Chapter Eighteen
Joaquin
From that moment, from our first night together, we were together nearly all the time.
The theater had become our joint project, him working on the last of the remodeling and dealing with getting the movies lined up and the new electronics installed.
Things had changed a lot since the last time this place had been open to the public, and it took a big chunk of money and effort to make it possible to be ready to entertain the locals and visitors as well.
My job was preparing the snack bar. Since it was technically my business, he had arranged for the contracts to be transferred to me where I didn’t already have connections. Of course, the expenses were greater than my savings could handle, but we worked out a deal.
“You’re my mate, so there is no more yours and mine. This business is ours.”
He would hear nothing different, no matter how I argued, and finally my tiger snarled at me that we were insulting our mate and I threw up my hands.
“Fine. But I plan to work very hard every day to hold up my end.”
“I’d expect nothing else—even if I did prefer you not feel like you had something to prove.”
That was the closest we’d come to an argument, and it ended there with hugs and kisses and promises to never do it again. Of course, that wasn’t practical. Even fated mates had their moments. But with a mate as kind and caring as mine, I didn’t anticipate a lot of chaos.
“I’m sorry, Eryx. I wasn’t feeling myself.”
“What’s wrong?” He was sitting opposite me at the kitchen table where we’d been working on plans for the theater. “Do you need to see the healer?”
“No.” I rolled my eyes. “I just feel a little tired and off. I appreciate everything you do for us, and I’m so glad you decided to come here and have the theater instead of staying an attorney. You sounded so tense every time we spoke on the phone, and I wouldn’t wish that kind of life on anyone.”
“I was. In the attorney biz, they consider that level of tension a sign of success. And I do believe my father thrives on it. An unfortunate side effect is that it makes him an asshole to everyone around him.”
“To each their own, I guess.” I closed my laptop lid and stretched. “That’s enough work for one day. Is dinner almost ready?” My stomach was making some odd sounds, and I hadn’t eaten since gobbling a quick sandwich from the peanut butter place at noon. And I was tired.
“Slow cooker magic,” he announced, standing up. “I’m glad we put that stew together this morning. It’s pretty chilly out.”
“Yes, and by we, you mean you. All I did was tell you it looked delicious before we left for work.”
“We’re a team, omega mine.” He got two deep bowls and took the lid off the pot. “Smells great, too. I think we’re going to have enough for a couple of— Hey, where are you going?”
The second he lifted the lid and the scent of cooking beef and vegetables hit my nose, I’d clapped a hand over my mouth and knocked the chair over scrambling out of the kitchen. The downstairs bathroom lay just down the hall, but it seemed pretty far away, and I feared I wasn’t going to make it.
I did, dropping to my knees in front of the porcelain bowl just in time to bring up whatever little remained in my stomach.
“Joaquin?” Eryx laid a hand on my forehead. “What’s wrong? You don’t have a fever. Did you eat something bad this afternoon? You were thinking of working on a new popcorn flavor, weren’t you?”
I lifted my face and gave him what little frown I could manage. “Are you saying my popcorn makes people sick?”
He stepped back, waving his hand. “No, no. Not at all. I was just asking if something might have disagreed with your stomach.”
I sagged, bracing myself on my forearms. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I keep picking fight. No. I did not get time to try a new flavor today and I haven’t eaten since lunch. We had the same thing then.”
“True. And I feel fine.”
“How nice for you? Oh my goddess, I’m being a jerk. Maybe I take after your father.” Another wave of nausea prevented me from apologizing for that for a moment. “I’m sorry, sorry, sorry. You should probably leave me here and run away before I turn into the grouchiest tiger ever.”
“All right. Do you think you can stand up?”
“Maybe.” I took his hand and let him help me. “It’s like I caught the mean disease.”
“No, you didn’t, omega.” He held me gently in his arms. “You caught something else.”
“What? Is it a real disease?”
“No.” He kissed my forehead. “My wolf says you’re pregnant.”
“How does he know?”
He shrugged. “No idea. See if your tiger has noticed.”
Am I pregnant?
We are having young.
“He says we are. How did this happen?”
Eryx led me from the bathroom into the living room and settled me on the sofa. He went to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water. “Do you still want to ask that question?”
“No. I know how it happens. I mean, it was so fast. We never even discussed babies. We don’t even live together.”
“No, technically. But we haven’t slept apart since that first night. The only reason you haven’t officially moved in has been time, right?”
“Yes, I suppose.” I hadn’t given it much thought.
“Well, as to babies, I hope you’re as happy about it as I am.”
“You really are? You don’t think it’s too soon?”
Stroking my hair back from my face, he said, “We haven’t done anything to prevent this, and I have no objection to bringing our first child into the family right away.
I was always afraid of having kids because my hours were so awful and the whole tension thing.
What if I turned out to be like my own father? ”
“You never could.” I took a careful sip of water. “I guess we don’t need to take a test if our animals both agree to the pregnancy.”
We didn’t need to, but of course we did. Several of them before being willing to accept the truth. Sometime next year, a baby would enter our lives. Right now, they were tiny, but by the time they arrived, they’d be a little person ready to start their life.
“Alpha, I’m so happy.” I held my arms out to him.
He pulled me close. “Me too, omega mine. I’m overjoyed.”