Dark Moon (20 page)

He looked at Bree’s flushed face.  “What’s going on with you, little one?”

“I – I have some news.”  Bree was suddenly nervous and she cupped her elbows to keep her hands from shaking. 

James frowned and set his glass of water down before folding her into his embrace.  “What’s wrong?  Are you still feeling sick?”

She shook her head.  “No.  Well, not at the moment.”

“What do you mean?”

She took a deep breath.  “James, I’m pregnant.”

He jerked against her and his eyes dropped to her flat stomach.  “You’re pregnant?”

“Aye.  At least, mama thinks I am.  I’ve been feeling sick in the mornings for a while now and I missed my last period.”

He stared silently at her and she gave him an anxious smile.  “I mean, I might not be.  I’m not very regular to begin with and I could just have the flu, but it doesn’t feel like the flu.”

He still didn’t reply and she swallowed thickly.  “James, are you – are you angry with me?”

He blinked.  “What?  No, of course not.”  He surprised her by suddenly dropping to his knees in front of her and raising her shirt.  He kissed her bare belly, his lips warm on her skin, “Hello, baby.”

She ran her fingers through his hair and he smiled up at her.  “You’re having my baby.”

“Aye, I am.”  She replied softly.

He stood and lifted her up, hugging her fiercely before kissing her hard on the mouth.  “You’re having my baby!”  He shouted.

“James, hush!”  She scolded him.  “It’s too early to be telling everyone!”

“Right, of course.”  He carried her from the common room and down the hall.

“Where are we going?”

“To bed.”  He replied.

She smiled and nuzzled his neck.  “I’d like that.”

“You’re going to bed to rest, little one.  You’re too pale and you’re tired looking.”

She rolled her eyes.  “You certainly know how to flatter a girl, James.”

He grinned as he carried her into their bedroom and set her gently on the bed.  “Crawl into bed, Bree.”

She shook her head.  “Not unless you come with me.”

“Bree, you need rest.  I know you’re still not feeling well.”

She smiled and tugged his head down so she could place a kiss on his mouth.  “Aye, and I know exactly what will make me feel better.”

She pulled him on to the bed and straddled him before beginning to unbutton his shirt.  “Will you help me feel better, my love?”  She whispered before kissing a warm, wet path across his naked chest.

He groaned and gripped her hips tightly in his large hands.  “Aye, little one.  I can do that.”

Chapter 18

“Ian?”

“Aye, I’m back here.”

Kaden stuck his head into the stall and smiled at the old man.  “Sophia and I are going to town in the morning.  Apparently, there are some last-minute wedding supplies needed and Sophia volunteered us to go.  Do you want me to pick you up some new boots?”

Ian rested the shovel against the wall of the stall and stared at his worn boots.  “If it’s alright with you, I think I’ll tag along.  It’s been a while since I’ve been to town.”

“That’s fine.  We’re dropping Martine off at her home on the way, and I believe Dani is thinking of going with us.”

“Good, good.”  Ian gave him a hesitant look before scuffing his boot in the soft dirt.

“What?”  Kaden asked curiously.

“Are we – are we alright then, Kaden?”  He asked quietly.

“Aye, we are.  I understand why you didn’t tell me you were a Lycan.”  Kaden replied.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”  Ian said solemnly.

“I know.”  Kaden clapped the old Lycan on the back and Ian winced.

“Careful.  You’re strong for a human.”

Kaden laughed as Ian grinned at him.  “So, you and the young Sophia huh?”

“Oh, uh – “ Kaden stammered as Ian grinned again.

“Don’t try and deny it.  I can smell her scent all over you.”

Kaden blushed brightly.  “There are some things about living with Lycans that I will never get used to.”

“Planning on staying on after the wedding, are you?”  Ian asked quietly.

“I don’t know.”  Kaden admitted.  “Sophia and I haven’t talked about long term.  I told her earlier that I was leaving after the wedding, even after we slept together, and she seemed fine with it.”

“Fine with it?”  Ian frowned.  “That doesn’t sound like the Sophia I know.”

Kaden didn’t reply and Ian picked up the shovel.  “What time are we leaving tomorrow?”

“Just after dawn.  We want enough time to get back home before dark.”

“Sounds good.”  Ian began to shovel out the stall and Kaden headed to the back of the barn.

