Two Wrong Turns (Love Sync Mates Season Two #9)

Chapter 13

Barrett

I was thankful to have finally reached my third month of pregnancy because it was the first time I didn’t feel as if I was going to vomit when I opened my eyes in the morning.

Nausea had been an unwelcome companion for the last several weeks. While it had faded here and there, it had lingered more than anything.

I had worked hard to hide my discomfort from my mate. He was distraught at not being able to help me. He wanted to be able to take care of me in every way possible, which meant that me being uncomfortable in any way frustrated him immensely.

His job suffered because he could barely focus if he knew that I was fighting a wave of nausea. The minute he felt it through the bond, he'd come racing home in the middle of the day. That or he’d call me while he was supposed to be taking care of something else.

It wasn't a huge deal considering the low crime rate in the area, but it was still more than he needed to be doing.

I had to pull my weight, which meant toughening up enough to where he only saw me weak when he was home. Well, "weak" was not the right word.

"Vulnerable" would be a more accurate description. I had realized pretty early on that pregnancy was not something weak people did.

You had to be strong in both body and mind to carry a child.

I have battled with insomnia, nausea, and increasing depression over the last few months. The sad part was it was a direct correlation to my hormones. The doctor knew and still, there was nothing that could be done.

And women had been subjected to this for centuries.

Sure, men in this paranormal world that I had no idea existed also dealt with it. But coming from the human land, I realized I took much for granted.

Each day was a gift. Despite the nausea and other uncomfortable symptoms, I recognized that I was lucky. I had the support of someone who loved me along with a town who seemed hellbent on welcoming me.

I was walking to go get a fresh cup of decaf coffee since caffeine was not my best friend anymore when I heard my name being called.

I looked up to see a face that seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

Nolan and I had had dinner in town very early on in our relationship. But my nausea had made us homebodies.

Since I woke up today feeling fine, I decided I should at least attempt to get closer to all the scents that used to irritate me. Coffee seemed like the easiest option since the diner held too many potential triggers. Getting to the cafe was easy enough.

Except now I was being stopped by a stranger. What fun.

I mean, I knew who it was, but I didn't know who it was. Names were hard to keep track of in a place like this. I’d focused more on what type of shifter they were. My brain managed to file that away easier.

Nolan assured me that all the townspeople were friendly and would want nothing more than to welcome me. My mate had not lied to me so far, which meant that I put on a smile and greeted the stranger with a kind “Hello" at their approach.

"It's so good to see you out and about. Oh, and look at your precious bump. You're glowing," the young woman said, gushing as she framed my stomach with her hands. She didn't touch me. It was more a circling motion to show how round I'd gotten.

I wanted to laugh and cry. My expression must have shown my turmoil because she held her hands up and gasped.

“I am so sorry. That was completely outrageous of me to say. I forget that you're human. Shifters tend to dote on each other's pregnant forms. It's kind of like a compliment to an outfit, I guess, in the human world. I know not to touch you because Nolan would hunt me down and kill me, but I couldn't resist mentioning something. You're just so adorable. The two of you are perfect for each other.”

The harried woman dipped her head and ran off before I could say anything else. My mouth hung open as I tried to grasp what the hell had just happened.

It was weird, but I wasn't offended. Not anymore since she had explained herself. It was another one of those shifter customs that didn't make sense to me. I was going to start carrying around a notebook soon if I wanted to keep up with everything.

I trucked along to the cafe and got what I wanted. A few more people politely nodded or waved, but no one else approached.

With my delicious drink in hand, I decided a short walk through the town would be good for me. If I just so happened to swing by the station to see my mate, then it was purely coincidence.

I cannot be expected to go without him all day when I was actually able to leave the house.

Surely, I sounded like some lovestruck idiot who had separation anxiety. Fun fact, I was definitely a lovestruck idiot who had separation anxiety. I was also deep in a cabin fever zone.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved our home. It was beautiful, and I felt inspired to paint every second I could.

But wanting to be there and having to be there were two different things. I was thankful to not be confined anymore.

I moved through town happy as a clam until I reached the police station. From a distance, I saw a figure that looked a lot like my mate. He was talking with someone else. Honestly, it looked more like he was yelling at someone else, which was very odd considering my mate didn't really get flustered like that.

He was not quick to anger. The most I had seen him blow up, even for work-related things, was to get a little tiffed at someone on the phone.

The closer I got, the more I realized it was my mate and the reason for his anger was actually me.

“What do you mean no one knows where he is? He can't have gone far.”

I moved closer and cleared my throat. "I'm here?” I said like it was a question.

Nolan and the other man's heads whipped my way.

