Humans had come to terms with the fact that shifters lived amongst them. If anyone harbored any hard feelings, they certainly kept their thoughts to themselves, thankfully. A shifter bill of rights had been drafted by congress and passed into law to afford shifters the same rights as humans—including the right to vote— opening the floodgate of human females of all shapes and sizes searching for shifters as mates. Shifters didn’t look at them quite the same way; many of them enjoyed a curvier female, one who was strong enough to handle it if they were asked to move to more remote locations, which many shifters preferred. Luckily, even though they were now protected and didn’t need to fear for their lives, Brendan and Chase had chosen to stay in Wyoming and at the Shadow Creek ranch, a place that had become a real home to Katlyn.
Katlyn wrote a math problem on the board and asked who wanted to come solve it, holding up the dry erase marker. Hands went up and Maxwell was chosen, taking his time to get there as his limp caused him pain, noted by the whitening of his face. How she wanted to help him in some way, but she knew that it was important to Maxwell to blend in with the other children despite his handicap. He’d be an alpha one day, they said, but Katlyn wondered if anyone would challenge him for the role as it was a battle of strength.
Maxwell, who was at the board now, did the math problem with the right answer, and Katlyn smiled. “That’s exactly right, Maxwell.”
He made his way back to his seat a little more easily, or it might just be the pride he felt when he’d answered the problem right.
“Who would like to speak about your family and how they came to Creeksboro, Wyoming?”
Hands shot up and Katlyn called on Joel, who came to the front of the class. “My father was a very strong mountain lion, but my mother had to flee our woodland home as the humans pushed into our territory. We’re not even sure if my father survived or not.”
“Did he tell your mother to leave?”
“Yes, and times were not good for us when I was younger. My mother barely scraped by as a waitress until Brendan and Chase came to town and convinced her that she should move out to the ranch where we would be taken care of.”
“So they knew she was a shifter?”
“Yes. all shifters can smell another shifter when they meet one, depending on the type of shifter.”
“I see. That’s quite an interesting story. Anyone else?”
Ivan’s hand shot into the air and when he was called on, he said, “My mother told me that she and Brendan used to date. I think that’s the word for it. They almost were mates until my mother met someone else, a human. I don’t know exactly the full story, but I think my mother regrets choosing the human. He didn’t stick around until I was born and Brendan took my mother in during her pregnancy and cared for her like she belonged to him, but she moved to her own cabin when I was born. I think she wishes she had been Brendan’s mate, instead, from the way she looks at him.”
Katlyn was shocked, but kept smiling, despite how she was reeling over Ivan’s account of his mother’s and Brendan’s past involvement. “I’m sorry to hear about your father, but I’m glad your mother came to Shadow Creek and you’re here in school now.”
Melody stood up. “My mother was shot by a boy while in hawk form and she was found by Brendan and Chase and nursed back to health by Ms. Paige. Red-tailed hawks are protected in Wyoming as a bird of prey. She survived, somehow, and gave birth to me prematurely months later. I’m not supposed to talk about who my dad is.”
Katlyn had to hold back the tears. So many of these children were fatherless, far too many of them. She held a protective hand over her abdomen, now.
Maxwell stood up and said, “Werewolves were the first real shifters in Wyoming, dating back to the 1800s when they could only shift by light of the full moon, but through the years, things changed with the introduction of human mates. As humans moved into the werewolf territories, they went into hiding for years in caves, with a small band choosing to live as humans in full sight, right here in Wyoming. My grandfather was one of them. After my father was born, many werewolves wanted to come back to Wyoming, but they only did it to cause problems with the ranchers and my grandfather was forced to drive them back into the hills.”
“They had to fight against other werewolves?”
“Yes, against full-bloods. We’re half-breeds, but we are more able to shift without the aid of the full moon. We’re hated by the full-bloods, but they haven’t been heard of since my father was a boy. They might have moved elsewhere, even out of Wyoming possibly.”
