by AM Halford
“What changes now?” Roy asked.
“Nothing for now,” Dr. O’Hare said calmly. “I understand this is frightening for you, Roy, but please understand me and my entire staff are here for you. Plus, you have the support of your mate”—he looked to Nexus—“and the entire western clan.”
Roy’s hands threaded over his stomach almost like he was trying to protect the babies inside him. Nexus laid his hand over Roy’s, silently letting him know he was here for them, all of them.
“I’ll get you as much material as I can about shifter twins,” Dr. O’Hare assured them. “Just know that with any twins, it will be twice as much work. You’ll also most likely have a shorter pregnancy, and lower birth weight. It isn’t unusual, and nothing to worry about. It’s just common in twins. Also, that ballpark range I gave you about gained weight, that’s going to be higher now, as well.”
Roy just nodded.
“Thank you, doctor,” Nexus said instead.
Dr. O’Hare nodded, stood, and left the room. A few minutes later the nurse arrived with a few printouts, and their next appointment. It also included their next ultrasound. With the information in hand, Nexus led Roy out of the office and to their awaiting car. He wasn’t sure what to say to bring his mate out of his sudden silence, so he just drove them home
Halfway there Roy broke the silence. “I guess this means we need to come up with two names for each sex, as well as buy two of everything. Oh God, why twins? I thought shifters didn’t have litters!”
Nexus chuckled and grabbed Roy’s hand. Bringing it to his lips he kissed it before just holding it. “We don’t. This is a rare occurrence, and something we should be happy for.”
“You aren’t the one carrying two jaguar shifter cubs in your stomach!” Roy reminded him. “You also aren’t the one whose entire diet has been thrown on its head. Or, having to adjust to a completely new lifestyle.”
“I’m new to parenting and having a mate, too, you know, minha alma,” Nexus reminded him.
Roy shot him a sharp glare before sighing. “Yeah, I guess you are. Sorry. The news just caught me off guard.”
“Same with me, but we’ll get through this together,” Nexus promised. “As a family.”
Roy’s free hand rubbed his stomach. “Okay.”
As they drifted off into silence, Roy’s phone rang. Roy picked it up from the cup holder it was resting in, and frowned.
“Who is it?”
“Juaquin,” Roy growled menacingly.
“Your ex? What does he want?”
“I don’t care,” Roy said as he swiped to ignore the call. “I want nothing to do with him.”
Nexus wasn’t going to complain. The fewer men he had around Roy, the happier he and his jaguar would be. Maybe Danyal was right, Roy did already own his heart. Looking over to his mate, he wondered if he should tell him. They’d only known each other for a week, and most of that week had been spent just trying to adjust to their new relationship. Still, somehow, with all that, Nexus found himself falling for his mate.
The thought brought a smile to him. He couldn’t wait to tell Roy that he loved him. First, he needed to get him home and settled.
As soon as they arrived back at their house, Nexus’s phone rang and he was instantly thrown into work, putting off any confession he may have planned to make. Roy gave him a small kiss and went to the kitchen to prepare lunch and edit his first blog article.
Chapter Sixteen
Roy was tired of Nexus working all the time! Sure, he took time off to go to their doctor appointments. Yes, he always ate with Roy. He even somehow found moments to go shopping with him for their twins. It wasn’t enough though! Worse, Roy wasn’t sure why it wasn’t enough. There wasn’t a single need of his that wasn’t met, physically, emotionally, or sexually. Nexus provided everything for him.
Yet, as he watched his husband work at his desk, Roy leaning against the doorframe of the office in nothing but an extra-long shirt, he couldn’t help but want to pull his attention away from whatever it was that had Nexus so occupied. So, as soon as Nexus put his phone down, Roy walked across the floor. Nexus instantly looked up at him and grinned.
“Minha alma,” Nexus purred as Roy made his way around the desk and sat on the edge of it. “What are you doing? Everything okay?” he asked, his hand reaching out to touch Roy’s extended belly. It was just the start of his second trimester, and yet he already looked like he was at the end of it. Having twins really changed the body fast.
