The Shifter's Secret Baby Girl

by T. S. Ryder

  He thought of the file that Bell had had on him. Was he the same person he was back then? There was nothing about what sort of person he was. Nothing about personality, likes, interests. Was he a good man?

  And Kristen . . . A single teenage mom doing whatever she had to do to look after her son. He could guess what that meant. It was no wonder she had such a worse time with this than he did.

  Marguerite got off the bed and walked to him. He opened his mouth, wanting to apologize, but she pressed a finger to his lips. “I know what you’re thinking. It’s not your fault that she took Elena. And she’s back with us safe now. That’s all that matters. But . . . ”

  Everett knew what he was going to say. “But we need to find Simon Bell before Kristen can get to him.”

  “He doesn’t have a listed number, so calling him is out of the question. If we look right now, we might be able to get tickets to Pennsylvania for this evening. Hopefully, we’ll be able to beat her there. I shouldn’t have given her his address. I should have lied.” Marguerite dug her hands into her hair. “I should have lied. Why didn’t I?”

  He wrapped his arms around her waist. “Because our daughter was in danger and you couldn’t risk it.”

  Elena sighed in her sleep and Everett’s arms tightened around Marguerite. He didn’t want to have to protect Bell. The thought of going back to that lab, facing him again, made his chest tighten and his heart palpitate. But Marguerite had been right all this time. They needed answers. Answers they weren’t going to get if he let Kristen kill Bell.

  His gaze moved back to Marguerite’s face. The bruise was even blacker now and he winced as he looked at it. Maybe if he had talked with Kristen more, she wouldn’t have gone this far.

  “Let’s get those tickets,” he whispered. “But Elena . . . Once we’re there, we’re getting a hotel and you’re staying out of the line of fire.” Marguerite opened her mouth and he shook his head. “No arguing. You are going to stay with Elena and keep her safe. Bell, Kristen . . . they’re up to me.”

  She closed her eyes briefly before she nodded. “Okay. Okay. Just . . . take care of yourself. If it comes down to you and Bell—”

  “I’ll come back to you.” He kissed her. “I promise.”

  Chapter Thirteen – Marguerite

  The plane ride had been difficult for all of them. Elena was restless and anxious, showing definite signs of trauma. She might not have been hurt, but being kidnapped like that was still a terrifying experience and she was going to need help to recover from it. Marguerite’s chest ached as she considered how she hadn’t been able to protect her daughter.

  And if Bell ended up being as bad as he seemed? Then how could she protect her baby girl from him?

  Once they landed, they got a hotel room. It had a separate bedroom that could serve as a buffer against attacks and was comfortably furnished. They were all exhausted by the long ride, and they all went to sleep, laying in the same bed together. Marguerite slept fitfully. At some point when the light outside was starting to dim, Everett slipped out of bed. Elena was breathing deeply, and Marguerite left her there and followed him out into the main room.

  “I need you to stay safe,” he started to say and she cut him off with a kiss.

  Emotion swelled in her and she had to work not to cry. “If I hadn’t looked into finding Bell, then none of this would have happened. We could have just figured it out together. Now Kristen is going to try to kill him and you . . . What if he captures you and—”

  This time, he cut her off with a kiss. It was hungry and demanding, and he turned her toward the wall and pressed her against it while he ground against her. When he broke the kiss, he rested his forehead on hers. “We need answers. You were right about that. We need to know exactly what happened to us and why this happens. We need to know what it means for Elena. It’s the only way we can have a future . . . together.”

  Together. She closed her eyes, lifting her face so their noses brushed against one another. His warm breath wafted over her, smelling like that little bag of pretzels that they’d been given on the plane. Her fingers wound into the hair at the back of his neck and she made a humming noise of agreement.

  “Together. And once we have those answers . . . then we’ll be together. And we’ll stay together.” It was too early to say that she loved him, wasn’t it?

