Children of the Moon: Book Three

by Yvonne Robertson

  She heard Liam stir inside the cabin. She would wait until he had gone up to the Den for his morning meeting before she went down to the clinic. She knew he would insist on coming with her if he knew where she was going. She was only a few days late but she was hoping the fates would be kind to her and Rafe would tell her she was already pregnant.

  She heard the shower running and went into the kitchen to mix up the batter for waffles. She filled the grill pan with bacon and scrambled some eggs. Waffles were a favorite with Liam and like all shifters, he could pack it away.

  His hair was wet and he came toward her and pulled her to him for a kiss and she breathed in his delicious scent as he wrapped his arms around her and his lips were demanding. She struggled to remember now before they were a couple, he was her other half, her person. She pulled away from him before they ended up naked on the kitchen floor and breakfast would be ruined.

  “Sit,” she ordered and his mouth curved into a smile and his eyes twinkled with mischief.

  “I love it when you are bossy.”

  “Eat.” she put a stack of waffles in front of him and he picked up his fork and tucked in.

  “What time do you need to be at the Den,” she asked casually.

  “I’m not. I told Seann we had an appointment at the clinic.”

  She opened her mouth to speak and closed it again. She should have known he would already have guessed what she was planning.

  “I already told you, we are in this together, babe. We don’t do things on our own any more Kandis, I want to be there every time you need to see a doctor.”

  He was calm, but she knew he was a little pissed too underneath and trying to hide it.

  She nodded and ate her breakfast. Fuck, he was pedantic.

  There was no point in trying to shake him off now but she didn’t want him making a big deal out of this and if she was pregnant, she would have liked to announce it by planning something sweet and romantic.

  “I’ll clear up while you get ready,” he smacked her playfully on the ass as she passed him.

  She showered quickly and dressed in her usual uniform of shorts and a t-shirt. She braided her long hair and put on just a little mascara and lip-gloss. She would have loved a run through the woods this morning, but maybe they could do it later, after the clinic.

  The kitchen was clean and Liam was sitting on the porch swing waiting for her.

  “We are a little early,” she said.

  “I saw Hope’s car going in that direction about ten minutes ago, they are probably already there and if we walk slowly it will take us fifteen minutes to get there.”

  He took her hand in his and squeezed it as they crossed the road and headed in the direction of Rafe’s new clinic.

  Kandis was amazed at how much they had done in here already. The inside of the cabin was welcoming and painted in pale blue, rather than the stark white favored by medical clinics the world over. Hope was sitting at a desk in the corner organizing files and she looked up and smiled as they went inside. The clinical smell of antiseptic hung in the air and she guessed it smelled the same as any other doctor’s office but she was guessing as shifters rarely went to a human doctor, it was too risky. Pack’s usually had nurses and midwives who could deliver babies and treat any injuries they sustained and illness was rare as their anatomy was designed to self-heal. Serious injuries could however be a problem.

  “Rafe will be with you in a moment. Do you want some coffee or a cold drink?” she said with a smile and Kandis remembered a time when the petite nurse couldn’t stand to be in the same room with her. She knew none of that was Hope’s fault, her sister Bree hadn’t been in the Kandis Scott fan club either, but she had hidden it a little better.

  “No thanks.” Kandis smiled back just as the door behind Hope opened and Rafe stuck his head out.

  “Come on in,” he shook Liam’s hand and ushered them both into the room.

  Her stomach was in knots as they sat down on the opposite side of the desk from the doctor but Liam's hand in hers reminded her that he was there. He would always be there, he was her rock.

  Rafe’s eyes met hers and she knew before he spoke that it wasn't the news she had been hoping to hear.

  “I’m not pregnant, am I?”

  He shook his head and she saw compassion in his warm brown eyes.

  “No, Kandis, you’re not, I’m sorry.”

  He leaned back in his chair and appraised them.

  “Kandis, you are healthy and fitter than most, but the tests we carried out show that you rarely ovulate which would make getting pregnant very difficult indeed.”

  “But not impossible?”

  “Not impossible, but unlikely. If you were human, there are drugs that I could give you that would cause your body to release more of the follicle-stimulating hormone that could help you produce eggs but they haven't been terribly successful in shifters but it has resulted in pregnancy in some rare cases. I am willing to give this a try if you are. I can also give you an ovulation kit so that you know when the best chance of conception would be and I want to do an ultrasound to make sure everything is okay before we go any further. I truly wish I had better news, Kandis, I am so sorry.”

  She nodded willing to try anything and Rafe wrote a prescription and gave it to her with a list of instructions on what she needed to do next. It had never occurred to her that she may have a problem getting pregnant, everyone around her seemed to be having babies without difficulty.

  She felt numb as she stood up to leave, the tears smarting in her eyes and Liam put his arm around her and said goodbye to Rafe.

  Hope wasn’t at her desk and Kandis was grateful for small mercies. Another sympathetic look and she wouldn’t be able to hold back the tears.

  As they closed the clinic door behind them Liam turned her to face him.

  “Everything will be okay babe, I promise you.”