“Everything is not okay.” Roy pouted as he slid farther between Nexus and the desk.
“Oh?” Nexus arched an eyebrow at him, his hands sliding to Roy’s hips. “What seems to be the problem?”
“I’m attention deprived,” Roy answered honestly, his lip sticking out slightly with a small tremble.
“Are you now?” Nexus pulled Roy off his desk so he had to straddle his jaguar’s lap. He could already feel the slight rising of his husband’s dick against his leg. “Then I guess last night’s activities weren’t enough for you.”
“It should’ve been,” Roy admitted as he started unbuttoning Nexus’s shirt, his hips moving ever the slightest, working Nexus’s cock to a full erection.
“But it wasn’t.”
Roy shook his head and opened the shirt to lay open-mouthed kisses to Nexus’s chest. “Not even close.”
Nexus purred, his hands moving down to grip Roy’s ass, only for him to hiss. “You naughty thing. You aren’t wearing anything under this shirt.”
Leaning back slightly, Roy simpered. His own fully erect dick tented his shirt. “You know you like it.”
“Yes, I do.” He pulled his fingers away from Roy’s ass to show the slick lube Roy had already used on himself. “And I see you came prepared.”
Roy said nothing as he leaned down and connected their lips hungrily. Nexus surged upward, placing Roy on his desk just long enough to get his pants undone. He returned to his chair, pulling Roy down onto his lap, his cock pulling a moan from him.
Roy held on to Nexus’s shoulders as his husband’s cock filled him, each inch sliding home with a delicious perfection. They’d been doing it so much lately that he didn’t require stretching. He wasn’t sure why his libido had decided to spike so quickly, but he couldn’t seem to get enough of Nexus in the last week. Thankfully, Nexus was more than happy to oblige.
Nexus drove his cock up into Roy’s body as he clung to his husband and panted above him. He could already feel his orgasm building. His toes curled, his fingers dug into Nexus’s shoulders, and he screamed as he was pushed over the edge and thrown into the abyss.
A few seconds later he felt Nexus come, filling him with his seed. For the second time in less than ten hours.
“Gives a whole new meaning to office quickie.” Roy sighed as he kissed Nexus’s neck.
“Is that a complaint?” Nexus teased, his hands smoothing up and down Roy’s back.
“Absolutely not.” Roy smiled contently. “It was exactly what I needed.”
“Anything for you, minha alma.”
Happy and peaceful were two words that easily described Roy’s current mood. Bliss was another one that came to mind.
Suddenly a sharp sensation, like a kick from inside him, had Roy jumping. His eyes met Nexus’s and they both looked down to his stomach, their hands resting close together.
“You felt that, too?” Roy beamed.
“I certainly did.”
One of their twins moved again, and they both just laughed gently, their foreheads pressed together. Yes, it was really weird to feel something move inside him, but there was a magic to it that he couldn’t explain either. The fact they’d both felt the babies move for the first time just added to it all.
“Roy.” Nexus kissed him gently before taking a deep breath. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you for a while now.”
“What is it?” Roy met his husband’s gaze and lost himself in their golden-brown depths.
“I lo—”
The doorbell rang, cutting Nexus’s words off and leaving Roy a bit shocked. There was no way…right? It sure had sounded like Nexus was about to say those three words. Those three words neither of them had spoken, nor even hinted at.
The doorbell rang again, and Nexus sighed. He kissed Roy one more time, and moved to set him on his feet. “I should get that. And you should get dressed.”
Nodding, Roy hurried out of Nexus’s office and up the stairs. His heart hammered in his chest as he entered their room and closed the door behind him. With his back to the door, Roy slid to the ground and tried to contain his terrified joy.
He was certain that Nexus had been only a fraction of a second away from saying he loved him! Damn whoever it was that had to interrupt him, but bless him at the same time! Roy had no idea how to respond to a confession right now.
Yes, he felt something for Nexus. Something he had never felt for another person before. He might, possibly, be even willing to go so far as to say he could maybe be in love with his husband.
