19. Bryce

19

Bryce

“ H ey, baby.” I found Connor in the small bedroom next to ours, which we were turning into the nursery. He had properly washed some of the tiny onesies we had purchased last week, so he was folding them. “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good today.” Connor looked up from his task and smiled. “I wanted to make sure everything was put away.”

“We still have quite a bit of time for that.”

“I know. But it seems to be moving so fast, and if I don’t get to it now while it is fresh on my mind, I will forget about it, and then we won’t be ready when the time actually comes.”

“I can understand that.” I came farther into the room and knelt by his side. He was sitting on the overstuffed rocking chair we had bought for nighttime feedings. It had become one of his favorite spots to sit and think lately. Along with Ren, who was often found curled up near the crib. “Do you want any help?”

“I’m almost done. But thanks.” Connor leaned over and kissed me.

“I thought we could head up to our spot today and shift. The doctor said you shouldn’t in your third trimester, so this might be one of your last chances to let your wolf out. What do you say?” I rubbed a hand over his growing belly, filled with the familiar euphoria of sensing our babies were in there.

“That actually sounds amazing. My wolf has been whining all day to get one last run, so the time is perfect. Let me finish up this one last pile, and we can leave. Maybe you can pack a small bag of snacks and water for us. I think shifting will make me hungry, and I’m not up to hunting for lunch. I’d rather eat in my human form today.”

“Okay.” I stood and walked toward the door. “I’ll pack a picnic spread for us. See you in a few minutes.”

It only took around fifteen minutes to finish our tasks and get to the car. I made sure to include a picnic blanket with our lunch basket and grabbed a few drinks from the fridge. Once we were ready, we were on our way.

Connor’s whole body radiated excitement, his smile the brightest I’d seen in a while. “I can’t wait for the breeze to blow through my fur as we run. I’ll not be able to shift for a bit after this time, so I plan to savor every moment of it.”

“I’m glad I thought of it.” I held his hand while we drove out to the woods.

There was no one else in the area, which was how I preferred it. Having the view to ourselves always made it extra special.

“Let’s shift first and then have lunch. The run will make me hungry, so I’d rather eat after than before.” Connor stretched out his legs once he exited the car. “I’m shocked there aren’t more people out here today. It’s a beautiful afternoon.”

“It is. They may be at the park instead.” I closed the car door and wrapped my arms around my mate from behind. “Let’s walk to the tree line and strip. My wolf is itching to get out.”

“Mine too.” Connor turned his head and kissed me. “Let’s go.”

We were soon bare and ready to free our wolves. Letting the shift take over, my body and features changed into animal form. Connor was doing the same. Soon, our two wolves were sniffing and playfully nipping at one another.

Connor dashed off into the forest with a loud yip, instigating a chase by my wolf. Using my sharpened senses, I searched for my mate through the trees. His scent blowing in the wind, I followed it deeper into the wooded area, making note of the times it shifted into a new direction and doubling back toward places we had already been. Eventually, he would get tired enough and allow me to catch him. I was content in letting him enjoy outwitting me for a bit.

After a while, I took the opportunity to catch up and tag him. I would usually have pounced on him, but I feared hurting our pups. Turning, he nuzzled me and licked my snout. My mate joined me on the forest floor, and we took a few moments to cuddle in our animal form.

Connor

I never meant to fall asleep and shift on the forest floor, but we did. Luckily, a friendly little cub came investigating the two sleeping wolves in his territory. Unsure where his parents were, we cautiously got up and headed toward our clothing. We dressed and walked to our car to grab our food and blanket.

“Let’s spread it out over there.” Bryce gestured toward the clearing to the left of the parking lot.

“That’s perfect.”

Bryce had prepared a generous spread of luncheon treats: all the fixings for hearty sandwiches or delicious salads, a few types of cookies I had made the last couple of days, some fruits and cheeses, and, of course, water—a lot of water.

“Just because I was dehydrated that one time doesn’t mean you need to bring a whole case with us wherever we go.”

“That is exactly what that means.” Bryce handed me a bottle of ice-cold water and grinned. “I must ensure you and our babies are well cared for.”

“We are.” I placed a hand gently on his scruffy cheek. “Are you taking care of yourself? You haven’t shaved in a few days, and your sleep schedule has been slightly off. I found you assembling a crib at three in the morning the other day. That seems like an odd time to be working with a screwdriver.”

“It is.” Bryce took my hand from his face and kissed the palm, keeping hold of it afterward. “I kept dreaming of the babies coming and not having anything ready for them.”

“We do have a couple of months left, you know.”

“We do. But if I didn’t do it right then, I would most likely keep forgetting and then bring the children home to a barren nursery.”

“And the new facial hair?” I lifted my chin toward his face. “Not that it’s not incredibly sexy, but you’ve always been pretty diligent about being clean-shaven each morning.”

“That is more like trying new things than letting myself go. I decided to switch it up. You like it?”

“I do.” I leaned in and kissed my mate, intending it only to be a quick peck, but somehow ending up in his lap and our food forgotten.

After getting lost in exploring his mouth, I was startled by a family of black bears that came tumbling out of the forest. Two adults and three cubs walked to a car located a few spots down from our own before shifting into their human shapes. I waved when I recognized them as my old neighbors who’d moved into a bigger house a few years back. When the tiniest cub giggled, I realized I was still straddling my alpha’s lap. I quickly climbed off and shrugged to the parents, who joined in on the laughter.

“Don’t worry,” the alpha bear shouted. “They always walk in on me and their papa cuddling.”

“You two enjoy your picnic alone.” The omega bear waved. “It looks like you will be meeting your own wee ones soon. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” Bryce beamed, his pride radiating off him.

“We can’t wait.” I watched the three kids play in the dirt while their parents took out their clothes and prepared their car seats.

Once they were settled, they took off, and Bryce and I had the area to ourselves once more. Bryce looked at our unfinished plates. “Should we finish eating here or pack it up and head home?”

After a long yawn, I put some of the food back into containers. “Although I would love to stay and enjoy the fresh air. I’m afraid I might fall asleep again.”

“Or get busted making out again?”

“That too.”

We’d packed up our picnic and put everything into our car within minutes. Bryce forced me to wait there while he did one extra lap around the area to ensure we didn’t leave any traces of our presence. What we brought to an area should be taken with us instead of being left behind for others to find and deal with.

“All ready?” Bryce jumped in the car and fastened his seat belt. “We got everything.”

“Yeah. I’m ready to head home and cuddle with my alpha.”

“That’s definitely something we can do.” Bryce leaned over and kissed me before starting the car. “Why don’t you nap while I drive?”

Closing my eyes, I followed my alpha’s suggestion.