Chapter Nine - Damon

I nstead of going to work at Eric and Brandt's clinic, I found myself spending the following morning watching Beck and his former foster sister, Sandy, trying to teach Rex how to shift. I was wearing the thickest winter jacket I'd ever come across in my life, clutching a thermos of hot cocoa while the others were standing naked in the clearing behind Beck's house. They shivered in the cold winter air. Ollie was sitting beside me while his best friend, Brandi, and her girlfriend, Lena, minded his kids inside the house.

Rex had not been impressed with the idea of taking his clothes off in front of an audience, but when Beck and Sandy had stripped without even blinking, the sexy cowboy gave in and did the same.

It hit me that this was the first time I'd seen him naked. When we'd fucked in the bar, he'd been behind me, and the glimpses I'd caught through the grimy bathroom mirror had done the man a great disservice.

Now, I thought his expanse of tanned skin and work-toned muscle was a sight to behold. Seeing him in daylight made me feel way more self-conscious about my big belly, stretchmarks, and the extra flesh that had made its way to my ass and thighs. Sitting on the porch in a weathered, but sturdy, swinging chair, I wriggled in discomfort.

"He's easy on the eyes," Ollie said, having followed my gaze to the perfect, pert ass Rex had on display, "I'll give him that."

I snorted. Where I had decided to take Rex at his word and forgive him for his freak-outs, Ollie was holding on to his resentment. It was sweet that my friend was so protective of me, but unnecessary.

"We talked last night," I said, keeping my voice low in the hopes that Rex's shifter-enhanced hearing wouldn't be able to follow our conversation. "He apologized. Said he wants to be a part of the baby's life…that he wants to try dating."

"Dating?!"

"Shh!" I glanced towards the others out in the clearing. There was a large gray wolf standing where Beck had been only a few moments earlier, but Rex was still in human form. He didn't seem to be paying me and Ollie any attention, though. I relaxed again and rubbed over my belly, feeling the baby moving lazily under my palm. "Yes, dating," I repeated quietly.

"And you're considering it?"

I frowned at the surprise in Ollie's voice. "Weren't you the one who was all ‘ooh, it's a Christmas miracle' and ‘fate brought you back together', or was that a different bonded omega?"

"That was before he was a dick to you in front of me."

"He wasn't a dick," I was defending Rex before my brain could catch up to what my mouth was doing. "He thought he was human until six months ago, and he had no idea that knotting me could have knocked me up. Suddenly seeing me like this," I waved my hand over my stomach, "would freak anyone in that situation out."

"He still hurt your feelings."

"I'm hormonal, dude. A toothpaste commercial hurt my feelings last week. I don't see you boycotting Colgate."

Ollie laughed and held up his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay, point taken." He let his gaze drift back over to where there were now two wolves and a naked, shivering cowboy. "I just remember how vulnerable I felt when I was pregnant, and I had Beck doting on me hand and foot, plus the bond."

"Yeah, well, we've established that my experience with mating with an alpha has gone just a bit differently. And, no, before you ask, I don't think it would help us to bond right now, not when I don't know him from Adam."

Ollie was quiet for a long moment and I wondered if I'd offended him, because he and Beck had bonded without knowing each other. Thankfully, that didn't seem to be the case, because he just cocked his head and smirked, "So…dating, then?"

"Yeah. I figure it makes sense. We can get to know each other, see if we're as compatible as biology seems to think we are, and get used to the idea of being together before Junior here makes his appearance."

Ollie observed me shrewdly. "Do you want to be with him?"

What kind of question was that?

I thought back to the previous night, to how sweet and supportive and willing to help Rex had been, and I thought about how much I would like to have that kind of thing in my life. Not to mention how fun it was to banter with him. I just didn't want to give him the capacity to hurt me. Growing up as an omega in an old-school pack, I'd let enough people hurt me over the years.

"I do," I confessed quietly, feeling a lump of emotion lodge in my throat, "but I'm scared."

Before Ollie could reply, Rex's frustrated voice rang out. "It ain't workin'!"

I looked back over to see him throwing his hands up and stomping over to the pile of clothing he'd set down on a large, flat rock. With jerky, agitated movements, he dressed himself. Beck and Sandy shifted back into their human forms with practiced ease, but it was Beck who approached Rex, trying to offer more suggestions to help Rex push past whatever mental barrier was preventing him from shifting.

"How did you do it that first time?" Sandy asked Beck. "Did you just think the wolfy thoughts like I said?"

Everyone seemed to wait with bated breath as Beck considered the question, and I felt my stomach sink when his shoulders slumped and he looked sheepishly towards his mate. "I actually followed the pull from the bond that first time. I could feel how Ollie felt when he shifted and I just let my instincts copy it."

"Well, that's just great," Rex yanked on his sweater, and I couldn't help but think that his ruffled hair looked cute, even as he scowled and pointed at his own chest. "I don't have a bond to follow."

Silence fell, heavy and awkward.

Rex seemed to realize how his bitter complaint sounded, because he cringed and looked over at me. "I didn't mean…" his hands moved about vaguely in the air in front of him. I didn't think there was a way for him to finish that sentence that wouldn't be misconstrued by someone, so I took pity on him.

"I know, Rex. We're doing things differently, that's all."

"It's a pity," Ollie sighed beside me. "If you were bonded, you could shift and he could just follow the feeling."

