by Dana Archer
“We don’t have a public restroom.” He tapped the piece of paper taped to the glass countertop that said the same thing.
“But I might throw up. You don’t want to clean that, do you?”
“The pizza shop next door has one.”
The moment she stepped outside, Xander or Vlad would be there, waiting for her. She’d have to watch them argue again. Another sharp pain pierced her. She choked on bile.
“Please.” She pressed the heel of her palm against her heart. “I don’t want my boyfriend to see me like this. I’m pregnant. That’s why my heartburn is bothering me, but he doesn’t know it. He can’t.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “It’s not his.”
The lie rolled off her tongue with ease. At one point in her life, telling any fib would’ve bothered her, but that had been before she’d had to say and do whatever necessary—including committing murder—to protect Molly.
“Oh, geez.” The teenager scrubbed a hand down his face. “Go through there.” He pointed to the door behind him. “Straight across the stockroom to the door on the other side. It leads to the kitchen. If someone stops you, tell them Mikey sent you over.”
“Thank you.” She hurried around the counter, not bothering to look for Lena. She could follow her if she wanted, but Gwen needed to use the bathroom. She hadn’t been kidding about being nauseated.
She hurried through the cramped room and slipped into the pizza shop’s kitchen. An older lady frowned at her sudden appearance.
“Bathroom,” Gwen blurted.
The woman pointed. “At the back of the dining room.”
“Thank you.”
Gwen hurried through the restaurant. A few people glanced her way, but she avoided eye contact. She didn’t want anyone’s concern. She needed to get to the bathroom before she embarrassed herself even more by throwing up. The door marked with the universal women’s restroom symbol, a faceless stick figure wearing a skirt, loomed ahead of her.
Her chest burning and stomach roiling, she stumbled into the bathroom. She grabbed the sink, turned the water on, and splashed some on her face. The cold blast eased the pain some. Deep breaths calmed the churning in her stomach. She gripped the counter’s edge and hung her head.
The water poured from the faucet, splattering cool droplets on her knuckles. She didn’t bother turning it off or moving. She couldn’t. Dizziness made the room spin. Her toes tingled, and her muscles twitched. Her hold on the counter was the only thing stopping her from falling over.
Maybe she wasn’t as healed as she’d thought. But really? What did she expect? She’d been shot yesterday. Paralyzed. The bullet had cut through her larynx and lodged in her spine. Dante had picked the mangled piece of metal off the floor and handed it to her, telling her to keep it as a reminder of Xander’s sacrifice for her.
She slid her hand into her pocket, feeling for the misshapen object. Her finger bumped the lumpy piece. She breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want to lose the bullet or forget the path her life had taken.
A creak sounded. Someone was coming in here. She didn’t want anyone seeing her like this—too weak to function.
She eased away from the counter. Her knees buckled. She gasped, but never hit the ground. Thin but strong arms wrapped around her from behind, saving her from the fall.
“Lena?” Her sister must’ve followed Gwen in after all.
“No. I’m Hannah.” The smooth, lazy edge to the woman’s rich voice surrounded Gwen, urging her to match Hannah’s calmer state.
On a deep inhale, Gwen did exactly that, shoving her anxiety deep. Gripping the counter for dear life, she pulled herself up and glanced over her shoulder. The small woman who’d stopped her tumble was shorter than Lena but not as delicate or thin. Power and strength radiated from Hannah, but with her full curves, deep blue eyes, and black hair, she likely drew as many men to her as Lena did.
Gwen shrugged off those thoughts before the bitterness that had choked her life for years over her inability to capture a certain wolf shifter’s attention surfaced. “Thank you for saving me, Hannah.”
“No need to thank me…”
Hannah’s expectant pause demanded a response.
“Gwen.”
Hannah rested her small hand on Gwen’s arm and turned concerned eyes on her. “I followed you in here because you didn’t look well. I’m glad I did. You’re obviously not feeling okay, are you?”
That was an understatement. “I’ve been better.”
“Do you need me to call somebody for you? Or help you home?”
