Cole nuzzled into her neck and nibbled her earlobe, bringing her back to the here and now with a sigh.
"Why do we have to go to this thing, Cole? Can't we just stay here?"
He rested his chin on her shoulder, and their gazes met in the mirror as he smiled.
"Hey, this was your idea, remember. To help Maria out, not that I think it will make much difference to her case, unfortunately. This has turned into an official council function to celebrate the rare birth of triplets, and I'm duty bound to attend."
She rolled her eyes, and he drew her closer against him.
"You'll be fine, and I'll be the envy of everyone there, when they realize who my mate is."
"Will you, Cole? I'd have thought you'd be getting stick for diluting the bloodlines and hitching your wagon to a mere human, so to speak."
He growled his annoyance at that, and his eyes flashed to his bear's. A shiver rolled over her at the fierce protectiveness he exhibited toward her, and she let her head fall back onto his chest as his scent grew stronger and enveloped her in a cocoon of happiness.
"You're my mate, sugar, and the woman that I love. Nothing will change that. Besides, once they actually meet you and see how strong you are and that our baby has all the markings of becoming a strong little bear, they really won't be able to say anything to that."
Some of Emmi's happiness slithered away at those words. Yes, the baby. They might accept her for the baby, but not for her. Not the old, set in their ways, must keep the ancient bloodlines pure, council officials. The mere thought of meeting them brought all her old insecurities to the forefront of her mind. Deep down in her heart and soul, she knew that Cole loved her for her, not the bear shifter she was carrying. She knew that. Saw it in his eyes every time he looked at her as though he was seeing her for the first time, and in the myriad of little ways he saw to her needs.
He told her he loved her at every given opportunity, and over the last week they had talked until their voices had grown hoarse. She knew everything there was to know about him, and she had filled him in on every nuance of her life pre-Cole. He'd held her when she cried, as she relived the moment her Gran, the only mother she had ever known, had died from cancer leaving her an orphan aged sixteen. She'd just secured an apprenticeship at the zoo, and caring for the animals had become her lifeline. He'd laughed with her as she'd retold all the funny things that had happened, praised her when she shared how she'd worked two jobs to finance her degree through the open university and she'd worked her way up through the ranks.
His murmured I'm so damn proud of you, baby, had meant more to her than anything.
In return he'd opened up more about his childhood, about the awful day he'd found his parents dead, and his hunt for the killers. She'd shivered in his arms when he'd recounted the gruesome ways in which he'd taken his revenge, and far from being disgusted by the violent events he described, she'd cheered him on in her head.
It seemed she was as protective of him as he was of her, and that thought made her smile again and chased the lingering doubts away.
"What is going on in that pretty little head of yours, baby? I can almost see the wheels turning in there. I'm half expecting to see smoke come out your ears."
She elbowed him in the ribs, and he spun her around and crowded her against the mirror, and all the breath left her lungs at the determined expression on his face. He ground his erection into her belly and kissed her long, hard, and deep. It was a heated kiss of promise, and passion, and they were both breathing heavily when he released her. Cole adjusted himself through the fine fabric of his tailored suit, and Emmi drank in the sight of him. No one looked as good in a suit as her bear did. Her bear. That was such a nice thought, and one that would get her through what promised to be a trying afternoon.
****
Despite his earlier statement to Emmi, a ball of nervous energy churned in Cole's gut as they pulled up outside Maria's parents’ house. The long driveway and all the way ‘round the back, was filled with cars as the local shifter community turned up in force. A handful of children—far too few of them for a gathering this big—chased each other round Councilor Anderson's garden, and brought a fleeting smile to his face. Emmi grasped his hand as though her life depended on it, and he could sense her unease and worry. It overlaid her usually sweet scent, and he pulled her in front of him and ran his teeth along his bite mark on her neck. Instantly she relaxed, and his bear calmed his frantic pacing. The animal was ready to go into battle for his mate. His beast didn't like this uncertain Emmi any more than he did.
