Dr. Allen turned to Shana with tears in her eyes and gently told her, “Shana, you’re pregnant, about five months according to the ultrasound I just did. I’m so sorry we didn’t find out earlier, but the symptoms of your extreme anxiety mimic pregnancy.”
Say what? I can’t be pregnant.
“It’s too late for an abortion, but have you considered adoption?”
“Adoption? I haven’t considered pregnancy. Did you tell my parents?” She let the tears roll down her cheeks as she clutched her stomach.
“I know this is a shock and I’m truly sorry. In California if you’re a minor and pregnant your doctor can’t tell your parents without permission. Normally it gives the young woman a chance to abort the fetus if that’s an option. To be honest, Shana, you’re way past the point of getting an abortion and you’re going to have to tell your parents.”
“How is it possible I didn’t realize I’d become pregnant? No, I would have known.” Holy Hell, five months. Shana started to panic. What will my parents say? Haven’t they all been through enough?
The truth was…it was only just beginning.
Chapter 1
“How was the conference?” Jake, the pack Alpha, spoke with his Second and best friend, Conner Matthews.
“Fine. I understand why we have to travel so often, but it does get a little…exhausting.”
Their pack traveled frequently in an attempt to search for their one true mate. Once a month, one of the pack would travel for about two weeks under the guise of going to a conference. They would travel to a different town or even state to fine their fated mate, the only person who could complete them.
“I thought I caught her scent in Petaluma, but it faded. I tried to track it, but lost it in the local police station. Too many sweaty bodies covered up her scent. All I could smell was fear and anger. It is so frustrating to be so close and yet fail.”
“Be patient. At least you know where to focus your search and I’m delighted you’re so close. When’s your next trip?” Delighted might be stretching it, more like jealous. Jake was ready to settle down and start a family, a wife and cubs.
“I don’t have any plans yet. Maybe in a couple of weeks I’ll go back and try again. After all, I have responsibilities here.”
“I think the pack can spare you for a couple of weeks if you change your mind. I wouldn’t want to give up either. How was it? I’ve never caught my mate's scent?”
Conner could smell Jake's sadness. Conner was frequently with Jake when he came home from his many trips, but he’d never had a positive outcome like Conner. The world was so large and it’s not like a mate just fell into your lap.
“Tell you what. Buy me breakfast and I’ll tell you all about it. That way you can catch me up on pack business.” Conner smiled and winked making Jake roll his eyes.
The pack lived in a small town, population 12,000. There was one of everything. One post office, one fire station, one police station and one diner. It was a mix of shifters and humans, and they got along pretty well. Mostly because no one knew about the shifters. It was all kept hush, hush.
The diner was named Bright Day Café’ and had the best food in town. It was a shifter-run business so they served larger than normal portions for the shifters who had significantly higher metabolisms. The hostess was pack and sat them quickly after a slight bow to the Alpha and Beta of the pack.
Shifters were magical beings that were born, not made. If a shifter bit a human it would hurt, but they wouldn’t then turn into a shifter. Also, shifters could turn whenever they wanted to, not based only on the full moon like werewolf myths. Pack hated to be referred to as werewolves; it was insulting.
Upon entering the cafe Jake took a big sniff of the familiar scents that he'd grown up with; his eyes closed in pleasure. He had lived in this town all his life and remembered when his parents used to bring him in on Saturday mornings. It was a haven for him.
Today, however, there was something new in the air. Jake smelled the food and coffee, but also a lingering scent that smelled divine. Vanilla ice cream? It was such a wonderful smell that he got lost in it for a while.
Jake was startled to hear Conner yell from the table, “You plan on eating, or you just gonna stand there?”
Jake turned to the hostess, Betty, asking, “When did you guys start serving ice cream for breakfast?”
Jake simply stood there and breathed, feeling refreshed and alive. He was lost in that scent and barely heard her response.
