Bantamweight

by Tricia Andersen

  She stared past their interlaced fingers to her tiny denim shorts and to her white cotton sock-clad feet. Legs. She had legs. She was no longer a mermaid but now a human. She might have lived over two hundred years but now her age was a little over twenty-one human years.

  She wrapped her free hand around his bicep and hugged his arm tight to her as she nestled her head on his shoulder. He didn’t say a word. He just held her hand to comfort her. She hadn’t lost her seer gift and used it to find her family, to make sure they were happy and adjusting well to their new home. Typically, she couldn’t summon her visions at her own will. But some higher magic gave her the power to do so. Was it the same force that brought her to Abraham? Deep down in her soul she hoped so.

  The memory of Abraham’s face when Samuel, Henry, and Delilah had returned her to camp replayed over and over in her mind. She had never seen someone so terrified in her long existence. He held her so tight she couldn’t breathe. He’d been shaking as he’d done so. She’d hugged him just as tight. She had to face it. He was all she had now.

  She bit her lower lip and softly spoke. “You’re my best friend, Abe.”

  She looked up to see him smile at her. “You’re my best friend, Kai.”

  “You have six brothers.”

  “And I’m the youngest. I get yelled at, lectured, made fun of. Not exactly best friend material. The only one I’m close to is Zeke and I’ve shared more with you in the short time I’ve known you than I ever had with him.”

  She grinned at him. “I hope so. We’ve shared some things you probably shouldn’t with your flesh and blood.”

  “Not that.”

  Kai’s smile fade. “You’re all I have now.”

  “You have my family.” He squeezed her hand. “And I’m yours forever. I’m not going anywhere.”

  She snuggled a little closer to him. She bit her lower lip before she spoke. “Delilah called me Kai Evelyn Hallow. Why is that?”

  She felt Abraham shift beneath her. He looked uncomfortable when she gazed at him. “I told Eve to give you that name. We can change it to whatever you want it to be.”

  “Evelyn?”

  “My mother’s name. Like I said, it can be whatever you want it to be.”

  She grinned at him. “I like it. I want to keep it.”

  She noticed his cheeks tinged pink. “It does imply that you and I are married. I said on your documents that you’re my wife.”

  She cocked her head at him. “You don’t want me to be?”

  “Of course I do. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.”

  “Then I’d like to be your wife.”

  He stared at her for a moment and kissed her long and deep. “You want to marry me?”

  “Yes, I want to marry you.”

  His smile lit up the room as he kissed her again. Once they parted, he wrapped her in his arms again.

  Kai absentmindedly kicked her feet and sighed. “I don’t know how I’m going to get used to this. I’ve read all sorts of books about the biology of humans. But being one? I have no idea what to expect.”

  He rubbed her arm. “About that. Noah would like to do a medical evaluation on you so he knows what to expect. He doesn’t want you to have an emergency and not know how to treat you.”

  “Who is Noah?”

  “Littlefoot’s nephew and our doctor. You’ll like him. He’s very gentle and understanding. He was raised well. Not to mention some of his patients becoming monsters a full week every month probably doesn’t hurt either.”

  Kai laughed before she spoke. “When does he want to see me?”

  “Soon. Whenever we’re done,” Abraham wiggled a finger around the bed, “reuniting. He texted me yesterday. It seems Josiah told him he hadn’t seen us for a full day. He guessed we were preoccupied.”

  “He’s a wise man.”

  “So, should I text him and tell him we’re on the way, or are we?” He let go of her enough to drop his hand to her thigh. He drew lazy circles on her skin, his touch sending shivers through her. “Still reuniting?”

  She skimmed her fingers across his chest. “I’m up for more reuniting.”

  “Good. Me too.”

  He gripped the hem of her shirt and tugged it over her head. He traced the curve of her bra with the pad of her thumb. Wearing undergarments still felt strange to her but the lust that overcame Abraham when he saw her in them was well worth the discomfort.

  She gasped as his lips claimed hers, the kiss deep enough to steal her breath.

