Her professor eventually came up to her, and Millie looked at him with an expression of hopefulness. “I promise to keep him quiet, and I will leave if he becomes disruptive,” she said quickly. “A friend of mine had an emergency, and I didn’t want to miss class because of the big assignment coming up.”
The professor didn’t seem to mind with the new addition to the class. He patted the top of Fionn’s head. “I had those days when my kids were younger, too. Why don’t the two of you sit in the back of the room today? If you do need to step out, you won’t interrupt anyone.”
Millie gave him a grateful nod and settled herself and Fionn into a couple of seats at the very back of the lecture hall. She pulled out her notebook and handed one of the toys from the diaper bag to Fionn, who took it and started playing with it in his lap. As class started, she saw his eyes start to droop. She chuckled to herself. The professor had that effect on her sometimes too. His mellifluous, even-toned voice quickly lulled Fionn to sleep. She pulled him into her lap where he cuddled next to her chest as she took notes throughout the lesson.
It seemed as if the next sixty minutes flew by in a blur. Millie was grateful that she come to class after all because the assignment was much more intensive than she expected. This was one class that was critical to graduation, and she wanted to make sure she got a good grade in it. At the end of class, she was approached again by several of her friends, but they all gave her a wide berth when they saw that Fionn was sleeping.
As she was gathering her things up, the toddler finally started to stir. She chatted with several of her friends who offered to hold him. Fionn was a friendly and warm little boy who brought smiles to everyone’s face. She took him back, and one of her friends, Brenda, started walking out to the parking lot with her. That was when she saw the tall, muscular man standing there leaning against the hood of her car.
“Well, hello. Who is that?” Brenda asked.
“Fionn’s dad,” Millie whispered. Her heart had already done several flip-flops the moment she laid eyes on Kieran standing there. He was dressed in his typical evening attire—jeans with slightly ripped knees and a black T-shirt that clung to each and every muscle of his impressive chest. He looked flat-out mouthwatering.
Brenda wasn’t convinced. “You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
“Wowie. How did you get to know him?”
“He’s my neighbor,” she said somewhat distantly.
“Well, he is delicious,” Brenda said as she straightened her skirt. “I wish he was my neighbor. I’d be borrowing sugar. All. The. Time.”
Millie instantly felt a pang of jealousy. Brenda was one of her closest friends in Grand Junction. Brenda was petite, thin, and stacked, which many men seemed to like. But as they approached Kieran, she noticed that Kieran’s gaze slid right from Brenda to her. Once their eyes locked, he didn’t look away. She drew up to him with a smile.
Her friend walked away instead. “Call you later,” she mouthed. Maybe she realized it wouldn’t make sense to waste her time trying to get Kieran’s attention.
Millie felt a slight bit of vindication that Kieran didn’t watch Brenda’s ass as she swished away. Then she chastised herself afterward for being so petty. Oh man. Jealousy was a scary thing.
“I didn’t realize you’d be done so soon,” Millie said.
“It wasn’t as big a deal as I thought.”
“Well, I hope you got everything taken care of. Fionn was a huge hit with the class.”
“Oh yeah? He’s a handsome little devil, isn’t he?” Kieran took Fionn into his arms. “He takes after his uncle that way.” He gave Millie a small wink.
“Uncle?” asked Millie.
“Sorry. I meant me.”
“Oh.”
Something shifted between them then, and Millie wasn’t quite sure what it was. Was it the way he looked at her that was more intense than usual? Or the fact that he winked at her. Yowza. Mr. Grumpy had winked at her.
Winked.
Had there been any reports of airborne pigs? Had hell frozen over?
She wanted to say something else, but her mind went blank. “Is there anything else you need?” she asked lamely.
“We’re fine. Probably should get this little guy home. Seems like he’s pretty tuckered out,” Kieran said.
Millie sensed he was reluctant to leave, which she felt, too. But then Kieran gave her a small nod and walked away. Millie watched him and couldn’t help but notice his firm backside. So far everything between them had been strictly platonic, but that wasn’t something she necessarily wanted. As they spent more time together, she felt herself growing more and more interested in Kieran, in more than a friendly way. She had no idea how to tell him that. Plus, the man was so good-looking that she was sure he was way out of her league.
Thinking about that sent a small pang of sadness through her core. Millie thought about stopping at the grocery store on the way home. Surely the feeling wasn’t anything that a pint of Ben & Jerry’s couldn’t fix.
*
As Kieran put Fionn to bed that night, he thought back on the day’s events. It definitely hadn’t ended the way that he figured it would when he woke up that morning. He looked down at Fionn sleeping in his little toddler bed and thought about how much his own life had changed since he was an angry young member of the clan. He was cognizant of the fact that he had changed in so many ways, not just since then, but even after he’d moved back to Grand Junction and took over as primary caregiver for Fionn. He also realized that a lot of that growth was thanks to Millie. He felt a gratefulness that he would never be able to explain to her.
Kieran was sure that everything was over between him and the clan since he had been disowned, which was why he had been so surprised to receive a phone call from someone from his past earlier that afternoon. He didn’t recognize the number immediately, but decided to answer anyway. He thought back on the call.