“Uh, you feeling okay, Jake? The menu hasn’t changed in years. The special today is eggs benedict. If you’ve a hankerin’ for some ice cream, I can run to the shop down on the corner.”
Jake felt confused. He looked to Conner “Do you smell that? It’s the best thing I’ve ever smelled in my life.” Oh my God, am I really getting aroused from ice cream? He was popping wood right in front of the hostess booth at the cafe. He tried to hide it by angling his hips to the door. He hadn’t had a spontaneous boner since his early twenties and never because of food.
Betty gave a shy smile and blushed, obviously noting the bulge in his jeans.
Well, shit.
Conner, however, looked at him as if he’d won a prize. The grin on Conner’s face made him look younger and happy, not like a wolf coming off a failed trip to find his mate. He looked like a surfer boy with a lean six foot frame, shaggy blond hair and a playful, happy personality. Unless he sensed a threat to the Pack.
“Do you want to take that scent and bathe in it then wrap it around your body and never let it go? Does it fill you up like nothing ever has? Make you feel happy, safe and at home?”
Yeah, Jake felt all of those things, but with an extreme that was almost scary. He needed that scent like he needed his wolf. Shit!
“You dolt. You’ve just picked up the scent of your elusive mate. Congrats, boss man; she’s come to you.”
My mate. My future. She’s come to me.
He couldn’t believe it. He just stood there in shock, staring at Conner. He had dreamed of this moment for, well, all of his life.
“I know how you feel, but if you don’t want to lose her scent you better get tracking. I’ve got your back. You gonna do this as you are?” Conner looked around. “Or are you gonna change?”
Trying to hurry, Jake questioned Betty. “Was there anyone new in today?” Silently, he thought, who smelled like dessert.
“Yes, there was a woman and child, a boy. The boy smelled happy, but the mother smelled scared and kept looking for someone to jump out at her, eyes always scanning. They were here about a week ago as well. Just moved to town a couple weeks ago.”
“My mate has a child. Was there a man with them? Maybe the child’s father? Was there even a scent of a man on her?” Why did he feel like he was on a ride? Up, down, up, down. He had little control over his emotions and everyone in the café was looking at him.
“No scent of a male that I could tell. Only mother and child. Last week when they came in there was no male either,” Betty said calmly but her eyes were wide.
“Hold us a table, Betty, we’ll be back. And we’ll be hungry,” Conner said. Looking at Jake, he prompted, “Well, what are we waiting for? The longer we wait, the more her scent will fade on the wind. Get along, little doggie.”
Jake growled, then said, “You did not just call me a doggie,” in his most Alpha I-could-kill-you-with-my-little-finger voice.
“Uh, sorry, boss. Let’s go.”
* * * * *
Shana was in a hurry. Trevor started school tomorrow and they had to check out the school one last time. She wasn’t sure how she felt about her precious baby starting kindergarten. She would be alone, again. Trevor filled a void that she didn’t know she even had. He had kept her sane when she felt like she could fall apart at any moment.
This new town was perfect. Small, united and it felt secure; as secure as she could feel. Trevor had jumped for joy when he saw their new house. The school was gated, which was a major factor in
them moving to this particular town. You drop your child off at the gate and, during school hours, the gates were locked and the only entrance was through the office, which was always staffed. Perfect!
Trevor was such a happy kid. However, he had an unusual gift. Every once in a while he would gaze far away like he was watching an invisible TV. During those times, he would have visions. Just like her granny.
She was afraid that he wasn’t ready for school, or she was afraid she wasn’t ready for him to go to school. She was worried that he would be made fun of, or get hurt, or cry. He kept telling her not to worry, that he had a vision and he knew he was going to be happy at school. He also mentioned, with a frown, that she would finally find ‘happiness.’ That they would both have a reason to smile for a change. She often felt left out because Trevor knew what was going to happen while she was left in the dark.
