Ren’s [POV]
It might have been insane. Okay, so we’d already established that I was three fruits shy of a complete salad, but I missed Caleb like crazy, and I felt so alone. It grated on my nerves that I wanted to cry constantly, but it was true. I missed him a lot.
Okay, so part of that was probably pregnancy hormones, and as I thought it, I heard a high-pitched scream in my head because I was terrified. Happy, excited, and terrified.
Mostly terrified because hello, been here, done this, lost the baby.
“Hey! You shut up. This is different.” I warned myself, sucking in a breath of air to stifle a sniffle because I refused to cry.
I was happy, dammit. I wanted this baby, and thinking about it made me all warm and fuzzy inside when I thought about a little boy who looked like Caleb. I was also thinking he’d be as grumpy, growly, and surly as Caleb, and the image was so cute I giggled as I wiped away happy tears.
“You know, I love you, but you’re acting crazier than usual.” Trey mused, sliding a plate over the table that made my stomach growl and roil at the same time.
I didn’t need to test my gag reflex. Not after projectile vomiting on Trey this morning. The guy had heaved, which resulted in a high-pitched scream from him, more heaving, and eventual vomiting. From him.
And then me because seeing him puke set me off again. Suffice it to say, he’d cleaned up a lot of puke this morning because I refused. What am I, a freaking slave? Besides, I physically couldn’t since I had passed out and slept for an hour after, something Dr. Triss assured me was normal for pregnant shifters. I didn’t remember being that way with the first, but to be honest, I didn’t think I was thinking then. Mostly I was working all the time and so tired even if I wanted to sleep, I couldn’t.
“Says you. This looks lovely.” I sighed, giving the pasta a look as I kept my words to myself because it was overcooked.
And smelled…weird.
“Oh, shut up. I tried, okay. The recipe was really difficult to read, and I forgot to set the damn timer. At least try it.” He said, sounding so hurt I swallowed and told my cub not to be a baby.
We could take it.
When I did taste it, it wasn’t terrible. It was overcooked, and Trey seemed to have an unhealthy hand with garlic, but I managed to eat it anyway when I suddenly felt a hunger strike.
“That wasn’t bad.” I smiled, chewing on my lip, when he chuckled and poured me a glass of wine.
I could drink it, seeing as shifter females could do anything while pregnant. Something about our biology allowed us to drink and do a lot of things without risking the baby. Our animal genetics protected the pregnancy, but I didn’t want to risk it.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine, Trey. Honestly, you have to stop asking me that. I’m just tired.”
“And you miss him. Come on, babe, give the guy a chance. I already showed you the video of him screaming like a soprano after he killed Shane and thought you were dead. It was cute, wasn’t it?” he asked hopefully, snickering when I sucked on my lip to stop my laughter.
It was funny, and I nearly wet myself. All I could think of when I saw it was that play where the guy screams, ‘Stellaaa!’. I hadn’t ever seen it, but I saw a meme of it, and I laughed so hard when I watched the video I wet my pants.
“Fine. It was funny, and yeah, I do miss him. But he doesn’t deserve it. The man hasn’t even bothered to grovel!” I huffed, offended to the core.
Was it too much to ask that he grovel for me? I didn’t count his sad looks and the stalking, either. That was weird, and if I didn’t trust him implicitly, it would be scary.
“Babe, he’s a mess. Worse than when he lost Joyce because this time he isn’t feral.”
“Exactly. He went all feral for her. What about me?” I yelled, my lip poking out petulantly until Trey snickered and reached over to pat my hand.
“Honey, I think… maybe Caleb won’t let himself go feral because he has so much to lose, and he’s terrified to lose his mind and miss a chance to get you back.”
Aw
“Oh, shut up! Sorry, Trey, not you. Me.” I muttered, smiling when Trey smirked and chuckled, already well aware of my quirks. “I love him, and I’m glad he…feels fated to me, but I don’t believe in facing the same way you guys do, and I don’t put all that much stock in it. Just look at his previous mating. He was supposed to be with her, but a worse match I can’t think of a! And I was married to Shane.” I pointed out, giggling when Trey shuddered dramatically and smoothed his perfect hair back.
“You aren’t wrong. But fating isn’t a game.”
“I know that. You try feeling like your heart’s been ripped out because someone isn’t near. I know about fating, Trey. It’s the love thing I need. Fating isn’t willing, it isn’t a choice, but love is.” I said, smiling when he stilled and considered that before slumping back.
“Fuck, you’re right.”
“I know.” I mused, preening a little because I loved being right.
“Which means you want his love and darling; I know he cares but…Caleb may need some time. Not to feel love for you, but to accept it and come to his senses and allow himself to accept what he feels. He’s not a bad male, Ren, but he is a little damaged.” He said softly, smiling when I smiled first and shrugged.
