“Shifter talents?” Parker asked, looking at him in question.
“Yeah. Every shifter has something they’re especially good at. Like Jake, over on Bear Claw. He can fix anything mechanical. His sister Kendall, the vet, can tell what animals are feeling, and can heal them. Chase’s is a gift for management. He always knows the best way to get things done, the best ways to manage the farm. By rights, he should be the one stuck inside at a desk for half the day, but he refuses. He gets claustrophobic if he’s forced indoors for long stretches of time.”
“What’s your talent?” Parker asked curiously.
“Weather,” Ty replied with a rueful grin. “I always know what the weather is going to do, and I can sense it months in advance. It makes planting and harvesting the crops easy. We never lose any now, not like we did when our dad was running things.”
“That’s why you always know when it’s going to rain!” Parker exclaimed. “I knew that weather channel excuse was bullshit.”
He laughed. “You almost caught me a couple times on that. I’m not used to censoring what I say so much.”
“So our baby will have some sort of special gift?” Parker asked, caressing the swell of her belly.
Ty leaned over and put his hand next to hers, smiling when he felt the baby move under his palm. “He sure will. There’s no telling what it’ll be, and it likely won’t become evident until he’s somewhere between five and ten years old, but he’ll have one.”
“I have so many questions about this whole shifter business, but I’m really curious about one thing right now. You mentioned that Jared told Cassie she was his mate, and that he wanted to claim her. What does all that mean?”
“Every shifter has a person that’s meant to be theirs. Who’s perfect for them in every way. We call that person our mate. Shifters want nothing more than for our mates to be happy, well cared for, and safe. We’d do anything for them. Kill for them, die for them. Anything. A shifter’s mate is everything to them.”
“Oh,” Parker said softly, looking at her hands. What did it mean that Ty hadn’t called her his mate before? Was it possible that she wasn’t that person for him? She felt her heart crack at the thought.
“Look at me, Parker.” Ty waited until her eyes reluctantly met hers before he continued. “My wolf… he’s broken. I can’t remember the last time he felt right. When my mother was still alive, probably. When she passed away, every hint of security and affection I’d had in this life went with her. I focused on trying to protect Chase from our father, but I had no one to protect me anymore. I channeled all of that into Cassie. When she chose Jared, my wolf broke a little more, and when she died, the last little bit of sanity he had left went with her. I’ve just been trying to get through every day, one day at a time, working to get the farm in the best shape possible for my little brother before I needed put down.”
Parker nodded, keeping her head down as she looked at the fingers she was twisting together. Hearing this hurt, but she needed to know where she stood.
Ty touched her cheek. “Don’t look like that. I’m not finished yet. I’ve already told you that I didn’t love Cassie like that anymore, but she was my best friend. Losing her felt like losing everything good left in my life. My wolf has been a snarling mess, uncontrollable on a good day, insane on most. Until you. That first night at Crazy Pete’s… I followed you outside because when our eyes met in the bar, he went quiet inside of me, for the first time in longer than I could remember. I wanted more of that. I didn’t expect what happened between us that night, but I could never regret it. It was the best night of my life. My animal was calmer after that, saner. And then you walked back into my life a couple of week ago. Told me you were pregnant, let me get to know you, and the change in him was remarkable. I haven’t had to fight so much for control, and for the first time in years, I felt like I was going to make it.
“I still didn’t know for sure, though. My wolf was content, but he’s still on the broken side. I’m not sure that will ever change. He was completely silent, and I begged and pleaded with him to talk to me, tell me what you really were to us, but he wouldn’t. So I decided that you were mine and it didn’t matter if he never spoke to the words to me. And it truly doesn’t, Parker. You’re my mate. I feel it in here,” he said, putting a hand to his chest, “and have from the beginning. I chose you, in every way I could choose. But today, when I thought you were in danger, the wolf finally talked to me. Called you our mate. Let me know that both sides of my nature adore you. Every part of me chooses every part of you, Parker. You’re my mate.”
Parker looked at Ty through a sheen of tears. She couldn’t imagine ever hearing anything sweeter. He’d chosen her. She was sure that she would have felt just as special if his wolf had spoken to him from the start. But there was something about knowing that Ty the man had chosen her, that he had been determined to have her regardless of how his wolf felt, that hit her like a sledgehammer, right in the heart.
She couldn’t deny, though, that having his wolf confirm it for him finally brought a measure of relief. She wouldn’t have handled that well, knowing that there was possibly another woman out there that the wolf could choose over her.
“Tyler… I choose you, too. I don’t have an animal, but every part of me chooses every part of you, as well. I love you.”
She heard his breath catch and he looked away for a moment, a muscle in his jaw jumping as he clenched it. He turned back, cupping her cheek. “My wolf and I both love you, Parker. We adore you, and the pup you’re carrying. I’d like to claim you one day, but you’ll have to think hard about that. We’d have to do it after you gave birth, and I’d have to bite you. My bite will change you, though. You’d become a wolf shifter, like me.” She opened her mouth to reply and he put a finger to her lips to hush her. “Don’t answer me now. Think about this long and hard, throughout this pregnancy and longer, if you need to. Ask questions, take your time. There’s no rush, and I need you to know that I don’t need you to become a wolf. I will love you forever, regardless if I’ve claimed you or not. Being a human or a wolf won’t ever change that.”
Parker kissed his fingertip. “I’ll think hard about it, Ty. I promise.”
Ty smiled at her, his gorgeous chocolate brown eyes full of love and the promise of a lifetime together. “There is something I’d like an answer to sooner rather than later, though.”
