Chapter 20 - Bryden
brYDEN
We both had the day off and were discussing what to do.
“We could stay in bed and read.” Roland looked at the pile of books we’d borrowed.
Though we were only supposed to have two at a time, the librarians were allowed more, and as Roland was my mate, Evelyn gave him “librarian’s mate” privileges.
“Yeah.” I peered out the window. “But it’s such a beautiful day. Why don’t we explore more of the pack land?”
We’d run around the perimeter on pack runs, and I’d swum in the river creek, but the land stretched for miles, and we hadn’t seen most of it.
Roland yawned and stretched on the bed. He agreed with my suggestion but said he needed a nap first and could we go after lunch. My mate had avoided morning sickness, though he did get more tired than usual.
There were white fluffy clouds in the sky when we finally set off in a different direction than we usually did. If we’d followed the river creek, we could have reached the perimeter in a few minutes, and that was where the security guards had picked up the horse scents.
Instead, we walked over the small bridge constructed by pack engineers and headed inland, following a small trail.
Roland loved mushrooms, and he was an expert in deciphering between the poisonous kind and the rest. We’d been told of a place where edible mushrooms grew, and he was looking forward to gathering some.
Not only because he enjoyed eating them, but he was aware the zebra shifters turned their noses up at mushrooms.
“They’re all for me.”
My bear also wasn’t a fan of fungi, preferring to scout for berries.
Roland squealed when he found the mushrooms, and he ate some before we put the remaining ones in a basket. The wind had picked up, but my mate hadn’t noticed because he was obsessed with picking mushrooms. I shivered because it’d been hot in the morning, and the temperature had dropped.
The snippets of sky I viewed through the trees were darker than when we started, but rain wouldn’t bother two shifters. The mushrooms might get soggy, but other than that, we’d be fine unless we had to swim, because Roland preferred to stay on dry land.
But my mate sniffed the air and gave me a look. “Rain’s coming. We need to get back.” He hugged the basket containing the mushrooms. “I can’t get these babies wet.”
For a moment, I thought he was talking to his belly, and I was jolted upright, thinking we were having more than one baby.
“Mushrooms, love.” He patted his tummy. “Our little one is safe inside me.”
A splotch of water landed on my nose. The rain was here, but the trees protected us and we wouldn’t get too wet.
“Let’s go.” I offered to take the basket, but Roland was weirdly protective of the mushrooms.
The rain tumbled down, heavier than I expected, and the towering trees did little to keep us from getting drenched.
But Roland paused and hunkered over the basket. “My beast doesn’t like rain much. He thinks the water will trickle in and harm his horn.”
This was the first I’d heard that a unicorn’s horn was susceptible to water damage. I knew Roland didn’t like swimming for that reason, but how had he avoided rain all his life?
My mate put a hand over his head. “The rain hitting my head gives me sensory overload.”
I yanked off my jacket and covered him with it, but it was so wet, water dribbled over his face.
Remembering the cave where he’d taken me when I was injured, I wished pack land had something similar.
Oh maybe a rabbit burrow or a fox’s? My bear could dig around the entrance, making one bigger so Roland could snuggle inside.
But my beast disagreed, saying we couldn’t toss out rabbits or foxes from their home, and by the time he’d finished, the rain would have stopped.
My clothes were getting heavy because this wasn't a shower but a deluge. I had an arm around Roland as we trudged along the path that was now mud which was oozing over our shoes and ankles.
I searched for somewhere to get out of the rain, and though there were no caves, I sighted an overhang that might shelter us and guided my mate toward it. We huddled beneath the rock, and Roland shivered.
“You’re dripping on me, Bryden.”
“Sorry.” I brushed his face, but that made it worse and more water trickled over him.
Let me take my fur, and I’ll keep our mate warm.
I stripped off my drenched clothes and shifted. My beast used his hulking frame to encircle Roland and warm him.
“That’s much better. Thank you.”
My beast was like a furnace, and even though I was nestled inside him, I was overheating.
Wishing the rain would stop, I closed my eyes and thought of myself with a baby in my arms. I’d better remember to bring an umbrella whenever we went out, because if our little one was a unicorn, they might be rain averse like their omega dad.
“I don’t like rain, but I love your bear looking after me, our baby, and also the mushrooms.”
What is it with mushrooms? They’re horrible, and I hope he won’t bring them into the cabin.
My beast squeezed him tighter until there was a roll of thunder, followed by lightning streaking across the sky. Roland turned and buried his face in my bear’s hairy chest. He whimpered that he had memories of his former herd cavorting in the rain and him cowering under a trailer of hay.
Maybe we should have chosen a pack in an arid region, because while the climate here wasn’t tropical, it had a rainy season.
“But I need to not be fearful because the baby will learn from me, and I don’t want them to be scared during a storm.”
My mate was quiet while more thunder rumbled and lightning lit up the world in a silvery gray. He’d stopped quaking and whimpering, and when the storm took off toward the north, my bear nudged him and turned him around.
“Oh, wow. Everything looks so different, as if it’s just been washed and polished.” He strolled out from the overhang, and my bear rushed after him to keep water from dripping on him.
Roland made a face whenever he was hit by a drop of water, but he brushed each one off and said I could take my skin.
“I don’t like getting wet.” He held up a water droplet on his fingertip. “But I can shake it off.”
“How is it you can take a shower and not let the water bother you?”
“Because I have the power to turn it off or make it warmer.”
We walked back to the cabin, avoiding the slippery patches, though my sneakers and socks were clogged with dirty water and thick mud.
“Oh, mushrooms.” Otto peered at my mate’s basket. “Yum. Are you going to cook them?”
We didn’t have anywhere to cook, but my mate said he’d give them to the dining hall chef and ask him to prepare them.
“I’ll look out for them tonight.” Otto headed toward the library. He was doing a shift there today in my place.
We both undressed before going into the cabin. I’d hose down our clothes before taking them to the pack laundromat.
“Your bear was so protective of me when it was raining, and I think that’s how you’ll be with our little one.” Roland patted his belly.
I couldn’t wait to be a dad. Technically I was one already, though the baby was still inside my mate.
“This is a great place for our little one to grow up.” I didn’t want our child surrounded only by bears, and the Stoney River pack had shifters of every kind. Living here would open their eyes to a wider world. And if we could just eliminate the prospect of poachers, everything would be perfect.
“Stop worrying.” Roland rubbed at the creases between my brows. “We're as safe as we can be here, and the pack members are our allies.”
“You’re right. I’m being silly.” I didn’t want to upset my mate, so I pretended I was overthinking the situation. It would all work out.
We linked arms and walked toward the dining hall, avoiding the puddles on the path.
“I hear you picked mushrooms today and they’re on tonight’s vegetarian menu.” Ebony, one of the zebra shifters, was waiting outside the dining hall.
“I did.” Roland’s response was a little stiff because he'd assured me zebra shifters never ate mushrooms.
Ebony rubbed her hands. “Thank you. I adore mushrooms. You must show me where you found them so I can pick some for us next time.’
“Us?” Roland mouthed as we went inside.
I shrugged. Maybe Roland had made a new friend.