Chapter 16 Weston
WESTON
Asher and I decided to spend a couple of days just the two of us, not focusing on the den, the pack, or my job. None of it. We were just focusing on us. The first day we spent either in bed or getting food. It was the best.
But today, we were going to venture out and head to the closest city, although I used the term “city” very loosely. It did have some big-box stores and multiple restaurants and was far enough away from reality that we could just focus on the two of us.
Even with Stevenson, who had known me for so many years, I’d never been able to let my guard down enough to do something that embarrassing, something I only did by myself before this.
But with Asher, especially now that I was marked, I didn’t feel the need to hide anything at all.
It was freeing, but it also gave me a sense of safety I’d never had before.
We pulled into a large strip mall where there were quite a few stores and our destination, Mama’s Waffles, a restaurant that specialized in waffles.
“Have I told you that you are the best ever?” I kissed his cheek as I unbuckled my seatbelt.
“You have, but what specifically am I the best for now?”
“I’ve been craving these waffles since about 3 a.m. and here we are.”
I’d woken up needing, not wanting… needing waffles, to the point where if we’d been anywhere else and I thought there was a hope of getting any, I’d have gone out and hunted them down.
But in Bramble Woods, that was not going to happen.
There wasn’t anything open. During the day, I’d have failed in my quest too.
Waffles were considered fancy fare by Mike, and Bobby considered them frozen food you popped in the toaster.
At this point, I would have been willing to eat even those, but this was going to be so much better.
“Anything for you.” He gave my hand a squeeze and then popped out of the car, walking to the other side and meeting me as I shut my door.
He grabbed my hand, and we followed the delicious scent to our destination. Online, the reviews said they had the best waffles in the world. I doubted that, but I was sure they were going to be good.
There were paper menus taped to the window, a missing E on the sign, and an open sign that was so faded you could no longer read their hours. There was nothing fancy about the place, which 100% meant the food was going to be amazing.
We were between the typical breakfast and lunch hours and found a booth in the back.
When our server came over with water and menus, I couldn’t believe how many options there were.
I figured there would be toppings to choose from, but there were entire kinds of waffles.
They had pumpkin waffles, chocolate waffles, blueberry waffles, buttermilk waffles, Belgian waffles, regular waffles, stuffed waffles, and protein waffles.
I put the menu down. “There are too many waffles.” That was a phrase I’d never expected to come from my lips.
He placed his hand on mine. “How about this? Before we got here, what were you thinking you wanted?”
“I wanted those really fat ones with lots of butter on them and bacon.”
“Then that’s what you should get.”
“Thanks.” It shouldn’t have been a stressful decision, and I was glad he showed me I’d already made it. “And what are you getting?”
“Chocolate waffles with strawberries. Obviously.”
I’d never have guessed that my big strong alpha would order something that was so either childlike or dessert-like, depending upon how you looked at it. It made me smile. He was amazing.
I’ve been doing a lot of that lately… smiling. Now that things were starting to settle and I wasn’t worried about returning funds or being murdered by bears because I pissed one of them off, it was easy. Especially with Asher by my side.
The waffles were amazing and hit the spot. The company was a thousand times better, though. I ate it all, every last bite. I was so full when we left that I didn’t think I’d eat again for the rest of the day.
But after wandering through a junk store which had some really cool vintage items, along with modern secondhand tools and a bejeweled travel mug, I was already hungry again. Come to think of it, I’d been like that yesterday, too. Hungry, hungry, hungry.
“Hey, I know we just ate, but do you want to grab a burger?” I asked.
“Yeah, we can do that,” he said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve gained my shifter metabolism.”
“I wish.” Although, if a shifter metabolism meant always being hungry, then maybe I didn’t wish.
We headed to a hamburger food truck that had been featured on some cooking show for having the juiciest burgers, and they were delightful. Then, once again, I was super full.
We went to a couple more places, and I was starving again.
Before we got back in the car ready to leave, I’d eaten four full meals, and not little meals, either.
The scariest part was I was thinking of where we should stop on the way home because I was hungry yet again.
Never in my life had I eaten that much food in a day, or a weekend for that matter.
“If I didn’t know better,” Asher said, putting his hand on my belly, “I’d say we’re expecting.”
“What do you mean?”
“Shifter pregnancies usually start with being really hungry, then being really tired.”
“I wouldn’t already be having symptoms, though. We haven’t been together long enough for that.”
“If you were a shifter, you would.” He turned on the ignition and asked if there was any place I wanted to stop on the way back. I told him the taco truck in the gas station about halfway.
Could he be right? Could I be pregnant? It wasn’t as if I had a better explanation for the bottomless pit that was now my stomach.
I thought about his words the entire car ride home and regretted not having him stop for a pregnancy test along the way.
If I were pregnant with a shifter baby, it would make sense I was experiencing symptoms like a shifter omega would have.
Me dismissing it as too soon wouldn’t change that.
The scientist in me knew better than that.
Instead of going into our B&B, I made him stop at the general store to pick one up.
The entire town was going to know that, at the very least, I was doing things that could get me pregnant.
Back at the B&B, I took the test, set it on the toilet tank, and went to wait with Asher.
“What if it’s positive?” I asked him. We hadn’t discussed parenthood, especially not this soon.
“Then we’ll have a baby.” His reply was simple and matter-of-fact.
I had no idea what he was thinking, so I asked him straight out, “Would that make you happy?”
“Immensely. But only if that’s what you want.”
“I hadn’t thought about it until today,” I admitted, “and my original reaction to thinking I was pregnant was happiness. It caught me off guard, but didn’t upset me. Isn’t it too soon, though?”
“It’s not too soon if it’s what we want.” He stood up and held out his hand for mine. “Let’s go find out.”
We walked in together, and there was no playing the game of, “Is this positive or not?” Two bright blue lines sat there staring at us. I was pregnant.
“I’m having your baby,” I whispered.
He pulled me into his arms and held me tightly. “You’re having my baby. We’re gonna be dads.”
“Yeah,” I said, a grin spreading across my face. “We’re gonna be dads.”
And suddenly, the timing felt absolutely perfect.
“Mate?” I looked up at Asher.
“Yes, omega mine.”
“I think our baby should grow up around other shifters. Let’s stay here. Let’s make Bramble Woods our home.”
“Can’t do that because you, omega mine, are my home. But we can live here.”
Before I could respond, he brought his lips to mine, and I lost myself in his kiss.