by Abella Ward
Found stared in horror at the woman. How could anybody be so cold? Was she always like this, or had her unnaturally long life turned her heart to stone?
A cheer from the crowd drew Found's attention back to the arena. Alexandru and Vlad, both wearing only pants, had strutted to the center. Vlad, though tall with well-defined muscles, was tiny compared to Alexandru.
Found knew that the smaller Vampire had no chance to win. Alexandru's gaze sought her out and as promised, she closed her eyes.
The fight took longer than she expected. There were cheers and gasps from the crowd. Grunts of pain echoed in her ears and though she longed to open her eyes and see what was happening for herself, she clenched her hands and kept them closed. An earth-shaking cheer suddenly went up.
"You can look now," the Empress patted her hand.
Found's eyes snapped open. Alexandru stood alone, holding the limp, lifeless body of his brother.
"My sons, here is your future Emperor. Alexandru, my heir," the Empress called out.
The Vampires cheered. But even as the crowd chanted his name, Found could only feel sorrow at the slump of Alexandru's shoulders and the gentle way he laid Vlad's body on the ground.
Chapter Ten
Six months after the fight that had promoted him to the Empress's heir, Alexandru sat on the edge of his bed, watching his wife nurse their newborn child. It wasn't yet dawn, but the baby's crying had woken them both. He could not believe that he was so lucky to be blessed with this family.
"The stars were watching out for me," he said, smiling at Found.
She gave him a distracted smile. "What do you mean, love?"
"When I chose you to be my wife, the stars were watching over me. There is no way I could be so lucky to find you if they were not."
Her eyes sparkled. He loved looking at her like this. He would never get enough.
"They were watching over me, too," she said. "All I wanted was to escape that place, but instead, I found myself. I have a husband who loves me and now a child. I never knew before how hollow I felt."
The baby finished nursing and Found lifted her to her shoulder to burp her. Alexandru felt his smile widen and he was certain he was a goofy sight. His little daughter was beautiful. She was human like her mother and perfect in every way. He would teach her to hunt, fish and fight. He would buy her the best silks and laces for her dresses and if anybody broke her heart, he would destroy them.
"We need to decide on a name," Found sighed.
They had not been able to agree on a name. Or rather, Found had not liked any of Alexandru's suggestions, but had been unable to tell him what sort of name she was looking for. It must be difficult, to have no name but one that was given to you not out of love but a necessity.
He reached for her hand. "Darling, she's perfect just the way she is. We'll find a name, I promise." He leaned forward, kissing her, gently at first, then more passionately.
Found's eyes became sultry. "The doctor said I have to either drink three quarts of your blood or wait three months before we can make love again."
Her words made him tighten and he groaned. "Don't speak like that. It makes me want you."
"I know it does. I figure if I must be tortured with desire, so must you."
"How can you even be thinking that way after giving birth just three days ago?" Alexandru shook his head, laughing. "Even without the pain—"
"It doesn't hurt much anymore. I've already drunk… what, one and a half quarts? I think I'm probably healed up already."
The baby let out a burp that seemed too loud for such a small body and they laughed. Found nestled their daughter in her arms, stroking the small red cheeks and fuzzy black hair. It was a surprise, but the baby looked more like her Aunt Wava than either Alexandru or Found. Wava had been thrilled and had made enough clothes that it would be next to impossible for the little baby to wear them all.
"I heard you speaking with the Empress," Found said, a smile crossing her face as she gazed at her husband. "She seems to be very pleased with your work with the Shifters."
Alexandru felt himself swell with pride, remembering his most recent conversation with the Empress. "She is. Negotiations with my brothers are going well and there haven't been any major skirmishes since the Bear Matriarch submitted to me. Even the others–Wolves, Lions, Tigers–they all respect my authority."
"The Emperor of Vampires and the King of Shifters. Is it everything you hoped?"
"More. I have you."
He bent and kissed his wife's mouth, teasing her lips open. With a moan, she pressed herself closer, careful not to jostle the baby. Alexandru chuckled as he withdrew.
The baby's face wrinkled and Alexandru scented a smell, not unlike sour cheese. He held out his arms for the baby. "Little miss needs a diaper change."
***
"You made a stinky, yes you did."
Found had to fight back laughter at her huge, imposing vampire husband talking baby talk to their daughter as he changed her diaper. It made her love him all the more. Every time she thought her heart would burst if she was any happier, he did something that made it swell even further and somehow make more room.
Alexandru's giant fingers deftly fastened the tiny snaps on the baby's sleepers.
Found climbed out of bed. Her body felt a little tender if she walked or sat for too long, but other than that, she was healing faster than she expected. Being a Vampire's bride definitely had its perks. Alexandru drinking from her was off the table for as long as sex was. Having a transfusion of his blood just after giving birth and then drinking a little at every meal afterwards was really helping her get back to her normal self.
She stepped onto their balcony. The sky was beginning to lighten in the east, heralding a new day.
Alexandru came over to her and shifted the baby to one arm so he could bring Found against his chest, kissing her soundly. Found wrapped her arms around him.
