Unexpected Mates (Red Moon Shifters Book 1)

by Grace Brennan

  Hannah had secrets. Painful ones, too, going by the look in her eyes. Parker hoped she would come to her if she needed a friend. Hannah had looked like she needed one, and who knew how long it had been since she’d had someone be that for her? Lord knew, Wendy for sure had never been one.

  Parker felt something drip on her toe and looked down with a curse. She’d forgotten about the ice cream, and she was suddenly aware of how heavy her bags were. She rushed to get to the car so she could get back to the farm. Back to home.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tyler smiled as he watched Parker. She was humming as she cleaned up the dinner mess. It was Leah’s night off, so he and Parker had thrown together the taco meal she’d brought home with her from the store. His contribution had pretty much been limited to chopping vegetables, but he’d had a good time, watching her as she cooked. They had ended up being the best tacos he’d ever had, and he thought he might enjoy the benefits of her pregnancy cravings as much as she did.

  She filled him in on her run in with Hannah and Wendy as she washed dishes. He rinsed and dried as she went, not commenting much on what had happened. He disliked Wendy even more than he had before, and that was saying something. The way she talked to Parker, trying to hurt her by insinuating that he’d been sleeping with her, was something else.

  His wolf growled inside him at the thought of someone trying to hurt Parker. He wanted to go into kill shit mode, but Ty was holding him back. Parker had stood up for herself today, and that was huge. He was so fucking proud of her. He knew how hard it was for her to speak in even a normal conversation, so her speaking up for herself during a confrontation was huge.

  As much as he wanted to stomp and growl, he’d hold himself in check, because he’d be damned if he took anything away from Parker’s triumphant moment.

  He walked around her to put some dishes away and stepped up behind her as he came back, placing a kiss on the nape of her neck. “You’re an amazing woman, you know that?”

  She giggled and flicked soapy water off her fingers at him. “Hush. I was only doing what I should have done years ago. I think you deserve the thanks for that. You give me the strength to be better. To be me.”

  Ty’s throat tightened as he shook his head at her. This amazing, beautiful woman was all his. Sometimes he still couldn’t believe it. “No. That was all you, baby.”

  Parker handed him the last of the clean dishes before rinsing her hands off. “I found something when I was at the store tonight. Hold on and I’ll go get it.”

  Parker dried her hands and he watched her as she hurried away, curvy backside swaying as she walked. He felt his dick stir and he turned quickly back around. He couldn’t get enough of her, but he needed to slow down and let her get some rest. If he could have his way, though, he’d never let her out of his bed.

  He was drying off the last plate when she came back in the room. “I found this little guy at the store today and I couldn’t resist. I think he’s perfect for our little boy. What do you think?”

  Ty turned, the plate still in his hand, prepared to tell her loved it, whatever it was. She was standing just inside the kitchen with a small, black stuffed wolf in her hand, and he felt the plate slip from his suddenly nerveless fingers as he stared at it.

  He jumped slightly as the plate crashed to the floor, breaking apart as it landed. “Shit,” he cursed. “No, don’t come closer, Parker. You don’t have shoes on. You could get cut. I’ll get it cleaned up.”

  Ty picked up the bigger pieces before getting the broom and dustpan to sweep up the smaller shards. The whole time, his mind was going a hundred miles a minute. Was she trying to tell him something with that stuffed animal? It was even black, like his wolf. Or was it just a coincidence?

  It had to be a coincidence. He’d been careful not to shift around her. She was also still here. If she’d seen him running around as a wolf, or if she really knew, she’d be long gone, right? How could a human, who knew nothing of the supernatural that walked among the population, not freak out over that?

  He didn’t care how Ellie, Jake’s mate, had taken it the news. Maybe she wasn’t normal, or didn’t have reactions like most sane humans would. Cassie’s reaction had to be closer to true. And that scared the shit out of Ty. He wouldn’t be able to handle losing Parker, much less their pup.

  They were everything to him. They were his life now.

  Won’t lose them. Ever, his wolf growled, a snarling mass inside him at the thought of Parker leaving.