“Kieran.”
“Kieran, it’s Aodhan. Your father’s beta?” As if Kieran didn’t know who Aodhan was. Aodhan had been his father’s beta for more than fifteen years. He was in shock hearing that particular voice on the other end of the phone and wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m sure this is an unexpected call.”
“That’s the truth,” Kieran said. He was unwilling to say anything else until he knew the reason for the call.
“Well, at least you haven’t hung up yet.”
“Thinking about it,” Kieran said with a slight snark in his voice. “It’s amazing how being disowned by your own family will do that to you.”
“That’s part of what I would like to talk about with you,” Aodhan said. “Of course, you have to be willing to listen. Can you meet me this evening? I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”
“I’m no longer part of the clan, so nothing that you would have to say is my problem.” It had been more than five years since anyone from the clan had contacted him. It was still a massive sore spot for Kieran, despite the fact that he felt like he had moved on. But all was not forgiven. Not by a long shot.
“I won’t ask for more than thirty minutes of your time,” Aodhan pleaded, desperation in his voice. “If you’re willing to give me more, I’ll take it, but it’s important that we talk. Please. You must realize what it took for me to call you at all, knowing how you were treated.”
Silence fell between them.
Kieran felt conflicted about the clan beta’s request. On one hand, the call had sparked feelings that he had long forgotten. Feelings of family and belonging. It had been five years since he had felt that way and since he felt a drive for something other than just his own selfish needs. He figured that’s what becoming responsible for someone else had done for him. Reluctantly, he knew that he was curious as well. Aodhan would not have called him if it weren’t important; he knew enough about the beta to know that to be true.
“Thirty minutes. That’s it,” Kieran said.
“Wonderful,” Aodhan said, sounding
relieved. “You won’t regret this. Meet me at Shakers Bar at five-thirty.” Then Aodhan hung up the phone.
It wasn’t until the time was mentioned that Kieran realized that he didn’t have anyone to look after Fionn while he was gone. He knew that Millie had class that evening, and he swore under his breath as he realized his options were limited. Then he looked at his watch and realized five-thirty was just twenty minutes away. Apparently in Aodhan’s world, there was no time like the present.
Thinking back on that earlier anxiety, Kieran realized how grateful he was that Millie had been willing to step up and take Fionn with her to her class. He knew that members of his former clan probably wouldn’t have appreciated him letting a human take a werecub out into the community so early in his life, but Kieran was feeling a bit unwilling to listen to all of the rules of the clan anymore. After all, he was no longer part of that group, and neither was Fionn. It gave both of them an opportunity to have a latitude that he hadn’t had when he was younger. As he looked down on Fionn’s sleeping face, he couldn’t help but recall how the meeting with Aodhan eventually went down.
What Aodhan had neglected to mention over the phone was that he wasn’t going to be the only one who would be attending the meeting. When Kieran arrived at the bar, he saw that Aodhan was sitting in a booth in the far back of the bar with two other of the clan members. This was not the meeting he was expecting at all, and he realized it must have been something very serious if so many were willing to talk to him.
Kieran wondered what was happening and felt a small jolt of fear as he slid into the booth across from them. He watched as Aodhan looked him up and down. He knew that he had changed a lot since they had last seen him. He was no longer the errant young man that they remembered. That’s what happens when one gets disowned in one’s early twenties, he thought, remembering he was closer to thirty.
“Kieran, you look well,” Aodhan said.
“You don’t look as well,” Kieran responded. It was true, and he realized he could have been nicer about it, but he didn’t really feel like it. Aodhan had always been a man who cultivated his looks as he aged, but the intervening five years had definitely taken their toll. Sitting next to him was clan member Matton. Aodhan’s personal bodyguard, Hanock, stood between their booth and the rest of the bar as if to ensure that now that the meeting had started, they wouldn’t be disturbed
“You’ve already lost two minutes with pleasantries,” Kieran said. “Let’s get on with it.”
“I hope you realize this is a highly sensitive topic,” Aodhan said. “I also want you to know there are many in the clan who didn’t agree with your father’s decision. Of course, there are those that would do it all over again as well.”
“What a great way to start things off,” Kieran said sarcastically. “Why don’t you just rub a little salt into the wound and remind me that I wasn’t wanted in the first place? I don’t need this.” He started to move toward the end of the booth when Aodhan put up his hand.
“Please,” Aodhan said.” I didn’t mean any disrespect. I’m just trying to give you some context, and tell you that the clan is divided. This is part of the environment that we will have to work together to overcome, considering what I’m about to tell you. But it’s for a far greater good, and I’m up to the challenge. I’m not ashamed to admit that we’re desperate.”
Now he definitely had Kieran’s attention. He would have never thought of Aodhan or any of the other clan members being desperate. “What happened? What’s going on?” he asked.
There was a slight snort from Matton. He looked rather dispassionate and quite put off by the whole thing. “At some point, it’s about choosing the lesser of two evils,” Matton said.
