by Honor James
“Same here.” Which was why neither of them wanted to know the sex of their child. All that they had wanted to know was that their child was healthy, that they were safe. “No more thinking about it, honey,” she whispered and lifted her face so she could pull back and look to him. “It’s been over and done with for nearly eight months, honey. Just give me some love and maybe, I wouldn’t complain, if you wanted to rub my feet or back?” That was her way of asking him to do one of those two things for her.
Smiling at her, he cupped her face and kissed her slowly. “I love you, Bethany,” he whispered quietly. Rubbing his lips to hers gently he pulled back and herded her inside out of the chill. Shutting and locking the door he threw a slow look around the yard, relaxing as the wolves began to move in the coming darkness of the approaching night. Setting the alarm he joined her. “How about some hot chocolate for you and I’ll rub your feet and ankles?”
“I think that I’m the most spoiled woman in the entire world,” she told him with a grin. “I really and truly think that sounds wonderful, and in fact”—she grinned—“I think I’m going to go and pee and then I will be waiting on the couch for my treats.” She was well and truly near the end of her pregnancy. Thank God, because her bladder was taking a beating.
“I’ll meet you there,” he promised, heading into the kitchen to start the milk warming. Once it was on the stovetop he went to the fireplace and got it started so the chill in the air wouldn’t be so obvious. Humming softly he stirred the milk and, in between, made up a plate of snacks, all her favorite foods, even as he munched on some roast beef while she was out of sight.
When she came back she took a seat on the couch and pulled the blanket off and wrapped it around her form. “My belly is nice and warm, so is my back, but the rest of me is freezing. How weird is that?” Well, not really if she thought about it. Her belly and back were warm because of the baby she carried inside.
Walking out with her mug, his glass, and the plate of snacks, he set everything on the table. Passing her the mug of hot chocolate he pulled the table close enough for her to reach the snacks without stretching. Sitting at her feet he lifted them both into his lap to let them warm up. “A few more weeks and all of you will be cold for a while I’m sure,” he pointed out, sipping his juice.
Rubbing a hand to her belly, she nodded. “I know and it kind of breaks my heart to be honest with you. I have gotten used to our little Wolf here heating me from the inside out. I love being pregnant and will miss these sensations when our little one joins us in the world. I think that you won’t miss it though. Not with the hundred trips a night I get up to pee. Especially since I seem to wake you for each and every one.”
“Not true,” he said, shaking his head at her. “I’ve loved watching you round with our child, and those first little flutters were…” Indescribable. “I won’t miss the ice cubes you call your feet though, especially your penchant to stick them up against my balls.” Shuddering, Zaidu shot her a dark look when she grinned and gave him a sweetly innocent look before sipping her cocoa.
“If I didn’t swell like a balloon I wouldn’t have that issue because I could wear socks.” She teased him with a grin. “And it has been amazing, hasn’t it? Being pregnant, knowing that our child was growing and becoming more. It’s been amazing and such a miracle.”
“Very much a miracle,” he agreed, softly stroking his hand over her belly. Keeping his mind off that moment in time he rubbed his hand to her tight flesh and smiled at the touch of a hand or foot from within. “Definitely very active. I think he or she gets that from their mother.”
Beth snorted. “Yeah, says you,” she teased and tugged her shirt up so that they could see her belly. “Little Wolf has gotten to where they put their hand on my belly and won’t move it until I touch it. Watch.” She shifted slightly and then laughed as the small hand pressed against her belly in a clear outline.
“Damn,” he said, leaning in. “That’s slightly creepy. In sort of an Alien kind of way,” he said, wrinkling his nose. Rubbing a finger to the tiny hand, he chuckled as it moved around trying to capture his finger.
She smiled and nodded. “It is slightly strange, but it’s okay. I feel as if our little Wolf is working on trying to hold our hands. At least it’s better than the foot or butt that our little Wolf puts out there,” she said with a grin. “Because our little one does at times, too.”