"I think I have it," she said suddenly. Her eyes lit up.
"Have what?"
"Her name."
Alexandru nodded, grinning eagerly.
"Dawn."
"Dawn," Alexandru repeated. His smile widened. "You're right. That's perfect. Hello, Dawn."
Found slipped a finger into her daughter's hand, smiled at her husband and watched the rising sun announce the first day of the rest of her life.
*****
THE END
Paranormal Shifter Romance Collection
The Alpha's Secret Son
Description
A curvy single mom PLUS a hot alpha coming home PLUS a secret child
Jace and Amanda were high school sweethearts. Until he got accepted into Harvard and she stayed behind.
One passionate night left her with a surprise... but she couldn’t tell him about it. So he left.
Now, six years later, everything comes falling down...
Jace is a big-shot lawyer, a billionaire, and the Alpha of his werewolf pack. He has it all, including a son that he doesn’t know about. But he’s about to find out. His father is retiring from his Alpha position and Jace is taking over. So he returns to his hometown... with his girlfriend in tow.
Amanda is struggling to get by, sharing her rent with another woman and taking care of her son. She’s never been able to forget Jace. How much longer can she keep her secret from him now that he’s coming back to town? And who’s that woman by his side? She’s not his mate, she can’t be... right?
Chapter One
High school graduation. Parents were hugging their grads, friends were promising to stay in touch, lovers were telling one another that they would always be together, no matter the distance between them. Amanda Fenning wound through the crowd. She smiled and congratulated her fellow grads when they acknowledged her, but for the most part, she was able to fly safely under the radar.
The smell of bodies heated by the blazing sun and heavy black gowns filled her nose, and the sheer amount of noise made her want to press her hands over her
ears. Sometimes the advanced senses of being a Wolf were highly unpleasant, especially when she didn't like crowds to begin with. Where was Jace?
Nausea that had nothing to do with the nerves of being in such close contact with so many people churned her gut. She had been meaning to tell her boyfriend about it for nearly two weeks now, but always found an excuse not to. It wasn't the right time because of college applications, or final exams, or getting ready for graduation. As the Alpha's son, he was expected to meet a lot of people.
He didn't need the added stress that his girlfriend was pregnant.
Amanda made a conscious effort not to cup her belly protectively as she moved past a group of her human classmates. As one of the few Wolves that had been sent to public school instead of being kept on the packlands, she had always felt like an outsider. To make it worse, her natural disposition was shy and withdrawn. She never was really able to fully integrate herself into the school's society, unlike Jace.
Jace. A smile blossomed over her face as she caught sight of her boyfriend, surrounded by his many friends and admirers. As always. And yet, being around so many people wasn't so bad as long as Jace was with her.
He had everything going against him in this school. He was a Wolf from the low-end of the income scale, just like Amanda. Raised on a farm in the packlands.
Whether it was his own personal charm or because of the natural Alpha instincts in him, he was insanely popular. He led all of the school fundraisers, organized social outings, and had even arranged the most successful dry prom the school had ever seen. Everybody loved him, and Amanda was no exception.
"Let the lady through," he called as Amanda attempted to wade through his gaggle of friends. The group pressed back as he strode through them to meet her. He gripped Amanda's hips as he kissed her deeply.
She had seen boyfriends swinging their girlfriends around all day and almost wished that Jace would try it, too. But even though he had started working out and his shoulders were getting broader, she was still too chubby to lift. It would end up just embarrassing both of them. So she satisfied with the rumble of pleasure that he growled, and the second and third pecks on the lips that he gave her before he pulled away.
Jace grinned broadly at her as he slung an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go somewhere we can talk, okay?"
Amanda nodded, letting him lead her away from the press of people. They were stopped a lot on their way out by people giving Jace congratulations and ignoring Amanda, but she didn't mind. She was happy being invisible by Jace's side. It was where she felt the safest, next to him. They were soon in Jace's car, pulling away from the school.
Her mind turned back to her pregnancy. How was she meant to tell him? She knew he was looking forward to university and college, but given his family's financial situation, he probably wasn't going to be able to get anywhere except the local community college, which had free programs for Wolves. They could make that work, the two of them plus the baby. Amanda knew she would have to work instead of pursuing her own education further, but she didn't mind. His or her parents could watch the baby while he was at school and she was at work, at least until they were settled.
As long as the two of them were together, it would be okay.
"You look beautiful today," Jace said as he parked.
Amanda started. She had been so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't realize that they had driven out to their special spot, where they liked to go hiking when things got a little too stressful. She breathed in the smells of the forest, wondering if they could go camping before their summer jobs began. She loved running through the trees in her Wolf form, Jace by her side.
Jace turned to her and smiled, but the smile wasn't as happy as it had been at the graduation ceremony. "Amanda, I got some news yesterday."
Did he know about the baby? Amanda silently nodded for him to continue, her heart pounding.
"I applied for a scholarship, and I got it. And I got accepted to Harvard. The scholarship will pay for my first year."
