Beating Around The Bush

Beating Around The Bush

If I thought I'd get support from my family to keep it a secret tonight that Mercedes is expecting our first pup, I got disappointed. Now that I'm standing outside my parents' apartment again, I think back to what happened to me a few minutes ago. First, they received me full of happiness and then I was resolutely kicked out to go tell my mate the excellent news, under threat too.
As soon as I opened the topic and released the news, cheers erupted, my mother cried with happiness. My father quickly wiped away a tear too, while Elise kept her mouth wide open in awe. They embraced with joy, opened an expensive wine and we clinked glasses.
But the moment I indicated that Mercedes did not know her condition, there was immediate silence. "How so, she doesn't know?" my mother asked in stupefaction. “And how come you know?” Elise also looked at me, incredulous. "And now that you know, why do you want to keep it a secret?" she asked me as if she had just heard I have a mental disorder. “And you expect us to help you with that? Alpha, is there something wrong with your room up there?” Elise even came up to me to tap my forehead.
None of my family was willing to help me out. Elise gave me time till the Luna ceremony to confess to my mate. And told me that Mercedes wouldn't spare me if she was the one telling her the news. And my sister would immediately reveal to Mercedes that I intended to keep it hidden from her.
This happens when there are too many women in your family. Believe me!
They determine your life, tell you what to do and even threaten you at all costs, Alpha or not. I turn back, rolling my eyes to the closed door and take a deep breath. There is no other option, I will have to inform Mercedes. Otherwise, I'll have another woman against me, one too many.
I stroll back to our apartment.
Then I think that our mind link must be active now. ‘My love, are you awake?’ I ask my mate. I feel her shock and smile softly. That's all right now, as marked mates, we feel each other's mood perfectly. And I feel her startled by my voice in her head, her heart beats faster. She's probably looking around the room to see if I'm nearby. ‘No, Mercedes. It's our mind link. We're fully mated, remember?!' I remind her. And she starts laughing uncontrollably. ‘Zane, I'm so shocked. This is completely different from the mind link with Silver Moon', she explains cheerfully.
‘Did you rest well? I want to take you somewhere. Wear light, we're going into nature', I let her know. That pleases her a lot, Mercedes loves the outdoor. Jax has ridden her on his back countless times in the jungle. Jace would always set up a picnic for us at a lake, where we would spend the day swimming. ‘Okay, ready in ten,’ she tells me in a good mood. I mind link the cook to put a basket of dry meatballs, biscuits, two types of ice cold juice and glasses in my car.
When I arrive at our apartment, Mercedes is waiting for me with a big smile. And then I think again what a lucky man I am, such a gorgeous mate and soon mother of my pups. I take her by the hand to the elevator. When we are down, I lead her to my car.
She plops down in the passenger's seat when I open the door for her.
"Where are we going, Zane?" Mercedes takes my hand on my thigh. I bring it to my lips as I maneuver the car down the deserted road to the clearing. We drive through dense forest. The wind blows wonderfully through the open window. I observe her sideways, the way the wind blows her hair is a sight to see. She blushes so nicely.
I park my vehicle in an open space. We will have to walk about a hundred meters to the clearing. But it's a beautiful day, so it is no heavy task. When we get out, I take her hand and hold the basket in the other. “Are we having a picnic, Zane? We still have a few hours before the ceremony. Will we be back in time?” she asks concerned. I nod, my throat is too dry to answer her. We've talked about pups before, she knows I want them, but she wanted to wait until she was twenty. And here we are now, our plan has not worked.
When we arrive at the clearing, I place the basket on a sawn-off tree trunk that serves as a table. Around it there are some lower trunks on which we can sit. Nervousness has me in its grip, Mercedes senses my mood. “Hey. Is there something going on? You're tense," she asks me in surprise. “What is it, Zane? You know you can tell me anything, whatever it is. And now that we're marked, you don't have a choice." Her last sentence sounds almost jubilant.
I nod again and stare at her. After clearing my throat a few times, I begin my rehearsed sentence. “Mercedes, our journey started here eight years ago at this same place. Jax found you and loved you immeasurably from that day forward. We had all our plans for the future ready years ago. But you see, sometimes things don't go the way we think. The Moon Goddess hence determined her own ways for us”, I tell her.
She raises her eyebrows inquiringly. “I know this tone. You can go on like this for hours. Zane, come to the point! I'm thirsty and don't want to stand for hours listening to how you beat around the bush”, she reprimanded me. I chuckle, of course, she's right.
“Do you already know why you couldn't shift on your birthday?” She shakes her head in denial. “And you've lost weight, your appetite is bad when you've always been a foodie,” I remind her. She now nods in agreement. "And? Do you mind if I don't shift? But my wolf is Era and she is with me. I'm not wolfless," she exclaims defensively.
I smile softly and take her in my arms. “Even if that were the case, you are my Luna, wolf or not”, I tell her. She frees herself from me and now looks straight at me again.
“Good to know that. And confess now.”
“Baby, there's no better way to say this. We are having pups. You're pregnant," I whisper to her, trying diligently to suppress my enthusiasm. She stares at me as if seeing me for the first time. Then disbelief appears on her face. “Pups? More than one? How many?" she asks stiffly. I hold her tight by the shoulders. “I know you wanted to wait until later. This is my fault, I should have used protection. I'm so sorry, my love." The expression on her face makes me distraught with guilt now.
Then she smiles, her hand caressing her stomach. “Our pups. Zane!” she screams. Surprised, I catch her as she jumps into my arms, her legs wrapped around my waist...