Chapter Twenty-One

Although shifters were known for avoiding human medical facilities, we did have some healers of our own and my mate insisted I visit one. Our lifestyle, our job being out in the wild so much of the time could be a bit rugged, and he expressed concern that maybe it was too much for me. Or what if there was a medical emergency and we were hours from help?

"If you're going to continue traveling with me, we need a healer's advice," he said as we sat in the living room of the healer's residence. Salem had asked around at Billy's for a local referral, leading us here. Jeremy's office lay a few miles on the opposite side of town from us, and we'd had to wait a week for an appointment, but while I didn't have any need for this, my mate's peace of mind held value for me as well, so I agreed. The long gravel drive off the highway had made my bulging body bounce around in an undignified way though.

"I'm here," I said, patting his hand. "We'll get the go-ahead to continue living our life and then you'll feel better." Really an alpha daddy could be such a worry wart.

"Lennon and Bjorn?" A lean man, fox shifter if I had to guess, appeared in the doorway toward the back of the house. The door had a note on it instructing us to come in and have a seat, so this was our first sight of the long-haired redhead who looked far younger than the gray-haired elder who had cared for our pack when I was growing up. "I'm Endri. Come this way."

We followed him into a room with an exam table, and he patted the crinkly paper on top of it. "Bjorn, you can have a seat in the chair in the corner while Lennon changes into a gown, and we will have a little talk about the pregnancy so far and any concerns you might have." He washed his hands at a sink, soap bubbles squishing between his fingers. "Do you have any concerns?"

With my T-shirt over my head, I couldn't answer, but my alpha had no such issues. "He seems to feel pretty well, but he's waking up at night to go to the bathroom three or four times and he is totally off meat, the last week or two, which is very un-wolf-like."

I didn't think he'd noticed. Finishing changing, I climbed up on the table for my exam.

"I see." Endri came to the foot of the table and guided my feet into stirrups. "Well, those things are not a problem, I don't think. If you don't want meat for a while, make sure you get protein from other sources like eggs or cheese or beans."

"Oh, don't say beans," I groaned.

When the healer arched a brow, Bjorn told him how I'd gotten sick after eating them at the start of it all. I hadn't been willing to eat them since.

"How about fish?" he suggested.

"I like fish…" We just didn't have any. "Can you get good fish in the desert?"

"In the twenty-first century? Yeah. Frozen. Just don't leave it out in the sun." He chuckled and began his exam. "So any other symptoms?"

"Moody, some of the time. Not right now."

"Mm-hmm. Sure. So what made you come at this time? Not that there's anything wrong with it, but usually shifters either come very early or just at the end."

"We have a survival training business, lots of camping in the rough, and I wanted to be sure it wasn't harmful for my mate. We are often several hours or longer from any kind of transportation."

"Excellent question. Is it possible for you to arrange to have a ride closer?"

"I suppose. It would take some arranging."

"That's my only real comment, then. As long as Lennon is feeling well and having no problems, everything looks great here." Here, referring to my lower body. "When you get into the last month or so, you might want to reassess, maybe start paternity leave." He patted my leg. "You can get dressed." Returning to the sink, he washed up again. "But I'd like to see you again before then, anyway, and we can talk about what is a good idea to do or not do."

"And shifting?" I blurted out. "Is there a time when I have to stop? We usually end our trips with the clients all shifting and generally having a good time in the moonlight." It was something I'd recently suggested, and everyone seemed to love it.

He shrugged. "Most wolves stop at some point in the last trimester, but why don't we see how things look at your next appointment? Say in six weeks or so?"

When we were back in the truck, Bjorn kissed me firmly on the lips. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Awkward, uncomfortable? Next time, you go in the stirrups. But did it make you feel better?"

He smiled and pecked me on the lips again. "Yes. My bear is sure you're fine, but I am glad to get a healer's perspective." He guided us down the bumpy drive while I held tight to my tummy then turned onto the highway. But not toward home.

"You're going the wrong way, alpha."

"Oh, I just need to pick something up. Unless you're too tired? I can take you home and come back later."

"No, I'm fine now that we're on the smooth road. It's silly to waste all that time to take me home. What are we getting?"

"Oh, just something I ordered."

"That's vague."

He turned on his signal and pulled into the dirt parking lot of a building with Carpentry – Special Orders Welcome over the door. "Want to come in or wait?"

"I'm intrigued." I opened my door and hopped down before he could come around and do it. "What did you buy? Are you giving me my own desk in the office?"

"Don't want to share mine anymore?"

I loved sharing his. "No… Okay, I am not asking any more questions. You're just teasing the pregnant guy."

"Only because it's fun." He kissed my cheek before holding the shop door open. "Hello? Anyone here?" We entered a small showroom with various pieces of exquisitely carved furniture.

"Just a minute." The call was followed by the appearance of a man in a leather apron with a long gray braid hanging down his back.

I sucked in a breath. Was he…

"Before you ask, yes, I am an eagle shifter and a carpenter. I'm sure there are jokes that could be made about that, but I have to earn a living, and I love working with wood." He shook Bjorn's hand then gave me a nod. Older shifters rarely touched someone else's omega. "Welcome. It's nice to meet you, Lennon. Bjorn has told me so much about you."

I held back from commenting that I couldn't say the same. "Nice to meet you…"

"Aquila. Now if you'll come right this way. I tried to keep everything according to your specifications, but wood does have a mind of its own." I followed him into a back room, where he pulled a dust cloth off of a....crib.

"Oh…alpha. I was just going to say we needed to pick one out but this…oh, it's beautiful." The nicest crib I'd ever seen. Golden wood carved with little bears and wolves frolicking around. "Aquila, can you make a matching dresser and changing table?"

"Greedy omega," laughed my alpha.

"He already ordered them," the eagle said. "But I insisted you see this first and make sure you like it."

"I love it." And my alpha. I flung myself into his arms with only a small bounce-back from my belly. "And I love you."