“Now, that is interesting. I’ve always wondered about werewolves since most stories have them only able to shift at the full moon. Do you have to be born from shifter blood, or can you be turned if bitten?”
“I’ve heard stories, but I’m not sure if they’re true since that only happened with the full-bloods. I’d have to ask Granny Palina. She’s the oldest werewolf of the pack. She knows more about the myths and legends. All I know is werewolves don’t leave their mates, ever.”
“What about your mother? Surely she’s still living with the pack?”
Maxwell hung his head sadly. “She left not long after she gave birth to me.”
“Is she human?”
“Yes, but even though she deserted me, my father was the best dad, ever. Until that human struck him down. I hate humans now.” He sat with tears dancing in his eyes. “Sorry, teacher. I know you’re human, too. I just don’t understand how a woman would just leave her pup behind like that.”
Katlyn walked over to Maxwell and fluffed his hair. “If nobody has given you a reason, then have you thought that perhaps she just wasn’t able to stay?”
He gazed up at her. “No, I guess not.”
“There are many reasons why someone never returns. They could have been injured, driven away, or possibly ... died without anyone knowing. I bet if you asked your granny, she could tell you more.”
“Thanks, Ms. Katlyn. I sure will.”
* * *
Hours later, class was dismissed and Katlyn tried not to ponder about how so many children were left fatherless or, in Maxwell’s case, motherless. It sure didn’t help Katlyn from worrying about her own pregnancy or commitment with Brendan and Chase. So many of their mothers were helped by them, and Brendan had dated Ivan’s mother Wenise? Katlyn couldn’t help but feel a little jealous now, although she quickly brushed the thought away. It was human to not want to lose your mate to another, but that had to have been some years ago. From her understanding Brendan and Chase had been sharing women for quite some time, or had they?
* * *
Katlyn strolled past Tessa’s cabin, deep in thought, and about ran straight into Angus who was racing past. “Sorry, Katlyn. There’s trouble in the barn.”
Instead of heading off home, Katlyn followed Angus, who was a shifter of a different breed. He was a guard llama of all things.
High-pitched moans and groans were coming from one of the stalls, and when Katlyn finally made it there, Brendan, Chase, and now Agnus were in the stall where a white mare was sprawled out on the floor.
“What’s going on?” Katlyn asked, but when she began to see liquid pour out of the rear of the horse, she muttered. “Oh, my, she’s giving birth.”
“You might not want to see this,” Brendan said, as he was positioned near the mare’s head, cooing to her gently. “It’s okay, Clover. She’s one of us now.”
Chase was on the other side of the horse, massaging her neck. “It’s okay, girl. Just take it easy now.”
The sight of both Brendan and Chase so intent on calming the animal as she was so obviously in labor pulled at her heart strings. These men weren’t just her mates; they were remarkable in many ways. They actively worked the ranch right along with the ranch hands, something she hadn’t expected ranch owners to do, but what she didn’t realize before she came here was that she knew very little about how a ranch really was run in Wyoming. Brendan and Chase were partly mountain lions, and she’d found
their animal instincts might just be of good use with their livestock.
Angus rolled up his sleeves and knelt near the rear of the horse. “When the foal is out, you’ll be amazed at the miracle of birth.”
Katlyn swallowed hard as more liquid poured out of the animal and said, “Okay, just tell me what I need to do and I’m there.”
Brendan raised a brow. “Are you sure you’re up for this? You’ll be giving birth at some point yourself and this might be too much for you to witness.”
Katlyn narrowed her eyes. “A human giving birth is much different than an animal.”
Chase smiled. “True, but there’s much more involved with an animal, and Clover is going to need all of the help we can give her.”
“ Which is exactly why I’m staying.”
