He didn’t know how to deal with Caro’s presence in the ranch-house. Every look and laugh burned through his heart, even as he feared being crushed once more. And he couldn’t let the bear consider for a moment that the cub growing inside of her was theirs, otherwise he would have carried her into his bedroom and never left again.
Even though she’d mentioned going home when she first arrived, he assumed it would only be a brief trip. Of course she would stay in North Dakota with him and the family. She’d have a support network with them, and even if the nearby hospital wasn’t the absolute best, they at least had a doctor a few miles away who knew enough about the family to treat injured grizzlies and wolves and not ask too many questions. Plus Max could take care of her. He’d be there to guard her and the baby and make sure they were safe and warm and fed.
The thought that she’d leave again—forever—and take the baby with her nearly ripped his heart out. He couldn’t tolerate the thought. Just hearing the words almost pushed him into an uncontrolled shift. Only Caro’s tears got the bear to settle the hell down and worry more about her than his own issues. He’d finally gotten a little taste of what Wade had been wrestling with over the previous few months after Hannah found out she was going to have their kid.
Max paced the living room as Caro went to the small guest room right next to his and puttered around getting ready for bed. He didn’t think he’d be able to sleep until she was fully settled and completely peaceful. He nearly charged into the guest room to help her when the door opened a crack, and it was only then he noticed Maximus had been pawing at the door to get to her. He stood back as the cat charged in and Caro smiled sleepily at the beast, though she blinked as the herd of half-grown cats followed. She looked up at him for a brief moment, hesitating like she meant to say something, and Max held his breath. But then she closed the door and turned off the lights. He waited another few minutes to make sure she didn’t need anything else, then went back to his pacing.
It wasn’t long until someone else appeared: Wade, grumbling, his hair rumpled and wild. He gave Max a dark look and ran his hand through his hair again. “Hannah said I was snoring. I don’t snore.”
Max raised his eyebrows, wanting to mock his older brother and alpha. “Uh, right. I’ve certainly never heard you snore.”
The alpha bear scowled and flopped down on the couch, an arm over his eyes to block out the light. “Your girl settled down? Everything going okay?”
Max hesitated, glancing over his shoulder at Caro’s closed door, then meandered over to sit next to his brother and stare at the fireplace and the glowing embers. “She’s not mine entirely, man. She’s scared and kinda flipping out. And she keeps saying she’s going back.”
Wade grunted. “You going back with her?”
It hadn’t even really occurred to him to move to wherever Caro lived. “What the hell would I do there?”
“Find a job,” he said. “You’re good at shit.”
“I’m good at running a rig and a ranch,” Max said. “I don’t think she’s in a city, but it’s a hell of a lot more urban than here. And what about…my other side? I can’t be around that many people without losing it.”
Wade’s arm moved and he lifted his head to peer at Max. “Which she doesn’t know about, I’m guessing?”
“Yeah.” Max slouched lower in the chair and frowned, wishing his traitor of a cat had decided to stay with him. “Something else that’s a serious damn problem. What am I supposed to tell her? When do I tell her? How do I tell her?”
His brother groaned and dragged a pillow over his face. “Dude, I don’t know. It just kind of happened with Hannah and Jen. We didn’t plan it. But I don’t recommend doing it that way. It sucked. We almost lost them.”
“She’s pregnant,” Max said, his voice nearly a whisper. Like saying it too loudly would change things, maybe scare the baby away. “What if I tell her and something happens and it…goes wrong?”
“It won’t.” Wade sighed, lifting the pillow to give him one of those “I’m your big brother, I know better” looks. Except Max didn’t think Wade knew better about pregnant women. Max was in the lead on that one. “She’s strong, she’s healthy, she said the docs said the baby is perfect and healthy and strong. It’s better to tell her before she sees her adorable little baby turn into a bear cub.”
Max rubbed his face, just imagining the chaos if Caro found out that way. He’d never heard of a shifter baby being born in animal form, but with his luck, they’d be the first. “Yeah, it’s better, but that doesn’t make it easier.”
“No one said any of it would be easy, kid.”
Max put his feet up on the coffee table, where he’d sat to rub Caro’s feet. Poor thing had looked so miserable... And even though she was unbelievably gorgeous and glowing while pregnant, he still felt a little bad that she was so uncomfortable. If he was around to make sure she was taken care of and safe, then maybe she wouldn’t be quite so miserable. He’d rub her feet for hours if it helped.
“You’re just going to have to man up,” Wade said after the silence stretched too long. “You’ve got an opportunity over the next few days—she’s here, stuck, and the whole family is around. Jen and Hannah can help her understand, keep her calm.”
“As long as those fucking wolves don’t mess things up.” Max scowled and scratched his jaw. “I’m going to take Jed’s head right off. He knew she was looking for me and he tried to ruin it. Said I had a pregnant girlfriend already. That little shit.”
“I know,” Wade muttered. “Jack’ll deal with it. If Jed dares get close to our territory, we’ll deal with it instead and you’ll get first crack at the kid. Just focus on Caroline and your baby right now, hear?”
His baby. It still sent a shock through him. He was going to be a father. A father. Of a child. A life would depend on him, to some extent. A little helpless baby. Maybe a little girl with Caro’s eyes and hair and smile. His insides went all warm and fuzzy at the thought of a little princess to carry around. Or a son—a rough and tumble bear cub to play with and wrestle—probably still with Caro’s eyes and smile. Or both. Or a little princess who played in the mud and a son who wanted to have tea parties and knit. He didn’t care. He didn’t care a single bit except to know that the thought of a little person—half him, half Caro—filled his heart so full of love and light that Max almost burst.
“You all right over there, bear?” Wade asked. “Awful quiet.”
“I’m going to be a father,” Max said, tasting each word. It felt too huge. Way too huge.
Wade grunted. “Congratulations. Now get your ass to bed and sleep while you still can.”
Max rolled his eyes but got up and headed for his room, pausing outside of Caro’s room to make sure she was still sleeping. He bit back a smile when he heard the snoring, echoed quietly by purring cats, and shuffled off to bed.