Page 15 of Once Upon a Dance Club Wish

“It is my honor.” Lonnie bowed, stretching one leg out behind him and one arm across his chest. “I must say, as leader of this place, you deserve much nicer accommodations. Perhaps a hut double this size for our future family. Or maybe a living space built up in the trees.”

Banir’s attraction was instant, him suddenly calling for an immediate mating ceremony. I didn’t have time to return to Nelson to tell him what was happening, too wrapped up in preparing Banir and Lonnie to be instantly united before anything or anyone could come between them.

At some point during the ceremony, I saw my future mate, but only for a moment. After we’d left the new couple to do the actual mating on their own, I heard talk that Walter had gone into labor. Guessing that to be the reason Nelson had come to the village in the first place, I left after him, hoping to catch him at the home of the original outer-worlder, and help where I could.

As I reached the clearing in the woods, I headed up the path toward the cottage. I spotted Nelson outside, chatting with Walter’s children, probably keeping them occupied while their father gave birth to another. When he spotted me, his bottom lip quivered for a moment before he clenched his fists, and his eyes set in hard determination. Had something happened to the baby?

I quickened my steps until I reached him. “What happened? Is everything okay?”

“I guess so.” Nelson scowled before glancing down at his feet. “Walter’s having a baby. I’m sure you’ll have one soon with your new mate.”

“New mate?” My mind raced, trying to understand his words. “I don’t have a new mate. Only you. Whenever you’re ready.”

With his hands on his hips, he shifted his weight to one side. “Then who was the guy you brought here early this morning? The one I saw you with in the village? You were holding his hand during your mating ceremony. Shouldn’t you be with him now?”

“Lonnie?” I wanted to laugh at the misunderstanding but decided against it with the hurt and anger radiating off Nelson. “He’s with his actual mate right now, completing the ceremony. He arrived last night after you fell asleep. I did not want to leave you then, but it’s my responsibility here.”

Nelson crossed his arms. “So, who’s mate is he, then?”

“Banir’s.” I reached out to cup his elbow for some kind of contact before pulling my hand away again. “They had an instant attraction. Chauncey and I were surprised.”

After wiping his palms on his pants, Nelson pouted. “You were holding his hand though. I thought...”

“I was also holding Vern’s hand on the other side. It was part of the ceremony.” One I hoped to have with my own future mate very soon.

“Oh.” He shuffled forward until he was close enough for me to pull him into my arms.

I did. “I’m sorry I left without saying anything and didn’t have a chance to return to you before the ceremony.”

He rested his head on my shoulder. “I’m sorry I thought you’d chosen someone else.”

I kissed his forehead before shaking my head. “Only you. I’m likely to meet a lot of outer-worlders with Ahmed’s cardsworking to bring you all here, but you’re the only outer-worlder for me.”

He looked up and we kissed until I felt a tugging on the string of my garment. I glanced to my side to find Walter’s oldest child there.

“Is that how a baby gets in his tummy?”

Nelson and I chuckled together.

“No.” I ruffled the little guy’s hair. “It involves a whole lot more. Once I’m sure your daddy and your new sibling are okay, I’d like to take my future mate home to practice.”

Nelson squeezed my hand and smiled. “I think that would be a great idea.”

Chapter Thirteen

Nelson

Practice makes perfect, a saying from the outer-world. And we did practice. A lot. But no amount of practice made me one hundred percent ready to go through with the mating ceremony, to commit to the Enchanted Forest, and allow my body to change in order to carry a baby or babies.

After some pleading from me, Holden convinced Ahmed to appoint a second security officer so they could trade off in rotation. I didn’t want to have a baby with Holden if he was on call all the time. With the new arrangement, when Holden was on duty, I went to Walter’s to help him with his new son and with the other two children. When I finally decided I wanted to commit my body to the Enchanted Forest, the experience would be good practice for raising my own children. In the meantime, Holden and I got to know each other better. He liked sex shortly after waking up, while I preferred it right before going to sleep. He yearned for the quietness of our home or the pond, but I would suck him off in the village if we had a tree to hide behind. He liked a lot of kissing while I rode his cock, and while I enjoyed that, too, I liked to use my mouth in many other ways. I praised him for being a principled lover, never leaving me to finish on my own as past lovers had in the outer-world.

I knew I wanted to be his mate. I had no doubt. It was becoming a parent that terrified me. Raising a child proved terrifying enough as part of a community, let alone being the person with the most responsibility in rearing one. I hadn’t grown up even entertaining the idea, simply impossible for a man to get pregnant in my world. I became more and more comfortable with the concept, until one day, as I held Walter’s baby, Joseph, in my arms, I decided I was ready.

When Holden met me that evening after his shift, I stopped him before we took the route to our home. “Let’s go to the village. I want to see Banir.”

His eyebrows quickly knit together as if angry and confused until they lifted into his forehead when he finally understood my meaning. “You’re ready?”

I nodded. “Yep, I want to officially be your mate and have your children.”

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