  The dam burst and the tears she had been holding in check came flooding out and her heart was breaking. She wanted a baby so much and now it looked like it was never going to happen for them.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  Liam

  He was struggling to keep his mind on what Garrett was saying and when Seann snapped his fingers in front of his face for the second time, he knew he needed to tell them what was going on with him and Kandis, while it was just the three of them. She was acting as if everything was sunny and bright but he heard her cry in the middle of the night and it was like a dagger to his heart. He felt helpless.

  They listened silently as he told them about their visit to Rafe more than a week ago now and Kandis’s withdrawal ever since. Seann leaned over and clapped him hard on the back when he was finished talking.

  “I’m sorry, buddy.”

  Liam nodded. These two were his closest friends but he was hurting for his mate and would rather be holding her right now than sitting here.

  “Kandis is building a wall because she thinks she is protecting you. Her pain is more about not being able to give you a child than it is about her own pain and sense of loss.”

  The three of them turned toward the voice to see India standing in the doorway, her hands clutched on her huge stomach.

  Garrett jumped up and went to her side and Seann rolled his eyes.

  “Don’t you ever knock?

  She grinned, not at all intimidated by her bear of a brother-in-law.

  “I needed Garrett, I think I’m in labor. I wasn’t eavesdropping but I heard just the same.”

  She gasped and bent over as another pain hit her and Garrett scooped her up and carried her through to the living room and put her on the sofa.

  “Imogen!” Seann yelled.

  “I saw her taking the baby for a walk,” Liam said.

  “Liam, can you ask Kandis to come too?” India ground out as the pain abated for now.

  He sent her a message knowing she would want to be here for India but it would be bittersweet for her too.

  “Do you want to go home,
Indi?”

  “I think it’s too late, Garrett.” she cried as another wave washed over her.

  “Take her to one of the guest rooms,” Seann said.

  “Can someone call Rafe?” Garrett said as he swung her up into his arms and carried her through the hallway to the bedroom India had used when she first came here.

  They gave them some privacy to get India undressed and Roisin arrived with Jay and Anjelica. Jay had just got back from his visit to Austin and he would be anxious to fill them in on any progress. She went into the kitchen and pulled supplies from the refrigerator to feed them as they waited around on the new arrival making an appearance.

  Liam saw Kandis running toward the Den and went outside to meet her.

  “India asked for you, babe, but I know she would understand if it is too painful for you to be in there with her.”

  “It won’t. I would never want to deny my friends their own joy just because it’s not happening for us, Liam. I can’t wait to meet India and Garrett’s baby. I am happy for them.”

  He put his hand on her back as they went inside and Kandis went to see India.

  “Kandis!” she grimaced as another pain hit her and Kandis sat on the opposite side of the bed from Garrett who looked like he was going to throw up.

  “Buckle up buttercup!” Kandis teased him and was rewarded with a pillow thrown at her face. Her super-fast responses picked it out of the air and tossed it into the corner of the room.

  “Not fast enough.” she grinned.

  “Imogen is back, India. I will go out and let her come in and see you before Rafe throws all of us out. We will all be here waiting.”

  She squeezed India’s hand and surprised everyone, including herself when she leaned down and kissed India’s cheek.

  “Kandis, tell Jay I want to see him before Rafe gets here, send him in even if Imogen is in here with me.” India said.

  Kandis nodded and went back to the living room.

  Imogen was talking off the baby’s coat and she kissed her on the head and handed her to Kandis as she hurried through to see her sister.

  “Jay, India wanted to see you before Rafe gets here.”

  The police chief raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment as he disappeared down the corridor, curious as to why India would want to see him in particular.

  Liam helped himself to coffee and pastries from the tray Roisin had brought in but Kandis shook her head and took water instead. Hot coffee and a baby didn’t go hand in hand.

  She sat on the sofa with Everly on her lap facing her and the baby giggled as she bounced her up and down. Shifter babies were more alert and she was already sitting without support.

  Kandis watched her chew on the end of her teething ring as she took in everything around her and thought how adorable she was. She was going to be stunning when she grew up. She chuckled as she thought about Everly growing up and her dates having to face down Seann Donovan when they came to pick her up.

  Rafe and Hope arrived and went to India’s room and Jay Donovan came back to join them. Kandis wondered at the long look he gave her as he sat down opposite her on the other sofa.

  “Can I hold Everly?” Anjelica interrupted her thoughts and Kandis smiled as she handed the baby over.

  She stood up and helped herself to a coffee and some of Imogen’s homemade cookies and went outside to sit on the front porch. Liam and Seann joined them with Jay and he filled them in quickly on what he had learned.

  “Carla’s ex is a wolf called Cam Evans. We met him and his mate, Elena and I detected nothing but truth from him when he said he knew nothing about what Carla had been up to. He said he was sorry he had hurt her but that they were casually dating when he met his mate and we all know the power of that connection. He regrets hurting her feelings but he says she is just butt hurt that someone replaced her, nothing more.” he stopped to take a sip of his coffee.