  Ty waited hopefully for his wolf to say Parker was his mate, but the crazy fucker was quiet again. He was going to go mad if he didn’t know the truth soon.

  “Are you okay? Do you not like it? We don’t have to use it, if you don’t want to.”

  Parker’s soft voice, full of worry, cut through his thoughts. Ty stood and emptied the dustpan before putting the broom away, avoiding her eyes.

  “No, it’s okay,” he said, finally looking her way. She was standing there, worry in her eyes, clutching the wolf to her chest. His heart clenched at the sight. “I was just making sure I got it all. I love the wolf. Go ahead and put it in the nursery. I just remembered something I have to do in the fields. I’ll be back in soon.”

  He kissed her forehead and then walked out the back door quickly, not wanting to answer any more questions. He felt like a complete ass, but he just wasn’t sure he could handle any more inquiries. He sure as shit couldn’t tell her what was going through his mind right now.

  He thought about calling Jared, but nixed the idea. Ty had talked to Jared more since Parker had shown up than he willingly had in years. Besides, he’d already talked to him about this, and he knew what he’d say. That Parker wasn’t Cassie and would have different reactions. Half of that was true. Parker was nothing like Cassie, and Ty thanked God for it every day. He’d loved Cassie, but it hadn’t been anything like this.

  Parker wasn’t like anyone else he’d ever met. She soothed his wolf in a way even Cassie never had. He reacted different to Parker, thought different about her. She was his world, and he hadn’t felt like this for Cassie. He hadn’t thought he could love anyone more than he loved Cassie, but he had been dead wrong on that.

  Cassie hadn’t been for him. She hadn’t even been for Jared. And she definitely hadn’t been meant for the supernatural world, was never cut out for it.

  Although she wasn’t like Cassie in any way possible, Ty was very much worried that Parker wasn’t meant for his world, either. And he was man enough to admit that thought terrified him more than anything ever had.

  Striding to the woods, Ty decided to go wolf for a while, try to get away from the gut churning emotion in his middle. He’d try to catch the new scent again, track the wolf shifter that was in his woods. For the unknown shifter’s sake, he almost hoped he didn’t find her. He was dangerously close to kill shit mode tonight.

  Parker sighed as she played with the melted ice cream in her bowl. Her big idea with the stuffed animal had failed spectacularly. Not only that, it seemed to have run Ty off. He’d been gone for over an hour now, and she was trying to keep occupied as she waited on him. She’d had a piece of the chocolate cake she’d been craving and half a bowl of ice cream as she tried to watch her favorite show, Gilmore Girls. She couldn’t concentrate on it, though. All she could think about was Ty, and his reaction to the wolf.

  What was so hard about telling her? Maybe it was because she’d known about it for so long, but she didn’t feel like him turning into a wolf was a big deal. Maybe it was, though. Maybe she was abnormal for thinking that it was so natural.

  She thought back to when she’d first learned of it. She’d been shocked, but she’d never been terrified of him. Disbelieving at first, sure. Convinced she’d been imagining things, that she was going crazy. She looked down at the scrap of shirt laying on the couch beside her and smiled. It was a piece of the shirt Ty had been wearing when he’d turned into a wolf. She’d found it, tucked deep inside her suitcase, when she moved her
stuff to Ty’s room. She hadn’t even realized she had it with her.

  She put her bowl down and picked up the scrap, rubbing it with her fingers as she thought back to that day. Okay, maybe she hadn’t reacted well when she’d first seen him, remembering the scrapes and bruises that had been on her hands and knees from her flight home through the woods. By the next morning, though, she’d been fine.

  Maybe it was because she’d grown up as weird and on the odd side, but things that were different didn’t faze her. Ty was Ty, and it didn’t matter that he could turn into a massive wolf whenever he wanted to. The animal was just another aspect of him to love.

  Parker’s fingers stilled as that thought washed over her. Love? She smiled as her chest warmed. The thought, the feeling, was so real, and so right. Yes, she loved him. This wasn’t the crush of her teenage years, or the infatuation she’d felt five months ago for grown up Ty. This was the love a woman had for a man. She’d do anything, including lay down her life, for him.

