Finding His Passion: A Shifter Mpreg Romance (Greycoast Pack Book 4)

by Jena Wade

  When I worked around the house like I was at the moment, cooking my breakfast, my mate liked to be where I was. He either held on around my torso or sat in a chair next to me, or sometimes he climbed on to the counter. He seemed to enjoy all sorts of regular food, pizza being his absolute favorite, with ice cream coming in as a close second. I couldn’t blame the guy, those were pretty great options.

  A knock sounded at the door and then it creeped open. I scented Lissy immediately. She had become one of the few people that Prickles actually got excited to see, especially since she had returned from her trip. The trip she still hadn’t fully explained to me. If she’d informed Byrom, then he’d kept her purpose to himself.

  Other members of the pack had visited myself and Prickles, but most gave us our space, not because they were afraid or unaccepting of Prickles, but because they knew he needed it.

  “Anyone home?” she called.

  “In the kitchen,” I replied.

  She smiled when she saw Prickles sitting at the counter waiting patiently for the meal I had made for us.

  “How are things going?” she asked, addressing us both. Everyone in the pack treated Prickles as if he was a member. They didn’t treat him as if he was some pet just wandering around. He was a Beta’s mate and treated as such. I was thankful for that. It would be easy for the pack to ignore him, considering he was rarely seen by anyone but me, Lissy, or Byrom. My mate had rarely ventured outside in the front yard, which was visible to the rest of the pack.

  “Good.” She flicked her gaze towards Prickles and then back to me. “I was hoping I could talk to you.”

  I slid a plate across the counter, and Prickles picked up his sandwich and began eating.

  “Anything you say you can say in front of him.”

  She nodded. “I want to put in the call to my mentor. He’s the light healer I told you about.”

  I wrinkled my nose. “Aren’t all healers like you light healers?”

  She shook her head. “I have some capabilities, I’m quite skilled as a doctor, but no, I would not be considered a light healer. At least not with the skills necessary for this situation. Maybe... He has more powers than I do. I could learn from him, but it would take some time and I’m not sure I want to be away from the pack for that long. As the pack healer, I need to be here. But then again, as a light healer, I could do so much for our pack.”

  She rambled on, like she needed someone to confide in, only I was unsure how I could help. “Is a light healer like a good version of the dark healer?”

  Prickles squeaked at that and shuddered. I shared the sentiment. There was no doubt that he was understanding our conversations more and more. Whether that meant he had simply learned human speech, or if he was actually becoming more human, I had no idea.

  He moved closer to me, and I put a hand on his back to reassure him I was there, and not going anywhere.

  “I just wanted to run that by you and Prickles, as an option.”

  Prickles’ ears perked at hearing his name, but for the most part he focused on his sandwich.

  I must have looked at her quizzically, because she continued.

  “I want to examine Prickles myself, and also get your permission to talk with my mentor about him.”

  “I don’t want any poking or prodding.” I’d found enough scars on my mate to know that he had suffered greatly at the hands of the dark healer. I’d have no more of that for him, not if I could help it.

  She shook her head. “None of that. Not if we can avoid it. Although a blood test might tell us a few things. But for the most part, it will just be a visual exam.”

  I itched to know more about my mate and the state he was in both mentally and physically. I wanted answers. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. But I also didn’t want to lean into a false hope. “How soon can your light healer friend get here?”

  “Hard to say. He might not even come. He rarely leaves his own pack,” she said. “But you’d be open to him coming?”

  I bit my lip, not wanting to admit to myself what I’d been thinking in my head. “I will never give up on him,” I said. “He’s my mate, no matter what.”

  “Of course, I understand.”

  “But if there’s a way that we can help him, then I want to.”

  “I’ll make the call.”

  “Thanks, Lissy.”

  Once she left, I stood in my kitchen staring at the countertop, wondering if I’d made the right choice. It felt like the only choice. Either we ask for help with Prickles, or we continue like we were right now, with no answers and no direction for the future. I wouldn’t give up on him, wouldn’t toss him to the wayside if he was like this forever, but I also wouldn’t stop fighting for him.

