Marissa comes to me and pulls my face down to hers, kissing both cheeks. “Come sweetheart. Let's see if we can see what’s going on.” She leads me into the family room and has me lie down on the chaise lounge. “Now close your eyes. I’m going to see if I can feel any magic coming from you or your baby.”
“O-Okay.” I close my eyes and fold my hands over the top of my belly. The minute Marissa touches my stomach a warm feeling spreads through me. I try to listen to her thoughts, but all I hear is a steady humming sound.
I feel Merick sit down next to my hip and grab my hand in his. I can feel the tension coming off of him in waves. I bring his hand up to my lips, kissing it. I clutch it to my chest while she continues to do whatever she’s doing.
When the warmth goes away I open my eyes to find the other woman on her knees with her eyes closed. When Marissa opens them she stands up. Merick helps me sit up and keeps his hand on my shoulder right over where he marked me. When we make love it's an erogenous zone, but right now it's comfort and strength.
“Is it the b-baby?” I ask. “Is something wrong?”
She squats down in front of me. “No, sweetheart. Your baby is fine. It appears that not only is your little one part shifter, but they’re sharing their visions with you. I don’t know if it’s the future or variations of what the future could be though.”
“The dream does change every time I have them. How can my baby have visions? I’m seriously not magical.”
Marissa shrugs. “It could be something that’s skipped generations. Someone somewhere in your family’s history had special abilities. Maybe it’s something that was triggered by you and Merick mating. This is hundreds of years in the making and we’re all in uncharted territory. I wrapped a protection spell around your uterus. All it’s going to do is keep the baby’s visions from entering your mind. Try to get some sleep, okay?”
I nod. “I will. Thank you for coming over.”
We stand up and the other woman pulls me into a hug. “Do not worry, sweetheart. There are a lot of people that are prepared to fight to keep you safe.” She kisses my forehead and then walks over to Merick.
Jonathon stops in front of me. “We’ll listen to the baby again, once you’re a little closer to your due date. If Mom’s spell doesn’t last, have Merick call me and I’ll make sure you’re taken care of. “
“Thank you, Jonathon.” I pull him into a hug and the same as with his mother, peace washes over me.
As soon as they leave Merick locks the door. He pulls me into his arms. “You are so brave. This baby is lucky to have you as their momma.”
“Well, that’s good because they’re going to be lucky to have you as a father.” I kiss him slowly and then head into the kitchen because as always, I am freaking hungry.
Merick
““I feel like everything is swollen,” Taryn lets out a huff. “My feet, my face, my ass, you name it, it's swollen.” I lean against the door frame just outside the kitchen and listen to her and Lily during their Skype call. Every day, at around the same time, it's the two of them. I secretly love listening to the two of them. It's one of the few times Taryn is allowed to pretend that everything about her life and the way it is now, is normal. I love to hear her happiness, the way her and Lily get a little crazy with one another.
Sometimes I find myself thinking that she would have been better off had I never pursued her. I know what that would have meant for my people, but the life I’ve forced her to live, the danger I’ve placed her and now our child in, that lies on my shoulders. Living without her would have be torture but the idea that something could happen to either of them, that sits heavy on me every single second of every day and night.
“I swear overnight I’ve gone up two pants sizes.”
She exaggerates.
“And my boobs, they have their own zip code.” Okay, so some things are true. But I greatly appreciate her expanding assets.
“I bet Merick is enjoying your newly expanding boobs.” I am suddenly reminded of exactly why I like her friend Lily so much. The woman was brutally honest and exceptionally observant.
“Anyway,” Taryn continues, choosing to ignore her friend but I can’t stop myself from smiling happily. “Tell me about your recent date.”
I settle in for the next ten minute and listen to Lily proceed to fill Taryn on the recent disaster of her blind date. The guy that split the bill with her fifty/fifty down to the exact penny and then sprayed his mouth with breath freshener and expected a good night kiss. Apparently, he had a unibrow too. One that was wild and unruly.
To hear Taryn laughing so hard that at one point she even snorted made me happy.
“I’m glad I don’t have to deal with the dating scene.”
“Not everyone can be lucky enough to find a man like Merick.”
That is my que to enter the kitchen. When Taryn sees me she focuses solely on me but continues to speak to Lily. “No because he is most definitely one of a kind.”
Stepping up behind her I press a kiss to her temple and she leans back into me, my arms wrapping protectively around her middle. With each palm stretched out of our growing child I whisper I love you in her ear.
“Yeah, okay,” I am reminded that we are not completely alone and look to the screen of Taryn’s laptop to find Lily watching us. Her nose wrinkled though I know she
