The Shadow Wolf

by G. Bailey

  “We can agree to disagree on that one. Diana would be destroyed if Bethany is killed,” he retorts. “So would I. No father wants to see their firstborn child killed. Or any of their children.”

  “So will Anastasia, but she knows there is a price to pay to do the right thing,” I remind him. “Even if it hurts.”

  “Help me prepare my people...no, our people, for what is coming next,” he asks me, offering his hand to shake one more time. “And let’s protect our family.”

  When I shake his hand, it’s not a mark of trust, but an understanding that we both want the same thing right at this moment. We want our family safe, and there is nothing we wouldn’t do for that outcome.

  Chapter 12

  Mason

  Loving one woman is an honour.

  “Is Skye still here?” I ask Ana as I walk into the living room where Ana is alone on the sofa, reading a book on her Kindle. She looks over her shoulder with a soft smile just for me, and the light pouring in from the windows shines down on her blonde hair, making her look like an angel. I can’t help but smile as I drop my keys onto the counter nearby.

  “Nope, she ditched me for syrup smothered pancakes at mum and dad’s with Phoebe,” she tells me, but I can tell she isn’t really pissed. Possibly highly amused.

  “I wouldn’t ditch you for pancakes,” I tease as I sit next to her on the sofa, picking her foot up onto my lap and peeling off her fluffy socks. I start rubbing her feet, loving how she sighs and sinks into the sofa further. Dressed in only leggings and an oversized light blue tee shirt, she looks stunning. I love how she isn’t one of those girls who needs to wear excessive makeup or fancy clothes to look beautiful. “How was your day with her?”

  “We spent a good amount of time searching the city for new shops for some new shoes. Skye has really small feet for her age,” she explains to me, and I love hearing her talk, enjoying how happy she sounds. This place was never a home I was looking for, but I can tell Ana feels at peace here. It’s funny how a place can sneak up on you, becoming the home you never knew you were looking for all the time. “Once we found some shoes, we got brownies and some other shopping before coming back. Mum and dad were waiting for us here.”

  “More brownies, huh?” I tease, leaving her foot and crawling over her on the sofa. She giggles and wraps her legs around me as I come face to face with her.

  Her arms wrap around my neck in a loving embrace. “Wanna see if I still taste like them?”

  I laugh before I kiss her, and everything turns from amused to fucking hot in seconds. Her small body presses against mine as I do taste the dark chocolate on her lips and everything about Anastasia. I push her top up with my hands, running my hands over her lacy bra and feeling her hard nipples. Ana never needs to do much to turn me on. One touch. One look. One word.

  It’s always been that way.

  My life, heart and body have always belonged to Anastasia Noble.

  I pick her up and keep her close to me as I carry her to the bedroom, never once breaking our kiss. I swallow her sweet moans like they are my own to keep. And in every way, they are in this moment. Laying her down on the bed, I lean back and pull my shirt off.

  The way she looks up at me...fuck. There is nothing sexier in this entire goddamn world.

  I grin and lean down, pressing my lips to her smooth skin on her stomach, knowing my child is in there. I don’t give a fuck if the baby isn’t my biological child; blood has never made family to me. Family is who you are there for when the world is burning around them.

  And I choose Anastasia Noble and our baby.

  Pulling her leggings and panties down, she helps me kick them off her feet and unclips her bra at the same time. As she pulls it off, lying under me completely naked, I feel like I can’t breathe unless I’m inside her soon. I kiss her harshly, rubbing my hard cock against her thigh as I sink one of my hands into her soft hair and the other between her legs. Pushing my finger into her, I find her soaking wet for me right away, and I use my thumb to slowly rub her clit, loving how she reacts to me, how she tightens around my finger when she is close. I pull my hand away and grab her thigh, sinking deep inside her and groaning from how hot and tight she feels. Holy fuck. Her sweet moans fill my ears as I thrust in and out of her, barely able to control myself with how she feels. Her tongue slips into my mouth, taking me completely into her, not holding any part of her back from me.

