Surprised Daddy

by Liam Kingsley

  I glanced up and caught an accusatory look on Trevor's face before he snapped on a sweet smile.

  “You think she's anxious because I'm around?” I asked point-blank.

  Trevor shrugged. “Could be. Could also be she's picked up on Shawn's illness. Dogs tend to detect these things before us humans do…”

  “Right,” I said, looking down at LuLu and wondering just how intuitive a corgi could be. Maybe I was underestimating her. Trevor gave LuLu some farewell treats and let her keep the bow-tie for the night. She hurried toward the car and tried to clamber over the backseat to crawl into Shawn's lap.

  “Oh, Lu!” Shawn groaned, but gave her happy kisses. “My tummy doesn't feel so good, and it feels much worse with paws pressing against it.”

  “C'mon LuLu, stay in the backseat until we get home,” I told her gently as I picked her up and got her settled in the back.

  “Home…” I heard Shawn say under his breath with a little sigh.

  I drove as smoothly as I could through town, slowing to nearly a stop to ease the car over the pothole on the corner of Pack Lane and Growling Oak Way. It took all of ten minutes to get to my house, but Shawn was already fast asleep by the time I pulled into the drive. I looked over at him as I turned off the car and watched for any signs of him stirring.

  Not a peep.

  I reached over and rested a hand on his thigh. He didn't rouse. I couldn't help but smile as I looked at his face, his parted lips, and his cheeks just a little flushed. My wolf was pacing back and forth. It didn't feel anxious like LuLu, just protective and at full attention.

  I got LuLu out of the car as quietly as I could, but Shawn woke as soon as her paws hit the ground.

  “Mm, how long was I out?” he asked, shrugging the blanket off his shoulders.

  “Just the drive home, not long,” I said, then opened up his door.

  “I feel a little better,” he said, smiling. He still looked—what had Trevor said? Ghastly. But before I had a chance to offer him a hand, he swung his legs out of the car and tumbled out, almost falling down.

  “Oh!” he cried. I grabbed him around the waist and steadied him to his feet.

  “Hold on to me,” I said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. “Are you sure this is just a bug?”

  “I'm just dizzy. It happens,” he said in dismissal. I wanted to believe him, so I didn’t argue as we walked together into the house.

  I got Shawn set up on the couch in the living room with piles of blankets. He insisted that he stay in a room with a door so he didn't spread germs through the house.

  “Wolf medicine?” he asked with a cheeky grin as I handed him a cup of tea.

  “Sure, if that gives you the placebo effect you need to feel better.”

  He took a sip and moaned in appreciation. “Tastes just like human lemon and ginger tea.”

  “Oh really? Funny…” I said, and grinned.

  Shawn dozed on and off, and LuLu stayed by his side as I built us a fire. Once that was roaring, I tottered back and forth from the kitchen with more tea while also cooking him up a big pot of vegetable soup. Eventually he fell into a deep sleep, so I took advantage of the moment to walk in the woods and collect some wild mushrooms, which I then added to the pot as it simmered on the stove.

  “What's that smell?” Cole exclaimed as he bounded in through the kitchen door and threw his school bag on the dining table.

  “Dinner,” I said, ruffling his hair as he scooted past and opened the fridge. “Shawn's here and—”

  “Shawn! Awesome! I want to show him what I did to my telescope, he's going to think it's so cool!”

  “Shh, quiet please—he's sleeping. He's sick.”

  “It's four in the afternoon!” Cole raised his arms out at all directions.

  “He's sick,” I repeated.

  Cole pouted and let his arms drop.

  “Close the fridge, kiddo,” I said. “Homework before dinner. Then you can do star research.”

  He pouted even harder and made a show of closing the fridge very slowly and very quietly, and then tip-toed up the stairs to his room. He came back down a couple of hours later, already sleepy-eyed and hungry for dinner.

  “Can I set a place for Shawn, just in case he's feeling better?” he asked quietly, holding up a spoon and a napkin.

  “You can, but I don't think he'll be up for eating at the table yet.” Just then, the living room door creaked open.

  “Oh, I'm up,” Shawn said with a smile.

