Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
The day kept getting worse. It began with Nadirah puking first thing in the morning—a rarity for her.
She’d then woken from her nap hungry and nauseous at the same time, leading her to debate staying in her nest and wallowing in misery, but she knew fresh air would do her some good.
So down she went, snaring a cup of water that threatened to come right back up.
Farah spotted her and came over, took one look, and asked, “When was your last menses?”
It took Nadirah a moment to clue in why she asked. “Um, a while. But I’m not very regular.” She’d been diagnosed with PCOS years ago, leading to very unpredictable periods.
“You’re with child,” Farah declared with certainty.
Nadirah shook her head. “No, I can’t be. I was told by my doctor I’d have great difficulty getting pregnant and would most likely have to resort to in vitro fertilization if I ever wanted a child.”
A statement that led to Farah snorting. “That might have been true if your mate was a normal male, but you’ve been frolicking with a harimau who is both strong and virile.”
The bluntness brought heat to Nadirah’s cheeks. “I guess it’s possible I’m pregnant.” They’d not been using protection and made love once or more a day. She bit her lower lip. “I don’t suppose you have a test so we can be sure?”
“Other than my eyes and experience?”
“It could just be an upset tummy.” It roiled still.
“There’s one way to know for sure. We’ll pay a visit to a doctor. Get dressed.”
“Now?” Nadirah squeaked.
“You’d prefer to wait?”
She almost said yes. Surely this was nothing more than a virus or something she ate. “Would they even be able to tell? At most, I’m a few weeks.”
“If this is morning sickness, then you’re far enough along for a test to work. I guess the real question is, are you ready to find out?”
Did she want to know? What if it came back positive? What would she do about it? While she’d planned to eventually have a family, she’d expected to be married—and that the father wouldn’t be a tiger hunted by his own government.
An excited yowl led her gaze to a tumbling pair of cubs—with sharp claws and teeth.
Almost reflexively, Nadirah put a hand on her belly. “Let’s say I was with child, and it is harimau… Will it harm me?”
“No. The cubs do not shift in the womb.”
Once the fear locked on, Nadirah couldn’t shake it. “That might be true for normal harimau, but Phoenix was made, not born. How do we know the same rules apply?”
The query led to Farah’s lips pinching. “All the more reason then to visit my doctor friend.”
Still, Nadirah hesitated. “Maybe I should wait for Phoenix.”
“He’ll be gone for hours,” Farah huffed in exasperation.
“And it’s not as if we’ll learn much, other than if you’re pregnant or not.
The fetus will be too small for a few more weeks, at least, before we can even see it on an ultrasound.
That would be the visit to have him present for.
Assuming I’m correct. Perhaps I’m wrong.
” Farah didn’t seem to think she’d misjudged, though, and did Nadirah really want to wait?
Now that the seed had been planted, it suddenly seemed important to know for sure.
“Okay, let’s go see your doctor friend.”
Their trip out of the jungle—this time without a blindfold—confirmed Nadirah’s suspicions.
As they got into a parked car, which Farah had keys for, Nadirah stated, “The village is in the Royal Tiger Reserve.”
“Where else would we be so well protected?” Farah replied with a smile.
“Seems kind of risky. The reserve has guards and staff to maintain it.”
“People who are loyal to us.”
“Wait, you’re saying the Royal Reserve staff are harimau?”
“Not all, but many do work for the reserve.”
“Which makes it easy to keep it secret and safe,” Nadirah murmured softly.
“For now. We’ve had many hidden locations over the years. This one will be my fourth sanctuary. Eventually, no matter how careful, our secret slips out and we have to relocate the hideaway.”
That explained why the little village seemed to have only the bare essentials. Easy to abandon.
The drive didn’t take long, and soon they were parking in front of a building with a sign indicating medical services.
While the harimau didn’t usually have a use for doctors, as grievous injuries healed when they shifted, pregnancy could cause issues, something Farah mentioned on the way. Preeclampsia, breech positioning, cord wrapping around the neck, narrow birth canal, and more remained serious concerns.
The OB/GYN, while not a shifter herself, knew of them. Apparently, she’d married a harimau male and had a child who turned into a cub before even a month old while breastfeeding. That would have been quite the shock.
It took a simple blood test for the doctor to confirm a baby grew in Nadirah’s belly. With a follow-up appointment and some recommendations for vitamins, Nadirah walked out of the doctor’s office bemused and worried.
