Chapter 18 Pregnancy #2
“‘Butt-Cart Probe Master is a squishy marshmallow shaped like an eggplant,’” Hijinks whispered.
Ottis turned, squinting at the butler. “That’s totally not the password.”
Hijinks waggled his eyebrows. “But it could be. You won’t know until you try it.”
“The door didn’t open when you said it.”
The butler cackled. “It might be coded for your voice.”
“I remain suspicious.”
“Oh, oh! I know a better password.” Hijinks danced down the hallway, getting closer. “It’s ‘Probe Master has a hot butt. I would lick his butt.’”
Ottis buried his face in his hands. “I’m not saying it!”
“It would open the door,” Hijinks sang. “Don’t you want to see what’s inside?”
“Not without Doc’s permission!”
Hijinks shuffled closer, giving Ottis a significant look. “You know you want an excuse to say those ridiculous passwords.”
“I don’t,” Ottis grumbled. But he rocked back and forth on the shopping cart, curious now.
What if Doc had given him access to his hoard? The alpha wasn’t home yet, so he wouldn’t see Ottis embarrassing himself.
He bit his lip, his heart thumping. “Okay, which should I try?”
“Definitely the one about butt-licking.” Hijinks snickered.
Ottis buried his face in his hands. “What is my life coming to?” But he swiveled his head to face the sensor pad. “Probe Master has a hot butt. I would lick his butt.”
It sounded so terrible that Ottis cringed.
Except the steel doors opened with a hiss.
That made him shoot upright. “What the fuck?” he cried. “That was the password?!”
“In your voice,” Hijinks said sagely.
“You would lick my butt?” came a voice that should not be there.
Ottis whipped around, his face burning so hot that he needed ten million ice packs. “I said nothing!”
Doc was leaning against the hallway wall in his hospital scrubs, muscular arms folded across his generous chest. His eyes were crinkled in a smile.
Ottis thumped his head against the wall, horrified. “Why is that your password?”
“Hijinks added it with my permission,” Doc said dryly.
“I would’ve made it a much fancier pickup line, but that would be easier to fumble.” The butler pouted. “If you say those pickup lines too many times, they’ll lose their magic.”
“I’m not sure they’re even magical, to start with,” Ottis muttered.
“You just haven’t experienced the perfect pickup line,” Hijinks said loftily. “Aren’t you going to have a look in there?”
Ottis jerked. “Oh yeah. The doors are open.”
He couldn’t believe he had already forgotten about that. He shuffled to the entrance of Doc’s hoard and looked around.
The space was divided into three sections.
In the far corner, several pieces of antique medical equipment were packed tightly together, all of them lovingly refurbished.
Closest to the door was a herd of rocking horses—large horses, small ones, horses made of the reddest wood, horses that were realistically carved, horses that seemed to be inspired by a child’s scribbled drawings.
“Rocking horses?” Ottis blurted, staring at an ebony horse inlaid with opal and gold.
“I’ve always loved them.” Doc shrugged sheepishly. “Something about the perpetual motion. A horse that never tires, even though it’ll always be stuck in the same spot. It’s not what most people would consider valuable.”
“You don’t have to be embarrassed by what you like. These are beautiful.”
Doc’s smile stretched his mask.
In the middle, sandwiched between the medical equipment and the rocking horses, were building materials. Piles of richly colored wood, bolts of embroidered, satiny fabric, pillows and cushions that looked like they belonged in a palace.
These all felt so out of place. Why would Doc stash building materials in his high-security vault, rather than in a shed at the back of his mansion?
“Is this like a crafting hoard, but instead of yarn, you hoard wood?” Ottis blurted.
Doc took a breath like he was about to answer, and paused. His face turned pink. “Well.”
Ottis raised his eyebrows.
I’ve been collecting materials,” Doc said hesitantly. “Any time I travel and find something valuable, I hoard it in the hopes that maybe, one day, I... I might have an omega to build a nest for.”
Ottis’ heart thumped. “Oh.”
He barely swallowed the words on his tongue. Do you want to build a nest for me?
Doc reached out, lightly running the backs of his knuckles over Ottis’ belly. “I’ve been thinking. If you’d like—”
“Yes,” Ottis said.