"Relax, sugar, it'll be fine. We make our appearance, mingle a little, make sure Maria is okay, get in some cuddles with the triplets," she giggled at that, "and then I'll take you back to mine and show you how much you mean to me."
As he'd hoped her anxiety eased, and the sweet scent of her arousal chased away the smell of her fear. Much better. He couldn’t bring her into a gathering of shifters and have her appear like a frightened little mouse. That wouldn't do their cause much good at all, and besides, it wasn't who his little Emmi was.
As arranged Carter greeted them at the door, and Emmi squealed when she spotted little Anna cradled in his beefy arms.
She ran up to the bemused looking cougar, and Cole didn't miss the way the man sniffed the air and his eyes widened. Their eyes met over Emmi's head, and he read the wonder and grudging admiration in Carter's gaze, and Cole's bear relaxed a tad more.
"She got so big! What on earth are you feeding her on? May I, please?"
She held out her arms, and after another look to check with Cole, Carter handed his daughter over for Emmi to cradle on top of her own bump.
Cole blinked several times at that image. Emmi's bump had grown again in the time it took them to come over here, and he whistled through his teeth. The stretchy fabric of her dress clung to her breasts and bump, accentuating her lush curves, and his dick rose to the occasion. She simply looked good enough to eat. Pregnancy suited his Emmi. She glowed from the inside out, and holding little Anna her face lit up in happiness. Cole and Carter inhaled at the same time. Right now there was little in Emmi's scent to distinguish her from a shifter, and his heart turned over in his chest at the thought. In the old legends he'd been reading up on there was mention made of true human mates. They adapted to such a degree that all offspring were born as true shifters. The humans lived longer with every bite made by their shifter mate until they lived the same extended lifespan and became immune to all the usual human illnesses. The only thing they couldn't do was shift.
There was a lot to be learned from the old ways, and he would make it his life's work to bring back the old ways. He owed it to Emmi, their unborn son, and all the future generations to come.
Carter's amused laugh shook him out of his musings.
"That would be mother's milk. This one is particularly greedy, hence I took her off Anastasia for a while to give her a break. The boys are much more laid back, but this little cub just needs to be in the same room with her mum and she wants the goods." He rolled his eyes in mock annoyance, but there was no mistaking his fatherly pride behind those words. He stepped away from Emmi and slapped Cole on the back in greeting.
"Your mate is something, all right." He lowered his voice so only Cole could hear. "How is that even possible?"
"Beats me, Carter, but I'm not questioning it. I'm just fucking grateful that it does work."
Carter nodded and ushered them both into the house.
"Time to mingle and let them all see how incredibly suited you two are."
Emmi tensed slightly, but she squared her shoulders and reluctantly handed little Anna back to her doting daddy.
Cole took her hand in his and smiled down at her.
"Let's go and meet the lions," he said.
"Literally?" she asked with a small smile, and Cole and Carter laughed in unison.
"Maybe, but remember, they're just big ole pussycats." Cole said.
Carter growled low in his thro
at, and Emmi laughed.
****
Several hours and numerous introductions later Emmi's feet hurt in her heels, and she'd lost count of who was who. Who knew there were so many different shifters in this old world? She'd had to stifle a giggle at the rounded old man she'd been introduced to. He'd been a duck shifter, and for some reason that had made her want to burst into laughter. Cole's claws had dug into her side in warning, and she'd somehow managed to contain her amusement.
Seriously though, ducks? What next? Hedgehogs? Emmi was all too aware that she was exhibiting her own form of shifter racism right now, but somehow she associated the ability to shift with big majestic animals like her bear and the big cats the Andersons shifted into. Clearly, Emmi had a lot to learn yet.
By far the most entertaining had been the massive man enveloping her into a bear hug. He had the most enormous nose she'd ever seen on a man, and she hadn't been at all surprised to learn that he was an elephant shifter. He was also one of Cole's oldest friends and had regaled her with tales of Cole's misdemeanors, until her sides had hurt from laughing so much.
