A Tiger's Tale

by Lisa Oliver

  “I think maybe you’ve had enough.” Rocky tried to take his bottle away, but Ra hung onto it jealously.

  “No, no, I’m not drunk,” he said, banging shoulders with Mal who promptly fell off the bed. “But see, this is important. I can’t tell him then. We have to think of something else.”

  “A gesture,” Mal agreed from the floor. He’d snagged Ra’s pillow and looked quite comfortable. “You need a grand gesture.”

  Ra nodded. “He deserves it. He’s going to have my baby. Did I tell you guys we’re pregnant?”

  “Only a hundred times,” Rocky seemed to be the less drunk of the three. “You need to take him out for a meal or do another picnic. Somewhere romantic.”

  “Our glade,” Ra clutched his bottle to his chest and smiled as he thought of the day Seth fell into his arms.

  “You should ask him to marry you,” Mal said seriously.

  “Marriage?” Ra looked at his two friends. “Are you sure? We’re mated.”

  “You’ve got to think about the baby’s future. I mean what are you going to call the little tibit? You haven’t got a last name, so the baby’s going to be a Carmichael unless you marry Seth.” Mal thumped his bottle on the floor for emphasis.

  “I haven’t got a last name,” Ra felt his eyes fill up. “My baby will be Michael Francis No-Last-Name Carmichael. He’s going to be teased at school.”

  “You can have a last name; you can choose one for yourself. And seriously, there’s a fifty percent chance this baby will be a girl. What are you going to call her?” Rocky asked.

  “A little girl? We can’t have a girl.” Ra looked at Rocky in horror. “What if she grows up and all the boys come round. I’ll be spending her teenage years in jail.”

  “She will grow up, duh, and she might be a lesbian so then you have to worry about the girls,” Rocky said impatiently, “and can we worry about the sex of your child another day? Fuck, you might have one of each. Think! This is your chance to have a last name of your own.”

  “Then I could ask Seth to marry me and he’ll take my name and the babies will come and we’ll all have the same name, just like a family.” Ra beamed. He could see it now. Him pushing a baby carriage, although no, he’d prefer one of those sling things Ella was talking about. The baby would be safe that way, Seth looking sexy by his side.

  “Ra Smith?” Rocky poked him.

  “Ra Callaghan,” Mal suggested.

  “It needs to be something majestic,” Ra frowned. “I am a tiger after all.”

  “Ra Castle,” Mal said.

  “Ra Majesty,” Rocky laughed.

  “King,” Ra said decisively. “It’s short, easy to remember and the little one will be able to spell it by the time he’s four. He’s going to have Seth’s brains for sure.”

  “Ra King,” Mal said slowly. “Yeah, I like it. Hey up, someone’s coming.” He started pushing empty bottles under the bed.

  “Don’t shove them under there,” Ra complained, a rush to his head making him dizzy as he bent over, trying to retrieve the bottles. “I’ve got to sleep here.”

  “Ra, are you okay?” Seth. It was Seth, his beautiful pregnant angel Seth.

  “Seth!” Ra stood up, flinging his arms wide. “I’ve decided to be known as Ra King. Will you marry me?”

  He went to step forward, wanting to sweep his doubtful looking mate into his arms, but he tripped over Mal and went sprawling, hitting his head on the carpet. The last thing he heard as darkness hit him was Rocky saying, “I think we’ve still got to work on those romantic gestures, bro.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Seth grumbled under his breath as he meticulously arranged the bacon strips on one side of a plate; four eggs, sunny side up, on the other and then started spooning mushrooms and tomatoes between the two, taking care to ensure the tomatoes didn’t splash on the eggs. Ra didn’t like his different food groups mixing on the plate. He glanced in the pan; hash browns a perfect golden brown and sausages glared back at him. He was going to need another plate.

  Turning from the stove, Seth arched an eyebrow at Liam who was watching him. He hadn’t heard the cat shifter come into the kitchen. “Sorry, I’ll be out of your way in a minute. I just figured Ra could probably use a hearty breakfast seeing as he skipped dinner last night.”