  His fingers hooked each cup of her bra and tugged them down to free her breasts. His mouth left hers to feast. He circled a peak with the tip of his tongue before nipping and sucking at it. She wove her fingers through his hair to cradle him against her. The scrape of his teeth on her flesh set her on fire. She arched her back to him by instinct, her body begging for more.

  He pulled away from her and gripped the waist of her jeans shorts. He yanked her down the bed until she was sprawled across the mattress. His fingers swiftly released the buttons and slid them and her panties down her legs.

  She could hear him growl as he gazed down at her. “So fucking beautiful.”

  Abraham scooped his arms under her legs and guided them to his shoulders. Kai gasped as the tongue that had just worshipped her breast now lapped at the sensitive folds between her thighs. She felt it swirl around her skin before invading her. He pulled away to leave a trail of kisses up and down her legs. She whimpered when she felt one finger then another slip inside her.

  Kai struggled to keep up with the rhythm of Abraham’s hand as he thrust it in and out of her. She felt the knot wind tighter in her belly. She glanced up to see him gazing down at her as he stroked his cock with his free hand. A drop of precum glistened on the back of his hand.

  She reached out for him. The memory of the length of him in her mouth made her shudder.

  He shook his head. “Not this time, baby. I’m so close to coming now and when I do I want to be buried inside you. Come for me, please.”

  She whimpered as he rubbed circles against her nub. That simple motion was enough. Her back arched hard off the mattress as every nerve in her body exploded in pleasure. Her breath came out in ragged breaths as her vision grew fuzzy.

  She barely settled back on the bed before she felt him stretch her apart as he shoved himself inside her. He threaded his fingers with hers and braced them on either side of her head. As her sight cleared, she found him staring deep into her eyes. She couldn’t help but gaze back. She didn’t see a murderous human who tried to destroy the world she loved for centuries. She didn’t see the werewolf who held the key she was sent for.

  She saw love. She saw her home. She saw eternity with this man. Even if she only had a few decades now as a human, she needed to be by his side for every minute of them.

  Soft grunts echoed from his throat as he rocked into her. Each stroke sent another violent tremor through her. His pace picked up as she felt him swell, stretching her even farther. She cried out his name as the second rush launched her to paradise once again. He buried his face in the curve of her neck and muttered a string of curse words as he throbbed his release.

  Abraham didn’t move and didn’t release his grip on her hands. Kai didn’t mind. His weight on her was a comfort. She turned her face to him and pressed an awkward kiss to his face.

  “Kai,” he murmured against her skin. “Fuck, baby. I would do anything for you.”

  “You would?” she countered.

  “Name it.”

  She paused. “Love me forever.”

  He raised his head and looked down at her. He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. “You already have that. Forever, Kai. I will love you with my dying breath.”

  He returned to where he was but let her hands go. She hugged him tight to her and whispered into his ear. “I love you with everything I am, Abraham Hallow.”

  »»•««

  Abraham took Kai’s hand tight in his as they skipped down the steps of t
he cabin. He’d texted Noah just before they’d left to let him know they were coming. By the time they would get there he’d have all the equipment ready to evaluate her.

  He huffed as his gaze landed on his bike. Before he didn’t have a problem taking it to town by himself. But now, with Kai, he was terrified of transporting them both. He couldn’t let anything happen to her. He’d die before he’d let it.

  “Abe.”

  He stopped in his tracks and sighed. Kai gazed up at him, her brow creasing. He shook his head at her and turned to find Josiah and Sarah striding toward them hand in hand.

  Josiah continued. “Where the hell are you two going?”

  Abraham growled. “Noah wants to examine Kai to see what the king did to her. He’s waiting for us so I don’t need your big brother bravado shit, okay?”

  Josiah frowned. “I just asked where you were going. Now that I know you’re going to go see Noah, would you like company?” He lifted the hand holding Sarah’s and kissed hers. “We need to go see him too for a blood test. We can keep each other company while Noah sees our girls.” He nodded to Abraham’s bike. “And Sarah’s car is far safer than that thing.”

