Scarlet Roses: Book Two of the NOLA Shifters Series

by Angel Nyx

  Izzy swallowed. “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure. I swear I felt a jolt of electricity when he touched my hand. It was...okay, don’t think me weird but, it was kind of...hot.”

  Eme stopped and studied her. “Let me ask you a question, Izzy. Is there any chance you might have some shifter blood in you?”

  Izzy gave her a puzzled look. “Not...that I know of. I mean, I don’t really know that much about my parents. They died when I was a baby and I was raised by a guardian. Why?”

  “Because, girl, what you’re describing is the way a shifter feels when he or she meets their mate.”

  Izzy stared at her. “Really? That’s crazy, isn’t it? I mean, can a shifter’s mate be human?”

  Emelise shrugged. “If there isn’t any shifter in your blood then it looks like it can be. Don’t worry too much about it. Today, just have fun, okay?”

  “Sure.” Her mind was already puzzling over it though. She was going to have to dig into her family’s past, something she’d been reluctant to do, in order to find out more about her parents and her ancestors.

  Emelise

  Emelise made her way back to Caine’s side once she’d introduced Izzy to everyone. Music was playing, people were laughing, and the kids were running around chasing each other. She was almost knocked off her feet when Hailey ran into her and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Hailey? Pumpkin?” She could hear the little girl’s sniffling. She scooped her up and was instantly worried when Hailey buried her face in her shoulder.

  “I miss my Mama,” she whispered.

  “Oh, sweet pea. I know you do.” Her arms tightened around her gently.

  Caine happened to look up at that exact moment and frowned. “What is it?” He, too, heard his daughter’s soft cries and growled. “What happened?”

  “Don’t be growling at me. Hailey’s missing her Mama.” Before Caine could respond, the mother of one of the boys Hailey was playing with, approached them.

  “Alpha, Emelise.” She inclined her head at them. “Jared has something he’d like to say.”

  The little boy looked up at his Alpha and swallowed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make her cry.” He looked on the verge of tears himself.

  Emelise turned to Caine. “Why don’t you take Miss Hailey inside, get her a Popsicle while she calms down.”

  Caine took his daughter into his arms, gave his mate a look, and went into their home.

  Emelise knelt so she was eye level with the boy. “Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

  “We was all talkin’ and playin’ and...I asked her where her Mama was. Cuz we know da Alpha is her Papa. I didn’t know it would make her cry, honest!”

  “It’s okay. I know you didn’t.” She stood back up and raised her voice. “I need all of the kids gathered up and brought over here for a moment. There’s something I need to say and I don’t want to have to chase them all down one at a time.” It took several minutes before they were all standing in front of Emelise. “I know y’all are probably wondering the same thing Jared is. Where is Hailey’s Mama? Well, you see, her Mama got really sick and recently passed away. Caine didn’t know about Hailey until just this week or she would have spent time here before now. The reason she started crying was because she’s sad. I know you didn’t mean to upset her, Jared. It’s okay. When she comes back out you can tell her how sorry you are that you made her cry. I just want all of you to understand, she’s a very sad little girl right now so if she starts to get upset about something, I want y’all to promise me you will try to make her feel better. Can you do that?”

  “Her Mama died?” Jared’s face scrunched up. “Dat’s so sad. I don’t tink I’d ever stop cryin’ if my Mama died.” Several other kids echoed his words. “I promise, Miss Eme, I won’t do no’ting to make her cry again and I’ll make sure no one else does, either.”

  Emelise ruffled his hair. “Thank you, Jared. You’re a good boy. Your Mama should be real proud of you.”

  He beamed at her praise. “Thank you!”

  By the time Caine brought a much calmer Hailey back outside the kids were back to playing tag. As soon as he saw them, Jared ran over to stand in front of his Alpha. “I’m real sorry, Hailey. I didn’t mean to make you cry. Do you wanna play tag wit’ us?”

  Hailey gave him a shy smile. Her earlier upset was all but forgotten. “Can I?” she asked, looking up at Caine.

