She watched Tessa get her blood in quiet panic. Her breathing pounded loud in her ears. She couldn’t be pregnant. She’d only had sex with Talen that one night and while it had been multiple times, it hadn’t even been a month yet.
Before that, she hadn’t been with her ex in at least six months. She’d been broken up with him for over a month before she went to Aurora. And even before that, he’d been ignoring all her attempts at being intimate. She’d been traveling or he’d been traveling. When he was around, he didn’t want to do anything with her.
The bastard had been giving her excuses for not wanting to have sex for long months by saying he was tired or had to work late when all along he’d been banging someone else. It just went to show Cassie was bad at reading liars. He’d been lying to her for god knew how long.
“So do you want me to wait?” she asked once Tessa was done.
“No.” Tessa sighed and let her shoulders fall. “We had a temp in last week who overbooked by twice the normal and tonight we’ll be working late. Dr. Levi said once he gets results he’ll call you on your cell. And then we can schedule an appointment for the next day or two to figure out what’s wrong if nothing comes up on your blood.”
“And if something does show?” She didn’t voice the pregnancy possibility. “What if I’m anemic or something?”
“It can be treated. Don’t worry. Dr. Levi will call you in a few hours and chat with you.”
She picked up her bag, put on her coat, and left the doctor’s office feeling more stressed than when she’d walked in. Her phone rang a second time. It was another text. This time from Massimo letting her know he was in town and would meet with her soon.
Damn. She wasn’t in the mood to see him now, but she’d already agreed. She headed to Gerri’s building, wondering what could be wrong. She passed by Aurelis’s bakery and stopped. The scent of honey buns made her stomach growl. She needed to grab some or she might kill someone.
The bell dinged on the door as she walked in.
“Hi, Violet,” Cassie smiled at Aurelis’s sister. She was at the bakery more and more since Aurelis got back with her ex. An ex nobody knew about ‘til after they got back together.
“Hi, Cassie.” Violet sighed as she wiped down the counter. “You just missed hell.”
Cassie raised her brows and glanced around the empty bakery. “Hell?”
Violet nodded and placed two honey buns on a porcelain plate and filled a cup with tea. “There had to have been like fifty people here just now, all wanting something sweet.” She came around the counter and put the plate on one of the tables. “Sit. You look dead on your feet. Is Gerri working you super hard?”
She sat and groaned. Where did that come from? “No, not really. I’m actually headed to her office now. She’s not in but I need to check her mail and set up for tomorrow.” She picked up a sticky, freshly baked bun with honey dripping from it, the dough so soft her fingers mushed it while she lifted it to her lips. “I’m supposed to meet someone there for dinner too, but I so wanted these.”
She groaned when she took the first bite, letting the sweet warm gooey dessert make her taste buds dance and filled her with joy. Who knew food could do this to a woman? And it wasn’t even chocolate.
Violet laughed and brushed a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear. “I would ask if you should be eating this before dinner, but clearly, you should.”
She sipped her tea and thought about canceling her dinner with Massimo, but he had gone out of his way to be nice to her. Even after she’d told him there was no chance for them. He’d never gotten fresh or tried to push her into an actual date. He told her he’d be her friend if she was open to that and she was.
“I shouldn’t be eating these, but I can’t help myself,” she mumbled between bites. “They’re addictive.”
Violet shook her head with a grin. “You sound like some of the bear shifters that come in here desperate for a fix.”
She stopped the second honey bun mid-way to her mouth. “A fix?”
“For honey. You know, bears and honey.” Violet giggled.
“If I could get you to deliver this to my house, I’d never leave my bed,” Cassie told her honestly. She licked her fingers after the last bite of the second honeybun and gulped down the tea. “Okay, I gotta go. But you rock, and I will be back for more tomorrow.”
“I know,” Violet winked. “It’s why I’m making these in the evenings too. Just for you.”
“And here I thought my dependency on these wasn’t that obvious.” She gave an embarrassed giggle. Damn, was she that desperate for sweets? She headed for the door, opened it, and stopped. The cold wind howled around her and made her face burn a little from the low temperature. She inhaled and sighed. Why did she enjoy the cold so much late? It made her sleepy and ready to put on her comfiest PJs and take a nap. She glanced over her shoulder at Violet and waved. “Thank you!”
Cassie burrowed her face into her thick woolen eternity scarf wrapped around her neck. She yanked out her mittens and put them on and was glad she’d worn her warmest boots. It was freezing.
She got in her car and drove the short distance to Gerri’s place. When she got there, Massimo was already at the front of the building. She got out of the car and let him give her a kiss on her cheek.
“Cassandra, you look beautiful.” He spoke with an accent she still couldn’t place and smiled as he raked his gaze over her. He sniffed and came closer, the smile dying on his lips. “Cassie, how…how are you?”
She cleared her throat and shrugged. “I’m good. Let’s go upstairs so I can do this mail before we get some food. I’m starving.”
He laughed. “I’m sure. You look exhausted. Are you sure you’re up to dinner?”
She frowned but didn’t say anything. She must look like shit for him to be the second person to say that to her. “I’m fine.”
