by Sky Winters
“Oh. Why?” Luke asked, tilting his head.
“Because the sexual harassment was becoming a little too normal in that place.”
Luke stiffened. Jennifer was a very attractive woman, even a blind man could see that, but no one should just be able to touch her. “What happened to you?” he growled through his teeth.
“It was a nightly barrage of pats on the ass and comments about my tits. When I brought the problem to my manager’s attention he basically blew me off.” She shrugged and turned back to rummage through her disorganized closet.
Luke saw red. Not because he felt possessive or protective over her, but because the liberties some men would take with women made him sick. He never understood the reason why some men thought they could behave the way they did and simply get away with it.
After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself he responded, “I’m so sorry that happened to you. This may be a stupid question, but is there anything I can do?”
Jennifer’s shoulders shook with suppressed giggles. Folding a t-shirt, she turned and shook her head at him. “No. It’s over and done with. I saved almost all of the money I made this summer so I’ll be okay for the next two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” Luke asked. “What about after that?” Would she be all right? If she only had enough money for that long, what would she do after?
“After that I’m going to be in Arizona at school. Believe me, moving day cannot come fast enough.” She tossed a few pairs of shorts on the bed. Chico was only twenty minutes from Paradise so there was no need to over pack.
Luke nodded. The motion was automatic. His thoughts were a million miles away.
Jennifer stood in front of him and waved her hand in front of his face, “Hello? Anybody home?”
“Huh? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking.” Absentmindedly he rubbed her leg. The motion helped him collect his thoughts. “I didn’t realize the fall semester came up so soon. How are we going to handle this?” Of course, he was referring not just to the pregnancy, but their blooming relationship as well.
“I’m not sure yet.” She answered. “I may just have to be gone for the fall. I don’t know if I’d be able to participate in the spring since the baby would be due in April some time. I’d have to work that out with the college when I get there.” Jennifer combed her fingers through Luke’s long brown hair.
Tenderness for him filled her heart. The relationship was super new, but she already felt safe and secure with him. It may be because he can shift into a massive and dangerous predator, or it may be the newness of their union causing it, but she felt like she would be protected as long as he was close.
“Are you still going to like me when I’m swollen and waddling?” she couldn’t help it. That thought was a common one pregnant women have and it crept right up on her. She was already a little chubby, she couldn’t imagine how big she would be in another eight or nine months. Oh, lord. I’ll be huge!
“Of course. What did I tell you about hiding yourself from me?” he pushed her hands back down to her sides.
Jennifer hadn’t realized she was trying to hide herself. “You told me not to.” She fretted. Old habits die-hard.
“Right. I promise you will still be as beautiful then to me as you are now. There’s just something about a pregnant woman, especially one that’s mine.” He assured her with a wink.
Jennifer threw her arms around his neck. His words were reassuring since she could feel a mood swing coming on. The emotion was so overwhelming she began to cry. “Ugh. I am so sorry. I don’t even know why I‘m crying. Stupid body.” She declared with a giggle.
Luke squeezed her back. “You have nothing to worry about with me. I’ll take care of you. I promise.”
The tears came harder and she started blubbering into his shoulder. “Crap. I can’t stop crying!”
Luke chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. When you’re done we’ll get back to packing your bag. Just don’t wipe your snot on my t-shirt. I really like this one.” He smiled as she shook with laughter on his lap. Another emotion stirred inside him too, but it was an inappropriate moment to act on it.
After a moment Jennifer slid off of Luke’s lap and hid herself in the bathroom to clean herself up. It didn’t matter what he said about not being embarrassed or hiding around him. She didn’t care for him to see her with a swollen face and snot bubbles.
Splashing cold water on her face did wonders for her composure. It served as an icy dose of reality to ground her from her weird hormonal upheaval. She had heard the early stages of pregnancy were rough, but the stories had nothing on the actual experience.
