Free The Spirits of Christmas by Sarah Wynde

The Spirits of Christmas
     “It’s so bizarre,” Akira said thoughtfully, staring up at
the motionless ceiling fan.
    “Is the baby moving?” Zane asked, sliding a hand along the
slight curve of her belly. He hadn’t been able to feel a kick yet, but that
didn’t stop him from trying.
    “No, not that.” Akira tilted her head sideways, letting it
come to rest against his shoulder, feeling content with her position despite her
mild exasperation at her body’s demands.
    “Bizarre,” Zane repeated. “Would that be the miracle of life
growing inside you?”
    “A natural process that women have been managing for
thousands of years.” Her voice was dry. Of course, it was a little strange that
she knew she’d met her baby’s previous incarnation—she imagined that not too
many women throughout history could claim the same. But no, that wasn’t what
she’d been thinking about.
    “What then?” Zane stroked up, long fingers reaching the
underside of her breast and lightly tracing a pattern along her skin.
    “How much I want red meat.” Not just red meat. Steak.
Gorgeous steak. Red in the middle, seared dark on the outside. Mmm, with salt.
Luscious salt, bursting with flavor on her tongue. Or maybe a hamburger, juicy
and rich, dripping with . . . ick. Fat and blood. That’s what hamburgers
dripped with. But even knowing that didn’t change the way her mouth watered at
the thought.
    Zane chuckled.
    “It doesn’t make sense,” Akira protested.
    “Sure it does. The baby needs some protein.”
    “I ate a pound of edamame last night. A whole pound. That’s
about five times the amount of protein the average person needs.”
    Zane’s hand stilled. “I read something . . .” He pulled
away, Akira’s head dropping to the pillow as he got out of the bed and crossed
to the dresser on the other side of the room.
    “Hey!” she complained. She’d been comfortable. And his
clever hands had been starting to stir up something a little more interesting
than hunger for steak.
    He looked back over his shoulder and grinned at her. “Coming
right back,” he promised. He grabbed his smartphone and started tapping. 
“Soy,” he reported, “contains phytic acid.”
    Akira raised her eyebrows. “And?” She’d never even heard of
phytic acid. Why had Zane?
    “It blocks the absorption of minerals.” He joined her on the
bed again, lying down and putting a proprietary arm over her body.
    “Minerals such as?”
    “Calcium, magnesium, and iron,” he said cheerfully. “Also
zinc and mercury, if they matter.”
    “Let me see that.” Akira held out a hand for his phone and
he passed it to her, a small smile playing around his lips.
    She read the information on the website he’d found,
scowling. “Damn it. All right, maybe I’m craving meat because I need iron.
Fine, I’ll eat broccoli.” She couldn’t suppress a shudder at the thought.
Broccoli. She loved broccoli. But not for the past few months. Just the thought
of it brought a nasty taste into her mouth.
    Zane leaned down. “Good job, Henry,” he whispered to her
abdomen. “You and me, bud? We’re gonna be friends.”
    Akira groaned. What was a semi-vegetarian doing getting
involved with a confirmed meat-and-potatoes man? Worse, having his baby?
    Zane grinned. “How about I pick up a couple filets? Fire up
the grill? We can have steak and baked potatoes for dinner tonight.”
    “Steak and salad,” she answered grumpily.
    “Baked potatoes. With butter. Maybe some sour cream.”
    Akira closed her eyes. Why did that sound so good? What was
Henry doing to her? Having her body taken over by a sentient creature with his
own tastes and desires was not what she had expected from pregnancy. Was it
like this for every new mother?
    “Knock, knock!” The cheery voice from the other side of the
bedroom door stopped Akira’s response to Zane before she could make it. She
called out, “What is it, Rose?”
    “I’m sorry to interrupt, but . . .” Rose paused