Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
Theo wandered around Niall’s kitchen, wiping down this counter, scrubbing out that pan.
Everyone worked hard to keep the place really clean and to do all of the chores, and he really didn’t feel as if he had a lot to do.
Of course, he was helping take care of the children, because he had Gael anyway, but he felt like he needed something more.
Something that was just his. Something that he could actually contribute.
He was sitting at the kitchen table staring into a black cup of coffee and contemplating how nasty it smelled, when Niall walked in, whistling. He stopped at the sight of Theo, a sympathetic expression coming across his face.
“You’re feeling sad. Are you missing home?” Niall asked.
“No, not at all. Actually, by the time the pack broke up, things were not going well. And this side of the mountain looks very much like the other side as far as scenery. I just wish that I had a job. Everyone is so well established here already.”
Niall chuckled lightly. “Loyal said the same thing when he came. So did John, who is Keegan’s mate.
Fen as well was worried that he would never fit in.
But I promise there will be something that is just you, something that you and Liam will contribute that no one else can.
In the meantime, how about we make some cookies? ”
Theo laughed, cheering up because Niall wouldn’t let him do anything else. “I love cookies.”
“So do the alphas and the kids. What kind should we make?” Niall started pulling down supplies: flour and sugar, nuts and baking chips.
“I don’t know. What are our options?” He got into the spirit of it, standing up so that he could go survey all of the supplies.
“Well, we could make molasses cookies, or white chocolate macadamia cookies, or classic chocolate chip with pecans.”
“Oh, I think molasses cookies sound amazing with lots of ginger.” He chuckled at himself because he really wanted to belong here, and he felt like maybe Niall was willing to let him.
“Perfect. We’ll start with those. What did you do with your other pack?”
He began to cream sugar and butter. “I don’t know. I mean, there were so few of us, right? And we were just trying to function. We were just trying to get through day-to-day-to-day.”
“Oh, that’s sad and hard; it’s a tough life, I imagine. It’s scary!” Niall was trying so hard to be sympathetic, and he appreciated it and didn’t all at once.
“It was actually just fine most of the time, busy. Just like, instead of being in a pack, being in a very large family. Or even a not particularly large family, and by the end, it was a tiny family.”
“I understand.” Niall bumped hips with him in a very sibling-like way. “Before I became the shaman, I lived up here with my mentor, and the pack always shunned me some. I was so weird to them, and I had been abandoned by an alpha.”
“Oh, that’s awful!” He gave Niall a spontaneous hug. “So you do understand.”
“I do. I get it. Remember, I’m one of you, right? But just think, my babies have a pack who loves them, and they’re not outcasts. Gael, your babies, when you have them, they won’t be outcasts. They’ll have a home.”
Theo nodded. He needed to believe that. He intended to believe it.
“I’m glad. I—” He took a deep breath, then frowned. “Do you think there’s something wrong with the coffee?”
Niall tilted his head and leaned in, sniffed the coffee, took a sip. Then he shook his head. “No, it’s coffee. You don’t care for it?”
“It just smells awful. I usually quite like coffee but not today.” Today, it smelled like ass and made him a little queasy.
“Hmm.” Niall came to him, putting floury hands on his cheeks and peering into his eyes.
“What?” Was he sick? Jaundiced? Was his liver giving out?
“Have you and Liam mated?”
Had they mated? Only dozens and dozens of times, only as many times a day as they could possibly get alone. It had been a few weeks, maybe a little longer than that.
“Yes, we’ve consummated our relationship.”
Niall seemed to be suggesting that…
Wait.
Whoa.
Surely he wasn’t pregnant. He hadn’t even had a heat cycle that he knew of.
“I haven’t been in heat, Niall. I don’t think I can be pregnant.”
Niall shook his head and winced. “I think you may be wrong there.”
“But he says he’s not even a wolf.” They both knew that that wasn’t true, but that was what Liam said. And it seemed to be what Liam truly believed.
“It’s taking him a while to get around to the truth of that, I think.”
He nodded to Niall, pushing over the bowl. “It is, but what am I supposed to do?”
“Grease the cookie sheets.” Niall added eggs to his butter and sugar mixture, lips twisting. “I think you are going to have to tell him you’re pregnant. I imagine that will ease him over the edge of belief.”
“That, or he’ll run screaming. That seems sort of awful.”
Niall’s eyebrows lifted up to his hairline. “If he does that, I will bite him. He’d better not think of running or screaming. Alphas in my clan do not run from their responsibilities.”
Niall’s words made him grin because Theo needed that. Needed to hear that someone else had his back. “I really don’t believe that Liam will run screaming.”