  Out the window of the kitchen, my pack members went about their day. Children went to school, adults went to work, a new house was being built. For the first time, I felt a disconnect with my pack. I was part of it, but also on the outside. Once upon a time, I’d enjoyed my isolation. It wasn’t a mistake that my home was on the edge of our cluster of pack homes. I liked my privacy, my space, but this was a whole new level.

  I loved Prickles, even if I had never seen his human form. I wanted to show him off to the pack, wanted to have him carry my child and start a family together when he was better. I wanted what the other Betas had.

  Prickles crawled closer to me and nudged my stomach with his head. I gathered him into my arms.

  “Want down?” I tried to set him on the floor, but he wouldn’t let go. “All right, guess I’m carrying you.” He nuzzled into my neck. Times like this I knew he could sense the connection we had, even in his animal form. He was too in tune with my emotions not to know that we were mates.

  I watched out the window for a while, just holding Prickles. Kade and Ozzy walked toward my home, carrying something. A bench, maybe? It was hard to tell.

  “You okay to go outside with me?” I walked toward the door. If he didn’t want to go outside, he would usually wiggle until I let him down, but this time he stayed in my arms.

  Once I was out on my porch, Ozzy and Kade were within a few feet of the steps. They stopped and set down the bench they carried.

  “Good morning,” I said.

  “Hey,” Kade said. “You look like shit. Prickles looks good, though. How are the two of you doing?”

  I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Kade to pull no punches. “Fine,” I said. Because what else was there to say? “What’s this?”

  Since joining the pack, Ozzy had made a vast array of furniture for us all, including two very large pavilions we used for pack get-togethers. The man had an incredible gift for woodworking. The bench in front of me was similar to other pieces I’d seen of his. Hand-carved to perfection, and probably extremely comfortable as well.

  Ozzy blushed, still nervous being around people even after being with the pack for several months. “I, umm.” He cleared his throat. “I noticed your porch didn’t have a lot of furniture on it, so I had some spare wood and made a bench. I thought maybe that Prickles would like to sit outside and watch the pack when you’re out working.”

  My stomach squeezed and dammit if tears didn’t come to my eyes. Ozzy, my closest friend’s pregnant mate, had made a bench for me and Prickles. “Thanks, Ozzy. That... that really means a lot.”

  Prickles wiggled until I put him down. He scrambled off the porch to where the bench sat in the yard and climbed on it. He sprawled out until he was covering most of it, leaving little room for me.

  I smiled. “I think he likes it.”

  “Get your ass down here and help me carry it then,” Kade said. “My mate walked it over here and we’d like to sit down.”

  Prickles stayed on the bench as Kade and I carried it to the porch. Once we had it sitting so he had a perfect view of the yard, and the other pack houses, I pulled Ozzy into a hug. “Thank you,” I said. “This is… perfect. Thank you.”

  Ozzy stood still, not returning the hug, probably from shock. Given my usually stoi
c nature and the fact that I’d never touched him before now, it was odd that I was hugging him. But I was just so damn grateful. With pack members and friends like Ozzy and Kade, Prickles and I would always have a place with Greycoast.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “All right, all right,” Kade said. “Get your hands off my mate.” He pulled up one of the chairs I did have on the porch and Ozzy sat down.

  I sat next to Prickles and he rested his head on my lap.

  “So, what’s new with you two? Are you getting ready for the baby?” I asked. Unfortunately, I’d been so preoccupied with my own mate, I hadn’t paid any attention to my best friend and his mate in the past few months. I knew they understood, but I still felt bad. Now was as good a time as any to catch up.

  We spent the rest of the morning chit-chatting, enjoying the company of friends. Me, with my mate by my side.

  Chapter Six

  Thorne

  A chill kissed my body and I curled up, trying to recapture my sleep. It had to be damn cold outside for the cold to penetrate my fur. My hands wrapped around my knees.

  Hands.

  I had hands.

