Chapter 4
The next day Hale drove me back to the resort in his ATV, our bodies closer than they’d been yesterday. Our souls were mated now and our physical selves were close, but our souls were much closer. We drove into the resort and he parked the ATV. Helping me down he pushed my hair back from my face where the wind had pulled it free from its tie.
“That’s the beautiful girl I saw that first day. You stole my heart that day. Will you come back with me tonight? Bring your things and you can stay with me forever. Just move in and later we’ll get your things from home. Or is it too soon?”
I hesitated, like a fool, I hesitated. Not because I had doubts but because I knew it was going to be a headache and I didn’t want to leave my job, I loved my job! I looked at him for a moment and saw his heart break.
“I can’t just decide to leave my job. I’m a teacher. I have responsibilities.” I told him, giving him my first protest.
“I’ll take care of you. I have enough money to support a village. That’s not a problem.” Hale responded.
“But I like my job.” I protested once more.
“You can work here, we have schools.”
“Alright. That’s an idea. I’ll tell you this evening. I have to think about it. It’s a big step for me. I just have to wrap my head around all of this, Hale. It’s not you. I’ve never done anything like this, I’ve never lived with a man, and I’d never even had sex until last night. I just need to assimilate it all for a few hours. I’ll see you this evening, alright?” I moved closer, wanting him to understand.
“Of course darling, I’m sorry. I should have thought. Of course, take your time. I’ll be here waiting, for eternity if I have to.” He smiled as he said the words and pulled me close for a kiss. That was our last kiss.
* * *
Three months later, I was sitting in a doctor’s office, stunned and unable to take in the enormity of what had just been said to me. I looked at the results of the test and my heart sank. What was I going to do now? Life as I knew it was about to end.
I went home and thought about the last few months, and those final moment of my life at the resort. I’d gone up to my room to change and found my phone filled with messages and missed calls. I’d rushed out of the resort, leaving notes for Cora, Kaia, and Hale as none of them were to be found. My mother had been rushed to the hospital with a suspected heart attack and I’d gone home to be with her.
Mom had recovered but it had been a long road so far. That road had been made harder for me by the lack of response from Hale. I hadn’t heard from him since that day, not a word. Between work and going home to take care of Mom I hadn’t had time to talk to Cora or Kaia. I hadn’t heard from any of them in three months now. I knew the ladies were fine from their social media but nothing about Hale.
Mom was recovering now and I was spending more nights at my own house than at hers now but I’d been feeling tired, run down, and just off. Mom insisted I go to the doctor and take care of myself. I’d expected to hear that I was stressed, that my nerves were shattered, not the news I’d received. But it was there, in black and white.
I was pregnant.
Whether he’d abandoned me or not Hale deserved to know about this. I arranged for a nurse to go and stay with Mom and drove down to the Singing Stones Resort one more time. He at least deserved to know he had a child on the way.
* * *
In my time away from Hale I’d learned quite a lot about myself. I no longer thought I was a troll that didn’t deserve to be loved or that I was so disgusting I needed to hide every inch of my flesh. I’d figured out my conservative streak had more to do with my own self-hate than anything else. I’d learned to wear clothes that highlighted my good qualities and hid the ones I’d rather not show off. I delighted in who I was and became a more open person.
He’d given me that much at least. I won’t lie and say his rejection didn’t break my heart, because it did, I felt like a piece of me was missing. I had, however, learned to live without that piece of me. Kind of. But he’d given me a new piece, something else to look forward to and to love. The idea was sinking in now. I was going to have a baby. Probably a shifter baby. I didn’t know how any of this worked but I’d figure it out as we went along.
The miles passed and soon enough I was pulling into the parking lot of the resort. It hadn’t changed, though the scenery had as winter set in. It was still a beautiful resort and inside its walls was the man I loved. I’d have to tamp down on that to get through this but I’d do it. Somehow. He’d rejected me but I had to make him listen and I had to control myself while doing it. As long as I didn’t break down crying I’d be happy.
I walked into the resort and the first person I saw was Hale. An overwhelming urge to scream my bottled up pain at him deflated as I saw a haggard man, worn with worry and sorrow stare at me with anger. What the hell, I thought. Why is he angry with me?
Hale took my arm and guided me to his office, a large room with a large desk and a leather couch in one corner. He marched behind his desk and pointed at a chair in front of it. I sat down, staring at him in resentment and disbelief. This bastard had the nerve to be angry that I was there! It hadn’t been enough that he’d rejected me now he was angry too. Fuck him!
I didn’t say that though. I didn’t get a chance to.
“What are you doing here, Tessa?” He asked abruptly, his tone cold.
“Excuse me?”
“Just what I said, what are you doing here?”
“I came to tell you something. Boy, when you are done with somebody you are done! You didn’t even bother to tell me “bye Felicia” and now you can’t wait to get me out of the door. But what more did I expect from you?”
