A smile crept across Sozu’s face. “You’re not sick. You’re pregnant.”
“Pregnant?” Orsu breathed the word as if he couldn’t believe it.
“Pregnant,” Julie repeated as the reality of it all sank in.
“I’ll take over breakfast. Why don’t you two go celebrate?” Lumod offered.
“Thank you, friend.” Orsu gently picked Julie up in his arms and carried her off to their cave, kissing her the entire way.
It would not be long before we’d have two sietlings in our dekes. There was a day when I believed we’d have none. For many seasons, we had no reason to hope for mates or children. But now… I looked over at Taylor and wondered if one day, we’d have a sietling of our own. I didn’t feel worthy of Taylor, but I didn’t feel unworthy anymore, either. Maybe that was a normal thing to feel. Maybe that’s what love was, never feeling worthy of the person you were with, but doing your best to show them your love, anyway.
I needed to woo her. I’d prove to her that I loved her just the way she was. No more pretending. I would make Taylor see our love could be real.
“I’ve never made pancakes before. Are they supposed to be cooked on both sides?” Lumod looked at the blobs of batter on the hot stone, wondering what to do next.
“I had better help him,” Taylor sighed. As soon as she took a step toward the cookfire, a strange jealousy flooded my veins. I knew Lumod only wanted Hai, and yet the idea of Taylor being so close to him as she helped him at the cookfire irked me.
“I would like to learn as well,” I said in a gruff tone as I followed her.
She looked back at me with a knowing smile on her face. “Really? You want to learn how to make pancakes?”
Her voice took on a teasing tone, and I took a step closer to her until there was only a hair of separation between us. “I wish to be by your side.” I leaned down and whispered, “I wish to be closer, but that will have to wait until we are back in the furs.”
Color flooded her cheeks and her normally confident demeanor wavered. “That sounds nice.”
Taylor turned and joined Lumod at the stove. She showed us both how to make pancakes, and soon the others woke and made their way to the main cavern.
I’d hoped we’d have time to sneak away to our cave before the day’s activities began. I longed to hear Taylor moan as I licked her between her legs. The ache I felt in my chest to be closer to her had not diminished in the least. But once breakfast wrapped up, she headed outside with the other hu-mans to finish setting things up.
As she headed out, I made my way to the storage room where I’d hidden all the flowers I plucked yesterday and started to fill our cave with them.
One way or another, Taylor would know exactly how special she was to me.
Chapter 25
Taylor
“Up here?” Sozu had climbed a tree to hang up a long string of heart-shaped leaves Talia and Sarah had strung together as a decoration.
“Yep that’s good,” Talia yelled up to him.
Jax had climbed up the tree next to Sozu’s and was securing his side of the string as well.
“Perfect!” Sarah yelled up to him, and he beamed down at her with a wide smile.
I helped straighten out the mats that we’d laid out yesterday while Fatima and Beatrice brought the golf clubs back outside.
I kept glancing over my shoulder, hoping to see Brexl, but he must have been busy doing something inside, because I didn’t see him come into the clearing once.
He seemed happier today and more bold with his flirtations. He still hadn’t said that he wanted to be with me, but he certainly made me feel like he did. You don’t make out with someone first thing in the morning if you don’t like them, right?
“Everything looks so good!” Gabby clapped in excitement. “Don’t you think so?” She looked up at Tarak, who gave her an approving nod.
“I think we’re all set,” Anusha chimed in as she helped Julie set out the last tray of heart-shaped cookies Julie and Orsu had made.
“Then let the festivities begin!” Tarak announced and everyone cheered.
Brexl was still inside and I didn’t want him to miss anything, so I went in after him.
