VESPER

 

When the snow came to the Timberlands, there wasn’t much one could do except find shelter and wait for the weather to pass. I lived with a sleuth for much of my young life, so I was used to it when the time came. Bears were carefree and always looking for a reason to relax. The snowstorm was just another reason for me to fall asleep.

But my slumber wasn’t as quiet as it could have been this time around. With another man sharing my cabin, I found that I wouldn’t be getting as much sleep as I expected.

With the snowstorm raging outside, I rested peacefully on one side of the cabin.

It had been several hours since I laid with Rudy. It was hard to tell what time it was because we were both stuck in the cabin for so long.

I sat up straight after sleeping off the fatigue being with Rudy brought on. I stretched my arms up and sat up straight.

Rudy sat next to the fire where he’d been this entire time, huddled in a ball with his hands clutching the small bowl in front of him.

I walked over and grabbed one of the fabric blankets I had with me. I put it over his back and Rudy gave me a startled look.

“I’m sorry,” I said with a smile. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“It’s all right. I thought you might be upset because I woke you from your sleep.”

“It was time for me to wake up. I’m not like the others in the sleuth who were always so willing to sleep. They enjoyed the snow so much but only because it was an excuse not to do anything at all.”

“I can see that… What are they like? Your sleuth, I mean…”

I only had to think about it for a moment to find the answer.

“They’re a proud people,” I said. “Men and women who’ve lived out here in the Timberlands for many generations. They’re peaceful. They live one with nature. Some of them have left to go to work in the city and live lives as ordinary men. Those who stayed behind live simple lives out here in the forest.”

“If they’re anything like you, I’m sure they’re good people.”

He smiled at me and turned his attention back to the fire.

“Aren’t you cold?” he asked.

“Not a bit. My people are used to this. We’ve lived out here for a long time. I can only assume we adapted to it. I’ve never used that blanket you’re wearing now. A friend gave it to me. Probably her idea of a joke.”

“I’m grateful for her sense of humor right now.”

Rudy shoved a spoonful of the porridge into his mouth.

There was something strange about the way he stared into the fire. It was as if his mind was somewhere else. I suppose there was the awkwardness of having to spend time around someone he just laid with. But it appeared that there was something else clearly in his thoughts.

“I… I’m so hungry,” he said.

“As I said before, there’s more than enough food for you to eat. I gathered enough to last for the longest snow. And even then, I could brave the cold if necessary.”

“I don’t think you’ll need to do something like that. But…”

His words trailed off suddenly. He kept staring at the fire as he put the spoon back into his mouth.

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to figure him out.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked. “Rudy… You can tell me if something’s bothering you.”

“Nothing’s bothering me. It’s just…”

He slowly turned toward me. He gave me an innocent stare as he sighed.

“I remember speaking to some of the elders in the herd,” he said. “They talked about what it was like to mate. They talked about the feelings they had and how to deal with it if I ever came across it.”

“You mean something like your heat?”

“That’s right.”

“You seemed to have handled it well. You don’t appear to be suffering any ill effects.”

“No, I don’t. If what they told me is true then that means…”

He paused suddenly. I widened my eyes in curiosity.

“That means what?” I asked.

“That means I’m pregnant.”

It took me a second to realize what he’d said. I blinked my eyes only to find him still staring at me with that innocent look.

I wasn’t sure how to respond but I managed to say something.

“Are you certain?” I asked.

“I am,” he said with a nod. “I can feel it in my stomach. It’s just as the elders in my herd described it. It’s not just in my belly. My whole body feels different. It’s like I know there’s something inside of me.”

“I suppose that would explain why you’re helping yourself to another bowl.”

“There’s that, too,” he said.

He smirked at me but it quickly left his face as he turned back toward the flames in front of him.

“You’re not angry, are you?” he asked.

“Angry? Why would I be angry?”

“I was in heat. You were the only one around. You did what you had to do because you wanted to help me. You’ve already done so much for me and now…”

He scoffed and shook his head.

