Page 55 of Fur-Ever Home

"I thought we resolved this before bed."

"You resolved it!" he wailed. "I didn't!"

I tried to hug him to my chest, but he pushed me away.

"Did you lie to me when you said you were all right?" I hated asking, and his hurt expression devastated me, but I had to know.

The last time I saw Hank before leaving for New York, he'd told me everything was fine, too, all while preparing to fire me. Ben and I had talked about this. I'd been burned too many timesby lies, and I needed to trust him, especially about his mental health and the health of our pup.

"I did not lie!" The tears choking his voice made me believe him, and I felt like an asshole for making him cry. "I was fine when we went to bed. And then I wasn't."

"You need a comfortable bed, not a sleepover pile on the floor," I chided. "I love you. I want to take care of you. Come back to bed, and we'll build the nest there."

He swallowed hard, and the tears flowed even harder. "You what?"

"I love you." I'd said it without thinking in the heat of the moment, but I knew it was true. It still seemed too soon, but I wanted to say it. I'd loved Ben from the first moment I smelled him, before I even saw him. "I love you, Papa, and our pup will, too. Come back to bed."

"I love you too!" He hugged me as tight as he could while throwing out his hips to make room for his belly. I loved the way his ass stuck out when he did that. He looked so adorable and strangely sexy.

I held him until he was all cried out. Together, we picked up the bedding and moved it to our room, throwing back the comforter to form our cocoon in the middle of the bed and then pulling it over the top of us once we were inside.

"This is perfect," Ben whispered. "Thank you."

I twined our fingers together and brought them to my lips. I kissed and licked his hand until he giggled. "Stop it!"

"I love you," I said again. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"My feelings are a mess," he said. "If I'd known how I felt when you asked, I would have told you."

"I know." I propped myself up on an elbow and leaned over to kiss his forehead. "I need to be more patient." I'd assumed the worst of Ben, the one person I trusted above anyone else.

"It's my fault," Ben said. "I didn't want to wake you so soon after you'd fallen asleep."

"You can always wake me up."

I could see his wide grin in the purple glow of the outside streetlight. "You always sound so disappointed, though."

I laughed. My wolf didn't like to be roused from sleep. "I promise I won't bite."

He leaned up and kissed me. "I know. I'll wake you next time."

I sank back to my pillow, and he rolled and squirmed his way into position with his back to my chest. I hugged him to me, so grateful he still wanted to be with me after I'd said the wrong thing.

Granted, it wasn't a huge disagreement, but we'd weathered it together with only a few tears. Even better, Ben loved me back. I'd been afraid to say the words for nothing.

23

BENJAMIN

Of courseI went into labor minutes before turkey time on Thanksgiving Day. I was almost a month early by human standards, but my midwife insisted our baby would be early. We were outside, Connie and Audrey playing in animal form, when something warm trickled down my inner pant leg.

Connie bounded over to me, nosing me in the belly.

"I think my water broke."

He shifted right then and there, giving everyone a show, though I doubt they could see much around my bulging midsection when he picked me up and carried me into the house. They probably got a great view of his ass on the way by, though.

"Clothes," I shouted when he tried to carry me out the front door and down the street to our house while stark naked. My brother's backyard was acceptable, but I didn't want the whole neighborhood to see my sexy naked mate.

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