Page 27 of A Bunny for the Bear
Biting my lip, I nodded. “I am, but no one knows yet. Can you keep it a secret?”
She mimed zipping her lips. “Absolutely. I didn't tell my mate right at first either. It was hard because we had tried for so long, and I didn't want to be wrong, you know.”
I nodded again even though I didn't quite understand. But I didn't want to upset her by saying my pregnancy had been easy to conceive. I always found that to be a crass thing.
In the old pack, no one cared. When you got pregnant, you shouted it from the rooftops because it spoke of how virile the Alpha was. Never mind the Omega had a hand in the creation of the baby. It was all about what the larger, stronger person could do.
The more time I spent in Collier Cover, the more I understood how toxic that place truly was. I was thankful to have come here and found my mate. Thankful to have friends who seemed to want to support me.
In the days following our picnic in the park, I had received numerous text messages telling me about events happening and dinners that the group was getting together for. It gave me a sense of community I’d been so desperately missing. It made me feel less alone.
Of course, I missed most of the messages because me and Hutton had been going at it nonstop. The minute I had my phone back, I was able to respond to them and let them know that I was eager to be a part of whatever they would invite me to.
I helped the customer with her order, taking my time to explain exactly how she needed to put the ointment on and how often, before giving her a wave goodbye. Since she was the last order Ihad, I decided to close up early. I couldn't put off telling him any longer.
In just a few days, my stomach would start to swell and harden. Within a week, I would be extremely pronounced since gestation was only about thirty days for my kind.
I grabbed all my things and took off for the house. Hutton had managed to coordinate all his to get moved to Collier Cover. The delivery of his stuff was set for the end of this week. He intended to use his side of the duplex to put everything in while we lived on my side. Thankfully, the landlord was happy to extend his two month lease for a longer stay.
It made me wonder what we would do with four little ones. The duplex, even with both sides in use, wasn't big enough to house all of us. Not comfortably anyway.
I let my thoughts run wild as I walked home. As soon as I stepped on the porch, the door opened.
A smiling Alpha met me. "Mate," he said, opening his arms.
I rushed into them, happy to be back where I belonged.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he ran his hand along my back.
I shook my head into his chest, then pushed away. "Let's go inside. I have to tell you something. Something important."
He frowned but ushered me in. Once we were in the living room, I had him sit on the couch.
“The easiest way to do this is to simply show you. Once I do, I think you'll understand."
He pressed his hands to his thighs. I could tell he was nervous. As much as I wanted to reassure him, I didn't have the words.
"Everything's fine between us," I added right before stripping my clothes off.
His cock hardened as his gaze heated. I shook my head when I reached the point of my underwear, then said, "It's not what you're thinking."
As soon as my boxers hit the ground, I closed my eyes and forced the shift. My body transformed, shrinking down until I was nothing but fur and big floppy ears.
I sat back and let my bunny take control of our body. Realization hit my mate quickly. It was only a split second of shock before his eyes lit up and a smile covered his features. He dropped to the floor and slowly crawled my way.
"You are magnificent," he said, his voice airy. "May I pet you?"
To answer him, my beast hopped forward until we were close enough for his hand to touch us. His big strong palm rested along my back for a long moment before he stroked me gently.
I trembled at the touch, not because it felt bad, but because I was so excited to see him happy. I did truly worry that he wouldn't like knowing I was such a small animal. If he had wanted a mate to match his strength and size, then he would have been disappointed.
It seems I underestimated my Alpha.
"You didn't want to tell me because you were nervous?" I touched my nose to his wrist, a sign to tell him he was correct.
He sat back on his heels. "Is it all right if I pick you up and hold you? Me and my bear want you as close as possible right now. I'm not sure the ground is the best way to make it happen."
I hopped closer to him, then waited for him to scoop me up. When he did, I felt his fingers rub across my stomach. He frowned, then continued the motion.
