“What are we gonna do when I shift at the Fulness? I’ll go crazy without you to talk to.” She sighed. “What are we gonna tell people?”
“We don’t have to tell people anything.” It was the natural pattern of their race. As humans, they could take in power from the world around them. As wolves, they exuded it, and a pregnant woman with who-knew-how-many pups inside her was constantly giving her own power to her unborn children. For the second half of a wolf’s six-month pregnancy, there was no way for her to be human without serious risk to the pups, and so the mother almost always remained a wolf the entire time, relying on her mate or her family for the energy to make it to term. “You’ll stay in here, tell people you’re watching over your prisoner, and let them think whatever they want.”
“It’s too early. They might find out the truth.” People believed the pups were Ziem’s by his constant attendance and care, and that they claimed each other married. But if Aura remained public after shifting into her wolf form, the math wouldn’t add up. People would know she was pregnant before Ziem’s arrival.
“If you decided you wanted to be a wolf more often and remain out of everyone else’s line of sight, no one would judge you for that.” He reconsidered that statement. “No more than they already do, anyway. We can spend more time running out in the woods if you want. With the Forestborn on the way, I’m sure our patrols in the area will be safer than they were the last time you went out for a walk. No one would think anything strange about that.”
She kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around his neck as she rested her head on his shoulder. “I can’t believe we’re at this point already. The months went by so quickly.”
“The rest will go by just as fast. Time goes faster when you’re a wolf. Or at least that was what my mom used to tell me.”
“Are you excited? Happy? Scared? Angry?” Aura prodded, since she hoped that Ziem was happy with her. Even though Aura was an emotional wreck.
“Happy.” He said with a kiss to her cheek. “That I can be around to take care of you. That the Gods shipped me back here, if that’s what they did.”
She slowly walked her fingers up his chest as her jewelry all melted off of her and trickled down his body to create a couple of links for a chain around his wrist. “So…would you be willing to be with your wife one more time before she turns into an animal?”
“My wife already is an animal. And I like her that way.” Ziem countered with an easy smile. Everything about him was easy and free with Aura. He cared about her deeply, and he wanted to make her happy.
“I ran out of sexy moves once a basketball showed up under my shirt. But the sex is still pretty awesome, I think.”
“No complaints here. And there never will be.” He stood up with her in his arms and set her down on the metal block they called a bed.
She held his eyes for a moment before she pulled him down into a harsh kiss, rough and desperate for his attention and affection. “I love you, Ziem.”
He grinned and kissed her again as the steel folded them into it. “Show, baby. Don’t tell.”
X
Two more months saw only an increase in the population of the Ironborn camp, and it seemed to overflow into a small city with the number of new packs that came in to join them. Almost every element was represented, with many saying that they lacked only Fireborn, since the group of Fireborn they had was so small, vicious though they were.
The Fulness came and went, and it had been a deadly time within the camp. There were a number of violent incidents between different packs, and Nick was at his wits’ end dealing with everything that was brought before him. Only the Ironborn, strangely enough, out of all the other packs gathered, seemed to be able to rule themselves, or at least that was how he felt. He kept away from Zara during the Fulness, as always, but once the morning after broke, he wasn’t surprised to find her there next to him in the bed.
Zara smiled at him and greeted him with a warm kiss as she snuggled in. She’d had a difficult time falling asleep, so she was already awake when he woke. “One of these days I’m going to convince you not to run away from me during the Fulness.”
“One day, one night, depends on what you’re in the mood for at the time, I suppose.” He kissed her with a sigh. “I’ve told you already. One of these days, when I have a mate and she’s already birthed at least one Ironborn pup to keep things going, then, if you still want to have pups, we’ll spend the Fulness together.”
“You want to live like that? Being pulled back and forth between two people?” Zara challenged, since she knew all too intimately Nick’s hesitations and thoughts.
“Weren’t you the one who kept telling me how much I needed to take a mate so that I have someone else who can help me rule my people?”
“I know.” She said, looking conflicted. “That was before.”
He sighed and kissed her again. “If I ever do find someone suitable, I’m going to need your support in it, Zara. It’s the way you knew it was going to have to be from the beginning.”
She sighed and got up slowly. “There’s a meeting later this morning with all the Alphas. You should get ready.”
He sat up in bed and just looked at her, with no hint of getting ready. His expression was stern. Not speaking your mind doesn’t become you.
“I don’t have anything to say.” She grabbed her clothes from where she left them
