Ice Planet Honeymoon (Four Novellas of HEA)

“But then why did you look guilty when I came up to you?” She stabs a finger at my chest. “I know you. That was a guilty look. You wear it every time I say I’m tired and then you pretend you just want to cuddle. It’s never just cuddling.”

I am caught. She is right. It is never just cuddling. I try to think of what else I spoke to Rokan about… and then I know what it must be. “We talked about moving back to the main cave. Me and you. I spoke with Rokan about it.” I hesitate. “I did not want to say anything to you because you are very stubborn about making the South Cave our home, but I do not want to be a half a day’s walk from the healer if you need her.” I reach out to touch the small swell of her belly. “And now I am convinced that we should if there is something wrong with the kit.”

“Wait. Wait. I thought you said you didn’t talk about the kit.”

“I did not. You are the one saying something is wrong—”

“But you just said—”

“I do not know what I am saying,” I exclaim. “All the blood is in my cock still, and you are trying to talk serious things when my mind is soft. All I know is that I am taking you to the healer—right now—and we are going to get answers.”

When I reach for her, though, she grabs my wrists, a puzzled look on her face. “So you didn’t talk to Rokan about the baby?”

“I told him I was excited and scared. I think I might have used the words ‘pissing myself with fear,’ but he said every new father feels like that.” Now I am even more terrified, though. I place my palm against her belly and I cannot feel anything moving. Now, I am starting to panic. “When was the last time you felt the kit move?”

“Do you really want to move back?” She looks startled.

“I want to know how the kit is doing.” I can think of nothing else right now. I touch her stomach for a moment longer, but nothing moves, and a sliver of fear pierces me. I jump to my feet and wrap a blanket around Kira’s shoulders. “We are going to see the healer right now.”

“You’re naked—”

I scoop her up into my arms and carry her out of the cave.

“We just had sex, Aehako,” Kira hisses at me, struggling to get out of my grip. “At least let us clean up before we go visiting—”

I hesitate, but only because she struggles in my arms so. I set her down gently. “Hurry, then.”

A few breaths later, Kira and I are clean enough, and she throws one of my tunics over her body, grumbling when I pick her up again. “It is the middle of the night,” she protests again. “If there’s really not a problem, we should wait until morning.”

At this point I do not know if there is a problem or not. I only know I am terrified for my mate and my kit. I do not care if I wake up Maylak. She will understand. All I care about is making sure my Kira—and my child—are all right.

Kira makes another protest as I cross through the cave. “If you didn’t talk to Rokan about the baby…I think we’ve just freaked each other out.”

“It does not matter,” I say stubbornly. “We are going to the healer now. We are getting answers.”

She sighs, but does not struggle. I have no doubt she wants to see the healer, too, but she worries she will be too much trouble. There is no such thing as “too much trouble” when it comes to my mate and my kit, though. It does not matter how much trouble we are, only that all is well.

The privacy screen is to the side, but Kashrem sits up as I storm into their cave, rubbing his eyes. “Aehako?” he asks, his voice low. “Is all well?” Maylak is curled up at his side, her pregnant belly enormous. On her other side, her young daughter Esha is curled up against her.

“I need Maylak to check my mate and my kit,” I say.

“Please,” Kira adds in a sweet voice. “We’re very sorry to wake you up in the middle of the night.”

“No, we are not,” I say, equally sweetly. “We are just worrying ourselves stupid.”

Maylak rubs her eyes, waking up as we talk to Kashrem. She yawns at my words, hiding her face behind her hand…or perhaps she is hiding a smile. “Come sit,” she says, patting the blankets. Her belly seems enormously swollen, but her smile is easy. Kashrem takes Esha into his arms and hugs her, heading out of the cave with the sleepy little girl.