"We're not bonding just so he can trick his body into shifting," I grumbled. "That's an even worse reason than bonding because I'm pregnant."

"Fair point," Ollie conceded, knocking his shoulder against mine. "Except—" I groaned, but he ignored me "—I maintain there's something to Eric's fated mates theory. If nothing else, biology wouldn't kick in unless we were fundamentally compatible with our alphas. Beck and I prove that a solid relationship can be established after a surprise bonding to a stranger."

"You're going to need a wider pool of subjects before you can argue that's the case for everyone," I reminded him. "And I'm not signing up to be a guinea pig on that theory." Rubbing my belly and smiling as I felt my son kicking out at the spot where my palm was resting, I added, "This is enough of a life-changer for me right now."

"Spoilsport," Ollie complained, but his tone was playful.

"So," Beck cleared his throat, "I guess that puts us back at square one." He turned to his mate. "Describe what you feel when you shift."

"It's just instinct," Ollie frowned as he tried to explain it.

I'd never given the sensation of shifting much thought, either. It was something I just did without thinking.

"This is going to sound really airy-fairy, but I sort of reach into my subconscious and follow my inner wolf until I am my wolf?"

From where she was dressing, Sandy nodded her agreement. "My body just knows what to do. "

"That's what got you and Rex into this mess, isn't it?" Ollie teased and gave my shoulder a nudge. I snorted.

"You're being really helpful," I replied with a liberal dose of sarcasm. "And it's not like you can talk."

"God bless shifter biological instinct," he grinned back. "I have zero regrets."

"Even when they wake you up all hours of the night?" That was one of my many concerns about parenthood. I didn't know how I was going to handle it.

Ollie's expression softened into something wistful and full of affection. "Even then," he admitted, "they're totally worth it."

Inside me, my son kicked up at my ribs and I grunted at the sharp pain that accompanied it. It was almost as if the little terror knew I was thinking less-than-adoring thoughts about him. Sighing, I rubbed at my belly and addressed it when I spoke, "Hey, you in there, quit being a brat. I'm trying to get all maternal here."

Ollie laughed. "I don't miss those days, though," he said, wincing in sympathy when another internal jab had me grunting again. He lowered his voice and confessed, "I hated being pregnant."

"Yeah, well, you had two of these critters inside you. I'm uncomfortable enough with one."

I didn't know where the admission had come from. Until the previous day, I'd kept most of my whining over my discomfort to myself. Then it was as though opening the floodgates and ranting at Brandt had flipped a switch in my brain. It helped that Ollie was the only other man I knew who would actually understand.

"It's worth it," he repeated, wrapping an arm around me and squeezing reassuringly, "I promise."

I hoped he was right.

* * *

Rex asked me to go on our first official date three days after his first failed attempts at shifting. As far as I was aware, he still hadn't achieved it when he swung by Eric and Brandt's clinic with a box of chocolates and a request to join him for dinner.

At over six months pregnant and trying to squirrel away every spare cent I could, I wasn't turning down a free meal.

Plus, we'd been texting each other since the night we spent in my apartment, and I had to admit that I liked Rex. I wasn't just attracted to him; I was starting to like the person he was underneath the hot cowboy getup.

Rex was a nice guy. Over texts, I learned that he was adopted after his biological mother died, and he told me about growing up on a ranch in Texas. He didn't say a lot about his relationship with his adoptive parents, and I knew better than to ask, but I started to form an understanding of why he'd never seen himself as the kind of man to settle down. He was used to being transient. He was used to people using him and waving him off when they didn't need or want him around anymore.

I could relate to that.

He also seemed to be making a genuine effort to prove that he wasn't going to run away from our son the way his father had run away from him. Even if he was taking things slowly with me like I'd asked him to, he wasn't afraid to talk about the baby. I appreciated that, even if it chipped away at the wall I was trying so hard to keep up to protect my heart.

So I agreed to a date. A real date. Even if it had only been a few days, Rex had stuck around and respected my wishes. There was absolutely no reason to turn him down after his obvious effort. At least, no reason that made sense to me. Besides, we were going to be parents together, it made sense to get to know each other properly.

Rex left the clinic with a huge smile on his face and returned at closing time to pick me up.

"Have I mentioned how good you look today?" he asked in his honeyed accent as he grabbed my coat from the coat stand by the clinic door and helped me into it. "It's all I can do to keep my hands to myself."

I snorted and started to do up my buttons. When I'd bought it, the coat had been far too big for me. Even now, it was too roomy in the shoulders and around my chest. But my belly was already straining the buttons' reach around my abdomen, and I worried the coat wouldn't be large enough to get me through the rest of winter.

Feeling ungainly and tired, I could only shake my head. "Are you having issues with your vision now? Shifter sight not as clear as it should be? 'Cause I can ask Brandt or Eric to give you a checkup." I threw my thumb over my shoulder and half turned, as if I was actually going to find one of the doctors.

"Don't play coy with me, kitten," Rex laughed, then bent to kiss my cheek and place one of his big palms over my stomach. We both felt our son kick out at the contact, even through the multiple layers of thick fabric I was wearing. Rex smiled. "You're gorgeous. Besides, I've gotta admit, knowin' that it's my baby in there? I've got this whole primal caveman pride thing goin' on right now."

Three days.

He'd known about his son for three days.

Well, okay, technically four.

