While Delaine tried to shake off the burn, Kain flew forward, throwing him back against the wall. Once he was backed into a corner, Kain released another flame in his face, causing him to cry out in pain. Jocelyn pushed harder, diving deeper into her new form, throwing Kain’s body forward, pinning Delaine back against the stone. Pulling back quickly, Kain let the Dtor slide down, collapsing in a heap on the ground. In a shudder that shook the room, the red dragon changed back to human form.
Once on the ground, Kain transformed, rupturing the connection with Josey. “Impossible!” Delaine yelled out as Kain stepped away from him. “You were defeated from the start! You should have never been able to overpower me!” Kain didn’t respond, but walked slowly towards her.
Raghnall leaned down to help Jocelyn to her feet. “I knew you had it in you, child” he said to her to her in a hushed tone. Stepping forward, he addresses the clan. “Kain didn’t defeat Delaine on his own,” he called out. Everyone gave their full attention to the Docart. “This woman,” he proclaimed, lifting Josey’s arm over her head. “She comes from House Ó Duinnchinn!” Jocelyn could feel every eye in the room fixed on her. The attention made her feel small and timid, but the newfound power she had discovered inside her pushed her to step forward.
“Lies!” she heard Delaine call out. When Kain reached her side, he looked at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. “You’re a shifter?” he asked softly.
She turned to face him, taking his hands in hers. “I didn’t know,” she explained.
“The child she carries,” Raghnall continued, “is the much awaited Dtor that will be the first in a long and powerful line of leaders!”
“I should have known,” Kain continued to speak quietly to only her. “That’s how it happened—the spark, the baby, the bond.”
The room filled with the quiet roar of voices, but the Docart continued speaking. “It’s been centuries since we have spoken of the prophecy. But it’s here, in front of us! Kain and Jocelyn, House Connelly and House Duncan, united!” his words hung in the air as the crowd in front of them slowly absorbed them.
“No!” Delaine yelled out. He stood quickly and began moving towards them. “It can’t be!”
“It is,” Raghnall spoke, turning to face Delaine, but still addressing the entire clan. “If it weren’t true, they wouldn’t have been able to bond; they wouldn’t have been able to conceive!” He turned to look back at Jocelyn and Kain. “The only other time in our history something similar happened was so this very moment could take place; so that your child would come, here and now.”
“Long live House Connelly-Duncan!” a voice called out from the crowd! “Long live House Connely-Duncan!” others joined in chorus. As she stood listening to the voices cry out, Jocelyn felt at home. She didn’t feel out of place or awkward, but complete and safe.
CHAPTER SEVEN
As eager as she was to embrace her newfound identity, it wasn’t until after Owen was born six weeks later, and Kain began helping her discover how to transition physically into her other form. The first time she shifted the feeling of freedom it brought overwhelmed her. Kain told her that he’s never seen a dragon with her color; her skin was a deep purple with flecks of gold. The Docart commented that she shared her ancestor’s qualities.
As Dtor, Kain sentenced Delaine to five years in exile, a light punishment in Jocelyn’s opinion. But she trusted him. He would go on to become a great leader—strong, wise, and kind. And when Owen came of age, the clan accepted him wholeheartedly; he was their long awaited leader—the child born to fulfill the prophecy.
As time went on, she never stopped feeling the rush of warmth and passion surge through her when she was with him. His mere presence brought her comfort, and knowing that he would be by her side for the rest of her life filled her with a sensation of security and belonging; things she had been missing her entire life until she found him.
The Wealthy Wolf’s Secret Baby
CHAPTER ONE
Rachel ran through her mental checklist, muttering under her breath as she did. “Balloons—check. Cake—check. Pizza—check.” As she spoke to herself she hurried around her small, one bedroom apartment, trying to make sure everything was ready.
“Mommy!” she heard Joel, her son, call out from behind her.
She turned around quickly and spread her arms as he ran to her. Scooping him up, she spun him around placing three quick kisses on his cheek before setting him down.
“I hope the birthday boy is ready!” she smiled down at him.
He bounced in place, clapping his hands and looking around at the family room, decorated with train posters and matching streamers.
Today was his third birthday. She couldn’t believe how the years had flown by. When she found out she was pregnant the summer before her senior year of high school, she was terrified.
Thankfully, she was able to graduate with a lot of help and patience from her teachers. Her mom and dad were supportive when she decided to keep the baby and raise him on her own. Her friends always volunteered to babysit, and her boss at the restaurant gave her as many extra hours as she needed.
Despite all of the love and encouragement from everyone around her, there was still one very important person missing in her and her son’s life—his father, Caleb Malone.