  My eyes popped open and I glanced down to see skin. My skin. When had I shifted, or had I shifted? My brain was still foggy, my vision a bit fuzzy, my hands fumbling and not quite doing what I asked, like they had a mind of their own.

  I took in a deep breath, savoring the scent of my mate—of Gio.

  He was sleeping on his side, his body facing mine, and for the first time, I could see his face without the filter of my wombat. His jaw peppered with stubble, his mouth open slightly, his body completely relaxed in sleep, his slow breath calming in a weird way.

  He was glorious. Beyond glorious. In his sleep, the worry lines that wrinkled his forehead during the day were smooth.

  I needed to feel him, to wrap my arms around him. This was a dream. It had to be. None of the aches of a shift after a long time in my fur were present, none of the sleepiness. The only sign that this might be real pushed out from between my legs—my post-shift horniness.

  Although, that could just as easily be my Gio horniness. Now that I was in my human skin, and out of my fur, the desire I had for my mate hit me in one tidal wave of lust. I wanted nothing more than to taste him, so I decided to do just that. My dreams had been flooded with terrors and I’d be a fool to not take advantage of this one.

  I climbed off the bed long enough to get in under the covers, Gio rolling over onto his back, the blanket tented slightly.

  My mouth watered as I climbed in under the warm blankets, his scent wrapping around me like a hug. I worked my way to climb up between his legs, my tongue darting out, licking his semi hard cock.

  So good.

  One lick led to another, my tongue swirling around his tip, a moan running through him as I took him into my mouth for the first time—his cock now hard, pre-cum dancing on my tongue.

  I bobbed up and down, coating his length in my saliva. My name came from his lips like a prayer, encouraging me to continue.

  If this was a dream, and it had to be, it was the best dream ever.

  I worked his cock like it was my job, loving the way he was quickly coming apart beneath me, my own need building, my climax so close. I couldn’t come yet no matter how slick I was. I needed to bring him over the top, to swallow his offering.

  His hand snaked down between the covers, grabbing onto my hair, encouraging me, and as his length reached the back of my throat I swallowed twice and he shot his load, the taste of him bringing me over the edge, shooting my cum onto the bed. I moaned around his cock as my orgasm rippled through me.

  His hand froze as he sat up.

  “What?” he called out. He flung the blankets off the bed. “How?”

  “It’s not a dream?” The realization slammed into me. “I have skin.” I threw myself into his arms. “Gio, I have skin.” My voice cracked, soft from non-use. “I have skin.”

  It took a second, and in that tiny period of time I feared he would reject me. Instead, his arms wrapped around me tightly.

  “Prickles. You’re… oh, Prickles.” He sobbed against my shoulder.

  “Thorne,” I corrected. “But you can call me Prickles. I kind of like it.”

  We held each other like that, not saying much and just enjoying the moment for a long time. And then he guided me back. “Let me see you. Let me see my mate.”

  I sat there on the bed, my knees folded under me as he looked me up and down. “In my head I thought you would have really long hair.” He chuckled. “This suits you.”

  I threaded my fingers through my short locks. I hadn’t looked at myself in the mirror yet. Had I aged? Fuck, I didn’t even know how long it had been. “Thanks.” I blushed. The man had bathed me, picked up my poop, and seen me at my most feral, and I was embarrassed by his small compliment.

  “I thought you couldn’t shift.” He slouched down. “Were you just too scared?”

  I shook my head. I didn’t really know why I couldn’t or how I suddenly could. Shit, I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to do it again.

  “I woke up human,” was the best I could do.

  “And you thought hey, I’m human, what should I do first, and landed on waking me up with your lips?” He grinned, and it was as if the sun rose inside the room. It almost hurt my eyes to look at him in all of his gloriousness. I had seen such anguish and despair while with the dark healer, but this was good, pure, and right.

