“Dealbreaker.” He chuckled. “I’m just kidding. Of course she can come.”
“I lie awake thinking about you too. I’m in.”
Chapter Fifteen
Sothea
Altan and I decided to be prudent with our money. We decided to move into my apartment and save for a year or two to buy a home. Our little one wouldn’t need a ton of room until they were more mobile.
We decluttered some of my things, and the second bedroom was now a studio/nursery. My drawing table on one side, a crib on the other. As far as I was concerned, it was perfect.
Altan got in from work and kicked his shoes off, cursing the damned things. “I’m home,” he called out. I lived to hear those two words when he came home on the days I was off early.
“How was your day?” I came around the corner with my apron on and an oven mitt on my hand. Another thing I lived for? Cooking for my mate.
“I feel like this is a role-playing sexy situation I’ve entered but I’m too tired to play.” His belly was protruding and as he kicked his shoes off, I noticed he held the wall for support. He was more than halfway through the pregnancy, according to the healer. When there was a human/shifter mating, the timing was tricky, but the healer drew conclusions based on the baby’s weight and size, not the parentage in these cases.
If you asked me, he glowed more with each day. I caught him dropping his towel onto the floor that morning while getting ready for work, and I nearly came from just the sight of him. He complained sometimes about getting bigger and his body changing but, to me, it was lovely to see him evolve.
“What?” I looked down and it all registered. “No. I was making dinner. I just pulled a chicken pot pie out of the oven. But anytime you’re up for role-playing, let me know.”
Altan laughed, shaking his head. “I’m gonna shower first. I have office germs on me.”
Office germs, in Altan’s opinion were worse than airplane germs. Recycled air. No ventilation. Open cubicles. He rushed to shower almost the instant he got home. Plus, his office attire couldn’t be comfortable with his changing body.
I pulled the rosemary garlic biscuits from the oven next and threw in a batch of his favorite chocolate chunk cookies. While I set the table, I thought it might be funny if someone came in and wanted a chicken pot pie tattoo. Would be fun too.
“What’s that smile for?” Altan came in wearing sweatpants and one of my T-shirts which was baggy everywhere but his belly.
“I was thinking of a chicken pot pie tattoo.”
He pouted. “I thought maybe you were thinking of me.”
Another quirk of his pregnancy hormones? Needing reassurances of love. I didn’t mind one bit. “Sweetheart, you’re always on my mind. Always.”
My mate cried a bit. Another hormone thing. I wiped his tears and then kissed him silly.
“Thank you for making dinner,” he said, sniffing the air. “It smells delicious.”
I chuckled. “I was thinking the same thing about you.”
After we ate, I cleaned up while Altan went to rest on the couch. The days were taking their toll on him more and more and, while I respected his work ethic, he came home more tired than I was comfortable with. He basically showered, ate dinner, and then vegged out until I carried him to bed or he went on his own.
How long could he keep this up?
He was human, but I was still an alpha, with the duty of making sure my omega was well cared for.
When I sat on the couch next to him, he turned off the TV. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Tell me.”
“One of the reasons I accepted the job I did was because of the benefits. This company offers me eight months of leave for having a baby, but it’s flexible. Meaning, I could take three weeks before the baby and then the rest after or whatever I want.”
I was shocked. Most companies didn’t give that much paternity leave. “And you already have a plan.”
“I do but I wanted to talk to you before I put in for the time off.”
“I appreciate that. What are you thinking?”