  And gods do I love her more for everything she gives me.

  I’m one lucky son of a bitch.

  I feel her come, tightening around me, and I can’t hold on any longer. I sink as deep as I can into her with a thrust, coming hard and long, and nearly blacking out from the pleasure. I breathlessly fall to her side, pulling her onto my chest and covering us with a nearby blanket.

  “I love you, Mason,” she whispers, and I kiss her forehead, smiling to myself.

  “I will love you forever, Ana,” I tell her, speaking directly from my heart.

  Not long after, she falls asleep, and I gently leave her on a pillow, tucking her in with a thicker blanket. I clean up in the bathroom and get changed into some loose joggers and a tee shirt before going to the kitchen. By looking in the fridge, I would take a guess that Liam is cooking honey and mustard chicken, so I help him by cutting up the vegetables and peeling the potatoes. Liam comes through the door not much later, searching the room for Ana no doubt.

  “Ana is napping,” I tell him when he spots me and places his keys on the side.

  Pulling his boots off, he looks up at me. “How is she today?”

  “Tired, I think,” I say. “But happy. We should talk to her about staying on the island for good when this is all over.”

  “You like it here too then?” Liam questions as he places his boots by the door and comes over to the fridge. He gets the chicken out, and I hand him a sharp knife as he places them on the chopping board.

  “Yeah. It’s got the forest, the sea, the city where the laws are good and firm. Crime is low and not tolerated, and they clearly protect their own. Really it is just an upgraded version of the homes we have always been in,” I reply.

  “The community feel to this place would be good for our baby and Ana. I don’t feel like she is in danger here,” he replies as he cuts the chicken into strips. With so many of us eating here tonight, we need quite a bit. “And I think it’s good for her to see her mum and dad. I was talking with my mum, and she said she would have left me under the same circumstances. Maybe their choice is something we can understand when we are parents.”

  “I think I understand it now. There isn’t anything, including leaving, that I wouldn’t do for Ana and the baby,” I tell him. “I’m glad Alex has his head sorted now. I couldn’t stand seeing her in any pain.”

  “He will be a good dad,” Liam concludes with a small smile. I grin at my friend, a man who is a brother to me in every way except blood, and I don’t have to say it out loud. Liam will be a good dad, and I will make sure I am too.

  Chapter 13

  Anastasia

  Cakes and birthday parties.

  “Like this?” I ask, mixing the flour into the batter in an eight shape like Dorothy has shown me. She smiles and nods before going back to frosting the cupcakes we made earlier today. Once the cake is in the oven, everything is ready for Liam’s birthday party tonight. He is out at work with my dad, who has him overseeing the new buildings being made on the far left side of the city. He really seems to enjoy the work from how he talks so much about the buildings, and I don’t really understand a word he goes on about, but it’s cute. I smooth down my yellow pixie dress that falls to my knees, and Dorothy surprises me by placing her hand on my stomach for just a second.

  “I’m excited to meet this little one. A grandchild is an honour, and thank you for giving it to me,” she softly tells me, placing her hand on my shoulder. “And for making my son so extremely happy and giving them all a home. I used to joke that they were like the Lost Boys from Peter Pan, and then
they went off, finding a woman who looks just like Tinker Bell, didn’t they?”

  I chuckle. “I never thought they were looking. I was more dropped on them.”

  “No, they were looking, dear,” she tells me. “They just didn’t know it.”

  “Do you think Liam will like everything?” I ask after placing the last layer of cake into the oven. We had made two, but one didn’t come out well, and Dorothy suggested we just make one more and use the other one to make cake pops covered in melted chocolate. This woman is so smart.

  I look around our living room, which Dorothy, Skye and Phoebe helped me decorate with banners and balloons. A big pile of presents is on the coffee table in the corner, including a small handmade box from me. I covered it with the shiny stones Silver gives him, and miraculously he hasn’t noticed. I made sure to show Silver, and she dropped three shells in front of me one day last week. They were just the right size for me to finish the box off. I hope he likes it.

