“It does not matter, dear,” said Cynthia. “For you survived and you will be the matriarch of a wonderful family.” She pressed both hands against my stomach. “But I wish you all the patience, for you will endure the presence of yet another boy.”
“Wait… how do you know that?”
“Nature tells me many things and it is very rarely wrong.”
“So, we’re going to have a boy?” I could not believe it. “Did you hear that? A boy!”
Chapter 20: Roman
The news about our baby was not what I had expected. Cynthia looked like the kind of shifter that had fallen off her rocker. Humans would have called her a ‘hippie.’
But she announced the sex of our child with such confidence that I was apt to believe her. “A boy…” I repeated, just as surprised as everyone else. That surprise came as a burst of adrenaline that came exploding out of my body. I howled and scooped Jane into my arms, twirling her around until we both fell near the fire.
“Careful!” Landon barked.
“They are only having fun,” reminded Cynthia. “No need to chastise them.” I had a feeling that it wouldn’t take much for me to like the forest spirit, as Jane so accurately described her.
“I think we should celebrate!” I grabbed a hunk of deer meat from the fire and tore into the juicy flesh. It had been cooked to perfection thanks to my impeccable campfire skills. Trust me, I’ll make the meanest s’more you’ve ever seen.
“Do you really expect me to eat that?” Jane turned up her nose, disgusted. While she had the abilities of a shifter, she was still very much a human.
“It is very nutritious. This buck was one of the oldest within the forest. Consuming his flesh will impart wisdom unto you and your child.”
“Saying stuff like that makes it creepy,” Jane was starting to turn a little green and it only got worse when she saw Landon gnawing at a bone. “Uh… I think his wolf is showing.”
“Maybe it’s time for me to take you out to dinner,” I suggested, already steering her away from the fire.
“What about Landon and Cynthia?”
“I’m sure they have a lot of catching up to do.”
Worry rippled across her features. “You don’t think…?”
“Landon is a wolf that believes in loyalty. He would never violate your trust in any way.”
“But what about her? What if she still has feelings for him?” Jane kept looking over her shoulder and slowing down, so to expedite the process, I picked her up and carried her towards the motorcycles. “You know, this might be a good time for us to work on your speed. You’ve gotten better with your fighting skills but if push comes to shove, I fear that you won’t prove much of a threat to the wolves that have been trained all their lives.”
“Are you calling me weak?” Again, Jane glanced over her shoulder but Landon and Cynthia had, finally, disappeared from view. To wipe the frown from her face, I pushed her up against a tree and kissed her. I intended to keep it tender but just the taste of her was enough to get me all riled up.
I nibbled at her bottom lip and held her tight against my body so she wouldn’t run away.
She jabbed both her palms into my chest, shoving me off.
“Ow, what was that for?”
“Proving a point.”
“And what point might that be?” I asked with an air of innocence.
“That I am tough enough to fend for myself.” She had both feet planted into the ground and her arms were folded over her breasts. Already, they were becoming swollen with milk. I could only imagine what they would be like once the pup was ready to pop. I had my doubts that he’d be the only one to enjoy her lovely tits…
All of a sudden, she swung her leg in a sweeping arc and had me on the ground. With a snicker, she transformed and ran off. I gave her a few seconds, as a head start, before I followed suit. It didn’t take me much at all to catch up with her.
“Is this the best you’ve got?” I teased as I nipped at her heels. “Because you’re going to be sorry once I catch up to you. Throwing me on my ass like that, it deserves some serious punishment. And don’t think that I’ll go easy on you just because you’re pregnant.”
Instead of answering me, Jane howled at the sky. Her fur prickled into a thicker coat as her survival instincts kicked in.
I kept pushing her, wanting to see exactly what she was capable of.