The Bear Project

by Doris O'Connor

  Emmi shut her eyes and willed her breathing to slow down. Nothing would be solved by panicking about it. She was a grown up. She could do this. People did this all the time. The world over, there were women finding themselves pregnant unexpectedly, and they coped. Emmi would, too—she had to.

  A wave of nausea hit her, and she made it to the toilet bowl in the nick of time. Through the desperate retches the insistent ring of the doorbell registered, but Emmi was in no fit state to answer it. At this rate she wouldn't make it into work again, come Monday. Three times last week she'd had to ring in sick, claiming a tummy bug, and when she did make it into work she couldn’t concentrate for toffee. To her utter dismay she'd even fallen asleep at her desk once.

  Maria had shaken her awake before the boss had walked in, and her amazing blue eyes had pierced Emmi with such an intense look she'd had to make a conscious effort to not squirm in her seat.

  "Get yourself to the doc's, Emmi. This tummy bug has been going on for too long."

  She'd dropped her gaze to Emmi's lower abdomen, but before she'd been able to say something else, the boss had summoned them both and the opportunity had been lost. Mindful of her friend's words, Emmi had stopped at the chemist, however, on her way home, and bought every brand of pregnancy test they had.

  And each one of the little fuckers had told her the very same thing this morning. She was pregnant.

  Someone was now standing on the door bell, if the continuous shrill drilling in her ears was anything to go by, and Emmi scrambled to her feet. A wobbly walk to the front door of her flat later, she stared at Maria's beaming face over the intercom. The tall and impossibly bubbly blonde grinned at her and held up two steaming Starbucks coffees in one hand and the most amazing looking muffins in the other.

  Emmi's stomach growled at the sight, and she rolled her eyes at herself. How she could be throwing her guts up one minute and be ravenously hungry the next she would never understand.

  She buzzed Maria in and wobbled back to the bathroom to rinse her mouth out and brush her teeth. Try as she might she couldn't get rid of the horrible metallic taste in her mouth, and what's more the toothbrush made her gag.

  "Fuckety, fuck, fuck, this is insane!"

  "Less of the fucking, babe. That's how you've ended up with a bun in the oven in the first place," Maria said.

  Emmi spun round too fast and immediately regretted that action, as the bathroom tiles came up to meet her. Maria yanked her back up and made her sit on the closed toilet seat.

  "Easy, girl. You've got to take better care of yourself, now. At least you've finally taken a test or few." Laughter tinged Maria's voice, and when Emmi could be fairly sure she could look up without upsetting her equilibrium too much, she glared at Maria.

  Completely unfazed, Maria smiled at her and offered her one of those muffins.

  "Here, eat. It will help, trust me."

  Emmi stared from the moist cupcake to Maria and back again, and Maria's smile deepened.

  "My brothers’ mate is pregnant. She eats all the time. Trust me, it'll help. You're as white as a sheet, and that little bear you're carrying will need lots of food."

  Emmi choked on the mouthful of sweet and rather delicious confectionary, and Maria thumped her on the back and handed her one of the coffees she'd put on the sink.

  "Wash it down, and surely you're not going to deny it, are you? I could smell him all over you when you came back from your little trip, and his scent has just gotten stronger. It didn't take me long to put two and two together and to figure out you were preggers. I was just waiting for you to finally admit it to yourself."

  "I … you … but how?" Emmi shook her head and pinched her arm to make sure she wasn't having one of her strange dreams. Nope, she was definitely awake, and besides, her dreams always involved Cole and her in some sort of erotic entanglement that meant she woke up sweaty and horny, and fucking heartbroken.

  Damn the blasted shifter.

  When had her ordinary life become so fucked up?

  She cleared her throat several times to get her croaky voice to work and finally succeeded on the fourth try.

  "What do mean you could smell him? That would mean, you're … you're… God, almighty there are shifters here? In London?"

  Emmi's voice had risen to a shrill squeak, and Maria winced.

  "Yes, they are, and we have supersensitive hearing, so there is no need to screech. Shifters are everywhere, surely he told you that?"

  Emmi fought the blush rising into her cheeks, and she shook her head.