* * *

“You know,” Sophia’s head popped up over the ladder leading to the hayloft and Kaden couldn’t conceal his grin of happiness, “you could come to my bedroom and then we wouldn’t have to worry about being eaten in our sleep by rats.”

Kaden laughed.  “I told you - I’ve never seen a single rat up here.”

She stretched out on his bed and petted the purring Hogan.  “Aye, you do keep saying that.”

She flinched when Piper jumped up beside her, but he simply butted his head against her face and joined his brother in purring.  She petted the orange cat and smiled up at Kaden as he sat in the armchair and pulled his boots off with a low grunt.

“Seriously, my bed is much more comfortable than yours.”

He stripped his shirt off and joined her on the bed.  “Aye, I suppose it is.  But you’re rather noisy in bed, and I’d prefer not to have the rest of your family knowing what I’m doing to you.”

He lay on his back and she climbed on to him, straddling his hips and running her fingers through the tufts of hair on his chest and abdomen.

“They already know, human.”  She said with an impish grin.

“Aye, don’t remind me.  At dinner tonight your father was trying to burn a hole through my skull with his gaze alone.”

She rolled her eyes and slapped him lightly on the chest.  “He was not.  My father knows I’m a grown woman.”

“You’re an adult but you’re still his little girl.  I don’t blame him for wanting to beat the hell out of me.  I’d be the same way with my daughter.”

“Do you want children?”  She asked suddenly.

He nodded. “I do.  What about you?”

She smiled.  “Aye.  I love children.”

She hesitated, giving him a strange look, and he frowned.  “What?”

“Your sister is with child.”

“What?  How do you know?  Did she tell you?”

Sophia shook her head.  “No.  Her scent has changed.”

“Her scent?”  He gave her a skeptical look.

“Aye.  Lycan’s can smell when a female is with child.  It’s easier to tell with Lycan females but I can smell the scent change on Bree.  She carries a pup in her belly.”

“She hasn’t told me.”  He stared up at her and she could see the hurt in his eyes.

She leaned over him and ran her hand through his thick hair.  “She may not even know yet herself.  The scent change is very subtle which means it’s still quite early in the pregnancy.  My father and brothers have not even picked up on it.”

He took her hand and linked their fingers, staring quietly at them.  She gave him a worried look.

“I’m sorry.  Should I have not told you?”

He shook his head.  “No, I’m glad you did.”

He sighed and she slid off him and sat on the bed.  She wrapped her arms around her knees as he sat up and leaned against the rough wall of the barn. He stared absently into space and didn’t seem to notice when she stroked his thigh soothingly.

After a few moments, she squeezed his leg.  “I’d better go.  Good night, Kaden.”  She kissed him lightly on the cheek and pushed Piper out of the way.

He reached for her hand.  “Why are you leaving?”

“I get the feeling you want to be alone.” 

He didn’t reply but he put his arm around her and tugged her against him.  She rested her head on his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heart under her ear as he stroked her back with the tips of his fingers.

Kaden sighed quietly.  The knowledge that his sister was pregnant had shaken him to the core.  How could he leave knowing that Bree was going to have a baby?  He was going to be an uncle, and the thought that he would not see his new niece or nephew was bothering him more than he could articulate.

He stared down at Sophia’s dark head.  Who was he kidding?  It was not just a pregnant Bree that made him desire to stay.  The woman in his arms had become as important to him as his sister was.  Sophia belonged to him and he belonged to her.

A small smile crossed his face.  She belonged to him.  He had never been in love before, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he was falling in love with Sophia.  The thought should have frightened him.  Her family were Lycans, and he had no idea if he would ever fully trust any Lycan but her.  He wasn’t frightened though.  In fact, Sophia made him feel happy and content for the first time in his life.  He cupped her face gently and she stared up at him.

“You belong to me.”  He said quietly.

“Aye, I do.”  She replied gravely.

He smiled and kissed her.  She kissed him back eagerly and he cupped her breast through her shirt.  She gave a soft moan of need, and he buried his face in her throat and pressed his mouth against the steady pulse at the base of her throat.  She belonged to him.

* * *

Bree moved quietly through the dark house.  She had been too excited to sleep and she had lain quietly in the dark for a few hours, listening to James’ steady breathing and thinking about the baby she was carrying.  Finally, she had slipped out of their bed and made her way down to the kitchen.

She lit the cluster of candles in the middle of the table and moved to the cook stove.  It was still warm, Marian liked to keep the fire going when it was this cold, and she set the kettle on it to heat before taking a mug and a teabag from the cupboard.