Kieran suddenly had an idea of what, or rather who, they might be talking about. He had also been on the receiving end of the machinations of the most manipulative, conniving person within the clan—one who exerted great influence over his father.
“I assume you are speaking of Selena. At least you’ve finally recognized that woman is trouble,” Kieran said. “You might recall that I told you a long time ago that she was behind all of the outbursts that got me disowned. She will do whatever it takes to get what she wants.”
“Yes, this is about Selena,” Aodhan admitted. “We are deeply concerned about her influence over your father. It appears to have gotten stronger over the years, and he is now openly disregarding the advice of the Council and the other clan members. He and I once had a very strong relationship, but now things are awkward and uncomfortable.”
“Yeah, I can see how that would happen. You guys still aren’t explaining to me, though, why this is my problem,” Kieran said. “From where I’m sitting, this looks like a well-deserved karmic comeuppance.”
Aodhan and Matton looked at each other. He could tell that they were struggling with what they were going to say.
“As I’ve mentioned, there are those of us who feel that…perhaps we were hasty in casting you out of the clan,” Aodhan said. “To the point that there’s even been discussion of reversing that decision entirely.”
Now this was news to Kieran. It was something that he had wanted for many years. Now that he was finally comfortable with where he was in life, suddenly his past was resurfacing. The irony was not lost on him in the slightest.
“Why?” Kieran leaned back in the booth, crossing his arms over his chest. “Why would you come to this revelation after five years?”
“Your father wanted very much to bring Etaine to the family plot to be buried when he found out what happened to her…but Selena insisted that was a betrayal of the clan’s will. Your father chose her wishes over the advice of the Council. You might not be aware of this, but we have recently been more lenient about shifter-human mating, especially as we have become more integrated with their communities. It sounds like you have taken responsibility for Etaine’s son.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but yeah, I have. I wasn’t going to let my nephew be left out in the cold like I was.”
Aodhan had the decency to lower his head in a small acknowledgement of their past wrongs. “I doubt there is anywhere better for him to be. It shows a great deal of growth that you were willing to take that on.” He looked at Matton once more before meeting Kieran’s eyes. “We believe that if we were to propose bringing you back into the clan, we would be able to gather enough support to reinstate you to your former position. Before we do this, though, we needed to make sure that this is something that you would be interested in.”
Kieran could hardly believe his ears. This was something that he had wanted for so long, and now it seemed temptingly close. He would never admit how desperately he longed for exactly this turn of events in secret.
“If Selena has as much influence over my father as you say she does, then there’s no way that she is going to let me just…waltz back in like that. Reinstatement means I would be first in line to take over if anything happened to my father. She never wanted that. It’s the whole reason she decided to go after me in the first place.”
“Let us worry about that,” Aodhan said.
Kieran thought about what they were saying for longer than he would have liked. Finally, though, he shook his head. “I am happy where I am. I just want to raise Fionn in peace. The politics of what you are dealing with are not something I am interested in, or want to be a part of. I hope you can respect that.”
“Is there something we could do to convince you otherwise?”
“Fuck no. I just put my life back in order for the first time in years. I just found where I belong. Let me have my peace. I deserve this, after what I’ve been through.”
There was a long pause.
Aodhan finally nodded his head. His disappointment was palpable. “I sincerely hope you will reconsider one day, Kieran.”
Kieran shook his head. “I doubt it. But I want to say that I do appreciate the fact that you reached out to me. For all of the bad blood between me and the clan, I am happy
to have seen you again.”
Aodhan looked as surprised at this as Kieran was for having said it.
But it was true.
Maybe some of the lessons that his father had taught him during his Alpha training had finally sunk in. There was no reason to leave bad blood between him and the clan anymore if he was happy. Plus, someday, Fionn might want to explore returning to the clan. Kieran would not want to deprive him of that opportunity if that was something that he wanted.
“We appreciate you coming and listening,” Aodhan said.
Kieran slid out of the booth and offered his hand to Aodhan. “I have somewhere to be now. I’ll see you around.” He shook Aodhan’s hand and left the bar. His heart was light and his future seemed bright. A normal life was on the horizon. A quiet, stable, and happy life. With Fionn. And Millie.
Thinking about her made him wanted to smile like a loony person. Millie, his sexy and sweet neighbor. He wanted her so badly, he got a massive hard-on just thinking about her. Curvy Millie with her kind heart. She was perfect for him. He wanted to claim her as his mate. Finally, he could shift his attention to something other than hurting people with his fists.
He whistled as he walked, feeling good about his decision.
CHAPTER FOUR
Millie tucked Fionn into his bed. She had offered to watch him on another evening when Kieran had to work late. This time, she didn’t have class, and she was all-too-happy to help out. Kieran got home just as she was saying goodnight to Fionn, although she didn’t hear him come in.
Fionn listened to the bedtime story and closed his eyes diligently when she asked. She couldn’t stop herself. His cuteness was simply too much, and she leaned in to give him a kiss on the top of his head.
Lone Tiger And Cub: BBW Weretiger Shapeshifter Paranormal Romance Page 4