  Everett’s grip tightened, then loosened. “I should go. We don’t know how close Kristen is . . . ”

  Screw it. They had no idea what he was going to find at Bell’s place, or what might happen after. They didn’t know if he’d be killed, taken prisoner . . . If she didn’t say it now, then she might never have the chance. As she opened her mouth to tell him that she loved him, though, he pulled away slightly.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “For everything that happened.” He stroked her cheek and grimaced when she winced at the throb in her nose. “If I hadn’t gotten you involved in all of this, Elena wouldn’t have been kidnapped like that. And you wouldn’t be so afraid.”

  Marguerite shook her head firmly. “No. Don’t be sorry. You aren’t to blame for any of this. The only thing you could have done to prevent this was if we hadn’t had that night together six years ago. And then I wouldn’t have had Elena. No. Whatever happens, I would never wish her away. And I’m glad that I had a reason to seek you out again, to find the person that you are now. I love you.”

  His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “What?”

  “I love you. I know that it might seem too fast, but I love you and I need you to come back to me.”

  “I’m . . . I’m not . . . ”

  “Not what?”

  Everett licked his lips. “I’m not worth it.”

  The statement shocked her. It made her heart twist, and she shook her head again. How could he think that? “After all we have been through these past few days, you have shown the true strength of your character. And hadn’t Kristen told you that over these past six years you were the only one to be able to ground her? How can you say you’re not worth it?”

  “You’re not the only woman I slept with and left,” he started hesitantly. “There have been dozens . . . I don’t recall their names or faces. I’d go to bars, pick up a girl and go to a hotel and then leave as soon as the sex was over. And it’s not like I checked to make sure they were single. Just made sure that they wouldn’t get pregnant.”

  Marguerite cupped his face in her hands. “I know that it can be terrifying to commit. I’ve got issues, too. We had a one-night-stand all those years ago. There was nothing wrong with it. It wasn’t my first time and it wasn’t my last time. Sleeping around doesn’t make you a bad person. And I want you to know that there isn’t any pressure on you, okay? You don’t have to love me. I just needed to tell you.”

  Everett turned to kiss her palm. It made sparks start to tingle beneath her skin and she ground her hips against him, the way he had been doing to her moments before. She could feel his arousal against her and shifted her weight, urging him to turn so he was against the wall this time.

  “You were there when I needed you,” she continued. “And before you leave, I want to give you something to remember me by.”

  Marguerite brushed the hair from Everett’s face, her heart pounding as she considered what she was about to do. He stared at her hungrily. Wanting the same thing but uncertain. Hesitation beat against her chest as she slowly reached for his belt. Not because she didn’t want to have him hold her in his arms, to join together in a connection more powerful than the time that had separated them. Because of the situation. Kristen was hunting Bell. Could they really afford to have this distraction?

  But if they didn’t, would they ever be able to again?

  “I want to give you this,” she repeated as she undid his belt and knelt, pulling his pants with her. She took him in her hand and began to stroke him. He hardened under her touch and threaded his fingers through her hair.

  When she took hi
m into her mouth, he let out a half-sigh, half-moan. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes as she moved, using her tongue to heighten his experience. The hesitancy from before fled, leaving her feeling calm in its wake. Everett’s big hands cupped her skull and moved gently with her, not forcing her, just following with her movements. Marguerite tugged his pants lower as his breaths became pants, but she wasn’t able to keep it up as long as she wanted since her swollen nose made it difficult to breathe. She kept going with her hands though, watching his face as he looked down at her.

  “You’re amazing,” she whispered to him.

  “I’m . . . ”

  “Amazing.”

  She took him back into her mouth, sucking harder this time. He groaned again and his hips thrust forward. His taste increased and she could tell he wasn’t going to last much longer. The stress of the situation must have been getting to him. She kept going, determined that she was going to give him everything she could.

  Just as he began to tremble, he held her head back. He pulled himself away from her and grinned down at her as he moved his hands to her shoulders and lifted her from the floor. With one deft move, he lifted her shirt over her head, then reached around her and undid her bra. As he tossed it to the floor, one hand moved to her breast, squeezing it, while he bent and sucked her nipple into his mouth. Her core flared to light, tightening as her nipple hardened.

