Page 25 of Entwined

“Sweetheart, wouldn’t you like to take a rest? I worry about all this walking you’ve been doing.” Darby eyed Bram’s stomach. “I swear I can see the baby growing as each hour passes.”

Humans and their preoccupation with time.

Bram tugged on Darby’s hand, leading him toward a grouping of rocks by a creek. It was one of the locations he’d been considering for their new place. And Darby was right, they had been out and about for quite a while. Bram had packed a basket of berries, nuts and oat cakes, so he figured it might be an excellent time to take a break.

“Okay, let’s stop and eat. I have plenty of food and lily stamen water.”

Darby rubbed his hands together and helped Bram get settled. His center of balance was just terrible anymore. After Bram was seated, Darby placed the basket down in front of him. He’d insisted on carrying it, yet another thing Bram was still getting used to. He’d always done everything himself, but now he had a big, handsome alpha to help him out. He wasn’t complaining.

“Mmm.” Darby accepted one of the crystal bottles that held the sweet water. “I might miss burgers and pizza, but this water alone more than makes up for it.”

Bram nibbled on one of the cakes. “It’s my favorite too.”

He wasn’t sure how Darby was feeling about the new home or any of the other more practical things they’d discussed. While Bram did his best to be understanding and patient with Darby due to the unfamiliar circumstance, he wished his mate would stop fretting over not having what he called a ‘job’.

From what he could understand, Bram believed that in Darby’s world, you had to show up somewhere at the same time every day and do what someone else, a boss, told you to do—or else. Apparently, the ‘or else’ was very, very bad. He didn’t want Darby to be afraid of anything anymore. Especially since there wasn’t anything to be afraid of.

“Do you know when I need to be at the council?”

Bram could detect the worried tone in Darby’s voice.

“Whenever you’d like.”

“Should I go with your da?”

Bram nibbled on his second cake. “Sure. If you want.”

Darby winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay… I guess I’ll do that then.”

He could sense how uncomfortable Darby was about the situation. “I promise that telling stories is a valuable service. It’s the perfect thing to share. Every fae loves a story, and even though they won’t let on, the sprites love them too. And it never hurts to have those little devils on your side in a pinch.”

“Yeah? You think everyone liked the one the other night?”

Bram nodded with enthusiasm. “Oh my, yes. We’ve never heard about bears before. Our forests don’t have any. However, they seem very nice—particularly the baby bear.”

“Well, that’s good. Especially since that was just an old fairy… er, human story that we tell our kids. I have some of my own that I’ve been working on that I’d like to share when they’re ready.”

“That’s perfect!” Bram clapped. “I think you’re understanding now. Like I said, we share everything. So, if you need someone to help you build the house, they’ll gladly do it because they know you’ll share a story. You see? Everyone gets what they want.”

Darby rubbed his chin, smiling. “Okay, yeah. I think I’m finally getting it. I suppose I’ve been forced to live a different way for so long that I’m still adjusting.”

A sharp pain shot through Bram’s abdomen. Uh-oh. Maybe they shouldn’t have gone so far to search out a spot for their new home.

“Um, right. That’s good.” Bram wrapped up the rest of his cake in the silk cloth he’d used when he’d packed everything up. “Well, I think that’s enough for this moon cycle. Why don’t we head back now? You can practice one of your stories while I take a nap.”

Darby rose. “Sure. Stay where you are and rest while I put the everything away.”

Bram blinked his eyes several times as another slightly stronger jab assailed him.

As he tried to figure out whether he should say anything, if what was happening was really happening, Darby’s face appeared in his field of vision.

“What is it, Bram? Why are you doubling over?” Darby placed a hand on his shoulder. “Did something you ate upset your stomach?”

This time when the cramp hit him, he knew they wouldn’t have time to make it back to the house. Not even the glen.

Bram clasped Darby’s arm. “Can I borrow your robe? I don’t think this will take very long.” He winced as the ache built inside his body and his abdomen tightened. Not the way this is progressing.

From what his ma had told him, and from what he’d seen with his aunts and uncles, the process of birthing a child was gradual. Of course, he’d been experiencing a lot of heaviness in his core, hadn’t been comfortable for at least the last half of their trip. But he’d assumed that was only because they’d been walking for so long. While it had crossed his mind to turn around, he’d been too excited about searching for the perfect spot to stake a claim.