“The foot I’d figure out but I don’t know if I’d clue in that it was the butt right off,” he said, shooting her a look. Leaning in, Zaidu pressed a kiss to the little hand before resting his cheek there and growling softly. Grinning at the flip flops he felt happening he looked to Bethany. “Probably shouldn’t do that anymore, huh?” She might just kill him if she got another foot or elbow to her bladder, liver, kidney, or anything else soft and internal.
“Yeah, I would really appreciate that.” Bethany ran her hands over Zaidu’s hair and smiled, her eyes closing and a yawn escaping her. “I love you, baby, both of you.” She loved them both so very much. She was truly happy. “I’m starving though. How about you feed me?”
Brushing a kiss to her belly he leaned back and tugged her shirt down and moved the blanket over her. Grabbing the plate, he held out some of the cheese and crackers to her. He didn’t mind feeding her one little bit. It was a pleasure to feed her, slowly, leisurely, and it let him get her sexually ramped up, which was fun, too.
“You are too good to me.” Bethany accepted the food he fed her. Taking her time and licking his fingers time and again, she grinned at him. “I love the way you taste,” she told him with a smile. “And I love just spending time with you as well.”
“Well one day very soon you’re going to end up with me full-time,” he said softly. At her look he lifted a brow. “I’m training my replacements, well mine and another Hunter’s,” Z told her, giving her another bite of fruit. “All part of the grand scheme to muck in my life,” he muttered, still fucking pissed at that bitch Gaia. Most changers loved the Goddess but Zaidu had a hate-on for her that just seemed to grow every fucking time she stuck her nose in his life and fucked something else up. Closing his eyes, he let out a slow breath and calmed himself down as much as he could without killing something.
Bethany frowned and shook her head. “There is only one small issue,” Bethany told him and moved to sit up. “Crap, I have to go pee again.” She pushed him away just a little and then added, “Help me up and I will tell you why I don’t think that you are going to be replaced anytime soon, honey.”
Putting the food plate aside he shoved the table out of the way and stood. Yanking the blanket off, he tossed it aside and took her hands in his to help her up. “You steady?” he asked and let her go once she gave him a nod, even if she wasn’t totally sure. “Go, baby, go.” She heard his laugh when she flipped him the bird as she waddled off.
Coming back to him, she took a seat once more at his side and sighed. “Now, where was I?” She shifted and pulled the blanket so that she could cover up again and continued. “I know that you aren’t about to be replaced anytime soon because Gaia and I were chatting, what, last month?” She tapped her finger to her lips. “Anyway, she and I were chatting and she told me that you would retire when our little Wolf gives us grandchildren. Something about the Hunters need a lifetime of training?”
Zaidu stared at her and felt his eye twitch. “Gaia was here? Last month?” he asked. At her nod he pressed a finger to his eye and let out a slow breath. It wasn’t her fault, it wasn’t her fault. “Hunters are given exactly one year of training and no more. If they are not prepared in that time frame then they never will be, period. We live in a sink-or-swim world and Gaia can keep her fucking nose out of our fucking damned business. She’s interfered enough and I warned her not to come around anymore.” He growled out and rubbed harder at the tick setting up residence under his eye.
“She comes here often,” Bethany blurted. “Especially when you are on missions now that I’m big as a house.”
She shook her head. “So why in the world would she say that? I don’t understand. I’m totally and completely at a loss right now.”
“I don’t know, babe, but when she comes again”—and the fucking bitch would—“tell her to leave. She’s going against my wishes coming near you at any time and she fucking knows it. But before you kick her lying ass to the curb, find out why she thinks she can change the rules that have governed all changers for the last however many millennia without passing it through the Council. On top of that, you can let her know that I’m training the Hunters my way, and if they don’t learn and don’t survive, it’s not on my head. It’s the way it’s been done and the way it will continue to be done.” He turned and stalked to the kitchen to get more water, grabbing the counter and squeezing hard as he tried to control the temper he had. One that only ever got going with that fucking Goddess.
