Page 11 of A Bunny for the Bear (Beartastic Summer of Love)

Chapter Eleven

Ross

I’ve fucked up. Like, severely fucked up.

Because what was supposed to be me telling my mate what type of shifter I was, and us finally bonding in all ways, has turned into me trying to hide the fact that I'm already pregnant.

And yes, I said already because bunny shifters are notoriously fertile. While I might have been alone, I heard about other fluffles overflowing with rapid speed. This might be the fastest I've ever heard from an interspecies pairing though.

While I'd only ever read about it through research textbooks and websites, even I knew we were the exception to the rules. I shouldn’t have been able to have his babies this fast.

Not having been around other bunny shifter around growing up, I didn’t get a talk about reproduction the way other shifters might have. I knew the basics of knotting, but not the things specific to me.

How was I supposed to know what would happen?

Besides, people exaggerate things all the time. Even with what I’d read before moving to Collier Cover, I didn’t really take it into account. The heat haze didn’t help things either. Even now, I could remember how much it affected me. My only desire was to be knotted—consequences didn’t matter.

I paced behind the counter of the pharmacy as I rubbed my stomach. I had only been slightly nauseous the last few days. While I could have chalked it up to anything, after day four of the discomfort, I just knew.

My body felt different, and when I rubbed my stomach, I could feel the little hard protrusions that indicated the babies inside of me. Babies, because there were definitely more than one.

So far, I’d counted four .

That was yet another thing I hadn’t warned my mate about. It's quite rare for bunny shifters to have one child. When they do, it's an anomaly that typically resulted in depression for the parents. They’d think something's wrong with them when really, it's just Fate.

I'm not upset about the four babies growing inside of me. More like I'm nervous.

“Hi, I'm here to pick up some cream,” a voice said to my left.

I turned and came face to face with a very pregnant Omega. She looked down to where my hand was and then back up to meet my eyes and smiled.

“Are you pregnant too? Congratulations, I hadn't heard.”

Biting my lip, I nodded. “I am, but no one knows yet. Can you keep it a secret?”

She mimed zipping her lips. “Absolutely. I didn't tell my mate right at first either. It was hard because we had tried for so long, and I didn't want to be wrong, you know.”

I nodded again even though I didn't quite understand. But I didn't want to upset her by saying my pregnancy had been easy to conceive. I always found that to be a crass thing.

In the old pack, no one cared. When you got pregnant, you shouted it from the rooftops because it spoke of how virile the Alpha was. Never mind the Omega had a hand in the creation of the baby. It was all about what the larger, stronger person could do.

The more time I spent in Collier Cover, the more I understood how toxic that place truly was. I was thankful to have come here and found my mate. Thankful to have friends who seemed to want to support me.

In the days following our picnic in the park, I had received numerous text messages telling me about events happening and dinners that the group was getting together for. It gave me a sense of community I’d been so desperately missing. It made me feel less alone.

Of course, I missed most of the messages because me and Hutton had been going at it nonstop. The minute I had my phone back, I was able to respond to them and let them know that I was eager to be a part of whatever they would invite me to.

I helped the customer with her order, taking my time to explain exactly how she needed to put the ointment on and how often, before giving her a wave goodbye. Since she was the last order I had, I decided to close up early. I couldn't put off telling him any longer.

In just a few days, my stomach would start to swell and harden. Within a week, I would be extremely pronounced since gestation was only about thirty days for my kind.

I grabbed all my things and took off for the house.

Hutton had managed to coordinate all his to get moved to Collier Cover.

The delivery of his stuff was set for the end of this week.

He intended to use his side of the duplex to put everything in while we lived on my side.

Thankfully, the landlord was happy to extend his two month lease for a longer stay.

It made me wonder what we would do with four little ones. The duplex, even with both sides in use, wasn't big enough to house all of us. Not comfortably anyway.

I let my thoughts run wild as I walked home. As soon as I stepped on the porch, the door opened.

A smiling Alpha met me. "Mate," he said, opening his arms.

I rushed into them, happy to be back where I belonged.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he ran his hand along my back.

I shook my head into his chest, then pushed away. "Let's go inside. I have to tell you something. Something important."

He frowned but ushered me in. Once we were in the living room, I had him sit on the couch.

“The easiest way to do this is to simply show you. Once I do, I think you'll understand."

He pressed his hands to his thighs. I could tell he was nervous. As much as I wanted to reassure him, I didn't have the words.

"Everything's fine between us," I added right before stripping my clothes off.

His cock hardened as his gaze heated. I shook my head when I reached the point of my underwear, then said, "It's not what you're thinking."

As soon as my boxers hit the ground, I closed my eyes and forced the shift. My body transformed, shrinking down until I was nothing but fur and big floppy ears.

I sat back and let my bunny take control of our body. Realization hit my mate quickly. It was only a split second of shock before his eyes lit up and a smile covered his features. He dropped to the floor and slowly crawled my way.

"You are magnificent," he said, his voice airy. "May I pet you?"

To answer him, my beast hopped forward until we were close enough for his hand to touch us. His big strong palm rested along my back for a long moment before he stroked me gently.

I trembled at the touch, not because it felt bad, but because I was so excited to see him happy. I did truly worry that he wouldn't like knowing I was such a small animal. If he had wanted a mate to match his strength and size, then he would have been disappointed.

It seems I underestimated my Alpha.

"You didn't want to tell me because you were nervous?" I touched my nose to his wrist, a sign to tell him he was correct.

He sat back on his heels. "Is it all right if I pick you up and hold you? Me and my bear want you as close as possible right now. I'm not sure the ground is the best way to make it happen."

I hopped closer to him, then waited for him to scoop me up. When he did, I felt his fingers rub across my stomach. He frowned, then continued the motion.