Doc huffed. “I haven’t even finished asking.”
“I want everything. I’m a greedy fucker who can’t get enough of you.”
Instead of frowning, Doc beamed. “Then I shall build you a nest.”
Ottis’ heart fluttered again.
“But first.” Doc turned to face Ottis fully, his brow pinching. “You look exhausted, sweetheart.”
“Feels like I’ve been run over by a truck,” Ottis admitted. “I could sleep for days.”
“Let’s get you back to bed.” Doc scooped Ottis into his arms and nudged the cart. “C’mon, cart buddy. Let’s head upstairs.”
“You should be resting too,” Ottis said. “You’re tired.”
“Later.” Doc brought Ottis to the foot of the stairs. There, he grabbed the cart—and Marcie in its belly—in his other arm. He carried them upstairs in an impressive show of strength.
“Wow, you’re hot,” Ottis blurted.
“My core is made of fire,” Doc said, pleased. He deposited the cart at the top of the stairs, holding onto it. “No wheeling down the stairs if you’re carrying Marcie, buddy. She will get hurt if you do.”
The cart squeaked its wheels in agreement. Doc released it.
The four of them arrived at Doc’s bedroom. Doc set Ottis gently on the bed. Ottis wriggled out of his clothes while the cart brought Marcie to every corner, showing her Doc’s belongings.
“We should name the cart,” Ottis mumbled. “It’s been running around the mansion, claiming this place as its territory.”
Doc laughed. “Has it?”
“Yeah. It follows me everywhere I go, but whenever I sit down, it goes off and pokes into all the corners. It’s been stuck on the stairs, in the grass, on the tree roots. I’ve had to rescue it several times. But I think it might want to think of you as its alpha. You should assert your dominance.”
“How do I assert my dominance over a shopping cart?”
“Stand over it and beat your chest?” Ottis snickered.
Doc snorted. “Let me try something else. Hey, cart. Come over here, buddy.”
The cart moseyed over, playfully nudging Marcie with its flap. Marcie giggled and kicked.
Doc scooped Marcie out and set her next to Ottis. “Cart buddy, what would you like to be named?”
The cart wriggled and squeaked its wheels.
“Hotcart,” Ottis said. “Like a hotdog, but a cart.”
Doc laughed and turned to the cart. “What do you think?”
The cart bumped their knees and lifted its flap; Ottis perked up.
“Yeah? Hotcart it is,” he said, petting its cargo basket. “You’re great.”
The cart turned in a tight circle, before racing around the bedroom. Then it ducked through the doors and raced off to parts unknown.
“Don’t fall down the stairs!” Doc yelled after it. “It’s going to hurt your wheels!”
The cart squeaked again, its wheels grinding as it changed directions abruptly.
Ottis sighed. “Imagine if you hadn’t told it that.”
Doc chuckled. “It’s just like a pup. Except we can fix its hurts.”
“You can fix it. I probably can’t, with my inferior strength.”
“There’s a few fixes you can do,” Doc said thoughtfully. “Like tightening screws and cleaning it up.”
“That’s true,” Ottis said, feeling better.
“Not right now, though.” Doc began to pull off his hospital scrubs. “Naptime?”
“Yes!” Ottis wriggled out of his clothes, his fatigue settling back in now that the excitement was over. “I’m just so... tired.”
“Sleep. I’ll watch over you both.”
“Mmm.” Ottis helped Marcie out of her clothes. When he shifted into a wolf, Marcie did the same. Except she didn’t curl up with him. While Ottis tucked his nose under his tail, Marcie clambered all over him.
Doc took a quick shower and climbed into bed with them, shifting into a shimmering gold dragon. Marcie promptly shifted into a tiny red dragon, roaring and trying to scramble all over Doc instead.
Doc cooed, helping Marcie onto his tail. “She’s amazing.”
“She’ll wear herself out like that,” Ottis mumbled.
“Good. Then we’ll all be able to nap,” Doc said dryly. He curled himself around Ottis, a solid, smooth wall of heat. Ottis barely noticed the wing that Doc tucked around him; he was already fast asleep.
Two days later, Ottis threw up all over Doc.