“We’ll see. Right now, I am tired, and I know you have that man-scaping appointment. Seriously, man, you’re hot, and I adore you, but no man should be smoother than a woman.” I huffed, watching him smirk, his smug enjoyment of my embarrassment still causing my irritation to stir.
I half-shifted one time in my sleep and walked downstairs the next morning without realizing it. I’d retained hair on my legs, arms, and neck, and I was so hairy I looked like a lumberjack. I wouldn’t ever live it down. Or the fact that my wolf was pissed at me for refusing to talk to Caleb and so refused to take the hair away.
I had to wax, and it hurt! Plus, I looked like the yeti.
“I’m going. Then I’ve got a date, and I will see you in the morning. Sleep, Ren. And then make breakfast in the morning, please. I’m starving for real food.” He pleaded, chuckling when I giggled and waved him off.
“Get lost. I need to rest, and then I’m gonna eat a whole packet of cookies at midnight.”
“Bye, babe.”
I sighed when he left, my fatigue growing as I cleaned up the few dishes and then dragged myself upstairs. I was dead on my feet as I slipped into the big bed in Trey’s guest room, and I closed my eyes.
Hours later, or what felt like hours later, I woke up to find myself being carried. Terror struck hard and fast before I smelled him, and then… oh, then I was pissed.
Not because he’d kidnapped me because that was amusing, but because I was not okay with Caleb assuming I’d be okay with it. I was traumatized by my previous kidnapping, and he should be more sensitive.
Letting out a scream, just to be ornery, I started to struggle and dropped to my feet when he let me go. I thought I’d won, a victory dance somewhere in me, when I suddenly stopped and gaped. And that made Caleb grin so big, and I wanted to smack his face. And kiss him.
“How the hell…?” I gasped, looking around me at our bedroom with its big bed, dark blue linens, and my lotion on the nightstand.
Huffing because I wanted to laugh, but I couldn’t, I stomped into the closet and let out a scream. That, I hope, sounded like anger. He’d moved all my stuff in here.
“Caleb Chase, you asshole. What do you think you’re doing!” I demanded, stalking up to him to drill a finger into his chest.
The effect was lost, seeing as he was so damn big, but I enjoyed the spark of heat that shot into his weary eyes when I glared at him and riled that famous temper.
“Me? I’m claiming my mate!” he yelled, sounding so like himself, and when he kissed me, I couldn’t resist even a little.
Oh, fine. I wouldn’t resist at all because, damn, the man could kiss, and I’d missed him so much, I couldn’t help myself. Kissing him back because I wanted him, and I was furious about it. But oh God, so relieved he was with me again, I let him devour my mouth and pushed me back until I fell onto the bed.
“I’m so mad at you!” I hissed when he dragged his mouth away to tear at my clothes, both of us panting and frantic.
“I know, and I don’t care. Not now. Later.” He snarled when he exposed me, his hand closing over my breasts to hold them up for his mouth.
The first suck on my nipple made me bow up. The suction on the tender tips was perfect. I felt that tight pull between my legs and an answering throbbing in my clit, echoing with every pull at my breasts.
“Jesus, I’ve missed you, Ren.” He groaned, giving the other nipple the same harsh treatment before he slid down and licked into me, his groan of pleasure turning my already aroused flesh into quivering putty.
I moaned now, reaching down to grip his hair and hold him close, the pleasure of every suck and stroke into my sex causing my need to skyrocket. I loved sex and needed sex with Caleb, and any time he touched me, it was wild and wildfire.
Heat, passion, and desperation took over as I writhed and submitted to his mastery, accepting his tongue that built me so right I screamed out my climax in moments and bumped my hips closer, needing more.
“Always taste so good. Always.” Caleb groaned, dragging his mouth against me languidly before I yanked him up and hissed.
“Now.”
I didn’t have to beg, Caleb was too far gone for that, and when he thrust home and started that hard yet achingly gentle slide into me, I felt every cell in me settle as if this was what I’d needed all along.
Not wanting to think anymore because I was so overthinking, I concentrated on the feel of him inside me, the smells, the sounds, and the way Caleb kissed me almost frantically, sucking the air from my lungs. It was too good, and I felt myself go off again, my body tensing, bowing, shattering in waves that sucked on him until he tensed and let go, filling me.
We were both panting as he slumped to the side and though I wanted to stay right there and wallow in the glow, I forced myself to get up and slide from the bed.
“Ren?” Caleb huffed, frowning when I grabbed his shirt and pulled it on. “Baby, what are you doing?”
“Getting dressed, what does it look like?” I huffed, buying myself time by gathering my clothes up.
When he grumbled, getting up to glower at me, I felt a curl of glory fill me. Take that, Caleb Chase. See how it feels to be fucked and walked out on.
“Now, don’t get upset. You don’t need to be getting upset and stressed out.” Caleb grumbled, looking nervous when I whipped around and glared at him. I almost relented.