Amanda stared at him, not comprehending what he was saying. "Harvard?"
Jace nodded. "Yeah. I never thought I'd actually get in, but I did. Starting this fall. Surprising, but not unwelcome."
Amanda got out of the car, sucking in deep breaths. She wasn't expecting this, but that didn't mean things had to change. They’d just have to adjust their plans a little bit. The scholarship meant that he wouldn't need anything extra in order to get by. She would still have to work, though, to help cover the extra expenses of the baby, and help pay for his next year, in case he didn't get another scholarship. But that didn't matter, she would support him. She could get a job in New York. With all those crowds of people…
Was Harvard even in New York? Where was it?
"This is really exciting," she said trying not to let her pounding heart betray her. "Harvard! You've wanted to go there for years. You're going to be a big-time lawyer and earn a billion dollars by the time you're thirty, just like you always said you would."
Jace circled the car and gently pulled her into his arms. "It's a great turn of events. I didn't think I'd ever be able to afford school, if I'm honest."
Despite the fact that Jace was the son of the pack's Alpha, they weren't the most financially well-off members of the pack. Mostly it was because his father had to spend so much time taking care of the pack and mediating disputes that he had a hard time holding down a steady job. It didn't help that at the time when Jace's father was college age, they didn't have the same amount of scholarships that they had these days and hadn't gotten a degree. He had also become Alpha when he was only sixteen, so his high school grades had suffered a lot because he didn’t have much time for homework from that point on.
But Jace was going to have all the opportunities his father never did. Amanda held her hands stiffly at her sides. Where did she, the chubby girl with no aspirations other than settling down with her mate and having a litter of children, fit into this? What sort of Alpha female hated being in the spotlight and avoided public interactions?
An awful, sinking feeling filled her. Jace didn't bring her here just to tell her he was going to Harvard. He could have told her that he got his scholarship at any time. He could have announced it to his group of friends. He brought her to their spot to tell her that she wasn't going to Harvard with him. A small-town Alpha with a small-town job, sure, she could fit in there. But she didn't belong with the prestige of Harvard or his plans for the future.
"So, where is Harvard, exactly?" Her voice trembled, on the verge of breaking down.
"Amanda."
"I can go with you. I'll get a job, and that way when you come home after school, I can make you supper and then you don’t have to stress about taking care of yourself as you do your schooling." Her eyes were burning. "I'll take care of you."
Jace turned her around. Amanda refused to look at him. This couldn't be happening, this had to be some sort of bizarre stress dream. But as much as her eyes burned, she didn't cry. Maybe if she cried he wouldn't break up with her. Jace tucked his hand under her chin, trying to get her to look at him. She pulled away and shook her head. The lump in her throat made it impossible to speak.
As she wrapped her arms around her stomach, she was reminded of the tiny person growing inside her. Would Jace stay if she told him she was pregnant?
"Amanda, I'm so sorry. But you know where this is headed."
She forced herself to nod.
"I love you, but I have a chance to change things. Not just for myself, but for the whole pack. I have to be able to concentrate on the future."
"Because you have no future with me." It wasn't an accusation, just a fact, and the lump in her throat got bigger.
"That's not what I mean. It's not fair to you to drag you out to Harvard and then just ignore you. I'll be busy with my schooling; I'm not going to have time for a relationship." Jace touched her face and she moved back from him again. "Amanda, please. I'm sorry, but I'm doing this for you."
>
She wanted to laugh, to tell him that it had nothing to do with her and everything to do with him. He had his plans, and she didn't belong in them. Not right now, at least.
Amanda looked up at him and opened her mouth to tell him that she was pregnant. He would stay, then. She knew he would. He would stay, and they would be together. Their child would be the next Alpha…
And then what? He wouldn't be able to be a lawyer. He'd get a half-rate degree from a half-rate community college, and all his dreams for the future would be over. His plans for himself, his plans for the pack, would never materialize. He wasn't going to be a lawyer just so he could get rich, he wanted to be able to serve the pack better, to be able to protect them in court as well as solving disputes between pack members. If she took that away from him, he'd never forgive her.
At long last, the tears began to flow. She couldn't take that future away from him or the pack. Even as her heart broke, she nodded.
"I understand, Jace. I'm sorry that it has to end, but you're right. It will be best for both of us if you go and I stay. I wouldn't want to be around all those people, anyway."
Jace wiped one of her tears away with his thumb and embraced her. "It's going to work out, Amanda. You'll see. Everything is going to be fine. It's for the best."
Amanda held him tighter, holding her breath, trying to believe him. But how could her life work out for the best if he wasn't in it?
Chapter Two
Six Years Later
Amanda smoothed her long hair back from her face, hoping that she didn't look as stressed as she felt. It had been a long day at work. As the receptionist in a chiropractor's office, her job was generally low-key and easy. There wasn't a great amount of stress involved, and the clients were generally the upbeat, cheerful kind. There was just the right mix of dealing with people and working alone as well. Most days were relaxed enough that she could even get a little homework done between clients.