by Sophie Stern
Apparently being a different species living on Earth isn’t exactly easy.
Apparently fearing for your life and wondering if you’ll be poached at any time or studied for science isn’t easy.
Richard can be a stick in the mud, but he’s a good person, and even though he practices in Morris Creek, he travels to Honeypot once or twice a month to offer counseling services to shifters.
Aidan really helped him during his time at university and I don’t think Richard will ever forget that.
At least I know that if I encounter any weird emotional problems from raising a shifter baby, my brother can help guide me through it.
I finally finish my food, take a warm shower, and collapse in my bed. I don’t feel nauseous yet and my boobs don’t hurt. I don’t have any weird cramping or spotting. Absolutely nothing is wrong with me and I have no visible signs of being pregnant. The only reason I took the test was because my period was late.
When my cycle tracker app on my phone notified me I was late, I ignored it. I figured it was a fluke. I thought it would show up the next day, or the next, but I finally figured it out.
Only I didn’t want to think about what it meant, so I just waited.
Finally, I couldn’t wait any longer. Finally, I realized that if I was, in fact, pregnant, I would need to start seeking prenatal care. I might not have planned on being a single mother, but I’m going to be a good one. I’m going to love this baby. I’m going to do anything and everything it takes to be a good mom.
And the first thing I have to do is find Aidan in Honeypot and give him the news.
He’s going to be a daddy.
***
Despite my good intentions to leave early, I don’t actually hit the road until 10:00, which puts me in Honeypot at noon. I’ve never actually been to Honeypot and I have no idea what Aidan does for a living, but I’m sure there must be someone who can tell me.
My first stop is at a little diner called Bumble’s. Cute name. I park my car and lock it, then head inside to see if I can get something to eat and, if I can scrounge up some luck, some information on where to find Aidan.
Every head turns when I enter the diner and I suddenly freeze, realizing they must not get many outsiders who visit. Dammit. Maybe they won’t be willing to help me find Aidan, after all. The people in the diner don’t look scary, but I suddenly realize that I’m the only human in a restaurant full of shifters, and I can’t quite handle it.
What if I do something wrong?
What if I offend them somehow?
Are they going to attack me?
I’m going to be a mom.
And that’s when it hits me for real. I’m going to be a mom and I’m going to need these people. I’m going to need people who will help me figure out what it takes to raise a shifter baby. I’m going to need help from others like my baby. I’m going to need help learning what it takes to be a mom.
Fuck. I’m going to be a mom.
A waitress is at the back of the diner and calls out to me, but I’m already out the door and back in my car, driving down the road. Tears are streaming down my face and I don’t know what the hell I’m even doing.
I should have just called Aidan. Why did I think coming to Honeypot was a good idea? It’s not a good idea. It’s a horrible a idea.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a little wooden sign on the side of the road that says BEAR’S BAKERY. There’s an arrow pointing down a little dirt road and I realize that I could really, really go for a slice of pie right about now.
I turn sharply and head down the bumpy dirt road, silently chastising myself for driving too fast at first. Morris Creek is a small town, but Honeypot is even smaller. It’s going to take some getting used to.
There are trees on either side of the road and I can’t see a damn thing but the road. Finally, it curves to the right, and there’s a cute little building. I stop in front of it and get out.
It’s a little blue cottage with white shutters and a big white door. The sign on the front says Bear’s Bakery and there’s a little wooden cut-out of a white polar bear on the door. I’m guessing the owner is a bear shifter, but despite the obvious nature of the building, I can’t help but think it’s adorable. What a charming little place.
About 30 yards behind the cottage is a bigger house that perfectly matches the cottage. I’m guessing that’s where the owner lives. I’m picturing a cute little retired polar bear man with his polar bear wife and their polar bear babies.
This is the perfect place to retire and bake. It’s the perfect place to relax after being in the city.
It would be the perfect place to raise a baby.
I can’t get ahead of myself, though. I don’t even know if Aidan is going to want to be involved in our baby’s life. I can’t be that presumptuous. There’s always the chance that he’ll tell me to get lost, that he won’t want to be bothered with something as mundane as raising a child.
Still, a little part of me hopes he’ll be willing to be part of our child’s life. There’s so much I won’t be able to understand when it comes to raising a shifter baby. Having Aidan around to explain things, at least some of the time, would be perfect.
But it was just one night.
It was never meant to be serious.
Before I burst into tears again, I realize I’m just standing in front of the building, so I head up to the door and push it open. The smell of freshly baked goods overwhelms me, and my stomach growls.
“Just a minute,” a voice from the back calls out, but my heart goes cold. It’s not the voice of an old, retired bear.
It’s the voice of Aidan.
Aidan is the polar bear.
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About
Sophie Stern writes paranormal and contemporary romance featuring bears, dragons, wolves, and bad boy billionaires. She loves to travel, pole dance, and hang out with her super-sexy ex-military hubby.
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