His to Mate

by Selina Coffey

  She thought about Rex, and how she’d longed for him to even acknowledge she existed. Those days were long gone, but she remembered them well. It wasn’t that long ago, after all. She’d wanted him to love her, as she loved him, but now she knew she hadn’t even known the boy, she couldn’t have really loved him. Not like she loved Rager.

  She knew some of it might be pregnancy hormones, but over the last few days, she’d finally admitted to herself that she did love him. How could she not? She might be asleep when he came home, but she always felt it when he was in bed with her. She slept so much better, wrapped in his arms.

  He was a smart man, a kind man, and he made her heart skip beats when he smiled or touched her. She wasn’t exactly sure what love was anymore, but she knew what she felt for him must be love. She’d protect him with all of her might, and she’d fight alongside him against any enemy. She also knew that she’d give him anything that would make him smile, that would please him, and she hoped, she really hoped, this baby would really make him smile.

  She imagined the way she’d tell him. It would have to be over dinner, so he wouldn’t miss work. She’d have a dinner ready for him, and they’d talk until he finished his food. Then, she’d take his hand and tell him he was about to be a father. She imagined the smile that would beam across his face and that he’d take her in his arms. It made her smile, and her stomach flip-flopped in joy.

  Her watch beeped and she looked down. A message from Skye asking if she wanted company. Ann felt bad that she’d slept through their afternoon meeting and replied that she’d love some company. It didn’t take long, and Skye soon walked through the backdoor.

  “Hi there, sleepyhead,” Skye called as she came over. Ann didn’t get up, but she did kiss Skye’s cheek when she came over to her. “I left you in bed this afternoon, figured you needed some sleep.”

  “I did. I spent the morning gathering baby things, and came home and crashed. Poor little Katy was about to chew my ear off to wake me up.” The puppy yipped and then chased a leaf that blew across her nose on a breeze.

  “That’s good. Better than puking your guts up all day.” Skye sat down in a chair and took the glass of tea Ann offered her. “I talked to two more women at the clinic today, both suspect they are pregnant, but it’s still too early to tell if they are. Those baby clothes will come in handy.”

  “I’m glad. Although, it’s probably going to keep you two busy when all of these babies decide it’s time to be born.”

  “Hopefully we’ll have the other women trained to help by then. We’re focusing on obstetrics and gynecology for now, and the basics of caring for patients.”

  “It sounds intense.” Ann leaned forward, aware now of how tired Skye looked. “Are you sleeping?”

  “It’s hot in my apartment right now, the power keeps going off and on over in my area. I’ll live. And yes, the training is intense. It’s mostly going to be a trial by fire for those poor women that I’m teaching. None of us will have hands-on training, not until the births start. We’ll have to rely on each other a lot. And the books.”

  “You can do it, I know you can. You’re a smart girl.” Ann was positive about that. “Oh, do you want to stay here until the power is fixed over there? We have air conditioning. Our power is always stable, the men wouldn’t dare let the power go out over here. I think we have some solar panels too, just in case.”

  “That’s actually a good idea if you don’t mind? I don’t know how much more of that heat I can take.”

  “No, it has warmed up, hasn’t it?” Ann fanned herself with her hand and got up. “Let’s go inside before this heat knocks me out again.”

  “I’m right behind you. Come on, Katy, you little, ankle-biting terror.”

  Ann laughed at Skye’s joke and the trio went into the living room. The fire was out today, unnecessary now that more homes and buildings were being used by more people. Ann kind of missed the fires, but knew it was better to not have to use them. She settled on a couch she’d had brought over from one of her explorations. It had one long section, and then another section that came out, like a bed. It was the most comfortable place to be downstairs, and she climbed on the gray and dark blue fabric to settle down.

  “If I’m not mistaken, I asked Rager for a health scanner last night. I fell asleep, and I haven’t heard from him today, so I’m not sure.” She wiped hair away from her damp face and took a deep breath. “Although, at this point, I think it’s obvious that I am pregnant.”

