“How do you know it’s mine?” His words were full of hope mixed with fear.
“Because you are the only one who could be his father.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Where have you been?”
“Can we go inside, please? He’s cold and hungry. And I’m tired.”
“Come inside.”
Tate took the diaper bag from her shoulder and led her up the front steps of his house. He opened the front door and she stepped in. The warm air hit her cold face as she looked around at the interior. When she left, Tate was still living with his parents, even though he had taken over the greenhouse business by seventeen. This was the house of an adult man. It was tidy, furnished, and decorated.
A nice, comfortable home. She sat on the couch and quickly lifted her shirt to feed the baby. Tate stood above her, looking shocked.
“You aren’t going to do that here are you?”
“He has to eat. You don’t have to watch.” Tate slowly sank into an armchair across from her, staring like she was some kind of dangerous animal.
“What’s its name?” he asked in a low voice.
“His name is Andrew. After my grandfather on my mother’s side.” She looked from Tate and back down to the baby, guilt turning in her chest. She’d known all along that it was wrong to keep Tate from his son. But she just couldn’t face him after how she left.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Ella? I could’ve helped you.”
“I thought you hated me. I didn’t really blame you for hating me.” Ella felt emotions raging in her heart and gut. She couldn’t make out how she felt. It was all too intense and confusing.
“I still don’t understand why you left.”
For the first time, he looked away, his eyes cast to the hardwood floor. She hadn’t wanted to see him look like that. She’d never even told him she was leaving. She just left and never looked back.
“It was complicated.”
“All those years together. All the times you told me how you cared. I never would have expected you to disappear when I told you.”
“Tate…” She knew he was disappointed. But she had feelings too. He’d hurt her when he’d kept the truth from her.
“Help me understand, Ella,” he said. His voice was a mixture of pleading and anger. She could barely look at his face. She’d never seen Tate look this way. He had always been so confident. Just like the rest of the Montgomery clan.
Ella had always known that Tate was a bear shifter. When they had become friends when she first came to town, she thought he was the cutest boy she’d ever seen. Even at seventeen years old, Tate had been six-foot-two and built like a big muscular athlete. All the girls in school thought he was the hottest boy in school. Ella was no exception.
“Everyone’s been telling me what to do my entire life, Tate. Before my parents got sober and got super religious, they used to be drunk assholes who bossed me around. When they joined the church and stopped drinking, they just became religious assholes who bossed me around all the time.
“We weren’t even allowed to date until after I graduated high school. They had my whole life planned out for me. Then you told me that I was your fated mate. I was only eighteen years old and had just had sex for the first time. And then I learned that my first boyfriend would be my last. I just couldn’t do it, Tate. I had to have some independence. I had to make some decisions for myself. Maybe I made the wrong decisions, but at least they were mine.” Mixed feelings surged in her gut. She was still angry he’d lied to her. It was an anger that had carried her all the way to Fairbanks. That anger still remained, unhealed.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the baby?”
“I couldn’t face you. I was confused.”
“That’s not a good reason to keep a father from his child.”
“I didn’t know what else to do, Tate. I know it was wrong, but I’m here now. And I need your help.” Andrew finished eating and she let him crawl around on the fluffy carpet on the floor.
Ella and Tate watched Andrew crawling around and gurgling at their feet. Tate rubbed his forehead and let out a long, ragged breath.
“You need money?” She felt the angry pit in her stomach explode, but she kept it in check. Of course he would think it was about money.
“This isn’t about money. There’s someone after me, someone very dangerous. His gang is already here. I don’t know how they found me. But if I don’t do something fast, the baby and I are in great danger.”
Chapter 5
Tate couldn’t believe what was happening. His bear was on a warpath inside his head. After all this time, Ella was here, sitting in his living room, with a baby. His inner beast had been quiet lately. Now that Ella was back, every ounce of frustration and rage he’d felt over the last year and a half poured from within.
Tate had known Ella was his from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her. Tate had kept that fact from her, wishing to be her friend during those tender years. Her parents never wanted her to date, especially a boy so much older than her.
They’d wanted her to go to college and become a lawyer. Ella had always been a daring but sweet girl. She hated to play by anyone else’s rules. That was one of the things he loved about her the most. Little did he know, her fear of rules would apply to him in the end, too.
Tate gazed down at the baby. The child’s bright green eyes looked just like his. It was hard to deny that Andrew could be his child, but he didn’t want to believe it.
At that moment, he didn’t want to have anything to do with her. No matter how much his inner bear roared to claim Ella before she ran away again. Tate had already resigned himself to be alone.
Her arrival threw him off balance. He didn’t know what to think or feel. His angry bear certainly knew what to do. His bear showed him visions of kissing her hard on the lips and running his tongue over her swollen breasts, tasting her. The moment she’d lifted her shirt to feed the baby, he couldn’t stop picturing it.
Her story about the dangerous men just made the already confusing situation even stranger. He knelt down on the rug beside the baby and looked up into Ella’s dark eyes.
“Can I hold him?” he asked.