  “He is, however, furious that she was plotting to have Elena killed and wants her out of the picture in case she tries again. As far as we can gather, the wolf who was plotting with her is called Rob something or other, no-one really knew him but I have a contact for his brother who has been looking for him too, said he stole a lot of money from their mother and suspects he may have had something to do with the death of their father. The brother is coming here sometime in the next few days and has promised to help us track him down. Cam didn’t know the brother’s name but says we won’t mistake him as he sounds like English aristocracy.” he grinned.

  Kandis rolled her eyes, great, another asshole, pampered rich kid!

  “Good job, Jay.” Seann told his uncle, “Can you let Kaleb know what you have found out, keep him in the loop.”

  “Will do. I will call him now, I have a few other calls to make too, holler if you need me.”

  Kandis leaned back on Liam as she mulled over what this Rob person had against the pack. He obviously bore a grudge or he had heard about the white wolf’s ‘Mystical’ powers. But then why not kidnap Imogen, why the baby. It didn’t make any real sense as there was no guarantee that Everly would also be a white wolf in fact according to old Seth there was only a one in ten chance that she would be and it would be at least sixteen years before that would manifest.

  “He’s not a wolf!” Kandis sat up straight. “At least he doesn’t live with a pack, he wasn’t raised that way or he would know that there is only a 10% chance that Everly is like Imogen and all wolves know that the first change is not until a pup is sixteen or seventeen years old. Was he planning on keeping her for that long? It’s not about the money or he would have called it in, there’s more to this than meets the eye.”

  “I agree.” Seann said “I guess we will find out more when the brother arrives. How do we know we can trust him if his brother is rotten to the core?”

  “You know the answer to that, look how different Garrett and Cillian are. I would trust Garrett with my life, Cillian, not so much.” Liam said.

  “Well I hope he gets here soon, it would be nice for things to get back to normal around here.” Seann grunted but his face softened when Imogen came out onto the porch and he pulled her against him and planted a kiss on her forehead.

  “How is India?”

  “Doing great, almost there, but Garrett is a basket case.” she laughed. “I need to get back in there, Rafe reckons the baby will be here within the hour.”

  She disappeared back into the house and Seann’s eyes followed her. Kandis smirked. He was such a badass grouch until it came to Imogen, she was definitely his Achilles heel and as a pack enforcer she had to consider how that could put the pack in danger.

  She sighed and Liam frowned.

  “I guess we need to wait and see what Lord Snooty has to say when he gets here.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  Kandis

  Ethan Garrett Adair came into the world with a shock of dark blonde hair and a set of healthy lungs and his parents couldn’t be more delighted.

  Kandis held the day-old baby in her arms and he looked just like India when he fixed his eyes on her. He had some of his father’s features, but those were unquestionably his mother’s eyes. India looked exhausted but she was beaming from ear to ear.

  “You look so happy, Indi.” Imogen smiled.

  “I’m just overjoyed that there is only one of him.” she joked taking her son back from Kandis and snuggling him into her. “Isn’t he amazing, though.”

  “Just precious,” Kandis said as she squeezed India’s hand and slipped out of the room. Liam pulled her by the hand and out through the front door before she started to cry.

  “I’m okay, really I am.” she smiled but her eyes were shining with unshed tears and Liam wanted more than anything to give her the big family she craved. If they were unable to have a kid of their own, he would be breaking his promise to make her happy.

  “Why don’t we take a few days off and go to our new cabin. We can do a little furniture shopping and some planning for the move while we are the
re, babe.” Liam urged her.

  “That would be lovely, but not until tomorrow afternoon at least. Jay called and said there is something we need to get together on, there is someone he wants me to meet and she is coming here tomorrow morning. We could maybe go after that if you want to, we should start the ball rolling at the other end anyway.”

  “It’s a date.” he kissed her. “Who is this woman that wants to meet you?”

  “I don’t know, I didn’t get a chance to ask before he was gone again but it’s probably about the move. If it was about the kidnapping, he would have come to you, not me.”

  “Because I’m the boss.” he teased.

  “Do we really want to go there, Liam McGuire.” she raised her eyebrows and he threw back his head and laughed.

  There were strict rules of authority, a real hierarchy, in the pack, it had to be that way or there would be anarchy. The Donovan pack had watched others over the years disband and wolves join other packs or go off on their own because of a lack of leadership.

  “How about a run instead.”

  She took off running, stripping her clothes off and discarding them as she ran and shifted before he reached her. She wasn’t as strong as Liam but she was just as fast and she had a small head start.

  She ran as fast as she could, her lungs fit to burst. She turned toward their favorite spot by the river and she could hear him behind her, hitting low hanging branches as he darted between the trees. Finally, she pulled up after a few miles and lay panting on the grass as Liam came into the clearing.

  He lay beside her and rubbed his muzzle on hers and she whimpered and rolled over, giving him access to her underbelly in a show of absolute trust. A growl of satisfaction rumbled deep in his belly and Kandis was at peace with the world again.

  She changed back and leaned over to kiss the wolf’s long snout and wrinkled her nose.