9
Sage
I wokeup with a sore butt. Birds sang outside and I felt a morning breeze brush my naked skin. I lazily stretched with a groan and opened my eyes.
“You’re finally awake,” Xander said.
He was sitting beside me with his arms crossed, looking amused.
“Morning,” I said with a smile. My eyes strayed to his side, where the healing wounds stuck out like polka dots against his bronze skin. “How’s your side feel?”
“Decent. I’m glad we shifters heal at a faster rate than humans. I don’t think they’re at risk of opening anymore unless I get stabbed by antlers again.”
I giggled. “That’s good.”
Xander watched me for a moment and then said, “Dawn, huh?”
“Who?”
Xander gestured outside. From where I was laying, I saw a shard of blue sky. Judging by the light, it was almost midday.
“I don’t get it,” I admitted.
“You said we would get up at dawn, remember?”
I gasped. “Oh! Dawn! I completely forgot. Crap, the pack’s probably worried sick.” I scrambled up, swayed from standing too quickly, then rubbed the sleep from my eyes. “C’mon, we gotta go!”
In a smooth motion, Xander shifted to his mountain lion form. He was ready to go. In fact, he’d probably been ready for hours. I felt bad that he waited for me.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” I asked.
“I tried,” Xander replied. “You might as well have been a rock.”
I groaned. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before. I should’ve warned you I’m a heavy sleeper.”
But Xander didn’t seem upset. There was warmth in his eyes. “You also looked very… cute. I could have tried harder to rouse you, to be honest, but I didn’t want to.”
I blushed. I didn’t expect such an affectionate comment from Xander. Then again, wedidhave sex last night. Amazing, incredible sex. I forced it out of my mind in case I got horny thinking about it. But it reminded me that my temperature had gone back to normal.
“Is my heat really over?” I mumbled out loud.
“Seems like it.” Xander sniffed the air, his tail waving in interest. “It’s lingering, but not as strong as before.”
I stared down at myself in awe. Bodies and hormones wereweird. I put a hand over my belly, which obviously looked exactly the same as it did last night. But there was a possibility that there was a little cat-wolf-jellybean thing growing inside me.
Xander noticed me staring at my body and came over with a purr rumbling in his throat. He rubbed his furry cheek against my belly.
“Are you nuzzling the maybe-baby or scent marking me?” I asked.
“Both.” Xander’s fangs flashed in a smirk. “Now come. Let’s leave before your pack launches a search party.”
I quickly shifted to wolf form and shook the last of the sleepiness out of my pelt. When we left the little hollow, Xander pressed against me.
“By the way,” he growled with that hint of sexy protectiveness again, “the baby isn’t just a possibility. If it didn’t work this time, we’ll try again. Iwillimpregnate you, Sage.”
I shivered. I was definitely glad I wasn’t in heat anymore or I might have cum instantly.
“Uh huh,” I said woozily.