With one last glimpse in the mirror she pulled herself together. There was a very attractive and virile man sitting on her bed that very minute and she wasn’t about to let that go to waste. She patted her skin dry with a towel and gave her hair a fluff.
When she reentered her room Luke was up and staring out the window. “Penny for your thoughts?” Jennifer asked as she came around the bed and sat down.
“Nah. I was just enjoying the evening.” Luke turned around to face her. “I love this time of the night. The air is cooling the sky clears up and you can practically count the stars. It’s just beautiful,” but not nearly as beautiful as the woman in front of him.
The sparkle in her eyes when she looked at him could shame the night sky. Jennifer had leaned back with her hands behind her in a pose Luke found incredibly alluring.
In one motion he spread her legs and knelt between them. There was a little guilt still remaining for being so rough with her earlier; he wanted to make it up to her.
He ran his hands up her inner thighs to massage her hips. Luke watched as Jennifer closed her eyes, a slow smile spreading across her lips. That was all the encouragement he needed.
His hands crept to the crotch of her jeans where he pressed his thumb against the most sensitive part of her. He quickly became aware of how aroused she became. The scent of her became stronger with each pass of his thumb over her. Luke was suddenly seized by the urge to taste her. She smelled so amazing, how could he resist.
He unfastened her jeans and urged her to lift her hips so he could slide her pants off. He rubbed over her now bare clitoris with his thumb, smearing her wetness over her until she was sighing at his touch.
Luke parted her and flicked his tongue over the sensitive nub, causing Jennifer’s breath to hitch. He teased her a few more times until she was begging. “Luke, you’re killing me!”
Jennifer leaned back on her elbows for support so she could watch Luke in action. The sight of him staring up at her from between her legs was so hot. With fervor, he licked and kissed her, pausing occasionally to suck on her. When he slipped his fingers into her hips rose off the bed. “That feels so good.” She gasped as he pressed and caressed her g-spot.
But it was his mouth that really did it. Jennifer fisted her hands in her quilt as he fed on her, driving her crazy. The pressure built quickly in time with the increasing thrust of his fingers. “Fuck, Luke.” She threw her head back and cried out, “Oh, god!” as her orgasm slammed into her. He laced her fingers in his hair, pushing his head closer to push up over the crest of a second one. Finally she collapsed in a heap on her bed.
Luke rose to his feet and crept over her prone body. Jennifer reared up to kiss him. She could taste herself on his mouth, something she found to be more erotic than she would have thought it would be. Her body already started responding to his again.
Jennifer reached between them to unbutton Luke’s pants and slide them down his hips. As his erection bobbed freely, she wrapped her hand around his girth and started stroking.
Luke groaned into her mouth as he positioned himself between her legs. “I don’t want to hurt you again.” He paused with the tip pressing against her opening.
Jennifer made a noise of frustration. “I’ll be fine, just start slow.” She read the apprehension on Luke’s face. With a huff he gripped his ass, bridged her hips, and pulled him into her.
“Just fuck me already.” She demanded with a smile. And that he did.
Nausea had woken Jennifer before dawn. She slipped out of bed so as not to disturb Luke to go prowl the kitchen. Sickness seized her as soon as her feet hit the floor. It was a mad dash to the bathroom to make it to the toilet before her stomach turned inside out. She gripped the seat as vomit turned to dry heaving.
Leaning back against the vanity, Jennifer wiped the sweat from her forehead. She waited a minute to see if anything else would happen, but her guts seemed to be mellowing.
With slow, controlled movements Jennifer hauled herself to her feet. When nothing shifted, she tiptoed to the kitchen to find crackers or something that might settle her stomach.
The cabinets were woefully empty. Too many double shifts meant too little time for the grocery store. She pulled open the fridge door and found a lonely can of Sprite tucked in the back corner. The soda was flat, but soothed the monster in her stomach for now. She made a mental note to stop and grab a snack. The trip was short, but there was no breakfast in the house.
With can in hand, Jennifer slipped back into her bedroom. There were a couple more hours until daylight, and to not be sleeping would be a waste.