"What in the world is this? Are you okay?" He kept running his fingers along the area.

As much as I wished I could tell him what it was, I didn't have a voice in this form. He started counting the hardened points.

"One, two, three, four? I don't know much about bunnies, but I don't think this is a part of it.” He kept me pressed to his chest so tight I couldn't get down to shift.

As he took out his phone and began searching online, I knew time was up. I wiggled so that he would have to put me down. The minute I was on the floor, I shifted back and placed both palms on my stomach.

It was at that exact moment his eyes read over the words on the page. They widened, and his head whipped up. He took in my pose and dropped his phone.

"You're pregnant."

"I am.”

"We're going to be parents. Parents to four?" he asked, voice rising in panic.

"Yes, Alpha. I should have told you sooner. Should have warned you. I don't think there's anything we can do now, obviously.”

He growled as the bear took over, his eyes glowing bright. "My babies, always."

His voice was rough as the animal inside him announced its intention. I leaned forward, still naked as could be, but not caring. My mate needed my reassurance. I pressed my hands to his cheeks hoping my touch would bring him back.

“I don't want to do anything like that to our babies, Alpha.

I was terrified you would send me away with them.

That you would be upset that I hadn't told you just how fertile I was and how bunnies have multiple babies at a time. I was scared that you would treat me differently because I was a small animal shifter.”

Tears welled in my eyes. I closed them tight, hopeful my mate didn’t notice. It was the feeling of his hands covering mine that made them reopen a few seconds later.

"Omega," he said softly. "There is nothing you could have been that would have changed my mind. I love you. Fate blessed me by giving you to me, and these babies will be so loved."

In a blink, I was sobbing. My mate brought me to his chest and wrapped his arms around me tightly. We stayed like that on the floor for a long while, neither of us ready to get up.

When we pulled apart, he wiped my face clean, then kissed my forehead. "I'm sorry that you had to live a life where you thought I would be upset by this news. If anything, I'm overjoyed.”

I sighed. “You may not be all that happy when I add the last part to the news."

"What last part?" he said as he tilted his head to the side.

"The part that lets you know we only have thirty days from the point of conception until the babies are born?"

His jaw dropped, and his hands fell to his side. He blinked several times in a row. Then he jumped from the floor and rushed to grab his computer that was on the dining room table.

"Thirty days. Okay, let's go back and look at a calendar. When was the first day we mated?" He began to mumble to himself as he clicked away at the keyboard.

I slipped my clothes back on and moved to stand behind him.

On the screen, he had an open document titled "Baby Arrival Plans.

" From there, he had begun to list everything chronologically including date of conception, date of announcement, and a plan moving forward.

Each listed day had some type of task whether it be to contact a doctor or buy baby supplies or even tell his aunt and uncle.

Pointing to the one mentioning his family, I said, “That one should probably happen sooner than later.

Someone noticed today at the pharmacy that I was rubbing my stomach.

She guessed that I was pregnant, though she promised she wouldn't say anything.

I have no doubt your aunt will know by the week's end anyway.”

My mate turned to me and nodded. Then he leaned his forehead against my stomach and took a deep breath. "I'm honored to be your dad, little ones. You're going to have a grandma and grandpa who love you endlessly."

He raised up and pressed a kiss against my clothed stomach. Then picked up his phone. He kept it on speaker as he dialed his aunt who answered quickly with a, "Hey there, favorite nephew."

My mate rolled his eyes and said, "Can you and Uncle come over? Like right now?”

She paused. “Is something wrong? We can be there in three minutes. We're actually close right now."

"Good," he said, then hung up the phone.

I snorted. "You know she's going to give you hell for that, right?"

"Exactly, and it will probably get her here much quicker because she wants to know what's going on." As he said the words, a knock came at the door.

"Three minutes my ass," I mumbled as I walked over and wrenched it open. His aunt stood there breathing heavy with her husband still trailing down the sidewalk.

"You couldn't wait for me woman," he shouted.

She shook her head as she tried to catch her breath. "Which one of you is going to tell me what's going on?"

I stepped to the side and let them both in. Once they sat on the couch, my mate stood behind me and gently eased his hands around me, laying them flat on my stomach. "We have some news we want to share," he said.

Aunt Souli didn't miss a beat. She jumped from the couch screaming and clapping as Uncle Champ covered his ears.

"Babies! You're going to have babies. I knew you were pregnant."

I laughed. "You knew? Why didn't you say anything?"

Uncle Champ stood this time and pulled his wife into his side. “She wanted you two to figure it out on your own. Said that you were both grown men and this was your doing. I told her she was going to have to say something sooner rather than later because we know bunnies tend to have babies fast.”

"Thirty days from conception," Hutton said as if it was something he already knew before ten minutes ago.

Aunt Souli covered her mouth as she gasped loudly. Dropping her hand, she rushed over to me. "We have so much to do. That's not nearly enough time for everything I have planned."

I looked from her to my Alpha and then Uncle Champ both gave me amused looks that let me know they weren't going to bail me out of this one.

I shrugged and told her, "You're the boss. Just tell me what I need to do to help."

She bounced on her toes, then pulled me into a hug. "You're a smart man, Ross. You're going to make an excellent papa to these babies. Now someone get me a notebook and a pen. I've got a list to make."

"Like aunt, like nephew," Champ said as he watched Hutton retrieve the items she needed.

As I stood with the three of them, we listed everything the two of them could come up with. I basked in the family I had found. Fate had delivered me here, yes, but their welcoming of me and this change in our lives was wonderful. I knew that no matter what happened next, they would have my back.

These four little babies, whatever they were, be they bunnies or bears, would feel so loved. They would have what I never did.

For that, I loved this family even more.