Chapter Nineteen
William
It was lucky things worked out between us because life had a way of picking a person up and carrying them along on the top of a wave. And our wave began the very first night we made love. When Lars mated and marked me, he did more than that.
His home was lovely. Not as big as Franklin’s or as decorated, but we’d do that ourselves, and as we settled in to life together, we got to experience all the things I’d dreamed of when we were apart and before I thought he’d lost interest in me.
We went on picnics and to the movies. We hiked and shifted and ran as our wolves. He went to work and I started a computer security business consulting with companies all over the world. It paid to have made connections in the military, and my experience there lent me credibility in the outside world too.
But our favorite thing to do was to stay home and cuddle on the sofa and make out like teenagers. Of course, making out always led to more, but we didn’t mind. And on one particular night, while we were making out, I suddenly pushed my mate away and clapped a hand over my mouth before racing to the bathroom.
“Mate?” Lars stood just outside. I hadn’t closed the door all the way, but he was gracious enough to wait there. “Are you all right?”
Considering I was hunched over the toilet bowl, heaving up everything I’d eaten in the last five years, no I wasn’t, but as soon as I stopped gagging long enough, I replied, “I’m okay.”
“Can I come in?”
“I guess so.” I flopped back on my bottom against the wall across from the toilet. “I must have really eaten something bad.” I peered up at him. “Didn’t we eat all the same stuff today?” It was Saturday, and we’d spent the whole day together, at home, working on a painting project and snacking mostly.
“I think so, but something sure set you off.”
“Maybe it’s a bug.” Shifters didn’t get many of those, but we had a few of our own. “I’ve been off all week. I threw up yesterday morning, too.” I’d put it out of my mind until now.
“Well, that’s not good.” He pulled a phone out of his shorts pocket. “I’m getting a healer over here right now.”
“No, that’s not necessary.” I tried to push to my feet, but my knees wobbled and I sank back down again. “I’m okay.” It was just as untrue this time, but I didn’t want him to worry. “If I don’t feel better in the morning, I’ll make an appointment.”
“Hello, Carl? I’m sorry to bother you so late at night, but my omega is sick as a dog.” He chuckled faintly. “Not a wolf joke but might as well be. Can you come over?” He listened for another moment then hung up. “He’ll be here in fifteen minutes, but why don’t we get you cleaned up and into bed so he doesn’t have to examine you on the bathroom floor.”
“I told you I was okay.” I allowed him to help me to my feet, where I swayed a moment until my head stopped spinning. “Wow. Dizzy.”
“Now I am concerned,” he said. “Glad I called Carl, too.”
“You didn’t need to get him out of bed.” I stood while my mate wiped my face down with a cool washcloth and gave me some mouthwash to rinse with. “I feel perfect.” And I proved the point by dropping down to my knees and finding something deep inside that I hadn’t vomited out yet.
By the time Carl got there, I was in bed, mouth rinsed again, this time just with water because Lars was afraid the mouthwash had set me off again, wearing clean cotton pajamas. A perfect invalid. And I really did feel okay. Tired, but okay.
“Good evening, gentlemen.” Carl came into the room with his old-fashioned doctor’s bag and sat on the edge of the bed. I’d met him once before when I burned my hand baking cookies, but that time I’d gone to him. “I understand William is under the weather tonight.” He studied my face and lifted my hands, focusing on my nails. “You look pretty good to me.”
“It’s gone now. Must have been food poisoning or something.”
“I see.” He opened his bag and took out a stethoscope. “Is it all right if I check you out anyway, since I’m here?”
“I’m so sorry we made you get up and come here.” I felt really embarrassed too. “I ate quite a bit of popcorn tonight. Maybe that was it.”
He listened to my chest and back, took my pulse, and looked in my eyes and ears before pulling out a box. “Why don’t you go in the bathroom and use this and we’ll see if we can’t find an answer for you.”
I didn’t look at what he gave me until the bathroom door closed behind me, but when I did, I choked on my own spit. I opened the door again. “This is a pregnancy test.”
“No kidding.” Carl yawned. “We have to eliminate everything and what’s left is what’s wrong. Pee on the stick, please.” He reached for the door and pulled it closed.
Nervous, I did as he told me. My mate had been quiet through the whole process with the healer so far, but he would be waiting to hear the results. We hadn’t even talked about babies yet, and I hoped he wouldn’t be upset if I was pregnant.
Three minutes later, I opened the door and held up the stick. Two lines. I looked at my mate who had tears in his eyes. “Oh no, you’re upset.”
“Upset?” He enfolded me in his arms and plastered my face with kisses. “I’ve never been so happy in my life. Well, maybe when you said you’d come live here with me. But are you happy?”
“Ecstatic.” I kissed him back until the healer cleared his throat.
“I’ll refer you to a midwife, but you can always call me if you need me, okay?”
We saw him out and went to bed and talked all night about the future. It had become one of my favorite topics lately.