by T. S. Ryder
Would she be widowed before she was even mated?
Naomi's hands trembled as she fastened the little onesie that she had bought on the way back to Joshua's home from the hospital. The baby girl they had found in the woods gurgled, waving her hands and smiling. The Wolf tried to smile back, but worry twisted in her gut.
It had been hours since Joshua had gone after the man shooting at them. What had he been thinking? After the man had started running, he should have just come back to her. He didn't know if it was a trap. He should have come back to the hospital to have his wound looked at.
Well, he didn't, Naomi told herself. And so what if he didn't? If he gets himself killed, it will save me from having a hot-headed mate.
But as much as she wanted to pretend that she didn't care, she did. She hadn't agreed to be Joshua's mate just because he could get her away from her father. Their union was also the best chance for peace between Wolves and Bears. And even though she hadn't known him long, she knew Joshua was strong and kind. She wanted that in her life. Love wasn't something she wanted, but what Joshua could offer her was.
And yet she had heard nothing from him, even as she had the baby checked out at the hospital. The infant was perfectly fine, a little cold and a little hungry, but nothing that needed to stay at the hospital for. And so Naomi went out and bought everything she immediately needed for a baby and came back to Joshua's home, trying to distract herself from thoughts of Joshua bleeding out on the forest floor.
"There you go. Fed and clean and dry," she said, picking the little girl off the couch cushion she had put on the floor. "I think I'll call you Sapphira."
Sapphira giggled and reached for the Wolf's hair.
The door flew open. Naomi's heart jumped to her throat and a wave of relief washed over her as Joshua strode in. That relief was quickly gone when he pointed an accusing finger at her.
"What are you planning?"
Naomi got to her feet. She looked at Joshua and then down at Sapphira, who was twisting her head back and forth, little fists waving. "I know that you said you didn't want a baby, but—"
"Not the baby." Joshua stalked closer, anger flaring in his eyes. "I mean what excuse you're giving the Wolves."
Naomi shrank back, cradling the baby closer. Her father had never physically abused his daughters. Sometimes when his words became biting and tore holes in Naomi's soul he wished he would hit her instead, but he never did. Now as she stared at Joshua, she couldn't help but wonder what kind of anger he had.
"I don't know that you're talking about."
"Of course you do! I say I want you as my mate, and you just decide to come with me? Why would you do that? You're a Wolf. I'm a Bear. And there is clearly no love lost between your father and my people. You must have grown up with tales of how wicked Bears are. How we kill and maim and do all sorts of depraved acts. And yet you just left your cabin, as though there wasn't a second thought about it."
Naomi backed away from him, unable to stop the fear from showing on her face. Sapphira started to whimper, and she curled her body around the baby, wondering if it would be best if she put her somewhere else.
"Well?" Joshua's hands clenched. "Answer me!"
"I came with you because I am tired of the constant fighting. The constant legal battles, my father always doing his best to provoke you to so he'd have an excuse to attack."
Joshua stopped.
"I'm just tired of it all, and I thought that if the Wolves' future Alpha and the Bears' Alpha were mates, then maybe we could change how things are."
The Bear swallowed hard.
"I had considered running away to come here and offer myself to you for months."
"I see." The anger that had been in his voice moments ago was gone. "I'm sorry for losing my temper, Naomi. I just… found out some things and thought that you might be involved."
"What sort of things?" Sapphira let out a high-pitched, piercing cry. Naomi jumped and looked down at the baby, eyes wide. "Did I hurt her?"
"Here." Joshua reached for the baby. Naomi shied away, but the Alpha's anger had all drained, leaving him with a soft expression on his face. "Let me hold her. Have you fed her? Changed her diaper?"
Naomi reluctantly handed the baby over to her future mate. "Yes. I just finished changing her diaper when you came in. I took her to the hospital, they said she's fine and that I could bring her home. I named her Sapphira."
Joshua rocked her back and forth, the tiny baby looking all the smaller in his massive arms. He held her gently, though, and a smile crossed his face as her fussing quieted. Her little eyes drooped with weariness.
"You calmed her so quickly."
"Yes. I could see you were tense. Babies pick up on that sort of thing."
"You have experience with this?"
"I love babies. Whenever I can, I visit people with newborns so I can hold them. I look forward to being a father someday. But I don't know if keeping Sapphira is a good idea, Naomi. Especially now."