“Go ahead,” she said, her voice tight with anxiety. Tate wrapped his big hands around the baby’s middle and lifted him into his arms. Tate held the little guy to his chest, caressing his soft head.
“Tell me about these dangerous men, Ella. What kind of trouble did you get yourself into?”
“Do you think it’s somehow my fault?” She stood and reached for the baby as if she was about to leave in anger.
He held the baby closer and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. Just sit down and explain what’s going on.”
She grunted and plopped down on the couch, staring at the flickering fire in the fireplace. “I was living with a friend in Fairbanks. We lived on about an acre with two mobile homes. Not a very good neighborhood. A lot of weird things going on. Drugs. Alcohol. After I found out about Andrew, I just worked and kept to myself. Taking care of the baby on the money I was making as a dishwasher wasn’t easy, but I was getting by.”
“You could’ve just told me, Ella. I would’ve helped you. You didn’t have to do it on your own.”
“What’s done is done, Tate. Can’t do anything about it now.”
“Who’s after you?”
“The Glacier Pack.
“Why?”
“This one night, a bunch of motorcycles drove up and parked in front of the mobile home across from where I lived with my friend. The gang went inside the other place. I heard a gunshot. When my friend pulled up in the driveway after work, they slapped her across the face and kidnapped her. They came into our mobile home. I hid behind the water heater with the baby. He slept the whole time. If he’d made a peep, we’d most likely be dead or worse. I left as soon as they drove away. They followed me to Juneau. I just saw them driving down the street. If they find me, I have no doubt they’ll kill me.”
“Who are these people?” Tate asked, anger raging in his chest. Even after everything that Ella had done, she was still his mate. He would protect her to the death. His bear roared in agreement, nearly rabid with rage. He would protect his mate and his baby with every last breath in his body. He didn’t care who opposed him.
“They’re big players in the organized crime in northern Alaska. They cook meth. Deal drugs. Any girl who goes missing in that part of the state, you can bet has been kidnapped by those guys. They’ll take a girl and sell her to some psycho who’ll keep her locked in a cabin somewhere. They have no morals. No restraint.”
Tate growled. The fact that they were shifters posed a serious problem. If they had been humans, Tate would have had no problem calling his cousin Shaw, the state trooper, to arrest the men immediately. Since they were shifters, other things had to be taken into consideration. If his clan angered the northern wolf packs, it could create a shifter feud, which was dangerous for everyone involved. The last thing he wanted to do was bring the northern wolf packs down on the Montgomery clan.
“Can you help me?” she asked, her eyes pleading. She picked the baby up and held him close, bouncing him softly as she paced in front of the fire.
“We’ll have to talk to my brother Brock. He’s the new clan leader. We can’t go after a wolf pack without the cooperation of the Shifter Council, and the northern packs and clans. It could bring serious trouble down to all of the shifters in Juneau. That’s not something I’m willing to be responsible for.”
“They’re already here,” she said, her voice desperate.
“We’ll talk to Brock now. We’ll figure this out.”
They drove over to his brother Brock’s house and knocked on the front door. Tate didn’t know if his brother would be at home or if he would be out on one of his wilderness treks into the backcountry.
The door flung open and Tate’s sister-in-law Ginger stood before him, her belly ripening like a melon.
The freckly redheaded woman looked from Tate to Ella and the baby in her arms. Ginger’s eyes widened. Tate was sure that Ginger had heard the stories about his runaway mate. Tate’s face burned and he frowned. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with the gossip drama now.
“What’s up Tate? Who’s your friend?” Ginger stood back from the door, allowing them to enter. Tate and Ella walked inside. Brock’s house was as warm and comfortable as his own, having been constructed by their cousin Zane’s construction company. Ella sat down on the couch with the baby and Tate turned to Ginger as she closed the door. “Is Brock here?” he asked.
“He’s due back any minute. What’s going on?”
“Ginger, this is Ella…”
Ginger walked into the living room and sat across from Ella. “He’s so cute. What’s his name?”
“Andrew,” Ella whispered.
“Oh my gosh. He’s got the Montgomery green eyes,” Ginger gushed. “What a cutie.”
“When are you due?” Ella said, changing the subject.
“In the spring.” Ginger looked up at Tate, then back at the baby, a sly smile spreading over her lips. “How old is Andrew?”
“He’s six months,” Ella said. Ginger opened her mouth, but Ella cut her off. “Yes, he’s Tate’s.”
At that, Ginger’s mouth dropped. She smiled and nodded. “I knew there was a resemblance. Why didn’t I hear anything about the baby before?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at Tate for an answer.
Tate growled. The door swung open and Brock strode inside, saving Tate from having to discuss the subject any further. Brock looked at his brother, then saw the women sitting in the living room. Everyone in the Montgomery clan knew about Ella. They’d all met her at clan gatherings. Everyone knew she’d left.
“Hey, Tate. Ella May? Is that you?” Brock said, taking off his jacket and putting it in the hall closet. He came into the living room and sat with the women. Tate stood in the corner, scowling with his arms crossed tightly.
“Brock, we need your help. Ella’s in serious trouble with the Glacier Wolf Pack.”
