by Zoe Chant
Casey resisted the urge to hold his breath and continued to look Pritchard in the eye. This was his final gambit. He knew that Pritchard would understand his message: that unless he wanted to declare all-out war on the Cedar Hill Pride, there was no way in hell he’d ever be getting his hands on either Natalie or Micah.
Pritchard grunted in anger. “Is that the way it is?”
Casey nodded. “It is.”
There was silence. Casey didn’t dare take his eyes from Pritchard’s face. One sign that he could falter in his resolution might ruin everything. He had to make Pritchard believe that he was fully prepared to back up his words with actions.
And I am.
He would go to the ends of the earth to protect his mate and her cub.
That was his purpose.
And he would never let any harm come to them.
At last, Pritchard’s face screwed into an angry sneer of acceptance.
“If that’s how it is, and your alpha backs you, then I accept it,” he growled. “I won’t do harm to another shifter’s mate. And I won’t transgress the boundaries of another shifter’s lands.”
“You accept that the contract for the heir isn’t valid?” Casey asked, wanting to be sure. “You won’t come after Micah or Natalie again?”
“I never came after the woman,” Pritchard snarled. “Not as soon as I knew she was your mate. I am not a mate-stealer.”
Casey stared at him a moment longer, but his fury seemed genuine. Perhaps it had been a mistake after all. He hadn’t been sure whether or not to believe Pritchard when he’d said before that he hadn’t given Ken any instructions to take Natalie, but he seemed sincere in his outrage.
You’re lucky, Casey thought to himself. I could say you did order it, and get you branded a rogue and a mate-stealer.
“One last thing,” Casey said as Pritchard moved to get up. He sucked in a deep breath as Pritchard turned back toward him. “Ken. I want to make sure that regardless of how you get your money back, you don’t hurt him.”
There was a murmured ripple of surprise amongst the gathered shifters. He felt Natalie’s hand resting on his shoulder.
Pritchard was staring at him, incredulous, and Casey hoped he hadn’t made a mistake.
He’s a disgusting person who would sign away his own son’s life, Casey thought. But he’s still Micah’s father. Maybe he can change. And Micah deserves to know him if he does.
“You care about this human?” Pritchard asked, sweeping his hand back toward where Ken was sitting. Ken himself was staring at Casey now, his expression amazed.
Casey looked at him, fighting down the waves of instinctive hatred toward a man who had hurt his mate, and his own desire to make him pay for what he’d done.
Once upon a time, he wouldn’t have cared what happened to him.
Once upon a time, he would have handed Ken over to Pritchard without a second thought, reasoning that he was only a human, after all, and he had brought this on himself.
But Casey liked to believe he had changed – and for the better.
It wouldn’t have been fair to condemn Ken, when he himself had behaved so stupidly in the past. He had betrayed his pride and his family. The people who he loved, and who loved him.
All because of a stupid, mistaken belief that humans and shifters couldn’t live together in peace.
He might have been young then, but it was no excuse. His actions were his responsibility. He had been given a second chance. By Mason and Charity. By his father, and by Joe.
He couldn’t deny another man the chance to change.
“I need your word on this,” Casey said. “Your word as a shifter, and as alpha.”
For a moment, it looked as if Pritchard was about to refuse – but then, he shook his head, clearly irritated. “Fine. My word is given – and my word is my bond. He’ll be of more use in one piece anyway. I need a dish washer at one of my restaurants.”
“Then we’re settled,” Casey said. He paused, glancing back down to where Ken was still staring at him in frank amazement. “And believe me, Pritchard, I will know if you’ve kept your word.”
Pritchard’s lip curled. “I don’t break my word, once it’s given,” he growled. “I don’t make false pledges.”
He and Casey held each other’s eyes a moment longer, before Casey gave him the barest of nods.
Grunting a slight acknowledgement, Pritchard turned away, barking orders to his pack. “Grab that human and let’s go. This whole idiot venture has done nothing but cost me a perfectly good suit.”
