Chapter 19
LINCOLN
“This is gorgeous.”
We had just gotten out of the car. It was sunset, and we were at the gates of my colleague Richard’s beach house.
He rented it out most of the year, apart from the summer when he stayed here, and the family who were supposed to come this weekend couldn’t make it. So he’d offered it to me and Bronson.
It was a long weekend where we had no commitments, Dale wouldn’t be asking me to critique his latest assignment, and there’d be no Ronnie wanting to check items off the wedding planning to-do list. Even my folks had been coming around more often now that I was mated.
They’d bring cuttings to plant in the garden or leave leftovers in the fridge because Bronson and I came back from work exhausted.
But for the next three days, it was us, the ocean, and the baby, who was so small they didn’t have fingers or toes yet. Or a brain.
And while I wasn’t expecting a shack, I’d assumed it would be pretty basic, with no frills. Boy, was I wrong.
It sat above an isolated patch of beach at the end of the dirt road, though it was more of a track, and the house was outlined against the pink-and-orange sky behind it.
We trailed back and forth with luggage but mostly food, because the nearest grocery store was thirty minutes away and there were no deliveries out here. And that was exactly what we wanted.
Once the perishables had been put away, we tossed off our shoes and ran down the path to the white sandy beach. Our feet sank into the wet sand as we strolled hand in hand at the edge of the water.
“Would you ever consider moving out of the city?” Bronson picked up a shell. “If we could work from home, that is.”
I’d never considered it, but it was a common mistake holiday-makers made, imagining themselves giving up their current lives and living in the place of their dreams.
“It’s a possibility, but it’d have to be close to a forest.” Much as I loved the beach, especially this one, it wasn’t the best environment for my panther. He needed to be close to prey, and he turned his nose up at catching fish.
“That’s what I thought, and I agree.”
My mate ran ahead, splashing water over his shorts and taking deep breaths of salty air. He hadn’t suffered from morning sickness, and he seemed to have more energy than usual.
“We should do this more often.” He outstretched his hands and twirled around. I loved seeing him so free and at peace. He splashed back to me and dragged me out so the water was lapping at my knees. My panther was none too keen on the ocean and asked if we were going to sink.
“We could.” But It was hard to get away, especially if one or both of us was working late or if we had to catch up on projects on the weekend.
Bronson wrapped his arms around me. “I feel like we hardly see one another. We wake up together, drink coffee, and dash out the door.”
He’d described modern life, and we were fortunate we had our own home and didn’t have to work second or third jobs.
We wandered back to the house, and I cooked dinner while my mate showered and unpacked. Eating on the deck overlooking the dark ocean with the waves crashing onto the shore, my mate commented on the moon reflecting on the water.
“As a city guy, it’s eerie being the only people for miles around, but it’s also magical. I imagine this is what the world was like centuries ago.”
Not wanting to ruin the mood, I didn’t point out that most humans hadn’t lived beyond forty for the majority of human existence.
“The magic is here beside me.” I blew him a kiss and aimed another at his belly for our little one.
Despite not being a fan of the seaside, my beast was itching to shift. Not because he was hungry, as I’d allowed him to hunt last night behind the house, but there was no one else around, and he asked to spend time with our mate.
“My panther has a request.”
“He wants to hunt, I get it.” The moonlight on Bronson’s face couldn’t hide his disappointment at the thought of me disappearing for hours.
But I explained what he wanted. Though Bronson had settled into the space that hovered between the human and shifter worlds, he didn’t consider my panther his mate. Even though he understood that intellectually I was present inside my beast, he viewed us as separate entities.
“Is this a test? It’s a little late because we’re mated, marked, and pregnant.”
“Nope. He adores you.”
He agreed, and my panther acted like a cub, jumping up and down and clawing at my insides.
Bronson and I walked hand in hand onto the beach, and my feet sank into the cool wet sand.
The constant rolling of the waves provided a rhythmic background, and I removed my clothes.
Sniffing the air to make sure there were no humans nearby, I allowed my beast to take his fur.
He backed away from the water, but Bronson brushed his hand over my beast’s back and he purred.
I like that.
“It’s just you and me.” My mate put his head close to my panther. “Shall we run away and leave Lincoln behind?”
Is he kidding?
I assured him our mate was doing exactly that.
Bronson strolled toward the point while keeping his hand on my beast. The gentle splashing of the waves almost put me to sleep, and if we’d been inside the house, I might have.
When we reached the point, Bronson sat cross-legged on the sand, but my panther hesitated, complaining about not wanting to get sandy. I explained the sand would be on me when we shifted and I’d shower it off. My panther lived a rarified life which was very different to a wild beast.
The breeze picked up, and the salty aroma intensified.
My beast commented on it, saying it was different but didn’t insist we move further inland.
When Bronson yawned, he lay on my beast’s flank and put one hand on his chest. It was as natural as climbing into bed and signaled he was comfortable about my beast and felt safe.
My mate closed his eyes. “I can feel his heart, but I suppose it’s your combined heartbeat.”
The wind ruffled the leaves on the trees that lined the foreshore while Bronson brushed his hand over my beast’s fur. His other hand was on his belly, and my panther purred, and we both imagined the baby cradled inside.
“I’m so excited to be pregnant, but I’m a little scared too. What if I don’t know how to be a dad or if I’m no good at it?”
Oh my darling Bronson. Neither of us had been parents before, and we’d learn on the job. My beast purred again and licked Bronson’s face. He giggled and said our beast would make an excellent babysitter.
I would.
Bronson’s breathing slowed until he was asleep, but my beast and I kept watch. He didn’t wake until it was close to dawn, and he got up and stretched, saying he wanted to go for a swim.
I’m giving you your skin because our mate should not be in the water by himself.
Bronson stripped off his clothes and asked how long he’d been asleep, and when I told him almost the whole night, he said he was so refreshed.
“Maybe I should sleep with your beast every night.”
Pretty sure that’s a joke too, though I can’t be certain.
We held hands as we splashed into the water. My mate squealed, yelling that the water was cold, and my beast curled up inside me.
I don’t like water except to drink.
You wouldn’t enjoy drinking ocean water.
I had to address the fears he’d mentioned last night. “I’m with you every step of the way on this pregnancy journey.”
I dipped under the water, allowing it to cover my shoulders as my panther shivered. I was worried Bronson felt so alone because he was the one carrying our child. And though I couldn’t take that burden from him, as his mate, I would listen to his concerns and do my best to soothe them away.
“I know, but somehow having you there… but not there at the same time, made it easier to confess.”
That was understandable. Dale used to say the same thing, and my folks ranted to their mate’s beast about wet towels on the bathroom floor and sticky socks.
“I’m apprehensive too, but we both had happy childhoods, so we have good examples to follow.” Though Bronson’s parents had divorced when he was a toddler, he had no memory of his father leaving. It’d always been him and his mom.
“And the great thing about having a beast is they can babysit while we nap.”
I pulled my mate into my arms, and we kissed as the waves splashed over us.
“I love you.”
“Love you too.” I held him close and placed a hand on his wet belly. “Both of you.”
“And I love all three of you. Baby, mate, and beast.”