  She said that last part softly, so only Skye could hear. Skye nodded and looked at the door before she responded.

  “That’s good. We can use it at the clinic, and any other technology they can provide would be appreciated.”

  “I’ll let him know. I should probably go up there with him one day and find out exactly what they have up there.”

  “I’ve heard it’s like one giant city up in that thing. I only saw a little bit of it, but yeah, they should have some stuff up there we can use.”

  “You know, I look up at it sometimes, this giant dark blotch on the sky, and wonder how people could be so stupid as to think they can get rid of the aliens. I mean, that thing is massive, and probably full of weapons we’ve never dreamed of.”

  “I’ve heard that they aren’t a military society, but they’ve had to fight off other planets, and have learned to take care of themselves out there. They can hold their own, so I don’t get it either. There’s no point in even trying to fight back.”

  “But that’s it too, Skye.” Ann wiggled around until she was comfortable and looked at the woman on the other end of the couch. “Fight back against what? Not having a Constitution anymore? Being able to live above the ground? Having food, shelter, and a life?”

  Ann shook her head, completely lost in one of her favorite subjects. “I don’t understand people. Or wolves. Or aliens, for that matter.”

  “I think you mean men,” Skye laughed and let her head fall back against the back of the pillow, her long black hair in a silk pony-tail. “Most of the problems seem to come from men.”

  “As usual,” Ann agreed and shook her head. Katy wiggled up her body and curled into the space between her head and her shoulder. Ann stroked her absently while the puppy went to sleep. “It makes me sad that they can’t let us live in peace, it really does.”

  “Maybe they will, after a while.” Skye looked around and leaned over towards Ann. “We’ve got some stuff set up at the hospital, down in the basements, just in case things get ugly.”

  Ann felt fear wiggle its way down her spine. “What makes you think that’s necessary?”

  “I’m hearing more and more about this wolf revolution. And there’s mention of some of the aliens that want to take Rager out of power and make someone else the leader. They think he’s insane to have mated with you.”

  “Oh, that garbage. I’ve been hearing that since we mated.” Ann tried to brush it off, but Skye shook her head and reached out for Ann.

  “No, I’m overhearing a lot more of it, and from some people I didn’t expect. The kind of people that work for you.”

  Ann’s brows knitted together. “Are you saying…?”

  She let the words trail off, completely shocked. These people knew her, knew she wasn’t unkind, that she wasn’t cruel. Why would they want to see her harmed?

  “I am. I’m not sure which one, but one of them is definitely passing information along. Information like how often you’re alone here and when Rager is at work or out of the office.”

  “They’re tracking us?” Ann’s face scrunched up even more, anger mixed with fear now to make her body shake. “Fuckers!”

  “Which might be another reason I should stay here. If you aren’t alone, maybe they’ll back off.”

  “But I’m always guarded…” she started but Skye interrupted.

  “You are, but the guard isn’t looking for trouble from the inside, is he?”

  “I’m not sure I want to live like this. I’ll be afraid t
o eat next, afraid it will be poisoned or something.”

  “I’d suggest bringing in new staff, maybe from the new people that were brought in.” Skye looked uneasy, but she carried on. “I think it’s one of the guys that does the gardening I heard the wolves talking about. I’m not sure which one, but they mentioned the guy had to mow the grass a lot.”

  “Are you sure it was at my house?” Unease made her voice shake. “Because I know who it is if it’s at my mother’s house.”

  “It’s possible they got the info wrong.” Skye brushed a stray hair back into place and looked over at her. “I go to this dive bar, a little hole in the wall, almost literally. I keep covered up, and out of the way, so I won’t be noticed. If I sit in that dark corner they have there long enough, I hear things.”

  “I hope you aren’t spending too many nights in that place.” Ann glanced at her, but her thoughts were still on Rex. “I’ll make sure Rager hears about it all. Maybe he needs to send someone down there instead of you taking chances.”

  “Sure. It would be nice if we had a decent bar to go to, though. After five years, some of those shitty wines are now pretty good. It would be nice to have a decent place to go to, just for a drink and to relax for a little while.”

