12. Rhys

Ijingled the keys in my hand with a grin as I approached the front door. Having a key to Jaxson’s place felt like a small victory, a tangible sign that I was truly becoming a part of his life. With a quick twist of the lock, I pushed the door open and stepped inside, feeling a rush of warmth and familiarity wash over me.

First stop: Jaxson’s office. I peeked around the corner, and there he was, my mate, with little Emilia nestled in his arms. His eyes were fixed on his monitor screen, a little furrow between his brows as he scrolled through something undoubtedly important.

“Hey there,” I said, sauntering over to him. “You know I could have been a burglar and you wouldn’t hear me coming with how focused you were.”

He glanced up, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Heard you coming a mile away.”

I chuckled and leaned in to press a quick kiss to his cheek. “Well, I’ll have to work on my stealth skills then.”

With a snort, he handed over Emilia, who cooed happily at the sight of me. I scooped her up into my arms, relishing in the warmth and weight of her tiny body.

“Looks like Emilia is giving Daddy some competition,” Jaxson teased, raising an eyebrow.

I grinned back at him, feeling a surge of love and contentment wash over me. “She’s going to be difficult to compete with, but I think you can manage. You definitely bring a different skill set to the competition for my affection.”

As I settled into the ease of being home with Jaxson by my side and Emilia in my arms, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of happiness and gratitude. This was where I belonged, where I was meant to be – surrounded by love and laughter, with my little family by my side.

After a long day at work, I found solace in the familiarity of our routine. Upstairs in Jaxson’s room, which felt more like our room now, I rifled through the drawers until I found what I was looking for – one of his oversized t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants.

Sure, Jaxson was broader than me, but that didn’t stop me from stealing his clothes. With a deft knot of the drawstring, I managed to cinch the pants tight enough to stay put. Besides, there was something comforting about swimming in his clothes, like being wrapped in a warm hug.

I buried my face in the fabric, inhaling deeply, and breathed in his scent – a heady mix of his cologne and something uniquely him. It was a scent that had become synonymous with home, with safety and comfort, and I couldn’t get enough of it.

With a contented sigh, I slipped into his shirt and sweatpants, relishing in the way they enveloped me like a cocoon. It was like wearing a piece of him, carrying a piece of him with me wherever I went.

As I padded downstairs with Emilia in my arms, surrounded by the comforting embrace of his scent, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace settle over me. In Jaxson’s clothes, I found more than just physical comfort – I found a reminder of the love and warmth that I’d found, a reminder that no matter where life took me, I would always have a place by his side.

Will you?That voice I could never quite silence asked.

Living with the weight of that darn secret was like carrying a sack of rocks around all day. Sure, Jaxson never straight-up asked about it, but I could practically see the question marks floating above his head. Like he was asking me if he could be privy to my secret now. I could practically sense it lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce like a sneaky ninja.

But hey, at least I got some of comfort knowing that Jaxson was clued in on the fact that there was a secret. Not that it made me feel any better. And don’t even get me started on how sick I was of thinking the word “secret.” It echoed in my brain like a broken record.

In the midst of all this secrecy drama, though, Jaxson was a soothing balm for my frazzled nerves. His touch, his reassuring words—they were like a warm blanket on a chilly night, comforting and oh-so-needed. With him by my side, I could almost convince myself that when the big revelation happened, it wouldn’t be a total disaster.

Well, maybe a mini disaster, but nothing we couldn’t handle together.

But let’s not forget about the giant bear in the room—quite literally. My bear was itching to meet his mate, and I couldn’t help but wonder how he’d react when he finally got the chance. Would he be cool about it, or would he flip out like a furry tornado that had Jaxson screaming and running in the other direction? Only time would tell.

Every morning I woke up beside Jaxson, a mix of joy and anxiety tangled up in my chest like a pair of twisting vines. But I kept telling myself that when the stars aligned and the time was right, I’d muster up the courage to spill the beans. Until then, I was determined to squeeze every drop of happiness out of our time together, holding on to the hope of a future that was bright and full of promise—secrets be damned.