But still…he'd gone from freaking out to being possessive about my belly? That had to be part of our alpha/omega dynamics, right? Especially because, for my part, I was internally preening at his declaration instead of being weirded out.

Rolling my eyes, I asked, "Are you going to feed your baby, then? Because he's starving…and so am I."

"We can't have that." Rex placed his hand on the base of my spine and gently pushed me towards the door. I called out a goodbye to Eric and Brandt as I was ushered outside, instantly pulling my coat tighter around me.

December was brutally cold and, considering I was used to a slightly warmer climate during winter, I was hating every minute of it.

"Let's get you in the truck, kitten."

Rex kept his hand at my back for the short walk to his parked vehicle, then he helped me up into the shiny red cab. I missed the warmth and pressure of his hand when it was gone. My back was getting achier the larger my belly got, and Rex's touch had eased some of that discomfort.

If this date goes well, I might ask him for another massage…

I just about moaned out loud as the thought filtered through my head. At that point, even if the date was a disaster, I would still be tempted to ask him to work on some of the tension in my back. It was the least he could do, seeing as it was his cub causing all the pain.

Rex climbed into the driver's seat and buckled his seat belt. "Now, there's only one restaurant open in town, but if it doesn't gel with your cravings—"

Accidentally cutting Rex off, I let out a loud yawn, the force of it stretching my jaw wider than I felt was humanly possible. My cheeks burned and I ducked my chin.

"Sorry," I apologized, yawning again. It was almost like a switch had been flipped in my head the second I'd gotten comfortable in his passenger seat. My earlier exhaustion suddenly felt bone-deep. My eyes were getting heavier by the second. It didn't matter that I was starving, I was also desperate for a nap. "You mentioned cravings?"

"What are you craving, darlin'?" Rex's tone was soft and patient. "We don't have to go out. Not while you're so tired."

"But…our date…" I protested, though it was a half-hearted effort at best. I did feel guilty for changing our plans, but I couldn't control the oppressive tiredness I was feeling. Apparently it was normal to feel this way during pregnancy, but that didn't make it an easier pill to swallow.

"We can go out another time," Rex assured me. Unlike other men I'd dated, he didn't sound frustrated to have our plans changed. He sounded warm and understanding. "We've got time, Damon."

"That's really sweet," I replied, yawning again. My eyes were drifting shut despite my desperate attempts to keep them open.

The truck rumbled to life and the gentle jostling as Rex carefully drove down the dirt path to the main road was somehow even more relaxing than just being cradled in the warm passenger seat.

I lost the battle and drifted off into dreamland before we even left the property.

* * *

"Mmm," I moaned groggily as my nose twitched to life, scenting bacon in the air. My mouth watered and my eyes fluttered open. "Bacon?" I asked, struggling to push myself into an upright position on my bed.

Rex's answering chuckle came from the direction of my tiny kitchenette, and I swung my legs over the side of the mattress and padded across the room to investigate. "Uh-huh," he answered my query cheerfully, poking at something sizzling in the frying pan. "You said you were craving it the other day. I took a gamble and hoped you still were."

"God, yes," I said as my stomach growled loudly. I could feel myself blushing as Rex turned to grin at me. With his enhanced hearing, there was no way he didn't hear my digestive system demanding sustenance.

"Good. I'm makin' homemade burgers and fries, with some extra crispy bacon on the side just for you."

My stomach growled again, and I smiled sheepishly. "That sounds amazing," I told him, then looked around curiously. "Uh, how'd you get us in here?"

It was Rex's turn to flush pink. "I went fishin' in your pockets for your keys. No funny business, though, I swear." With his hands held up in surrender, spatula and all, I couldn't be mad at him. In fact, I thought he was adorable as hell.

"You're cooking for me," I said, gesturing for him to drop his arms and go back to doing exactly that, "and you let me nap for…" I glanced at the clock on the microwave and almost choked on air, " two hours?!"

"Google says that growin' a baby takes a lot of energy," Rex shrugged. "You needed the rest."

"I promised you a date."

"And we're havin' one. "

I frowned. "Oh, sure, because me sleeping while you slave away in the kitchen is super romantic."

"Our situation's a little different, kitten. For one," he turned around to poke at buttons on an air fryer; an appliance I most certainly hadn't owned when I left for work that morning, "we've already been intimate."

Unable to hide my amusement, I teased, "Oh, that's a pretty word for fucking in a bar's bathroom."

"For another thing," Rex continued, ignoring my snark, "you're six months pregnant."

"No!" I looked down at my giant belly with widened eyes. "Am I?!"

Rex chuckled again, the sound warm and rich and sexy. "So our version of dating just needs to be adjusted accordingly. You're too exhausted to go out? We'll stay in. You're craving pickles instead of whatever restaurant we were going to? I'll buy you pickles and you can eat 'em straight out of the jar. Your back can't handle those uncomfortable seats in a movie theater? We'll find a drive-in or watch movies at home. As long as I'm spending time with you, I'm happy with whatever we do."

The playful mood I'd been indulging in melted away under the assault of his genuine sweetness. It was obvious he was genuinely trying to make things work. He was being thoughtful and considerate of my needs above anything else, and that made my omega very happy. My instincts demanded that I bare my neck and beg him to claim me, but I was thankfully able to ignore those urges.

The other urges, though? The ones I was sure were eighty percent hormonal? Those were harder to ignore.

