Matched To His Panther

by Lorelei M. Hart

  “Taking you on a picnic.”

  “That was some quick thinking, mister.” I slumped on the sofa beside him. “Where? In the park?”

  “Somewhere much more interesting.”

  “My favorite coffee shop?” Bryce had brought me cheesecake treats and coffee while I was on bedrest. But the drink was cold by the time I got it.

  I wanted to do normal people stuff. Though being mated to a shifter and pregnant with his babies was not in the dictionary under ‘normal.’ If I went out, would I get strange looks? Would everyone sense there was something different about me—that I was ‘other’—and avoid me?

  The excitement bubbling inside me at having my life back, being with my love and knowing my babies were safe, evaporated.

  “Nope. A picnic with just the two of us and no one else around. I’ll order food.” He picked up his phone. “And if I’ll ask them to include a cheesecake.”

  I gave him a peck on the cheek. “Only one piece?”

  “A whole cheesecake.”

  I clapped my hands and draped my arms around his neck. “But what will you eat, babe?”

  “Ha ha.” He ordered food, and after grabbing a blanket and cushions, he studied my shoes. “You’ll need something more sturdy than those sneakers. And nothing white.”

  “Please tell me we’re not rock climbing or abseiling.”

  “Nothing exhausting but it might be muddy in places,” he said.

  “Well, Mr. Smartass. My one and only pair of boots are in that room under lock and key.” I knocked. “Hello, walking boots? If you can hear me, stamp on the floor.” I put my ear to the door. “Total silence.” I pushed Bryce out of the way. “There’s nothing for it, I’m afraid. I have to go in.”

  “I’ll get them. Tell me where they are.”

  “How do I know?” I plastered what I hoped was an innocent expression on my face. “Could be anywhere?”

  Bryce narrowed his eyes. ”Don’t fib. I know you had Gabe number each box and list what was inside. And you have that information on your phone. And before you ask how I know, I heard you speaking to Gabe.”

  “Sneaky.”

  “Box number?” he asked as he arched a brow.

  “10.”

  We picked up the food, and Bryce got in the car and placed his palm on my cheek. “Do you trust me?”

  “Absolutely.” I kissed his hand and studied his eyes, wondering if this was bad news and how it would change our lives. We escaped a possible complication with the twins. The court case was going ahead and was out of Bryce’s hands. What else was fate going to fling at me?

  “I want to show you something but you might not like it.”

  I crinkled my nose. “You ate the cheesecake.”

  He guffawed. “No. This is serious.”

  “So is cheesecake.”

  “Promise to keep an open mind,” he asked. “And remember I’m at your side.”

  “I’m both intrigued and apprehensive.” As far as I knew, panther shifters were serial monogamists. I wasn’t into sharing my man.

  “We’re going for a picnic in the woods.” His eyes roamed over my face, and I assumed he was waiting for my reaction. Memories came flooding back of that day when I lost him amongst the trees. I was convinced it was the twins who enabled Bryce to find me, though panthers had a highly developed sense of smell. “Do we have to?” I whined.

  “Of course not. I need your permission. No matter whether our children are shifters or not, they will spend time in the forest, a good part of their education will take place there, and as their omega father, I don’t want you excluded. I want to show you how magical the woods can be.”

  “When you put it like that… okay, I guess.”

  “I won’t leave you,” he promised. “Nothing and no one would challenge a panther on our own land.”

  We drove to where the trees grew close together, and made the same turn I’d taken. Bryce took his eyes off the road and patted my hand. “You okay, love?”

  “Mmmm.” A churning in my belly accompanied my non-committal answer.

  When Bryce stopped the car at the end of the road, I sat where I was and waited until he came around to my side. “This is your decision,” he said.

  “The twins sent you a message that day and now you and they will help me understand what you see and experience the woods the same way you do.”

  “Come on.” Bryce showed me poisonous mushrooms and edible ones hiding under a rock. He pointed out moss and explained how it could be used to dress wounds as it contained iodine. He tapped a tree trunk. “This is a birch tree. The bark is used to treat lung problems.”