“I don’t know who this Felicia is or why I’d call you that but you’re the one that left without a word. You haven’t even contacted Cora and Kaia! I know because I’ve asked! Not a single word in three months, Tessa!” His palm came down on the desk and I have to admit I jumped.
“That’s a lie! I left notes for all of you and none of you even bothered to text me. My mother had a heart attack and all of you left me to deal on my own.” Months of hurt and anger at all three poured out with those words. “She nearly died and what did I get from any of you? Not a damned thing!”
“What?” Hale looked shocked and hurt.
“I left notes for all of you at the front desk, I didn’t have time for texting, and my mother was dying. I sped all the way home and have since spent every moment at work or with her, trying to improve her health. It’s been a long road but she’s finally improving. And now, well now I have more news.”
“Wait, you left notes? But the clerk said you’d left nothing. I asked him twice. He didn’t remember you.” Hale looked angry again now.
“Maybe he lost them? I don’t know but I left three of them, all basically the same but for yours. It said “I accept but please come to the hospital when you have time. I need you now”. But you never came, no matter how long I waited, you never came. I even put the address of the hospital on the note and you never came!” I was all but wailing by then and Hale came rushing around his desk to console me.
I was blaming my outburst on pregnancy hormones but I knew it was just months of heartache and pain pouring out.
“Shh, darling. It was all a misunderstanding. Hush baby, it can all be fixed. Please, stop. My heart is breaking, please Tessa, just stop sobbing baby.” He held me to him as my body shook with released emotions of all sorts. His suit jacket was soaked by the time I finally quieted down.
“It can’t all be fixed. Not the part where we’re tied together for the rest of our lives whether we want to be or not.” I hiccupped out, blowing my nose on a tissue he gave me. I think I needed another.
I reached for one more as the words started to sink into his brain. I could see the moment realization dawned.
“OH?” He asked, his eyes wide, a grin spreading over his face.
“Yes, oh. A baby.” I smiled at him, kneeling before me with wonder and excitement on his face.
“A baby. Oh. Wow!” I wasn’t sure what I was expecting but his response was endearing and as it sank in even more he just grew happier and happier.
“A baby! Oh my god, Tessa, a baby!” He was pulling me to him once more and as he pulled me to him to kiss me I could hear what sounded like applause outside of his door.
“I think they’re happy for us.” I whispered up to him, my hands going under his suit jacket to pull his shirt from his pants.
“There’s going to be a lot more happiness around here if you’ll have me, Tessa. I still want you here. I waited, hoping, but I let anger take over and that’s my own lesson to learn. You needed to be there for your Mom and I needed to be there for you but I wasn’t. I’ll make up for that now.”
He pulled me to him, nestling me between his legs as he sat on his desk. His hands pulled my clothes away, giving each piece an admiring glance as he did so. I laughed low and sultry, enjoying how his eyes went wide as he revealed my large round breasts, still swollen and tender but better now.
His fingers flicked at them gently and I gasped.
“Um, be careful. Over the last few days I’ve orgasmed just rolling over in bed because of those things.” I told him with a laugh.
“Really? Oh this might be fun.” He said with the curiosity of a little boy with a new toy.
His lips moved down to suck one and then the other. I’d been practicing at this masturbating stuff to learn control and to try to relieve the emptiness I’d felt inside after our separation but nothing compared to the real thing. I watched the muscles flexing in his arms as he took off his clothes and led me to the couch. I stretched out on the leather and pulled him to me, my body craving only Hale inside of me.
As he slid into my wet depths I knew this was home, this was where I belonged. Hale’s fingers found my hidden button at the same moment his lips found a nipple. The orgasm didn’t come as quick as rolling over in bed but it was oh so much better. I came around his hard cock, my body shuddering with spasms of pleasure.
Hale watched, pleased, as my body responded to his sliding touch. He let me rest and then he turned me over, my ass high in the air as he stood behind me.
“Put your right leg up on the couch Tessa. That’s it.” He guided himself into me as I lifted my leg and I couldn’t believe how good it felt.
“Just remember my love, they can hear you out there.” He urged as I moaned in pleasure.
This was another lesson in control. One of many I looked forward to learning. We were tied together now, for better or worse, and as he moved within me, as he stroked me once more to the heights of pleasure, I wanted nothing more from life. I wanted him, our baby, and to live a peaceful life. I came with him once more, his cock surging inside of me, as we moved in time together.
I had no doubts about my looks, nothing to be ashamed of. Only joy at finally being back with my shifter mate. We’d work the rest out and life would be what we made of it. We’d explore his world together and mine, joining them into a blend of what suited us best. Now that we were back together we could make quite a lot of our lives. Because we were mated. Forever.
The End