Slick threatened to pool in my underwear while my heart hammered wildly in my chest. It was ridiculous how easily I was able to go from neutral to horny-as-fuck. You'd think that being the size of a small house would make me feel less attractive, but nope: my libido knew no bounds.

My silence must have read completely differently, though, because Rex turned off the burners on the stove and guided me over to the lumpy old couch, gently pushing me to sit down. Then he dropped to his haunches in front of me and placed his hand on my knee, asking, "Did I cross a line?"

God, even that was stupidly endearing.

Shaking my head, I knew I had to be honest with him, as uncomfortable as sharing my feelings made me. "No. You've been perfect." With a sigh, I added, "That's the problem."

"I don't follow."

"I just…I guess I wasn't expecting you to follow through when you said all those things the other night. I figured you'd leave, then freak out over everything, then…" I trailed off.

"Run again?" Rex didn't sound offended. If anything, he sounded as though he understood exactly why I'd assumed the worst. Nevertheless, I ducked my head and nodded.

"Yeah."

"Well, I did panic. I've been panicking. I mean, we're havin' a baby in a couple of months and that's terrifying. Especially when it'll be a shifter kid and I can't shift."

I practically gave myself whiplash with how fast I snapped my head back up to look at him. I was surprised by his honesty, though I didn't know why. He hadn't given me any reason to think he'd ever lie to me. Not even during that first evening together in the bar.

Hearing him sound so defeated about not being able to shift also shocked me. I didn't think he'd really wanted to. In fact, some part of me thought he'd be relieved that he was still mostly human.

"You'll get there," I started, but he shook his head, locks of his sandy-colored hair falling into his eyes. He brushed them back with his free hand.

"Doesn't matter if I do or don't. I am who and what I am, and I can't actually control that. All I can do is keep trying. But what I can control—" the look he pinned me with was serious, and I couldn't tear my gaze from his even if I'd wanted to "—is what kind of a father I'll be. What kind of a partner I'll be…if you'll have me, of course."

A small, teasing smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "I said I'd go out with you, didn't I?"

"You did," his blue eyes twinkled. "And I'm hoping that I'll be able to prove myself to you so you'll want more than just dating eventually."

"What, like…marriage?" The word felt foreign on my tongue, and it made my heart do a weird flippy-floppy thing in my chest.

Rex didn't even bat an eye. He nodded. "That…and bonding. Like Beck and Ollie."

That was an even scarier concept than marriage! Bonding was irreversible, as far as Ollie had said. And it was for life. I was afraid enough of dating! I mean, what if we bonded and he realized that it was a mistake? I could imagine feeling his disappointment inside me, and I shuddered. That would break me.

Nevertheless, it was a heady feeling to hear him saying that he wanted it. Nobody had ever wanted to be with me long-term before. And a man like Rex? I didn't deserve a man like him. He was too good for me .

I swallowed hard. "You'd want that? With me? You've only really known me for a few days. How could you—" My breathing hitched, and I stopped speaking as Rex leaned forward slowly, giving me plenty of time to pull away if I wanted to.

Then our lips met, and it was just like that first ever kiss all over again.

Before Rex, I'd never known a kiss to make fireworks explode inside me. I'd never known a kiss to bring my nerve-endings to life, making me hyper-aware of my body and its reactions to my kissing partner. I'd never felt my inner-shifter wake up and take notice of the person I was connecting with.

But, with Rex, all those things happened at once.

The big cat inside me purred at the affection we were sharing. Instinct demanded I roll over and bare my belly, however large it might be, to my mate. It was all I could do to not follow through on those urges.

Instead, I deepened the kiss, pulling Rex closer by the collar of his shirt. Through the sweet press of his lips on mine, my tongue sought his out. He moaned —or maybe it was me; I sure as hell didn't care at that point— and I forgot whatever we'd been talking about. His mouth tasted fresh, as though he'd only recently brushed his teeth or sucked on a mint, and his big arms felt like safety and home as he curled them around my back.

It must have been an awkward, uncomfortable position for him, but he didn't seem bothered at all. Instead, his lips moved with mine as we continued to make out. I have no idea how much time passed before we separated for air, our lips kiss-swollen and our skin flushed from our efforts.

Slick had well and truly pooled in my underwear, making the seat of my pants damp, and my cock was straining for attention, too. A glance down at Rex's crotch said he was in a similar predicament, but instead of diving back in for another kiss, he sat back on his heels and smiled sheepishly at me.

"Sorry, kitten. I didn't mean to get carried away," he apologized, his voice a little more gravelly than usual. "I just can't help myself around you."

Suddenly, I remembered the catalyst for the kiss, but as I started to speak, Rex shook his head.

"I know it's fast, but my heart wants what it wants…and that's to be with you. Beck and Ollie seem to think it's part of the fated mates deal, and, hell, maybe it is. Doesn't make it feel any less real. But," he gentled his smile and looked me in the eye, "just because my feelings have gotten serious fast, doesn't mean we have to rush things. I promised to do this at your pace, darlin', and that's what we're going to do."

Our son chose that moment to stretch and roll, as if saying ‘You're already knocked up, dumbass; it's not as if things between you aren't already serious.' I ignored him and the reminder that my situation was far from normal.

I mean, hadn't I daydreamed about Rex turning out to be a fairy tale prince, saying all the right things and sweeping me off my feet? Now that he was doing that, I had two choices: I could fight it, or I could accept that life for omega and alpha couples was always going to be a little different courtesy of our biological drive to be together. And Rex was still saying that we didn't have to rush things. It made it easier to process, somehow.