“I really don’t believe that either.” Niall added the molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. It all smelled so good.
Much nicer than the coffee.
“You don’t believe who will do what?” Loyal came wandering in, nose wrinkling. “What smells so good?”
“Molasses cookies.” Niall lifted his face for a kiss. “We have a pregnant packmate.”
Loyal frowned. “Who? Is LuAnn pregnant again? I mean, it’s not you, is it?” Loyal’s eyes went wide, and he looked just a bit panicked. “You would tell me if it was you, right?”
Niall rolled his eyes and shook his head. “It’s not me.”
Loyal sagged against the counter. “Thank the goddess. Four is enough.”
Niall’s lips parted. “If I got pregnant with a another…”
“I would adore it.” Loyal smiled at them. “Of course I would adore it. After I went and threw up like ten times.”
“Well, I know one guaranteed way that I won’t get pregnant.”
Theo thought maybe it was time for him to leave, but he was in the middle of making cookies. He really needed the flour.
Maybe he should just slide out the door and go find his mate.
Theo, are you well?
Yes, Liam. Niall and Loyal are having an argument, and I’m— Where are you?
Come outside; what are they arguing about?
Um, about pregnancy stuff.
Maybe he shouldn’t have said that.
It was really hard to lie brain-to-brain though.
There was a suspicious silence from Liam. And then he heard, Maybe we should talk?
I think that that might be a very good idea because, well, for reasons. Don’t be mad at me.
Why would I be mad?
I’m just worried you will be.
Hopefully, Liam wasn’t terribly disappointed or angry because while he was pregnant, there was very little to be done about that.
He got a mental chuckle then. Come on, love. Outside. Just follow the sound of wood chopping. I still have a few logs left.
He grinned before dusting off his hands and slipping out the door.
Loyal could help his own mate make cookies.
Theo followed the sound of an axe ringing against logs, finding Liam finishing up a pile of wood.
While the packs had solar to run certain things, they still used a lot of the natural resources around them, judiciously cutting wood.
“Hello, love.” He smiled, wishing now that he’d brought something for Liam to drink. He was a total fail today. No cookie making, he’d made Niall and Loyal fight, and now…
“What’s wrong, Theo?” Liam wiped his face off with his discarded shirt, and Theo couldn’t believe he’d taken this long to realize Liam was stripped to the waist.
Liam was so much leaner than Keegan or Loyal, but without his shirt, it became obvious he was corded with hard muscle. His shoulders were broad, his waist narrow, his belly ridged, and he looked like heaven.
Theo wanted to jump him.
“Theo?” Liam moved closer. “What is it?”
“You make my mouth dry.” He reached out to touch Liam’s flat belly. “That wasn’t what I came out to say, but it’s true.”
“Yeah?” Liam grinned at him. “I’m all sweaty. I’m trying to chop plenty of wood so we can take a couple loads up to the dragon house.”
Tracing the bumps of muscle, Theo shook his head. “Our house.”
“Hmmm?”
“Our house. It’s our house now. There are no dragons there.”
“True enough.” Liam bent to give him a lingering kiss. “Now, what did you need me for? You looked sad.”
“Oh.” He sighed. “I need a job.”
“Love, you’ve been recovering. And you’re about to take on the huge job of renovating that house with me.”
“I know.” He kept his eyes on Liam’s chest. “I think I’m pregnant.”
Liam’s eyebrows went up, his mouth going slack. “You what?”
“I’m pregnant. At least that’s what both Niall and I think. The coffee made my stomach churn today, and I’m pretty weepy.”
Liam enfolded him in a hug. A little damp, but that was okay. “Oh, baby. I’m not mad at you. That was what you were worried about, right? I could hear something in my head about ‘don’t be mad at me’.”
“Yes.” He sniffled. “I just— It’s so soon, and I know you’re not even sure about all this, and that you’re a wolf, and—”
“Baby.” Liam took him by the shoulders, staring into his eyes. “I am so not mad at you. Not at all. We’ve been having a lot of wild monkey sex.”
“But I wouldn’t say I’ve been in heat.”
Liam’s cheeks went red. “Okay, so Rory told me about that, but how would you know? The situation has been so stressful.”
“It has…” That was true. He nuzzled in, the scent of Liam sharp and good in his nose.
“I need a shower.”
“Mmmhmm.” What was the question? He wanted Liam. Now.
“Baby. I am not going to make love to you at the woodpile.” Liam lifted him up, holding him easily while he picked up the axe with his other hand to take it to the woodshed.
Always store your tools was a basic tenet of rural living, and he giggled.