How weird was that! After a little over a month of marriage and they were just now getting to this part? Roy knew his life was odd—hell, he had two jaguar shifter cubs moving around inside his belly—but this moved to the top, really fast, of his what the flipping fuck list.
Not knowing what else to do, Roy crawled back to his feet and moved to shower off, get dressed, and return downstairs. He found Nexus still in his office, his appearance fully straightened and a window open. Instead of sitting at his desk though he was seated on one of the two couches. Tyrese and Danyal sat opposite him.
“Are we sure about this information?” Nexus asked.
“Completely.” Tyrese nodded.
Ducking out before he was noticed, Roy went to the kitchen and grabbed a few drinks. He knew Tyrese preferred water, Danyal liked lemonade, and of course Nexus always drank coffee when working. Thank god, he could handle the smell of coffee again. With the drinks on a tray, Roy returned to the office and knocked.
Nexus looked up, and panic took over his face. “I could’ve gotten those.” He stood quickly and took the tray from Roy, kissing his cheek. “Thank you, minha alma.”
“Thank you, Roy.” Tyrese smiled. Well, Roy considered it a smile.
“Thank you.” Danyal accepted his lemonade but didn’t make eye contact with Roy, as usual. He was no longer abrupt with Roy, so that was a bonus. He guessed.
“You’re welcome.” Roy nodded. “So, can I know about the reason for this visit?”
“I’ve had private investigators following Maria.” Nexus motioned for Roy to sit beside him.
“I remember you mentioning that.”
“They’ve lost track of her,” Nexus said, his voice gentle.
Instantly Roy’s hands went to his stomach as he looked at the other men in the room. “Are you fucking kidding me!”
* * * *
Nexus looked up as Iago came into the house. With a wave of his hand, he told him to stand down. At the same time he wrapped his arms around Roy and held him.
“Roy, you have to remain calm,” Nexus reminded him.
“Fuck staying calm!” Roy glared at him. “The woman that has repeatedly made threats to you, me, and our unborn children is missing and unaccounted for and you want me to stay calm? Are you fucking insane?”
“We don’t know where she is, but that doesn’t mean she’s a threat at this moment,” Danyal spoke up.
Roy shot him a withering glare. “Well, excuse me if I don’t see it that way!”
“Minha alma.” Nexus tried to keep his tone soothing. He needed to get his mate to relax. Stress wasn’t good in his condition. Maybe he shouldn’t have told Roy about Maria vanishing? No, he’d learned early in their relationship that it was best if he was open about all things pertaining to them.
“Don’t minha alma me,” his mate snapped. “Your sister is a fucking nut job whose idea of a wedding present was a baby rattle coated with fake blood. Now, she’s missing and I’m supposed to be okay with that? I’m sorry, but no.”
“We’re doing everything in our power to find her again,” Tyrese added. “She’s only been gone for a day. She couldn’t have gotten too far.”
“Ever hear of this little invention called the airplane?” And, in true Roy fashion, his sarcasm reared its head. “It’s a nifty device that allows you to travel long distances in much shorter time frames. Bitch-cat could be in fucking Australia for all you fucking know.”
“We’ve checked all the airports. As far as we know, she hasn’t left the country,” Tyrese denied.
“And the snake hasn’t heard of smuggling either.” Roy’s falsely shocked voice had Nexus wincing. “I’m amazed any of you can maintain control of a situation if you aren’t willing to consider illegal options. It’s not that fucking hard to get in or out of a country with the right know-how. Something tells me bitch-cat would have that know-how.”
“He’s right,” Danyal said, shocking Nexus, and Roy, too, judging by the blank expression he presented to his friend. “Maria wouldn’t use regular means, especially if she realized she was being followed.”
“Fine.” Tyrese rolled his eyes. “I’ll get a hold of a few people. See if anyone has heard of a shifter female jumping territory lines.”
“I’ll also have security around the property increased,” Danyal said.