Casey stood and watched as they filed out, Ken with them, his head hanging.
No doubt contemplating his new life as a dish washer, Casey thought. He hoped it might teach Ken the value of a hard day’s work.
At last, he and Natalie were alone in the cavernous space of the barn.
“Oh, God – Casey –”
Natalie’s lips were on his in a moment, her arms winding around his back. Despite the tenderness of his ribs and the pain in his right arm, Casey took her into his embrace at once, pulling her against his chest.
Inside him, his lion roared in triumph.
Our mate. She’s safe. She’s here. No one will harm her ever again.
At last they drew back from each other. Natalie’s beautiful blue eyes stared into his.
“You’re hurt,” she said, her fingertips tracing lightly over his blackened eye and swollen cheekbone. Then she frowned. “But… it seems like…”
Casey laughed softly. “Shifter healing. I’ll be fine by tomorrow. The ribs and the arm might take a little longer – but not more than a couple of weeks.”
Natalie’s eyes grew even wider. “That’s… okay, that’s a little freaky, I’m not going to lie,” she said. “But God am I glad to hear that. I didn’t know what to do when you and Pritchard were fighting. I was certain you were going to kill each other.”
Casey laughed. “Well, there’s not a lot you could have done. It’s best to just stay out of shifter fights. And it might have given Pritchard an excuse to declare it invalid if you had done something.”
Natalie looked a little sheepish. “Well, to be honest, I was about five seconds away from starting the truck and driving it between you to try to get you to stop.”
Casey stared down at her, open-mouthed. “Are you serious?”
She laughed. “Well, I didn’t get the chance, anyway – Ken showed up and decided he was taking the truck. So that put paid to that idea.”
Casey shook his head. “Little weasel. I’m glad you managed to stop him. I doubt either Pritchard or I could have put up much of a chase if he’d been able to make a break for it.”
Turning her head, Natalie looked at the barn doors Pritchard and his pack had disappeared out of. Pensively, she bit her lip. “I wonder if I should have said something to him before he left,” she said softly. “I thought I should, but then, after everything he’s done, I don’t think I could have said anything that wasn’t a screamed insult…”
Casey shook his head, putting his arms around her once more. “You don’t have to see him ever again if you don’t want to,” he said, drawing her head into his chest. “After what he’s put you through, I wouldn’t blame you.”
“But you asked Pritchard not to hurt him,” Natalie said, her lips soft against his chest. She drew in a deep breath. “I’m not sure I could have been so generous.”
“He’s still Micah’s father,” Casey said, after a slight hesitation. “One day, after he’s proved he can change, I just thought…”
“No. It was the right thing to do.” Natalie pulled back, looking up at him. “Right now, all I want to do is spit in his face after what he’s done. But… you’re right. He’s scum. But he doesn’t deserve… whatever Pritchard might have done, if you hadn’t forced him to promise he wouldn’t.”
Casey nodded, stroking his fingers through her soft hair, his other hand resting in the deep valley of her waist. “I’m glad. If you’d wanted me to, I would h
ave –”
“No.” Natalie shook her head, the soft skin of her cheek brushing against him. “I wouldn’t want you to do a single thing differently.” She pulled back, looking up into his eyes again. Her hand cupped his cheek. “You saved me, Casey. Me and Micah both. I never… no one has ever…”
She swallowed heavily, dropping her eyes.
She didn’t need to say another word. Casey understood.
They stayed where they were for a long time, simply holding each other in their arms. Casey closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her hair, his lion purring in his chest.
Ours. Our mate.
“I suppose we should really be getting back,” Natalie said eventually, reluctantly pulling back from him. “I don’t want to worry them any more than they already are.”
Casey nodded. “And I should really sleep. Healing goes so much faster when you’re sleeping.”
Natalie glanced at him from beneath her eyelashes, her expression teasing. “I hope sleeping isn’t the only thing you plan on doing.”