Brock was distracted by the baby, making cooing noises at the child as if that’s all that mattered. Finally, he looked up at Tate.
“What now?” Brock asked. Ella and Tate explained to Brock and Ginger what was going on for the next several moments. When they were done with their story, Brock had a strained expression on his face.
“You were right to bring this to me before you did anything else. This is a touchy situation. We wouldn’t want the northern wolf packs to think the Montgomery clan was jumping to conclusions or trying to manipulate the situation to our own advantage. We can’t just deal with this through human law. We’ll have to bring this to the Shifter Council.”
“How long is that going to take?” Ella asked. “They’re already here. If they find me, they’ll kill me or kidnap me.”
“We’ll have to find evidence that the murder and kidnappings you described actually took place. We can’t make any arrests until we have hard evidence. We shouldn’t even call the police in on this until then. The northern packs can be touchy. They could think that we’re using this as an excuse to move in on their territory. The last thing anybody wants is a shifter war.”
“What can I do until then?” Ella asked.
“You need to get out of town. Hide somewhere out of sight,” Brock said.
“You can use my dad’s cabin,” Ginger said.
“That’s a rough track up the mountain. Snow’s deep up there. Not a good option for them with the baby.”
“Them?” Ella asked.
“I’m sure Tate’s going to want to go with you and protect you. And if he doesn’t, I’m telling him now that he will.”
“I never said I wasn’t going to protect her,” Tate said. The fact that his brother had to make a big deal out of it made him angry. He wanted to punch something. Ever since Ella had left, he had gotten a reputation for being moody and overemotional among his brothers and cousins. It was a reputation he was damn tired of. Even as the youngest Montgomery man, he was the first to have a child. He was a father now, and he was going to act like one.
“I’m sure we’ll be all right alone. We just need to find somewhere safe,” Ella said.
“No way. I’m coming with you. I’m going to protect you. Andrew is a Montgomery, and Montgomerys look out for each other.”
“Take her out to the fishing cabin out on the island. That should keep you both out of sight until we can sort this all out. There are supplies out there, plenty of firewood. You should move before the storm rolls in.”
“There’s a storm coming?” Ginger asked.
“Yes, it’s going to dump a couple inches of snow even down at the lower elevations along the coast. You don’t want to be on the water when it comes in.”
“All right, we’ll take the fishing boat out to the fishing cabin. We’ll leave now.”
“I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come back over CB radio. You two should go now. It’s going to be dark in a few hours.”
Tate drove Ella back to his house and they packed up additional supplies before driving out to the dock where the Montgomery fishing boat was moored. They quickly moved everything onto the boat and were preparing to shove off when Ella gasped loudly behind him. He turned to her and her face was a mask of terror.
“What is it?”
She pointed out across the parking lot towards the street. Tate saw a group of motorcyclists motoring through town. “Is that them?”
All she did was nod her head. Tate unwound the rope that held the boat to the dock and went to the helm. He turned on the motor and pulled the boat out of the harbor and into the bay.
After what those men had done, it didn’t seem fair that it was Ella who had to run. But shifter law was pretty clear about these kinds of things. In order to keep the packs and clans from fighting each other, it was standard practice to have irrefutable evidence before accusing other shifters of crimes through human law enforcement.
Even in case of murder and kidnapping, the Montgomery clan had to abide by the Shifter Council’s expectations. Accusing these men of crimes without evidence could put everyone in danger. Now, the most important thing was that he protect Ella and the baby from these dangerous, murderous men. His angry bear growled in agreement.
Chapter 6
Ella sat with Andrew inside the small cabin below deck. It was a good little ship, but not something you’d want to be stuck in a storm in, especially with a baby.
Even with the heat cranked up, Ella could feel the cold closing in. She shivered and rocked the baby’s car seat on the bed. She was worried. More worried than she’d ever been. At least now she had help. Even if it was from the man she’d been running from for almost two years.
The truth was, she missed him. In all the years they’ve been together, turning from friends into something more, she’d loved him a great deal.
She’d known that shifters had fated mates. Since the shifters had come out to the public in the nineteen fifties, most people knew a little bit about their culture. She’d know Tate for four years and loved him like a first love. When he told her that she was his fated mate, she’d felt betrayed. In all those years, he had never told her. Then all of the sudden, he just expected her to marry him.
Sitting in the boat now, she realized she should have known all along. After they first met, Tate had only tried to be her friend. He was older than her and their age difference had been inappropriate. But they had both played baseball at school and their friendship had blossomed out of that.
Ella just couldn’t take the pressure from every side. Her parents wanted her to be a lawyer, just because it was a good paying job. With her parents on one side and Tate on the other, all Ella wanted to do was run.
She had to find her own little place in the world, and make a life for herself. She needed to make her own decisions and stop letting other people tell her what to do.
As she sat looking at her baby, she wondered if her rebellion had been worth it. At the end of the day, it didn’t matter what anybody else thought. She’d been taking care of herself and her baby all this time. She’d proven to herself that she could do it, even if it was hard.
Shifter Overdrive Page 76