  “A’course you can. Y’all stay inside da fence. No goin’ out to pester da gators, you hear.”

  A chorus of “Yes, Alpha,” echoed through the compound.

  “He’s a good boy.” Eme slipped her arm around Caine’s waist. “He didn’t know Hailey lost her Mama and he asked where she was. I made sure they all knew her Mama passed away and that makes her a very sad little girl. I don’t think they’ll be saying something to upset her again.”

  Caine kissed her temple. “I should have known you’d take care of dat. It hurts seein’ her so upset.”

  “I know. We’ll help her heal, though. It’s just going to take time. I have a question for you, babe.” When he cocked a brow at her she continued. “What’s the likelihood that a shifter could find their mate in a human?”

  “Not very. Why?”

  “I think Izzy and Beau may be mates but if it’s not likely for a human to be a shifter’s mate, then somewhere in her family’s past, someone hooked up with a shifter but the baby didn’t have outward signs.”

  “Interestin’. Did you ask her about it?”

  “Yeah, she says as far as she knows no one was but her parents died when she was a baby and she really doesn’t know much about them.”

  “Could have been kept quiet dependin’ on when it was. Dere was a time when da world didn’t even know we existed. Food’s ready, let’s get someting to eat.”

  “Gods, yes. I’m starving.”

  Caine chuckled at that. As the food was laid out, all the kids were brought in from the game of tag, plates were filled, and everyone took a seat at one of the many tables. Looking over the gathering, he couldn’t help but smile.

  Emelise spotted his smile and arched a brow. “What's that smile for?”

  “Dis gathering. Dere was a time, not so long ago, when this wouldn’t have been possible. Not wit' Zachary as Alpha. Dere wouldn't have been enough food to go around, and some of our guests never would have been allowed here.”

  “Have I told you lately how glad I am that bastard is dead?”

  “Dat makes two of us, Angel,” Caine said before he helped her get a plate of food and found a spot for them to sit.

  Emelise waited until everyone was sitting with plates in front of them before she stood up. “I need everyone’s attention for just a minute. Then you can get to stuffing your faces with all this delicious food.” Laughter and chuckles greeted her comment. “Caine and I have something to share. Well, actually, two things.” She smiled warmly at him before she continued. “First, a few days ago, Caine proposed and I said yes. I know some of you already know because certain people were present during the proposal, but I wanted to let all of our family and friends know at once.” She waited until their cheers died down before she shared the rest of their news. “Also, I just discovered, earlier today, that I am pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”

  More cheers and shouts of ‘Congratulations!’ echoed across the bayou. There were even a few roars from some of the Pard. Their Alpha and his mate were expecting. This truly was a day of celebration.

  Later that night, after everyone had gone home, after the leftovers were dispersed between the guests, everything was cleaned up, and Hailey was sound asleep in her bed, Emelise lay curled in Caine’s arms. Her hand rested on her stomach. “I still can’t believe we’re going to have a baby. I just wish my Mama was here to meet her first grandchild.”

  Caine’s arms tightened around her. “I know, Angel. She’s watchin’ over you, though. Wherever she’s at, she’s watchin’ and she’s happy for you.”

  “I’d like t
o think so. She didn’t want me coming to New Orleans, but I’d like to think she’d be happy for me if she was here right now.” She yawned and smiled sheepishly. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Angel. Get some sleep. You’ve had a long day.” He nuzzled her and caressed her side.

  “Mm, so have you.” Her eyes were heavy and after a moment she stopped fighting and let sleep drag her under.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Emelise

  How does one go about getting an ultrasound done when they’re a shifter? Normally, it wasn’t easy. Emelise was stunned to find out that, had Mia not gone into labor when she did, she would have given birth in the small clinic Sabine had in New Orleans. She saw both human and shifters in her little clinic and it was there Emelise went to make sure her baby was healthy and to try to get a good idea of exactly how far along she was.

  Eme lay back on the bed and stared at the screen. She had no clue what the gray images were, it just looked like a blob to her, but judging by the look on Sabine’s face she saw something that had her struggling to keep a straight face.

