Page 82 of Fearless Bond

“Good question. He doesn’t eat with his mouth yet. He gets all he needs from his papa’s body. Through this tube here, see?”

“And he pees and poos in there?”

I bit back a chuckle. “He does. But it’s a different kind of pee and poo.”

“Not smelly?”

“No. Not smelly.”

He gave my stomach a suspicious look. “I don’t want a baby to poo in me.”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds.”

Toby looked unconvinced. “Uncle Phil says you’ll be away.”

“Only for a short while, after the baby is born. Then I’ll come back and bring him with me.”

The promise of live proof seemed to satisfy Toby, and he returned to his coloring.

In the afternoon, I took a walk home. Barclay still offered to drive me daily, but I liked the narrow winding path that led through the forest to our house. June had been dry and sunny, and the blueberries would soon be ripe.

The sun warmed my back, and I took off my jacket and tied it around my hips under my huge belly. Of course it kept slipping, so I gave up and threw it over my shoulder.

After a few minutes, I heard stomps behind me. I knew who that was.

“I told you I didn’t need a ride,” I said when the bear caught up with me, trampling the grass along the trail.

He gave me puppy-dog eyes and sniffed at my belly.

“I’m not tired. I want to walk. It’s a beautiful day.”

The bear gave a low growl and poked my arm with his nose.

I paused. “What?”

He waddled in front of me and lay on the ground, stretching his front paws in front of him.

“I’m getting too heavy for this, Barclay.”

The huge animal stared beseechingly at me.

I shook my head but relented. I climbed onto his back and held on to the long fur on his neck as he carefully rose and began walking. Except he didn’t follow the path home. Instead, he carried me through the blueberry bushes into the thickening forest. I could hear the bubbling creek in front of us.

“What are you up to?”

Of course, he didn’t reply.

He brought me to the creek where the trees opened. Large boulders lay strewn along the sunny bank, the water creating small waterfalls as it rushed toward the valley below, where the birches, with their bright green canopy, created almost a tunnel around it. It was a lovely place, away from any trails, with no hint of civilization anywhere near us. Barclay lowered himself so I could climb off. Looking at the stunning scenery, I stretched my back.

“Are we having a picnic?”

A low purring and hissing announced Barclay’s transformation. Two human arms wrapped around my belly from behind.

“I didn’t bring any food,” my mate said.

I leaned back against his naked body with a sigh. “That’s okay. I’m not hungry yet.”

Leaving a trail of kisses down the side of my throat, he burrowed his hands under my oversized T-shirt.

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