by Renee Rose
And fuck! I sure as hell didn’t know when that would be. If she couldn’t even contemplate dating me yet, she wasn’t going to easily wrap her mind around the concept of being mated for life. Especially considering I’d done it without her consent. She’d just thought I’d been a little wild in bed. Nothing more.
“Your parents must be excited,” Dad said.
Becky offered him a small smile. “We’re not close, actually. I haven’t spoken to them in a few years. They won’t be involved.”
Mom’s face fell, and Dad was silent. Shifters were all about family. Blood or chosen. We took care of each other. Becky’s words made me want to track the couple down and bash their heads together for making her think she was an accident. Between her parents and Todd then me not being around—until now—during her pregnancy, she’d probably felt very alone. That ended now. I was sure my parents would see to that as much as me.
“Well, we’re going to be involved. Too involved,” Dad said, and Mom nodded.
Exactly. This was what families did. They got in the way. I was thankful that they were showing her that while getting pregnant had been an accident, our child wasn’t one. It—she—was very wanted.
Becky pasted on a smile. “You have a lovely home, and it… it smells really good in here.”
I laughed, letting her change the subject. “She’s hungry, so let’s put some food in front of her before you blast us with questions.”
I was lucky, and I knew it. Not everyone had parents as kind and open-hearted as Rand and I did. They were a large part of what made our community—our pack—what it was. Rob had been sixteen when he’d become alpha, and Dad had really helped him in those early years. His advice was solid and respected.
Rand and his best friend, Nash, pushed through the front door. “We heard there was lasagna,” he explained, gaze flicking over Becky with curiosity. “We couldn’t turn that down.”
My parents looked at me.
I wrapped an arm around Becky which said plenty in itself. “My brother Rand’s the dark haired one, and Nash is the other.”
They took off their hats and nodded.
“This is Becky and—”
Rand took a deep breath, eyes widening. “She’s your m—”
“She’s our lunch guest,” Mom cut in, saving Rand from sticking his foot in his mouth. “Don’t scare her off before she even takes off her coat.”
Realizing she was right, I helped Becky get out of her jacket and tossed it at Rand. “Hang it up, runt. This is the woman who’s making you an uncle.”
He was far from little. In fact, he was taller and heavier than I was. But he was four years younger and had been small until he hit thirteen. Then, as my mom said, he grew overnight.
He held the coat in his hand as he opened his mouth in an exaggerated “O” and swung a can you believe it gaze at Nash. “No shit.”
“Language, Rand,” Mom scolded then reached out a hand to Becky. “Come into the kitchen and sit down. We’ll try not to overwhelm you. We’re so excited.”
I held a chair out for Becky, and she slid into it, her stomach growling again. I sat beside her, my hand protectively on the back of her chair.
“How did you two meet?” Dad asked as Mom used a spatula to place a slice of lasagna on a plate then passed it to Becky.
She thanked Mom then looked up at me. “At Audrey’s bachelorette party.”
Mom stopped plating the next piece. “You’re friends with Audrey?”
“We work together at the hospital. I’m a nurse.”
“You’ll move into a cabin up here like Audrey and Boyd or stay in town? Oh, you two can live in the rental.” Mom glanced at Dad, who nodded.
“We’re taking things slow,” I said.
Nash hadn’t said a word until now, but he snorted then tried to hide it by taking a sip of water.
“You’ve been gone for… work for some months,” Dad said, taking his lasagna-filled plate and setting it before him.
“I know you work with the horses. Audrey told me. That takes you out of town?” Becky asked.
So many fucking secrets. No one at the table knew I was a council enforcer, so I had to give my usual lie, which came to me really fucking easily by now. “I visit other ranches working with them on their horse programs. Breeding. Things like that.”
She blushed, and I got hard beneath the table at the virile thought that I’d bred her. Mom handed me my plate. Becky waited until everyone was served, her hands in her lap.
“Eat, dear,” Mom said, picking up her fork and digging in. Only then did Becky begin.
“This is so good,” Becky said after she swallowed her first bite then wiped her mouth with a napkin.
