by Ruby Dixon
“What look?” I sputter.
“The guilty look!”
I have a guilty look? Wait. What does this have to do with my brother? “Is there something wrong with our kit?” I ask again, trying to stay patient.
“You were talking to Rokan about dreams,” she cries, swiping at her cheeks. “You tell me. What do the dreams mean?”
I stare blankly. I still have no idea what she is talking about.
At my expression, she continues. “Sessah said you were talking to Rokan about dreams. You told me your dreams weren’t like his! That you didn’t have the knowing sense!”
Dreams. Dreams. I think hard, trying to remember what it is I talked to Rokan about that would have had me look guilty and dreams and…oh. “I told Rokan that you and the kit were all of my dreams coming true.”
Her tears ease, a little. “You…what? You did?”
“Yes. And Sessah heard that, I assume.” I am going to throttle my little brother for scaring my mate.
“But then why did you look guilty when I came up to you?” She stabs a finger at my chest. “I know you. That was a guilty look. You wear it every time I say I’m tired and then you pretend you just want to cuddle. It’s never just cuddling.”
I am caught. She is right. It is never just cuddling. I try to think of what else I spoke to Rokan about… and then I know what it must be. “We talked about moving back to the main cave. Me and you. I spoke with Rokan about it.” I hesitate. “I did not want to say anything to you because you are very stubborn about making the South Cave our home, but I do not want to be a half a day’s walk from the healer if you need her.” I reach out to touch the small swell of her belly. “And now I am convinced that we should if there is something wrong with the kit.”
“Wait. Wait. I thought you said you didn’t talk about the kit.”
“I did not. You are the one saying something is wrong—”
“But you just said—”
“I do not know what I am saying,” I exclaim. “All the blood is in my cock still, and you are trying to talk serious things when my mind is soft. All I know is that I am taking you to the healer—right now—and we are going to get answers.”
When I reach for her, though, she grabs my wrists, a puzzled look on her face. “So you didn’t talk to Rokan about the baby?”
“I told him I was excited and scared. I think I might have used the words ‘pissing myself with fear,’ but he said every new father feels like that.” Now I am even more terrified, though. I place my palm against her belly and I cannot feel anything moving. Now, I am starting to panic. “When was the last time you felt the kit move?”
“Do you really want to move back?” She looks startled.
“I want to know how the kit is doing.” I can think of nothing else right now. I touch her stomach for a moment longer, but nothing moves, and a sliver of fear pierces me. I jump to my feet and wrap a blanket around Kira’s shoulders. “We are going to see the healer right now.”
“You’re naked—”
I scoop her up into my arms and carry her out of the cave.
“We just had sex, Aehako,” Kira hisses at me, struggling to get out of my grip. “At least let us clean up before we go visiting—”
I hesitate, but only because she struggles in my arms so. I set her down gently. “Hurry, then.”
A few breaths later, Kira and I are clean enough, and she throws one of my tunics over her body, grumbling when I pick her up again. “It is the middle of the night,” she protests again. “If there’s really not a problem, we should wait until morning.”
At this point I do not know if there is a problem or not. I only know I am terrified for my mate and my kit. I do not care if I wake up Maylak. She will understand. All I care about is making sure my Kira—and my child—are all right.
Kira makes another protest as I cross through the cave. “If you didn’t talk to Rokan about the baby…I think we’ve just freaked each other out.”
“It does not matter,” I say stubbornly. “We are going to the healer now. We are getting answers.”
She sighs, but does not struggle. I have no doubt she wants to see the healer, too, but she worries she will be too much trouble. There is no such thing as “too much trouble” when it comes to my mate and my kit, though. It does not matter how much trouble we are, only that all is well.
The privacy screen is to the side, but Kashrem sits up as I storm into their cave, rubbing his eyes. “Aehako?” he asks, his voice low. “Is all well?” Maylak is curled up at his side, her pregnant belly enormous. On her other side, her young daughter Esha is curled up against her.