  Abraham looked at Kai as she beamed back to him. “All right. Let’s go.”

  The two couples walked across the camp to Sarah’s car as life with the rest of the Hallows buzzed behind them. Abraham opened the back door and offered Kai a hand inside. He smirked when he noticed Josiah do the same thing for Sarah. He slid into the backseat next to Kai and slammed the door behind them.

  The two couples chatted with each other as they sped through the forest. It took Kai a little bit to warm up to Josiah and Sarah but Sarah had a way of drawing her out. Before the sun broke through the tree line, she was talking just as much as the others.

  Abraham could see his oldest brother scowl as they hit the highway. Where the burned-out remains of Sharky’s Garage once was now stood a near identical replica.

  “We’re stopping there on our way home,” Josiah decided.

  “I’m surprised Littlefoot built it without us knowing,” Abraham replied.

  “That’s the thing. He didn’t. No one has a clue how it got there especially since there were no construction crews. Something is up.”

  “Agreed. You sure we can handle whatever it is with just the four of us?”

  “No. But I’d rather it be the four of us than Littlefoot alone. I’m sure he’s considered stopping himself. If it’s a vampire threat, or a paranormal threat of any kind, we’re better equipped to deal with it between us two werewolves, a former mermaid, and a human.”

  “That’s true.”

  The weight of the mysterious service station muted the conversation the rest of the way to the hospital. Josiah parked outside the building and the two brothers helped their mates from the car. Noah was standing in the lobby when they stepped inside.

  “Let’s head back to my office,” he greeted. “I’ll show the gents where they can have a seat. Sarah can get her blood test done and I’ll take Kai back to start the examination.”

  Abraham met Kai’s panicked gaze. Instinct burned within him, demanding to protect her. “No offense, Noah. She’s still getting used to people, and as far as she’s concerned, you’re a stranger.”

  “I can sit with her after my test,” Sarah volunteered. “That way she has a friendly face.”

  Abraham frowned. “Whose face is friendlier than mine?”

  Kai sighed and smiled a little. “It’s okay. Sarah can go with me. You can sit with Joe.”

  Abraham stumbled over his answer but tried to force a smile on his face to reassure her. “Okay. See you in a bit.”

  Both he and Joe watched the women disappear around the corner with Noah before they each found a chair to sink into. Abraham slumped over and huffed as he stared at his hands.

  It took a minute or two to notice how much Josiah was fidgeting. The guy couldn’t keep still. Abraham watched him for a moment. Never in his life had he seen his older brother so nervous.

  He laughed. “Issues?”

  “I’m fine,” Josiah snapped. “It’s not like you’re sitting there all fucking cool and collected.”

  Abraham sat back in his seat. “Noah is just checking to see how much mermaid Kai still has in her. I’m not waiting to find out if I’m a father.”

  Josiah growled. “Well, I am.”

  Abraham’s brow creased in a frown. “Do you not want to be a dad?”

  Josiah sighed. “I do. More than anything. But what if I can’t be as good of a father as ours was?”

  Abraham shook his head and laid a comforting hand on Josiah’s shoulder. “Trust me from experience. You’re going to be a great dad. You’ve been mine for years now and I turned out just fine.”

  Josiah gave him a grin. “That you did. I guess I’m nervous the test will come back negative. Sarah is so excited. So am I.”

  “You fucked during the full moon?”

  Josiah scowled at him. “Yeah.”

  “More than once?”

  “Yes. What’s your point?”

  “My understanding is that the blood test is a formality at this point.”

  Josiah glared. “Did you?”

  “Did I what?”

  “Fuck during the full moon.”

  Abraham shrugged. “Of course. You were right. We couldn’t help it.”

  “So maybe Kai needs a blood test too.”

  Abraham snorted at the idea. “Werewolf. Full-fledged mermaid. The biology is impossible.”

  “I guess we’ll see how impossible the biology is, huh?”

  Abraham frowned. “Guess so.”