“Thank you. All my boys say it’s their favorite.”
“I can see why. And my stomach seems to like it.”
“Weird cravings?” Mom asked.
“Avocados. Cocktail wieners.”
“I love pigs and blankets. Remember, Ma, you used to make those all the time. With mustard,” Rand added, staring off into space as he reminisced about his time with miniature hot dogs.
“If Becky likes them, I’ll make them for her. You?” she shrugged at Rand then gave him a wink. “Only if you give me a grandbaby.”
“We’ve got ultrasound pictures,” Becky offered. “Of the baby. If you—”
“Of course, we do,” Dad said, setting his hand on hers again.
Becky smiled. “It’s in my purse.”
As she started to stand, I did as well. “I’ll get it.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll get it, and if it’s all right, may I use the bathroom?”
“The first door down the hall,” Mom said.
She left the room, and everyone remained still waiting to hear the bathroom door close.
“You claimed her,” Dad said.
“She doesn’t know you’re a shifter,” Mom added.
“She’s having your baby?” Rand asked.
“Holy shit, dude,” Nash whispered.
If it was a shifter in the bathroom, we wouldn’t even be able to talk without being overheard, but Becky wouldn’t be able to hear our conversation.
What they hadn’t said, because they didn’t know, was that I was also an enforcer. It made things even more fucked up.
“When we first met, I had no idea she was my mate. My nose was broken. I won’t share more—”
“Thank you,” Mom cut in, then pursed her lips. I was thirty-four years old. She knew I wasn’t a virgin, but that didn’t mean she wanted details.
“—but I’ve been out of town for Rob. I had no idea about her or the baby until I ran into her at the grocery store the other day. Caught her scent.”
“Only you wouldn’t know a female was your mate.” Rand reached over and punched me on the arm and rolled his eyes.
“Wait until you find your mate and see what happens. You’re going to have a story of your own to share.”
Rand looked to Nash, who shrugged and shoveled a piece of lasagna into his mouth.
“How did you claim her without her knowing?” Nash asked.
I stared at him, then glanced at Mom, whose eyes narrowed at Nash.
“Yeah, never mind,” he added.
“You need to tell her,” Dad advised.
I sighed because it wasn’t as simple as he thought. “I will. There’s a lot to adjust to here. I’m trying not to completely freak her out.”
The bathroom door opened, and there wasn’t time to tell them about her problems with her ex or even the fact that she was still married. My parents wouldn’t care. They didn’t have a legal human wedding and had never expected me or Rand to have one. Todd was her ex and in the past. That was all that mattered to them. But they wouldn’t be happy about the shit he was pulling, and I was sure they’d pull Selena in to help if I hadn’t already.
I’d claimed Becky. She was mine. That’s what they learned when they picked up my scent on her. Nothing else mattered. She wa
s family now.
She came back into the room holding the strip of pictures. “I guess we could call this our gender reveal party.” She sat down and passed the ultrasound to my mom, who put her fingers over her lips as she stared at the black and white blobs.
My dad blinked at me. “I have no idea what that means.”
I shrugged, pointing at the paper in Mom’s hand. “Me neither. But it’s a girl.”
“Ohhhhh!” Mom hugged the ultrasound to her chest. “I can’t believe it.” A film of tears filled her eyes.
Becky took my hand beneath the table, and I gave it a squeeze. We had shit to figure out, but everything was going to be fine.
Dad swallowed hard then looked over at Mom fondly. “You finally get your girl, Janny.”
Rand punched me in the arm again. “A girl who’s going to wrap you around her little finger? You’re fucked, dude.”
“Language, Rand,” my mom admonished, but this time there was a smile in her voice.
13
BECKY
“Oh my God, aren’t you beautiful?” I dropped to my knees in the warm stable in front of the baby foal, just three days old. I was sure it was the hormones—or maybe just coming from the warmth of Clint’s parents’ kitchen and all their joy over our baby—but tears filled my eyes at the sweetness in front of me.
The tiny horse stood on spindly legs, his black coat sleek. He had a white star-shaped marking on his nose, just like his gorgeous mama, Angelwing. She stood behind him and chuffed softly, proud to show her little black beauty off to us.