  Caine sat at his mate’s side with her hand held gently in his. He kept glancing between her and the screen before he noticed Emelise was looking at Sabine. He looked to her and cocked a brow. “What are you seeing?”

  Sabine turned to them and gave them a smile. “You two are blessed. You’re havin’ twins.”

  Eme blinked. “Wait. Did you just say twins?”

  “I did. Congratulations.”

  Emelise turned her attention to Caine. “Oh. My. Gods. Twins.” Her voice came out a stunned whisper.

  Caine grinned from ear to ear. ‘You are amazin, Angel. You’re goin’ to be such an amazin’ Mama.” He dipped his head and kissed her. If they were at the compound he would have roared his joy to the sky.

  “And you’re going to be an amazing Papa.”

  Sabine cleared her throat. “Judgin’ by da ultrasound, I’d say you’re two months along. You’ve got a long way to go but I’ll get you through it.”

  “Thank you, Sabine. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little scared about bringing two babies into the world at one time. Maybe I should talk with Eliza, see how handled it. She did it twice.”

  Caine chuckled. “Dat, she did.” He turned to Sabine. “Is dere anyting she shouldn’t do or should avoid?”

  “Just don’t over work yourself, Emelise. You’ll find yourself gettin’ tired more easily, so if you do, take a nap. Don’t be stubborn. And you’ll need to make sure you eat right, and eat often. Dem babies will take a lot of nutrients from your body.”

  “I’ll make sure she follows your orders to da letter.” Caine winked at his mate.

  Emelise gave him a dark look. “I don’t overdo it anyway.”

  Caine snorted. “Yes, you do. But dat’s one of da many tings I love about you.” He leaned down and kissed her gently.

  Eme melted at the kiss. “Fine. I’ll admit I sometimes get wrapped up in too many things.” She only admitted it begrudgingly.

  As soon as the gel was wiped off her stomach Emelise pulled her shirt back down and slid off the bed. She had a moment of sorrow as she though of her mother and wished she was there for her to share the news with. Then she pushed the sorrow away. Dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything. “You realize this means we have less than seven months to get the nursery ready, right?” She was suddenly excited by the thought of having twins. Scared, sure, but also excited.

  Caine chuckled. “We’ll get it done, Angel. We’ve got plenty of time. You just tell me what you want and I’ll make sure you have it.”

  Emelise leaned up and kissed his cheek. “I know you will.” She was quiet on the ride home. She’d finally gotten all of her stuff moved out of the apartment and ended the lease with the landlord. It had come at a steep price but it was worth it to be in Caine’s arms every night.

  Caine

  Caine had stood at his mate’s side while they’d waited for Sabine to give them the news. When she’d finally spoken, he’d felt like he’d been hit in the stomach with a sledgehammer. Twins. They were having twins. He’d waited for Emelise’s reaction to the news before he’d grinned. This woman was amazing. She blew him away at every turn, even when she wasn’t trying. Like now.

  “When we get back to da house, I want you to start lookin’ online at furniture. I’ll get some of da Pard to help clear out da room next to Hailey’s.” They’d already put her in the room closest to them. “Unless you want to move her to dat room and put da babies in da room closest to us.”

  “No, I don’t want to move her to a different room when she’s just getting settled. Plus, it might make her feel like we love the babies more and that isn’t true. We both have excellent hearing, and they make baby monitors for a reason. They’ll be fine in the next room.”

  “Dat’s what I thought you’d say but I wanted to leave dat up to you.”

  Emelise leaned over and kissed his cheek. “That’s because you’re a smart man. You don’t want to risk pissing off the pregnant lady.” She winked at him and they both laughed.

  By the time they got back to the house they’d more or less processed the news. Emelise couldn’t wait to tell their family and friends. “Oh my Gods, we have so many people to tell. It’ll take forever to call everyone.”

  “Well, we can tell da Pard all at once. Dat just leaves your Papa and Lily, because I know you want to tell her, and Malcolm.”

  “And Izzy. Don’t forget her. I really like her and, honestly, seeing the way Beau was around her and her daughter during the cookout, I hope they get together.”

