Page 31 of Curvy Hostage Mate
She beamed and hugged me again, then turned to Chris. “Thanks for bringing her here,” she told him.
“Well, she kept begging me to come,” Chris said with a grin. “I figured she needed something to cheer her up, considering everything else that had been going on.”
“You and I are going to have some words about not letting me see her until now,” Kendra said. But I recognized that playful spark, that sass she’d had since we were children. I had forgotten just how much I missed it. I gave a broad grin, trying not to let the emotion of seeing my sister again overwhelm me.
Kendra pulled me against her and squeezed again. “Come on,” she said, and pulled me into the house.
The next several hours were just the two of us catching up, Chris off in the kitchen, and giving us privacy as Kendra filled me in on the last several months. It was as if we’d never been apart.
Despite my overwhelming joy at seeing my sister again, I couldn’t enjoy it, not fully. I knew I needed to tell her about the baby, but the words just wouldn’t come out. I didn’t know how she would react to the news. Wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Kendra was incredibly protective, and I wasn’t sure if she would take it upon herself to murder Chris once she found out.
No, she needed to know. And she needed to hear it from me. I hesitated, chewing the inside of my cheek.
“Kendra… there’s something I need to tell you.”
Kendra’s smile faded, but only a little, as she stared at me inquisitively, waiting.
“I’m… um… pregnant,” I said.
She gave a slow nod, her expression unreadable. “I thought you smelled a bit different,” she muttered. “I was going to let you decide if you wanted to tell me or not.” She hesitated. “It’s not Cain’s… is it?”
I shook my head, and Kendra’s entire body seemed to sag in relief. “That’s something at least,” she said. “Then who…” she trailed off, her eyes widening a little as she figured it out. She glanced at the closed door. “Chris?”
I swallowed, mouth a little dry, feeling more than a little self-conscious. “Yeah. It just… sort of happened.”
“Are you okay? Are you safe?”
“I’m okay. I’m safe.” I paused. “And I’m happy. Really, I’m happy.”
Kendra’s face broke into a relieved smile. She pulled me into another bear hug. I doubted she would ever get enough of those for the rest of our lives.
“In that case, I’m ecstatic. I get to be an aunt! I’ll be there to help in whatever way I can, and whatever way you want me to,” she promised.
“What about Chris?” I asked. “Is he…” I trailed off, not fully aware of what I was trying to ask.
Even if I didn’t, Kendra seemed to understand. She gave a small nod. “He’s a good guy,” she said. “A bit intense at times, but most male shifters are. Impulsive, that you are here in the first place, is a testament to that. He and Will are good friends.”
I nodded, waiting to see if she was going to add anything else to the revelation. With a smile, she put her hand on my shoulder.
“He’ll be there for you. And if he isn’t…” She grinned, showing sharp teeth. “I’ll make sure he’s very, very sorry about that.”
***
“Thank you,” I said after we had gotten back to the cabin several hours later.
“I should have done it a long time ago,” Chris muttered. “I’m sorry I didn’t. But we can try and make sure you see her more frequently.”
“How much does she know about Cain?”
“I don’t know,” Chris said. “I think Will’s been keeping her pretty up-to-date. I’m not sure if he told her about his visit or—” he cut himself off, his jaw tightening. He glanced at me with unease as I stared at him, my jaw opening slightly.
“He… visited?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even. At the moment, I couldn’t tell if I was terrified or furious.
“Don’t worry about…” he trailed off as he saw my expression. “Fuck.” He ran his fingers through his hair, then his shoulders slumped in frustration. Folding his arms, he turned and faced me fully.
“Cain came to Falcon’s Reach a few days ago,” he said. “He found out about Trent and Nolan. He demanded we hand you over, or he’d kill them. Declan and I both told him no, and to get lost. Before you feel guilty, Trent and Nolan are more than able to handle themselves. His threatening them is like threatening two weasels. They’ll slink out eventually. Trent especially is good at getting out of tight spots, and Nolan’s the king of trickery.”
That should have put me at ease. Instead, Chris’s expression only intensified my suspicions. With a deep frown, I folded my arms and stared up at him, waiting, my foot actually tapping.
