Page 21 of Chased Bear

“Seriously, though, why are you sitting on the counter? Wouldn’t it make more sense to be in an exam room?”

“Nah, this is more fun. People come in and out. I get to say hello.”

Rissa came out of the back room holding a vial and a little box. They had been investigating ways to help get rid of the scent, and I hadn’t realized they found one. Skunks tended to keep that shit secret. Why give people access to the secrets of your weapons and all that.

“All done,” they said, handing him the vial. “Drink this tonight with a cup of tea, then go to sleep, and everything will be fine. It’ll take time. The first thing you’ll notice is your own sense of smell returning. After that, the skunk scent will start to fade, and your own scent will come back.”

“Oh, thank goodness.”

“I hardly notice it anymore,” I said. “I might even miss it when it’s gone.”

He shot me a doubtful glare. “You will not. I hate not being able to scent anything. If I ever meet that skunk again—”

“You won’t do anything or you’ll be right back here drinking this tea,” Rissa said.

“I didn’t hustle him. He had no right to spray me,” Jayce said. “That’s why he came after me in the first place—he thought I was cheating.”

Rissa’s tone shifted. “I need you to take a pregnancy test.”

Jayce stilled. “Why, is this not safe if I’m pregnant?”

That wasn’t my question, not at all. Now everything inside me needed to know the results of said test. And goddess help me, I wanted it to be positive. What was wrong with me?

“No, you’ll still take the same thing, but there are a few herbs in that potion that can deplete some minerals you’ll need if you’re pregnant. So we’ll put you on a vitamin regimen if you are pregnant.”

“Oh, all right.” Jace took the box and went to the restroom.

Pregnancy was not something that had occurred to me until now. He and I had been careful, and there were times I hated it. Condoms were like admitting that we never wanted to be more. And the truth was, we both did. It just hadn’t been in the cards. And I wasn’t sure it was now, but I was going to try.

I wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of a cub that was a mix of me and Jayce. Would our children turn out more serious or a little chaotic like him? I kind of thought chaotic might be nice. It wasn’t the first time my mind wandered there, either.

“Dreaming, Alpha?”

“What’s that?” I said, my gaze snapping to Rissa.

Jayce came out. “All’s good. The trash was full, so I bundled it up. I’ll take it out for you.” He grabbed the vial and left. “Thanks, Rissa,” he shouted as he walked out the door.

What the heck was that about?

Chapter 13

Jayce

“Oh, fuck.” I closed the door to my bedroom and leaned against it, letting out a long breath. “Oh, fuck.”

I slammed my head against the back of the door, swearing again. I had thrown away the test with the rest of the trash, but the fact remained: the test had been positive. I was pregnant and with Aydan’s baby. He made absolutely no secret that we couldn’t be forever, and that’s what a baby was… fucking forever.

And the really messed-up part… when I saw it, I was happy. Like the result filled me with a joy I’d never experienced before kind of happy. That was until reality set it and I realized how very, very bad this was.

Eventually, I’d have to go to Rissa and ask what vitamins I needed to take, because there was no way I was not taking this potion to get the skunk scent away, and I wouldn’t put my baby in danger. Since it was only vitamins and they didn’t sound too worried about it, I wasn’t either.

But holy fuck, pregnant. Expecting. In the family way. I had a motherfucking bun in the goddamned oven. I was with child. Knocked up. Tin roof rusted. All the things.

It was Aydan’s, that much I knew. It wasn’t like I could so much as look at another alpha when he was around. He drew me in in a way no one else had. That first night, a not-so-small part of me wished he grew a knot, letting us both know that this was the real deal. But he hadn’t. Not then and not the thousand and one joinings we’d had since.

How was he going to feel about this? Was he going to be mad? He didn’t look particularly worried at the healer’s. But then again, we always wrapped it up—my idea. And they were his condoms, so it wasn’t like I was the one who bought faulty ones. This entire thing was a catastrophe. And still… part of me was glad for it.

I collapsed onto my bed, face buried in my pillow, and let out a scream. He’d be supportive. Of course, his sense of responsibility wouldn’t let him be anything but supportive. Thatdidn’t mean he wasn’t going to be pissed or that resentment wouldn’t fester. If only I could look in his head and see what he’d think or at least see what had flashed through his head when I was told to take the test.

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