Casey immediately felt a flood of heat to his groin, despite his injuries. Natalie was just that irresistible.
“Well, I’ll see what I can do,” he promised.
Natalie laughed lightly, giving him a heated look. “I think a reward is in order for my knight in shining armor.” Her eyes drifted to his still-healing arm. “But, having said that… I think I’ll be the one who drives.”
Epilogue
Natalie
It was a warm summer morning the day it happened.
Natalie was standing at the kitchen sink of the ranch house washing out Micah’s breakfast dishes when the shrieks and giggles of the kids playing in the front yard were suddenly punctuated by several sharp, dog-like yips, followed by a high-pitched howl.
Looking up, Natalie almost dropped the glass she was rinsing.
Faith, her strawberry blonde hair shining in the sun, was still visible in the garden, and next to her was her cousin Poppy, Heath and Daphne’s daughter. But Micah… Micah was gone.
Dropping the glass into the sink, Natalie dashed outside, her heart in her throat.
“Micah!”
Slamming open the front door, Natalie ran to where the two girls were still playing.
“Micah! Where are you?” Natalie called again, running through the garden.
I only looked down for a second… where could he have gone?
She only noticed that both Poppy and Faith were looking at her with quizzical expressions on their faces when she stopped for breath, her hand pressed against her forehead.
“But Aunty Natalie… Micah’s right here,” Faith said impatiently, pointing into one of the garden beds. It was thick and overgrown, badly in need of pruning after the busy spring they’d had. In the wild tangle of plants, Natalie couldn’t see a thing.
Natalie knelt down. “Micah, come out of there – you gave me a horrible fright!”
The bushes rustled in response – but instead of Micah coming crawling out toward her, the only thing that emerged was a small gray wolf pup.
As Natalie stared, open-mouthed, it yipped again, bouncing up on legs that seemed made of elastic, and licking her face with a rough pink tongue.
Shock made Natalie freeze, her brain unable to comprehend what she was seeing.
But… but that’s not Micah…
“Aunty Natalie, Micah shifted! He had his first shift!” Poppy was jumping up and down on the spot, clapping her hands in glee. “Now we can play as our animals!”
Before Natalie could begin to put the pieces together, both Poppy and Faith had taken on their lion forms and were growling playfully, tails whirling, bouncing across the lawn and between the garden beds.
The wolf pup – Micah – let out an overjoyed bark, before wriggling free of her grasp and bounding over to them, his fluffy tail wagging wildly.
Natalie could only raise her hands to her lips, as finally, what had happened began to sink in.
He shifted. Micah… he can shift.
She had never considered that that might be a possibility. Of course, she had found out that Ken was half shifter, but she knew he hadn’t been able to shift himself. She knew there was some doubt as to whether cubs like Faith, Poppy and Link, with one shifter and one human parent, would have the ability. She had always just assumed that Micah, being only a quarter shifter, had had no chance of inheriting his paternal grandmother’s ability.
But it seemed she had been mistaken.
She watched as the three children cavorted together, two lions and one wolf, rolling over each other on the grass and nipping playfully at ears and tails.
And slowly, she found her lips twitching into a smile.
Well, he did ask me once if he’d be able to turn into a lion one day.
She supposed that Micah still couldn’t turn into a lion. But she hoped a wolf would be just as good.
Still fumbling a little in her shock, she managed to pull her cell phone from her pocket, and sent a text to Casey: when you can, meet me in the front garden. I have sth to show you.
Whatever work Casey had been doing, he’d apparently decided that meeting her was a more tempting prospect, because he walked around the corner of the house not fifteen minutes later.
“What’s up?” he asked, smiling – and Natalie felt her insides melt all over again at the sight of him. He was as tall and broad as ever, all his gorgeously cut muscle shown off to perfection in the sleeveless shirt he wore, his jeans hugging the thickness of his thighs. It was a hot day, and his skin glistened with sweat, his hair tangled, with a hint of stubble on his angular jaw.
