Chapter 21: 19


    It had been four weeks since Aurora started her research into opening her own business. Aurora was


    determined to make this idea a reality. She had beene obsessive about it. Aurora had always been


    on her own and self-reliant. She did whatever it took to make some money just to survive the day. Now


    she had a dream. A real job. A way to support herself without having to sell her body. It was important


    for her to make this happen. She was tired of simply surviving. She wanted to build a future for herself.


    She wanted to be an equal contributor in both the pack and in her rtionship with Stanton.


    Aurora had spent every waking hour working on a business n. She had rehearsed a sales pitch and


    everything in the bathroom mirror. She felt ready to approach thendlord of the storefront and


    investors. First, she wanted to test her sales pitch on Gordon. If she could convince him she was worth


    investing in, then he would give her the owner’s contact information and introduce her to some people


    who might be willing to invest in her business.


    She had decided to invite Gordon over for dinner. She would pitch her business n to him after she


    wowed him with her cooking. Men were always more agreeable with a full belly. Stanton had helped


    her clean and prep the meal. When Gordon came by, he was alone. Having left his horrible wife


    behind. Aurora was ok with Melissa not joining them. Both she and Stanton couldn’t stand that woman.


    Aurora had made a big meal. She had been cooking all day. When they all sat down to dinner, it was to


    a mouth-watering melt-in-your-mouth bone-in prime rib roast, garlic and herb mashed potatoes, grilled


    sweet corn, and a fresh homemade caesar sd with a peach cobbler she made from scratch for


    dessert.


    After dinner, they sat in the sitting room, sharing a beer while Aurora made her pitch. She was excited


    and nervous that he might tell her she hadn’t done enough homework. When she was finished, Aurora


    bit her bottom lip as she anxiously awaited his response. Gordon sat silent for a moment. “It’s good,”


    Gordon told her. A wave of relief washed over Aurora. “It’s a very convincing pitch. You have really


    done your homework. The fact that you have already spoken to Lewis about putting a service window


    in between your two businesses to maximize both your businesses and he agreed, shows you have


    initiative. I’m very impressed with the work you have done thus far. I don’t think you will have any


    trouble convincing investors.”


    “You really think so?” Aurora asked excitedly. “So, you will introduce me to investors?”


    “I will. Since this grocery store will be to benefit the pack, I think it is only fitting that the pack invest in


    getting it off the ground. I’ll call a pack meeting in three days. You can make your pitch to the pack all at


    once. Pack members always do whatever they can to support pack members and to improve our happy


    littlemunity. I’m sure you will raise enough start-up money to get it off the ground. I’ll even chip in


    five grand myself.”


    “That’s awesome,” Aurora grinned. “So, can I have the number for the owner of the storefront?”


    “No need,” Gordon grinned. “I own it.”


    Aurora was surprised. “You own it?”


    Gordonughed. “I do. I actually own all the buildings in our littlemunity hub. I bought thend


    back in my twenties. When the pack began to grow, I started developing it. I built it into a gathering spot


    for the pack. Over time those buildings have been in and out of use. I rent the storefronts to pack


    members, like Lewis and his butcher shop, for example,” Aurora was astonished. If he owned the


    whole hub, then he must have been monied. One would never know to look at him that this man had


    that kind of money.


    “Ok, so how much to rent the property?” She asked.


    “I’ll make you a deal. That property goes for $3500 per month, but for you, I will give a special rate of


    $1200 per month for the first two years while you are getting your business up and running. By year


    three, you should be established enough and making enough profit to afford the proper overhead, in


    which case we will increase the rent to $3500. On top of the two years of reduced rent, I will invest


    $5000 into your business to be paid back at the end of twenty-four months at zero interest. I’ll even


    invest my time andbour to help you renovate and get your store ready for opening. How’s that


    sound?”


    “It sounds perfect. I don’t know how to thank you.”


    “Seed,” he said, standing up, getting ready to leave. Aurora and Stanton walked Gordon to the door.


    “I’ll have the rental contract drawn up by the weekend. I’ll also call the pack meeting in the next few


    days, and you will hit the ground running,” Aurora hugged him tight surprising Gordon. He hadn’t been


    expecting a hug. He tensed first, then after a second, he rxed and wrapped his arms around her


    hugging her back. It was a brief fatherly kind of hug, and when it was over, they said goodbye, and


    Gordon left.


    As she closed the door, Aurora turned to see Stanton grinning at her. “Did you know that Gordon


    owned the hub?”


    “Yeah, I did,” he snickered.


    “And you didn’t tell me?”


    “I figured there was a reason he hadn’t told you himself. I didn’t want to ruin what he had been


    nning.”


    “I can’t believe I’m going to own a business. I’m so thrilled. I hope I can pull it off,” she said, walking


    over to him.