Nodding back at Rex, I said, "I can accept that." Then, to lighten the mood, I sniffed the air and rubbed at my belly. "Now, did you say something about bacon?"

* * *

We ate our burgers sitting side by side on my tiny couch while Netflix played the TV show we'd agreed to start watching together. It was a foodie travel show hosted by a comedian, and it was fun to discover that Rex was just as into the whole thing as I was. If the food he'd made for us hadn't clued me in, seeing him pull out his phone to make notes about Googling recipes confirmed that the man who wanted to be my mate enjoyed cooking. He was good at it, too.

"I've had to fend for myself for a long time," he justified when he caught me looking. "I couldn't afford to live on takeout, and eating the same three homemade meals on rotation got boring really quickly. So, I taught myself to cook, and now I find it relaxing."

"Well, you can try out new recipes on us," I patted my distended belly for emphasis, grinning when the kid inside kicked back at me, "anytime you like."

Rex preened at the suggestion. "I have to admit, there's a part of me getting really satisfied and smug at the idea of providing for you."

My omega instincts purred over the same concept. Too content to fight my inherent behaviors over something so insignificant, I could only smile. "That's shifter biology for you."

"I'm starting to realize that a lot of my instincts have always been there," he admitted quietly. "They've just gotten stronger since…well, since that night."

I didn't need to ask him which night, though just the thought of it had my arousal flaring again.

I refused to let every encounter with Rex devolve into sex. We'd never form a proper relationship if all we ever did was fall into bed together. Not that we had the last time either, mind you, but I'd wanted to.

I still wanted to.

Clearing my throat, I nodded. "That makes sense. You've always been a shifter, but that side of you was locked away for whatever stupid mystical reason."

Rex chuckled. "I'm coming to terms with that, yeah." He pushed to his feet and reached for my empty plate, gesturing for me to stay seated when I awkwardly fumbled an attempt to get up. "Stay. I got this." He grinned, then jutted his chin at the bump housing our son. "Do you have any room left in there for dessert?"

I perked up, everything else forgotten at the mention of sweet treats. "Always."

Twisting in my seat, I watched Rex carefully place our plates in the sink before he rummaged through the fridge, pulling out a foil-covered Pyrex dish. He slid it into the oven, which I assumed he'd been pre-heating while we ate, and then he crossed the room and sat back down beside me.

"It'll be about twenty minutes or so, depending on how well that clunker of an oven works," he informed me.

"Whatcha makin'?" I asked, snuggling into his side when he lifted his arm in invitation.

"It's a self-saucing chocolate pudding," his answer had me moaning obscenely, and he chuckled.

"With vanilla bean ice cream?"

"Uh-huh."

Salivating at the mere thought, I blurted, "Marry me."

Thankfully, Rex laughed and rubbed my upper arm affectionately. "They do say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach." He looked down at my belly and smirked. "Apparently, I'm taking a two-pronged approach to that theory."

The joke startled a laugh out of me and I rubbed at my stomach. "We're joking about this now?"

He shrugged and offered me a sheepish smile. "Humor helps me process, I guess."

Well, I could definitely relate to that. Grinning up at him, I said, "Me too."

It was nice to have something like that in common, and I had a feeling it would help us to deal with issues in the long run, too. If we both relied on humor as a coping mechanism, at least we'd understand the best way to communicate with each other through difficult conversations. Humor usually helped to diffuse tension, as well, so he got bonus points for that.

I wondered what other things we had in common. If I was running with Ollie and Eric's theory that we were fated mates, then it would make sense that our fundamental beliefs and behaviors would complement one another, right?

"Tell me more about you," Rex said. "Obviously, I know the basics now. But…I want to know all the little things, too. Like…how old were you when you had your first kiss? When did you learn to ride a bike? Are you a cat person or a dog person?"

I leaned away from him so I could arch an eyebrow, and he facepalmed.

"Alright," he conceded, "that was a dumb question."

"You never know. I could be one of those hipster cat shifters who says they're a dog person just to be edgy and unique ."

Rex blinked back at me. "Do those even exist? "

"People are people, no matter our species," I shrugged. "But no. I'm definitely a cat person." Frowning, I asked, "Are you a dog person?"

"I like all animals. Raised on a farm, remember?"

"Well, yeah, but…did you feel an affinity for cats growing up? Because I always have." I always put it down to being a big cat inside, but what if being a shifter really didn't make any difference after all? Or maybe, because his true nature had been locked away all his life, things were different for him.

"…no more than any other animal," he replied after seemingly giving it some serious thought. "Even now, I don't really prefer cats over dogs."

I let out a scandalized gasp and clutched at imaginary pearls. "You heathen!" I accused, laughing when the hand that had been rubbing my bicep dropped to my waist and tickled me in retribution. "Stop!" I complained through giggles. "Your kid is on my bladder! I'll pee!"

That was not an idle threat. I'd had more than one close call in recent weeks. Ollie confirmed it was only going to get worse as I got bigger, too.

Rex stopped his tickle assault and smoothed his palm over the side of my belly. "Sorry, kitten."

I wondered if he could tell how much I loved the endearment. Fighting back a smile, I sighed and snuggled back into his chest again. "Are you apologizing for your pro-canine attitude, for tickling me, or for your kid making me uncomfortable?"