  They waited in silence for what felt like an eternity. Abraham slipped his phone from his back pocket and swiped the screen until he found his favorite app, one he himself had designed for the Japanese firm that had hired the Hallow brothers as designers. His stomach twisted in knots. Leave it to his brother to fill him full of anxiety, wondering if Kai could be pregnant. Misery indeed loved company.

  They both turned when they heard footsteps approach. One of Noah’s sisters who served as his nurse stood in the hall, smiling at them.

  “Noah would like you two to come back so he can speak to you with your mates,” she announced,

  They looked at each other, and rose from their seats. They followed her through the winding hallway to an open exam room. Kai was lying on the table with her shirt pulled up just below her breasts and her shorts tugged down a few inches. Noah held a wand-like instrument in his hand as he sat beside a machine.

  Sarah sat in a chair beside Kai but she stood when she saw Josiah. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she smiled as she placed a long, deep kiss on his lips.

  Josiah cocked an eyebrow at her. “Results back?”

  Her grin grew bigger. “Yes. Daddy.”

  Josiah wrapped her in his arms and lifted her off the floor in a bear hug. Abraham faked a gagging sound as they fell back into another kiss.

  Abraham turned to Noah. “I get why Joe is back here. Why am I?”

  Noah gestured to the empty chair. “Have a seat.”

  Abraham frowned as he slumped into the chair beside Kai’s bed. He took one of her hands in his and squeezed it.

  Noah pressed the wand to Kai’s belly and swirled it against her skin. “I thought it would be best to start with an ultrasound of Kai’s reproductive system before I ran any x-rays. I know you Hallows and the full moon. She was with you during the last one, wasn’t she?”

  Abraham scowled at him. “Yeah. So? How did you know?”

  Noah stopped the wand, and pointed at the screen with the other hand at a peanut-shaped object. “Because you two are having a baby. Congratulations.”

  Abraham’s mouth gaped open as he stared at the screen. He turned to Kai who held the same stunned expression. He flinched when a hand gently smacked him over the back of the head.

  “Told you,” Josiah said with a chuckle.

  Noah continued. “As Kai can te
ll you, since she is pregnant I used the Doppler on her legs instead of getting x-rays. She has bones. Everything is coming up human now.”

  Abraham could only nod. “Okay.”

  He looked at Kai, noticing she was still staring at the hazy screen. “Baby? Are you all right?”

  “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

  “For what?”

  She pointed at the screen. “For that.”

  Abraham shook his head, even though he knew she didn’t see it. “Kai, it took two of us to make that little one inside you. If anything, I should apologize. I should have listened to Joe and sent you with the other mates. I knew what might happen if you stayed.” He cocked his head as he studied her. “You don’t want a baby?”

  The smile slowly spread across her face. “I do. I want this baby more than anything. I just didn’t know if you want to be a father.”

  He stood and braced his hands on either side of her on the bed. He gazed into her eyes. “This baby just proved my theory wrong. I didn’t think I could love you any more than I do. Now that I know you’re carrying my baby, my love for you is beyond my own understanding. I want both of you more than anything in this world and I will do anything to keep you both safe. You both are my world. You are my very soul.”

  Kai stared at him. Then she sat up and parted his lips with hers in a deep, sweet kiss. “I love you too, Abraham.”

  “Well, lovebirds,” Josiah interrupted, “if you two are done declaring your undying love for each other and Noah is done with his exam, I’d like to check out that service station before dark.”

  Abraham backed away from Kai and offered his hand to help her from the table.

  Noah set the wand down next to the ultrasound machine and sat back in his chair. “My uncle was talking about that. He almost stopped the other night when he thought he saw movement inside.”

  “I’d rather he stay away in case it’s the bloodsuckers. Abe and I will check it out and get word back to your family when we find out what it is,” Josiah replied.

  Noah nodded. “I’ll encourage him again to stay away. You ladies are free to go. I’ll need to see you again in about four weeks. I’ll give you a call then to schedule it. And please, all of you, be careful checking that place out.”