He was, in a word, perfect.
“Just look over there,” she said, winding her arm around his back and pointing to where Micah, Poppy and Faith were playing.
At first, Casey frowned, as if he wasn’t quite sure what he was seeing – but then, understanding bloomed across his face like a sunrise. “That’s – that’s Micah! He can shift!”
Natalie squeezed herself against his side. “I just came out now, and there he was – a little wolf,” she murmured, watching him as he leapt into a tangle of overgrown bushes before bursting out the other side. “I had no idea… I mean, isn’t it very unlikely that…?”
Casey nodded, blinking in surprise. “I thought so. I mean, it’s only sometimes that half shifters get the ability.” He looked down at her. “Maybe you have some shifter blood you don’t know about, and that tipped the balance.”
Natalie looked away as she considered it. She supposed it was a possibility – she herself had been raised by a single mother, and she’d never known much about her mom’s family, and nothing at all about her father’s. Could there have been a shifter in the mix?
She honestly wasn’t sure.
“That’s possible,” she said slowly. “I mean… it would have to be that, wouldn’t it? That I have some shifter heritage?”
Casey nodded. “Can’t see how it could work out, otherwise.” He grinned down at her. “But this is amazing, Natalie! Micah can shift!”
Smiling, Natalie looked over to where the kids were all still playing. “I know he wanted to be able to. It must’ve been hard, watching Faith and Poppy with these amazing abilities…”
Casey slid his arm around her waist. “But even if things hadn’t happened this way, you know that he’s part of the family. Just like you are. And Charity, Faye, Sasha and Daphne. You’re our pride. No matter what.”
Natalie felt warmth flowing into her heart at Casey’s words. Of course she knew that – she always had. But her heart overflowed with happiness too that Micah would be able to share in all the athletic leaping and bounding that Faith was able to achieve in her shifter form.
He was thriving at the small Cedar Hill Elementary School as well. Ms. James had even suggested that he might skip a grade – he was bright, and the work in his current class was no challenge for him. He’d been introduced all round by Faith, who had made sure he’d made friends quickly. He wasn’
t as outgoing as she was, but he’d found one or two of his own special friends to sit with quietly at lunch, which was all he seemed to need.
“Coming here was the best decision I ever made,” Natalie said suddenly, resting her head against Casey’s chest and listening to the beat of his heart. “I never imagined… I mean, when I sent off my resume, I didn’t even think I’d hear back. It was a total whim – just wishful thinking. But it’s been better than I ever could have dreamed.”
Casey’s arm curled around her shoulder, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
My mate, Natalie thought. It was amazing how quickly she’d come to think of him in those terms: not as a boyfriend or a lover, but as her mate.
It was the only word for it. Their connection was unlike anything else she had ever experienced before. And she knew already that it would be forever.
“Aunty Natalie!! Aunty Natalie!!”
She was jerked out of her reverie by the sound of Poppy’s raised voice.
“What is it, honey?” she asked, crossing over to where the three kids were still sitting. Faith and Poppy had shifted back into their human forms, but Micah still remained as a wolf between them.
“It’s Micah.” Poppy’s forehead was creased in concern. “I don’t think he can change back.”
Natalie’s breath caught in her throat as she knelt down in front of her son.
“Micah? What’s wrong?”
The pup yipped, pawing at the ground and rolling over. He obviously wanted something, but Natalie wasn’t sure what. He let out a long, high-pitched howl that was obviously distressed. Alarmed, Natalie glanced up at Casey.
Calmly, he knelt down beside her. “It’s okay. This happens sometimes. It’s nothing to worry about.” He reached out, rubbing his thumb over the pup’s muzzle in a comforting gesture. “It’s okay, little man. It’s okay. Just close your eyes, and think about your human form. Just picture it in your head. Everything is fine. You know what to do.”