"Can it be for all three things?"

I laughed again. "Sure. Why not?"

As we lapsed into conversation again, I marveled at how easily we interacted. He was a veritable stranger, but I felt like I'd known him for years. The texts we'd been exchanging had helped with that, but it was more like we really were kindred spirits. Once we'd stopped and had a calm conversation after our not-exactly-brilliant reunion, our compatibility started to show up in little ways.

We both loved the outdoors and had both lost parents at a young age. We shared a sense of humor and, as we'd just discovered, liked the same types of TV shows. We both seemed to be spontaneous people, living life in a ‘roll with the punches' kind of way, too.

Fundamentally, it also seemed like we were on the same page. Neither of us had factored kids into our life plans, but when it came down to it, we shared a vision for our son's upbringing.

I really was starting to believe Eric and Ollie's theories about compatible mates.

The oven timer buzzed, and Rex got up to dish up the heavenly-smelling dessert he had made. My mouth actually watered when he held my bowl out to me, and I dug into the decadent confection with gusto, moaning when the first bite of warm, sweet, gooey goodness lit up my taste buds.

Beside me, Rex shifted in his seat, crossing one long leg over the other while he appeared to concentrate on his own bowl.

The pudding was absolute perfection. There was a bitterness to the chocolate sauce which worked well against the sweetness of the ice cream, and the different textures made every bite a dream.

"This is so good," I mumbled around another mouthful, closing my eyes in my enjoyment. "Mmm. Please tell me there's more."

"I'm glad you like it," Rex replied, but his voice sounded a little strangled.

I opened my eyes and turned my head to find him watching me intently, his own dessert untouched. The spoon was still in the bowl, lodged inside his melting ice-cream. Frowning, I asked, "Aren't you going to eat that?"

"Hmm?" He blinked at my question, then seemed to come out of whatever trance he'd been in, giving his head a little shake as he looked down at his bowl. "Oh. Yeah. Of course."

Raising an eyebrow at him, I asked if everything was alright. Rex looked sheepishly down at his dessert and nodded. "Yeah," he said, then looked back up at me with a rueful grin. "I was just distracted by the sounds you were making."

"Oh…" I felt myself blushing, understanding that maybe I'd sounded a little pornographic. I maintained it wasn't on me, though: it was the dessert's fault.

"Don't be embarrassed, kitten," Rex gave up the pretense of being at all interested in finishing the food he had made, placing his bowl carefully down on the floor at his side. He leaned over and placed his hand on my thigh, squeezing it gently. "I like that you're gettin' comfortable enough with me to relax and make those sounds. And I can't lie: I like that I'm responsible for you making them."

Courtesy of my ever-rampant hormones, I picked up on the arousal in his tone and my body ran with it. Suddenly, I wasn't craving the sweet, gooey chocolate anymore. Instead, I was craving him.

More specifically, I was craving his knot.

Shifting in my seat and praying that my slick wouldn't leave damp patches in my underwear, I swallowed roughly. Being perpetually horny was killing me.

Rex had been nothing but a gentleman over the previous few days, always taking his cues from me. He'd stuck to his word to take things slowly, given that our situation meant we couldn't afford to make things even more awkward between us. He hadn't given me any reason to think that he was only sticking around for the prospect of more sex.

And, really, I was the size of a house: I knew I wasn't the same catch I'd been the night we met. That had to mean he really did have other motivations, right?

When I thought about it, Rex had honestly been doing everything he could to prove that he was serious about sticking around.

Would it really be so bad to follow my urges at that point?

The other night, after he'd massaged my back and I had almost given in, he hadn't complained or called me a tease. Even though I'd felt a little guilty for going hot and cold on him, Rex had rolled with it, reassuring me that he only wanted to do what I was comfortable with.

Ever since I'd come to Shifters Sanctuary, I'd lamented that I'd never find an alpha who would treat me the way Beck treated Ollie…but was that really true? Because the more I interacted with Rex, the more I realized that he was every bit as sweet and honorable as Beck seemed to be. All I had to do was give him a chance.

My instincts told me that he was safe. That he wouldn't mistreat me or consider me his property. All I had to do was let him in.

My puma yowled inside me insistently, urging me to do just that. Even though I liked to think of my breed as a big cat, it was times like this where I understood why scientists classed mountain lions as the largest breed of small cat…because, boy, was my inner feline acting like a needy overgrown house cat!

Tired of fighting my instincts and my hormones, I decided to take a leap of faith .

"You know how you said you'd take things at my pace no matter what?" I asked, biting my lip as my heart rate sped up.

Rex nodded without hesitation, his blue eyes aimed directly at me. "I meant it. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable just now. I got ahead of myself and I—"

"Take me to bed?" Between the horniness I was constantly battling, and my omega urges to reconnect with my mate, the question tumbled out without tact or preamble. I blushed again, embarrassed by how desperate I'd sounded to my own ears, but I didn't apologize or retract the plea. Instead, I gave in to my instincts completely, begging, "Please, Rex?"

His Adam's apple bobbed. "God, kitten, you're such a sweet thing, aren't you? Askin' me so nicely…"

It was a far cry from that first night together, where we'd dragged each other into the ladies' bathroom, desperate to get our pants off. I still felt that same desperation burning under my skin; that same electric connection between us. I needed him, I realized. Not just inside me, but with me. The alpha to my omega. My mate.

