Chapter Thirteen
Felix
I woke up to my fox and my omega’s fox speaking to me. I’d heard there was a chance that people like me would be able to mentally communicate with their mates after the bite, but I couldn’t know for sure. Until now. And not in the way I’d grown accustomed to communicating. This was as clear as speaking.
Young, my fox said, and I rolled my eyes. It was less than plausible my omega was pregnant already. One time—his first time.
I carry your young, alpha. This time the voice in my head belonged to my mate, pretending to, but not sleeping beside me.
This omega burrowed so close to me, my being was permeated with his essence.
In the night, he’d turned to face the window and was inches away from me—felt like miles.
Scooting over, I heard the hitch in his breath. Two days ago we were strangers, yesterday he became the reason my heart still beat, and today we were a family—just in the snap of a finger and a thumb I wrapped my arm around his waist and nuzzled his neck. He said nothing.
“Are you upset about it?” I asked with a stone of fear in my stomach.
He shook his head, but I heard the tiny plop of a tear falling onto the sheets.
“Talk to me,” I pleaded then waited for my fox to come around. He wiped his face and rolled onto his back.
“I’m not upset. The whole thing is just a little overwhelming.” He kept his eyes locked on the window, and my heart beat faster.
“Don’t run on me, omega mine. Shifting might hurt the babe if we aren’t careful. Our bodies are too lithe, too lean to handle the change without endangering our young.”
He nodded, but he was tense, and his toes twitched beneath the sheet. I’d never been a jumpy person, by nature, but in that moment, I could barely breathe for the fear caught within my body.
He could run. He could flee right through our bedroom window and down the stairs of the porch and be gone forever.
And our young would not make it.
And I wouldn’t make it, either.
“I’m not leaving you,” Locus said, wiping my tears away.
“Your body says otherwise,” I choked out, keeping a firm grip on him.
“I know. My fox wants to run. He’s been in charge a little too long—thinks he’s the king dick around here, but he’s not. I’m having to fight him.”
I breathed out a sigh, but only a half one.
“I’ll take care of our family—always.” I looked into his eyes and leaned down to kiss him. What started as a sweet peck evolved into more as he grabbed the back of my neck and tightened his hold. With my mouth, I made my way down his body, paying special attention to his stomach, now the den for our kit for the next six months or so. Fox shifters tended to be somewhere in between a regular fox and a human. He would grow fast and eat a lot. I smiled against the soft skin of his belly.
“What are you smiling at? You’re gonna be the gooshy papa, aren’t you?” Locus teased me as he combed his fingers through my hair. “I love your hair. It’s like mine. We’re the same.”
I nodded. “I’m going to be the best papa in the world.”
Locus giggled. “And we have a built-in doctor. Convenience factor ten.”
I tickled his sides but was careful. “Oh, I’m a mate of convenience, how romantic.”
Locus got on his knees and faced me as I mimicked his movements. “You’re the alpha I didn’t even know I could have—didn’t even know I could wish for. We are both so lucky to have you.” He reached down and rubbed his stomach while the sincere words touched my soul.
“You’re coming to work with me today. That’s not a question.”
He nodded. “I figured as much. You wouldn’t let us out of your sight.”
I breathed out a long sigh. “I will one day, but not today. Today, I need you near me.”
“Fine by me. Oh, and I’m starving.”
I snorted and took him by the hand. We walked downstairs and into the kitchen where I made him omelets, sweet potato hash browns, and English muffins while he attempted to brew coffee. “Tea for you or milk. No coffee.”
He gave me a dead stare. “You know my feelings about coffee. I don’t have feelings about many things, but coffee is one of the things I know.”
I almost cracked up at his seriousness. “Caffeine and babies don’t mix well. The convenient alpha doctor says so.”
He pouted. “Fine. We know you have tea.”
I watched as he riffled through the tea drawer, saying no and maybe to each flavor.
“I can feel your eyes on me,” he said, looking over his shoulder.
“I’m enjoying my morning view.”
Not being able to take even the slightest amount of distance from him, I closed in and enveloped him in my arms, my stiffness rubbing along his cheeks.
“I think there’s a way I can make you feel better about not having coffee,” I breathed into his ear before nibbling on his lobe.
“Where?” Was his only question.
“Right here. Get up on the counter.”
He turned around, eyes wide. Instead of giving him a chance to think about it, I put my hands on his waist and boosted him up to sit on the counter, pulling his hips forward so his ass was barely hanging off the counter.
“Spread your legs for me, Locus.”
My omega did well in leaning back and resting on his elbows while spreading his knees, giving me the best view of his body.
I wasted no time taking his cock into my mouth making him moan my name. His hips rocked against me as I sucked and licked him, his cries ever more desperate.
“I’m ready for you.” Locus breathed out and tried to get down but I was having none of it.
“Stay there, omega. I love you like this.”
Gently, I pushed one finger then two into his slick hole and with the other arm helped him balance. Bucking against my fingers, he pulled me in to kiss him while he pumped his dick up and down matching my strokes.
I watched as his hand moved faster and his sac slowly pulled into his body, his orgasm close and sure.
“Let me finish you,” I almost begged.
He nodded and two seconds later, the hot pulses of his cum shot down my throat while my name left his mouth over and over.
“I’ve never…” he said getting down and laying his forehead against my chest.
“You’ve never what?”
“Never thought it could be this way. Now I need a shower and you need to clean off this counter.”
I kissed the top of his head. “We’ll both shower then clean up then eat—then I need to go into the office.”
“And I’m going with you.”
I nodded. “After work, we’re going to buy you some clothes.”
Locus started up the stairs. “That doesn’t mean I have to wear them at home, do I?”
“No.” My chest puffed up at him calling this place home. “At least not until the baby comes.”
“Deal.”
Our shower took longer than normal, in the best way possible. By the time we were done, Locus’ stomach growled louder than a pack of wolves.
He rushed downstairs, still in his towel, and ate everything I’d cooked and then paced around the kitchen, spooning peanut butter into this mouth straight from the jar.
“I guess we need to go food shopping while we’re out,” I joked.
“No idea the hunger would start so fast.”
I shrugged one shoulder. “Well, you were skinny to begin with. Gotta feed you and the babe.”
He nodded. “I’m going to put some clothes on and I’m taking this with me.”
I yelled while he bounded up the stairs, “There’s a place that sells fried chicken biscuits on the way if you need me to stop.”
I laughed at the joke before my omega appeared at the top of the stairs, T-shirt in one hand, pants in the other, spoon in his mouth.
“Oh, that sounds so good. Thanks!”
Now to tell Patty the good news—all of the good news.