Shifters in the Snow: Bundle of Joy: Seventeen Paranormal Romances of Winter Wolves, Merry Bears, and Holiday Spirits

by J. K Harper

  Damn Karak for taking yet another thing from her. Even now, when he was nowhere near the Komoro village, he was controlling her future. The question was…would she allow it? She yearned for a normal life, for a doting mate and loving father for her child. Why shouldn’t she have those things? The ache in her heart grew, stealing her breath. As much as she wanted it, taking on raising another man’s child was too much to ask, even of a good man like Joss.

  “Hey, whatever you’re thinking, stop. Put it out of your head. I much prefer that sweet smile you had on moments ago to the frown you’ve got now.” He lifted his hand to brush her hair behind her ear. He caught the stray lock between his thumb and finger, letting it slip out of his grasp.

  The moment lengthened into an awkward silence.

  “Listen, I know you’re still tired. Why don’t you show me what Delana bought later? I have to check on the progress at a new build in the village. I’ll be back soon.” Joss dropped his hand again. “You can lock the door behind me if you want.”

  Her heart stuttered, then raced ahead at full speed. He was leaving? She swallowed hard and gave him a quick nod, even though the voice inside her screamed for him to stay. As far as she knew, he hadn’t left her unprotected since he’d brought her here. What if others were close? What if they weren’t as honorable? Heart still pounding, she tried to keep the panic at bay. She’d be fine. She wasn’t in the ramshackle shack anymore. She wasn’t a prisoner. “I think I’ll go lie down now,” she told him. If she didn’t get this under control, her legs wouldn’t hold her for much longer.

  “Violet,” his deep, steady voice stopped her before she could flee. “Would you like to come with me? I can wait until you’ve rested.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to say no. She should learn to depend on herself and no one else, but when she opened her mouth, the words “Yes please, if it’s not too much trouble,” slipped out.

  She wasn’t sure what to expect, but if anything, Joss looked even happier with her request. “It’s no trouble at all. Have your nap. I’ll be here when you wake.”

  Taking the second bag from his hands, she gave him a small smile, as wobbly as it was, and headed back toward the bedroom. When she glanced at him over her shoulder before going in, he was grinning from ear to ear.

  Her legs still shook, and she was probably crazy for even trusting this man at all, but she was determined to make a life for herself and her baby. She’d have to wait and see if that life would include Joss, but she owed it to her child to come out of her past intact and whole, either way. And that meant pushing past her fears and learning to live again.

  Chapter 5

  Joss couldn’t believe the strides Violet had made in the past couple of hours. As if hearing her sweet voice hadn’t been enough, she’d come to him in the living room, held a conversation, and agreed to an outing.

  Nothing could wipe the smile from his face. He stood at the bedroom door, listening for any sign of movement on the other side, but all was quiet. Violet had looked exhausted. Rather than sit around and wait, he figured he’d get to some jobs he’d been putting off. When they moved to the new house, he wanted to leave this one in tip-top shape for the new resident. There were many new wolves in the pack, and they’d need a roof over their heads. And as hard as the men worked, they wouldn’t all have new homes before winter hit. Many would have to share homes until spring, but not him and Violet. As soon as he’d found her, he’d known a new house was in order. They needed the extra space for the baby. Sure, they could make do with this one for a while, but he had more than enough credits for the new one, and someone else would benefit from him vacating this one. It was a win-win situation.

  The loose shutter on the front window needed to be secured, and a couple of the back steps needed replacing, but those would have to wait a while longer. Joss didn’t want to disturb Violet’s sleep with his hammering. That only left painting for outside work, and the day was too beautiful to stay indoors.

  The front porch was first on the list. Pulling the supplies he’d need from the tool shed, Joss set off to work, but not before opening the front door, leaving only the screen door closed so that he could hear Violet if she should awaken before he finished.