  It’s an hour until Alex and Mason come home, and I shoot into the showers to clean up before Liam gets here. My parents, Skye, Phoebe, Estelle, Raine and her boyfriends and the twins turn up not long after, along with a few people from the village who he was close to, and we all wait for Liam. Dead on six o’ clock, he walks through the door, and we all shout surprise.

  “Whoa, you didn’t have to do this for me,” he says, walking right to me and kissing me on the lips.

  “It’s your birthday, of course we did,” I answer.

  “And Ana wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Alex tells him, patting his shoulder. “Happy birthday, brother.”

  “You’re looking old,” Mason teases, and Liam punches his arm gently. “But there is cake!”

  Dorothy soon steals Liam away as someone puts light music on, and the room is full of people talking. Estelle stops near me, handing me a small glass of orange juice as she sips on some wine.

  “Must be hard not to drink when everyone else is. How are you feeling?” she asks me.

  “Tired but good overall,” I tell her. “Thank you for the drink. How are you?”

  She seems to think on it for a moment. “It’s been hard to adjust to a new life, a new hospital with so many doctors, but they are so kind to me. I’m going to try and work in the maternity section as they have so many births here and so many children. It is quite amazing.”

  “The island is amazing. Somehow it’s always warm and sunny, even when it rains, it’s not too bad,” I remind her. “I think the island itself has some kind of magic, because no way should Scotland be like his.”

  “Agreed, but I’m not complaining. I get to go to the beach every day,” she laughs, and I join her.

  “When I’ve had the baby, maybe I can join you at the hospital a few days a week? I don’t want to stop learning to help people and become a nurse,” I ask her. She places her hand on my arm. “You are always welcome at my side. I’m very proud of you.”

  “That means a lot,” I softly reply. “I see you as a dear friend to me.”

  “We don’t choose who is considered to be family. That’s the rule, right?” she says. “But if I could choose, I would pick you.”

  “You’re going to make me cry,” I say with a laugh, hugging her tightly before letting go.

  “What’s going to make you cry?” Liam asks, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and resting his palms on my stomach.

  “Never you mind, young boy,” Estelle tells him, winking at me before heading off to talk to someone else. I lean back on Liam’s chest, listening to the sound of our family enjoying their lives. We have peace…but it’s always there. She is always somewhere, waiting to crash it all, and at times like this, all I can do is enjoy the moment.

  “I love you,” Liam whispers to me.

  I turn my head and kiss one of the men I love so much. I’m not alone, and I never will be again.

  Chapter 14

  Anastasia

  The baby effect.

  Pulling down my top, it just springs back up as my baby bump resists it. I sigh, stripping off the last of my favourite tops and heading to the chest of drawers in our bedroom that is full of the maternity clothes I have avoided. I find a cute purple top with lace on the arms and chest, pulling that on, and it fits lovely. I turn to the side, admiring the cute baby bump I have now. I’m five months along, and every scan shows our baby is growing super well. We have decided not to know the sex of the baby and let it be a surprise for us all.

  Though that hasn’t stopped the guys. Between their new jobs working for my dad and shopping for me and the baby, the once empty and impersonal hut is now filled with our things. Everything from the deep blue bed sheets on the large bed to the white rug on the floor. The chest of drawers has a row of shells on top from Silver, and Mason’s guitar he sometimes plays rests on the wall. I smile to myself as my baby kicks a few times.

  “Mum’s here!” Phoebe shouts to me, and I pull on my favourite black cardigan and Skechers shoes before heading out into the living room. Phoebe is sliding on her thin coat with mum’s help as she spots me and smiles widely. Dressed in purple, her favourite colour, she briefly reminds me of Bethany and Courtney and the whole world of the houses we left behind when we escaped. I wonder, not for the first time, what Bethany is up to, why she is so silent.

  “You are glowing. How are you today?” she asks me as I head over to her. Every Friday is family time with our parents. Sometimes it is one of them, other times both, but I am growing to know them more. Kinda. It’s hard to get past the feeling that they might just disappear once again.

