Page 43 of Briggs
I wouldn’t be nearly that lucky, as I didn’t have magical abilities in that way. I could shift into a wolf, but that was the extent of my magic. I couldn’t change diapers and prepare bottles from a completely different state like Benjamin. Then again, I wasn’t sure how many warlocks could. Benjamin was from a powerful line.
That didn’t matter though. Todd and I were in this together, and we’d figure it out. I thought about my family and how I hadn’t even told them I’d found my mate. Todd and I had been together for just under a month now, and I’d not even texted them to let them know. It wasn’t because I was ashamed or anything; we’d simply been busy and wrapped up in each other. I would be sure to message them this weekend once Todd was feeling better. Well, hopefully feeling better.
I turned around in the empty room before I left. I peeked in on Todd, and finding him still very much asleep, I decided to go downstairs. I could work on some laundry or take stock of our pantry and make a shopping list.
It was odd that I was suddenly left trying to find something to occupy my time while my mate slept. For several weeks now, it had been us doing everything together. Less than a month ago, I had no issues coming up with activities to occupy my time, but now? I was struggling.
I went to the kitchen, and after getting a glass of water, I took a long drink as I stared out the window. It had a nice view of Ramsey’s house. He wasn’t so close that we would hear him and his mate, but they were close enough if either of us should ever need the other for something.
Thinking back to my current situation, I wasn’t sure if I was struggling to find something to do so much as I was worried for my mate. When I had that thought, immediately, my wolfhowled in my mind. So maybe that was it. I finished my water, and instead of finding something to do, I went back to the bedroom to sit with my sleeping mate.
Chapter 16
Todd
“How is your cheetah during your pregnancy? Does he seem excited?” Dr. Swift asked me.
I growled, but when Briggs placed his hand on my thigh, I took a deep breath and relaxed. “I would love for my cheetah to be here and acknowledge things, but he’s sleeping and has been for weeks now. I’ve never had him disappear on me, and I’m honestly concerned.”
“Let me…” Dr. Swift held up a finger. “Give me just a sec here.”
Dr. Swift got up and left the room, and I looked over at Briggs, confused about everything that was going on. “Will my cheetah come back, do you think?”
“I’m sure he will. I have no idea where Dr. Swift ran off to, though, or why.”
Dr. Swift came back in, and right behind him was Dr. Braun. “Hi, Todd. I heard your cheetah is sleeping, and you’re worried.”
“Hi, Dr. Braun. Yeah, when I woke up from my heat, he was already asleep. I’ve tried to wake him several times, but nothing. And it’s causing me a lot of stress because he’s never abandonedme like this before. He’s always been there. Always! Have I lost him?”
Dr. Braun smiled as he took my hand and gave it a tight squeeze. “He’s fine, I promise you. And he’ll return right around the time you have the baby. Sometimes our animal half returns during labor; most of the time, it’s right after we give birth. But what you are experiencing is perfectly normal for a pregnant omega.”
It took a moment, but I felt myself relax more than I had been in a long time. I leaned to the side and put my head on Briggs’s shoulder.
“That’s…I don’t know. A relief for sure. But it’s more. Why didn’t they tell us about this in my pride? I could have had a whole lot less anxiety about things. He’s always been there for me. And now, he’s just gone.”
Dr. Braun sat down across from us in the chair Dr. Swift usually sat in. “When you say gone, do you mean you can’t see him at all?” he asked.
“No. He’s curled up and sleeping. But he could wake up and tell me how to do things. He’s always done that before. He’s always been there. Now, nothing.” I peeked in on my cheetah and found him snoring on his back. I shook my head at him. “He’s upside down, snoring. Why?”
Dr. Braun smiled. “Because he’s taking a break and resting so your body can focus on creating your baby. He’s giving you what you need and not taking anything from you. He knows you have a mate and you can rely on him to help you through everything you are about to go through.”
Briggs wrapped his arm around me and gave me a side hug.
I looked up at him and tried to smile. “That makes sense. I need to learn about being a pregnant omega, I guess.”
“We’ll learn together.”
“Dr. King has a book that he and Dr. Rothwell put together. Do you not have a copy?” Dr. Braun asked.
I sighed. “We do. And I’ve skimmed it before. I don’t remember anything about our animal halves becoming assholes and sleeping through the entire pregnancy while we’re puking our guts out.” Dr. Swift chuckled. I was going to growl again, but Briggs seemed to realize, and he pulled me tighter to his side, distracting me.
“Granted, I’m not treating you for your pregnancy, but I think it’s safe to say that the two of you should read that book over the weekend. It has a lot of important and helpful information in it. I think certain sections will be especially useful for you.”
I was sure most parts were going to be useful, but there were some chapters that didn’t pertain to me. Like, I was only having one, so I didn’t really need to read all of the chapters about multiples. And I wasn’t a carrier without an omega line. I was a shifter who had one, and when the time came, it would start to open and I’d be able to give birth.
“We’ll start reading it when we get home,” Briggs said. I nodded in agreement. I was the pregnant one here, and yeah, I should probably read up on it more than I have in the past.
“How do you feel about your cheetah sleeping now that I’ve explained that it’s perfectly normal?”