  “You’re not bothering me,” Liam said. “Where’s your breakfast?”

  “I had a bowl of cereal earlier.” Seth grabbed another plate off the shelf and carefully placed the sausages on one side and the hash browns on the other.

  “You had cereal and you’re making Ra all this?”

  “My stomach wasn’t happy with me this morning, and I needed something I could eat quickly before I threw up,” Seth admitted, turning off the gas burner, and setting the plates on a tray.

  “Plain toast is good for morning sickness,” Liam said, swiping the tray off the countertop. “But Ra doesn’t need all this. You do.”

  “I couldn’t….” Actually, it all smelled really good. “I’ll take this into Ra and then make more for myself.” Seth tried to take the tray, but the big cat set it on the table instead.

  “You will sit your ass down and eat this while it’s hot. If Ra wants breakfast, then he can get his grumpy ass out of bed and cook his own.”

  “But I always cook him breakfast and he missed dinner,” Seth found his objections overruled as Liam kindly, but firmly, nudged him into a seat. Food in front of him, it was impossible to ignore and Seth’s stomach rumbled appreciatively.

  “See,” Liam said. “Your baby wants Ra’s breakfast, so eat up.”

  Shoveling a forkful of bacon and tomatoes into his mouth, Seth swallowed a moan. It was good and while he didn’t typically eat bacon or tomatoes, it seemed the young ones he was carrying approved. Ten minutes later he laid down his fork with a sigh. “That was good,” he said as he got up, planning to make Ra another breakfast.

  “No,” Liam said, pointing back to his chair. “I know exactly what you plan to do and I’m telling you, no. You do not have to keep running around after Ra like he’s helpless.”

  “I’m not suggesting he’s helpless at all,” Seth protested hotly although he sat down again. “Mates do nice things for each other and Ra will be hungry.”

  “Ra will probably have a stinking headache and a throat like the desert. He doesn’t drink often but when he does we’ve all seen what a grumpy bum he can be the morning after.”

  “All the more reason for me to make him something nice for breakfast.” Seth went to stand up but Liam’s frowny face stopped him.

  “You’re setting a dangerous precedent,” Liam warned. “You haven’t been together long and you’ve had a lot of rotten shit happening as well. But you have to think about your health and the baby or babies you are carrying. Once they’re born, you’re not going to have time to pamper Ra. Ra is going to have to pull his finger out and take care of you. You’re not giving him the chance to prove he can do that.”

  “I…er…but…” Seth stopped. He hadn’t thought of it like that before. “He does a lot already. I mean, he doesn’t charge me rent or ask me to contribute towards the household accounts. I tried to give him money for food and he laughed at me.”

  “Ra wasn’t being cruel,” Liam said gently. “It’s just his way. We all contribute in other ways, but trying to get him to take money is just a waste of time.”

  “See, you’re proving my point. I want to contribute in other ways too. That’s why I was making him breakfast.”

  “And that empty plate proved you needed it more than he did. Seth, you’re carrying his child, or children, it’s hard to tell right now,” Liam cocked his head and listened. “Yeah, hard to tell, but then your stomach is churning through that bacon. But don’t you think that’s the most important job of all?”

  Seth looked down at his hands. “It doesn’t feel real, you know? I mean I know I’m pregnant. I’m not doubting the doc or anything. I can feel new life inside of me and my rabbit is super conscious
of it. But I still look the same when I see myself in the mirror and apart from feeling faint, and nauseous this morning, I am still the same person I always was.”

  “That will change real fast.” Liam grinned and Seth was struck by what a good looking man his friend was. “I didn’t get a lot out of my experiences in the pride. But honestly, be thrilled you can see your toes because in a few short weeks that is going to change big time and you are really going to need Ra and the rest of us then.”

  “It’s hard to imagine,” Seth rubbed his stomach. For some weird reason, the action always comforted him. “The whole idea, growing a life inside of me…” He broke off as Ra came into the kitchen, scratching his head. He thought about Ra’s exuberant declaration the night before and wondered how much of it his mate remembered.

