my desk in what Corey had designated my home office, which was just a corner nook, and staring into space was not the best use of an evening. I was supposed to be revising the first-year English Lit curriculum for next year, but my mind kept wandering off and getting on the couch while daydreaming about babies and bears.
And Brad still didn’t know about the pregnancy. I was processing the news myself. And also I had no idea how he'd react and my emotions were too fragile. And he hadn’t phoned me back, though he’d sent a brief text. Is that what happens after shifters mate? They fuck off?
I breathed deeply in through the nose and out through the mouth trying to calm my overwrought nerves. Where was I? Oh right, listing my reasons for not informing Brad he was going to be a father. I’d heard omegas discuss the nesting instinct during the latter stages of pregnancy and how powerful the desire was to put everything in order for the baby.
And I pictured myself in a cave, stuffing straw in a pile and sitting on it, while surrounded by grizzlies licking honey from their paws and gossiping about my nest. I was scared of the dark, and as Corey well knew, I wasn’t much of a housekeeper. Must look into bears’ gestation period.
Instead of doing what I was supposed to be, I was researching bears and discovered they gave birth during hibernation. Going to sleep and waking up to a baby cuddling at your side was a huge plus. I can do that. But after reading further, I slammed the laptop closed, not as enthusiastic about what happened afterwards. Okay, I’ll investigate that another time.
&
nbsp; I had so many questions, and I doubted Brad, as an alpha, would be able to answer all of them.
The distinctive ping of my college system email brought me back to earth. As this was my first year of employment, I was due for a mid-semester review and that was what had popped into my inbox.
Professor Reid had given me a brief rundown on its content a few days ago. Seemed the students had welcomed my innovative approach to literature, but I was delighted at how well I’d been rated in terms of enthusiasm, knowledge of subject matter, student interaction, and contribution to the profession. One less thing to worry about.
Unfortunately, though, my position wasn’t safe. Enrollment numbers were down in our department and there had been rumblings about cutbacks. As the last hire, my neck was on the chopping block. Last in, first out. My work performance, I could control. But not this.
Being pregnant and having no job and being forced out of my apartment was a grim prospect. Brad and I hadn’t discussed living together—I had a long list of things we had yet to talk about.
I dialed Corey and he picked up immediately. “What’s up, stranger?” He was peeved at not having met Brad. But I had my reasons for keeping the two apart. For starters, Corey was nobody’s fool. He’d sense my nervousness and nag me about it.
And what if my mate shifted while we were eating dinner, or Corey made an insulting remark about eating salmon? Or worse, he found out about shifters and likened Brad’s bear to a teddy? I could see my mate tossing him onto the street.
“If I could no longer afford my apartment, would I be able to move in with you until things settled down?”
“Of course. You don’t have to ask.” He paused for breath. “What’s going on? Have you been fired?” He always got to the point.
“No. But things are dicy with student numbers down at the college.”
“And you’re worried you’ll get laid off?”
“Mmmm.” True, but there were so many other troubling issues, I didn’t feel bad leaving out the other stuff.
“How is it lawyer dude—who I haven’t been introduced to, by the way—hasn’t offered to share his bed, or put a mattress on the floor at the very least?” He huffed and I pictured his flushed face.
“Don’t grind your teeth,” I ordered.
“Damn you for knowing me so well.”
I had to get off the phone before he gave me the third degree. “Gotta run. Evening lecture starts in ten.”
“Liar. I’m staring at your timetable right now.”
“Love you too. Bye, Corey.”
My stomach grumbled and I grabbed the takeout I’d left on the table. I’d picked it up after leaving the pharmacy, though I only had a vague memory of doing it. Do babies like curry? But the odor of spicy Indian food saturated my clothes and the kitchen. Shoving the bag in the fridge, I grabbed cereal and climbed into bed.
You at home? It was a text from Brad.
Yeah. Finally. I was determined not to lose my anger but channel it in the right direction so he understood why I was so hurt.
As soon as I hit send, there was a pounding on the door. “Hi.”
“Hey.” My listless greeting had him lifting my chin so I was staring straight into those big brown eyes. “What’s going on?”
“Not much.” I struggled out of his grip and trudged into the bedroom. “Exhausted, I guess. Long day at work and…” While I was still pissed at him, the long list of complications in my life weighed heavily and I wanted to crawl back into bed.
“And?”
My trembling lip probably gave me away as well as my eyes welling with unshed tears.
“Gabe. We’re mates. Nothing and no one can come between us.”
“You sure about that?” as soon as the flippant reply was out of my mouth, I regretted it. But I had a right to be pissed at him.
He bared his teeth and climbed onto the bed beside me. “You’re talking about my bear?”
“I guess.” I twirled the spoon in my uneaten cereal.
“He adores you. He is me. We’re intertwined. One and the same and yet also separate.”
