#
Derrick held Christian against his body, feeling his warmth, letting the strength and calm he found in his mate fill him. These quiet moments and the promise of more of them were the only things that got him through his days.
Derrick's stomach flipped over as he inhaled. He'd noticed the night before, a change in Christian. He wondered why Christian hadn't brought it up. Even if he didn't exactly know yet—which was entirely possible as male humans didn't usually reproduce—he should at least have complaints about his changing body.
Derrick would visit the pharmacy later that day and get Christian some tests, and he'd have to make an appointment with the physician. Derrick thought about bringing the pack physician to the shack, but he didn't like the idea of a lot of people knowing about it. And, it was about time he moved them both back into the mansion. Only this time, he would move Christian into his room, where he belonged.
He slid out of bed wishing he didn't have to. The day before, even with its grief and annoyances, had also offered Derrick a solid glimmer of hope. He'd spoken to the pack accountant, this whole time he'd asked the accountant to run some numbers, make projections based off of what-if scenarios.
Derrick now had the cold hard numbers he needed to begin actually persuading the pack. Everything was going perfectly, and now that his mate was with child, everything was going even more perfectly.
Christian stirred, noticing Derrick's absence.
"You should go back to sleep," Derrick said, kissing him on the forehead.
"No," Christian said, quietly, almost sadly. "I want to watch you get ready."
"Shall I dance?" Derrick asked, wiggling his hips. Christian had the kindness of heart not to laugh. Derrick had always been a horrible dancer.
"No," Christian said, too serious for the moment. Derrick's wolf started paying close attention.
"Is everything okay?" Derrick asked him.
Christian swallowed and licked his lips. "Of course. I just want to memorize you is all. Is that so weird?"
Maybe to other people, but Derrick already knew everything about Christian. The way he shaved, the way he made his eggs, the order with which he cleaned a room—large items to small items.
Hormones. The answer came to him. That was what was going on with Christian. The poor guy didn't even know why. Derrick resolved to get the tests and any vitamins that Christian might need. Today was going to be a great day.
#
Christian waved Derrick goodbye, proud that he'd held back his emotion. Now that he was alone, the sob nearly forced its way out of his throat. He wasn't a cryer, but he also wasn't normally pregnant. He felt more pregnant every day, like the reality of it settled in on him more and more, which was part of the reason why today had to be the day. Derrick would hurt, at first. Christian had to trust that Mémé and Bridgette would do what they needed to do to keep him safe.
Christian figured the hardest part would be getting off of Robichaud land. Luckily for him, the fishing huts didn't just have outdated books. They also had maps. Old fashioned paper maps that Christian had to remind himself how to use, but that he'd eventually figured out.
As long as he kept a straight course, following the road Derrick used to get there, he would hit the main road in little over a mile. If the legend of the map was correct, then there was at least one other gate, Christian assumed it would be smaller and hoped his code would work.
Derrick had been so sweet that morning, telling Christian that he'd have a surprise for him. All the while, Christian's heart was breaking. He had to keep it beating, for the life or lives inside of him. But, Christian couldn't save his broken heart at the expense of so many others.
With renewed nerve, Christian slid a black baseball cap down over his head and zipped up his oversized sweater. The sweater was Derrick's and was much too big for him. Christian didn't know what to expect with his pregnancy or where he would be when he grew larger and thought the more room initially, the better. He shouldered his backpack and then, with shaking hands, pushed the code Bridgette had given him, the one that would open the door.
He walked quickly, but with sure steps, southeast. Triumph was swallowed by sadness when he spotted a road ahead through the trees. There, nestled against a clump of ivy, was a black gate, a miniature version of the main gate. Christian started to put in the code when the gate just sort of fell open. The hinges had been broken. Most likely rusted through.
He followed the road there, finally off of Robichaud land for the first time in weeks. Each time a car passed, Christian turned his face away toward the brush, afraid it would somehow be Derrick or someone who knew him. A truck slowed to a stop, and Christian thought about running.
A grandmotherly looking woman popped her head out the window. "Need a ride, son?"
"Where you heading?" Christian asked.
"Jackson."
It was as good as any other. "If it's not too much trouble," he said.
The lady smiled. "No trouble at all. These back roads aren't safe for walking. Lots of wolves in the area."
Christian said nothing, choosing to smile dumbly instead as he climbed up and sat on the passenger side. The inside of the truck was decorated the same way a little old lady's living room would be. Pictures of grandchildren, lace doilies, a hissing cat in the back of the cab.
"That's odd. Toffee usually loves strangers."
Christian didn't need three guesses to guess what Toffee found offense to. He shrugged. "I won't take offense," he said.
"Where are you from?" the lady asked.
"West coast, I was here, visiting a friend."
"And that friend couldn't help you back?"
Christian would not cry. "He doesn't know I'm leaving."
"Ahh, that kind of friend."
Christian waited for some sort of hellfire and brimstone speech. Instead, she shifted the truck and pressed on the gas. "Love is love. If it's meant to be, he'll find you."
If Christian's plan worked, it wouldn't.