  *****

  Ra could feel his cheeks heating as he stared at his mate. His tiger let him know Seth was anxious about something and he turned a glare on Liam who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Hey, we’re just talking here. I was reminding your lovely mate that you were quite capable of making your own breakfast,” Liam said with a smile. “Your mate’s got enough to worry about without running around after you.”

  “Where’s Brutus, doesn’t he usually do breakfast?” Ra could handle a frying pan but it didn’t mean he enjoyed it.

  “He and Simon are in town buying groceries; Lucien is over at Seth’s parents’ place, chopping wood for cake and Rocky and Mal went for a run to clear their hangovers.”

  “I’ll get you some breakfast,” Seth said quickly as he scooped up his plate and hurried to the stove top.

  Ra sat down in the chair Seth vacated, wiggling his eyebrows at Liam, wanting to know what was going on. Liam frowned at him, mimicked a swollen stomach and pointed at Seth who was busy pulling food out of the refrigerator.

  Ra raised his hands. What? Liam’s frown deepened. He indicated the stomach again and pointed to a chair. Ra rubbed his head. He’d never been good at charades. He looked at Seth. He knew his mate was pregnant, but he was barely showing. He looked at the chair Liam indicated then he shook his head at Liam who gave up, thumped the table and yelled, “Seth’s not supposed to be running around after you, you dumb ass. He’s supposed to be taking things easy. Doc Farriday said so.”

  “You could’ve just said,” Ra grumbled, standing up and walking over to take the pan from a confused looking Seth. “Sit down, sweetness, I can make my own breakfast.”

  “But, I’ve just about finished. I wanted to do something nice for you.” Seth looked as though he was going to cry, and Ra put down the pan, made sure the burner was turned off and pulled his mate into his arms.

  “Sweetness, if anyone deserves something nice done for them, it’s you. You didn’t even give me a chance to apologize for last night.”

  “There’s nothing to apologize for,” Seth said into his chest. Ra took a deep breath. He loved his mate’s scent. Ignoring Liam, who was watching avidly, he hoisted Seth’s butt onto the kitchen counter so he could look into those pale blue eyes he couldn’t live without.

  “I upset you, made you cry, then proceeded to get drunk and propose to you by falling flat on my face. I have a lot to apologize for.”

  “I thought that was the beer talking.”

  “No!” Ra made sure he kept direct eye contact with his little love. “I meant every word. I don’t say it, but I do love you and I always will. I wanted a picnic and privacy, but,” he dropped down on one knee, hiding his wince. Those damn tiles were hard. “Seth Carmichael, will you marry me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Damn, I should have bought a ring first too,” Ra moaned and then he shook his head. “You said yes, even though there’s no ring, no glade, and definitely no privacy?”

  “I don’t need those things,” Seth said in that sweet voice of his and Ra could swear he saw love hearts in those sparkly eyes. “It’s enough for me to know you love me and want to make an honest man out of me.”

  “I do, I really do,” Ra said, standing and shaking out his leg. “We’ll get it organized, call your parents. Damn, what’s the protocol with weddings? Liam?”

  “I’m still sitting right here,” Liam said calmly. “Simon will be able to tell you more when he gets back, but from what I recall, you can get married anywhere, you need a license from the mayor’s office which is about thirty bucks, and you need someone to marry you. Brutus can probably get permission to do that online. I’m sure you don’t want Quincy doing it.”

  Seth shook his head and Ra scowled. “I’m not even going to invite him.”

  “You want to organize this now?” Seth asked quietly. “Didn’t you want to wait until after the baby comes?”

  “Nope,” Ra said turning his attention back to his sweet mate. His fiancé, he was so thrilled. “As soon as possible, I say. I want this town, hell, the whole world to know you are not an outcast, you are wanted and you’re part of my club, pack, pride or whatever you want to call it. And you,” he added, remember Liam’s admonishment from earlier, “won’t have to do a thing. Let us take care of everything.”

