Page 31 of Briggs (Paranormal Council Enforcers #16)

Todd

“ H ow is your cheetah during your pregnancy? Does he seem excited?” Dr. Swift asked me.

I growled, but when Briggs placed his hand on my thigh, I took a deep breath and relaxed. “I would love for my cheetah to be here and acknowledge things, but he’s sleeping and has been for weeks now. I’ve never had him disappear on me, and I’m honestly concerned.”

“Let me…” Dr. Swift held up a finger. “Give me just a sec here.”

Dr. Swift got up and left the room, and I looked over at Briggs, confused about everything that was going on. “Will my cheetah come back, do you think?”

“I’m sure he will. I have no idea where Dr. Swift ran off to, though, or why.”

Dr. Swift came back in, and right behind him was Dr. Braun. “Hi, Todd. I heard your cheetah is sleeping, and you’re worried.”

“Hi, Dr. Braun. Yeah, when I woke up from my heat, he was already asleep. I’ve tried to wake him several times, but nothing. And it’s causing me a lot of stress because he’s never abandoned me like this before. He’s always been there. Always! Have I lost him?”

Dr. Braun smiled as he took my hand and gave it a tight squeeze.

“He’s fine, I promise you. And he’ll return right around the time you have the baby.

Sometimes our animal half returns during labor; most of the time, it’s right after we give birth.

But what you are experiencing is perfectly normal for a pregnant omega. ”

It took a moment, but I felt myself relax more than I had been in a long time. I leaned to the side and put my head on Briggs’s shoulder.

“That’s…I don’t know. A relief for sure. But it’s more. Why didn’t they tell us about this in my pride? I could have had a whole lot less anxiety about things. He’s always been there for me. And now, he’s just gone.”

Dr. Braun sat down across from us in the chair Dr. Swift usually sat in. “When you say gone, do you mean you can’t see him at all?” he asked.

“No. He’s curled up and sleeping. But he could wake up and tell me how to do things. He’s always done that before. He’s always been there. Now, nothing.” I peeked in on my cheetah and found him snoring on his back. I shook my head at him. “He’s upside down, snoring. Why?”

Dr. Braun smiled. “Because he’s taking a break and resting so your body can focus on creating your baby. He’s giving you what you need and not taking anything from you. He knows you have a mate and you can rely on him to help you through everything you are about to go through.”

Briggs wrapped his arm around me and gave me a side hug.

I looked up at him and tried to smile. “That makes sense. I need to learn about being a pregnant omega, I guess.”

“We’ll learn together.”

“Dr. King has a book that he and Dr. Rothwell put together. Do you not have a copy?” Dr. Braun asked.

I sighed. “We do. And I’ve skimmed it before.

I don’t remember anything about our animal halves becoming assholes and sleeping through the entire pregnancy while we’re puking our guts out.

” Dr. Swift chuckled. I was going to growl again, but Briggs seemed to realize, and he pulled me tighter to his side, distracting me.

“Granted, I’m not treating you for your pregnancy, but I think it’s safe to say that the two of you should read that book over the weekend. It has a lot of important and helpful information in it. I think certain sections will be especially useful for you.”

I was sure most parts were going to be useful, but there were some chapters that didn’t pertain to me.

Like, I was only having one, so I didn’t really need to read all of the chapters about multiples.

And I wasn’t a carrier without an omega line.

I was a shifter who had one, and when the time came, it would start to open and I’d be able to give birth.

“We’ll start reading it when we get home,” Briggs said. I nodded in agreement. I was the pregnant one here, and yeah, I should probably read up on it more than I have in the past.

“How do you feel about your cheetah sleeping now that I’ve explained that it’s perfectly normal?”

“Better. I guess I should have realized he wasn’t abandoning me permanently.

We’ve been through so much together, and when he was just sleeping and wouldn’t wake up, I freaked out a little.

” I sighed. “Okay, a lot. My emotions are all over the place, and I’m not sure how to deal with them.

I’ve never been an overly emotional person before. ”

“Dr. Swift is going to help with that, I believe,” Dr. Braun said as he looked to the side toward Dr. Swift’s desk.