  Her hands flew down his shirt, undoing the buttons, and his hands moved to her pants. He delved into her neck, making everything tighten further as he lifted her into the air. His huge hands cupped her ass as he walked to the couch and laid her down, then draped himself over her. Marguerite wound her hands into his hair as his mouth moved back to her breasts and a hand slipped between her legs.

  Everett’s touch was gentle, raising her quickly to join him in desire. As his movements became more fevered, she clutched at his hair and rolled her hips, panting with the effort to stay in control.

  “I want us to finish at the same time,” she blurted out. “Even if it’s not possible, I want you to be inside of me before I finish.”

  Everett’s movements slowed. He lifted his face to her and shook his head slowly. “We can’t.”

  Disappointment hit her so hard that she didn’t know how to respond. “Why?”

  “We don’t have any protection, and I know you’ve missed a few days on your birth control. I can’t smell ovulation on you, but we can’t risk it. So we’ll have to finish each other in other ways.” He pushed a finger inside of her, making her gasp.

  “I don’t care.”

  Everett froze, eyes going wide.

  Marguerite cupped his face. “I want you inside of me. Please. Please . . . ”

  He moved up her body, settling as his hips came between her thighs. Looking into her eyes, he slowly, gently, pushed inside of her. The sensations of his entry had her back arching and a cry tearing from her throat. He pulled her closer, then adjusted her legs around him before he started to thrust into her. Gently at first, but with increasing desperation. Marguerite wrapped him in her arms, never wanting this moment to end, never wanting to let him go.

  The fire inside her reached its boiling point, sending flames up and down her spine. She gritted her teeth and fought against it, staring into her lover’s face, their movements matching as they came together again and again.

  Everett kissed her hard, his movements becoming jerky. Pleasure rolled through her and she clung to him, holding him tightly as the waves crashed over her. They kept going, not letting themselves stop until they couldn’t move anymore. Only then did they allow themselves to stop. Their bodies were melded in sweat and Marguerite realized that tears were rolling down her cheeks. Everett kissed her again and again before they were still.

  Eventually, he withdrew. She knew without asking that it was time for him to leave. He dressed quickly without looking at her. A hand pressed over her mouth, keeping in her pleading for him to stay. They both knew that this had to be done.

  And then he was gone. And Marguerite’s head dropped into her hands and she began to sob.

  Chapter Fourteen – Everett

  The address that Marguerite had given him led to a large, imposing building. It may have been well cared for at one point, but those times were gone. The pickets fence leaned and there was some damage that was in need of repair. The lawn was neatly trimmed, but it was sparse. Clearly, Bell was struggling.

  Everett pulled his car to the front door and sat for a minute. Nothing about the place looked familiar. He waited for the pounding heart, the dizzy head, everything that happened when he just thought of finding Bell. His heart rate was elevated somewhat, but he was otherwise calm. Determined. It was the time that they figured this out once and for all.

  He didn’t bother knocking. As soon as he was inside, he smelled that subtle, almost non-existent scent that he associated with Kristen. His heart jumped to his throat and he hurried down the hallway, following it. As he got closer to the room at the end of the hall, he heard a strange beeping and swishing sound.

  “I don’t care,” Kristen’s voice came to him, strangled. “I don’t care. You still took him from me.”

  Everett charged into the room. And stopped dead. Kristen stood over a bed, her hands shaking. Tears streamed down her face. But what had frozen him was the man lying in the bed. Hooked to a ventilator and heart monitor, with an IV bag hanging beside him. His body was withered, bone showing clearly through thin skin. The man’s eyes rolled between the two of them. A flash of recognition moved through Everett’s mind as he approached.

  “Simon Bell.” His breath caught in his lungs. “He has ALS, too.”

  Kristen reached for the ventilator. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t care.”