  We meandered through the dense vegetation with Bryce occasionally pausing. Dry leaves crackled, and when a twig broke, my heart flip-flopped and I hid behind Bryce. “Look, Corey.”

  I reluctantly peered around him as a fox appeared carrying a cub in its mouth. The mother studied Bryce, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think they’d communicated telepathically before she disappeared into her den. “That was my first time seeing a fox.”

  Bryce picked up a handful of soil and put it under my nose. I hoped eating dirt wasn’t a panther ritual. “Close your eyes and sniff,” he told me. “What does it remind you of?”

  “Ummm.” I breathed in deeply and allowed my mind to wander. “Rainy days…cough drops…winter…ummm… smoke…and a warm breeze.” Opening my eyes, I glanced around. While I doubted I’d ever be at one with the woods as Bryce was, and couldn’t see myself camping out any time soon, he’d opened my eyes to the wondrous place it was.

  I cocked my head as I made out a distinct rippling. “Is that a river?”

  “A stream, though there is a river on another part of the land.” Bryce led me to the water’s edge. “This water is sacred to us panthers. It’s part of what makes the land so special.”

  My stomach rumbled. “Food time for the human and my babies.” Bryce spread the blanket on the ground and got out the food while I collected wildflowers. “Wanna take your shoes off and feel the ground beneath your feet.”

  I made a face. “Let’s not go crazy. One day perhaps but not today.”

  When we finished eating, I put my head in my mate’s lap and used a flower to tickle his nose. With the stress from the past month fading, emotions that had been pushed aside reappeared, and I stroked his thigh.

  “Unless you want me to take you right here on the blanket, I’d stop doing that, Corey.”

  So, I did it again.

  26

  Bryce

  “My shirt barely fits and my ass is the size of freaking Nebraska. Six months. I am only six months pregnant and nothing fits. I am officially going to need to stay home until these babies come to avoid getting arrested for indecent exposure,” Corey grumbled as he stared into the mirror.

  “You, my sexy omega, very much don’t see what I see.” I walked up behind him. Wrapping my arms around him as much as I could and settling them on his growing middle. “I see a sexy man who gave up so much to grow our babes.” I placed a gentle kiss on his claim mark, sending shivers through his body. “I see the man who puts up with my sorry self, even when I can’t get out of my own way, the man who gave our claw hope when it was dwindling to cinders, the man who fills my dreams. That’s what I see.”

  “You have to say that. You’re my mate.” He leaned his head back against me.

  “Do I have to feel this?” I made sure he could feel how hard I was. “All the freaking time, I’m like this, and why? Because you are sexier than… than… you’re just sexy.”

  “Probably best not give up your day job to be a poet.” He forced a chuckle. “But really? I am huge. Like will I be able to get through a door huge.” He tugged on his shirt. “This is the largest size they had in town.”

  “Excellent.” I had an idea. “Grab a change of clothes and your toothbrush.” I kissed his mark again and stepped back, swatting his ass playfully as I did.

  “Kicking me over to Gabe’s?”
/>   “Once. Once I sent you there and it was for your mini baby shower. Or I should say babies.” Which he had loved. Gabe had wanted to do an omega night instead of a shower, saying it was more Corey’s thing. And it was. They had a blast, Brad coming over here with the little one.

  “I didn’t say I would mind.” He rolled his eyes and went to the closet and huffed. “I seriously don’t have anything.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Let me grab my stuff and we’ll go.” I snagged a quick change of clothing and shoved it in my suitcase. He looked at me like I had six heads, not knowing where we were going or the fact that the suitcase would be coming home full.

  “Toothbrush?” I reminded him.

  He waddled into the bathroom and shut the door. Poor guy had to pee again, one of the few things I couldn’t help him with during this pregnancy. In this instance, though, it gave me time.

  I seized the opportunity to book a room online for us at a place I knew Corey would love. I had just confirmed as the door opened again and he came out with both of our brushes.