They got in the elevator at the same time her cell phone started ringing. The call fell through due to bad service. They’d just gotten off on Gerri’s floor when it rang again.
“Hi,” she said, recognizing Dr. Levi’s office.
“Hi, Cassie. We have your test results,” she heard Myra’s voice tell her. “I hope you’re not too shocked to find out you’re pregnant.”
Cassie’s throat ran dry. She cleared it twice but wasn’t sure what to say. “Are you sure?”
“Oh, honey, we are very sure. Especially with how far along you are. Three months.”
“Wait, what?” She couldn’t be three months pregnant. She only had sex a month ago with Talen and before that she had been getting herself off with battery-operated buddies for at least six months. So how in the world could she be three months pregnant? “I think you must have someone else’s test results. Those dates don’t add up.”
“Really?” Myra sounded confused. “We can run them again and I’ll get back to you.”
“Thank you. That would be great.” She was pretty sure at this point there was no way they had her test results. They must have confused them with someone else’s. She clicked off the phone and glanced up to catch Massimo staring at her with confusion.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “A mix up at the doctor’s office. They must have gotten someone else’s results.” She didn’t go into the actual diagnosis but saw understanding fill his eyes.
“Cassie, you are definitely pregnant.” He said the words so softly she wondered how she heard him.
“How could you know?” Then she thought about his shifter hearing. “Oh, you heard what she said?” She shook her head and tapped his arm. “They must have made a mistake.”
He grabbed her by her arms and met her gaze with his own solemn one. “She’s not wrong. I’m telling you because I can scent it. You are having a baby.”
The floor fell from under her feet and she wavered. He helped her stand and guided her to the closest wall. “I can’t be three months pregnant. That’s impossible.”
“It’s not
impossible.” He cupped her chin. “Not if it’s a shifter baby.”
“What?” She was too confused to figure out what he was saying. A weird buzzing started in her head. It grew louder and loud and her muscles started feeling weaker and weaker.
“They grow at a faster rate. A month can be three for a shifter child. So to your human brain you are pregnant one month but the baby developing inside you is growing at a faster rate.”
Oh. Oh, shit.
The door to her left opened and she turned her face to see Gerri. Behind Gerri, Talen followed. The fury in his gaze at seeing Massimo’s hands on her face turned her blood to ice. She didn’t get a chance to say anything. The buzzing in her head blocked out everything else, pulling her out of reality and sending her into darkness.
TWENTY-ONE
Talen wanted to kill the man with his hands on Cassie. He didn’t. That in itself was hard enough. He didn’t give him a swift death because Gerri warned him she wouldn’t help him if he did.
“Massimo,” Gerri said the other guy’s name after he’d introduced himself while lifting an unconscious Cassie into his arms. “Bring her inside and lay her on the sofa.”
Massimo met Talen’s gaze. “She’s just a friend.”
Talen’s bear didn’t give a fuck if he claimed to be just a friend. The other shifter was touching his mate. His. A mate that was expecting his child. Right now he was having a hell of a time keeping the bear under control. He wanted to roar and tear Massimo limb from limb. He wanted to toss his lifeless body away from Cassie.
“Stop the growling, Talen,” Gerri snapped. “You scared her into fainting. There’s something you don’t see every day.”
Massimo snorted and stepped back once he placed Cassie on the sofa. “It wasn’t him that shocked her as much as finding out she’s pregnant.”
Gerri nodded, her brows drawn into a worried frown. “I can scent it. She’s pretty far along. If I hadn’t been so preoccupied with my friend, I would have been able to give her the news myself.” She pushed Cassie’s hair away from her face. Though her caramel skin looked healthy, she appeared pale since the last time Talen had seen her.
“Is she okay?” he finally asked Gerri. “She looks sick.”
Gerri glanced at him like he’d said something stupid. “She’s human. Carrying an alien-shifter baby. Her body’s working overtime. She’s probably really tired right now.”
“She’s been very tired,” Massimo supplied. With a quirk of his lips he met Talen’s gaze. “You don’t need to growl. She’s my friend. I knew she wasn’t well lately. This explains why.”
“She’s complained?” Gerri asked.
“She had to have someone watch her recently for a few days. To make sure she was going to be okay,” Massimo added and grinned at Talen’s deeper grunt.
“Open your mouth again about how much of a friend you are and I will claw that grin off your face.” Talen’s voice wasn’t high. He didn’t even sound angry. His voice was deathly soft and sharp enough to cut glass.
“You can stop your threats. I know a woman who’s mated when I sniff her.”
“It’s not a threat. And talk about sniffing her again and you’re a dead man.”
“Come on, Massimo. I’ll take you back downstairs,” Gerri said. She turned to Talen with a serious frown. “I’ll be right back. Try not to make her faint twice in one night.”
What did she think he was going to do while she was gone? Run away with his mate? He should, but he was too worried about her condition. She appeared to need rest and he’d stand guard and make sure she got it.
Talen squatted by the sofa and caressed his hand over Cassie’s cheek. She was cool to touch. She inhaled and let out a soft mumble, leaning her face into his hand. Warmth filled his heart. She liked his touch. He’d known from the moment he saw her she was the right woman for him.