“…And now you’ve filled me with your seed and impregnated me.”

I inched closer to him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

“I helped you out there because you needed help,” I said. “If what you’re saying is true about a hunter attacking you—”

“It’s true.”

“—Then I have no reason to be angry about helping you.”

“But I’m pregnant. My child… Your child…”

“I had no intention of laying with you when I invited you to my cabin. It is done though. Rest assured I’ll do what I can to make sure that you and our child stay safe.”

“Right…”

“Rudy.”

He slowly turned back toward me. I squeezed my hand on his shoulder and smiled at him, trying to reassure him as best as I could. He gave me a faint smile in return.

“Everything will be all right,” I said. “Is having my child the worst thing in the world?”

“No… No, it isn’t. But I don’t think the herd will be too fond of it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Knox…. He’s the lead Alpha of the herd. He’s been following the same laws and codes that have been set forth for generations.”

“He sounds like a proud man.”

“He is. He’s been lead Alpha ever since I was a child. I haven’t known anything else. He’s so strict. When people question him, he’s quick to talk about what our ancestors would do. It’s part of the reason everybody is so willing to follow him.”

Rudy shifted his eyes away from me, a slight frown upon his lips.

“You don’t seem too fond of him,” I said.

“Knox has done a lot of good for the herd. Nobody else could have done a better job. And I’m just an Omega. I’m in no position to complain about how strict he is.”

“But there’s something else that’s bothering you.”

“Yes,” he said with a nod. “If he were to learn that I’ve been impregnated by someone else outside of the herd… An Alpha that has no association with our group…”

“He wouldn’t be too happy about it.”

“That’s an understatement. I’ve given Knox more than enough reasons to scold me by traveling so far away from the herd. Getting pregnant is just another reason for him to lecture me.”

Rudy’s eyes started to glaze over. The worry on his face was undeniable.

I had only just met him but a strange feeling washed over me as I looked at him. The Omega was so innocent. He reminded me of no one else I’d ever met before.

I knew I had to do everything I could to be there for him. There was no other choice for me to make.

My hand still on his shoulder, I pulled him close to me and wrapped my arms around him in my embrace.

“It’s all right,” I whispered. “There’s no need for you to worry.”

He sniffed as he sobbed softly.

“I don’t know what to do.”

The concern in his voice was undeniable. I kept my arms tight around him, holding him close so that he could let everything out.

“You don’t have to do anything,” I whispered. “What’s done is already done. The stars have brought us together. We cannot change our fates.”

I held Rudy in my embrace until his body finally started to calm. I pulled away from him and saw his reddened face. He smiled up at me despite how wet his eyes had become.

“When the snow passes, I’ll help you find your herd,” I said. “I’ll be by your side when you speak to the lead Alpha. Whatever happens, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that you have nothing to worry about.”

“Vesper—”

“I promise.”

I reached for the bowl next to me and placed it back into his hands.

“Now stop concerning yourself with something you have no control over,” I said. “The snow is outside and the Timberlands are frozen. When it comes time to confront your brethren, then you can concern yourself with it. For now, just relax.”

He inhaled a deep breath and sighed through his nose.

“Okay,” he said with a nod.

“That’s better.”

I chuckled softly at him as he shoved another spoonful of food into his mouth. He turned his attention back to the fire and stared at the flames like I was so used to seeing him do.

“Are all bears like you?” he asked.

I thought about the question for a second.

“I don’t know,” I said with a smile. “I guess I’m different in that I wanted to get away from them. Perhaps one day you’ll meet them.”

“If they’re anything like you, I’m sure I’ll appreciate their company.”

I ran a hand through his platinum blond hair as he continued to feed himself. There was something calming about watching him eat.

I felt a bond with him when I met him. Now that I knew he was pregnant with my child, that bond was undeniable.

I didn’t know what it meant for us. If there was something for Rudy to be concerned with, it would have to wait until after the storm passed. For now, we could enjoy the peace and quiet in my cabin.