    Stanton took her in his arms, holding her close, his chin resting on the top of her head. “You are going


    to do just fine. I have faith in you. Gordon has faith in you. Have faith in yourself.”


    ***


    Two monthster…


    Aurora had secured all the start-up funding she required. When the members of the pack heard she


    was trying to bring a convenient organic grocery store to themunity, everyone was willing to pitch


    in a few bucks. Before she knew it, Aurora had the money secured, and Gordon gave her the keys.


    She now stood in her store, cleaning it up and going through it with Darrell for repairs and construction.


    Since Darrell was both a general contractor and a personal friend, he offered to do the job at cost. All


    she had to pay for where the cost of his supplies and be his onsite helper. Aurora liked the idea of


    learning how to do repairs and renovations herself. She had never had a useful skill before, and she


    was eager to acquire such skills.


    She spent a lot of time with Darrell going to hardware stores. He taught her how to use power tools


    safely, and before long, she was knocking out walls and learning the basics. Stanton woulde by on


    his off hours to lend a hand. She had worked out a deal with Lewis, who owned the butcher shop next


    door to put the service window in between their two shops. He had thought it was a great idea that


    could only increase his business.


    Aurora put as much time as she could into the storefront. They had gotten most of the major repairs


    and construction done, and Darrell had built shelves for the merchandise, which he would bring in and


    set up in the morning. Now Aurora was busy with the cleanup. She got most of the cleaning done, and


    now she was using Darrell’s shop broom to finish cleaning the tile floor they hadid two days ago. She


    paused and tried to stretch out her back. She had been working so hard her body ached. She was stiff


    and sore all over. She was exhausted and sleepy and had been for a few weeks. She spent so much


    time in the shop she barely got any sleep. She often skipped meals, too, which frequently left her


    feeling ill. She was running ragged, but Aurora kept telling herself it would all be worth it when she


    finally opened her doors to the public.


    Once she finished sweeping up this floor, the renovations would officially beplete, and she could


    start ordering products in the morning. As she finished up, Aurora heard the door open and close. She


    swept up the dirt dumping it into therge steel trashcan Darrell had left behind for her clean up. She


    turned to the door and saw Stanford walking in with a bouquet of red roses in one hand and a bottle of


    bubbly in the other with two sses.


    Aurora giggled at the sight. “Darrell told me you guys finished up. In a few weeks, you will be open for


    business,” Stanton said as he ced the flowers and the sses on the counter. “I thought we should


    celebrate,” he said as he popped the cork. Aurora joined him at the counter, unable to keep the smile


    from her face as she watched him pour them each a ss. “Now, this isn’t the expensive stuff. I


    couldn’t afford the Dom Pérignon. I hope this stuff tastes good,” Stanton ced the bottle on the


    counter and picked up both sses offering her one. For a big behemoth, Stanton could be rather


    sweet when he wanted to be.


    They both sipped their champagne, and then Aurora smiled. It was strange where she found herself.


    Six months ago, Aurora was a homeless streetwalker. Now she was a small business owner and


    maintaining a monogamous rtionship with a wonderful man. If it had not been for Stanton, she would


    have likely died young in some disgusting alley in some shithole shitty forgotten and written off by the


    police as just another dead whore. As she stood there staring up at him, Aurora smiled. She loved this


    crazy man.


    He had changed her life significantly. In the past few months, he had even been more confident in their


    rtionship and had stopped worrying about her running off on him. Stanton was actually starting to


    treat her as a partner and not some toy he feared another man would take from him. She wanted to…


    Aurora frowned; an odd feeling came over her. It wasn’t anything she ever recalled feeling before.


    Suddenly Aurora leaned forward and vomited.


    Stanton jumped back to avoid being hit by what she brought up. He looked at his still half-full ss with


    great curiosity. Lifting it to his nose, he smelled it. “I know it’s not a bottle of Dom, but I didn’t think it


    was all that bad.”


    “It’s not the champagne,” she said, looking down to see that she had hit the toe of his right boot. “I’m so


    sorry. I’ve been feeling a little offtely. I think I’ve been working too hard.”


    Stanton looked her over while Aurora gabbed some disposable paper shop towels and got down on her


    hands and knees to clean up the mess she had made.


    “I see,” Stanton said thoughtfully. “We don’t get sick… unless…” Suddenly, he was grinning. Aurora


    finished her clean-up and then stood up, tossing the paper towel into the trash bin.


    Aurora looked at his big grin. He knew something she didn’t. Though she had been a lycanthrope all


    her life, she had only known for six months. She still didn’t know all the details of what she was. She


    still relied on Stanton to exin most things to her. “Unless… what?”


    “I think you are pregnant.”


    “Are you serious?”


    “Yes.”


    There had to be a way to know for sure. “I’m going to have to go to a doctor to confirm it.”


    “No!” Stanton said quickly and sharply. “You can’t go to a human doctor. A couple of tests, and they are


    going to know you aren’t human.”