They had to move three weeks ago because one of Ryan’s prison buddies, Jerry, was released and had made a promise to tell Shana that Ryan was coming for her. He didn’t just leave the message but kicked her door in and tried to take her. She shivered remembering his words, ‘Ryan didn’t tell me what a fine piece of ass you were. Maybe I’ll keep you for myself.’
Luckily for her, Katie, yep Katie Ward ‘call me Katie,’ was upstairs playing with Trevor. She heard the scream and came to her rescue gun in hand.
The man was now in jail, but the episode left Shana feeling unsafe. So, she moved and only told her parents and Katie her new address. Katie was the officer that found her during the worst afternoon of her life and they became fast friends. Katie wouldn’t allow Shana to dwell on what could have been. Shana laughed at the fact that she tried to push Katie away but she just kept showing up. She was a good guy, figuratively.
Shana got a job as a nurse at the local emergency room to support her and Trevor. She made good money and didn’t want it for anything-except safety and security.
“Mom, are you okay?” She must have been frowning.
Trevor was very attuned to her moods. He knew she often had sad thoughts of the past. Thanks to him she no longer had panic attacks. She forced herself to keep it together and be strong for her son.
“Sure, buddy. Just thinking about my new job, and your new school. This is a new start for us and I’d like to have this town be where we put down roots. Where we live forever. What do you think?”
“I like it here, mom. I miss grandma and papa but you said we could go see them soon, right?” He gave her puppy dog eyes.
“I’d like to see them soon too. Maybe we’ll go see them in a couple weeks so that you can tell ‘em all about your new school.
My parents had moved to Reno, about three to four hours away. They retired and wanted to get away. They love us but wanted some distance from their house in a town where so much had happened; grief always shown in their eyes.
“We’re here. Doesn’t this look like a great place to get an education?” Shana said, smiling.
“Uh, sure, mom. Can I go play with those kids over there while you talk to the teachers?” He could sense her hesitation.
“Mom, I’ll be fine. You can watch me from the window. Pllleeeaaasssseee,” he begged.
Laughing, she said, “All right, just stay where I can see you. Okay? I’ll only be about fifteen minutes and then we’ll go home. Have fun, kiddo.”
Chapter 2
“I can’t believe you lost her scent,” Conner said, a bit amazed. “You’ve never lost anyone’s scent before.”
“You don’t think I realize that, Matthews.” Conner could tell Jake was mad because he was calling him by his last name. His mate walked past the one ice cream parlor in town and her scent got mixed up with all the other sweet smells. Damn, he’d never been this pissed off at himself. He wanted his mate! He wondered about her looks and life. He ached for her.
“What now, boss man?” Conner asked with some hesitation. He could see Jake was on the edge and he knew how it felt. He himself was a raging dick last week when he couldn’t find his mate.
“Well, let’s get some ice cream and I’ll take you back to the office. I’ll drop you off, then go see my parents. My mother would be pissed if I didn’t tell her. Plus, my family would never miss a chance to poke fun at me for losing her.” Hopefully, pretty soon he’d be taking a vacation/honeymoon with his new mate.
* * * * *
“I thought you said we could go home after you met my teacher. Why do we have to do this now? It is a school night,” Trevor whined.
“It will only take a moment honey and then we’ll go home. I’ll even make you your favorite dinner tonight.” She just needed to sign the papers for the new security system she was having installed. She felt exposed without it. Vulnerable.
“Spaghetti, you promise? Only the noodles, meat and sauce.”
“Fine, if you stay by my side and be good. I’ll leave out the veggies.” He hated vegetables so she would try and cut them up and cook them in the sauce. She had tried all different kinds of vegetables but he always found them. He ate them too because he was a good boy but he enjoyed the meal more without them.
“Deal,” he said, victorious, and got out of the car.
Walking into Twilight Lookout and PI, Shana approached the counter. “Hello, I’m Shana Dunn; I’ve come to sign some paperwork for my new home security system,” she said to a large man sitting behind the counter. She could tell even though he was sitting that he must be over six feet tall with a muscular build and short brown hair.
