Chapter 21 - Violet

Ever since I had told Nile about my pregnancy—and even before, when he thought I was sick—he had been hovering incessantly. I had always been independent and capable, but suddenly, he was treating me as if I would break if I moved too much. Today was no exception.

"It's fine, Nile. I can carry it myself," I told him as he took the laundry basket from my hands.

"Go rest, you shouldn't be straining yourself," he told me.

"It's just laundry, for god's sake," I countered. "Soon you're going to tell me I can't make the bed."

"Do the sheets need to be changed today? I'll run up and do that as soon as I finish with this," he said, hurrying off toward the laundry room.

"It was an expression!" I shouted after him.

The sheets didn't need to be changed. I had, in fact, done that yesterday while he was at work. It seemed like the only time I could get anything done was when he was out of the house. The only thing he didn't have any qualms about me doing lately was painting, and even then, he frequently checked on me to make sure that I was eating enough and drinking water.

This is getting out of hand , Lavender said to me.

If he interferes with one more thing, I'm going to scream, I said in agreement.

I had cut my hours down at work significantly lately, mostly due to Nile's obsession with me not overworking myself. Between that and the fact that I could hardly get a moment to myself, I was beginning to go stir-crazy.

I think it's time for a run, don't you? I asked Lavender.

I could feel her excitement and knew it was just what the two of us needed. We didn't have as many opportunities to run in wolf form in Pinedale as we had in Sparkle Hollow. With so many humans around, we had to be much more careful. But today, it felt like a necessity.

Nile had finished the laundry and come back upstairs to the bedroom to strip the sheets from the bed.

"Nile, stop," I said, placing my hands on his chest. "You don't need to change them. But there is something else I need."

"Anything," he said, immediately jumping on the idea of being able to help me.

I smiled at him. "I need you to come somewhere with me."

"Violet, you really should be staying at home and resting," he said sternly. "If there's anything you need, I can go and get it for you."

"I need you to hear me," I said. I held his face between my hands and forced him to look at me while I enunciated very clearly. "I. Am. Fine. I promise. The doctor has checked me out and said my pregnancy is low-risk. The baby and I are both healthy. You're driving me insane with the amount of hovering you've been doing lately."

"I just want you to be safe," he said.

"I am safe. And I'm with you," I reminded him. "So, will you please come with me to the forest so we can go on a run together? Lavender hasn't gotten the chance in ages, and I'm sure Wick could use it, too."

Nile didn't respond right away, and I could tell from the faraway look in his eyes that he and his wolf were discussing it.

"Wick says that he is worried about you, too, but that he thinks we should go for a run. As long as you promise not to overdo it," he added quickly when he saw the excitement on my face.

"Wolf's honor," I swore. "I promise to be good."

Nile narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously.

"Come on!" I said. "It'll be fun. Let's hurry so we have enough time for a good run before Penny's out of school for the day."

We made our way out of town on foot. One of the perks of Nile's house was just how close it was to the forest. Most days, it felt like a tease—so close to the freedom of nature but without enough time to properly enjoy it. But days like today were bliss. Within ten minutes, we had left the town behind us.

Out of sight of any prying humans, we shifted together, our four feet turning into eight as Lavender and Wick ran between the tree trunks.

As promised, Lavender kept our pace slow so that Wick and Nile wouldn't worry about us getting hurt. I took in the scent of the trees, the crunch of the twigs and leaves beneath our paws, and the beautiful blue sky peeking through the canopy. The weather was pristine, and I could have stayed outside all day.

After a while, I could sense that Lavender was becoming bored with the lack of rigorous physical activity. She began to push her pace faster, daring Wick to chase her. He attempted to swerve in front of her and force her into a slower pace, but she wasn't having it. Nile's wolf may have been bigger, but mine was more agile.

Lavender easily avoided Wick, darting to the right and launching herself off a short outcropping.

"Violet, you and Lavender had better stop pulling stunts like that!" Nile shouted.