  “Let’s go.”

  “You going to tell me where?” he asked, grabbing his water bottle, the one Pia insisted he have with him at all times.

  “Nope. Let’s go.”

  I threw the suitcase into the trunk and opened the door for Corey, helping him into his seat. “We really need a minivan,” I said for about the five hundredth time, and just like all the others, he wrinkled his nose like there was a stink.

  Unlike the other times he conceded. “Yeah. We should do that.”

  And just like that, another thing was added to my to-do list. I climbed into my seat. And we started off, a crumpled copy of a petition slid off the dashboard which had me thinking about Corey’s idea for a protest. It had grown from the initial demonstration when he was on bed rest, to a mishmash of people who protested regularly on the perimeter of claw land.

  Claw members joining those who saw the injustice. It was an odd group from those that wanted our river and ancestral spring preserved, to those that felt the area was sacred, which was our current strategy in court, and then there were the government is overstepping and breaking the constitution folks.

  Someone had even started a gofundme that should cover the court costs. Had it not been our ancestral land, I’d have been fascinated by the overwhelming support. As it was, I was consumed by anxiety. Because at the end of the day, none of this mattered. We could have all the assistance in the world, and without a solid court standing we were done for.

  I refused to think about that. Today was about Corey, making him feel his worth and it was a beautiful afternoon.

  We drove past Nightsong Estate on the way out of town. “There are more today than yesterday,” he noted as he waved at the protestors.

  “There are.” I didn’t turn into the headquarters entrance which was probably where Corey thought we were going based on the direction we were turning.

  “Where are we headed?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder as Nightsong disappeared behind us. Claw land stood on the outskirts. Once you hit it, there was nothing for miles.

  “We, my sexy mate, are going to the city. I’ll get on the highway in about thirty minutes.” I could go through our town to catch a closer entrance, but we were going on a relaxing outing and not in a hurry to get there. “Ask me what we’ll do in the city?”

  “Nothing fancy, I hope.” He settled his hand on my knee. “Are we looking at vans?”

  “It wasn’t part of the plan, but we could go browse vans if you wanted.”

  “Hmmmm...do I need to guess or are you going to help me out?”

  “I was thinking we would start at The Big Event.” That was the store that sold clothing for expectant omegas. “The one that keeps sending you coupons.”

  “Really? They have a special section for parents of multiples, in-store only.” He squeed.

  “I know, and we are going to get you enough clothes that you don’t get flustered every morning.” I turned down a country road, the scent of manure already reaching my nose. It was one of the less pleasant parts of the trip.

  “Why pack a bag?” He cracked the window, immediately rolling it back up again once he scented what I already had.

  “Sorry. But there’s something special down this way,” I explained.

  “Farm animals?” Corey suggested.

  “Apart from that. They’ve won prizes.”

  “As I said, farm animals.” He folded his arms over his belly.

  A sign shaped like an apple announced pies. “Ta da,”

  “Oh my God, yes!” Corey shouted. His hand tightened on my thigh as we reached the pie stand.

  “Oh you are so getting lucky today. New clothes and pie. You are every omega’s wet dream.”

  As Corey feasted on an apple pie, I said, “Good thing I already decided we would stay at that fancy hotel you and Gabe were talking about the other day.” He gasped, followed by an eruption of giggles.

  Corey had actually suggested it to Gabe for when the case was over and Brad could breathe again.

  “The one with the huge tub? You’re getting so lucky.”

  Didn’t he see I already was?

  27

  Corey

  Sitting in the back of the courtroom while lawyers argued over the smallest detail was obviously important for the claw’s case, and Brad, from what I could tell, was doing an excellent job. He was a mean lawyer. I’d seen irritated Brad and pesky Brad but never lawyer in full flight Brad. He was magnificent, and if I’d been any of the government lawyers—of which there were many—I’d have declared Brad the winner.