  “Thanks for gathering information for me, but please don’t go back there. It sounds dangerous.”

  “I won’t. I found a bottle of vodka if I get desperate.” Skye’s straight white teeth were on display as she laughed and rolled away from Ann. “Now, let’s just hope Rager can stop all of this insanity before it goes any further.”

  “I’ll talk to him as soon as I can.” Ann cuddled her face against Katy’s soft fur and thought about her baby again. She wanted to give them both a good world to grow up in. She’d have to find a way to make sure that happened.

  18

  The next day, Ann had breakfast with Skye and then they went their separate ways for the day. Skye went off to teach her class and Ann went to her mother’s house, Katy in her pocket. Mary swept Ann into her arms the moment she came in and Ann laughed.

  “Happy about the baby stuff, are you?” Ann kissed her mom and hugged her back.

  “I am, it’s all wonderful. And I love the outfits. I almost forgot how fun it was to dress you up when you were tiny. It doesn’t last long enough, that tiny cute phase.”

  “Now you’ll get to dress two of them at a time. I don’t envy you that. But, in a way, I do.” Ann still hadn’t told her mother her suspicions, but she would, after she told Rager. “Twins, it’s going to be a lot of fun being a big sister to those two.”

  “I’m glad you’re looking forward to it, Ann. I knew you would, but I wanted to be sure before I told you.” Her mother let her go and a servant walked by. Ann noticed that Mary quickly took the note the servant handed to her and also noticed the insignia on it.

  Those bastards had stationery?

  Ann frowned and followed behind her mother to the kitchen, as usual. What were Amanda and Mary up to? They surely couldn’t be working to overthrow Rager? He was her mate, and she had settled into life with him. She never complained, or said she hated him, she’d always made a point to express the fact that she was happy. So, if her mother and almost-mother were aware of her happiness with her mate, then why would they join forces with revolutionaries?

  Ann sat down at the long table in the kitchen and watched the two women as they ladled up chicken and dumplings.

  “Decided to forego vegetarian food today, did you?” Ann asked, just to break the sudden silence the note had created.

  Mary looked a bit stressed when she set a bowl down in front of Ann. “Well, we found some cans of chicken that were still good, and some cans of flour were brought to us. The dumplings won’t be the best you’ve ever tasted, but it’ll fill you up.”

  “It will,” Ann said, distracted by the way her mother turned away, a guilty look all over her face. Or was Ann just seeing guilt where there was none? Maybe it was coincidence that the insignia was the same as the graffiti she’d seen around the sector lately. Maybe the graffiti artist had seen the stationery and used that as a guide? Or maybe the graffiti wasn’t a warning of menace but a social group?

  But if that was the case, then why wouldn’t her mother mention it to her? Ann frowned, her head too mixed up to really think about one thing for too long at the moment, and too full of worry about it all. She really needed to talk to Rager about so many things, but he was the one person she hadn’t seen a lot of lately.

  She ached she missed him so much, and she wouldn’t have thought that was possible when they were first married. Now, she was fairly certain that one more day without him might kill her. But then, she’d thought that for a while now. Her thoughts scattered away, to memories of him and the kiss that she was certain he’d given her that morning. A sweet, gentle kiss on her left temple.

  She only knew he’d done it because Katy growled at him menacingly, and he’d laughed before he petted the dog. He’d left her then, and she’d gone back to sleep, an intimate stranger that shared his bed and nothing more lately. She felt the heavy sigh as it left her lungs, but couldn’t stop it.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” Mary asked and stopped the spoon on the way to her mouth.

  The urge to tell her mother all of her troubles weighed down on her. She wanted to blurt out her suspected news, she wanted to tell her mom that Rager wasn’t cruel, but he was distant lately, she wanted to explain how afraid she was about the many people that seemed to hate her. They all hated her for being mated to Rager, human, wolf, and alien, the ones that wanted to harm her. At least they were united in that.