  “My mom might have something to say about that,” Seth said, but he smiled and turned his face up and Ra kissed him, because in his book when you just got engaged it was the right thing to do.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Seth hit the backspace key a dozen times and sighed as he reread the last two pages he’d written. There was something missing. The story seemed flat, missing a spark. Beau didn’t seem to have sass anymore and Dare? Dare went from rugged biker to domesticated house cat in two chapters. How the hell did that happen?

  Seth knew why of course. In the four days since Ra’s unorthodox proposal in the kitchen, he’d been patted on the head and told to go and work on his book; while Ra and the others, Ella and Charles in cahoots, planned the wedding he was simply supposed to show up for. He was bored and that boredom was seeping into his characters.

  His new phone chimed again; the twentieth time since he’d got up. It would be Ra. All morning Seth got texts asking things like blue or white flowers; who was going to stand with him at the ceremony; did he want lamb or beef as a main; how high should the cake be? What was supposed to be a simple ceremony with just the two of them and family outside on the porch, followed by a potluck meal was turning into a three-ringed circus with over half the town invited. But if Seth didn’t reply, then Ra immediately worried. He picked up his phone and glanced at the screen.

  I need to see you and Ra today. Urgent. Doc Farriday. Seth cradled his stomach instinctively. His bump was becoming more noticeable and from the increase in nausea and the tiredness he was feeling, Seth was already worried his pregnancy was going to be on the shorter end of the Doc’s timescale.

  So engrossed in planning their wedding, all the baby plans Ra had been making with Ella had gone by the wayside. Everyone – Mom, Dad, Ra and the guys were all acting like they had lots of time, but Seth was almost four weeks into what could be an eight-week pregnancy. He tapped his fingers on the desk, wondering what he should do.

  The sensible thing, Seth knew this, would be to text Ra and go to the doctors. Seth decided to go and find his mate instead. He was hungry, again; Seth was finding hunger to be a permanent condition just lately. But as he hurried out of the room he reasoned it would be nice to spend quality time with Ra outside of the house and away from the wedding preparations. The fanatical zeal in Ra’s eyes the night before, as he went into longwinded descriptions of some metal archway he was constructing that was going to be their wedding bower. Seth didn’t even know what a bower was, but apparently, Ella had shown Ra one in a magazine and it was the next “have to have” for their wedding. Ra was still rambling on about it when Seth fell asleep.

  The house was strangely quiet and when Seth peered out the living room window, there were only two bikes in the yard. He scurried through to the kitchen. Brutus was stirring something that smelled delicious in a huge pot on the stove and Simon was staring at his l
aptop at the table. “Where’s Ra?”

  “Didn’t he tell you? Ella’s taken him to a florist in Jackson.” Simon looked up from his laptop.

  “Jackson?” Seth slumped in the nearest chair. “That’s hours away. He won’t be back till dark.”

  “We said we’d stay here with you. I know he was going to tell you; well, he said he was but your mom said something about not disturbing your writing and that you probably wouldn’t notice he was gone.”

  Seth felt a surge of anger at his mom’s high-handedness. He knew she didn’t approve of what he wanted to do, but hijacking his mate was a bit much, even for her. He shot up, leaning on the table for a moment as a wave of dizziness hit him. “I have to go out,” he said. “The doctor text me. He wants to see me and Ra today and he said it was urgent. Clearly, Ra’s not available, but if he gets in touch, will you let him know where I am?”

  “Can’t you just call or text him yourself?” Simon asked although he looked worried.

  “You know how many dead spots there are between here and Jackson,” Seth snapped. “That’s why I can’t believe Ra went without telling me. I’m going to kill my fucking mom for this. If something’s wrong with the pregnancy, there won’t be a wedding. I am sick and tired of being shut out of stuff, and then being left to handle the important things, like our babies, on my own.”

  He stormed out of the house, heading for his car. True to what Ra said, Simon had indeed pimped his ride, but Seth barely noticed the additional chrome or gleaming paintwork. He just needed the engine to start. One quick flick of the key and the engine purred like a kitten. “Glad somebody cares about my safety,” he muttered as he pointed the car in the direction of town.