I thought of Clint’s parents, of how they were proud of him, even though he’d gotten a stranger pregnant. They’d embraced me with open arms. Literally. When my parents had found out I was leaving Todd, they’d been stunned. I’d found a doctor, and I should be thankful for the marriage I had.
As if. When I’d told my mother the list of reasons, like Todd hitting me, she’d asked what I’d done to make him mad.
They’d put their foot down, ashamed to have a divorced daughter, and said if I didn’t stay in my marriage, they’d cast me out. As if they were the example of a perfect marriage themselves.
Cast me out were the actual words they’d used.
Janet and Tom wouldn’t do that to their kids, no matter what they’d done. They didn’t say that, but I knew. They were a family. A real family, and it had felt special to be included.
Extra special, it seemed, when Janet had pulled out the big guns for dessert, brownies with homemade hot fudge. Rand had whined and asked why I got the hot fudge when he never did.
We’d all laughed at his fake pout, and Janet had told him if he made her a grandbaby, then she’d make him hot fudge.
We stayed an hour after that before Clint drove me down the hill to show me where he worked. And this gorgeous four-legged baby.
“Do you want to name him?” Clint asked. He stood beside me, a hand in his jeans pocket.
I glanced up at him. I’d been to the ranch before but never in the stable. This was where Clint spent his time. I delivered human babies, and he delivered foals. We had more in common than I thought.
I set my hand on my chest. “Me? Is that allowed?”
Clint chuckled, tipped his hat back. “Sure, it’s allowed. This is Rob’s ranch, but the horse breeding project is mine.” He crouched beside me and rubbed the little foal’s forehead.
“So his mama is Angelwing,” I said thoughtfully, considering. I reached out to stroke the star on his forehead, too. “Maybe he should be Starshine.”
“Starshine.” Clint stroked the foal’s neck. “What do you think of that, little fella?”
The sweet baby leaned forward and nuzzled my neck. I giggled at the softness.
“I think that means he likes it.”
The sweet scent of hay and the tang of animals filled the air, but it was cozy in here. Warm and safe. “What will you do with him when he grows up? Sell him? Or breed him?” I was suddenly overcome by the desire to beg to keep the animal, even though I’d only ridden a horse twice in my life. I might have grown up about fifty miles from here, but I wasn’t a true cowgirl, not like I would have been if I’d grown up here on Wolf Ranch. Visions of Clint lifting our daughter onto Starshine’s back filled my mind. She’d be a cowgirl. He’d see to it. A rush of longing for just that filled me, but they were only foolish thoughts.
I barely knew Clint. And while yes, he seemed like a stand-up guy and our attraction was off the charts, that didn’t mean we had a happily ever after in our future. I couldn’t let myself believe that, not even with a baby between us. I’d tried to talk myself into that scenario with Todd for years. I’d pretended he would change or could become the perfect father to a family. I’d tried to force my fate to happen for me, and it hadn’t gotten me anywhere except in a pile of dog poop.
So, no. I wasn’t going to sign on with the next guy who came along, even if he was a mountain of handsome goodness who also happened to father my unborn child. I just didn’t believe in that happily ever after thing anymore. Not for me.
Maybe for others, like Audrey had with Boyd. They were having a baby, too. Sure, she’d gotten pregnant before getting married, but they’d known each other, fallen in love.
I wasn’t doing that with Clint… was I?
“I don’t know yet,” he commented, breaking me from my thoughts. “I might keep him for breeding. Depends on how big he ends up growing. But his sire was almost seventeen hands, so he could be a big one.” Clint pinned me with a look. “Why? You want him?”
My lips parted in surprise. Was it really that easy? My face grew warm. “Offering a Montana girl a pony? Yes. God, yes, but that’s stupid. I don’t know anything about horses. I’m sure it’s my hormones, but I feel like I’m in love with this little guy already.”
I rubbed his little nose some more.
Clint shook his head. “No, that happens. Horses seem to pick their person just like wolves pick their life mate.”
