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Chapter Seventeen
Sheppard
Locke and I fell into a routine quickly, at least in the mornings. I got up early and went for a run or a swim while Locke took his time getting ready. He had a habit of checking his emails and putting out fires before his first cup of coffee.
I, on the other hand, considered putting an espresso machine on my bedside table.
Locke’s hometown had all the amenities of a big, busy city but with the charm and friendliness of a small town. It was perfect for me.
And, best of all, no one knew I was there. No one at the pool batted an eye or had me sign anything.
To the people at the pool, Olivia excepted, I was just another swimmer who arrived before the crack of dawn for a workout.
I pulled off my hoodie and sweatpants. Kicked off my flip-flops and got into the water. This week had been slow in terms of workouts. Perhaps it was the turn of fall into winter and the colder temps setting in, but that had never stopped me before. In fact, in my heavy training days, I’d looked forward to the chill. It invigorated me in the mornings. And the glass walls kept the temperature reasonable even up here among the clouds.
Perhaps I was coming down with something.
A lot had happened in the last few months. Mating. Moving to a new city. The stress had taken a toll on my energy levels.
I stopped at the edge of the pool after swimming less than I’d planned on but still over an hour. My breaths were labored, and though I’d only woken up a few hours before, I was already in need of a nap.
When I got downstairs, Locke was already in his home office. I took a shower and went to cook breakfast but instead, I stood in front of the open refrigerator, hungry but nothing sounded good—not even my usual veggie omelet.
“Shep, are you okay?” Locke asked.
I turned to see him leaning against the doorframe that separated the living area from the kitchen. “I don’t know,” I said, truthfully. “Something is off. Are you feeling okay?” I stood up and shut the fridge.
“I was, but then my bear felt you weren’t good. It feels…nauseated, actually.”
I braced myself against the counter. “That’s accurate. Nauseated, plus tired and achy all over. And the pool smelled weird this morning. And if anyone should be used to the smell of chlorine, it’s me.”
“Should we bring you to the healer? Maybe we ate something that had gone bad? But you cook everything so well, I can’t see that happening.”
We both stood there for a moment. Locke took my hands in his and stepped closer so that our chests were nearly touching. “There’s another thing to consider, Sheppard.”
“What?” I leaned forward to kiss him. I could never get enough of those lips.
“You could be carrying our cub.”
The pause hung between us forever. I rolled through my symptoms and the timeline in my head. We had made love so many times at the inn, it was entirely possible that I had gotten pregnant.
“We need a test,” I said.
“You stay here, and I’ll go pick one up.”
Locke moved to leave, but I shook my head. “Nope. I’ll go. You have work to do, alpha.”
He kissed me hard and fast. “This is more important. I’ll be right back.”
There was a convenience store only a block away, so he was back before the situation fully dawned on me. He ticked his head to me, and I followed him to the bathroom. We waited on the bed, sitting side by side, until the three-minute timer went off.
When it did, Locke went in to get the stick. Despite all my want for children, seeing the test terrified me. Thrilled me. Too many emotions that filled the slot of time.
“It’s positive.” He held up the stick. While I’d seen Locke smile many times over the last few months, this one was by far the best one.
“I’m pregnant?” I asked, taking the stick from him.
“You have our babe in your belly, omega.”