  She almost smiled over that thought. She’d managed to unite all three of the groups through hate. Of her. That wiped the ghost of a smile from her face. She’d have liked to have united them for any other reason, but this seemed to be the only factor that had united any of them at the moment.

  Should she tell her mom about the baby, at least, she wondered? She saw her mom’s hand against the swell of her stomach, and how she’d waited to tell Ann until she was sure. It would be cruel to get her hopes up, only to dash them if she wasn’t pregnant, she decided. She’d wait until she knew for sure.

  Hopefully, she’d hear something from Skye soon, and then she’d be able to tell everyone that mattered. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was also kind of afraid to tell her mother at the house. She’d tell her at her own house, she decided, in her bedroom, where hopefully she couldn’t be overheard. She didn’t know who was listening at the doors, or at the communication devices that were on every wall here. It was best to wait until she knew for sure, she decided, and to do it at her home.

  “Nothing really, Mom. Just a lot on my mind is all.” Ann went back to eating but the dish wasn’t as appetizing now.

  “You have to eat, dear. Finish your food. I won’t pressure you to talk to me, but if you need someone to listen, I’m your mother and I’ll always be here for you.”

  Ann smiled a wobbly smile and picked up the spoon she’d put down. It wouldn’t help anything to worry her mother, so she tried to focus on anything except how much she missed her mate. Her phone-watch chirped, and she looked at it. A message from Skye.

  “Come to the clinic, right now. We have a health scanner!”

  Ann’s eyes went wide, she dropped her spoon, and stood up. “I have to go to the medical clinic. Uh, they just got some equipment in and I want to see how it works. Thanks for lunch, Mom. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Ann! What’s so important you have to run off like that?” Mary’s voice trailed behind Ann, but she didn’t stop. A definitive answer was just a few minutes away, she didn’t have time to stop and explain. She’d call her later, she decided and adjusted Katy in her pocket before she brought the transporter up and flew away.

  She tapped her feet as she pushed the control stick, her lips moved, but sound didn’t come out. Excitement, concern about disappointment, and worry ate at her, but she pushed through it all. Part
of her wanted to go home and hide under her covers. Pregnancy would change everything, and it terrified her, but at the same time, she’d started to get used to the idea. She all but knew she was, and she’d started to like it before that message from Skye. Now, all the worries and fear flooded through her.

  She set the transporter down, took a deep breath, and got out. Katy wanted to get down, so she put the puppy down on the ground. She sniffed around in the grass very quickly, did her business, and then tiptoed back to Ann. Ann’s foot was still steady tapping, but she stopped when Katy joined her. “We have to hurry, little girl, Mommy’s got to find something out. Quickly. Before she chickens out and runs away home like a baby.”

  Katy didn’t reply, she just tapped along beside Ann and looked around. Ann finally arrived at the clinic’s main office and walked in. “Anybody here?”

  “We’re back here trying to figure this thing out,” Skye called out to her.

  Ann walked back into a smaller office and looked as Meg and Skye worked together. Skye read out the instructions and Meg hit the buttons as directed. Nothing happened, so Ann sat down in a chair and waited. Her foot started to tap again, and Katy whined to get into her lap. She picked the puppy up and put her down. Katy crawled up from her lap to the top her chest. She stuck her head into Ann’s hair, down for the moment, and curled around her neck, her warm little belly right against Ann’s skin.

  Ann had become accustomed to the dog doing that quickly, and didn’t think about it. She simply put her head down to cradle the puppy there and waited. “You two are about to kill me, you know that, don’t you?”

  “Sorry, just trying to get this combination right. Nothing I do seems to work.” Meg handed it over to Skye, and the woman followed the instructions with the scanner pointed at Meg.

  Lights came on, and a blue light came out of the scanner. There were a variety of sections on the scanner, as far as Ann could see. It looked like a much larger version of the scanners that used to be a part of the checkout lines in stores. The screen was around 10 inches long and four inches wide. It was almost too unruly for the women to hold and operate, but it worked.