down his arms.
“Nothing.”
“Katie, look at me.”
She did and he pulled his shirt back on, crossed the room and pulled her into his arms.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
She held on tighter than she ever had before.
“I’m fine, but I have something to tell you, too,” she mumbled against his chest.
He pushed her back and studied her face.
“Is this about the babies?”
“You know?”
“Yes, I’ve known since our second time together. I didn’t tell you because so much had happened leading up to that day, I didn’t want to add on the extra stress right away. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me.”
“I only suspected a week ago. Are you okay with it?”
“Okay? I’m more than okay. I’m perfect. You’re giving me everything I ever wanted. What about you?”
“I’m nervous, but happy. I didn’t know how you’d react and I was worried you’d be mad.”
“Mad? Why would you think that?”
“Because,” she shrugged, “we hadn’t talked about children, or the weight I’ll gain from getting pregnant, or…anything.” She buried her head against his undershirt.
He rubbed her back in soothing circles.
“I’m sorry. I thought you knew I wanted a family, but you’re right, we should have talked about it. Especially because I didn’t know if you wanted one or not. As far as the extra weight, I don’t care about that. I think you’re perfect, but I will love you forever, regardless of how much you weigh.”
She nodded against him.
“I know that. I guess I just got scared. I don’t really know anything about babies.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out together. I know you’ll make a wonderful mother to our cubs.”
“Cubs?” she pulled back, alarmed.
“Children,” he laughed. “They will be born healthy, human babies, and shift when they’re older.”
“Okay, good,” she said. “You keep saying babies, does that mean you want more than one child?”
“Yes...and you’re carrying twins.”
“Twins? Oh God,” she buried her head on his chest. “How do you know?”
“I can sense their energy, that’s how I knew you were pregnant. Wild bears usually give birth to two cubs, but not always. It’s the same for shifters.”
“Are you a twin?”
“No, my mother had singles, but I do have a younger brother. That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I can sense another shifter making his way toward us. Because pregnancies are rare, bears without cubs will usually congregate around a pregnant couple. We might have more than one visitor over the next few months.”
“Is the shifter you sense your brother?”
“I don’t know who it is, but I doubt it’s him. We haven’t spoken in nearly fifty years.”
“Why not?”
“It’s a long story, but I’ll tell you about it later. Right now, I’d rather show you how much I love you.”
She shoved his open shirt off his shoulders and rose up to kiss him gently on the mouth.
“Mmm… I can’t wait,” then she ran toward the bedroom, laughing.
He caught her easily and kept his word.
She never doubted his love again.
Epilogue
Gage watched from the window of the sheriff’s office as his brother walked down the street toward the café where Kate worked. Any visiting shifters would be able to sense his presence, but they would be drawn to the energies Kate carried inside her.
He left his office and followed the other man.
The café was nearly empty, and his brother waited by the register until Kate noticed him. When she approached the counter, Gage walked inside the shop.
Her smile gave away his presence and his brother turned to face him.
“Gage.”
“Seth.”
“It’s been a long time,” Seth commented carefully.
“It has, but I’m glad you’re here. I’d like you to meet my mate,” he motioned toward Kate and Seth gave her his full attention. “This is Kate.”
“Hi Kate,” he extended his hand, “it’s nice to meet you, sister. Congratulations on your mating
“Nothing.”
“Katie, look at me.”
She did and he pulled his shirt back on, crossed the room and pulled her into his arms.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
She held on tighter than she ever had before.
“I’m fine, but I have something to tell you, too,” she mumbled against his chest.
He pushed her back and studied her face.
“Is this about the babies?”
“You know?”
“Yes, I’ve known since our second time together. I didn’t tell you because so much had happened leading up to that day, I didn’t want to add on the extra stress right away. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me.”
“I only suspected a week ago. Are you okay with it?”
“Okay? I’m more than okay. I’m perfect. You’re giving me everything I ever wanted. What about you?”
“I’m nervous, but happy. I didn’t know how you’d react and I was worried you’d be mad.”
“Mad? Why would you think that?”
“Because,” she shrugged, “we hadn’t talked about children, or the weight I’ll gain from getting pregnant, or…anything.” She buried her head against his undershirt.
He rubbed her back in soothing circles.
“I’m sorry. I thought you knew I wanted a family, but you’re right, we should have talked about it. Especially because I didn’t know if you wanted one or not. As far as the extra weight, I don’t care about that. I think you’re perfect, but I will love you forever, regardless of how much you weigh.”
She nodded against him.
“I know that. I guess I just got scared. I don’t really know anything about babies.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out together. I know you’ll make a wonderful mother to our cubs.”
“Cubs?” she pulled back, alarmed.
“Children,” he laughed. “They will be born healthy, human babies, and shift when they’re older.”
“Okay, good,” she said. “You keep saying babies, does that mean you want more than one child?”
“Yes...and you’re carrying twins.”
“Twins? Oh God,” she buried her head on his chest. “How do you know?”
“I can sense their energy, that’s how I knew you were pregnant. Wild bears usually give birth to two cubs, but not always. It’s the same for shifters.”
“Are you a twin?”
“No, my mother had singles, but I do have a younger brother. That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about. I can sense another shifter making his way toward us. Because pregnancies are rare, bears without cubs will usually congregate around a pregnant couple. We might have more than one visitor over the next few months.”
“Is the shifter you sense your brother?”
“I don’t know who it is, but I doubt it’s him. We haven’t spoken in nearly fifty years.”
“Why not?”
“It’s a long story, but I’ll tell you about it later. Right now, I’d rather show you how much I love you.”
She shoved his open shirt off his shoulders and rose up to kiss him gently on the mouth.
“Mmm… I can’t wait,” then she ran toward the bedroom, laughing.
He caught her easily and kept his word.
She never doubted his love again.
Epilogue
Gage watched from the window of the sheriff’s office as his brother walked down the street toward the café where Kate worked. Any visiting shifters would be able to sense his presence, but they would be drawn to the energies Kate carried inside her.
He left his office and followed the other man.
The café was nearly empty, and his brother waited by the register until Kate noticed him. When she approached the counter, Gage walked inside the shop.
Her smile gave away his presence and his brother turned to face him.
“Gage.”
“Seth.”
“It’s been a long time,” Seth commented carefully.
“It has, but I’m glad you’re here. I’d like you to meet my mate,” he motioned toward Kate and Seth gave her his full attention. “This is Kate.”
“Hi Kate,” he extended his hand, “it’s nice to meet you, sister. Congratulations on your mating
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