Something about his words made goosebumps race across my arms and a wing flap in my belly. “What do you know about wolves?” I asked carefully.
Clint’s gaze locked onto mine. “Quite a bit, actually.” He stood and swept me into his arms, as was becoming his habit.
“Clint!” I cried as he carried me to a stack of hay bales and set me down, caging my waist with his large hands. Oh my.
“Wolves are the most loyal species in the animal kingdom. Did you know that?” He pushed me to my back and crawled over me, his lips finding my neck beneath the collar of my coat.
“What are you doing?” I breathed although I had a pretty good idea.
He licked a line up my neck. “It’s been hours since I’ve had my hands on you.”
“We’re in the stables. Anyone can walk in.” I stared up at the wooden rafters as he kept kissing me, clearly not concerned.
“I’ll hear them.” He cupped my sex, grinding his palm down over my clit. “The grey wolf, in particular, is eternally loyal to his mate, but the entire pack forms life bonds with each other. Only the alpha male and female will reproduce.”
I moaned at the pleasure he was able to pull from me so quickly. In the Wolf stables. God, I would melt for him anywhere. Cody’s storage room. Here. I was a slut for his attention. I was close to coming, and we were wearing all our clothes. What could he do if he got me naked? Or half naked? Or… just sliding my panties to the side. Oh yeah, pregnant. I moaned when he kissed a spot behind my ear and rubbed my clit just right. Damn hormones.
“Y-you must consider yourself an expert on breeding,” I teased, writhing beneath him.
He bit my nipple through my bra and sweater. When he lifted his head, his grin was downright wicked. “Oh, sugar. You have no idea.”
I gulped. “Maybe I do since, you know, I’m knocked up.”
He unbuttoned my jeans—which I wasn’t going to be able to wear much longer—and dragged the zipper down as he gave me a wink. “Did you know male wolves lick a female’s genital
s to test her readiness?” He brought his face between my legs and bit through the fabric. I sensed the heat of his mouth, even through my jeans. When he moved to tug them and my panties down, I lifted my butt to help. As if I was going to stop him. “Same as us, only they’re tasting her hormones.”
Slowly, he took off his cowboy hat and set it on the bale beside me, the entire time keeping his eyes focused on mine. Then he watched me as his tongue slid along my slit.
“Oh my God,” I moaned, my hips lifting into him.
“I’m just tasting your delicious nectar.”
Nectar? Whatever, as long as he didn’t stop. I grabbed his head, pulling his mouth into my dripping core. “Clint,” I moaned, my chin arcing toward the ceiling with pleasure. “I-I’ve been so horny with this pregnancy. I thought for sure it meant I was having a boy.”
Clint made his tongue stiff and penetrated me with it. “I think it means you got pregnant with the right guy,” he said smugly before he returned to treating me to heaven with his tongue. I made a keening sound. My breasts had grown heavy, nipples tight and stiff inside my bra.
“Clint,” I moaned again as he found his way back to my clit. He teased the stiff bud with his tongue then affixed his lips over it and sucked.
I clapped a hand over my mouth to hold in my scream. It felt so good. I didn’t want it to stop, and yet I was desperate for the finish at the same time. “I can’t—I can’t—” I panted.
Clint paused, damn him and looked up at me from between my shamelessly parted thighs. “You can’t what?”
“Please don’t stop,” I gasped. “Oh, please, I’m so close.”
He chuckled, his hot breath bathing my flesh. “I know what you need,” he claimed, the cocky bastard. And he was right. He knew exactly what I needed.
“Why is it like this with you? It’s… intense. I swear, I’ve never felt like this before.”
He growled. Actually growled then softened it with a melty look. “Sugar.” Then he got to work, sucking hard on my clit as he inserted two fingers in my channel, curling them up to hit my g-spot. As an Ob/Gyn nurse, I knew the workings of the female anatomy very well. But it seemed Clint’s knowledge blew mine to bits because when he found my back pucker with his thumb, I left the stratosphere orgasming so hard. My belly jumped, inner walls sucked on his fingers, anus pulled in and the stable spun in circles as I turned inside out.