  Caine chuckled. “He did seem taken wit’ her. It was good to see him finally findin’ someone he felt connected to.”

  “You just want everyone to find their mate because you have.” There was a teasing note in her voice.

  “Maybe, Angel, maybe.”

  Caine and Emelise were headed to Mia and Gage's home to pick up Hailey when Mia met them in the yard. “Thank God you’re back.”

  They both startled at Mia’s words. “What’s wrong?” They asked in unison.

  “Hailey is really upset. She has dis irrational idea dat you’re not comin’ back and no’ting I said could calm her down.”

  They rushed inside and the instant they saw Hailey, Caine’s heart felt like it was breaking. She’d been crying and she looked almost as lost as she had the day they’d walked into the hotel and met her. He went to her and scooped her up. “Shh, it’s all right, cher. I’m here. Were both here. We’re not leavin’ you alone.”

  Emelise reached up and rubbed her back gently. “Your Papa’s right. We’re not going anywhere, pumpkin. We will always come back.”

  Hailey clung to Caine’s shirt and whimpered. “Promise?”

  “I promise.”

  “But...you’re havin’ a baby and I’m not yours, won’t you love it more?” Her pale blue eyes were filled with tears when she looked at Emelise.

  “Oh, no, sweetie. I might not have been the one to bring you into this world, but I am your Mama now and I love you just as much as the babies growing inside me.”

  “Babies?” Hailey looked puzzled.

  “Mmhmm. We’re having two babies. As a big sister to two babies, you’re going to have to really keep an eye on them when you’re older,” Eme said and gently tickled her side.

  Hailey giggled. “Two babies? Wow.” She gave Emelise a wide-eyed stare. “I can do that. I’m a big girl.” She nodded as she said it.

  “I know you are, pumpkin. Why don’t we go get some lunch and then we can all cuddle up and watch a movie.”

  Caine’s heart swelled with love for the woman at his side. She was doing everything she could to help Hailey heal and adjust to all the changes happening in her life. What did he do to deserve such an amazing woman?

  Later that night, after finally getting Hailey to bed, Emelise lay curled up in Caine’s arms. Her head rested on his chest and her fingers drew idle designs on his skin.
“Let’s get married.”

  “I tink dat was da idea when I proposed and you said yes.” Caine smirked at her.

  “No, I mean let’s get married now. Well, not right now, because it’s late but, soon. Look at how quickly we were able to get everyone together for a cookout? They’d come just a quickly for a wedding. I don’t need a big, drawn out, fancy thing. I just want to be Mrs. Emelise Bordeaux and I don’t want to wait months for it to happen.”

  Caine growled at that. “Woman, I like da way you tink.” He rolled them over until she was pinned beneath him. He locked eyes with her and smirked when her eyes darkened to the green of her leopard. His mouth lowered and he claimed her lips in a heated kiss. His hands slid beneath the camisole top she wore until he cupped her breast. His thumb caressed her nipple into a pert little nub before he trailed kisses down her throat. He dipped his head and took her nipple between his teeth, teasing it through the thin cotton.

  Emelise arched when his teeth gently gripped her nipple. They were already getting sensitive and the sensation had her panting in no time. “We have too many damn clothes on.”

  Caine chuckled. “Patience, Angel. I want to tease every inch of your luscious body until you’re soaked and begging for release.” Ever so slowly he slid her top up and off then took one nipple in his mouth while his fingers teased and tugged the other until she was whimpering. God, he loved the sounds she made.

  Trailing kisses down her body, Caine slid her pajama shorts down her legs and off before he continued his path. He dipped his tongue into her belly button, kissed and nipped at her hips, then kissed his way down one leg and up the other. He nipped her inner thighs, making her cry out, before the lure of her scent was too strong to resist. With a growl he buried his mouth between her welcoming thighs. He tasted her, teased her, tormented her. He moved his lips to her clit and suckled the sensitive nub while he slipped two fingers inside her, curling them just right to hit her G-spot with every thrust of his fingers.