He sat back, unwilling to watch the Robichaud land fade away behind him. Derrick wouldn't be back to the shack until later that afternoon at the earliest. He would search for him. Christian had to go someplace entirely new, blend in and fade. He would stay underground and out of sight. It would be easier that way for both of them.
The further they drove, the clearer it was to Christian that he hadn't made a clean break. He'd left his heart back in the shack, and now there was only a gaping hole in his chest. Though, that wasn't completely true. There was a sliver left for the lives he'd been told were growing inside of him. Would his heart regrow as his belly did? It would have to. Christian had to give up any dream of being a mate and would instead concentrate on being a father.
Chapter 18
Christian pulled his sweater closed. Two months ago when he'd first found employment at Helping Hands homeless shelter and food bank, it had been baggy. Now, it barely concealed his stomach to everyone who passed in and out of the bank and shelter on a daily basis.
"Christian!" his supervisor, Debra, called him over. "It's your day off, sugar. What are you doing down here?"
"Sorry, Deb. I don't have much else to do, and Fred is up there trying to fix the shower." The best part about the job had been the room he had been able to rent in the upstairs unit. Debra used to work there until she'd gotten married.
"That's still broken? I'm sorry."
"No, don't worry. I won't need it for long."
Debra's face scrunched up in a frown. Christian had been honest about only needing temporary employment and housing. He would have loved to stay Helping Hands was a good of a job as any but is swelling belly made it impossible.
"You sure I can't convince you to stay? You are the best employee I have ever had."
Christian smiled. "I might be back." After I give birth. How would he explain the presence of an infant? "But I should at least take a month away. Family stuff." From Christian's limited research online about shifter pregnancies, the g
estation period was a third of what it was for a normal human. He could have anywhere from one to eight babies, though the average was two.
These days, Christian felt like he was carrying twenty. It became clear to him that he wasn't going to be able just to try to be healthy, eat well, take prenatal vitamins. He needed to see a doctor, one that wouldn't scream and run in the other direction. The problem was, he had no idea how to go about finding a shifter friendly doctor. He'd ran so far away from anything shifter-related that he was sure his little neighborhood was one hundred percent human.
Christian's heart contracted as he let his thoughts even stray in the direction of Derrick. He hadn't seen or heard from him. But, he'd never expected to. Christian had done what he wanted, to disappear out of Derrick's life. He doubted the other man ever even thought of him.
In the end, there was only one place Christian could think to go. Only one place he felt safe going. He'd use the little money he'd saved up to get there.
The doorbell chimed, and Christian glanced at who entered. Dark features, brown, almost black eyes, Christian gasped, his heart leaped. Then, the light that had obscured the person was blocked when the door shut, and he saw the new person more clearly. It was a lunchtime regular, not Derrick.
That should have made him happy. Christian knew by now. It would never make him happy. He missed Derrick more than he'd missed anything else. This wasn't like the sexual longing he'd had for him in the beginning. This was soul deep. He'd never love another man again. He knew that. But he'd love his children and Derrick's packs would unite smoothly. No more lives lost, no more pack members injured.
Christian gasped, a fluttering feeling inside of his body. He brought his hand to his tummy. That was happening more often these days. Christian had been right to give his notice. He needed to go home, and soon.
#
Derrick slammed the top of the stapler down so hard that the end of it tore completely through the papers he'd been meaning to staple together. He cursed and pushed back from his desk.
"Whoa there, don't you have a secretary for that?" Bridgette asked from his office doorway. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the frame. She looked nice in a striped pencil skirt and matching jacket. It made her look older, a little less annoying.
"What do you want, Bridge?"
"That's Vice President Bridge, to you."
He was glad that she enjoyed her title. He was even happier that she did the work well. Her people adored her, and it hadn't taken his pack long to love her for her feisty personality and willingness to get dirty right with them when work needed to be done.
"No news then?" she asked, suddenly avoiding his gaze.
She always did that when she asked about Christian. He knew there was more to that look, but also knew she would tell him when she wanted to and not a moment sooner.
"None of the scouts have anything to report," he admitted with barely concealed anger. How had Christian disappeared so thoroughly? When Derrick had discovered him missing, well, he couldn't think about that time right now. Those thoughts led to anger and pain and betrayal. They were not conducive for a day at work.
"I gave him the code," Bridgette said out of nowhere. "I got the code and visited that shack. Bribed him with food and gave it to him. I'm so sorry. I didn't understand what him being your mate meant. I didn't know he was pregnant. I just needed to find a solution to my problem."
That's all any of them had needed to do. It occurred to Derrick that had he just gone to Bridgette and put their heads together. This issue would have practically solved itself. She'd been the enemy back then. And Christian had been her road block. Derrick clenched his hands into fists and waited until he could relax his fingers before responding.
"He made his choices, Bridgette. Christian left me. In the end, that was what happened. He left me."
"It doesn't matter why?" Bridgette asked.
"No," Derrick said, knowing he didn't believe it.
#
Christian was in trouble. The train ride had been excruciating on his nerves. He knew there was a change inside his body but had no idea what it was. On top of that, he'd grown so big that it was becoming impossible to hide the bulge. Luckily, people were quick to assume he just drank too many beers rather than to wonder if he could be pregnant. There was the odd person, though, who took more than one glance at him, saw his belly but then their eyes lingered on his arms, neck, face and legs, noticing how all the pieces fit except for the belly. Then they would narrow their eyes, and Christian could see their wheels spinning.