  Even though it was autumn and the breeze was cool, with the sun beating on his back, it didn’t take long for beads of sweat to trickle down his spine. He pulled his T-shirt off and draped it over the far railing where he could grab it before heading in the back door. After more than an hour of steady work, the porch looked as good as new. Another few minutes and he could call it a day. Violet would be waking soon, and they could go to their new home. Of course, she had no idea the build they would be seeing was to be hers, but she was doing so well with everything, that he considered telling her about it when they were on site. He’d need her input to make sure it was to her liking anyway.

  “Looking good, Joss,” Delana called from the sidewalk.

  He brushed the last stroke of paint onto the last step and put the brush down, admiring his handiwork for a second before joining his sister. “Thanks. I imagine one or two of the women will take this place over once we move out. I want it to be ready for them.”

  “Good idea. I know a couple of the men have bunked together and are making room for the others, too.”

  “Are you coming in?”

  “I really can’t, but I’ll pop by tomorrow for sure. Khet tells me he’s met Violet.” Delana bounced on the balls of her feet, her excitement bubbling from her entire body.

  Joss couldn’t help grinning back. “Yeah. She’s doing great today. Better than I expected. We’re going to walk up to the new house when she wakes from her nap.”

  Before Lanie could say anything more, the screen door flew open, and Violet rushed out, bare feet landing on the fresh, white paint. Eyes wide and body rigid, she looked like the devil himself was after her—until her eyes fell upon him.

  “Shit.” He dashed across the yard, not bothering to say good-bye to his sister. The last thing Violet needed was to get a splinter in her foot from a rough board, or—heaven forbid—step on a nail. Not that there were any as far as he knew, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

  When he started across the yard, her hands flew up to cover her mouth, and with a strangled cry, she bolted back into the house. Damn it. He’d meant to make sure she was okay, not scare the living daylights out of her.

  Heedless of the wet paint, Joss sprinted after her. Even if he hadn’t known she’d go into the master bedroom, he would have been able to follow each dainty, white footstep on the dark hardwood floors.

  He was tracking more of his own with every one of his long strides, but toeing off his shoes would have wasted too much time. He found her sitting on the bed. Her whole body was shaking, and he could have kicked himself for doing that to her.

  “I-I thought you were gone,” she said in a rush when he stopped in front of her.

  Joss looked at her for a second then groaned. “And you got scared.”

  Her bottom lip wobbled, and she wrung her hands in her lap. “I didn’t mean to step in the paint. I’m s-sorry.”

  “Before we get into any of that, are you okay?” he asked her, crouching in front of her so that he was at her eye level.

  “I’m okay.”

  “Good. That’s all that matters.”

  “But I tracked paint all over the house.”

  He glanced at the floor behind him. “So did I. I’ll touch up the paint and clean up the mess. No harm done,” Joss assured her.

  It took a moment, but eventually, her shoulders relaxed, and the fear shining in her eyes subsided.

  “We do have a little problem, though,” he told her softly, not wanting to frighten her again. Her gaze followed his down to her feet. “I know this isn’t going to be easy for you, but I’d like to carry you to the bathroom so we can wash your feet. If you don’t want that, you can walk. I won’t be angry. I’ll just clean up more footprints. Understood?”

  She
blinked her big brown eyes up at him a few times. He could almost see the gears in her head working, but he kept his mouth shut, giving her the time she needed to make up her mind.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?” His heart skipped a beat at the thought of holding her in his arms, if only for the few seconds it would take him to get her to the bathroom.

  Chapter 6

  One of the most vivid nightmares Violet had had since her rescue had woken her from her nap. When she’d come out of the room to find Joss gone, the panic she’d shoved aside earlier had reared its ugly head, and she’d rushed out of the house to find him. The relief that had flooded her when she saw him standing at the end of the yard, speaking with Delana, died a quick death when she realized what she had done.

