Page 26 of A Bunny for the Bear
Uncle Champ let out a soft curse. “Son, I don't think it's our place to say, but you definitely need to get more information about him. If there are things you don't know, important things, then I would sit him down and talk.”
"It hasn’t been that long since we got together,” I argued. “Plus, he's skittish. I don't want to upset him.”
Aunt Souli pushed her bowl away on the table and leaned her elbows forward. Her chin went to her knuckles as she stared me down. It was a look I had been on the receiving end of many times. It told me she was really thinking about what she wanted to say next. Used to this whole song and dance, Uncle Champ remained quiet as well.
After a few long tense moments, she sighed and said, "Fate will have its way. If he needs more time to tell you, then give him that time. Also, don't overreact when you find out the truth. Understand that things will change quickly from here on out. We'll do everything we can to help you get ready.”
Help me get ready? Things changing? What in the world did this woman mean? Why was she speaking in riddles?
It felt as if everything should have been obvious to me. I attempted to put the pieces together, but it was as if all the edges shifted and molded any time I got close. All I knew was I wanted to be with my mate forever.
I wanted a family with him. I wanted a future so bright that others looked upon us as the example of a happily mated pair.
In order to do that, I needed to give him time to catch up with me. I knew it was important to him. With the way his past played out, I wouldn't do anything to risk us.
“Any other wisdom you would like to impart to me?” I asked Aunt Souli before I went back to eating.
She shook her head. "Nope. I think you will get all the answers you need soon enough. And if you don't, well we might need toget your eyes, and your nose, checked because I don't think you'll be able to miss it.”
Uncle Champ let out a booming laugh, then promptly choked on the bite of soup he taken. We all laughed as he fought to clear his throat dramatically. We knew he wasn't in danger of dying or anything. The man just couldn't be casual.
Then again, he was married to my aunt. It meant he had a flair for the dramatic. Staring at both of them, I understood what they had been trying to tell me all these years.
Collier Cover wasn't a bad place. With time and space, I learned that, and thankfully, at the pressing of my aunt, I returned home to be given the greatest gift of all. A mate who loves me and a future that's promising.
Chapter Eleven
Ross
I’ve fucked up.Like, severely fucked up.
Because what was supposed to be me telling my mate what type of shifter I was, and us finally bonding in all ways, has turned into me trying to hide the fact that I'm already pregnant.
And yes, I said already because bunny shifters are notoriously fertile. While I might have been alone, I heard about other fluffles overflowing with rapid speed. This might be the fastest I've ever heard from an interspecies pairing though.
While I'd only ever read about it through research textbooks and websites, even I knew we were the exception to the rules. I shouldn’t have been able to have his babies this fast.
Not having been around other bunny shifter around growing up, I didn’t get a talk about reproduction the way other shifters might have. I knew the basics of knotting, but not the things specific to me.
How was I supposed to know what would happen?
Besides, people exaggerate things all the time. Even with what I’d read before moving to Collier Cover, I didn’t really take it into account. The heat haze didn’t help things either. Even now, I could remember how much it affected me. My only desire was to be knotted—consequences didn’t matter.
I paced behind the counter of the pharmacy as I rubbed my stomach. I had only been slightly nauseous the last few days. While I could have chalked it up to anything, after day four of the discomfort, I just knew.
My body felt different, and when I rubbed my stomach, I could feel the little hard protrusions that indicated the babies inside of me. Babies, because there were definitely more than one.
So far, I’d countedfour.
That was yet another thing I hadn’t warned my mate about. It's quite rare for bunny shifters to have one child. When they do, it's an anomaly that typically resulted in depression for the parents. They’d think something's wrong with them when really, it's just Fate.
I'm not upset about the four babies growing inside of me. More like I'm nervous.
“Hi, I'm here to pick up some cream,” a voice said to my left.
I turned and came face to face with a very pregnant Omega. She looked down to where my hand was and then back up to meet my eyes and smiled.
“Are you pregnant too? Congratulations, I hadn't heard.”