He'd purchased a coach ticket, thinking it would be better to save his money for food or emergencies. That had been a waste. He grew so uncomfortable on the trip that he couldn't eat without throwing it back up. The train finally rolled into his destination. He expected to be relieved to see the familiar Union Station, but he only had enough energy to snag a cab.
His exhaustion crept up on him. He hadn't been able to sleep much, afraid his sweater would pull up on the train. His head pounded, and his back hurt. The sun was just beginning to rise, and Christian tried to remember Finn's address. That life, the one where he'd had a crush on a sweet guy, seemed like so many years ago.
He could only hope his friend would be home. And that his assumptions about Finn's connections to shifters was right.
Christian's stomach rumbled and then twisted in pain. Guilt enveloped him. He should have left earlier, seen a doctor sooner. Yes, he was worried about the future and sad about what he'd lost, that didn't mean he could stop taking care of himself and the lives inside of him. He was sure that it was plural. The way the buggers kicked, there had to be more than one.
Christian gave up on trying to remember the exact address and told the cabby to drop him off on what he hoped was Finn's street. He handed the cab driver the last of his money and stepped out into the cold morning air. It was much chillier here than it had been in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Christian tried to zip his sweater up, but at that moment, the zipper broke, either in protest over being forced over such a large tummy or because it had been used so much.
He trudged forward, waiting for a sign that he'd reached his friend's house. Every bit he'd remembered about him seemed blurry. The only thought he held on to was that he would be safe at Finn's house. Finn would help him be safe.
Just then, a few houses down, he heard a baby's cry. He thought he was maybe very tuned into the noise, having listened to crying babies in his dreams since he discovered he was pregnant. Perhaps he'd hallucinated the sound, but Christian walked in that direction, tripping over his own feet he walked up a path and knocked on the door. He hadn't heard the baby cry again in the long minutes it had taken him to make it to the door. He knocked and prayed, not sure he would have the energy to knock on another door if this wasn't the one.
The door opened, and an imposing figure stood in front of him. The man reminded him so much of Derrick that Christian's already weak heart clenched.
"Christian?" a familiar voice said his name.
Christian tried to step forward, but his legs were done supporting him. The man he'd met before, Luke was his name, caught him. Christian tried to lift his body but couldn't. He didn't enjoy being held by another man, though, even at a time like this one and was relieved when the man set him down on a sofa. Relieved and tired.
"Hey," he said to Finn, finally seeing his familiar, kind and worried face. "Do you mind if I stay a while?"
Chapter 19
When Christian woke up, he panicked. He couldn't feel the heavy weight of his stomach. He gasped, opened his eyes, and his hands went immediately to his stomach. They touched his still rounded belly, and he calmed a little, realizing he had been sleeping on his side.
He was warm, and his head didn't ache anymore.
"Hey there," Finn said softly, sitting in an armchair on the other wall. It was clear that Christian was in a bedroom. There were car posters on the wall, but everything else looked to be
picked up and put away. Had he put someone out of their room?
"Finn," Christian said, his voice croaky. "I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to go."
"Why are you sorry, Christian? What happened to you?"
"I'm—" What if he told his friend and he rejected him? But, wasn't the truth sort of obvious? Still, he'd not said it out loud. "I'm pregnant."
"Yeah, duh. You're huge."
"Why aren't you freaked out right now?"
The door opened, and Luke came in, cradling a tiny baby in his arms. Christian looked from Luke to Finn. Then back again.
"This is our daughter," Finn said, pride in every letter, "Serena Ann."
"Yours? Like, yours?"
Finn laughed and then nodded.
Christian couldn't help the tears. He didn't bawl. They were silent, but there. He hadn't allowed himself to wallow in self-pity, in how lonely he'd felt. His sadness was his cross to bear. The emptiness in his heart was his new burden. But the loneliness didn't always have to be there, not when there were people around him who had gone through exactly what he was going through.
"You're safe now, Christian," Luke said, his voice a deep rumble. "Can you tell us what happened? How you got to be this way?"
Christian knew he was gawking. He told himself to close his gaping mouth. The change in Luke from the jerk he'd met to the kind man he was now was striking. His power was obvious, his authority clear. Christian trusted him. He would be safe. "You're their alpha," he said more to himself.
Luke stared at him quizzically. "I am," he said.
"Did Sorell ever make it?" he asked then.
"Yes," a voice said from the other side of the door.
Luke rolled his eyes. "Just come in then."
The door opened, and Sorell walked through, giving Christian a tentative smile. He wasn't the only one, though. Three other guys walked in behind him and one woman.
"You made it," Christian said, smiling wide.
Sorell went to the side of his bed and reached for his hand. His wounds had healed, and he looked happy. Healthy. "Thanks to you." He squeezed and Christian tried to squeeze back. "Your alpha do this?" There was no anger in his question.
Wolf's Mate Mpreg Romance Box Set Page 30