"Please," I repeated softly, my pride warring with my biological drive. "Not…not to bond," it was hard to say, my puma yowling again at the denial of what he so badly wanted, "not yet. That—that would be too much. But…God, Rex, I'm constantly horny. I need…"

"Need what?" Rex asked, with a definite rasp in his voice. He inched closer on the couch, once again squeezing my thigh. It sent a thrill of want through me, and I almost whimpered as I felt my slick building. He spoke gently as he added, "You've gotta tell me, honey."

"I need you to fuck me." I'd wanted the instruction to come out firm and authoritative. Instead, it was almost a sob, whiny and anxious and raw. " Please , alpha?"

Addressing him like that seemed to unleash something in the air between us: an energy of some kind, not unlike the feeling I'd felt the first time I acknowledged Beck as Pack Alpha. This felt more intimate than that, though. Like my omega was finally acknowledging Rex was my alpha. My mate. Electric tingles traveled up and down my nerve endings, and it only seemed to make me more desperate to have Rex inside me.

Thankfully, he seemed to be just as affected. Before I knew it, I'd been swept up in his arms and carried the few steps over to the bed, where he gently set me down on top of the covers. When I protested about the abandoned dessert bowls, he assured me he'd clean them up later. Taking care of me and my needs was apparently more important.

Hearing that made my heart sing, even though I convinced myself that I wasn't going to rush things between us. We were newly dating, after all. Newly dating with a baby on the way, but still only newly dating. My heart didn't need to get too invested yet.

That was easier said than done, though, when Rex took his time getting me comfortable like he had the other evening, sliding a pillow under the bulge of my belly before he spooned up against my back, pressing sweet kisses to the back of my neck that made me shiver with need. My desperation to have him inside me only increased as his hand slid over my hip and under the hem of my shirt, rubbing over the stretched skin of my stomach.

"You're beautiful, you know," he murmured into my ear. "Tell me what you need, darlin'. I've got you."

That seemed to unleash the babble from somewhere deep down inside me as I ground my ass back against his growing bulge. "Rex… Alpha , please. I need your knot. I need you inside me. I need…I need… Yesssss ." I actually sighed as his fingers slipped beneath the waistband of my pants to tease at my slick, desperate hole. "I'm so wet for you, Alpha."

His reply was a low moan of appreciation. "I can feel that." Two fingers slid inside me with ease, scissoring and stretching me in the most delicious ways. I arched my back, trying to encourage him to do more. "Easy, baby. Let me take care of you."

God, was he always so tender and sweet? He was going to ruin me for any other men if he kept that up.

I cried out a protest when he withdrew his fingers and removed his hand from inside my pants.

"Shh," he soothed, pressing a sweet kiss to the side of my head, "I can't get inside you while I'm still wearin' my jeans, can I?"

Ugh .

I was impatient and not in the mood for logic.

"Hurry…"

I reached into my own waistband to fist my cock while I listened to the metallic tink of his belt being undone, then the whir of it pulling through the denim loops. I panted as the mattress bounced with his movement behind me, soft thuds signaling his shoes and clothes hitting the floor somewhere near the foot of the bed.

"You still want this?" he asked gently, his fingertips hooking into the elastic at my hips. Never had I been so glad that I'd taken to wearing sweatpants more often than not.

I nodded fervently. "So, so badly."

"Okay. You can say stop at any time, alright?"

It was sweet that he was so concerned about my consent, but I was too far gone to appreciate it. "Get inside me."

Rex shimmied my pants down, tossing them off the bed. Then he stretched himself along my back, the warmth of his chest searing through the cotton of my t-shirt while he lifted my leg and rested it over his muscular thigh. The blood-hot head of his cock nudged at my hole and I rocked my hips, encouraging him to stop teasing me and just get inside me.

I gasped when he finally did, closing my eyes and tilting my head back until it met with his shoulder.

I'd never had sex lying on my side before, but I wasn't the slim twink of six months earlier, either. I didn't think there were that many positions which would work for me anymore, not with my lack of flexibility and the bulge of my belly in play, and those things would only get worse before the pregnancy was over.

With the pillow supporting my bump, and my top leg resting on Rex's thigh, though, this position was surprisingly comfortable.

Rex slipped one arm under me, wrapping it around my chest. The other, which had been gripping my hip gently, slid down to stroke my weeping cock. I had to bite back a shout of ecstasy, muffling it and turning it into another needy whine as he set a gentle rhythm with his thrusts.

"Faster," I urged him, and found myself gripping his toned, tanned forearms with my own.

Rex growled in the back of his throat and tugged me tighter against him. "I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't," I assured him. "Please. Please . I need to be fucked properly. I need you to fill me up and knot me. I need you to—" I cut myself off, mildly mortified at the realization that I'd almost told him that I needed him to claim me. Mark me. Make me his . Clearing my throat and rocking my hips back to meet his languid thrusts, I said, "I need it harder, Alpha."

He groaned but complied, picking up the pace with his hips and his hand on my dick.

"Yes," I urged him on, "just like that. Faster ."

"Fuck," he muttered, snapping his hips into me, "I forgot how fucking amazing you feel on my cock, kitten. So hot and tight and wet."

My orgasm was building, and his dirty praise sent me hurtling closer to the precipice. He hiked my leg higher up his thigh, subtly changing up our angle and holy mother of God! I saw stars.