“I need Maylak to check my mate and my kit,” I say.
“Please,” Kira adds in a sweet voice. “We’re very sorry to wake you up in the middle of the night.”
“No, we are not,” I say, equally sweetly. “We are just worrying ourselves stupid.”
Maylak rubs her eyes, waking up as we talk to Kashrem. She yawns at my words, hiding her face behind her hand…or perhaps she is hiding a smile. “Come sit,” she says, patting the blankets. Her belly seems enormously swollen, but her smile is easy. Kashrem takes Esha into his arms and hugs her, heading out of the cave with the sleepy little girl.
I feel a little guilty at waking the kit. Only a little, though. “Sit, Kira,” I say to my mate, and when she shoots me a fierce look, I kiss the top of her head. “Please.”
She makes that little sound she always does when she is irritated with me, but I ignore it. All I need are answers. She can be mad at me later, and then I will kiss her frowns away.
“Do you need a blanket, Aehako?” Maylak asks calmly as she puts a hand on Kira’s belly.
Comparing their pregnant bodies makes me realize just how much more Kira has to go before our kit is born, and I begin to sweat. Our kit must be so very small inside my mate, and I do not know how I will handle it if the child comes early…
“Aehako?” Kira asks, her brows scrunched as she looks up at me.
“Eh?”
“You’re naked, love. And you’re eye level with poor Maylak.”
“And hovering,” the healer adds. “I have seen everything before but that does not mean I want it in my face.”
I find a fur on the floor, wrap it around my hips, and discreetly adjust myself. “Do you feel the kit? Is all well?” I drop down next to Kira and take her hand in mine, nervous. “If something is wrong, can you tell what it is? Should we stop mating? Does my mate need to eat more red meat? What—”
Kira pulls her hand out of mine and covers my mouth. “Hush, love.”
Maylak closes her eyes, putting both her hands on Kira’s stomach, and concentrates. I can hear the gentle thrum of her khui. It purrs, but not like it does when there is resonance. It is a different sort of reaction, one that happens when she uses her healing senses.
I hold my breath.
Maylak eventually opens her eyes. “From what I can tell, the kit is fine and healthy, and growing much faster than mine.” She pats her distended belly. “Humans must breed so fast.”
“Nothing’s wrong?” I echo. “You did not sense any pain? Any problems?”
“No pain,” the healer reassures us. “No problems. How do you feel, Kira?”
My mate lets out a long, shuddering sigh. “I’ve felt great, but I think my imagination’s running away with me. Aehako was worried, and his worry made me worry. I freaked out and then he freaked out and that’s why we’re here. I’m so sorry, Maylak.”
I touch my mate’s belly, wanting to shove my ear against her skin so I can listen for the kit. “But you are certain there is nothing wrong?”
“Nothing,” Maylak reassures us. “I would feel it if there were. Small things would sing…wrong. They would be evident when I touched you, like a snarl in a mane that catches the fingers.” She strokes Kira’s belly again. “But all is well. Why are you so worried?”
“Because she is small and human,” I say.
Kira sno
rts.
“And she is everything to me. Her and the kit both. I would give anything for them.” I hesitantly touch my mate’s belly and sure enough, there is a flutter of response. “They are my everything and I am the luckiest.”
“Shit,” Kira mutters, and starts to swipe at her eyes. She is crying again.
“I cannot help worrying,” I admit. “Sometimes I worry I am too lucky, and it is all a dream.”
“Never say the word ‘dream’ again,” Kira sniffles. “And I love you, Aehako, but we can’t keep freaking out. Either one of us. I swear I aged ten years tonight.”
My pulse hammers. “You did?”
Kira groans. I swear Maylak does, too. “You know what I mean,” Kira says. “We’ve got to calm down.”
“I will never calm down. This is my first kit!” I smile with relief when the child kicks against my hand once more. “The little one just moved.”
Maylak just chuckles. She gives Kira a knowing look and yawns. “I can check you again in the morning. When you leave, will you send Kashrem and Esha in?”