  "Well, we didn’t do all that much talking, to be honest, and it never occurred to me to ask. I just assumed they were confined to Bear Country or the US at least. You know somewhere with wide open spaces for you to shift and run, not London, and oh my God, that means you're a shifter, too!"

  Maria simply nodded, and the room spun again.

  With the same fast reflexes she'd displayed before Maria grasped her by the shoulders.

  "Okay, that's it. We're taking this to somewhere more comfortable, so if you pass out on me, at least you won’t brain yourself on the tile flooring."

  With surprising strength Maria pulled her up, and before she knew it Emmi was installed on the settee.

  "There, that's better. We can talk now without me having to worry over you."

  Maria slumped into the opposite chair and threw her long legs over the side.

  "To answer your questions, yes, I'm a shifter. Cougar, in case you're wondering." She grinned at Emmi's sharp intake of breath. "And yep, that's exactly why my area of expertise is the breeding program of the big cats. I'm sure you can understand why I don't broadcast that to all and sundry. You humans would have a hissy fit if you knew half of the things that go bump in the night around you." She paused to take several sips of her coffee and regarded Emmi thoughtfully from under her naturally long lashes.

  Not for the first time, Emmi was struck by how beautiful Maria was. She moved with an inbuilt grace and elegance that made perfect sense now that Emmi knew what her work colleague was. She could see her inner animal flash in her eyes, as though she knew what Emmi was thinking, and it reminded her so much of Cole that she blinked back sudden tears.

  Jesus, they'd had little over twenty-four hours together, yet she couldn't get him out of her mind. Unbidden her hand went to her neck, where she could swear his bite still throbbed, even though no visible trace of it remained.

  Maria noticed of course, and her eyes narrowed.

  "He claimed you?" she asked.

  "He bit me, if that's what you mean, and yes, before you say anything, I know I should have stopped him, but … well … I…"

  Emmi couldn't quite bring herself to discuss her sex life that openly. What had happened with Cole had been so out of her comfort zone and as far removed from her usual behavior as could be.

  "I see." Maria whistled through her teeth and then abandoned her lazy pose and leant forward elbows on knees to study Emmi.

  "What? I know it was stupid, but he said all the right things, and at the time I almost believed him. Of course, I know now that it was all just stuff and nonsense to get me into his bed. A bit of human pussy, that's what that wolf called me, and, dammit, look at me. I'm fucking crying again. I never cry."

  Maria stood up and sat next to her, drawing her into an unexpected hug, that only made Emmi cry harder.

  "You fell hard, huh, babe?"

  Emmi pushed away from her and angrily swiped at her useless tears.

  "I did not fall hard, soft, or otherwise. That's impossible. You're sounding as inane as he did, with his talk of mates and he'll always be there, and then he didn't even bother coming after me. Guess killing all those Weres was far more important to him than me, his so-called mate and—"

  "Whoa, girl," Maria interrupted her. "You best start at the beginning and tell me all. And I can tell you this for starters. If he said you're his mate and he cemented that bond by biting you, then he meant it. Nothing is more sacred to a shifter th
an the mating bond. It’s something we can't help, and when you meet your mate there is nothing you can do. You have to be with that person, or persons for that matter, or so I'm told, anyway."

  Maria looked almost wistful.

  "What do you mean ‘persons’? You mean you can have more than one mate? That's just greedy."

  Instead of laughing, as she'd been expecting her to, Maria grew deadly serious.

  "I think you need to meet my brothers and their mate. Just seeing them together will explain this so much better than I can. I can see that you don't believe me."

  She jumped to her feet, and before Emmi could stop her, she was on the phone.

  "Hey, Anastasia, I have a situation here that needs your help. Bring dumb and dumber with you, will you? Yeah, I know, not that you could stop them anyway… Yeah, she's not taking this well… Yep, see you soon."

  ****

  Emmi was beginning to wonder if there was some sort of law that decreed that any shifter had to be impossibly tall and exude so much sex appeal a woman felt faint just looking at them. She sure was glad Maria insisted she stay put and answered the door for her.

