Page 29 of A Swan for Christmas

Chapter Ten

Kellan rubbed his hard abdomen, the sensation that he’d swallowed a bowling ball getting worse over the past twenty-four hours. It had been almost a week since Vic had sought out Rosemary’s help. Surely that bird guy should have come here by now?

He considered the glass of beet and spinach juice he’d poured from the batch he’d pressed earlier and wrinkled his nose. Even though his stomach rumbled with hunger, he didn’t think he had enough room in his tummy for even one drop. He set the glass in the refrigerator in case he wanted it later. If something didn’t change soon, he’d faint from starvation.

Kellan pulled Vic’s flannel robe more tightly around him. The scent of his mate was a comfort. Not being able to work by Vic’s side everyday the way he’d been doing almost since he’d arrived in Vale Valley had left him so melancholy. But ever since that day when he’d become crazed with the need to build his nest, he hadn’t wanted to be far from it and Vic had supported him in that decision. Vic had said it would ease his mind to know that Kellan was safe in the house and near his nest.

He smiled to himself as he made his way into the bedroom to curl up in the blankets and take a nap. Vic had been so right about the pillows and softer blankets. The nest had turned out perfect.

Right as Kellan was about to climb onto the bed, he froze, his senses on alert. His body tensed and white-hot anger surged through him. Someone was near.

Near my nest. Not my mate. Stranger!

Kellan hissed and snarled as he raced toward the front door, his only thoughts ones of murder. He’d claw and tear and bite at anyone who entered, anyone who dared to invade his home, to jeopardize his nest.

The door opened and he let out a high-pitched shriek, flapping his arms as he hopped from the couch to the chair to the coffee table then back to the couch. He screeched again, his throat raw from his howling as a strange man entered the room. Before he could register that Vic stood beside the stranger, he’d hurled himself at the unknown man and was snapping his teeth and clawing at his face.

He was yanked back by his waist, the man covering his face with his arms as Kellan hissed and struggled within the hold ofs whoever had pulled him away.

“Sweetheart, stop! It’s me, calm down, everything’s okay. No one’s going to touch your nest, I promise.”

Kellan gulped in huge mouthfuls of air, his heart thundering as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

Vic. Vic’s here.

He blinked repeatedly as he gradually returned to awareness. His swan remained on high alert, ready to attack at the merest hint of a threat, but the adrenaline spike was already beginning to wear off.

“Vic? What’s going on?”

Kellan turned in Vic’s embrace, nuzzling his neck, breathing in his mate. Vic rubbed his back and after a few minutes, he relaxed in his hold. He peered over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes at the strange man who was dabbing at his cheek with a tissue. The man appeared to be in his fifties, with salt and pepper hair and a slash of red against his pale cheek where Kellan had gotten in a good strike. Kellan considered apologizing, but first, he’d wait and see who the man was and why he was invading his territory.

“Well,” the man said with a final dab at his cheek. “I’d say he’s ready to lay any time now.”

Kellan turned back to Vic and frowned. “Who’s he?”

“He’s Dr. Arthur, the avian fertility specialist.” Vic chuckled. “That was quite impressive.”

Oh no. Kellan’s cheeks filled with heat. Just the person he wanted to see, and he’d gone and attacked him. An apology was definitely needed. He turned back around and regarded Dr. Arthur.

“I’m so sorry, Dr. Arthur. When I think someone is going to hurt the nest, I lose control like that.”

Dr. Arthur made a shooing gesture with his hand. “Think nothing of it. I was originally an ornithologist for years. Then I was turned by my mate, an eagle shifter. Trust me, I know all about nest protection behavior.”

Kellan let out a relieved sigh. He was afraid he might have made Dr. Arthur so angry, he wouldn’t agree to help them.

Vic cleared his throat. “Dr. Arthur? Won’t you join us in the living room?”

Once they’d all gotten settled, with Kellan pressed to Vic’s side on the couch and Dr. Arthur on the matching side chair perpendicular to them, he leaned forward with his hands clasped, offering Kellan a smile.

“Vic tells me you haven’t shifted since early November and you had your first heat soon after, correct?”

He nodded. “That’s right.”

Dr. Arthur continued to verify different bits of information, including some embarrassing revelations regarding his and Vic’s sexual activity. He jotted each revelation down in a tiny notebook he’d pulled from his jacket pocket.

“One last question, Kellan. Would it be all right with you if I felt your abdomen? I’d also like to listen to it with my stethoscope.”

A rumbling growl came from deep within Vic’s chest. Kellan glanced up at him in question. After all, it was Vic who had sought Dr. Arthur’s help.