  The wet, sticky paint on the soles of her feet registered as Joss started running toward her. She hadn’t thought. She’d just run. Her fight or flight instinct was strong, and it almost always chose flight. Her horror had exploded when she’d realized she’d made matters worse by decorating his lovely floors with her painted footprints. Yet he sat there on his heels, concern shining in his eyes, asking her if she was okay. He should have been livid, yet he didn’t seem angry in the least. He’d even said he wasn’t.

  Joss wasn’t Karak. It was time she stopped treating him as though he was.

  “Yes, you can carry me,” she said over the pounding of her heart. Deep inside, she knew Joss wouldn’t hurt her, but that fear was hard to shake when she’d been beaten for much smaller offenses almost daily for the past three years.

  He reached down and untied his shoes before standing and kicking them off, not even looking to see where they landed with their wet painted heels. “I’m going to put one arm under your knees, and the other behind your back. Hang on to me if you want, but I won’t drop you even if you don’t.”

  Drop her? The thought hadn’t even crossed her mind. She’d known all along that he was no weakling, but with his shirt off, the proof was right there in front of her. Hard muscle carved his chest and abdomen and made his arms bulge in just the right way, making her feel small and dainty.

  Joss moved slowly, letting her adjust to his nearness. When he lifted her from the bed and pulled her up against his chest, she held her breath. Leaving her arms down felt awkward, so she slid them up around his neck.

  “Still doing okay?” he asked her, his minty breath fanning against her cheek. For a split second, she was tempted to turn her face and brush her lips against his.

  She ducked her head so that he couldn’t see her face or the ridiculous blush that had to be staining her cheeks. “Yes, I’m okay.”

  He turned slowly and took her out of the room. She’d swear Joss sniffed her hair before a soft moan reached her ear.

  “I’ll set you down on the edge of the tub. We’ll have you all cleaned up in no time,” Joss told her as he put her down.

  Joss’s voice had taken a huskier tone while he’d carried her, and something stirred. Not something—someone. The she-wolf buried deep inside her lifted her head, as though taking notice of her surroundings for the first time. She hadn’t roused for much of anything in months. It had been too busy trying to protect her and the baby—and simply surviving—to do much of anything else.

  She followed Joss’s movements as he turned from her and set the water in the tub for her for the second time that day, adjusting it until the temperature was perfect before straightening. He reached into the cabinet, pulling out a washcloth, and then took the soap from the holder.

  When he turned to face her again, she had to tear her gaze away from the rippling muscle display. He wasn’t trying to impress her by flexing and showing off, but he didn’t have to. She wasn’t blind. She noticed how well put-together he was. With his shirt off and his jeans hanging low on his hips, he was a sight to behold. If she didn’t stop staring, she’d be wiping the drool off her chin and giving him ideas she had no business giving him.

  Bringing her gaze to his, she found him smiling at her. Damn, he’s gorgeous. His eyebrows rose, and he looked at her expectantly. When she kept staring up at him, his smile widened.

  What had she missed?

  “I guess you didn’t hear me,” he finally said. “Would you mind lifting your foot for me?”

  Crap. Yeah, she’d been too busy ogling and hadn’t been paying attention. “Sorry.” She did as he asked, and he took hold of her ankle.

  “It’s okay. I don’t know if soap will get rid of it all, but we can’t risk using a stronger chemical on your skin in case it affects the baby.”

  Joss shifted his position, getting down on his knees at the edge of the tub before giving the sole of her foot the first gentle swipe. He took his time, getting between each of her toes even though she was sure none of the paint had made its way in there, but it felt too good to stop him. When he stroked the soft cloth over her insole, she couldn’t keep the moan from slipping past her lips.

  He glanced at her and grinned. “I think you deserve a foot massage.”

  Before she could protest, he dropped the cloth and had both hands wrapped around her freshly cleaned foot. His thumbs pressed into the soft tissue, kneading and rubbing in a way designed to make her melt. Okay, up until a few minutes ago, she would have sworn his sculpted chest was his best physical asset, but his hands were definitely in contention for the title. She tried to keep her moans to herself, but each time one got away from her, his grin came back.

