Protector | Sequel to Protected

Den

Lucas took me upstairs to the guest room. Even in the past few hours, the baby bump has grown. I wouldn't have noticed the minuscule changes in size if it weren't for my eyes, which were much sharper considering I was half wolf now.

He sat me down on the floor, and told me to wait, so I did. I leaned against the wall and waited.

A minutes later, he came back into the room in wolf form. It was just then that i realized why all of the doorways were so wide.

He had a fluffy pillow clamped in his jaws, which he dropped onto the floor next to me. Then he left again.

When he returned, he had a knitted blanket. Then another pillow. Then a couch cushion. Then a duvet cover. Then a wedge pillow. Then a heating blanket.

On and on and on and on, he brought cushion after pillow after blanket after sheet after pillowcase into the room. He emptied every linen closet and stripped every couch and bed of anything cozy and warm.

When he was done, he came back in and arranged all of them so that they formed a jutted mound. Then he gently guided me to the top with his nose, huffed, and settled down next to me.

Zay stuck his head in the doorway.

"Where's the couch cushions- oh. Yeah, okay" he said. Lucas growled quietly at him.

"Lucas!" I cried, looking at him, shocked, "Don't growl!"

"It's fine, Maya. It's a wolf thing," he explained, "It's his protective instincts. But they've multiplied by, like, ten, since you're pregnant," and with that, he went back downstairs.

I looked over at Lucas, whose eyes were open, fierce, and searching, "Protective instincts, huh?" I asked, scratching his ear. His leg started thumping, and I laughed.

My stomach growled angrily, and I winced. Lucas jumped up and bolted out the door. I didn't know where he had gone, but he returned a minute later. He had a platter balanced precariously on his nose, which he set down next to me. It has yogurt, toast, an apple, cucumbers, and peanut butter. The five food groups.

"I need to have a balanced diet," I said quietly to myself. Lucas huffed and pushed the tray towards me with his nose. I cut the apple and ate it with peanut butter, then I ate the cucumber, because it cooled my throat down.

"I'm done. Thanks, for the food," I said, pushing the tray away.

Lucas pushed the tray back at me and put his big head down in his paws.

"Oh, I have to eat the five food groups every time I'm hungry?" I asked. He blinked at me. 

"Fine," I smeared the yogurt on the toast and ate it, then threw the yogurt container back on the platter.

"Done. Happy now?" I said, shoving the platter away. Lucas huffed, rolled his eyes, and gently took the platter in his teeth. He bolted out the door and reappeared a minute later.

He came over and curled his big furry body around me. As much as I wanted to stay awake, the feel of his fur and the steady beating of his heart gently lulled me to sleep.

But I could still feel him nuzzle my stomach affectionately, even as I slept.