Bear My Babies

“Deal. I’ll get the food,” Melissa told her. “Bruce and I did the injections at the crack of dawn this morning so we’d be ready for tomorrow.”

“I’m telling you that man would do anything for you,” Tilly said and Melissa ignored her.

They locked up the office and Melissa went to go get food and change into more comfortable clothes. She had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

“I brought pizza and ice cream,” Melissa yelled out to Tilly where ever the hell she was. Tilly never locked her door so Melissa knocked once and walked in.

“I’m in the kitchen. You can put everything down in the living room, we’ll eat there.”

Melissa moved into the living room and sat everything down. She curled up on Tilly’s big green recliner and waited for her friend.

Tilly came in with two glasses of wine. Melissa took one and followed her to grab some food.

Once they had gorged themselves on food and ice cream, Melissa was back on the squishy recliner as she sipped her wine.

“So are you ready to knock boots with that sexy man?” Tilly asked bringing Melissa back to reality.

“Actually, I’m nervous. It has been a long time since I’ve, well, you know. What if I don’t remember how to do it?” Melissa chewed on the side of her cheek. It was true she hadn’t been with anyone since Nathaniel, and they hadn’t been intimate for a while.

Tilly laughed and leaned over on the couch so she could look at Melissa. “It’s just like riding a bike: once you’ve done it, you’ll never forget.”

“I hope so.” Melissa’s voice showed just how insecure she was feeling.

“So it’s a little different than before. Women are more independent and can take charge in the bedroom. I just finished reading a great book. Do you want some tips?”

Melissa was on her second glass of wine, and the way Tilly’s eyes gleamed with mischief she wanted to know what kind of tips her friend had for her. “Lay them on me.”

“Yay! Okay, like I said, I was just reading a book and the woman took complete charge in the bedroom. She tied him up and poured hot wax on his body as he writhed around. I swear that scene had me so hot. Then she started giving him a bl*w job and right before he came, she stuck her fingers you know where. He said it was the greatest s*x he ever had, and they lived happily ever after. Oh and then I read another book.”

“Wait. Hold on. No more,” Melissa sputtered, trying to get words out. So tips from Tilly were off the table. Tilly’s eyes still hadn’t lost the gleam in them and Melissa realized her friend had an arsenal of advice she was ready to unload on her. “I’m scared, Tilly. I don’t really know what’s going to happen when the baby comes.”

This was a true fear Melissa had been having but she also knew it would get her friend off the topic of the weird books she had been reading.

Tilly smiled at her and leaned over even further to pat her leg. “It’s going to be fine. Especially with him being a were-bear and all. They are amazing parents, and they are loyal.”

Melissa took a large gulp of wine. “You know about the loyalty of other species?” Melissa stared at her friend. Tilly never really talked about the shifters and the nature of their work, and as long as they’d been best friends, she’d never asked her why.

“I know all about the shifter communities,” Tilly said, pulling back from her leaning position and looking down at her empty wine glass.

“You know, we’ve never talked about how you found out; you know all about how I know.”

Tilly finally lifted her head and met Melissa’s eyes. “I’ve known about shifters since I was four years old. My parents are cougars,” Tilly admitted.

“You’re a shifter? I had no idea.” Melissa slumped down into the chair, her mind reeling.

“I’m not a shifter, my parents are.”

Melissa shot her a confused look. Maybe Tilly wasn’t able to shift even though she had two shifter parents. If that was a possibility, Melissa realized the chances of her baby being able to shift into a bear was even less than she had first predicted.

“I’m adopted,” Tilly told her.

Melissa’s shoulders dropped from relief. Her baby still had a good chance of being able to shift.

“When I was little, my real mom left me in front of a hospital. My adopted shifter mom found me when she got off her nursing shift. She and my adopted father were having a hard time conceiving, and she felt I was put in front of that hospital for a reason.”

“Oh Tilly, that’s such a beautiful story.” Melissa sniffled into a napkin she was holding.

“Melissa, that’s why I’m so dedicated to you and your research. Not that I’m not thankful every day that my parents adopted me, but more and more shifters are having trouble conceiving. A lot of the species are getting really close to extinction. With your research, you will be able to bring clans back from the brink of losing everything. My parents still continued to try for a child when I was younger. Not because I wasn’t enough, but they loved me so much and they had so much more love to give, but it wasn’t in the cards for them.”

Melissa wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks. Tilly was such an amazing friend.

“Being raised in the shifter world, I adapted pretty fast, and now have shifter-dar. I knew Thomas was a bear the moment I spotted his wide shoulders as he signed in.”

Melissa let out an un-lady-like snort. “He is pretty obvious if you know what you are looking at.”

“I know I’m looking at one of the hottest men I’ve ever seen when he comes in. I also know I’m looking at someone who has feelings for you.”

“No, it isn’t like that. We swore we would remain platonic; that way, no more drama would be forced on our baby,” Melissa explained, ignoring the flutter in her stomach when Tilly mentioned he had feelings for her. “Besides, he’s dating Hilary Dalton. There is no way I could get him away from her. She’s gorgeous.”

Tilly let out another one of her screeches. “Oh, My. God. Hilary Dalton. I love her. Do you think he could get me an autograph?”

“I already asked him.”

Tilly sobered at Melissa’s words. “That’s why you are a better person than Hilary Dalton. You think of people’s happiness besides your own. And if you want to believe it or not, I see the way Thomas looks at you. I can promise he’s not thinking of Hilary when you are around. Besides, you’re going to give him something nobody else is able to. You are going to ensure his clan has at least one more descendant, hopefully allowing them to keep their line going. Hilary has nothing on you.”

“Ahh, thanks, Tilly.”

“So your mission is to knock his socks off in bed tomorrow. Get him so hot and heavy for you while you two make your child he won’t even remember another woman’s name. Especially Hilary.”

Melissa laughed as the fluttering in her stomach started again. She was going to have s*x with Thomas tomorrow, and they were going to make a baby. Tomorrow everything was going to change. Once the deed was done, Thomas would be cemented into her life forever. The weird thing about it was instead of sending her into one of her panic modes like it should have, it brought her a sense of security. There was really no way she would be able to sleep even if the weird medicine coursing through her veins wasn’t already making it hard.