"Mate," he growled, then reached out and crushed me to his chest.

I breathed in his scent, sinking into him and relaxing. The other man chuckled and fled while my mate was distracted.

"What's wrong, Alpha?" I asked him.

He nuzzled into the top of my head and purred. "I felt your anxiety a few moments ago. There was something wrong and when I sent one of my guys out to check on you at the house because they were near there, they said you didn't answer. They also said that the car was gone."

I shrugged. “I didn't feel sick today. I needed to get out of the house before I lost my mind. Are you mad at me?"

He shook his head quickly, pulling me back so I could see the movement. "There's nothing wrong with what you did, mate. I was simply concerned about your safety. With you carrying our cub, I feel even more paranoid about your safety. My Alpha side lost its cool. I apologize for you seeing that."

I reached up and laid a hand on his cheek. "No, Alpha. I’m sorry that I didn't message you. I should have said something. Forgetting that this bond is a two-way street is no excuse. You're so good at hiding your emotions from me. I need to get better at it too.”

He smiled softly. "I'm not hiding them for that reason. It's just that I deal with a lot of things throughout the day. I don't want you to have to pick up on any of the emotions I’m feeling. Sometimes I get aggravated, and I don’t want you worrying. If it was something simple or just general day-to-day stuff, I'd leave my shields down.”

I bit my lip, my gaze on his handsome face as I acknowledged the truth of his words. Not only could I sense that he was being honest, but I could feel the hum of contentment through our bond.

It really was a very powerful connection.

I could see how shifters would meet their mates, fall in love, and trust everything from there. It wasn't like with humans where they could lie and deceive one another. There was no possibility of something being misconstrued or anything beyond a short argument.

I felt like a superhero in our relationship, even though I didn't hold near as much power as Nolan did. His Alpha was strong, and his bear was glorious compared to my weaker human form.

He had shifted for me a few more times in the last few weeks because I was greedy for every drop I could get of his beast. There was something so captivating about him when he was in that form.

I don't know if it was because the human side of him was buried so deep or if it was merely the fact that he looked so much like the drawings I had spent months working on. I only knew that I loved being around him as much as possible.

“What else do you have planned while you're out?” Nolan asked me, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Not much," I told him. “I really just wanted the fresh air and some decaf. You know everything is better when you buy it out instead of making it at home.”

He laughed. “I don't know about that. There are some things that I much prefer to get at home.”

He squeezed my waist where his hands had settled while we talked. I shivered at the touch, the reminder of just what we could get up to at home coming to mind.

I felt slick build in my underwear, and I cursed, shifting out of his hold. “I don't want to mess up my pants while I'm out right now. So no more of that, mister.”

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as if to block me out. I smiled at the way he restrained himself.

When he looked at me again, the hunger was still there, but it had dulled.

“You need to get home, my mate. Get some rest, and then later, I will show you what my favorite homemade meal is.”

I shivered again, unable to hide how his words affected me.

He was sin and temptation, all rolled into a glorious package.

“I want to cuddle after,” I told him.

His grin was cute.

Then I added, “With the bear.”

He shook his head. “You and that beast. Your bond is something else. I don't know of any other shifters whose mates want to do that.”

“That's a lie! I know for a fact that some of these shifters shift and go on runs together. Some even get busy in shifted form.” I whispered the last part, making sure no one else could overhear.

Then again, everyone else in town had shifter hearing. They probably heard me all the way over at the diner. I grimaced thinking of how that conversation would go if I ran into anyone else.

Nolan ran his hands up and down my arms. It was a soothing motion that relaxed me more.

“I wasn't intentionally lying. What I meant is that I've never heard of a human mate and a shifter being like we are. My beast loves to spend time with you. And I'm not complaining because the human part of me gets to be there too. It's just funny that you don't mind being near this big dangerous animal.”

I pouted. “He's not big and dangerous. He's mine. I love him just like I love you. I know he would protect me from any danger in the world and that's why I feel safe cuddling in his arms.”

Nolan's entire body went rigid. His eyes flickered, and I could feel the bear in him come to the surface.

I ran my fingers along his jaw, bringing his face down until our foreheads touched.

“I’m telling the truth, my bear. My mate. I love you both, and I know you will protect me through everything. Me and our cub and all our future cubs.”

My words broke the tension that had built between us. His mouth slanted over mine. He kissed me as if he couldn't spend another second without being connected to me.

Our connection filled with relief, joy, and excitement. There were flashes of images that flew through my mind of the future with us, him and his bear form, and our little cubs running around as well.

I smiled into the kiss, grateful that Fate brought us together.