  “Did you wake up because of the smell?” Cole giggled and held his nose.

  Shawn laughed briefly then caught my stern scowl and cut it short. “Well, it does smell quite medicinal in here,” Shawn said in defense of Cole, and I couldn't help but smile. “I guess if we're eating such nutritious soup then I shouldn't be worried about spreading my germs.”

  “Cole has a very strong immune system.” I made the comment while ladling out big bowls of the thick soup, really loving the banter between Shawn and Cole. They got on so well I could really see us living together as a family.

  “I'm basically a superhero,” Cole said as he took his seat and smiled at Shawn.

  “Hm, I suppose that's actually quite true.” Shawn took a seat opposite Cole, and LuLu trotted over to sit at his feet. “You do have some pretty impressive powers.”

  “Thanks. I’ve never been sick.”

  “Are you kidding?” Shawn asked, sounding genuinely suspicious.

  I shook my head as I placed bowls in front of them. “Maybe a couple of sniffles, but I'm telling you—shifter immune systems are insane.”

  “Insane,” Cole mimicked, and took a slurp of soup before making a grossed-out face that I willfully ignored.

  “I need to get my hands on those medical books of Jaxon's,” Shawn said, blowing on his spoonful.

  We ate together and I was impressed that Cole respectfully kept his star-gazing questions to a minimum. I kept a close eye on Shawn, and so did my wolf, sensing that something was still off even though he was looking much better with brighter eyes and a bit more color in his face.

  After Cole somehow managed to choke down his bowl of mushroom-rich soup, I tucked him into bed. LuLu tottered in behind me and stopped at the doorway of the lamp-lit room. Glowing stars, arranged in patterns of actual constellations, covered Cole's walls and gave the timber room an eerie alien color.

  “Come up here, LuLu,” Cole whispered, sleepily patting the spot next to him. The corgi jumped up without hesitation and nuzzled in close to Cole. He draped an arm over his side and cuddled her, placing his book on the pillow where they could both see it. LuLu still wore her bow-tie and Cole adjusted it so it was out of the way as she lay her head with a heavy sigh.

  I gave Cole a kiss goodnight and patted LuLu, and then eased out of the room and left the door open ajar. I hesitated for a moment to look back at the scene and felt my wolf frolic with excitement at how our family was growing. I bit down on my bottom lip as I took the stairs two at a time to get back to the living room as quickly as possible. That’s where I found Shawn sitting on the couch and gazing into the fire with the blankets bunched up beside him. I leaped over the back of the sofa and landed next to him with a thud.

  He gasped and clutched his chest in surprise, and then let out a laugh. “You are fast!”

  “I can be.” I wiggled my eyebrows. “I missed you. How are you feeling?” I pressed my hand against his forehead, and he leaned against it as he sighed.

  “Much better. Still kind of queasy, but the soup actually really helped.”

  “I wish I could just heal you. I'm not used to human frailty. I wish I could give you some of those superhero powers Cole was talking about,” I said with a bit of cheek.

  Shawn chuckled and then moved closer to me. I took him into my arms and he lay against my chest. We sat gazing at the fire, in deep silence until he whispered, “I wish you could too.”

  My wolf surged. I looked down at the top of Shawn's head and planted a soft kiss th
ere before I asked him what he meant. “You wish I could…”

  “I wish you could…change me.”

  Those had to be the sweetest words I’d ever heard. I hardly believed it. Shawn wanted to be a wolf? My own wolf dashed back and forth with so much excitement it felt like my whole body was vibrating. I took slow, quiet breaths, determined to take it slow and steady. Shawn fell silent, and I was left with a deep yearning. It was uncomfortable, how much I wanted to claim him. Hell, it was almost unbearable.

  “Shawn…”

  “Mm?” He craned his neck to look up at me.

  “I love you,” I whispered.

  A bright smile burst across his face and his eyes pricked with tears. “Oh, Linc. I love you too.”

  I bit my bottom lip in an effort to stop myself from racing ahead, but my mouth felt like it had words jammed in there, which I just needed to get out. “Do you remember when I told you about the claiming bite?” I asked as quietly as I could manage.