“Hello, Ms. Dunn. I’m Grant Calhoun; I believe we spoke on the phone earlier. Welcome to town,” he said as he stood up and extended his hand to shake.
She took a step back as he stood and then realizing what she had done she walked to him and, not wanting to be rude, accepted his hand in a friendly shake. “Please, call me Shana. The town is lovely and the people have been very welcoming.”
“What brought you to these parts?” he asked, noticing her sudden scent of fear and weariness.
“I’ve been looking for a nice place to settle down and raise my son. The schools here are great.” Partial truth. Really after the incident where Ryan sent his prison buddy after them, she had to get away.
Trevor poked his head out from behind Shana and smiled.
“Hello there, little man. What’s your name?” Grant bent down and held out his hand to shake.
“I’m Trevor but I’m not little. I’m going to start kindergarten tomorrow and mama says I’m growing like a weed. Huh, mama?”
“That’s right, big boy,” Shana agreed, smiling.
“Mama said she just had to sign some papers and we could go,” he said with authority. “I’m hungry and she promised spaghetti.”
Smiling, Grant stood to retrieve the papers from the counter. “Well, I won’t hold you up then. Here are the papers for the system you’ve chosen. That’s a pretty advanced setup you want. We don’t get much crime around here.”
Shana heard Grant inhale deeply, and watched him smile and wiggle his nose. “You smell really good,” he said to Shana.
“Excuse me?” she said looking affronted. He did not just say that to her, did he?
He could smell her fear and anger. Oops, he didn’t mean to upset her. He thought it was a compliment. “Uh, I’m really sorry. I was just saying your perfume is lovely. I didn’t mean to offend.”
“Just give me the papers, please. Are you going to run the system off the pre-existing setup in the house?”
“Yeah, we just need to reprogram it tomorrow and add the advanced features you requested. What time is best for you?”
“I’m off work tomorrow because it’s Trevor’s first day of school. I should be home by nine in the morning.” Hesitantly, she asked, “Will it be you that comes over or one of your other employees?”
“I’m scheduled to do the work but there are several other people available if you’d like them to come instead. It won’t take very long.” What was going on? This poor woman acted like the world wa
s gonna end. Since their security company began there had only been one real episode; some high school kids trying to break into a house and steal a TV. And they were from another town.
“I would appreciate it if you were to be the one to stop by, Mr. Calhoun. I don’t let unfamiliar people into my home and although we just met, I’ve spoken to you several times over the phone and feel somewhat comfortable with you.” Her cheeks pinked. She sounded embarrassed to admit something like that to him.
Grant thought, maybe, she was coming on to him but he didn’t scent arousal or even the barest hint of interest.
“The panic button, who will it alert when pressed?”
“Please, call me Grant. I’d be happy to do the reprogram tomorrow. The panic button is set up to alert every employee by a pager system and an alert is sent straight to the sheriff. We would all respond.” After all, the sheriff was Pack, but she didn’t need to know that. “Are you in trouble, Shana?”
“No,” she responded quickly, maybe too quickly. “Thank you for your time Grant and I’ll see you tomorrow.” Finally, her home would be safe for her son and herself.
“See you then ma’am, and very nice to meet you, Trevor. Good luck tomorrow at school,” he said with a smile and a wave as they walked away. He felt unsettled. There was something she was hiding and he wondered if it would endanger the pack. He made a mental note to talk with Jake about it later.
Chapter 3
Conner walked into Twilight Lookout and PI, one of the Pack owned businesses, after an angry Jake just about pushed him out of the truck. It was the PI and security company that was run by Jake, Grant, his brother, and Conner. He walked in and was hit with the scent of his Alpha’s mate. Shit. He pulled out his cellphone and dialed Jake.
An Alpha's Trust Page 2