  Her hand dropped to her belly when she felt a nudge, and she caressed the spot where her baby was making his presence known. She’d do anything for this little boy, too. Half her, half Ty, yet still uniquely himself.

  She had everything she’d ever wanted, every dream and hope and yearning, right here on this farm. She just needed Ty to talk to her, tell her what he was, so they could get on with living their life together.

  She looked up as Chase came in the room, still dirty and looking like he’d just come in from work. “Hey, Chase. There are leftovers in the fridge. We had tacos tonight.”

  “Thanks,” he replied with an easy grin. “I’ll go wash up and then make a plate.” His eyes widened as they fell on the little wolf toy, sitting on the coffee table. His whiskey colored gaze shot to hers. “Did Ty give you that?”

  Parker shook her head as she watched him closely. “I bought it at the store today. I thought it was perfect for the baby. Ty’s reaction to it was… intense,” she said carefully.

  Chase cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her eyes. “Oh, you know, maybe he was just having a bad day. Where is my big brother?”

  Parker sighed, already feeling bad about trying to get any answers or reactions from Chase. This was Ty’s secret to tell. “He said he had to check on something in the fields. He’s been out for a while, so he’ll probably be back in soon.”

  “Alright then. I’m gonna go grab a shower so I can eat. I’m starving. Let him know I’m looking for him.”

  “I will,” Parker responded as she watched him practically sprint from the room. She hadn’t meant to make him uncomfortable, but her impatience had gotten the better of her.

  She’d been staring at the television for a while, not really paying attention to the show, when the back door opened and Ty walked in, looking disheveled. He smiled at her, giving her a kiss and sitting beside her, and apologized for being gone so long. Parker snuggled into his side, both of them silent for a few minutes. It looked like he wasn’t going to explain tonight and Parker was done pushing. He would tell her when he was ready.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Tyler walked through the fields the next morning, checking the crops as he did his rounds. He didn’t really need to be this thorough, but he was hoping the walk would clear his head. He needed to get his shit together. He knew he’d worried Parker last night, and that was unacceptable. She didn’t need to be stressing over him.

  He had to suck it up and tell her that he was a shifter. That he could turn into a wolf. That supernatural beings were real.

  How the fuck was he going to tell her this shit?

  He saw Garret working on one of the sprinkler systems and walked over to see how things were going. And yeah, for a distraction from his thoughts.

  Garret looked up and nodded at him. “Still haven’t told her yet, have you?”

  Ty stared at him in surprise for a moment before his eyes narrowed. “I hate when you do that shit.”

  Garret shrugged. “Sorry. You were loud.”

  Ty growled in his throat. “I don’t know how to tell her, man. I don’t want her to run.”

  Garret stared at him for a moment, his light gray eyes intense and penetrating. Ty fought off a shiver. Garret was so different than how he’d been even a year ago, and while Ty was glad he’d finally seemed to grow up, this new version of Garret was a little unsettling.

  “I think you should give her some credit. There’s a good chance she’ll surprise you.” With those cryptic words, the fox shifter turned and strode quickly toward the woods.

  “What the hell does that mean? Do you know something? Garret!” Ty boomed, voice echoing. Garret didn’t even slow down, just disappeared into the woods. “Fuck!”

  Ty let out a string of curse words as he turned to finish his inspection of the fields. Trust Garret to drop shit like that and then leave.

  What had he meant by that? Would Parker truly be accepting of his world, of what he really was?

  Suddenly exhausted of the constant back and forth in his thoughts and emotions, and more than ready to put this uncertainty behind him, Tyler resolved to tell Parker the truth tonight. Determination filled him, and relief as well, to get this out in the open. It was time. He was ready. He only hoped Parker was.

  His cell rang and Tyler pulled it from his pocket, answering without looking at the screen. “Tyler MacKeltar.”

  “Ty,” Chase said urgently. “Get your ass to the house. Ian just called. He’s been tracking the wolf shifter, and she’s back on the property and headed toward the house. I’m on my way back from town, so I’m not close.”