  Everett held up his hands. “Kristen. You can’t kill a helpless man.”

  She shot him a look full of terror. “I can. It’s no more than he deserves.”

  “He’s dead already.”

  Kristen stared down at the doctor that had made them what they were. “Didn’t use the procedure on yourself, huh? Because you knew it would either kill you or turn you into a monster.”

  Everett didn’t pay attention to her ranting. The ventilation tube went through Bell’s throat. He wouldn’t even be able to talk. There was nothing else that he could use to communicate within the room. Kristen grabbed the ventilation tube, but before Everett could warn her not to, she released it again. She turned away, breaking down into sobs.

  “Kristen. I’m here.” Everett quickly moved to her and wrapped his arms around her. She collapsed against him, her fingers digging into his shirt. “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m here.”

  He glanced at Bell again. The doctor watched them with watering eyes. So he remembered them. Was he afraid or regretful about what he had done?

  “I’m going to ask you some questions. Blink once for yes and twice for no. Understood?”

  He blinked once.

  Everett continued to hold Kristen as she sobbed. And suddenly, he didn’t know what to ask. Yes or no couldn’t tell him why Bell had taken their memories. “Do you have notes on what you did to us?”

  A single blink.

  “Did you take our memories?”

  Another blink.

  “Why?” Everett snarled before he remembered that Bell couldn’t answer that. He growled low in his throat. “Did you do it because you were afraid of us?”

  Two blinks.

  Everett inhaled deeply. “Did you write down why?”

  One blink.

  “Where? Here, in your house?”

  The door opened again. Both Everett and Kristen jumped as a young woman, a little younger than them, entered. She looked at them with wide eyes. Her brown hair was wet and she only wore a tank top and pajama shorts. Her jaw dropped.

  “Everett?”

  Everett stared at the woman, uncertain.

  “Kristen?” She laughed and clapped her hands. “You found us. Thank God, you’re back.”

/>   She rushed forward and threw her arms around them both. Everett tensed and backed away from her, pulling Kristen with him. The woman’s face fell, but she nodded slowly as she glanced between the two of them. Her hair continued to drip over her and she brushed it back with a hand and shrugged.

  “I guess you don’t remember . . . Please sit. My name is Melissa Bell.”

  “Melissa . . . Bell?” Everett’s jaw dropped. “But his daughter died.”

  Melissa shook her head. “My sister did. We were unlucky in our family. But I underwent the procedure and it stuck with me. We were good friends before . . . ” She sighed heavily and went to Bell’s side and squeezed his hand. “We hoped that you would come back. Dad thought that the lobotomy would heal itself in time, but . . . ”

  “It didn’t,” Everett said roughly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Melissa’s smile faded. She scrubbed her hands over her face and nodded once. “Right. Okay. I guess we’ll start at the beginning then.”

  “We know that he was researching ALS and got fired,” Everett interrupted. “And four years later, Kristen and I escaped. So just tell us what happened in those four years.”

  Melissa hesitated a moment as she stroked her father’s hand. “Okay . . . Well, after he was fired, my dad was contacted by the military to continue his research. He and all of his patients were transferred to a base where he had everything he wanted. He was convinced that by splicing the regenerative properties of jellyfish and starfish into a mammal-based gene and then putting it into humans, it would reverse the effects of ALS. And he was right. But it didn’t take in all of the patients. Ninety percent rejected the treatment. Him included.”

  “Military,” Kristen whispered. “I don’t . . . I don’t remember that.”

  “Seven years ago, they introduced a new doctor, one who specialized in post-procedure individuals. The two of you were taken away. It was a full year later that we found out you were being experimented on. To see exactly how resilient you were. Dad shut down the program. He moved us all away and then went back to you. You asked him to remove the memories of being tortured, but while he was operating, the other doctor returned. He made Dad destroy your cerebral cortex. Your brains regenerated, but you lost all of your memories. Dad managed to get you back, but you were both so frightened . . . One day, you dug your way out of your room and disappeared.”