He had transformed when we'd turned away so that he could make sure we got the message. I transformed as well and hid underneath the outcropping we'd just jumped from.

"Come and make me," I teased from out of sight.

I had promised not to overwork myself, but I had made no promises about being boring. What was a run without a little adventure?

The sound of rocks crunching overhead made me smile. He had taken my bait. I leapt into the air away from the rocks, turning back into my wolf and bounding away playfully.

Nile followed suit, Wick's heavier footsteps following behind me.

A circle of bushes a few hundred yards away was the perfect cover for me to hide from him once more.

"In here," I said in a sing-song voice from inside the thicket.

I had lost sight of Wick when a hand grabbed my wrist from behind. I whipped my head to the side and saw Nile grinning at me.

"Caught you," he said quietly.

I smiled back at him before pulling him into a tender kiss.

"Guess you did," I whispered. "And there's your prize."

Nile raised an eyebrow at me, still in a playful mood.

"I think I deserve a bigger prize than that, don't you?" he said gruffly.

I kissed him more deeply, and I realized I wanted much more from him. The forest made me feel alive and connected to him like we had when we were younger, and there was no one around to see us.

"I want you to fuck me right here in this forest," I breathed into his ear as my hands caressed his back and shoulders.

My hands wandered to his waist, and I unbuttoned his pants before he stopped me.

"Wait," he said.

I pulled back and saw that he had panic in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"What about the baby? Is it safe?"

"For the millionth time, Nile, everything with the baby is great. We are allowed to have sex. I'd say that it will improve both of our moods substantially, in which case it really should be encouraged," I pointed out.

Nile looked at me doubtfully, but I would leave no room in his mind for doubt. I took a step back and maintained eye contact while I removed my clothing, tossing it off to the side.

"Take your clothes off," I commanded. "Before I do it for you."

The combination of my nakedness and my assurances of my health and safety seemed to change Nile's mind. He met my teasing demands with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Yes, ma'am," he said with a grin, jumping out of his clothes even quicker than I had.

He strode toward me purposefully and lowered me into the grass smoothly. I raised my legs up and placed my ankles on his shoulders. Without any foreplay, his erect shaft entered me hard and quick. I moaned in pleasure as he put steady pressure on my clit with his thumb and began to rub it as he thrust in and out with an even tempo.

"Yes, Nile," I panted. "Give it to me."

Nile grunted as he pulled away from me and lowered my feet to the ground.

"Wait, that's not what I told you to do," I said with a pout.

Nile didn't respond but instead he winked before turning me over so that I was on all fours while he knelt behind me. His powerful hands gripped my hips to position my body, and he buried himself inside me once again.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, enjoying the surprise of the position change and the power of his body as he moved me where he wanted me to go.

For a while, the only sounds we heard were the birds singing in the trees above us, the wind blowing through the forest, our breath coming in quick pants, and the sound of skin hitting skin as he pounded me from behind.

There was no one around to hear us, so I didn't bother trying to temper the sounds of my pleasure when I reached climax. I let out a long moan of passion as my legs shook beneath me. Nile's movements stilled behind me, and we untangled ourselves from one another.

"Damn, Nile. You sure know how to do as you're told," I joked breathlessly.

Nile laughed. "My mate told me to fuck her. Who am I to say no?"

I lay back on the forest floor, staring up at the sky as I caught my breath. Nile lay down next to me, but instead of looking up, he studied my face, tracing a finger over my features.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly. "Do you want me to take you home so you can rest?"

"You're going to have to stop being so overprotective of me," I chided him.

"I'm not sure I can do that," he said seriously.

I studied his face as I tried to figure out what was behind his concerned expression. Nothing I had done or experienced would give him the impression that something bad would happen to me during pregnancy. So, what…

It's Jana , Lavender realized. He cares about you, and even though he is excited about having a baby with you, all he can think about is what happened the last time his wife was pregnant.

We're going to have to do something about that, I replied.