Caleb was not only the star of the football team but he also graduated valedictorian. He was tall, muscular, and mysterious. All of the girls in school would nearly swoon whenever he flashed them his perfect smile. He had very dark brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. There was something about his eyes that made you want to stare into them for hours. In the right light, they looked hazel—just like Joel’s.
She couldn’t help but think of Caleb whenever she looked at her son. He looked a lot like his father. He had the same dark hair and large, entrancing eyes. He didn’t look like her at all, really.
Rachel was short, with long, light brown hair and light green eyes. Her skin was pale, and her face was very round. She had always thought of herself as plain, but apparently Caleb did not. He liked her curvy figure and her light features. He always told her that.
The day he asked her out, she almost fell over right there in front of her locker. The only problem with that perfect moment was that Caleb’s dad, Christopher Malone, the richest and most powerful man in the city, refused to let his son date. He told Caleb that if he ever caught him sneaking around with a girl, he would write him out of the business and throw him out of the house, taking away his inheritance before doing so.
They spent as much time together as they could, always in secret. The night she got pregnant was the night of the end-of-summer party. Caleb was a year older than her, and preparing to go away to college. They had agreed that once he left, they would go their separate ways. If at some point in the future their paths crossed again, they would do whatever it took to be together, despite his father’s wishes.
By the time she found out about the baby, he was already gone. She thought about calling to tell him, but it didn’t matter at that point. His father would never let him have a part in Joel’s life. He would probably just write a check and hope that she and her son would go away. So, she kept it a secret from him. She kept the identity of the father a secret from everyone. She told her parents he was a secret boyfriend she had that turned out to be a huge jerk. The only person who knew the truth was her best friend Amanda.
None of that mattered anymore, though. At that moment the only thing that mattered was Joel, his party, and making sure he was happy. By the time the guests showed up, she had completely wiped all thoughts of Caleb and high school and the emptiness in her life from her mind.
Everything went perfectly. Joel squealed and laughed as he opened his presents. He made a mess with his cake, dropping it down the front of his shirt and smearing blue frosting all over his face. By the time the last guest left, he was fast asleep on the couch, hugging his new train.
“He’s adorable,” Amanda said, carryin
g the last of the cups into the kitchen.
“Thanks,” Rachel smiled at her as she shoved the massive bundle of wrapping paper down into the trashcan. “He’s my whole life.”
“I’m surprised you’re so calm these days,” Amanda noted leaning against the counter and crossing her arms at her chest.
“Why?” Rachel looked at her surprised. “I mean, having a two-year-old has been trying, but I’m sure Joel turning three won’t change much.”
“Not that,” Amanda said, looking at her with wide eyes. “You mean, you really don’t know?”
“Don’t know what?”
“Caleb Malone is back in town.” Rachel felt like the words landed square in her stomach, knocking the air out of her.
“What?” she squeaked.
“Yeah, he’s been back for a few days. I’m surprised you didn’t know.”
“How would I know, Amanda?” Rachel answered quickly, not meaning for her tone to be as aggressive as it was. “I’ve been a little busy raising my son to keep up with everyone from school!”
“Well,” Amanda shrugged, “he’s here. Are you going to see him?”
“No,” she said firmly. “No. I’m sure he’s moved on. He probably has his whole life mapped out. I don’t want to get in the way of that.”
Amanda looked at her with a sad, almost pathetic look. “You’re a martyr, you know that? If I knew my baby’s daddy was the son of a multi-billionaire, I’d be trying to bank on that.”
Rachel reached out and punched her in the shoulder. “Amanda! I don’t want a handout. Joel and I are doing pretty well these days. I don’t need any of Christopher Malone’s money. And I don’t need help from Caleb.”
Her plan to avoid him didn’t work very well. Just a few days later she saw the familiar perfect smile, the short, dark hair, and the mesmerizing, brown eyes staring at her across the restaurant. He was sitting at her table; of course, he was sitting at her table.
CHAPTER TWO
“You look good, Rachel,” he said quietly.
“You, too,” she said, staring down at the notepad in her hand.
She noticed that he was alone, which she thought was weird. He smiled up at her, kindly, and waited for her to catch control of her nerves. He always had such a good way of sensing how she was feeling.
“I didn’t know you were back,” she half-lied.
“I just got into town a few days ago.”
“When do you leave to go back to school?” This was the first time he’d been home since leaving to go to college. He usually spent his summers with his family at their lake house, and went to see his grandparents in Florida for the holidays.
“I don’t,” he said excitedly. “I’m done. I graduated.”
“Oh,” she felt her cheeks flush red. “Of course, I hadn’t realized it’s already been so long!”
“I would have called…” he started.
“It’s alright,” she shrugged. “I’m sure you’ve been busy.”
An awkward silence fell over them. She tried to keep her heart rate from accelerating, but every time she peered at him over the edge of her notepad she felt her hands begin to shake slightly.
