Shield - A New Species Fanfiction (Wild at Heart Chronicles, Book 1)

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Shield peered down over the edge of the bed and sighed, his eyes straying over his mate's abdomen once again. She was positioned on the carpeted floor, her frame elevated belly-up by using the aid of her arms and legs. She wore a sleeping top and the underwear beneath it, which he could clearly see peeking over the edge of the shirt as she stretched her back further.

The lacy material did nothing to conceal her mound from his avid gaze.

Paige had been attempting to teach him a thing she called you-gah, but he'd declined the peculiar human lessons in place of observing his mate pose for him in various tempting positions.

Shield would never admit it aloud, but his favorite was the one she called the Cat.

It was, after all, the perfect position for mounting.

The image of his bulk covering her small form coaxed a soft croon from his throat, for he knew the act would not only bring them pleasure but it could potentially lead to the creation of life if his seed took root inside her womb.

He'd have to mount her many, many times to increase his chances, just to be certain.

His croon grew louder.

Paige scrunched up her nose and glanced at him with narrowed eyes, keeping her position in place. "What's up, big guy? Is your purr thing broken or something? It's getting kind of loud."

Shield closed his eyes and took a calming breath. He massaged his throat to ease the sound, although it did nothing to relieve the ache growing inside him. A yearning so strong, it had consumed his every thought since the moment he laid eyes on the Species offspring that morning.

He wanted one with his Paige.

He wanted to be what the lion cub called Valiant.

A Papa.

Shield wanted to be that to his offspring and more.

Soft, warm hands took hold of his face and Shield's eyes flew open, surprised by the sudden contact. Paige filled his vision, blue eyes clouded with concern as she stared back at him in such close proximity he could count each faint speckle over the bridge of her nose.

"Hey, you're kind of freaking me out. What's wrong? What hurts, big guy?"

"My heart," Shield admitted, deciding it was best she understood what he was feeling inside.

Her eyes widened even further with alarm. "Holy crap, are you serious?!"

Shield nodded.

"Ohmygod, I'm calling Medical!"

Paige pulled her hands from his face and turned in the direction of the kitchenette, where he knew a telephone hung near the ice box filled with food, but before she could reach it Shield snatched her up into his arms and settled her beneath him on the bed.

"Do not call a healer," Shield ground out. "Species are immune to illness."

Paige blinked. "B-but you just said your heart hurt. As in, you could keel over and die if I don't get someone to check you out."

Shield growled again, frustrated. "The pain I feel is not the kind to be treated with a pill or a needle—" He took her hand and pressed it against his naked chest, over his beating heart. "I never imagined our kind would be capable of breeding successfully. Mercile attempted for years to replicate what I am, but they declared each experiment a failure and predicted I would die out along with the rest of the test subjects. But, this morning...for the first time, I understood the meaning of that word you spoke of before—family." Another croon filled the space between them, as he trailed his hand from her chest to rest over her stomach. "My heart aches to see you here swollen with our cub, little warrior, and begin a family of our own."