Maybe he had an embarrassing animal, unlike your noble mountain lion form.
The idea made me frown. A fish shifter would have no reason to shift in a room, and even if he did, he wouldn’t have stood a chance against a big cat.
But something still didn’t fit. The man spoke to me as if I was a mute animal, not a shifter, like he didn’t think shifters even existed. I couldn’t make sense of this puzzle.
“I don’t want to worry you or anything, but I just wanted to talk to you about it,” Remington said, avoiding my gaze. “I feel like you’re the only person who would’ve taken this seriously.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Remington. I’m glad you told me.”
He glanced at me with a slight smile. “Um, by the way, I’m sorry I made such a scene about you joining the pack. I think the incident at the manor freaked me out and made me paranoid.”
I returned his smile. “Don’t worry about it. It’s history now. Besides, it’s good to have a little paranoia sometimes.” I glanced back to the river, where the fish were gathering again. “I’ll keep an eye out for any potential danger, especially now that the baby’s almost here.”
“I hope it’s not a big deal,” Remington murmured with a sigh. “Maybe it was just a trick of the light and I didn’t actually see anything.”
“Don’t doubt yourself. I believe you. By the way, what color was this fish?”
“Golden. Not orange like a goldfish, but actually gleaming like gold,” Remington told me.
“Thanks.” I gestured to the water. “Want to help me catch something before we head back?”
Remington perked up. “I’m probably not as good of a fisher as you, but I’ll try.”
We spent some time catching fish from the river. Remington was modest about his ability, but he managed to grab a fish the length of his paw with a quick bite. I snatched up as many as would fit in my jaws on the way back and hoped Sage would be satisfied with our results.
Spending time with Remington was surprisingly pleasant. We chatted on the way back and the conversation came naturally, with none of the previous awkwardness. I was glad we got over the tension hanging between us.
We were halfway back to the grove when a long howl split the air.
Remington spit his fish out. “That’s Hugo. He says Sage might be going into labor,” he said quickly.
My muscles sprang to life. I pelted across the field at full speed with Remington close behind me. Once I was past the ring of trees, I skidded to a halt and spat out the fish I’d collected before shifting and rushing to Sage’s side. He was laying in a makeshift den of dry grass and fur. His large belly was prominent now.
“Sage, is everything okay?” I asked as the other omegas made space for me.
He groaned, but it was in exasperation instead of pain. “I’mfine.Hugo was overreacting.”
“I was not,” Hugo said, frowning.
“You totally were. I just mentioned off hand that I thought Imightbe going into labor, not that I was for sure,” Sage mumbled. I noticed the sweat beading his forehead but otherwise he didn’t seem to be agitated.
“It’s okay. I’m glad Hugo called me,” I said, nodding to him.
Sage brightened. “By the way, did you bring me what I asked for?”
Remington collected the fish and gave them to Sage. “I caught one too, but I kind of panicked and dropped it on the way here,” he said apologetically.
“That’s okay! Thanks anyway.”
Sage shifted into a big-bellied wolf and tore into the fish with vigor. I couldn’t help but grin as I watched. It was satisfying to know my mate enjoyed it and that my effort hadn’t gone to waste.
He shifted back when he was done. He leaned back, settling into the den with a contented sigh. “Thanks, Xander. You’re the best.”
I curled up beside him, idly stroking his body. I couldn’t believe how much he’d grown in such a short amount of time. I enjoyed it as much as I could while it lasted, since I wasn’t sure if Sage would want to go through this again. My hand swept gently over his belly and he nuzzled against my chest with a smile.
“Wanna think about names again?” he suggested. His voice sounded a little tighter than before so I stroked his hair. He was still sweating, and I wondered if he was trying to get his mind off discomfort.
“Of course.”
