Bear for the Holidays (Animal Rescue Shifters) by Zoe Chant

Author:Zoe Chant [Chant, Zoe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-12-10T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIVE

∞∞∞

Things were going well, beyond well, and then, that sound.

The pregnant cat’s cries drilled through her head like an ice pick, and if it was that bad for her, she couldn’t imagine how much rougher it was for Nik, who looked a little haunted every time the cat went off.

“So what did Pearl say?” he asked when she came back into the bedroom.

“Somehow, this is normal. She says that it just sounds as if Your Highness is part Siamese, not actually in pain–”

“Oh, that’s good.”

“And that giving birth takes them anywhere from four hours to a full day.”

“Oh. Wow.”

She sat down next to him, taking his hand as if they’d been doing it for years. There were a lot of striking things about Nik Shevchenko, but the one she kept getting stuck on was how familiar he felt. It was as if they’d vaulted over the iffy, exhausting part of dating, the part where you wondered who you were really with, what they might be hiding, who they might be when they were irritated or upset, and gone right to something certain and warm.

And now I know what he’s like when he’s frustrated, an impish voice inside her head said. He gets very patient and does a lot of staring.

As a matter of fact, he was staring right now, looking down at the drawer with a faintly dire look.

“And she’s just going to keep making that noise, huh?” he said, already sounding resigned.

“Probably.”

“Did Pearl say if there was anything else we could do for her?”

Unexpectedly, Deanna felt warmth well up in her chest. The idea of this enormous man being concerned about this tiny, deeply unexpected pregnant cat made her a little wobbly, and she pushed it aside so she could answer him like a normal person.

“Pearl said if she seems like she’s having trouble, there’s a few things we can do, but most likely, we’re just going to need to step back and let her handle it. Cats have been doing this for thousands and thousands of years without human intervention. We have water and food available for her when she wants it, and that’s largely all she needs.”

“So hands off, apply more tuna at necessary, got it.”

“Just so you know, whenever I have kids, I want more attention than this. A cheese plate and a massage at least.”

It came out a little stilted, and Deanna was suddenly very afraid it came out exactly what it was, a declaration of the fact that she wanted children and that she needed to make sure that Nik was on the same page. She braced herself for everything from a protest to a real fight, but Nik only smiled at her.

“Cheese and sausage and jam to keep your strength up,” he promised, climbing to his feet. “Definitely a massage. How many kids do you want?”

“At least two, and fairly close together, ideally,” she said with a slight smile. “I was an only child, and I have cousins, which helps, but I was lonely a lot.

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