Gwen shook her head and instantly regretted it. The room spun, but Hannah’s hand never left Gwen’s arm. The touch grounded her. She breathed shallowly until Hannah’s pinched features came into view.
“No. I’m fine. Really. Just light-headed. It’s to be expected.”
“It is?” Curiosity laced the question.
Continuing the lie she’d told the clerk, she nodded slowly. “Yes. I’m pregnant. Eleven weeks.”
Hannah’s brows raised in disbelief. She swept her gaze over Gwen, lingering on her belly before meeting her eyes. “And you’re eleven weeks along?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t the baby’s heart beating by that point?”
“Babies. I’m having twins.” That was most common for Royals.
“Twins?” Hannah’s eyes widened more. “That is exciting, but are you sure?”
Gwen glanced at the floor as longing skipped through her. Twins would be fun. She could dress them alike. Hold one in each arm. Drive herself nuts chasing after them once they got older. She wanted to experience it all. If she could conceive Xander’s babies, anyway. At least in this fantasy she was spinning she could. “Yes. I just left the doctor’s office where I got to hear their heartbeats for the first time.”
In a quick move that tore a gasp from Gwen’s throat, Hannah squatted, then pressed her ear to Gwen’s belly.
“What are you doing?” Gwen pushed at Hannah’s shoulders but couldn’t budge the other woman.
On a derisive sound, Hannah stood, then leaned against the wall opposite the sink and crossed her arms over her chest. “Lying is not very becoming, Gwen. It’s also incredibly stupid to do around other shifters. If you were pregnant, I’d be able to hear your babies’ heartbeats. And if you’d lost them in the past few hours, my wolf would’ve sensed their death on you too.”
Gwen inhaled sharply and inched away from the shifter female eyeing her with disdain. At the door, Gwen reached for the handle. Her knees gave out.
Hannah was there, catching Gwen before she hit the floor. Gently, she helped Gwen into a sitting position, then grabbed the edge of Gwen’s jacket and tugged, exposing her mate bite. Gwen slapped a hand over the raised scar, but it was too late. Her secret was out, and this shifter knew it.
“How long ago were you mated? Or are you going to lie about that too?” Hannah challenged Gwen with her focused gaze.
Gwen tried to count the hours, but the events since leaving the snowy cabin where she’d been shot ran together. “I don’t know. More than twelve hours but less than a day. Sixteen, maybe?”
“Less than a day?” Shock raised Hannah’s voice. “No wonder you’re dizzy. What are you doing walking around?” Hannah glanced at the bathroom door. “And why aren’t your mates coming in here? Don’t they care you’re in pain?”
“Mate, not mates. And he wouldn’t feel my pain. We’re not mated completely. He doesn’t own a piece of my soul, so he can’t feel me.” Gwen sighed. There was no point hiding anything. She only hoped Xander wouldn’t be too angry with her for spilling the details. It wasn’t as if she had any other choice. “Please don’t tell anyone. I’m supposed to keep this a secret. He doesn’t want his pack to know about me.”
Hannah squeezed the bridge of her nose. “He mated you to save your life, didn’t he? Not because he loved you and planned the mating.”
“Yes, I’m his true mate, though. We would’ve gotten to this point eventually, anyway.”
Of course, being his true mate hadn’t been enough the last two times their paths crossed.
“I’d assumed. It’s impossible for a shifter to mate a human who isn’t his true mate. Our animals won’t want to waste our only chance to breed on a partner they view as weak.”
A noose tightened around Gwen’s chest, and her stomach dropped at the implication of Hannah’s words. The short blip of the memory Xander had shared with her of his wedding night to Elizabeth flashed before Gwen’s eyes. He’d been about to reveal his thoughts on why he’d married Elizabeth instead of mating her. Was this the reason? He’d viewed Elizabeth as too weak to bother mating.
“And it’s not like we can force our animal to give a piece of its soul away,” Hannah went on. “I’d imagine it’s even more difficult for Royals with three animals. Each might want something different, but they all have to agree.”
“Xander’s wolves have to give me a piece of their souls?” He hadn’t mentioned that. What if they were the ones who viewed her as unworthy?