This felt like the honeymoon phase of us, and it was amazing, like being wrapped in a giant marshmallow — fluffy, sweet, and oh-so-comfortable. Jaxson’s place became my home away from home, except I never really wanted to go back to my actual house. Who needed it when you had breakfast in bed and mind-blowing sleepovers?

So, instead of the daily commute, I practically moved into his house. Mornings started with me playing chef, flipping pancakes or waffles, and brewing coffee for my mate. Gods, I’d thought the day would never come.

Then, it was off to work, but at lunchtime? That was sacred. I’d head right back to him quicker than a heartbeat, just to share a sandwich and a smile with my two favorite people.

But there was an elephant in the room I’d been avoiding. Yeah, my family. They were like a bunch of nosy detectives, always sniffing around for clues. But I had my evasion tactics down to an art form. Dodging family gatherings became my new hobby, and I was getting pretty darn good at it.

Sure, there was a little voice in the back of my head whispering, “Just spill the beans already!” I wanted my family to meet my mate and my Emilia. But I wasn’t ready to pierce the bubble. They were directly tied to the secret I kept from him, and I preferred to keep things light and breezy, floating along on a cloud of love and laughter, with Jaxson as my co-pilot.

In our little bubble of bliss, the outside world seemed miles away, and I was perfectly content to stay right where I was—wrapped up in Jaxson’s arms, with a side of pancakes and a sprinkle of overwhelming happiness. After all, why fix what ain’t broke?

Jaxson and I had fallen into a pretty decent routine. While I was at work, he took charge of the cleaning duties, leaving me free to indulge my inner chef in the kitchen. And on the days when I knew I’d be too swamped to come home for lunch, I made sure to leave him something tasty to heat up – after all, a well-fed mate was a happy mate.

And my bear and I loved taking care of our mate in that way.

With Emilia nearing six months old in just a week’s time, Jaxson and I decided it was time to dip our toes into the world of solid foods. Shifter babies usually started around four months, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that Emilia’s nighttime wake-up calls were due, in part, to her growing appetite.

A visit to the pediatrician a few days back had confirmed our suspicions, although I had called him and filled him in on the particular details that Jaxson hadn’t known. So, now armed with the green light from Dr. Fillmore, we were ready to embark on the journey of introducing Emilia to the wonders of pureed goodness.

Today’s culinary experiment? Sweet potato puree. Armed with a blender and a bunch of fresh sweet potatoes, I set to work in the kitchen, determined to whip up a feast fit for a little princess.

As the sweet potatoes simmered away on the stove, filling the kitchen with their tantalizing aroma, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. This was just the beginning of me sharing milestones with Emilia. Her first solid food.

Hopefully not your last! The damn voice was back.

I pushed aside the voice in my head and gave the pot one final stir. Despite the nagging thoughts, I focused on the exciting milestone our little girl was about to reach.

As the evening descended, I found myself teetering on the edge of panic. The weight of my secret threatened to consume me, but I refused to let it derail our carefully crafted routine.

With steely determination, I pressed on, focusing on the task at hand. Dinner needed to be finished, Emilia needed to be fed, and our nightly rituals awaited

Since Jaxson took care of Emilia for most of the day, I relished the opportunity to spend the evening bonding with our little girl. Bath time was my domain, a sacred ritual that I cherished, even though Jaxson always joined in, his laughter mingling with Emilia’s bubbly giggles.

Afterward, we settled into our usual routine—a cozy movie night filled with laughter and conversation. And then, as the credits rolled sometimes way before, Jaxson would sweep me off my feet, carrying me up to our room where we learned each other”s bodies even more.

In those moments of passion, I felt like I was living my dream, basking in the warmth of Jaxson’s love and the promise of a future filled with endless possibilities. But beneath the surface, a nagging doubt lingered—the fear of what would happen when my secret was finally revealed.

I knew I was playing a dangerous game, that my plan to win Jaxson’s heart before revealing my true nature was risky at best. But in the end, I was fighting for my family, for the love and happiness that we had only started building.

Was it selfish? Perhaps.

Was it risky? Undoubtedly.

But as I lay in Jaxson’s arms, surrounded by the echoes of our shared laughter, I couldn’t help but hope that our love would conquer all—even the fact I turned into a 350lb bear.