Riding on the back of a motorcycle would never get old. The wind whipping through her hair and the purr of the engine under the seat made Jennifer feel alive. The nausea didn’t return when she got out of bed for the day, but the thought she might yak again was never far from her mind.
Luke was sweet and swung by the convenience store to pick her up a mini box of Cheerios to munch on if she felt queasy again. He felt bad for how she was feeling so if he could find a way to help ease the discomfort, he would.
The drive from Paradise to Chico was short. Luke and Jennifer had pulled up to Luke’s house less than thirty minutes after leaving. Luke’s home looked smaller from the outside. The cedar shake on the exterior had been stained a soft grey-blue color. An idyllic little porch greeted them as they walked up to the front door.
“Just so you know, you are free to make yourself comfortable.” Luke explained. “I’ll show you where everything is kept, after that treat my home as yours.” He turned back and unlocked the front door.
The inside was just as charming as the outside. The living and dining rooms had a thick, grey colored Berber carpet that ran throughout. The décor definitely screamed bachelor with the motorcycle memorabilia and leather furniture placed around the living room.
“Awe. Your house is so cute. I feel like I’m in a little cottage in the woods.” Jennifer set her bag down on the couch for Luke o give her the grand tour. The house was as tiny as it appeared on the outside so the tour was very brief.
“If you’d like I can call a couple of the women in my gang and we can meet up with them for lunch?” Luke had picked up Jennifer’s bag and carried it off to the master bedroom.
“Sure. Let’s do that.” Jennifer answered. It would be interesting to meet another shifter and not only that, gain insight into the new developments in her life.
“Great. Give me a minute and I’ll call them. There’s a great little diner up the road that makes the best sandwiches.” Luke walked out to the porch to make his phone calls.
The ride in had worn Jennifer out. She plunked herself down on the oversized couch and put her feet on the armrest. After closing her eyes for a second she had drifted off to sleep.
Luke hung up and reentered the house. He was about to call for Jennifer when he found her curled up on his couch asleep. Instead of waking her, he draped an old quilt over her and let her sleep. They had a few hours to kill before they had to get to the diner.
While he was alone and the house was quiet he would get in touch with his muscle and figure out what to do about that nuisance, JP and his stooges. It was only a matter of time before he retaliated in some way. Hell, Luke knew if he got knocked out by some big bastard he’d want to find a way to get him.
Sneaking into his bedroom and shutting the door behind him, Luke would spend the next couple of hours rallying the troops.
“So, these women are friendly, right?” Jennifer had the image of a stereotypical biker woman stuck in her head. All she could picture were a couple of hard looking women with blown out tattoos wearing cut off t-shirts that were curt and rough with other people. She knew it was wrong to assume, but her brain wouldn’t let the idea go.
“Yes, they are actually really good girls. Melanie is twenty-eight I think and has one child. Zara is thirty, married to my new second and they have two kids; a boy and a girl. Twins I think.” He furrowed his brow. “No. Not twins. Anyway, they were the closest to your age and with their kids still being so young, they’ll have fresher memories to help guide you through this.”
Jennifer nodded. Meeting new people always gave her a bit of anxiety, she hoped she could keep the awkward hidden and not make a fool of herself.
Luke held the door open and let her in first. Luke tapped her on the shoulder and pointed. Two very pretty women sat at the back of the café near the window. They saw Luke come in and waved him over.
“Hi, Luke! How have you been?” The taller, blonde woman stood from her chair and threw her arms around him in greeting. “Is this her?” the woman pointed.
“Yeah. This is Jennifer Armstrong. Jennifer this is Zara. And the one feeding the baby over there is Melanie.”
Zara stuck her hand out, “I am so happy to meet you! Luke mentioned you a few times. It’s great to finally put a face with the name.” Zara was friendly and exuberant, without a trace of irony in her voice as she spoke. She seemed to tower over Jennifer and had a mane of enviable golden-blonde hair the fell to her waist.