How would Phoenix react? How did she feel? Would the baby even be viable? How had the procedure performed on Phoenix affected his sperm? Did she have a cub in her belly? Could she handle being a tiger’s mommy? They were awfully cute.
Farah walked alongside her back to the car. “Now that it is confirmed, what are you going to do?”
“Tell Phoenix.”
“You’re keeping it?”
The question startled. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because I know you’ve only known each other a short time and he’s a man hunted by his past.”
“Nenek knew Datuk for only a week when they decided to wed.”
“So you love him? And before you answer, think carefully, because loving a harimau comes with more responsibility than a regular relationship.”
“I know how to keep a secret.” Nadirah couldn’t help but sound indignant.
“While you’re in love, yes, I’m sure you will, but what if you don’t work out?”
Nadirah paused with her hand on the car door. “I still wouldn’t tell. I’d never want any harm to come to the harimau.”
“I believe you. The problem is, there are those who would fear you might betray us without a tie to keep you loyal.”
“Wait, are you saying they’d kill me?” At Farah’s bleak expression, Nadirah huffed, “That’s insane. Why would I blab your secret?”
“People who fall out of love, and especially those who end up succumbing to hate, often do irrational things to hurt their past partners.”
“Not me. I’m not the vindictive type. Let’s say Phoenix and I didn’t work out… I’d still have the baby. Wouldn’t that assure them of my loyalty?”
“That would depend on the child. If it’s harimau and you show a clear affection for it, then most likely they won’t doubt your commitment to our secret.”
“This is too much to take in all at once.” Nadirah groaned. “And why am I suddenly so hungry?” Her stomach growled something fierce.
Farah laughed. “You will find that pregnancy will enhance your appetite. When you’re not vomiting, that is.”
At the reminder, Nadirah grimaced. “I thought nausea disappeared after the first trimester.”
“It might. It depends on the mother and the growing child. Some manage to get past it quickly. Others have it the entire pregnancy.”
Interesting. While Nadirah knew all about the reproductive systems of tigers, she’d never paid much attention to the human version.
“Do you suppose we could get a book so I can read up on what to expect?” she asked almost shyly.
“Of course. After we feed you and the growing cub in your belly.”
A belly that remained flat, but not for long.
Just look at how much she ate at the restaurant.
Enough for two people. She should have been stuffed for days.
Tell that to her belly, which insisted she needed the homemade cookies being sold at the bookstore—which she stuffed into her mouth like a ravenous beast.
With a book on pregnancy in hand, they then went shopping for clothes so she and Phoenix didn’t have to wear mismatched cast-offs scrounged from people in the village. Once they completed their errands, they headed to Farah’s car.
As it came in sight, Nadirah sighed, and Farah glanced at her with concern. “Everything all right?”
“I’m wondering how Phoenix will react.” Because over the course of the last few hours, she’d become certain of one thing. She was keeping the baby.
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about other than him hovering overprotectively.”
She laughed. “I can see him doing that.”
As they reached the car, a male voice stopped them.
“Excuse me, but could I have a word?”
The perfect English indicated a tourist, and given Nadirah didn’t look local because of her mixed heritage, it wasn’t surprising he chose to address her.
She turned to see an older gentleman, stocky in appearance, salt-and-pepper hair cut very short but mostly distinctive because of his eyepatch and facial scar.
“Can I help you?”
The man grinned widely, and a chill went through Nadirah as he said, “It is you. You’re a hard woman to find.”
“I’m sorry, but you must have mistaken me for someone else. I don’t know you.” Unease spread through Nadirah and extended to Farah, who moved closer.
“You don’t know me, but I’m well acquainted with you. You’re the Negara Zoo tiger attendant who went missing more than a month back.”
At his words, Nadirah froze and couldn’t speak.
“You’re wrong. This is my niece, Tania.” Farah offered up the false name, but the man snorted.
“Don’t bother bullshitting me. I am more than familiar with her appearance, seeing as how she was the last person seen with Lieutenant Phoenix Erickson.”
The nausea returned full force, and Nadirah blurted out, “You’re General Davidson.”
A sly smile tugged his lips. “So we’re done lying then? Good. Where is the lieutenant?”
“I don’t know. We parted ways after the fire at my house.”
The man moved so fast Nadirah didn’t have time to react. He gripped both her arms in a steel vise that hurt as he yanked her close. His breath stank of stale coffee as he snapped, “You do not want to play games with me. I want the lieutenant.”