  “That’s one,” he finally said when she was a puddle sitting on the edge of the tub. He set her foot down and took the facecloth, rinsed, and lathered it again, then held his hand out for her.

  She didn’t hesitate, lifting her other foot for him. “Where did you learn to do that?” she asked him. Did he make it a habit of massaging women’s feet? A spark of something that felt way too much like jealousy blossomed in her chest.

  Joss shrugged, making the muscles in his shoulder bunch, drawing her gaze. “I guess I’m doing it right, then? It’s not something I’ve ever done.”

  “I never would have guessed. It feels wonderful. Thank you.”

  He smiled at her again and went to work on her other foot. Neither spoke as he cleaned, then massaged her foot. The tension in her body fell away under his ministrations, leaving her more relaxed than she had been in months, maybe even years. If his hands did that to her with a foot rub, she couldn’t imagine what kind of magic would happen if he set his sights on massaging her whole body.

  The thought of his hands on her back, her legs, and her chest had her body tensing again, but not in nervousness or fear. A fresh wave of awareness flooded her as he stood and reached for a soft towel. Her nipples tightened beneath her shirt, and she was glad he was focused on her feet once more. She had to get those ideas out of her head. Nothing good would come of thinking of him like that. She was pregnant, for crying out loud, and not just a little. If her calculations were right, she had a little over two months to go. There was no way he’d want to do anything remotely sexual with her.

  “There, that should do it,” he said, his voice a little strained. “If you want to wear one of your new outfits, I’ll wait for you in the living room.”

  Before she could say anything, he spun on his heels and was out the door.

  Chapter 7

  Joss waited until he heard the bedroom door close behind Violet before leaning against the wall, closing his eyes and moaning. Having her in his arms, touching her body, being enveloped her scent, had been an exercise of the sweetest kind of torture. But when she’d relaxed, and her sweet sighs had drifted to his ears, it had taken all his strength to continue and not reveal how much her nearness had been affecting him.

  The sounds of her pleasure had brought images of them together to the forefront of his mind. Of him pleasing her in other ways. Her body, naked and on display, willing and waiting for him to taste every inch of her. Blood had rushed to his cock, and he’d been thankful he’d crouched down so she hadn’t been able to see the evidence t
hrough his jeans. Even now he throbbed so hard he could hardly think. He had to do something. Otherwise, his current state would not dissipate by the time she came out, and the last thing she needed was to see him like this.

  With a groan, he pushed away from the wall and headed into the kitchen. He’d get rid of the footprints on the floor. Maybe by the time he finished, he’d be able to stand upright without embarrassing himself—or worse, scaring Violet.

  He was two-thirds of the way done by the time she came out. His breath caught in his throat when he looked up at her. She’d changed into a new outfit. The white shirt hugged her curves, yet left room for her growing belly. Her breasts were on display beneath the soft material, but not in an overtly sexual way, which made him want to moan. The innocent look was as sexy as anything he’d ever seen. The jeans she had on hugged her body, and he had to wonder how comfortable that would be and if it was good for the baby.

  Violet nibbled on her lip and lifted the hem of her shirt, obviously reading his question in his eyes. “It has a panel at the front,” she supplied.

  Huh. Funny, Joss had been around pregnant women before, but he’d never felt the need to question what they wore. With Violet, everything was different. He had to make sure she was comfortable and safe. Always. “That’s good. Are they comfy? You look fantastic, by the way,” he finally said when he found his voice.

  She nodded and smiled. “Very. Thanks again.”

  “Let me get this done, and then we can go. Did you want a snack first? There’s plenty of food in the fridge,” he offered.

  She glanced toward the kitchen but didn’t make a move to go.

  “It would make me really happy if you helped yourself, Violet, but that’s not important. Take what you need for you, and for the baby. You’ve gone without for way too long. It’s time you put that behind you. Go ahead. I’ll only be a few minutes.”