“Thank you.” Nexus nodded, his hands rubbing up and down Roy’s arms. Tyrese and Danyal both bowed before standing and leaving the house.
Iago, who was still standing in the entrance to the office, stepped closer. “I can have an extra guard come out with me and Roy when we go shopping.”
“Do that,” Nexus agreed. He wasn’t taking any chances.
If he could, he would just lock Roy in the house and not let him leave. Of course, he couldn’t do that. Roy had garnered quite the following with the other human mates within their clan. He even managed to put together a small class that was held at Dr. O’Hare’s office every Friday night. If Nexus refused him to go to those, he could only imagine the fuss it would cause. Not to mention the downright fit Roy would throw at being denied his freedom.
No, it was best for all involved if Roy could continue with his normal routine as much as possible. Besides, Nexus knew Roy needed the sense of community and belonging that he got from the other human mates that he couldn’t get from Nexus and the other shifters. It would be cruel to take that away.
“Nexus,” Roy whispered, pulling him from his thoughts.
“I’m right here.” Nexus kissed Roy’s temple and hugged him.
“What if she’s coming for our babies?”
“That isn’t going to happen. Nothing is going to happen to you, or our twins.”
Roy just nodded.
“How about a bath? And some frog legs.”
Roy laughed weakly. “Sounds delightfully pond like.”
“Is that a yes?”
“The little ones like the idea, so yes.” Roy sighed.
“Okay. You head on up and get the bath running. I’ll get your favorite snack.”
“My begrudged favorite snack,” Roy reminded him.
With another kiss, Roy stood and moved to the stairs with Iago asking if he was okay as he passed him. He just gave the hyena a shallow nod before continuing on up them. Nexus hurried to get those frog legs and follow him. Instead of the bathroom he found Roy standing in the doorway to the nursery.
He was rubbing his stomach absently as he gazed into the nearly complete room. They’d gotten one large crib for now, because everything Dr. O’Hare provided on shifter twins said to keep them close together for their first year of life. There was two of everything else though. Dressers, two rocking chairs for both of them to use, and double the amount of stuffed animals and toys already gathered around.
“Roy.” Nexus wrapped his arms around his mate and kissed his neck. “I promise, nothing is going to happen. Soon, both of our cubs will be sleeping in this room with us
watching over them.”
Roy said nothing as he leaned back against Nexus. He didn’t like this silent side to his mate. It always meant he was thinking about negative things.
“Come on.” Nexus gently pulled Roy away from the nursery and into their room. “Let’s get you settled in the tub.”
It took a few minutes, but soon Nexus had Roy soaking and relaxing. He turned on his favorite music, lit a few candles, and then slowly crept out of the room. As he walked down the hall, he pulled his phone from his back pocket and made a call.
“Where is she, José?”
“Hiding.”
“Where?”
“If I tell you, she’ll know someone is a spy.”
Nexus growled. “What is she planning?”
“I’m not entirely sure. I do know that, whatever it is, someone outside of us is working with her.”
“Who?” Nexus’s heart began to pound.
“Again, not sure. She knows you’re having twins though.”
Chapter Seventeen
Roy, feeling much better after his bath, was busy typing away on his computer. This week’s blog article was on this fun DIY project he’d found for making animal-themed rice balls. Having never made them before, he wanted to give it a try. He provided a link to the original source he’d used, and step-by-step photos of his attempts at making them.
Honestly, it had been a nice distraction from the goings-on around him. Especially with Maria now in the wind.
Pulling up another document, Roy typed an article for his secret blog. A project that had come to him after his first doctor’s appointment. He provided the human mates with a password that gave them access to a private blog just for them. On this one Roy talked about his personal experiences with pregnancy, diet, and of course adjusting to the life of a shifter’s mate.
His regular blog was called Hubby Kitchen, and he had more subscribers than he ever thought he’d get. Seemed people truly enjoyed a male’s perspective on domestic life and cooking. He gave tips for packed lunches, leftovers, and of course talked about the terrible eating habits of his husband.