“What can I bring you?” she finally asked.
“We’ll start with two glasses of Merlot,” he said glancing past her at someone walking towards them.
She turned to see who it was. When she saw, her heart stopped suddenly. It was a woman—a beautiful, tall, thin, woman. She had dark hair and dark green eyes and was absolutely stunning. “Right,” she said scribbling their order down and hurrying away.
Throughout their meal, she could sense that it wasn’t just her that was uncomfortable. Whenever she neared the table, Caleb and his date would exchange quick glances, and the woman would toss her hair over her shoulder and look up at Rachel with harsh, cold eyes.
By the time they asked for their check, Rachel felt like she was emotionally drained. She set the small leather case down on the table quickly and walked away without saying a word.
Escaping quickly to the bathroom she locked herself in a stall and let her emotions out. Her eyes filled with tears and her hands started to shake. She should have told him. She should have told him the day she found out she was pregnant. It was too late now, though. He was happy. He had moved on and he was happy.
She was ready for her shift to be over. She needed to get out of the restaurant; she needed to get back to her son. Thinking of a quick fib, she told her boss that Joel was sick, and she needed to leave early. He was understanding, and being that it was a slow night he let her leave early.
Stepping out into the fresh, warm summer air, she felt herself relax slightly. The sun was just setting in the distance, and it was casting shades of pinks and reds across the sky.
“It’s a nice night,” she heard Caleb say from somewhere in front of her.
She looked around quickly and found him leaning against the passenger side door of her car. “Caleb,” she said walking towards him quickly. “What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you,” he said reaching out and wrapping his strong arms around her.
The feeling of being close to him again filled her with a warming, relaxing sensation. It felt familiar and safe. “But I thought…” she stuttered.
“Come with me,” he said, taking her by the hand and leading her to his own car.
They drove in silence. She didn’t know what to say to him. Every time she opened her mouth she felt like she was going to let the truth out.
The car turned into the nicer part of town—the part that she only dreamed of ever living in. When he pulled into a long drive, she sat up straighter to look around. The house in front of them was enormous, with a large wrap-around porch and a three-car garage. “Whoa,” she said under her breath.
He laughed a little at her surprise. “I just moved in, so it’s not furnished or anything yet.”
“It’s amazing, Caleb.”
He led her inside, and she saw that he was right. There was no furniture to be seen. She wondered where he ate or slept or did anything, but she didn’t have the chance to ask. He led her down the hall to an expansive, open room with a large bay window. The empty space glowed a soft red color, reflecting the light of the setting sun.
He stopped suddenly and turned to face her. Wrapping his arms around her he pulled her towards him, kissing her passionately. His lips were soft and his body, pressed against her, was strong. She wanted so badly to let go, to melt into the moment with him. But, she couldn’t help but think of her son back at her parents’ house and the woman at the restaurant.
She pressed her hand to his chest and pushed him back slightly. “What’s going on, Caleb?” she asked softly.
“I want you, Rachel. I need you,” he whispered in her ear. The feeling of his warm breath against her neck made her body surge with desire.
She tried to remember why this was wrong but she couldn’t. He ran his hands along her sides. She felt a shiver run up her spine as he began to unsnap the button of her jeans. In an instant, there were no reasons why she couldn’t be with him. She couldn’t think of anything else besides that moment.
He swiftly pulled the shirt off over her head then he pulled off his own. Wrapping his arms around her, she felt the feeling of his skin against hers. It sent waves of longing and desire coursing through her. He once again ran his hands over her body, this time letting them rest on her bare breasts.
Her stomach ached with passion, and when he pulled her down onto the soft carpet, she didn’t resist. They both simultaneously slipped out of their clothes. The air around them became warm and charged. Her heart raced in her chest as she traced the muscles of his chest and stomach with her fingertips.
He lifted her chin and placed a quick kiss on her lips before moving his mouth down to her neck, then her shoulders, then to her chest. The feeling of his lips delicately brushing against her skin sent waves of pleasure rushing over her.
Her longing overtaking her, she pushe
d him back and placed herself on top of him, her legs straddling his muscular frame. When he lifted his hips just slightly, pushing himself inside of her, her entire body surged with the feeling of satisfaction. He wrapped his large hands around her waist and pushed her down, forcing himself deeper inside her.
Overwhelmed with lust and passion, Rachel let herself get lost in the moment. She let herself become one with him. The feeling of being with him was familiar and comforting, but still new and exciting. He seemed stronger than he had before—his movements surer and his desire seemingly unquenchable.
ROMANCE: ALIEN ROMANCE: Captured by the Alien Dragon (Alpha Male Alien Abduction BBW Romance) (Bad Boy Shifter Fantasy Romance) Page 20