Flanked by Cole on one side and Doug on the other, she'd been surrounded by a protective shield, and thus her anxieties had fled. She'd even managed to get used to the way folks sniffed the air next to her and their faces dropped as though they'd just witnessed a miracle. It made her slightly uncomfortable, but at least it was a damn sight better than the disdain she'd been expecting.
There had been a few growls and some overheard snippets of conservation, which might have had the power to hurt, had she not been so closely guarded by not only Cole, but the Andersons, too.
Maria's mum had greeted Emmi with a huge smile and open arms. Emmi had recognized her instantly. She was an older, just as bubbly, version of Maria, who had unabashedly stroked her bump, and clapped her hands in joy.
"So lovely to meet you at last, Emmi. I've heard so much about you. Such a beautiful bump you've got. Isn't it wonderful, Gunnar? Who'd have thought it? It's a miracle, that what this is and hope for all our futures, just like our grandchildren."
Councilor Anderson's response had been far less enthusiastic, and Cole had pulled her back against his long frame one hand laid possessively over her bump, the other outstretched to shake Maria's dad's hand.
Emmi didn't think she'd imagined the look of contempt he'd thrown at her before Cole's warning growl had brought the other man's head up and he'd shaken Cole's hand.
"Cole."
"Gunnar, this is Emmi, my true mate."
Gunnar Anderson's gaze had zeroed in on Cole's mark on her neck, and his lips had curved into the semblance of a smile.
"So, I see."
"Emmeeeeeeeeee." Maria's excited screech had broken the awkward moment, and the whirlwind blonde had dragged her out of Cole's arms and away to a secluded corner.
"Oh, I'm so glad you're here. This party is doing my head in. Every unattached shifter in this place has tried it on with me so far. Jesus, even the duck. Now, you tell me, why the hell I would mate with a duck? I'd eat him for fucking breakfast. Well, look at him for God’s sake." Maria and Emmi had burst into gales of laughter, and Cole's gaze had sought hers across the crowded room.
Time had stood still as they stared at each other, and she knew, that no matter what happened they would always be together.
The thought had given her a warm glow inside, one she was roughly shaken out of, now, as she heard raised voices.
Maria was arguing with an unknown man in the garden, and when Emmi stepped outside the man scarpered.
"Maria, are you okay? Who was that?" Emmi asked.
"No one, don't worry about it." Maria said, but her smile seemed forced, and Emmi could have sworn she'd been crying.
"Maria, you can tell me, you know."
Her heartfelt sigh put another dent in Emmi's newfound happiness, and she pulled the other woman in for a hug.
"I can't, and you couldn't help me anyway. You just enjoy your pregnancy and let me worry over this. I'll sort it. I'm so glad you were so well received. That bear of yours is positively beaming with pride. Anyone can see how much he loves you. You're a lucky girl, Emmi."
Sadness clearly enveloped Maria, before she shook herself, and the old Maria was back.
"But never mind that, this is a party. Let's find Anastasia and those adorable babies of hers, so we can make a fuss of them."
Emmi let herself be dragged along back to the main house, where they were separated in the throng.
A thin and heavily made up brunette stepped in her way, and Emmi had to look a long way up to look into the amber eyes of the woman's bear. Her heart beat faster at the threat she sensed in this woman, and sure enough three equally tall men appeared and surrounded Emmi. Claws sliced through her arms as each man grabbed her and lifted her straight off the floor, whilst another beefy hand covered her mouth to smother her scream. They carried her through to a deserted room and tied her to a chair. One stuffed a gag in her mouth, and then they stepped away, leaving the woman to stare down on her.
"Thanks, boys. It's a shame we can’t spirit this little bit of human scum away, but there's too many damn shifters milling about outside. I'll just have to deal with that little half-caste abomination she's growing in her belly right here, won't I?"
Adrenaline flooded Emmi's system, and she yanked on her restraints, but it was useless. They dug into her tender flesh, and tears sprang into her eyes, but the bonds didn’t budge an inch.
"Oh, you can try, human bitch, but you won't get out of that, not until you're dead anyway." An evil grin split the shifter's face, and bile churned in Emmi's gut.