She had struggled to her feet and watched him leaving. She could feel his anger all but radiating off of him and leaned against the doorframe. “Are you really that angry because you are going to be retiring? Is it really such a chore to maybe stay home with me or even join Talon’s teams?” Her hurt was evident in her voice, the small quiver of her lips before she fought back against her emotions to regain her control.
Turning he shot her a look and let out a breath. “I’m fucking pissed I’m being forced out. I’m fucking livid that Gaia will not stay the fuck out of our lives and I’m beyond annoyed that she didn’t just fuck with us once, but multiple times and each time she does she fucking makes it worse. I’m not mad at you, baby. I never could be and I would love time to just be with you and our child and do whatever the hell we want. But on my fucking schedule and not some fucking nosy-assed Goddess who just doesn’t seem to know when to quit!”
Pressing his finger to the bridge of his nose, Zaidu forced calm over himself. “She fucked with us and nearly got me killed. She fucked with us again and tore our bond-mate status apart. Then, because the first two times weren’t enough, fucked with us again and had you in a kill zone with a psychopath and then she goes and fucks with us yet again, nearly killing you once and for all and our child on top of it all. Then she makes this noble fucking gesture by interfering again and basically making me jump at her every fucking whim. I warned her the last time to stay out of my life and she didn’t listen. I’m through being mister nice guy with this bitch.”
Going to her, Zaidu took Bethany’s hands in his and pressed a kiss to her fingers. “I’m sorry, love,” he whispered, leaning in to hug her. “I’m not upset at you, little darling, never you,” he whispered softly. “But Gaia has done nothing but screw with us and I’ve had enough. I plan on figuring out how to end this once and for all and get her the hell out of our lives.” Especially since the bitch wasn’t permitted to fuck with their damned free will and yet she kept on doing it
“And if she hadn’t gotten involved in our lives to begin with you would have walked away from me before we even began. You were ready to walk away from me and from what we could have because you were afraid of having me in your life. Having someone you care about that could be used against you.”
“If she’d stayed out of our lives I would have come around eventually, but she broke the bond between us and threw you out to the universe and, following that logic, putting things into play that helped your brother escape to terrorize you. She’s not permitted to mess with free will and yet she’s got me by the balls to retire on her timeline. Not the first time she’s conveniently forgotten my free will or yours and does whatever the fuck she wants, Bethany,” he told her. Seeing the look in her eyes he backed off and dropped his hands. “You don’t believe me.” Nodding, Zaidu looked past her. “I’ll be in the gym if you need me,” he said, moving around her and toward the door.
Bethany sighed and shook her head. Dropping her hand to her belly she rubbed the little body that pressed tight to her skin once again. “I know, baby. I know.” She didn’t know how to fix things, mostly because she knew just how stubborn her Wolf was. She loved him. God she loved everything about him but he was right. She didn’t believe him. She hated that she doubted him but he really was so very stubborn that she simply couldn’t have ever seen him giving her a chance, period. He had never believed he was good enough to be loved and it killed her a little each time when she thought about it. He was. He just simply didn’t allow anyone close to love him. Her included for the longest time.
Moving out of the kitchen, Bethany folded the blanket she had rested under and went back to their bedroom. She was mentally and physically exhausted and her heart hurt, ached tremendously for her bond-mate, but she couldn’t fix what was hurting him. She couldn’t stop his pain. And frankly she didn’t think he wanted her to.
Hours later Zaidu grabbed a shower and some cream for his knuckles. Padding to the bedroom he sat down next to her and sighed. “I was in love with you that very first moment I looked up and saw you clutching at the tree. I thought you were insane but you already had a piece of my heart, Bethany. Yes, I pushed you away, yes I’m a stubborn ass, but that is no reason for Gaia to fuck with our lives. She’s been doing it since the beginning and I’m tired of it. I just want us to live our lives however the hell we want without the Gods’ interference. Is that too much to ask for? Just once in our relationship not to have someone yanking our fucking strings?” he asked her honestly. “Because if you’re fine with her doing it then I don’t know you and have no idea how the hell to get beyond this impasse, love.”
