The Pregnant Mate

Nine: in her arms

***Tom***

The cold invaded my bones. Just a little longer I told myself. That freak snowstorm added an extra day to my journey but I was well into Black Star Pack territory now and couldn't wait to get warm.

Stopping briefly at the hollow tree I mind link, Charlott. 'Char, hey Char.'

'What, ' Charlotte grumbled.

'Let me in please.'

'Why should I?'

'Because I can't open the door with my paw, ' I say scratching and whining at the door.

'Change and then open the door, ' she groaned.

'It's too cold!' I whined.

'Fine,' she huffs throwing the door open glaring daggers at me. I greet her with my best wolfish grin. "What the hell happened to you?" she asked shocked at the ice on my muzzle and hard-packed snow tangled in my fur.

'Snowstorm' I say squeezing past her legs and sit my snowy but in the tiled entryway to clean the snow and ice from between my toes.

With that done Char follows me as I go to the bathroom and jump into the tub. I'm pawing at the hot water knob when Char flicks on the lights. "Need help?" she asked from the doorway.

"Yes, please, " I say yipping in gratitude.

Efficient as ever Charlotte turns the shower on as hot as it will go and closes the curtain with a flick of her wrist. "Are you going to need more help?"

'No, I'll change in here,' I say melting into the tub like the snow in my fur.

"Don't make a lot of noise, " Charr scolds as she left the room. "Maggie is asleep in the next room."

'Ok, ' I sigh from the bottom of the tub as the hot water pounds down easing my sore back. I rest my nose on my paws and enjoy the warmth chasing the cold away. I don't know how long I stayed like that but when I nearly fell asleep I decided to change back.

Standing I stretch out, gritting my teeth and growl in pain as my bones pop and rearrange themselves, my body burns as my fir resides back into my skin. My growls become groanes as the transformation completes itself.

Grabbing a bottle, I flip the top when the smell of apples stops me. Looking at the cheap bottle of shampoo I take a big whiff. Maggie, head heavy on my shoulder in sleep, placing a light kiss on the top of, her head as the sent of apples invades my senses. 'It must be Maggies, ' i think. 'She must be using this bathroom.' Grabbing my body wash I get to work washing up.

I step out of the tub, drying off with the fluffy white towel before wrapping it around my waist and going across the hall to the guest room I was in before.

Flipping on the dresser lamp I dig through the drawers until I find a pair of blue plaid pajama bottoms. Slipping them on and flipping the light I stumble to bed flopping on the mattress as the sents of pine and warm apples engulf me as I succumb to exhaustion.

***

Floating in A sleepy haze the girl in my arms sturs bringing me closer to wakefulness. The smell of warm apples fills my nose as her small hands run down my arm. She tries to lift it but I pull her closer snuggling my face in her raven hair. Her nails dig into my arm.

"Hey, " I say blinking away sleep. "Why you do that?"

"I need to pee, " she whispered sounding desperate.

"Ok, " I say lifting my arm. She rolled off the bed and slams the bathroom door before I completely rollover.

I lie there waiting for her to come back, one minute, two, three... Something doesn't feel right, with a  grunt I get off the bed and stumbled to the bathroom door.

"Maggie?" I called softly through the door.

"Tom?" she asked sounding scared.

"Are you ok?" I ask.

"Yea, just need a minute..." she said trailing off.

"Ok, I'm going to make coffee." 

Starting at the pot as it slowly fills with the dark brew I try to shake this feeling that something was off with Maggie. As my thighs chased each other round and round I pulled her securely to me when she shyly bumped her shoulder into my side.

"Hey, babe."

"Please don't call me that, " she said pulling into herself.

"Ok, do you want coffee?"

"I can't, Charlotte said it's bad for the baby," Maggie said sounding sad. "And I love coffee."

"Do you want to share mine?"

"You'd do that?" She looked at me with surprise written all over her face.

"Of course, " I say with pride. "My ba- a my girl wants coffee my girl gets coffee."

"Thanks, " she said dipping head hiding a smile.

"No problem," I say poring a large cup. "How do you like it?"

"Cream and sugar please."

After preparing the cup we sit at the table together and I give her the cup. "Do you like it?"

"It's okay," 

"Does that mean that it's not good?"

"It's not exactly how I like it but it's still good," she said taking a second sip.

"I'm glad you like it," I say with a grin. "Are you afraid of me?"

"What?" she asked, eyes wide in stock.

"You keep your head down when talking to me, and don't look my way," I explain.

"I'm used to taking on the phone and texting you, not being in the same room," Maggie said staring at her hands.

"Do you want to pretend that we're talking on the phone?"

"I don't know, maybe?"

"Than look at the wall and pretend I'm not here," I say.

"Okay," she said with a slight smile.

 "Why don't you like being called Babe?"

She heaves a sigh and trains her eyes out the window before she speaks. "It feels like a reminder that the only reason I'm here is because of this little fella," Maggie said rubbing her round stomach.

"Did the doctor say its a boy?"

"No, I feel that its a boy but I could be wrong," she said with a shrug wrapping her hands around the shared mug.

"Oh," I say a little disappointed. "Is there something else going on?"

"What do you mean?" she asked with a plastic smile that has my hackles rising.

"Nobody is being mean to you, you're not being forced to do something you don't like, something like that." I try to explain.

"Everybody is nice to me, and I'm not forced to do anything," she said sadly. "It feels stifling being here and protected like this."

"Is that it?" I ask unconvinced. 

"Yes." 

"Ok," I say not completely believing her. "What do you want to do today?"

"I have a research paper I need to work on so a quiet day in would be great."

"Are you hungry? Cause I am." I say as my stomach growls. "What are you in the mood for?"

I started to push my chair back but see Maggie reaching for something blindly. I reach out and take her hand. She turns towards me and wraps her arms around my waist burring her face in my chest. "I'm glad your back," Maggie whispers. 

"Glad to be back," whisper back wrapping my arms around her back gently pulling her into my lap as we collapse into each other.