  “You think I would forget something that crazy?”

  I laughed and shook my head. “Is it crazy?”

  “Uh, yeah. It's crazy,” he said. My heart was sinking before he added, “But it's also kind of cool.”

  I smiled to myself and took a bracing breath. It was now or never. “I’d like to claim you… If you wanted me to.”

  Shawn fell silent. I felt his body tense, and his breathing became shallow.

  “We don't have to. I didn't mean to pressure you, if this isn't something you want. I understand how scary it sounds, with the bite and all…”

  “No it’s not that,” he said, turning to look away. “I just don't know why… I mean… Are you sure?”

  I moved, encouraging him to look up at me. He did so reluctantly, meeting my eyes. His tears started to well over.

  “I'm not sure why you'd want to do that, when I can't give you kids.”

  “Shawn… I want to claim you as you are. Kids or not. I want to so badly,” I insisted, staring into his eyes. “Please believe me.”

  He swallowed, and then looked away for a moment before sitting up and facing me. “Honestly, Linc, this is going really fast.”

  My wolf whined, and I felt myself backing up, bracing myself against the inevitable let-down.

  “Really fast,” he said again, before he broke out in a huge grin. “And I like it. I've never felt like this before. I've never been so happy. Did you just…kind of propose to me?”

  I laughed and nodded. “I guess I did. Sorry I don't have a ring or something, it's not really customary…”

  Shawn shook his head. “No need.” He paused for a moment and took my hands as he wet his lips. I watched as his gaze dragged over my face, and then he softly whispered, “Yes.”

  “Yes?” My voice wavered in disbelief. “Yes?”

  “Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Make me into a freakin' wolf, I don't care, I want to be with you, I want to be part of your family, your pack, the whole lot. Yes!”

  My wolf pranced in joyous relief, and I enfolded Shawn in my arms. I couldn't stop smiling. I had no words. I planted kisses all over his face.

  “So, uh, sooner is better. Maybe it'll get rid of this gross bug,” he said.

  Yes, you’re right. Sooner better than later.” I held him at arm's length and gazed at his beautiful face. “Wait right here. I'll call Jaxon and get started on organizing the ceremony.”

  “Now?”

  “I can’t wait. Don’t move.”

  “I won't,” he promised, then he took my hands and kissed them as he gazed deep into my eyes.

  I’d left my phone in my jacket pocket when I’d gone out earlier to pick the mushrooms, so I headed to the kitchen. I stood at the counter, phone in hand, and through the kitchen window, I noticed the clear night sky and how the moon was still shockingly bright and full. I could also see the wood shed covered in frost, glittering like diamonds in the freezing air.

  “It’s on. Shawn wants me to claim him,” I told Jaxon the second he answered, barely containing the joy in my voice. Silence hung on the end of the line and my heart ached for a moment. Had I moved too fast? Had he expected Shawn to say no? Was he worried about Shawn’s fertility?

  “Congratulations, Linc!”

  “Great news!” I heard Bryce call out in the background, followed by the wail of a crying baby.

  “Ah, shit, sorry—I'll step outside,” Jaxon said.

  “So, when do you want to have the ceremony?”

  “As soon as possible. Do you think within the next couple of days will be too soon?”

  “Not my end, but won’t Shawn want some say in vows etc. I know Bryce wanted something like a wedding even though us shifters don’t actually get married. I’m assuming Shawn might want something like that too. I’d ask him first, Linc, but whenever it suits you, we can get it done.”

  “Thanks…” I was about to add more, when I started to feel something tugging inside me.

  “What’s wrong?” Jaxon asked. It didn’t surprise me Jaxon knew there was something not quite right just then.

  “My wolf is sensing something…strange. It's kind of throwing me. I don’t know, I feel ultra-protective all of a sudden.”

  “Hm, well… You said Shawn’s sick. It's normal to feel protective. Keep an eye on it, though.”

  “Sure,” I said. “Hm, I wonder if—”

  A howl pierced the air. Unlike anything I’d heard from a wolf. It wasn’t coming from outside either. I quickly spun on my heel and dashed back to the living room, following the sound.

