Bearfoot and Pregnant(33)

Coming upon a woman at a table outside a closed door, Talen said they had signed up online. “Hurry, take this,” she handed him a blue rolled up mat, “and take the first open spot. Enjoy and congratulations.”





TWENTY-FOUR




Talen opened the door and rushed Cassie inside to the coat corner. They made such a commotion arguing about who was taking her coat and gloves off, the speaker cleared her throat from the front of the room.

Spread out across the room, pregnant couples sat on small blue mats on the floor. Cassie snapped her head to face him. “Talen, what exactly did you search for online?”

“Events for pregnant women,” he said with pride.

Cassie groaned then laughed, taking his hand and finding a vacant spot. After watching a video of a live birth, Talen thought he was going to be sick. His opinions on childbirth and mates changed. He would be the first of his clan to attend the birth of his child. All males would follow his example.

A couple hours later, Cassie helped a dizzy Talen to the passenger’s side of her car.

“Let me do all the breathing when the time comes. We don’t need you passing out again,” she said while she started up the engine. A hearty laugh erupted from her.

Talen smiled to himself, after swallowing more bile. Females gave birth all the time on Aurora.

Did none of the males attend their child’s birthing? He’d have to check with Alyx since he had three children. The birthing process worried him. Would Cassie have a lot of pain like the women in the videos? He didn’t like the idea of his mate in pain.





Sitting in the car, waiting for the heater to warm, Cassie was almost too afraid to ask. “So, Talen, what’s next?”

“I have purchased tickets for a thing called a movie.” Cassie let out a sigh of relief. “Movies were highly rated on date sites. Many comments referred to ’making out.’” A zing of heat raced to her core. That would just be the beginning.

Inside the dark theatre in the Southline Mall, Talen sniffed the piece of popcorn between his thumb and finger. “I much prefer the little chocolate drop to this dry thing. It sticks in my teeth.” The lights dimmed. Talen jumped up looking for danger. Cassie pulled him down and tried to hold back a chuckle.

“Talen, shhh. Sit down. It’s fine. They have to turn the lights down to see the movie.”

He slowly lowered to his seat, growling at those staring wide-eyed at him. She felt a little bad that he was so concerned about something as laid back as a movie theater. Twenty minutes later, she told herself she should have known better as she walked a few steps ahead of Talen, headed down the mall. “I’m sorry, love, but no one fights with glowing colored sticks.”

She huffed. “I’m fine with that. It was your insistence of convincing everyone in the theater, they had issues with. Plus they didn’t appreciate your constant demands to turn down the sound.”

“Your delicate ears can be damaged. The only thing that loud on our planet is a dragon roar during battle.”

Cassie stopped and spun toward him. He was so close that he bumped into her, grabbing her arms before she hit the ground. “My mate, you must be careful. You carry our heir. You must be tired.” He hefted Cassie into his arms. “Let us sit and rest.”

“Talen, put me down. You’re embarrassing me.” He carried her across the wide aisle separating one side of the mall from the other.

“Don’t worry. It’s my pleasure to take care of you. It’s my responsibility.”

“Stop, right there.” Cassie wiggled, but Talen held tightly until sitting on a bench, she on his lap. “Talen, first off, stop calling me ‘my mate.’”

“But you are, my mate, love.”

“Says who, beside you?”

Talen looked confused. “I don’t understand? We are born that way. It is not up to you or me to decide if we are mates. Gerri told me you might not understand, but I don’t really know how to explain it to you. That’s how it is on our planet. Our animal knows.”

“That’s just it. I don’t have an animal to tell me who’s perfect for me. I have to do it on my own. And I have chosen wrong in the past; so wrong that my life was turned upside down. I won’t let that happen again.”

“When we get to my planet, I will always protect you. There’s nothing you will want for. You are my priority.”

She huffed out a frustrated breath. “You can’t assume I’m going with you.”

“Then I will stay on this planet.” The assurance in his voice scared her into looking at him.

She spun to him. “Oh, no you’re not. You have a clan to run.”