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    “Then how do I confirm it?”


    “We have a midwife.”


    “Oh, good, who?”


    Stanton frowned. It was as if he did not want to tell her. “You’re not going to like it.”


    She had a bad feeling. “Please tell me the midwife is not Melissa.”


    “It’s Melissa.”


    “Is there another midwife?” Aurora asked, hopefully.


    “I’m afraid not.”


    Aurora sighed. She really didn’t want to deal with that awful woman, but she needed to know


    definitively whether or not she was having a baby. Regrettably, she was going to have to go see


    Melissa.


    ***


    The following morning Stanton took Aurora to Gordon’s house after they knew he would be gone to


    work. When they knocked on the door, they stered fake smiles on their faces trying not to seem like


    they hated the woman they hade to see. Melissa answered the door and gave them both a funny


    look to find them on her doorstep. “What do you two want?” She snarled at them both.


    Nice, Aurora thought, this abusive bitch couldn’t even be civil enough to say hello. “Hello, Melissa,”


    Stanton said.


    Melissa sighed, exasperated by their presence as she rolled her eyes. “Yeah-yeah, hello. Now, what do


    you want?”


    Aurora decided to get to the point. The less time she spent with this woman, the happier Aurora would


    be. “We suspect I might be pregnant and were hoping you could confirm it.”


    “I see. Fifty bucks, cash.”


    Aurora was shocked. “Fifty dors. I could get a home pregnancy test from the pharmacy in town for


    ten.”


    “Then go get one of those… oh yeah, it would not work. So, since I’m the only one, you can turn too…


    fifty bucks… cash.”


    Stanton took out his wallet and offered her three twenty-dor bills. “Can you make change?”


    “No,” Melissa said, snatching the money from his hand. Oh, how Aurora disliked this nasty woman.


    Melissa invited them both in and went to a free-standing pantry cab. She opened the door, and


    Aurora could see that Melissa had all sorts of unusual things in mason jars and a few transparent


    disposable stic cups. She took down a cup and handed it to Aurora, then pointed to the open half


    bath just down the hall. “Go pee in this and bring it back.”


    “Just pee in the cup?” Aurora asked, unsure.


    “Did I stutter?” Aurora snatched the stic cup and headed into the washroom. She did what she was


    told, then she returned and offered it back to Melissa. “Put it on the napkin,” while Aurora was in the


    washroom, Melissa had ced a paper napkin on the counter for her to ce the cup on. Aurora put it


    down and then watched as Melissa took some kind of little round white marble-like object. She did not


    know exactly what it was. Aurora watched as Melissa dropped the marble into the urine, and they


    waited.


    Nothing happened.


    “Is something supposed to happen?” Aurora asked.


    “Wait for it,” Melissa said, never taking her eyes off the cup. All three stared at the marble, and soon


    Aurora was surprised to see the white marble turn purple. Melissa smiled. “Congrattions, you two


    are having a baby.”


    “That’s it? That’s all there is to it? The marble just changes colour?” Aurora asked.


    Melissa red at her. “What do you want it to do, sing and dance?”


    “How does that work?”


    “Same as the human ones do. When pregnant, the female of our species produces a growth hormone.


    This test detects it.”


    “How urate is it?”


    “One hundred percent.”


    Aurora smiled as her hand moved over her belly. She was going to be a mother. She looked over at


    Stanton, who had the biggest grin. “What?” She asked him, suspicious of his great mood.


    “Now, you have to marry me.”


    “No, I don’t,” she said, then she thanked Melissa, and Aurora left the house with Stanton following her.


    “What do you mean, no?” He asked, following her to the SUV. “You are having my baby and living with


    me. What more do I have to do to get you to say yes?”


    Aurora stopped and faced him. “I want to marry you because you love me and not because you think


    you have trapped me.”


    “Trapped you?” He said, offended. Aurora gave him a knowing look. “Ok, yes, I have been maniptive


    in the past, but God damn it, Hummingbird, you know I love you. I can’t picture myself with anyone but


    you. I want to be your mate. Please, Aurora… marry me.”


    Aurora stared at Stanton. She did not want to be with anyone else. She loved him, and she wanted to


    marry him. Maybe she was too hard on him. He had been doing well for months. Aurora sighed, giving


    in. “Ok.”


    Stanton looked shocked. “Was that a yes?”


    “Well, it wasn’t a no.”


    Stanton let out a happy yelp and took Aurora in his arms. He hugged her tight as he spun, swinging


    her. “I win. I finally win.”


    “Win?” Aurora asked, eyeing him as he put her down.


    “Of course. You get me, and I get you. I’m clearly getting the better deal,” he offered her a cheeky grin.


    Auroraughed.


    “Want to go home and fool around Big Daddy?”


    “Oh, God, I love you,” he said, opening the door for her. “I’ll take the backroads. We will get there in


    record time.”