“Ah.” Hannah nodded. “Look, maybe your mate should be the one telling you this.”
“No. You’re here. Please, tell me.” Because if it was something bad, there was a chance the facts might get twisted or kept from her. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d been left in the dark. Her parents, Lena, and Vlad had done so where Molly was concerned, thinking to spare her the horrid details of her little sister’s past. How she’d been tortured and experimented on. How she’d been turned into an anomaly. How she was feared. The lack of information had only made things worse.
“A complete mating, as you call it, is soul-bonding. It’s a meshing of souls—his, yours, and his wolves. That’s the only way to guarantee you’ll stay together for eternity.” Hannah linked her fingers, as if she were praying. “Our souls are like our own personal sun. If we give a piece away, it leaves a hole.” She widened her hands, forming a space between her palms. “Until we take a piece of our mate’s soul to fill the hole, we’re not complete. Some shifters prefer it that way. If their mate dies, they won’t die too. They’ll just live out their life with that hole in their soul.”
On a weary sigh, Hannah leaned against the base of the sink and propped her arm on her bent knee. A large diamond ring dominated her small hand. “And I hate being the one to tell you this, but unless Xander soul-bonds with you, you’ll live out your human life, then die while he lives forever.”
“And he’ll be alone.” Who would calm his wildness? Or give him peace?
Hannah studied her. “You want the ugly truth? Or something to pacify you.”
“The truth.” Gwen had endured enough hand-holding to last her an eternity.
“Not alone. He’ll take other lovers.” Hannah nibbled on her lip, a pained look on her features. “Maybe even while you’re still alive.”
“Excuse me?” This woman didn’t know Xander. How could she assume he’d cheat on her? “How dare you say that? Your assumption is unfounded and cruel.”
Hannah held up a hand. “I don’t mean for it to be. You asked for the truth. I’m telling you what I know of shifter males. For those who aren’t soul-bonded, monogamy is rare, even while their mates are alive. For females, though, it’s expected.” Hannah shrugged. “Sucks, I know. Such is shifter culture. Our males are possessive of what belongs to them.”
Xander had already hinted at the latter when he mentioned their mating laws. At the thought of Xander with other women, however, a dark, dangerous emotion slithered through Gwen.
He’d given her a piece of his soul. He was hers. She wasn’t sharing him with anyone else, but in the end, it didn’t matter what she wanted. She’d seen enough failed relationships, including Lena and Vlad’s, to know that commitments only worked when love was involved. Lust and ownership meant little in the long haul.
“Oh.” Gwen didn’t know what else to say, but the awkward silence demanded she respond.
“I know, I know.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “Some of our laws are ridiculous, which is why in the human world, I’m married to one of my mates, but in the shifter world, I’m mated to the other.”
Gwen gasped and covered her mouth to stifle the sound. “You’re the Jager alpha’s mate?”
Hannah smiled. “I’m Hannah Reynolds-Jager. My mates are Ethan Jager, alpha of the Jager pack, and Noah Reynolds, our top dominant.”
“Gwen?” Lena’s muffled voice sounded panicked.
“We’re in the bathroom,” Hannah called out. She hefted Gwen to her feet and fixed her clothes, hiding Gwen’s mate bite, then steadied her with a hand at her waist.
The bathroom door flew open. Lena glanced from Gwen to Hannah. “Oh shit.”
Hannah laughed. “Well, you’re in the right place for that.”
Lena smiled and shut the door behind her. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. Gwen and I were just talking.”
“Well…this is a bit awkward.” Lena cleared her throat. “I know introductions between neighboring shifter groups should be done formally, not in the bathroom of a pizza shop. Please know they were planning on it, but their alpha hasn’t gotten the chance to do so.”
“Oh.” Hannah cocked a brow and shot Gwen a questioning look. “Gwen hadn’t mentioned that her male’s pack was moving here.”
“Actually, the Winchester pack has been living here for as long as the Alexander pride has been here,” Lena said on a sigh.
“And they didn’t think to introduce themselves?” Hannah’s eyes narrowed and her voice hardened. “That could be means for starting a pack war.”