Parker watched, puzzled, as Ty took a deep breath before standing up. He reached into his pocket for something and then dropped to his knees on the floor in front of her. He opened his palm and Parker gasped and covered her mouth with trembling hands when she saw the ring sitting in his palm.
“I ran into town and picked this up the other day, after I decided that I didn’t care what my wolf wanted. I love you, Parker. I want you in my life forever, and while I honestly don’t care if you ever become a shifter, I want you in the human tradition. I want you to have my last name. I want everyone to know that you’re mine, and I’m yours. Will you marry me?”
Parker blinked the tears from her eyes as he held the ring up. It was modest, with a white gold band, and two small diamonds nestled on either side of a slightly larger princess cut diamond. It was gorgeous. She took a deep breath, and held out her hand, fingers trembling like mad, so he could slide it on. “Of course I’ll marry you, Ty. Yes. A thousand times, yes!”
Ty gave her a breathtaking grin as he slid the ring onto her finger. He surged up from the floor, kissing her passionately as they fell back onto the bed together.
Today had been eventful and a little bit crazy. Seeing Ty’s wolf, an unknown sister showing up, a long, heartfelt conversation. Then declarations of love, and now a marriage proposal.
When she’d made the decision to come back home and tell Ty about the baby, she never would have been able to guess that it would end in love and marriage. Her imagination hadn’t been good enough for her to even dream this up. But she couldn’t imagine her life going any other way now. She had every
thing she’d ever wanted, right here in Ty’s arms.
Chapter Seventeen
Ty walked down to the kitchen, intent on grabbing up leftovers from dinner for him and Parker. Neither one of them had eaten after all the craziness of the day, and Parker especially needed to eat.
He lifted a hand in greeting to Chase as he walked to the fridge. His brother was sitting at the counter, eating his own meal. “How’s Parker? Is she taking the whole shifter thing well?”
Ty grinned wryly as he pulled bowls from the fridge. “She’s fine. Apparently, she already knew I was a shifter. I guess she saw me shift once years ago, when we were teenagers.”
“No shit?” Chase said before throwing his head back on a laugh. “You were worrying like a little old woman for nothing.”
“Don’t be a dick, pup. I’ll remind you of this moment when your wolf picks a human for a mate.”
“My wolf will have the good sense to pick a shifter.”
Ty snorted. “Don’t count on it. How’s Kelsey? Have you heard or seen her since she went to bed?”
Chase sobered and shook his head. “I heard her moving around in her room for a while, but it’s been quiet here lately. When do you think she’ll talk to us, tell us what happened to her?”
Ty sighed as he made up two plates. “I don’t know. Parker said to give her some time and not push her. So that’s what we’ll do. She looks like she’s had it hard enough without us scaring her more.”
“I think she’d been living in the woods for a while,” Chase said, pushing the food around on his plate. “I hate to think of when she’d even eaten a decent meal last.”
They were both quiet after that, lost in their own thoughts. Ty warmed up the plates of food as he put the leftovers in the fridge. He paused before he left again, looking at his brother seriously.
“Look. I think it’s clear that Kelsey wouldn’t have hurt Parker, or any of us. But we might not have known that, and we might not have managed to catch her, if it hadn’t been for Ian. Our sister is upstairs, safe, warm and fed right now, because of him. I figure I owe him. Him and his crew can stay in the old place, as long as they stay away from the farmhouse and don’t get in the way of running the farm. I don’t know his other shifters, so make that clear. I trust Ian, though, so if he trusts them… I’ll let them stay. I won’t even charge them rent on that dump. But I don’t want any trouble. Not from them or anyone they know.”
Chase nodded. “There won’t be. Ian won’t accept charity, though. He’ll pay rent, whether you want it or not.”
Ty inclined his head. “Either way. As long as there’s no trouble,” he reiterated, as he began walking out of the kitchen.
“Hey, does this mean you’ll come to a fight?” Chase called.
“Why don’t you hold your breath while you wait and see?”
Ty made his way to the stairs, grinning as he heard Chase’s muttered, “Fucker”.
He took the stairs two at a time, ready to see Parker again. He hadn’t even been away from her for ten minutes, and he was already anxious to get back to her.
Mate.
Yes, she definitely was, Ty thought as he agreed with his wolf. He’d imagined a lot of different scenarios since Parker had come back into his life, envisioned what he had thought was every possible ending. Every ending but this one. One where his wolf finally spoke up and confirmed that Parker was his true mate. One where Parker accepted what he was wholeheartedly and unconditionally.
He juggled the plates and opened the door to his bedroom. Their bedroom. His breath caught as he saw Parker, reclining on the bed while she caressed the swell of her belly. She looked over and smiled at him, and Ty felt his heart swell in his chest.
She was his. He had his own little family now. Beautiful Parker and their precious son, who was nestled safe under her heart, growing big and strong. He’d never thought he would have this, never even imagined it could be possible. Everything about her had been unexpected.
Ty smiled at Parker, pouring all of the love he felt for her into his eyes, as he shut the door and walked into his own little slice of happily ever after.
THE END
Coming Soon
Temporary Mates
Book Two in the Red Moon Shifters Series
Don’t miss out on the series that started it all!
Bear Claw Shifters is a three book series with beloved characters that show up in Red Moon.
Starry Night Sky
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One Sunny Day
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Misty Autumn Morning
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Unexpected Mates (Red Moon Shifters Book 1) Page 16