“I just want you, Zaidu. Not the Gods, or Goddess. Just you.” She laid her hand on her belly and shrugged. “Well and Tiger here, too.” That went without saying, though. “I don’t want her interfering in our lives any more than you do. I just have no idea what to do about it, Z.” She shrugged. “Whatever you want to do, I will back you up one hundred percent.”
Letting out the breath he was holding, he nodded. “Good,” he murmured quietly. Leaning in, he brushed a kiss to her lips gently. Pressing back he looked at her. “I don’t know what I’m going to do to keep her out of our lives and out of our house but I will find a way. I used to think telling them not to interfere and to stay the hell away was enough but apparently it’s not. I’ll talk to some of the others and see if they have any ideas because I’ve had enough. You are mine, Bethany, you and the wee one. No one is going to screw with your lives anymore.”
“Or yours,” Bethany put in there and touched her finger to the tip of his nose. “Now then, how about you climb into bed and talk to the wee one while I sleep a bit longer? Maybe talk your little Wolf cub into staying off my lungs and bladder?”
“I can try but you know as well as I do, that stubbornness comes from you, darling.” Smiling at her warning look, Zaidu pressed a kiss to her lips gently and then slid under the blankets with her. Wiggling down he moved her shirt up so he could touch her skin. “Quit kicking your mother’s lungs and bladder, darling. It makes her very cranky,” he told her belly softly.
Bethany laughed and shook her head. “I love you, too, Zaidu.” Reaching down, she put her fingers in his hair and stroked his head, neck, and cheek. “You are my entire world. You know that, don’t you? Nothing and no one else in this world matters other than you and our little stubborn Wolf.”
“I know, love,” he said, looking up at her as he gave her a hug. “You and our little Wolf are all that is important to me, sweetheart.” Brushing his lips to her belly, he closed his eyes and began to tell their child a story so that the little pup would settle in for a nap.
Bethany got lost in the cadence of Zaidu’s voice and smiled. Closing her eyes she allowed his steady and even voice to calm her, soothe her as it was their babe and allowed it to pull her under and into that nap she had been desperate for earlier. With him with her she knew that life would be very, very good indeed.
Falling silent when he ran out of story, Z moved up the bed and smiled down at his mate. She was out cold and finally resting as she should. Adjusting her a little he slipped
his arms around her and, resting his palms to her belly, let her and their child sleep. “I love you, Bethany,” he breathed out against her temple.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Settling their daughter on his hip, Zaidu walked through the house looking for his little darling’s mother. Spotting Bethany he eased Shelly to her feet. “Go to mama,” he encouraged her as he gave her a finger in each hand to help her balance. Seeing her mother, she let go of one hand and reached out for her mother as she squealed in glee.
Bethany dropped to her knees and laughed. Holding her arms out, she took Shelly’s little hand in hers and laughed. “Oh, honey bear.” She pulled the laughing child into her arms and shot a look at her mate. “So how long has Daddy been helping you learn how to walk, darling mine?” She eased the little girl back and kissed her plump cheeks, smiling as she looked down into the eyes that perfectly matched Zaidu’s and sighed. “You little sweetling.”
“We’ve been working on it for the last three weeks,” he said softly. Leaning in closer he pressed a kiss to Bethany’s lips. “It’s been hard to keep her from showing off but she was getting a kick out of keeping it a secret from Mommy. She so wanted to surprise you, thus why we even have her all dressed up today.” He turned his daughter around slowly to show off the fancy duds.
Grinning, Bethany nodded. “You look very sharp, my little darling.” She then pulled her little girl close, giving her a big hug as she did so. “Gosh I love you so very much, my little Wolf pup,” she whispered against the long dark curls that were so soft and silky and tied, even if it was a little lopsided, with beautiful little bows. “Daddy did such a good job getting you dressed, my little darling.”