“I am. I personally have no experience with pregnancy as I’m an alpha. Yes, my mate has been pregnant, but anything I could have said wouldn’t have been from firsthand experience.”

“I get it. And I’m not upset about you asking Dr. Braun. I appreciate all that the two of you have been doing for me.”

“The entire team is here for you,” Dr. Braun said. “I’m always happy to answer any questions from a formerly pregnant omega’s perspective. Or if you have any questions or discussions that you feel more comfortable asking me.”

“Thank you,” I told him. I remember the first time I met Dr. Braun.

He was quite pregnant with his and Dr. Bennett’s first baby.

I smiled at the memory of the giant stuffed dragon that Dr. Braun’s parents had sent them for the nursery.

Their baby happened to be a little gargoyle, but it made sense with Dr. Braun being a dragon shifter.

“You’re very welcome. Just call the clinic if you have any questions for me. If I’m in a session, Henry will take a message for me and get it to me when I’m finished.”

“I will. You’ve already made me feel better about things. I was freaking out because he’s always been there, even in the horrible situations I’ve been in, and now that we have something to be happy about, he’s sleeping through it.”

Dr. Braun smiled. “Trust me, he’ll be back. And he’ll be so excited about the baby.”

I sure hoped so. I looked over at Briggs, who pulled me closer.

“He will. I have no experience since I’m not an omega, and I’ve never been pregnant before, but I am sure you have nothing to worry about when it comes to him never returning.

I just wish you would not have hidden that from me.

I can’t help if you keep things from me. ”

I sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry. I’ll work on letting you in completely.

I know I shouldn’t keep things from you because it hurts our bond.

” I had no reason not to trust Briggs completely.

He’d been there for me from the first time he’d met me.

He’d offered to bring a friend as a chaperone during our run so I would feel more comfortable around him.

He’d taken care of me and had been such a gentleman during our first date and what led to our claiming and then my raging heat that I honestly didn’t expect.

He’d brought me tea when I was sick and called the doctor when I needed help.

He’d been perfect, yet I still held back a small part of me.

Why? I thought about it for a moment, and everything kept pointing to because I didn’t want to lose him.

He meant so much to me, and I’d already fallen in love with the alpha who had been gifted to me, but I wasn’t sure I was worthy of him. Briggs was amazing, and I was…broken.

Dr. Braun got up and left the room, smiling at the doorway before disappearing. Dr. Swift took his place and looked at me expectantly. “I feel we should discuss some more on what has been going on. It seems as if you aren’t coping with your emotions as you should.”

I groaned. “I’m trying.” I looked over at Briggs.

“At least I think I am.” My mate nodded, which caused me to smile.

I pointed in the direction of my mate. “See? Even he says I’m doing better.

And I am. But I still cry at stupid things that I can’t explain.

I don’t know what’s wrong with me. One minute, I’m fine; the next minute, I spill my juice, and I start bawling instead of pouring more juice. ”

“Have you been doing the morning meditation that I recommended after I saw you at your place two weeks ago?”

I winced. “I try, but I feel dumb doing it. I know it’s not dumb and that nobody can see me but Briggs, but I just don’t feel connected with it.”

Dr. Swift nodded slowly and wrote something on his tablet before looking back up at us.

“All right. How about exercise? I understand you can’t go for a run in your cheetah form, and that’s probably a huge adjustment for you, but how about the two of you going for a daily walk?

It’s still somewhat nice out up on Treasure Ridge, is it not? ”

I nodded. “Briggs had to go back to work, so he’s gone most of the day.

” Had that also been part of my feeling off-balance?

I had just gotten my mate, and he’d already had to go back to work.

Granted, he’d been off for a full month and had only been back a week, but this past week I’d felt much more disjointed than before.

Dr. Swift nodded and wrote something else down.

“How about you?” he asked. “Have you thought about returning to work? There’s probably no better place to be than at work with the doctor who will be treating you while pregnant.

Have you considered taking your mind off of spilled juice by occupying it at work?

The two of you could walk in together in the morning, and when Briggs is finished, you could walk home together.

That gives you two walks as well as something to occupy your time with.

You could ask Dr. King all of your questions regarding pregnancy. ”

“I have been feeling better. The tea really helps me not be so nauseous.”