Page 19 of Hainn

She scooted herself closer and he enfolded her in his arms, pulling her close. “It was spectacular. I like the way we are together.” A little shy all of the sudden, she couldn’t put into words what she was thinking.Words are so inadequate for the way he makes me feel.

Exactly, he said in her head, shocking her.I think I’ve been waiting for you my entire life and the goddess finally blessed me.

Are we telepathing?She sent her words cautiously.Can the others hear us?

Hainn stared at her. “It’s a tight band,” he said out loud, easing her fear. “I don’t get any sense you broadcast to anyone but me. When did you get the telepathy back?”

“I didn’t know it was,” she said honestly.

With a male smile of satisfaction, Hainn hugged her. “I guess I was the fix for what ailed you there, sweetheart.”

He went to clean himself up and brought a warm washcloth to tend to her, which pleased her.

“You’ll stay the night with me, won’t you?” she asked.

“It would take a Khagrish attack to drag me away,” he said. “But that was only round one. We’ll take a rest and then see if you have the energy for more.”

Tapping him lightly on the chest, she scoffed. “Speak for yourself, healer. I have plenty of reserves to use later tonight but if you have a problem?—”

“No problem.” He rolled her over and his already hard cock pressed into her belly. “A Badari doesn’t need much recovery time or didn’t you know?”

I’m going to be sore tomorrow,she knew,But I don’t care.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Awaking in the early morning, happily sated and a bit sore from the night’s exertions, Jezari stretched and breathed deep of the wonderful air. Redolent of Spring, the scent of flowers and fresh green shoots emerging was intoxicating and calming. She was at peace, happy and content with her state of being and her newfound attachment to Hainn. Glancing at him, sound asleep next to her, she could barely contain her good mood.

Raising her eyes, she admired the pretty patterns in the luminescent lichen on the opposite wall and blinked.Wait a minute, why am I smelling the outdoors—I’m in a cave!Lichen had no scent either. Alarmed and puzzled, she sat up against the pillows. Her inner beast purred, which was also astounding and unsettling and a stark realization spread through Jezari.

I’m pregnant.

The predator entwined in her DNA murmured happy agreement as Jezari sat in utter shock.

A partial memory came to her, of a conversation she’d overheard while in the hospital. Dr. Garrison had been telling someone how her mate Mateer had known she was pregnant thefirst morning after conception because he scented Spring in the air around her in the midst of a Khagrish lab.

She studied Hainn again.But we never claimed each other. We never did a blood transfusion. How can I have gotten pregnant?It was an accepted fact in the valley a Badari male could only get a woman pregnant if she’d received a blood transfusion from him. With a jolt she remembered the transfusion also typically created a telepathic link between the partners. Her ability to speak mind to mind had returned yesterday, after her first lovemaking with Hainn and only worked with him.So we’re mates? Goddess, what is going on here?

Maybe the transfusion rule only mattered with human women. Perhaps a Badari to Badari mating bypassed the whole inability to father children problem the Khagrish had programmed into the warriors. After all, the mere existence of the Daughters had been a secret for nearly 800 years, even from 99% of the Khagrish themselves. The scientists wouldn’t have known to create barriers to a Badari siring a child with one of his own kind.

Hainn rolled over and opened his eyes, sleep lingering. With a drowsy smile he greeted her and pulled her close for a hug. “I wish we had time for another round this morning but the guys will be leaving early for the sea mount.”

She let him kiss her but her mind was whirling. Why wasn’t he astonished to wake up to a pregnant woman? Had he somehow planned this? Was he going to say anything about this development between them?

He doesn’t know.

Hain’s lack of awareness was the only possible answer Jezari could come up with as her lover left the bed and headed for the bathroom. She drew her knees up close to her body and rested her head on them as she stewed over the situation. The cubswere the most important thing in the world to the Badari packs and to have their own child was a dream every Badari held close to the heart. So far only Mateer and Megan had accomplished the feat but their example inspired the others to hope. In fact Hope was the name given to the child. There wasn’t a man in the packs who wouldn’t die to save Hope, daughter of Mateer. She was the symbol their longed for future with families was possible.

Again she considered her biology versus a human woman and decided being a Badari Daughter meant she could hide the fact of her pregnancy from males, at least for now. Once she started to show things would be more difficult.

“Bathroom’s all yours,” Hainn said as he wandered back to the room and picked up his discarded clothes. “I’ll go get us tea and get dressed for the day of surfing. Meet me out there?”

“Sure,” she said, raising her face for a distracted kiss before he pulled on his utilities and left her room. After a moment she crawled out of bed and stood with one hand on her belly protectively. The idea of being a mother was exhilarating and frightening. She lived in a very uncertain world, being at war with the Khagrish.Is there ever a perfect time to have a baby though?As she walked to the bathroom vertigo overcame her, trying to think through all the ramifications of this event.I need to tell him.

Immediately she shook her head.Not yet.They weren’t claimed mates—maybe he didn’t feel that way toward her, despite their closeness yesterday and last night. After all he’d been with a number of human women—he could do casual as the South Seas brothers said.If I tell him I’m pregnant he’ll Claim me for that reason alone and I’ll never be sure.Would the mate bond even form if they weren’t truly meant by the Great Mother to be mates? But would the goddess have allowed Jezari to get pregnant if Hainn wasn’t her true mate?

All this hard thinking was making her frazzled and a little nauseous. Or maybe the pregnancy hormones were kicking in already? Now dressed, Jezari assessed her flat stomach in the mirror and reached a decision. She wasn’t going to say a word about this now, since Hainn hadn’t scented the truth. She needed time to think and she desperately wanted to go to the goddess’s circle in the forest at the valley and beg for guidance. Briefly she considered talking to Timtur in his role as senior healer and emissary to the goddess but ruled it out with a shudder as too awkward. She might talk to her Alpha but she knew Keshara and Gabe had been hoping for a child since coming to the valley with no luck. Jezari’s situation would inevitably cause her sister pain.

Eventually she’d have to tell Hainn.

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