  “I woke up and I thought it was a dream. My mind is not quite right and I decided if it was a dream I might as well do all the dream things.” I rubbed my nose. “Was that okay? It wasn’t like I asked.” Crap. Had I ruined things already by taking liberties where I shouldn’t? I didn’t have to remember my whole life to know that that was the first blow job I’d ever given. Had I done it wrong? Was it awful?

  “For the record, there is never a day I wouldn’t like to be woken up with your lips wrapped around me.” He cupped my cheek. “I’m only disappointed I didn’t get a taste of you.”

  “It was your fault.” I shrugged. “You tasted too good.”

  “Speaking of tasting—let me feed you.”

  “You don’t have to.” My stomach chose that moment to call me a liar. “I mean I could eat… and shower. Gods, I’d love a shower.” How long had it been since I’d had one? Years? A decade?

  “Your wish is my command… a shower and food. What do you even like to eat? I always guess. You seem to like pizza, but I don’t have any ready.” Was there a sweeter alpha on the planet?

  “Food. I like all food.”

  “Your favorite?”

  “Pizza, I think. Is that the triangle-shaped thing with the melty cheese? But really… I’ve loved everything you’ve made.” I climbed off the bed, holding onto the mattress until I was sure that my legs were working enough to walk. “I’m going to shower. I think I know how to use it. You can come in if you want.” I repeated the words he’d said to me more than once. He never once made me feel unwelcomed or like I was a pain. Not that I was there all the time, not this side of me, anyway.

  “I’m not turning that down.” He climbed out of bed, and I didn’t even pretend to not be admiring the view.

  In the bathroom, he set up the steamy water and stepped out to afford me a bit of privacy to use the toilet. I brushed my teeth, loving the feel of the bristles against my gums, watching my face in the mirror as the steam fogged it up.

  I looked like me, but not. My skin was the same in color and texture, but my eyes—they were older, so much older. I couldn’t even fully pinpoint how I knew that, but I did.

  I picked up a towel and wiped the steam from the mirror and stepped back. I was skinny, at least skinnier than I remembered being, though my muscles were still about the same. In some ways I was exactly like I’d always been—in others, it was as if I was looking at a stranger.

  And I partially was one. My memory didn’t go back, not to where it should, and only
in flashes. The more I thought the further back they fell… always just outside my grasp. There, but not.

  A flicker of a memory from the time of my captivity chose the opposite route; instead of dissipating into the void, it came closer and closer. Unlike the others, I wanted this one gone, wanted it out of reach. The stench of blood filled my nose, not for real, but in memory, and I needed away. I couldn’t witness more of the horror of that place. Give me the woods, the ones just outside my grasp, the ones filled with sunshine and love, not this… not death and pain.

  I wasn’t altogether sure what happened next, but I went from telling him I’d only be a minute to being all fours without any awareness, my human self being pushed further and further away.

  Nooooooooooo!

  Chapter Seven

  Gio

  I stood at the kitchen sink, washing my hands after coming in from working on the roof of a pack member’s home. We were nearly finished, and I only had to work on it the next day for a few more hours, then it would be done. Another thing off the to do list, another pack member happy. Re-roofing a home was actually one of the more handier skills that I excelled at. I enjoyed the work, as long as I didn’t have an overly chatty crew working with me. The only person I talked freely with was Prickles, and more often than not we ended up just cuddling in silence.

  Prickles sat at my feet, rubbing his face against my pant leg. Scent marking me, as far as I could tell.

  During his trips outside, Prickles made sure to scent mark every tree in my yard. No wolf in the territory had any doubt that this home belonged to my wombat.

  Although I knew his name now and had held him in my arms as a human, it had been a full week already since he’d shifted, and when he was a wombat I tended to think of him as Prickles. I hadn’t gotten as much time with him in his human form as I had wanted, but it was a step in the right direction, and for that I was happy. No, that didn’t cut it. I was ecstatic. Over the goddamn moon with happiness. My mate was a man. A sexy, intelligent, amazing man. He had a sexy mouth, and a quick wit.

  I would take what I could get when it came to my mate, and be happy about it. I turned around to grab a towel off the rack, and there was a human standing in front of me.