  The opposing team all looked the same, short dark hair, dark suits with blue ties, and it had me wondering if there was a dress code. They were no pushovers and objected every time Brad said something. In my head, I repeated, “Shut up,” when they bounded up and muttered, “Objection.”

  But sitting on a hard bench while heavily pregnant was not what the doctor ordered. Actually that was 100% true. I was supposed to be taking it easy but I refused to leave Bryce without my moral support. Sure there were other claw members present, but I was his mate, and I had to show the pregnant human was every bit as tough as any panther.

  I’d wanted to sit near the front, but had to pee constantly which had earned me a glare from the presiding judge each time I got up.

  Brad had told Bryce right from the beginning, before I ever met Bryce, that eminent domain cases rarely went to trial. I imagined humans looking on couldn’t fathom why the claw had refused what the group considered a measly offer for the land—what the government referred to as reasonable compensation—which had then triggered the powers that be wanting to seize the land through eminent domain.

  Brad said they’d hammer the point that their offer for what they portrayed as an old so-called clubhouse, a few scattered cabins, a couple of small apartment buildings that were far from modern, and scrappy acres of forest was fair...generous even. Of course, the government had no idea the occupants were not human and Brad could never explain how the offer both disgusted and terrified the claw. He had to focus on their ‘right’ to keep the land that had been theirs for generations.

  Even if the claw accepted the offer, they’d never find another piece of land a tenth of the size of their current one. But that wasn’t the point. The land was sacred. The protests had put eyes on our case which was good and I hoped it put some pressure on the government.

  How was it legal to be forced to sign over the land and receive little money for your pain?

  Bryce was due to take the stand, but with my aching back and constant need to pee, I wasn’t sure I could stay long enough to see it.

  Brad and the team of lawyers for the government were arguing over what appeared to be one word. Another trip to that bathroom, and after I finished, I sat outside the courtroom fanning myself.

  Bryce charged through the huge double wooden doors and his head swiveled around, concern evident in his furrowed brow. But as hi
s eyes found me, the creases in his forehead flattened. “You doing okay?”

  “Is it over? Did I miss your testimony?”

  “No, we’ve got a thirty-minute recess while Brad and the army from the other side argue in the judge’s chambers.”

  I grunted and rubbed my back. “Fun.”

  “Why don’t you go home, Corey. You should have your feet up and be eating cheesecake and watching Shifter World.”

  I took his hand. “That’s sweet of you babe, but I’m fine.”

  Bryce sat beside me and I put my head on his shoulder. We’d never had a serious discussion about what we’d do if the claw lost the case. Somehow voicing it and saying it out loud was tempting fate. “Thirsty?” he asked.

  “Mmmm. Can you get me a drink from the water fountain?”

  The twins were so big there was little room in my belly and they pressed on my bladder, hence the constant need to pee. I dozed off and was woken by Bryce shaking me. “I have to go, Corey. I’ve got to take the stand.”

  “Help me up. I’m coming.”

  As I returned to the bench and cursed myself for not bringing a cushion, Bryce was sworn in. If he was nervous he didn’t show it, and I was so proud of him while Brad questioned him. The pair had been over his testimony countless times. This was the easy part. The cross examination by one or more of the government’s team would be more difficult.

  My stomach clenched as Brad took his seat and glanced at me. The other lawyer stood and buttoned his coat. But the words out of his mouth set the tone for his round of questioning. “Are you a greedy man, Mr. Woodall?”

  Fuck him! I heaved myself up and shouted, “He most definitely is not. How dare you question his integrity.”

  “Silence!” The judge banged his gavel and glared in my direction. “Sit down.” He told Brad, “Make sure there are no further interruptions, counselor.” Brad nodded and gave me a look.

  Fine! But the questioning became more aggressive. Nightsong Estate was listed as Bryce’s place of business and a clubhouse. They tried to imply he was nothing more than a slumlord. The human lawyer asked pointed questions about the social club, all but saying it was a gambling den. He made it sound sordid and that was the direction he was going when he repeated the name, Nightsong Estate, over and over.