Chapter 7
Brierley looked out the kitchen window and then at her mate. “April showers bring May flowers, right?”
Axtyn looked up from the manual he was studying and tilted his head. “What?”
“It’s raining. So that means we’ll have pretty flowers in May. I think.”
“Why are you thinking about flowers?”
“Hello, because it’s raining!”
He chuckled and scooted his chair from the table. Standing, he joined her at the sink, resting his chin on top of her head and settling his hands around her extended belly. She was five months pregnant with their child, and the ultrasound she’d gotten the day before revealed the baby was a boy. Which meant that he would be a minotaur shifter just like his dad. When she’d shared the news with him, he hadn’t cared whether their child was a boy or a girl, he’d only cared that she and the young were healthy.
Later, he’d shared his concerns that their son might face the same problems with losing control of his shift if he didn’t find his mate as he grew up. Brierley wondered if he’d had so much trouble because he was all alone. If he’d had his family with him, maybe he wouldn’t have lost control like he did. She hoped that their children all found their mates and never faced the worry that Axtyn had, though.
“If our next child is a girl, you can name her April or May.”
“We haven’t had this one yet and you’re already thinking about the next one? You must think I enjoy making love to you all the time and don’t mind being pregnant.”
She turned in his arms and grinned.
“You don’t.”
She hummed and then giggled. “You’re right, my sexy mate.”
“We didn’t talk about baby names for our son yet.”
“I was thinking about Artem.” It was his father’s name.
He dropped his head to kiss her and murmured, “Oh, sweetheart, you’re wonderful.”
“It’s a strong name. And I wish I’d gotten a chance to meet him.”
“He would have loved you.”
“I’m sure I would’ve loved him, too.”
“I can’t wait to meet our son. I have a surprise for you.” He left the kitchen.
She called after him. “A sexy surprise?”
He chuckled as he walked into the kitchen carrying a small white paper bag with tufts of powder-blue tissue paper sticking from the top. He handed it to her.
“What is this?”
“I wanted to be the first one to buy you a baby gift.”
“Aw.” Their baby shower was scheduled for the end of August, and Angel and Ally were hosting it. Although Brierley and Axtyn had cleaned out the second bedroom, they hadn’t bought anything for the baby yet. The first part of the year had flown by as they’d worked on the four-wheelers. He’d not only taught her how to drive one, but also how to make minor repairs. She left the heavy lifting to him, though, and since they were getting ready to start the tours in June, she was focusing on getting a registration desk set up at the barn.
She pulled the tissue paper from the bag and set it on the counter, then lifted a pair of footy pajamas from the bag. They were pastel blue with little owls on them.
“Oh!” She laughed and tears stung her eyes at the sweet gift. “They’re just like me.”
He took the pajamas from her and laid them carefully over her belly. “A perfect fit.”
She hugged him tightly and sniffled. “You’re the best mate.”
“Are you crying, sweetheart?” he murmured, holding her close.
“Happy tears.”
“My sweet mate. Our son is so lucky to have you for a mom.”
“And you for a dad.”
She carried the outfit to the bedroom and turned on the overhead light. The floor was hardwood, and the walls were plain white. The only window in the room overlooked the woods. She went to the closet and pushed the sliding door open, staring at the empty space. She folded the outfit and put it on the shelf, then turned to face Axtyn where he stood in the doorway.
“I want to strip the floor and refinish it before we move any furniture in here,” she said.
“I’ll do it this weekend. I don’t want you handling any chemicals.”
“Then I’ll make curtains while you’re doing that.”
“Blue?”
“Of course,” she said with a smile.
“What else do we need?”
“Ally said her and her mates would buy a crib for us, and Angel and her mates offered to buy a dresser to match. I’d like a rocking chair, though.” She moved to the window and looked out, envisioning holding their son and rocking him. “It’s a beautiful view.”
He joined her, sliding his hands around to rest on her belly. She loved the heat of his skin against hers, and the way she felt immediately safe whenever he was near. Nothing and no one would ever harm their family, because he was a wonderful protector. He was the best male she’d ever known, and his love for her was as strong as the trees that grew outside the window.
He nuzzled her neck and kissed her, nipping at her skin and setting her senses on fire. “I love you, sweetheart.”
She turned in his arms and gazed up at him, seeing the reflection of his beast in the dark depths. “I love you, too.”
* * *
*Five Months Later*
Axtyn rolled over and found the bed empty; the sheets where Brierley had lain were now cold to the touch. He canted his head and listened carefully, picking up the sound of her soft singing. Smiling, he got up and walked across the hall to their son’s bedroom. His mate was stunning; the moonlight streaming through the window highlighted the white-blonde of her long hair and the pale hue of her skin. Artem was nestled against her breast, and she was singing a song he recognized as one she’d said her mother had sung to her when she was little. Although there was much he hated about her life in the nest, she was the amazing person she was because of her experiences.
He walked quietly to the rocking chair and rested his hand on her shoulder. She whispered, “He’s such a sweet baby.”
“I think he takes after you in that department.”
She lifted her head and smiled. “You’re very sweet, too.”
“Only for you.”
“And for our son.”
He kissed the top of her head and brushed his fingertips lightly over the tuft of hair on Artem’s head. He stood next to her until the baby was asleep, then carried him to the crib and set him gently on the blue-and-white striped sheets. Brierley joined him, slipping her arm around his waist as they watched their son sleep.
“I’m so happy,” she whispered. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Axtyn.”
He hugged her close. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me too, sweetheart. I don’t know where I would be now if it weren’t for you – lost and alone, and a shell of a man, for sure.”
She tipped her face up to look at him, her eyes shining with happiness. Then she yawned, her jaw cracking with the motion.
He swept her up into his arms and carried her back to bed. As he laid down next to her, she snuggled against him with a yawn and sigh combined. “In another two weeks we can make love again. Do you miss me?”
“Every second.”
Her body shook slightly as she laughed. “Me, too.”
He kissed her forehead. “Did I tell you I love you today?”
“A few times.”
“Then I’ll tell you again: Love you. So very much.”
“I love you, too.”
She sighed deeply and relaxed against him, swiftly drifting off to sleep. He closed his eyes and reveled in the sweet weight of his mate against him, and the comfort he got from her presence. She was everything to him, and he was a better male because of her.
One night a minotaur dreamed of his truemate, and then his whole world changed. A life that had been filled with fighting and blood was now saturated with love and family; the past all but erased, and the future bright and wide open. He’d once thought there was no hope, but now he knew that hope lay in his mate and her generous heart and warm embrace. Brierley had changed him forever, and he couldn’t be happier.
The owl and the minotaur, and their little baby boy.