  Either way, I love Fridays because it means the weekend is nearly here, and I get to spend Saturday and Sunday with my guys alone. Skye and Phoebe stay at my parents’ on the weekend, and Dorothy goes to spend time with Estelle in her new city apartment to give us space.

  “A little tired if I’m being honest. The baby loves to kick my bladder at least five times a night,” I say with a light chuckle, making them both laugh.

  “Well, it’s such a lovely day, how about a picnic on the beach?” she suggests with an open smile. It’s so easy to love her, as if no time has passed and they never left at all. Phoebe seems to feel the same way, and I know it’s only a matter of time before she will want to live with them. I know it’s not me holding her back, it’s Skye, who she feels is like a sister to her.

  “I love that idea. I can pack some food and drinks for us. Do you two want to go ahead?” I suggest. Phoebe grins and takes mum’s hand, dragging her out the door. I shake my head and go to the kitchen. I start by making some sandwiches and snacks, then adding some drinks to the bag I have before leaving the hut. I search the beach for them and find them both sitting not too far away, and they aren’t alone. Raine and Estelle are with them, and the twins are crawling across the sand. My heart warms as I look at them all, but soon I realise I wish Bethany was here to complete this story.

  The Bethany before she destroyed so much of us.

  Thankfully, she seems to have gone quiet, no doubt making her plans or searching for us. I don’t think she could find us, but there is always a chance. I just hope she doesn’t. I hope I never have to face her as I have in my many dreams. Taking a deep breath, I tuck my hair behind my ears and walk down the deck to the beach. I slip my shoes off, sinking my feet into the sand, and walk to my family.

  “I can’t wait to go. What usually happens?” Raine asks my mum, who is watching me come over. I place the bag down in front of her and have a seat. “Hey, bestie. Looking radiant today.”

  “Do I really look different than usual today?” I question.

  “Not really. You are always beautiful,” mum says, making me blush. “But I was just talking to Raine and Estelle about the beach party tonight. It’s a yearly tradition to celebrate the birthday of the familiar race. Are you coming?”

  “And more importantly, what are you wearing?” Raine asks with overexcited eyes. “Oh, and Estelle here has a date!”

  “A date?�
� I ask Estelle with wide eyes. She blushes the same colour as her light pink dress. I haven’t seen too much of Estelle in the last few months, but I especially haven’t seen too much of her since she joined the doctors at the hospital here. I fully intend to train as a nurse with her after I have the baby. I could still be everything I want to be with a baby, and Estelle reminds me of that. “Who is it?”

  “A man of course.” She rolls her eyes, and I laugh. “But I don’t know, I haven’t decided if we are going. He is a doctor, like me, and might not be okay with taking the time off.”

  I have a funny feeling he might do. Estelle is a wonderful woman.

  “Oh, you have to!” Raine protests. Right then, a bird calls out above, and I look up to see Raine’s familiar, a phoenix, fly over us.

  “It would be lovely to have you there for your first celebration. I know Skye and Phoebe are so excited,” mum says, blinking her big puppy dog eyes at me.

  “Fine, fine,” I mumble. “Liam and Mason have asked to go, and Alex just said there was homemade cider there, so he wants to go. I just don’t have anything to wear.”

  “Not a problem,” Raine grins, standing up. “Estelle, can you take the twins back to the cabin for their naps? Their dads will be home in an hour.”

  “It will be my pleasure,” Estelle replies with a big grin.

  “And I will help,” mum suggests. Raine hooks her arm in mine, dragging me off the beach and into her car.

  I sigh. “I’m not going to be able to escape until we find an outfit, am I?”

  “Oh babe, you’re wearing a dress. With that bump, I can make you so cute your guys will want to eat you,” Raine chuckles. “Hopefully literally. You look stressed.”

  “Raine!” I gasp, hitting her gently on the arm. She laughs like a crazy woman as she drives us into the city. “And for your information, sex is not the problem. It’s—”