She knelt next to Angus, who smiled at her before taking his attention to the mare now staggering to her feet, limping to the side as Brendan cooed to her, “Careful, girl, get back down now.” The mare knelt and was again lying on the floor, twisting her neck in Katlyn’s direction. When their eyes met, there was a silent communication between horse and human that couldn’t be put quite into words. She needed help, and Katlyn vowed that she’d do her best to do whatever was asked of her.
Clover flopped back down and groaned loudly as fluid continued to flood the straw beneath her. “It’s getting close now,” Angus explained.
Brendan and Chase whispered to Clover and Katlyn wondered what they said as the animal laid her head down for a few minutes. She lifted it again, baring her teeth momentarily, before a white bag came out of the horse with what looked like two legs inside, the legs of the foal.
Angus switched positions and told Katlyn, “We’ll just stand by and see if she’s able to push the foal out before we assist her.”
They watched as the sack was partially out of the horse now, and Angus ripped off the bag where it covered the head of the foal, rubbing it until he noticed the foal move. “Take it easy, mama,” Brendan cooed to her as Chase rubbed the horse gently on the side.
Katlyn bit her lip at how hard it seemed for the horse to push out her baby, but at this point, Angus moved back. Clover moaned, and more of the foal was visible. When only part of its hind legs were still inside the mother, she moved her head, checking on her brand new baby who’d tried to stand up already!
Brendan and Chase moved away from the horse, now, and motioned for the stall door, taking a quick peek at the new, black foal. “It’s a filly,” Brendan said. Once they were on the other side of the door, the remainder of the horse was out. The filly moved toward its mother and they began to lick each other in greeting.
“We should probably go now,” Brendan said.
“Will she be okay all by herself now?”
“Sure she will. We never try to help too much other than to calm the animal. Clover seems to do much better when we do that. She trusts us, but she needs to bond with her baby and cleaning her off is part of that,” Chase added. “What should we name your filly, Katlyn?”
Katlyn stopped dead in her tracks, her heart flip-flopping. “My filly? You mean it’s mine and I can name it anything I want?”
“If you’d like to,” Brendan said with a smile.
“I-I guess I never thought about it before, naming a baby horse, or calling anything my own. I’m not sure I’d be good at owning a filly. Horses don’t like me all that much.”
“Perhaps not, but you can change that by getting to know the filly as she grows.”
“Okay, thanks.” Katlyn’s heart swelled as she gazed at the newborn. “I think I’ll name her Raven since she’s black.”
“Sounds like a great name,” Angus said with a smile.
“Raven, it is,” Brendan agreed.
* * *
For the remainder of the day, all Katlyn thought about was being able to witness Clover giving birth to Raven, and worried about how hard a time she’d have giving birth. She hoped she wouldn’t have it that bad, but it would be many months before she’d have to really worry about it. After the events of the day, she knew she’d be in good hands with her mates, and a feeling of comfort washed over her.
Katlyn peeked in on the brand new mother and her baby, and Raven was already on her feet. Clover had cleaned her up just fine and Raven’s coat just shined, if only slightly covered with straw.
When she finally snuggled into bed with Brendan and Chase, they smiled when she dropped her robe and climbed into bed naked. Tonight, like most nights lately, didn’t result in lovemaking, but it didn’t need to be a focus all of the time. Today, the time they’d spent in the barn with Clover as she gave birth made her feel closer to Brendan and Chase than she’d felt anytime before. Sure, they satisfied her intimately, but that’s not all there was to being a true mate. Tonight, she actually felt completely part of this ranch in a way she hadn’t been before. Her heart melted for Brendan and Chase. She knew that no matter what happened, their bond would only grow stronger.
Chapter Three
Tessa
If someone were to ask Tessa what moment defined her life, she’d have to think hard since no one moment came to mind. For her, that one moment in time when Paige bit her—she could honestly say that life ended for her that day. An unexpected ending to life as she knew it, but when she’d finally awakened from her slumber, she’d never felt so alive. Did that mean that she didn’t resent what Paige had done to her? The answer would be no. She held plenty of resentment every time she woke up—and that wasn’t just in the morning, but well into the evening. Every time she had to swallow another pill that was supposed to help with the cravings for blood when the side effects were much worse. With the headaches and lesions that did little to dim the pain in her stomach when she had to drink that rot gut in a bag the man from the blood bank supplied her. And that was the reason she’d gone out tonight.