  Maria's brothers Jake and Carter were two tall, sex-on-legs hunks who only had eyes for their pregnant mate, Anastasia. The curvy brunette sported a bump as big as a house, and whilst she smiled brightly at Emmi, the strain around her eyes and the way she sank into Emmi's old and extremely comfortable armchair, with a cat-like purr, spoke volumes.

  Jake and Carter parked a denim clad ass each on the armrests and didn’t seem capable of not touching her. Little gestures that told of their concern and there was no mistaking the almost palpable bubble of connection they shared. A sharp stab of envy sliced through Emmi's heart, and Maria, too, looked wistful until she barked at her brothers.

  "Will you three stop doing that? How many times do I have to tell you that it’s rude to have a mind conversation when there are other people in the room? Cut the bull and talk so we can hear."

  Anastasia grinned and smacked each man's leg.

  "Sorry, Maria, they keep distracting me. Apparently I should be tucked up in bed, resting not being here on a fool's errand. No offense to you, Emmi."

  "None taken, I assure you," Emmi said. "I'm not really sure why Maria dragged you here, let alone why you came, quite frankly. When is the baby due?"

  "The triplets are overdue," Anastasia said and laughed at Emmi's strangled cough. "It's why Carter and Jake here are in full over protective mode." She poked each man in the belly, and they both growled.

  "Forgive us for wanting to protect our mate." Carter ground the words out through clenched teeth.

  "I told you we should have chained her to the bed," Jake said. "That way she'd have had to stay put. And we could have done our bit to get those cubs to move."

  He winked at Emmi as he said the words, and she knew her cheeks were burning.

  "Oh for goodness’ sakes, do be serious, dumb-heads." Maria glared at her brothers, and Anastasia laughed.

  "As you can see these three are typical siblings, always arguing, Emmi." Anastasia smiled at her, and Emmi couldn't help but smile back. The woman positively glowed with happiness, and that hot poker stabbed at Emmi's insides again.

  "This must all seem very strange to you, Emmi. I know it took me by surprise when Carter and Jake declared I was their mate, and I didn't have to contend with pregnancy hormones then. How far along are you?"

  Four pairs of eyes settled on her, and Emmi squirmed in her seat. It was most unnerving to be under such close scrutiny, and the fact that all of them could shift into big cats in an instant made her mouth go dry.

  "I … well I don't know exactly. It's been six weeks since…"

  Carter and Jake smirked, and Anastasia glared at them.

  "Then, first things first we need to get you to a doc to confirm the pregnancy and make sure all is well," she said. "I'll give you the number for my consultant. She's part of a shifter practice, so there will be no awkwardness, if your baby turns out to be a bear."

  "He'll be a bear all right," Carter said, and Jake sniffed the air and nodded.

  "Yes, no doubt about it. Her scent is too strong for that cub to be human."

  Emmi crossed her arms and put her hands over her tummy as everyone in the room scrutinized her belly again.

  "You can tell that by sniffing me? I smell?"

  Jake and Carter laughed, Anastasia smiled, and Maria patted her leg as though to reassure her.

  "If it helps, you smell a damn sight nicer now than when you were human. Not that you’re not still human of course, but we can tell you're pregnant, yes. I told you I smelled that bear all over the minute you came back. The real question is, are you going to tell us who it is, and does he know about the baby?" Maria asked, and the room went quiet.

  Emmi couldn't quite bring herself to look at any of them, when she whispered her reply.

  "No, he doesn't know, and even if I wanted to tell him, I have no idea how to. He's a fucking drifter and a killer, and I wish I'd never met him, okay? What happened was completely insane, and I don't want to talk about it."

  No one spoke for what seemed like hours, and when Emmi finally forced herself to look up, her breath stalled in her lungs. Jake and Carter looked angry, but that anger didn't seem directed at her, more at the situation. Anastasia had gone pale, and Maria looked worried.

  "Carter, Jake, settle down." Anastasia said, as they both growled their annoyance. "Emmi, please tell me he didn’t force you into this, did he?"

  "What? No, no that's not what I mean. He didn't do anything I didn't want him to do, it's just … I mean, I'm not sure what happened between us." She glanced nervously at the two men. They'd stopped pacing, thank the heavens, and had reassumed their positions next to Anastasia, and now watched her with unwavering attention.