“Can’t sleep?”

She gave a startled gasp and whirled to see Vivian standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

“I’m sorry.  I did not mean to frighten you.”

Bree smiled at the older Lycan.  “I did not expect anyone else to be awake.”

Vivian shrugged and entered the kitchen.  She pulled down her own mug and Bree added a teabag to it.  “The older I get, the less I sleep, it seems.”

“I’m sorry.”

Vivian shrugged again.  “I don’t mind.”  She leaned past Bree to grab the small canister of sugar.  “I find that I – “

She stopped abruptly and inhaled deeply before dropping the canister on the counter.  She rested her hand on Bree’s abdomen as she inhaled again.

“You carry a pup in your belly.”

Bree jerked in surprise.  “How do you know that?”

Vivian smiled.  “Your scent has changed.  Does James know?”

Bree nodded.  “Yes, I told him earlier today.  I just found out.  I didn’t even know for sure.  Mama said I was but I thought it might just be the flu.”

Vivian stroked Bree’s belly and then reached for the teakettle.  She poured the hot water into both of their mugs and carried them to the table.  “Sit down, Bree.”

Bree stared into the mug of steaming tea.  Vivian took her hand and squeezed gently.  “You are with child.”

“You really can – can smell it on me?”  Bree whispered.

Vivian nodded.  “Aye.  It’s early, your scent is only slightly different, but I have no doubt that you’re pregnant.”

Bree couldn’t stop the smile from crossing her face and Vivian gave her a delighted look.  “I take it you are pleased?”

“Very.”  Bree pressed her hand against her stomach as she dipped her spoon into the mug and pulled out the teabag.  She set it neatly on the table and took a sip of the fragrant liquid.

Tia padded into the kitchen and whined softly, pawing lightly at Bree’s leg.  Bree picked her up and cuddled her gently, kissing her soft head and rubbing her ears.

“Congratulations, Bree.  I’m very happy for you and for my grandson.”  Vivian took her own sip of tea.

“Thank you, Vivian.”  Bree gave her a nervous smile.  James’ grandmother still made her anxious and she didn’t think she’d ever been alone with the Lycan before.

“You know, I don’t believe I’ve ever told you how happy I am that you and James are getting married.  I like you very much.”  Vivian said suddenly.

“Oh um, thank you.”  Bree said again.

“Perhaps now your nervousness around me will lessen?”  Vivian raised one eyebrow at her.

“I’m sorry.  I’m just – “

“It’s fine.”  Vivian interrupted her.  “You have your reasons for being frightened of Lycans, and I’ve been told I’m not the easiest Lycan to get to know.”

Bree wasn’t sure what to say to that so she took another drink of her tea. 

“Would you like a boy or girl pup?”  Vivian asked.

“It doesn’t really matter to me.”  Bree replied.  “I just want it to be healthy.”

Vivian laughed.  “With James as its father, it will be healthy.”

Bree grinned.  “Aye, I suppose you’re right.”

Tia licked her hand and she petted the dog gently.  Vivian leaned forward and surprised Bree by taking her hand and squeezing it lightly.

“I hope you have a girl.  A little one with blonde hair and as sweet and kind as you are.”

Tears slid down Bree’s cheeks and, embarrassed, she swiped them away with the heel of her hand. 

Vivian smiled and squeezed her hand again.  “I imagine you would like me to keep this quiet for a while, yes?”

Bree nodded.  “Just for a little longer.  We’ll tell everyone after the wedding.”

Vivian leaned back and took another sip of tea.  “You’re going to make an excellent mother to your pup, Bree.”

Bree rubbed her flat belly gently as Tia curled into a ball on her lap.  “I hope so, Vivian.”

“You will.”  Vivian replied with quiet certainty.

Chapter 19

Sophia yawned and stretched as the horses pulled the wagon steadily over the hill.  She lifted her face to the sun, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply.  It was a cold day but the sun felt good on her face.  She smiled at Kaden and he grinned back at her.

“The sun feels good.”

“Aye, it does.”  He agreed as he slapped the reins lightly against the horses.

He glanced behind him.  Ian was sitting in the seat behind him, his head nodding as he dozed, and Dani was stretched out in the back of the wagon.  She had Ian’s jacket over her and her head cushioned with her own jacket.  She appeared to be sleeping deeply and Kaden turned back to Sophia.