  I hung up on Jaxon without thought, and just as I entered the living room, the howls turned to barks. My heart stopped. LuLu yapped loudly and pawed at Shawn before letting out another pint-sized howl. Shawn’s body lay limp on the floor, eyes open, staring up at the ceiling. He wasn't moving.

  “Fuck!” My wolf frantically clawed at my chest as I rushed over. I dropped to the floor beside Shawn and desperately searched for his pulse.

  “No, no, no! C'mon! Fuck!”

  Finally, I felt a faint thudding against my fingertips as I pressed them against his neck. “Oh thank god.” I slapped Shawn's cheek gently. “C'mon, Shawn! Wake up!”

  No response. LuLu whimpered and pawed anxiously at his side.

  “Fuck.” I scampered back and found my phone on the floor where I’d dropped it. Without hesitation, I dialed nine-one-one.

  “I need an ambulance,” I cried the second an operator answered. The operator started asking me questions as they sent the ambulance, but I was too wound up to answer them properly.

  “I don't know, I don't know! He's a nurse. I don't know his medical history! He's been nauseous and dizzy today, that's all I know, and now he's unconscious. I don't know. I don't know. Please just hurry!”

  10

  Shawn

  Hovering between sleep and waking, I felt like I was floating in a dark pool. I was buoyant, but lost, with no stars or sight of land to guide me. I strained all my senses trying to get any idea of where I was. Then slowly, light began to dawn and reach my eyes. I saw soft orange light, fuzzy shapes, and a collection of shadows. Maybe a line of trees? I blinked a few times and the blurred scene came into slightly sharper focus. The trees were people. They were gathered around me, but I didn’t recognize any of them.

  Panic began to build in my chest, but I tried to tamp it down, knowing it wouldn’t do me any good.

  “Shawn?”

  A familiar voice. I closed my eyes again, trying to place it.

  “Shawn, can you hear me?”

  I opened my eyes and saw a handsome man, with beautiful toffee-colored eyes, looking at me with both concern and warmth. With love.

  I definitely recognized him.

  “Linc!”

  “Oh, Shawn, thank god.” Linc gently placed his palm on my cheek. “Are you okay?”

  I smiled weakly, then asked myself the same question, panic rising once again. “I…don’t know.” I looked around at the other people in the room. I saw an EMT badge on o
ne of them. “Am I?”

  “Can you tell me your name?” the paramedic asked.

  “Shawn… Shawn Drocella,” I answered hoarsely.

  “Great. And do you know where you are?”

  “I’m…” I didn’t want to cry as fear pumped adrenalin through my veins, but then I heard the crackling fire in the wood burner, and my fear subsided.

  “I’m in Linc’s living room,” I answered, relief making me smile as I looked back at Linc. His expression was tense and worried as he held one of my hands in both of his.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay, my love,” Linc said, kissing my palm again.

  The paramedic who first spoke to me, did so again. “We’re going to get you to the hospital, Shawn. They’ll do some more tests when we get there so we can find out what happened and make sure you’re feeling one hundred percent.”

  “Mm, okay,” I mumbled. I felt so crushingly tired now the shock of waking up on the floor had worn off.

  “I’ll be right there with you the whole way,” Linc said, squeezing my hand.

  “Wait, what about Cole and LuLu?” I asked, suddenly remembering it wasn’t just me Linc was responsible for. “We can’t leave them alone!” I felt my pulse quicken, and I started to feel lightheaded again.

  “Nicole is on her way over to pick them up,” Linc assured me. “All you need to worry about is getting better.”

  “Okay, that sounds…fine.” I relaxed again and put my heavy head back down on the floor.

  The ambulance ride was a blur. Once I was wheeled into a room in the emergency department, a flurry of paramedics and nurses peppered me with questions, filling in my chart and taking my vitals again.

  “I’m going to take some blood so we can run tests, alright Shawn?” one of the nurses, a pretty brunette I recognized from work, asked me.

  “Sure, that’s fine,” I said.

  “I guess I already know you’re a pro with needles. You work in L&D, right?”

  I nodded. “I’ve seen you around…” I tried to see if I remembered her name. “Paloma, right?”