“Of course,” my sweet mate says, and offers her hands to me. “Help me up, Aehako?”
I do, and when Kashrem enters with Esha asleep in his arms, her skinny legs dangling, I think that might be a good way to carry my mate, too. But before I can suggest such a thing, Kira drags me away from the healer’s cave and then taps the top of my chest, her signal that she wants to kiss me and I need to bend down.
I do so, gladly.
She cups my face, shaking her head at me. “You’re an idiot sometimes. I am, too. We have to promise to stop freaking each other out, all right?”
“I cannot make such promises,” I tell her sheepishly. “I will always worry about you and our child.”
“I know. I worry, too, but we really can’t make ourselves crazy like this.” Her soft fingers skate over my face and she studies me, all serious expression and sad eyes. “Do you truly want to move back?”
“Will it make you feel safer?”
“No.”
I am surprised at her answer. “No?”
“I already feel safe, Aehako.” She shakes her head at me. “I’ve felt fine. Better than fine. If I get sick every now and then, that’s just part of being pregnant. Kemli’s at the cave and she’s had lots of children. And we truly are only a sled ride away from this cave and the healer. I’m not worried about anything. But when you worry, apparently I pick up on it.”
“Are you telling me to calm down?”
“Do you think you can?” A hint of a smile plays at her lips.
“I know one thing that helps me relax,” I drawl, and she rolls her eyes. I love making her chuckle, and it feels like a gift when she does so right now.
“I can only guess that it involves your cock and my body.”
I give her a sly look. “Perhaps Rokan is not the only one with a knowing sense.”
“You’re impossible.”
“But you love me anyhow?”
She leans in and kisses me. “I do. But let’s relax for the rest of our vacation, all right?”
“You know what relaxes me?”
Kira mock-groans. “You really are the most impossible mate.” But she is smiling as she says it, and I know if I suggest cuddling, it will turn into touching, and mating…because it is never about just cuddling. Never.
And Kira loves that it is never just about cuddling, too.
My mate reaches up and caresses my cheek. A wicked smile curves her mouth. “Remind me to show you the new loincloth I made you in the morning.”
I can tell from the look on her face that it is going to make me laugh long and hard…and then we will probably end up mating afterward. “In the morning, then.”
She wiggles her brows at me.
Truly, I am the luckiest.
Author’s Note
Hello there!
I just want to say thank you to everyone that continues to love and talk about my barbarians. Writing stories about them is like coming home. It’s a warm, fluffy blanket of love. Revisiting Kira and Aehako reminded me that I need to do more of the honeymoon stories. For those of you asking, I’m trying to go in order so I can hit everyone up! That means Harlow and Rukh are next and Josie and Haeden are a few stories away.
If you’re wondering when this particular story is set, it’s about 6 months after they move to the south cave. The last few honeymoons were set right after the mating, but I thought it would be fun to see Kira and Aehako settling into their mating and how the pregnancy was progressing. I also thought it would be fun to see casual, joking Aehako losing his mind over Kira’s pregnancy and then her getting caught up in it, too. Anyone that’s married knows that if a spouse worries about something, it’s easy for the other spouse to feed off of that worry, and then you’re both a mess. Been there. ;)
As always, these side stories are absolutely not necessary to enjoy the main ones. They’re just little visits to old, favorite characters and as I like to call them, fluff.
I personally love fluff. It’s just a sweet, feel-good sort of story that leaves you with a smile.
Later this month, full length dragons, I promise! <3
Ruby
Looking for more to read?
This made you want to binge the entire Ice Planet Barbarians series, right? Right! Lucky for you, here’s a link to book one.
Ice Planet Barbarians
Or did you just want to re-read Kira & Aehako’s story?
Barbarian Lover
Maybe you want to jump in to Icehome and see what’s going on there?
Lauren’s Barbarian
Or heck, perhaps you want to try something completely new.
Bound to the Battle God
It’s all in Kindle Unlimited so borrow away!