“I know. It wasn’t intentional. Their alpha has been absent for several months.” Lena glanced over her shoulder at the door. “He’s home now, and if we don’t get outside soon, Xander is going to barge in here.”
“Xander?” Hannah’s scowl faded, amusement replacing the irritated look. She grinned. “Then we should go outside so I can invite the alpha of the Winchester pack to our home for dinner.”
Chapter 20
The sight of Gwen walking between Lena and an unknown wolf shifter female tensed Xander’s body. He gave a sharp tug on the tethers connecting him to his wolves, demanding their obedience, and stepped away from the other males.
He stood, arms loose at his sides and legs widened. Although the tiny female didn’t appear dangerous physically, strength and confidence radiated from her. No doubt she held a dominant role in her pack. A weaker shifter—male or female—would never hold his gaze so boldly.
The woman quickened her pace, reaching him before Gwen and Lena, and held out a dainty hand with a large diamond ring and wedding band on her finger. “Hello, Xander Winchester, alpha of the Winchester pack. I’m Hannah Reynolds-Jager, the alpha female of the Jager pack.”
His twin, Xane, had mentioned the female when he’d shared the gossip of their neighbors, but Xander hadn’t expected the woman causing such upheaval among the Shifter Council would be this petite female in front of him, waiting to shake his hand.
Xander looked from her hand to her face. “Shifters do not greet each other in such a human manner.”
“No, but unfortunately, my mates aren’t here to do this formally. I am, so this is my version of the ritual greeting, as I do not imagine either Ethan or Noah would appreciate me hugging you and exposing my throat to you. This will have to do.” Hannah smirked. “If you feel the need to kill me, you can yank me close and rip out my throat. If you accept me and mine as your neighbors in peace, then you can shake my hand.”
Xander chuckled and took Hannah’s hand, matching her grip as he would’ve had she been a male he viewed as his equal. “I regret that our introduction occurred here, months after my pack’s arrival, but I’ve been out of town.”
“I’d like to ask what was so important to make you abandon your pack for so long, but I won’t. It’s none of my business, especially since your pack mates haven’t threatened mine.”
Hannah’s words invited a willing disclosure of his whereabouts and reasons
for his absence. Neighbors or not, she didn’t need the information, especially when his pack mates wouldn’t be getting it either. Only Xane deserved the details.
“Well, then.” Hannah cleared her throat after the long moment of silence. “I should head home. My mates are expecting pizza for dinner. While I didn’t order enough for guests, I hope you and your mate will join us tomorrow.”
“I’m not mated.” The lie tore a growl from his wolves and left him with a sick feeling in his gut. He kept his gaze on Hannah’s face and fought the urge to glance at Gwen. No doubt his words had hurt her.
“Really?” Hannah’s eyes widened. “Have you recently become alpha?”
“No. I’ve been alpha for many years. It’s not uncommon for Royal alphas to remain unmated, especially when we have a twin who can accept the spirit if something were to happen.”
“Understandable, but haven’t your wolves urged you to take a breeding partner? The drive is powerful for single shifters.”
“Immortality changes things. Our animals understand this. Eternity is a long time to spend with the wrong female.”
“And you’ve been searching for the right one for many years, haven’t you?” Hannah studied him as if she could see right through him. “Because you feel old to me, very old. I imagine it’s been difficult going through the centuries knowing your true mate was out there somewhere and not being able to find her. I was lucky to have found my true mates so quickly. If fate is kind to us, we’ll have many, many years together.”
Hannah had led him into a trap. Likely, she didn’t realize it. Or maybe she did, if the intensity of her stare were any indicator. Either way, her statement left him in a sensitive position. Gwen knew their paths had crossed, but the parking lot of a human town in front of other shifters was not the place to discuss the mistakes he’d made.
“It is difficult.” Vlad stepped next to Xander. “Especially when circumstances and social norms prevent matings to occur the way our goddess intended them.”
Hannah’s nostrils flared. She flicked her gaze between the two of them and grinned. “Yes, society’s rules can be difficult to overcome, but not impossible. I’m proof.”