The coil of tension inside me was tightening, my balls sending up warning signals with every brush over my prostate. Precum dribbled obscenely from the head of my cock, slicking up every stroke of his big, calloused palm.

"I'm…I'm gonna come," I warned him. "Don't stop. Right there . Fuck me right there. Harder. Faster. Rex! Rex, I need…I need…"

The asshole stopped moving.

"What the ever-loving fuck?!" I complained, my eyes flying open so I could try to crane my neck and glower in consternation.

"Shhh," he crooned, still not moving. "I was gettin' too close."

"You're a fucking alpha," I hissed, trying to roll my hips and get myself off, but he pulled his hand off my cock to hold me in place. "You come, you knot me, you come again…and again… and again . That's how it works, remember?"

Okay, so we had only experienced it together once, but Ollie assured me that was an ongoing pattern for him and Beck.

Come to think of it, I probably knew way too much about my new friends' sex life than could be considered healthy. But, as the only other people who had experienced alpha/omega mating dynamics, we'd been eager to compare notes.

Rex snorted and nuzzled his nose behind my ear. It was an affectionate gesture and I liked it. "I wanna make it good for you, kitten."

"I'll tell you a secret," I replied, feeling snarky and still determined to get off, "that will happen if you let me come."

"I've got a lot of making up to do," Rex said, and I wanted so badly to embrace the romance in that sentiment and just let my heart fall for him. However, I knew better than that. Once bitten —or not bitten, as the case may be— twice shy and all that jazz.

"You didn't do anything worth making up for," I replied instead, only for his hand to release my dick and sneak back under my shirt, smoothing over the bump housing my son. Our son .

"I could've reacted better to this," he admitted softly.

A lump lodged itself in my throat. "Sure," I agreed with a nod. "Or you could have reacted way worse, too. And, anyway, I thought we already talked about this."

"You let me get off too lightly the other night. Besides, you're going through a lot. I'm kind of responsible for it."

It was weird to be having the conversation with his cock inside me, but everything about our situation was weird so I went with it anyway. "I think we established that you're also going through a lot. At least I knew, theoretically speaking, that when an alpha knots an omega in heat, it generally results in pregnancy."

He was quiet for a moment. Then he asked, "In heat, huh?"

I flushed all over again at the gravel in his tone. It almost sounded as though the concept turned him on. Maybe it did. Maybe on some level, it appealed to the alpha side of him. I knew the omega in me was practically clawing the walls of my mind, badly wanting to be claimed and mated by his alpha. What if his alpha instincts were demanding as much of him?

"Yeah…that's, um, that's what Ollie and Eric think happened. I…I remember getting hot all over, needing you to fill me up and breed me." I bit my lip and let out a tiny huff of laughter. "At the time, I thought I was just super horny and having ridiculous omega thoughts."

"Hey now," I groaned as he moved to pull me tighter against him, the action shifting our hips, giving me a hint of the delicious friction I craved so badly, "don't go buyin' in to all that anti-omega stuff, y'hear? Your designation or whatever you wanna call it doesn't make you any less of a man, of a shifter…of a person than anyone else."

There went my heart again, thudding near-painfully in my chest. How could anyone not fall for a big, buff, sexy man who made impassioned impromptu speeches about self-worth like that?

"Jesus," I breathed, feeling choked up. I didn't know if it was my hormones, or the alpha/omega mating connection that seemed to draw us together, but I was once again overwhelmed by what felt like an insatiable need for him. I bucked my hips. "Fuck me. Now ."

Whatever restraint had been holding him back seemed to dissolve. He pulled out until the tip of his cock was teasing my entrance and then slammed back into me when I whined my complaint.

"Yes!" I cried out, not caring who heard. "God, yes, more!"

Rex's hand slid back up to my hip, fingers digging into my flesh to give himself a bit more leverage with each slam of his hips. I gripped my own dick in my hand and stroked in time with each of his powerful thrusts, once again feeling my balls drawing up. My belly tightened, too, as my impending release built quickly. The intensity of the pleasure I felt as Rex's cock repeatedly nudged my prostate was almost too much to bear. I was a gasping, writhing, babbling mess before the fireworks exploded behind my closed eyelids and I coated my own hand in warm wetness. I wiped it on the sheets.

A low, growly ‘Fuck' was the only warning I got before Rex's hips stuttered and warmth flooded my insides. At the same time, his lips found the crook of my neck.

Then, with his knot beginning to swell, I felt the graze of his teeth on my skin and my eyes flew open.

"Don't even think about it," I hissed, and I felt him jolt in surprise.

"Shit," he cursed, panting through his ongoing orgasm, his long fingers still flexing at my hip. "Damon. Fuck, I wasn't thinkin'. It…I just felt this…this…instinct…"

My heart was pounding rapidly, from the intense pleasure I'd experienced and the fear that this near-stranger had almost given me a mating bite.

Would it even have worked if I didn't bite him back? There was so little information out there about the whole mating and bonding process that I wasn't sure whether Ollie and Beck's experience was textbook or not. Either way, I didn't want to be bonded. At least, not when I didn't really know Rex.

"I'm so sorry," he continued when I didn't reply. "I wasn't thinking."

"It's okay. Nothing happened."

" Nothing… ? Kitten, I almost bit you. That's a lifetime of commitment."

"I mean," I couldn't help but laugh, enjoying Rex's hiss as my body's jiggling teased his sensitive knot, "we're having a kid together, so that ship has already sailed."