  Ty cursed as he flung his phone down and instantly let his wolf have his body, uncaring that he ruined his clothes. They were replaceable. Parker and the pup weren’t.

  He took off as soon as all four paws hit the ground, streaking through the woods like lightning. Making it back to the house in record time, he skidded in the lawn, razor sharp claws digging into the dirt to stop his forward motion, and took in the situation.

  A massive orange and black striped tiger was pacing in front of pig pen. A cream colored wolf was cowering against the corner of the fence and the barn, alternating between whines and snarls. She was scared, but defiant, and desperate to get free. She lunged to the side, but the tiger followed, hissing and snarling, pushing her back into place.

  The sound of the front door opening hit his ears, and Ty turned his head to see Parker coming down the front steps. She had her camera in her hand and was looking down and fiddling with it, not seeing the commotion in front of her. The cream wolf snarled and Parker looked up, shock filling her eyes as the camera fell unheeded to the ground.

  Heart stopping and his chest filling with fear, Tyler shot toward her, intent on getting between her and the other shifters.

  Protect mate, his wolf growled.

  Ty almost stumbled over his dinner plate sized feet. Mate? His wolf was finally calling Parker his mate? Shaking himself free of distracting thoughts but unable to stop the relief that flooded him with his wolf’s revelation, Ty resolved to get back to that once Parker and their pup were safe. His animal’s timing definitely needed work.

  Just barely catching a glimpse of the shock on her face as he passed her, Ty skidded to a stop in front of her, placing himself between her and the cream wolf.

  “Tyler?”

  Ty couldn’t stop his head from whipping toward Parker at her whisper. She knew it was him? How did she know that?

  And she was looking at him with awe in her eyes. Not fear.

  Hope filled his chest as Ty gave her a loaded look, full of meaning. He hoped she could read the reassurance, the love, in his eyes, but he couldn’t take the time to find out. He had to protect her from the unknown shifter right now.

  He looked forward to see the wolf hunched in the corner, head down and posture defeated. She knew she was outnumbered, with no hope of escape, now. The tiger disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving a big man with long black hair in hi
s place. Ian.

  “I ran across her scent and followed her here. She was just inside the woods, staring at the house, not moving. I don’t think she meant to, but she saw me coming and panicked. I chased her and cornered here, where we’ve been since. She’s tried to get free and leave, but she hasn’t tried to attack. I’m not sure what to make of her.”

  Ty studied the wolf as she huddled into herself. He needed answers but he didn’t want to shift and leave Parker unprotected. He wasn’t sure he could trust her safety to anyone but himself.

  The female wolf suddenly lunged up, a snarl in her throat. Ty shot forward, growling long and low in his throat, tensed to attack.

  “Ty, stop! Now!”

  Ty watched from the corner of his eye as Garret crept forward, arms held out in front of himself. Ty snarled at Garret for stopping him. He wanted this over, and his pregnant mate out of danger. Now.

  “Ty, don’t attack. You’ll regret tearing her throat out, I promise you that.”

  Ty growled, not so sure of that, but he reluctantly backed down. Garret’s shifter talent was powerful, and when he spoke, they all tended to listen.

  Garret gave him a satisfied nod, motioning for Ian to back off, too. “Hey there, pretty wolf. It’s okay. They won’t hurt you, I promise.” Ty growled low at that, and Garret shot him a quelling look. “Can you shift for us? You’re safe.”

  The cream wolf whined as her eyes darted between Garret and Ty. Ty huffed a sigh and backed toward Parker, sitting in front of her and trying to appear less aggressive. He started when he felt Parker brush her fingers through his fur and rest her hand on his back. He turned his head slightly to look at her, and she gave him a soft smile, appearing calm and collected.

  Mate, his wolf sighed.

  Yeah, they were definitely coming back to that.

  Garret took a couple more steps toward the wolf. She allowed it, but tried to back into the fence when Chase approached the group in his human form. Chase stopped by Ty, watching.