Tessa surfaced from beneath the tree where she was crouched, waiting for prey to surface from between the trees that hugged this area of Wyoming. She’d left the safety of the Shadow Creek Ranch in search of what she desired most—a real meal that didn’t come from a bag supplied from the blood bank for vampires. Sure, Paige made sure she had everything she needed to adjust to this life as the newest vampire of Shadow Creek, and she resented every one of them, especially the medication that she was sure was making her sick.
Tessa smiled slyly as she heard a howl of a wolf close by. While the Creeksboro area of Wyoming was home to many shape shifters, she had to hope that what she heard was an ordinary wolf and not a werewolf. One small mistake like killing a werewolf would be the means to her end and she knew it.
Bushes rustled close by, and she saw the glowing eyes of an animal that was, indeed, on four legs. Without another thought, she attacked. Tessa lunged and grabbed the animal around its mid-section, but it was much larger than she expected it to be and she was easily tossed aside. Tessa jumped to her feet and stooped low to anticipate her next move. The wolf bared his teeth and snapped his jaw, but didn’t howl like a real wolf would have. This one was on the defensive now, lunging at her, but she was able to easily move aside, avoiding any real contact with the now-enraged wolf.
He lunged again, and this time Tessa lost her footing, sailing to the soft ground below. Now as the wolf leapt on her, she kicked it away, but he kept coming back. She rolled to her stomach, pushing herself off the ground now. Instead of looking for prey tonight, she was the prey.
Tessa ran, swiping her dark hair out of her face as she tore through the trees. The branches tore at her arms, but she kept moving, hearing the sound of the heavy paws of the wolf striking the ground as he pursued her. She lost her footing, slid down a hill and rolled and rolled until she was dazed, with the wolf pinning her to the ground. But when she felt someone gripping her arms, she knew this was no ordinary wolf, but a werewolf, indeed.
“Stay still,” he bellowed, once he was fully in human form.
Tessa stared up at the naked man pinning her to the ground from beneath the f
ull moon, his dark hair covering his face, obscuring it from view. She felt his muscles ripple beneath her hands as she fought him off and only heard laughter, which further infuriated her. “Get off me, you beast.”
“Beast I might be, but what or who are you?”
“I’m not anything to you, werewolf, but you’ll be my dinner if I get my fangs in you.”
More laughter, but this time from behind them, as a man said, “Teach her some manners, Raphael.”
“Will you get off me?”
Raphael straddled Tessa and her eyes widened as his face came into view. It was the alpha, Raphael! “I-I can’t breathe.”
“That’s rich. First you attack me, intent on sinking your fangs into me, and I’m suddenly the aggressor?”
“Let her go, Raphael. She’s from Shadow Creek and I certainly don’t need to deal with Brendan and Chase. Brendan and I have a history, and not a good one, at that.”
Raphael removed his weight, but instead of just letting Tessa up, he hauled her off the ground, his hand grabbing the fabric of her shirt and not letting go.
“Do you mind? Take your hands off me, now!”
More laughter from the man standing a few feet away, saying, “Let her go, Raphael.”
“Not quite yet, Seth. I’d like to see what she looks like.”
Tessa struggled as she was moved along toward a cabin that loomed in the distance, and was dragged inside. She was finally allowed free and she whirled, with fists clenched as she stared at the perfectly chiseled body of the very naked Raphael who had been appointed as alpha over at Silver Creek after his brother, Nate, was murdered by a human at Shadow Creek.
Taken (M/F/M red-hot menage shifter romance) Standalone (Shadow Creek Shifters Book 2) Page 2