The woman, who had to have a screw loose, grew in front of her, and Emmi's scream stuck in her throat when the shifter's hand changed into a massive bear paw.
No, God, no, her baby, Cole, this couldn't end like this. She concentrated with all her might, putting all her love for Cole and their baby behind the thought.
Cole, help I need you. Cole! She's insane.
"I told him, he's mine, and if I can't have him then no pissing little human is going to take him from me."
Pain sliced through her as that paw swiped at her face, and the world went black.
****
Emmi's scream for help came through loud and clear, and Cole's bear roared. His muscles bunched, and his bones cracked as he started to shift, unable and unwilling to stop his bear. Emmi was in danger, and Cole had a pretty good idea who it was.
"What the fuck, Cole?"
Carter, Jake, and Doug responded to his immediate alert by half shifting, too.
"Emmi, Lissa got her." Those distorted words were the only ones he managed before he completed his shift into one pissed off, furious grizzly. He sniffed the air to get her scent. There it was by the gardens. Dimly aware of the two cougars on his heels, followed by the heavy stamps of Doug's elephant, he charged.
Her scent got stronger the deeper he got into the mini mansion that was the Anderson's home. When it became laced with her blood his bear saw red. Not thinking of the consequences he broke through the heavy door in one shoulder charge. Teeth snapped at his throat, but he shook the smaller bear off, knowing that the cougars would take him down. Doug impaled the lion leaping at him on one his huge tusks, and a swift kick to the wolf's side sent that shifter, too down in pain, which left Lissa.
The hulking she-bear raised her massive paw again for a final blow to Emmi's midriff. His gut churned at the amount of blood Emmi had already lost. Tendons and muscle were exposed on her arms, and she lay unconscious on the floor, still half bound to the chair, a bloody rag stuffed in her mouth.
He tore his gaze away from her, and he lunged at his former lover instead. As anxious as he was to check on Emmi he had to take Lissa down first.
His bear roared, and the blow intended for his mate sliced through Cole's side instead. He growled in pain and swiped the feet out from under Lissa. The demented she-bear fell heavily, missing Emmi's still form on the floor by mere inches.
Cole took advantage of her temporary confusion and sank his teeth in her shoulder and dragged Lissa away from her intended target. Lissa growled and snarled and with surprising strength ripped herself free from his bite. Flesh and muscle tore away, and blood spurted in a huge arc as Cole's teeth tore through one of her major arteries.
Doomed as she now was, Lissa went crazy. She got the advantage and pounced on top of him, her teeth snapping at his throat. Cole managed to twist away at the last minute, and her teeth bit thin air. As she was already weakening from her massive blood loss, which made the floor underneath his paws slippery, a well-placed swipe of his left paw against the side of her head sent Lissa flying off him, and he stomped her to the ground. One paw on her chest, he held her down and waited as the light in her eyes dimmed and she started to change back to human. She twitched and writhed on the floor as she breathed her last, and Cole changed back and turned his back on her.
Emmi was too still, and there was so much blood. He used his claws to free her of her restraints and he cradled her in his arms willing her to hang on, all too aware of the grim expressions on the other shifter's faces now crowding into the room.
"Here, let us take her now. There's nothing else you can do, Cole. Let the cleanup crew do their job."
Chapter Eighteen
Emmi was in a world of hurt. Fire coursed through her veins, and she gagged on something in her mouth. She raised an arm to yank it out, and a plethora of shrill noises exploded in her ears, and made her wince. As if her head didn't hurt enough. A familiar scent enveloped her, and Cole's roughened fingertips slid across her hand.
"Don't, sugar. Let me call the doctor."
Cole, it was Cole. That meant she was alive, didn’t it?
Cole, the baby.
He's fine, sugar. Even in her mind she heard the wonder in his voice, and come to think of it why could she talk to him via her thoughts? She wasn't a shifter, so this shouldn’t be happening. Then again, she probably shouldn't be alive after what had happened either.
You're not just saying that?
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