Melanie leaned away from the table to see around Zara and waved. She was the quieter of the two and definitely the most striking. Her straight black hair was tied back off her face. She had the high, angular bone structure that hinted at Native American roots. The baby at her breast couldn’t have been more than a couple of months old and had a full head of fuzzy, jet-black hair.
“Hello, Melanie, Zara. It’s nice to meet you both.” Jennifer twiddled her thumbs for a minute, unsure of what to do with herself. A light press on the small of her back by Luke, was the cue to sit down.
“I hate to just bail on you ladies, but I have to meet Trevor and a few of the others to talk about a pest problem.” He turned his attention to Jennifer, “You okay with me taking off?”
Well, no not really. I just met these women! “I’ll be fine. Go do what you gotta do.” Luke bent down and kissed Jennifer on the cheek and waved goodbye to the other two.
“Oh man, Jennifer. You have no idea how bad he’s had it for you. And now! You’re pregnant with his baby? He’ll never let you go.” Zara stated.
Jennifer felt the blush creep up her cheeks and another wave of nausea growing. She quickly waved down their server to order some tea. Once they all placed their drink orders, the conversation quickly turned back to Jennifer and babies.
“Um, that’s really reassuring. Thank you.” Jennifer fiddled with her silverware set while she figured out where to start. “So, are you both like Luke?”
“Yeah, exactly the same. All of our parents were also in our group. You could say we were born to this.” Melanie answered.
“So it’s hereditary, not like the movies where you get bit and suddenly you change?” She tried to keep her voice down and be as vague as possible.
This time, Melanie spoke, “Right. It’s a special trait that runs in the bloodline of the Achomawi people. Only a few other tribes have the ability to do what we do and the animals are all different.” She smiled sweetly before continuing. “And since the ability is passed down by the father, your little bundle should be like us too.”
Zara bounced up and down in her seat like a kid on sugar. “I just love babies. And I’m so happy for Luke that he finally found somebody. And after Paige – Oof! What was that for?” Melanie elbowed Zara in the ribs to shut up.
“Who’s Paige?” Jenn
ifer asked.
“It isn’t our story to tell. You’ll have to wait until he’s ready to tell you about her… if he’s ever ready.” The baby at Melanie’s breast had fallen asleep. Gentle snores were coming from the little burrito in her arms. She popped the baby off and adjusted her tank top. “Don’t worry about that though. Luke asked us to guide you through this time in your life and I am so happy to do it.”
Jennifer was touched. These two women were so welcoming and warm to her. She may have found the sisterhood her sorority couldn’t give her. “Is this going to be like a normal pregnancy or is there anything special I need to do or be aware of?”
Zara nodded, “There are a few things. Instead of being pregnant forty weeks, ours go a little longer. You’ll be pregnant closer to eleven months because of the extra, uh,” she waved her hand trying to think of the right word, “just the extra that needs developing.”
Jennifer’s jaw dropped. This was going to be the longest year of her life! “Won’t my doctor be suspicious? I feel like no sane OB/GYN will just let me go eleven months.”
“You don’t go to a regular doctor. Next week I’ll take you to the reservation to see ours. She’s a wonderful woman and an amazing midwife.” Melanie explained. “You’ll be expected to have a drug free birth. Our people don’t respond well to the drugs used in delivery.” She watched Jennifer’s eyes grow wide. “Don’t get me wrong, the babies born that way live, but some complications and reactions happen. They are often sick for months after delivery and always have something lingering as they get older.”
Jennifer put her head in her hands. A drug-free birth? An Eleven month pregnancy? What the hell did she get herself into? “That’s sweet of you. We’ll set up a time for us to go before I leave.”
“Where are you going?” the two women asked in unison.
“I have to go back to school. I go to college in Arizona and classes start again in less than two weeks.” She explained. “Apparently, I chose this life without realizing it because this is my last year before veterinary school. I’m going to specialize in big dogs.”