19. Chapter 19

I swiped my paintbrush over the top of the project that I had been working on for the past week. Once I had the vision in my head, the piece came together rather quickly. Normally I took my time, but I needed it finished. It was as if I couldn't settle until it was.

Much like I had needed the crib finished. That had been done for a few days now and was nestled snug inside the nursery, just waiting for our baby to arrive. We still had several weeks before that happened. Thank goodness, because we had a lot left to do.

This particular project would be for my mate and my mate alone. Once I was finished putting the last coat of stain on it, I stood back and looked at my masterpiece. I smiled. Walker was going to love it.

I liked to work in my centaur form. It was easier for me. On two legs, I still found that I sometimes had to think about basic things, like how not to lose my balance. And then there were the differences in my arms. You would think they were the exact same, but they weren't, and my human arms weren't quite as coordinated as my centaur ones.

The muscle memory was all there for me, since that was how I had learned the woodworking craft in the first place. I was also stronger in my centaur form, which allowed me to maneuver this massive piece on my own rather than relying on others. This form was better for most all things I did, save one—enjoying my mate. Not that I should be thinking about that now. I had things to do.

I made my way toward the house hoping to find my mate. He was in the backyard, pulling pieces out of the kiln. He was acquiring quite the collection. He had already gifted several pieces to my brothers and their families. Soon he would replace my whole kitchenware set with his own creations.

He talked about selling some at the market now that it was safe to venture out. Things still weren't fully settled in the legal matter, but they would be soon enough. The evidence was far too strong to have even the most corrupt members of the council deny.

"Hello," he said as I came up.

"These look very nice," I said. "I like the greens."

"Thanks, I tried a new technique, and I think it turned out beautifully." I adored how at peace he was when he was doing his work.

He'd taken more to the pottery wheel than just sculpting and had figured out some rather fascinating ways to use it. Not everything was a bowl or a mug, which I had thought would be the case. I love them all, but what I treasured were the intriguing shapes he created when his imagination took hold and he allowed himself to fully immerse in his craft.

"I have a surprise for you. Would you like to come see?" My mate loved surprises, and I couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he finally saw this one.

"A surprise?" He practically jumped with excitement. He would have too if it weren't for his now quite round belly.

It was not often that I could keep things from my mate; we were close, after all. Being that just the two of us lived in our home, we were hardly ever away from each other. Days like today where he worked on his pottery and I worked on my woodworking separately weren't the norm. We were always close to one another.

"Yes, would you like to come see?"

"I suppose… I mean, if you went to all that trouble just for me, it would be rude not to." He grinned.

I kissed his cheek and then grabbed the sash that I had been holding and wrapped it around his eyes.

"Wait a minute, I have to be blindfolded?" he asked, his heart racing a bit faster. I went to take it off, but his words stopped me. "Is this going to be some kinky preggo sex?" He wasn't scared. He was turned on, and I suddenly wished that my surprise had been that.

"I want it to be a surprise." I brought my lips to his ear. "But we can discuss the kinky preggo sex afterward, if you'd like." Much afterward. There was a second surprise waiting for him, this one not from me.

He swallowed hard. "Okay."

I continued working on tying the sash, trying to get it tight enough it wouldn't fall off but not too tight so he had any discomfort.

"I suppose that you're going to carry me as well?" he sassed.

"That's a fantastic idea," I said. I hadn't planned on it, but I wasn't turning down an opportunity to hold my mate.

Once the knot was secured, I lifted him into my arms. He laughed and put his arms around my neck. He pulled my head closer to his and found my lips. It only took two tries. It was sweet and funny and so very much Walker.

I took the long way to my workshop, not wanting him to guess the secret. Once we were there, I sat him down on his feet. He puckered his lips, and I obliged, kissing him until he was breathless.

"Any guesses?"

"Okay, we're not outside anymore. We're in your shop. It smells like stain. Did you finish something?" It always smelled like that in here, but it was a good guess.

"Yes," I said. "This is for you."

"And the baby?" His hands were settled on his growing belly.

"No, mate," I said. "This surprise is just you. Would you like to see it?"

"I love all of your creations. Especially this one." He gently patted his tummy. He laughed. "But yes, I do want to see it."

I untied the knot and let the sash slip from his eyes. He gasped when he took in the sight of the hutch that I had built. It was tall, taller than me and just as long as I was in my centaur form. The piece was made of solid oak. It had three shelves and four cabinets beneath it.

"For your creations," I said. "I thought it might look nice in the kitchen."

"It's so beautiful," he said. "It's so big."

"I thought we might affix some lights to it, so that all your work would be on display." They were far too stunning to be in the dark.

"I love it, mate." He threw his arms around me. "But not as much as I love you."

"And I you, Walker." I scooped him back up in my arms. "I love you."

"Wait. Where are we going? Is this the kinky preggo sex time?" He snuggled into me.

"Soon, my love. Soon. But first, part two of your surprise."

"Part two? This was huge." His eyes darted around my workshop. He wouldn't find it in there. That was for sure.

"It was. Now let's head to my brothers'. Do you want to walk?"

"You are not carrying me all the way to your brothers' homes." He rubbed my horn as I let him down, a smirk on his face. "I guess I'll walk."

My brothers had set up a baby shower for us. Marcus said that after all my mate had been through, we needed to make time to celebrate our growing family and herd. He said a lot more than that, but I hadn't fully been listening until he mentioned Walker. I'd been too worried about all that had just transpired.

As we broke through the clearing, my mate squeed and waddled/ran over to the fire. Not only was our entire herd here, as well as Tomas who felt like herd, so were his friends from Steelwick, including the twins who had brought the largest cake I'd ever seen. I later found out that humans often had wedding cakes that made it look small, but to me it was excessive—excessive while at the same time being perfect.

"Surprise!" they yelled a tad too late.

We ate copious amounts of food, including cake, played silly games I didn't understand but was assured were both hilarious and fun, and talked and talked and talked. And just when I thought it was wrapping up, out came the presents.

The twins gave us a recipe book they swore would come in handy, along with enough sweets for an entire city. My brothers gave him a baby carrier and a beautiful blanket, both made by one of the local packs, and then Steelwick pitched in to buy us cloth diapers.

Our baby was the most spoiled person on the planet, and I'd have it no other way.

"Ready to go home?" My mate was falling asleep against my side. He'd been fighting it for an hour but didn't want to leave his friends.

"Five more minutes?" he said sleepily, and I leaned in close to his ear.

"I thought we had plans?"

He popped out of his seat so fast.

"Bye, guys. I need to get home and get to bed."

And to be fair, he did.