“Glad we got that cleared up.” In my head, I got that my snippy responses were not helping the situation and I blamed it on the pregnancy, nausea, as well as uncertainty about my job.
“Gabe!”
Shit! His voice was louder than normal and had an edge to it. The message was don’t trifle with me. “Look at me, please.”
My fingers fiddled with the covers as I lifted my gaze. I expected anger. But there was only love. And I couldn’t keep the tears from flowing. “I’m sorry I’ve been an ass but I missed you. You should have called me back instead of a curt text or...” My voice trailed away.
He put my hand to his cheek. “You’re right. I’m really sorry. There was a crisis—den business—and I had to deal with it. But I should have filled you in. That was wrong.”
I leaned my head against his chest, reassured by the rhythmic beating of his heart and his apology.”
“Your turn.”
“Okay,” I sniffed.
“Gabe, that was an opening for you to spill.”
“Oh, right.” After wiping my tears on his shirt, I continued, “I don’t understand what happens in the shifter world. Wait no, not that TV show, I mean in the shifter universe. You’re the only shifter I’ve ever met other than Soren.”
He sighed and leaned against the pillows while draping an arm over my shoulder. “I get it’s a lot to process. And I’m so proud of how you’re coping. I have to keep in mind that I’ve opened a new world for you. But good news is, I’ve arranged for you to meet the den.”
“That’s great.” And it was. But my mind was elsewhere. I’d deal with being in a room full of bears later.
“One of the reasons I love you is you don’t put up with my shit!”
This was the perfect opening to ease the subject matter from the two of us to introducing the third person in the room. “Remember the first night we had sex?” I shuffled over the mattress and sat on his lap, facing him.
“Are you kidding?” He tapped his head. “It’s right here locked up tight. I’ll carry it with me forever.”
“Mmmm. About that memory. You and I are lacking in that department.”
He tilted his head and closed one eye. “I’m missing something.”
I tapped his nose. “That’s just it. Your little swimmers didn’t miss their chance.”
“My little what?”
“Sex, Brad. We didn’t use protection.”
“Well, the first time between fated mates is not the right… wait. Protection as in a condom?”
I nodded.
He glanced downward. Not at my crotch but my belly. “Are you saying…?”
Those brown eyes that held his love for me, widened and so did his mouth. He blinked. And again. And a third time. I didn’t read morse code but three short, three long and three short was a Mayday call. “Brad?” I shook his shoulder gently. “You still with me?”
He gulped and nodded. “A baby.”
“Yes.”
His huge arms enveloped me and he rocked us back and forth as I imagined we’d do to our child. It was going to be okay. “We’re having a baby,” he sputtered.
“Yes.” We sat that way for a while, the silence between us comforting, not confronting. And my precarious job situation didn’t seem so important. “I might lose my job.”
“I’ll sort it out. Don’t worry,” he sniffled. “All of it. No need to concern yourself.”
What does that mean? I pictured Brad and his bear threatening poor Professor Reid.
Twenty-Two
Brad
“I missed you.” I held him closer. “Sorry I was like that on the phone.”
“You have two jobs, lawyer and Beta—I get it.” He curled into me. “I was expecting too much.”
“If you think expecting your mate to always put you front and center is too much then prepare for a lifetime of too muches.”
I br
ought my arm down and set it on his belly. I was going to be a father...me. Growing inside him was the child created by us—by our love.
“It doesn’t seem real, does it?” He looked up at me.
“No, it doesn’t.” His body tensed up slightly. “I spent most nights this past year wondering if the next morning would be my last, my bear so unable to cope with you not being with us. I dreamed of us finding each other and mating, but not once did I think it was going to happen. Not in this realm. And then I met you through that stupid app and you are everything I ever wanted and so much more. And I said to myself, ‘Life can’t get much better than this,’ except it did. You are giving me a child. We are starting a family.”
I didn’t want to tell him about Barrett and Barry. I wanted to fix it without him having to waste one tiny second worrying about it. Soren was right, though.
“There is something I need for you to know.”
He got off my lap to sit beside me, and I hated the loss of his warmth against me.
“But before I tell you, I need you to promise not to get upset about it. Give all of that worry to me. You have more important things to do, like grow a baby.”
Worry lines appeared on his brow. “You’re not helping. If anything, you’re making it worse.” He shifted his position slightly, sitting so that he could see me and brush against me, but was no longer close enough—not for me. “Band-aid it.”
“What?” I asked.
“Band-aid it. Rip it off and give it to me so my heart can stop its pounding against my ribcage and my stomach will stop revolting.” He folded his arms.
“Okay. There is an alpha who wanted me to mate his son. He’s pissed you’re a human or so he says, but really it’s because I chose you and not his mealy-mouthed kid.” I took in a deep breath.
Matched To His Bear: An M/M Mpreg Shifter Dating App Romance (The Dates of Our Lives Book 2) Page 9