Pregnant With His Liger Baby

“All right, you can stay,” she grumbled. “But only for a little while.”

“So, how did you and my brother meet, anyway?” Sylvie asked her as she settled in a nearby chair and helped knead the bread dough.

“Through Dr. O’Dell, of course,” she smiled. “I would sometimes come help her out with some of her patients, and I’d told her we were looking for another shifter who could be of help to our cause. She said she knew just the guy. When we first met about a year ago, I had no idea that he and I would ever become lovers, but the more often I snuck him out, or came in to speak with him, the more obvious it was that there was a lot more going on than just a simple business arrangement.”

“So my brother’s been helping you out that long?” she gasped. “But last year, he wasn’t even fully an adult until winter.”

“He was mostly grown when we first met, enough so that it wasn’t noticeable that he had a couple months left to reach one year,” she shrugged. “Talk about dating younger men, right? But now that he’s an adult, it’ll be forever before he gets old—much longer than it’s going to take me. I worry that he’s going to dump me for some young tigress someday.”

“Or a lioness,” Sylvie smirked.

“Thanks—now I feel better,” she said.

“You can take the shifter out of the forest, but you can’t take the proclivities out of a male,” said Sylvie sagely. “I can only reassure you that my brother is a very loyal sort. If he’s truly attached, it would take something monumental to get him to let go.”

“Yes, tenacity does seem to be a shared trait with you two,” she nodded. “And anyway, we’re talking about a lot of years before I’d be that old. Who knows, by then I might want him to go plow somebody who can still keep up.”

Sylvie chuckled at the visuals these words brought to mind.

“All right, the food is done and you’re practically passing out,” Reba said then. “Now why don’t you go lie down and feed Ilana. I’m sure she’ll be hoping for a meal by now. I’ll take care of everything else from here.”

“Thanks for everything, Reba,” Sylvie smiled. “You really are an awesome human.”

“You’re very welcome,” she said.

*****

A few hours later, after they’d all rested up a while, Reba came to see if Micah or Sylvie wanted anything to eat. “Boris went out and caught a deer, and we’ve finally got it prepped if you’re interested.”

“That sounds divine,” said Sylvie as she sat up in the bed. “Are you feeling well enough to eat, Micah, or would you like us to make you some soup?”

“My head really hurts,” he sighed. “I hate to seem less than my best, but the soup sounds like it would be much easier to handle.”

“It’s not a problem,” Reba reassured him. “In fact, I already did it just in case.”

“Reba, you’re such an angel,” Sylvie said appreciatively as she produced the huge bowl of food she’d brought for him. “That should be just the thing.”

“Well, now, I think it may be time for this little one to have a proper bath,” Reba said then, bending to lift the still-human shaped Ilana up into her arms. “Maybe give Mom and Dad a bit of alone time into the bargain, eh? Not too much, though, Sylvie, your body’s still got to heal.”

Sylvie blushed when she heard this. Since she and Micah had been kept apart at the zoo, and they’d only just managed to rest after their escape, alone time wasn’t something that they’d been able to enjoy for a while. As Reba left the bedroom again, the two smirked and looked at each other.

“Those stitches may need to come out tomorrow,” said Sylvie as she examined Micah’s face more closely, tracing her fingers over the prickles.

“It’s only been two days,” he said. “It might be better if we waited another.”

“All right, one more day then,” she nodded. “I just don’t want to leave them in too long or they might stick and be harder to get out. I had to get stitches once and my mother waited over a week. It was really annoying—and itchy, too.”

“And what did you get stitched, my beauty?” he asked huskily as he drew her into his arms.

“My calf,” she said, her eyes hooding as he began to kiss the side of her neck. “David was playing too rough when I was only four months old. She said he should know better, and he was always making sure to watch out for me ever since.”

“Just like he did earlier,” Micah nodded. “I believe that your brother would have willingly died to keep you safe.”

“I know that he would,” she agreed. “And I would do the same for him, if need be. I think that may be the human in us, don’t you?”

“Does it matter?” he smirked. “It’s wonderful either way. Do you think you would be too sore if I were to take you, kitten? We could simply hold each other instead.”

“If you’re gently, we could at least give it a try,” she said as she began to purr. “I’ve missed you so much, Micah. You have no idea what it was like, being kept all alone for two whole months when you’re used to people around you all the time. And right after I’d finally, officially made you mine!”

“How about an official remake, then?” he grinned. He had pulled her so close to him that now she was half-sitting and half-laying across his lap. Now he repositioned her so that she was straddling his hips, making her giggle. “If you’re up there, it’ll be easier for you to be sure I won’t get too rough with you.”

“Admit it, you’re just a lazy lion,” she smirked.

“Fine, I’m a lazy lion,” he admitted. “Besides, my head hurts, and your bottom hurts, so it makes much more sense.”

“It’d make even more sense if we took off our clothes,” Sylvie reminded him.

About three weeks later, Ilana’s human for resembled that of a two-year-old, and she was steadily learning how to talk. She was curious about everything, and was constantly asking everyone around her what things were called. Her hair had grown in golden-toned, like Micah’s, which was no surprise to anyone.