He brought his hand down to her belly. Though she was covered by a thick wool coat, he still placed it over her abdomen and felt his animal bond with the cub in his mate.
He glanced out the large window by Gerri’s fireplace. He needed to take Cassie with him. This climate was too harsh for her. Where he lived, it was warm and would feel comfortable for her. It would be easier to deal with while expecting a cub.
He glanced at her face and watched as her eyes fluttered open.
“Talen?”
He nodded. “How do you feel?”
“I’m pregnant,” she sputtered, shock clear in her voice.
“I know.”
“Did everyone know before me?” She frowned and tried to sit up. He offered her his hand and helped her.
“We’re shifters. We can scent changes. How do you feel?” he asked again.
“Fine.” She glanced around and tugged off her scarf. “Where’s Gerri?”
He noticed she ignored meeting his gaze and he wondered why. “She went down with your friend.”
She nodded. “Massimo. What are you doing here?”
There was a bite to her tone. Like his being there bothered her.
“I came for you.”
She raised her brows and gasped. “Excuse me?”
He finally got her to look at him, though it wasn’t the kind of look he expected from his mate. “You’re mine, Cassie. I’m here to take you back to Aurora with me.”
She rolled her eyes and snorted. “You’re kidding, right? Mr. one-night stand wants me long term now that he knows I’m pregnant? I don’t think so. You can take your furry ass right back to your planet, Talen. I don’t need you.”
“You do need me,” he stated. “I don’t understand why you are fighting this. I can tell you want me still.”
“Fuck you,” she spat and stood and prayed she didn’t throw up all over the place. “Everything isn’t about sex. I have a child to think about now. I’m not just going to roll over and go anywhere with you. I have a life here.” She started pacing in front of the window where snow fell in thick sheets. She stopped and glared at him. “You have some nerve. Coming over here now and acting like you give a shit.”
He stood, hoping to talk some sense into her. The front door opened and Gerri walked in. “Well, it looks like you two are going to be staying in Tally’s old apartment tonight.”
“What?” Cassie glanced at Gerri with wide eyes.
“That blizzard is pretty bad. I’m not letting you go anywhere with the weather like it is.” Gerri glanced from Cassie to Talen. “The place has two bedrooms so no need to share each other’s personal space.”
“Good.” Cassie took the keys Gerri offered and headed for the door. “Thank you for letting us use that place tonight, Gerri. I’m going to lie down.”
“Tally left some old clothes in there in case you are interested. They’re all clean. I don’t normally use the place unless I need to. Feel free to use anything there to make yourself comfortable.”
She nodded and walked out of the room.
Gerri turned to face Talen. Her eyes were bright with her wolf. “What did you do to her?”
“Nothing. She seems to think I took too long to come after her.”
“No,” Gerri replied with an empathic shake of her head. “There’s something else there. She’s been angry with you since we left Aurora.”
He thought back. “I left her to find my brother. That probably did not go well with her.”
Gerri pursed her lips. “I don’t know…”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“You didn’t do a very good job of convincing her to go with you.”
“I know.” He just got there. He needed to spend time with her and he was sure he’d get her to come back with him. She belonged with him.
“I’m going to offer some advice and if you’re smart, you’re going to follow it.” She walked with him out of her apartment and down the hall. “Don’t tell her she has to come with you or that she belongs with you. That’s never going to go over well with an independent woman.”
“She does belong with me. She’s
my mate.”
“Are you hard of hearing? I just said you can’t be telling her that. You need to spend time with her. Get her to trust you.” Gerri sighed. “No offense but you did something to not make a good impression on the first meeting and that will make things harder now.”
“She’s having my baby!” He didn’t plan on going back home without her. And he sure as hell wasn’t leaving her behind.
“She’s aware of that. We all are. But you aren’t dealing with a shifter female. And not one from your planet. Cassie will probably want to get to know you and make sure she’s making the right decision. Not just for herself, but for her child.”
“Others have come to Aurora. Why would it be different for her?”
“Because the other girls who came to your planet were linked to each other somehow. They didn’t have families worrying about them.” She stopped in front of a closed door. He knew Cassie was in there. Her scent called to him. Even through the closed door he knew where she was. “Cassie has a family. She spends time with them. They are close from what I gathered. She won’t leave as easily as the others did. She’ll need to be convinced.”
“A child needs to be with his father. My cub should be with me.”
Gerri glowered at him. “That’s not really the best way to win her over. And for your information, that argument won’t fly on this planet with the number of single mothers doing a hell of a job raising their children alone. How about romancing her. Ever think of that, Sherlock?”
“Who?”
“Never mind. You will have to get her to realize you want her to come with you because you want not just the baby, but her too. Especially her. You want her to feel loved and like this is the right thing for her to do because she wants to, not because you want her to.”
“So what does that mean?”
She sniggered and opened the door to motion him in. “It means you show her you’re in love with her. Make her deliriously happy. Then she will gladly go to another planet and live out her existence with a man who she feels is worth her time. Until then, you are stuck here, on Earth.”
Bearfoot and Pregnant: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Paranormal Dating Agency Book 10) Page 8