  "I acted so out of character with him. I guess, I just still find it hard to get my head around it, and then we argued, and well, I ran. Knowing he was a drifter was bad enough, but then hearing him say that those were wolves needed to be killed, and then as good as admit that he was sent to kill them … well, I couldn't stay after that. What gives him the right to do that?"

  She ran out of steam, and Maria passed her glass of water, which she accepted with a muttered, "Thanks."

  "Where did all this happen, Emmi?" Jake asked.

  "Creek Fells," Emmi said, and she didn't miss Maria's sharp intake of breath, or the way Carter and Jake glanced at each other.

  "What on earth were you doing at Creek Fells?" Maria asked "Last I heard that was off limits to humans, and you were on a tour of Bear Country. Which, admittedly Creek Fells is on the outskirts of, but no respectable tour bus would take you past there. It’s against the rules."

  "Maria!" Carter and Jake said that in unison, but Maria ignored them.

  "Oh come on, she was there. Emmi knows what the place is like. She is carrying some Rogue bear's cub. She deserves to know the truth."

  "It's not for us to tell, Maria, you know that." Carter's face was deadly serious, and Jake nodded and took Anastasia's hand to help her up.

  "You're leaving, just like that?" Maria's voice rose, and she growled. Emmi wouldn't have been surprised had she shifted right there and then, and her brothers seemed all set to follow. Heavens, her little living room would never be able to cope with three fully grown wild cats.

  "Yes, we are. Anastasia needs her rest, and there's nothing we can do."

  "Bullshit. With your connections you could find him. There can't be that many killer bears in Creek Fells."

  "Sis, let it drop. There are no bears, killer or otherwise, in Creek Fells. I can tell you this much, even though I shouldn't." He smiled grimly, and a shiver went through Emmi as he looked directly at her. "The place has been declared off limits and sealed off by the council. It was that or decimate the town, and Jackson didn't think that was the best move. The council agreed."

  Maria's sharp intake of breath did nothing to reassure Emmi, as he took Anastas
ia's other arm. The way the woman leaned on her men tugged at Emmi's heartstrings.

  "Emmi, I can tell you this. If your bear is who I think he is, then he is no killer, and he will come and find you," Anastasia said.

  "And he will be damn pissed that you ran away from him," Jake said, and Carter grunted his confirmation. "I know if you were my mate and had pulled that stunt, you wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week."

  Emmi opened her mouth to say something, but Anastasia forestalled her.

  "Never mind these two. These things have a way sorting themselves out. I'm sorry, but I really have to go. Maria will give you the number for the practice. That's your first call. Everything else will sort itself, right, boys?"

  She looked from Carter to Jake, and their fierce expressions softened.

  "She's his mate. Of course they will, and Jackson is a good guy, if a bit of a loner."

  When the front door shut behind them and Emmi could breathe normally again she turned to Maria, only to find her watching her through wide eyes.

  "Cole Jackson is your mate? Well, fuck me six ways from next Thursday!"

  Chapter Ten

  That surreal conversation seemed a lot longer than just two weeks ago, as Emmi stood looking out of the conference room at the offices of Whipsnade Zoo. The Zoo had a problem with mating their bears, and Emmi was here to help. Bears were her area of expertise.

  She had to laugh at the thought, and she put her hand on her belly. A frequent occurrence these days and one she couldn't help. The visit to the consultant Anastasia had recommended had been enlightening as well as terrifying.

  Emmi was indeed carrying a shifter baby. It had been too early to determine the sex by scientific means, but the doc had sniffed and smiled.

  "If I was a betting woman, I, too, would say it’s a boy. Time will tell, for sure. In the meantime, carry on as normal, and listen to your body. If you feel tired, rest. Make sure you eat well, and other than that, just enjoy your pregnancy. Everything is evolving as it should, or at least as I would expect with a human mother. I can't give you an estimated day of delivery as there are too many variables at play here. Typically shifter pregnancies are shorter than human ones, but when the mother is human, one can never be sure of the time frame, so I prefer to not make guesses. I'll see you in a month's time for another appointment, and we'll see how things stand then. Any worries, ring me, but the baby's father will know before you do. Shifters are very protective of their cubs."