Naomi shook her head, the familiar feeling of stubborn steel welling within her. "You don't have to keep her. But I am. I don't care if you decide not to mate me, I'm going to keep her. I'll go back to my own pack, and since we haven't slept together I can still prove my virginity and find a mate among my own people."
For a long moment, Joshua was silent. He shook his head. "If the baby was abandoned once for not being a shifter… you implied that your father made people abandon their non-shifters babies. Would you be exempt? Although maybe it would be a better idea to send you back to be with your own people."
"What?" Naomi's heart jumped. He didn't want her? "Why?"
"Apparently your father told the pack that I stole you, and he's using it as an incentive to have them attack us."
A shiver ran down her spine and her stomach twisted. "My sisters. My father never forgave our mother for having three girls and no sons. Nobody knew how unhappy they were as mates. But if he's using me as a rallying cry… the truth that I came with you of my own accord will be outed eventually. But my sisters!"
"What about them?"
"I need to get back to the cabin. He was planning on making us stay there when he moved back. And if he wanted an excuse to attack the Bears, what if he did something to them?"
She didn't want to believe that her father would go that far. But the truth was she had never trusted him.
Joshua's expression became grim. "I'll get the truck."
***
Naomi felt like she might be sick as she and Joshua drove out to the cabin her father had built on Bear territory. Although the original trip to town had had to be made on snowmobiles, the gravel roads had been paved since then, letting Joshua's truck rumble through the woods.
It was just the two of them. Despite the assassination attempt on him, the Bear Alpha was reasonably sure that there would be no more attacks today. After all, who would expect him to go out into the forest again?
Besides, all of his trusted fighters were busy preparing the town for the impending attack. There was nobody to come with them.
What had convinced Naomi that it was safe was the fact that she was a Wolf. Her mother had been a well-loved Alpha. None of her people would attack her mate with her there.
When they got to the spot where the cabin stood, Naomi took Sapphira out of the car seat. She hadn't trusted Joshua not to have the baby sent to the human orphanage while they were gone. Even though her heart said that he wouldn't do that, she didn't know how to trust people. And she had never wanted anything so badly as to keep Sapphira.
Maybe it was just the strange situation she found herself in, and her natural desire to have something to love and care for, but Naomi wasn't going to give up the baby.
Naomi took a deep breath as she stepped out of the truck. Her heart pounded in her chest. Where the cabin had been was now just a pile of charred wood. She stumbled over the snow, patting Sapphira's back. The smell of smoke was still heavy in the air.
"Are they…" she choked on h
er own words. What would she do if she saw her two sisters' bodies in the ruined mess?
Joshua strode past her. He poked through the ruins, shifting beams as thick as Naomi's waist without even grunting. After several moments of working, he looked up.
"They weren't in this thing when it burned. If this was your father's work, then I'm sure he'll use it as a case of attempted murder. But from what I can see here, your sisters are okay."
Naomi let out a shuddering breath. She closed her eyes and walked several feet away, gulping in the cool, smoky air. Sapphira stirred in her arms, making soft cooing sounds.
"We should get back to town right away," Joshua said. "Naomi? Come on."
She nodded, but when she opened her eyes, she froze. Right in front of her, pressed deep in the ash-grey snow, was a huge Bear's paw print. But there hadn't been any Bears around the cabin, at least not on the Beast's form, yesterday. Had Joshua sent people to make sure her family was leaving the cabin?
A shiver ran down her spine. Had he been the one to burn the cabin down?
Chapter Five – Joshua
"Naomi?" Joshua waited by the truck, watching the Wolf that would soon be his mate–if he survived her father's attack.
Her shoulders hunched, cradling Sapphira gently. Joshua liked the image, his mate holding his child. Even though his mind told him it was too early to bring a child into their lives, he couldn't help but wonder if they could make it work. He wasn't against adoption, and Naomi had become very attached to the baby. He always wanted to be a father. Why wait?
Well, the answer to that was obvious. They didn’t even know if they liked each other. They certainly didn't trust each other, not yet at least. Would adopting the little abandoned child bring them close together, or would she just end up growing up with parents who lived separate lives?
"There are Bear tracks." Naomi's voice was flat as she turned to him. "Did you burn down the cabin?"
"Bear tracks?" Joshua's brow furrowed. He jogged over to her. "I told nobody to come out here. It wasn't me."
He peered at the deep track and cursed. There was only one Bear he knew of that had a foot pad with that distinctive heart shape. Susan. He looked around, eyes narrowed. Great. Not only were the Wolves preparing for an attack, but he had a rogue Bear on the loose. The woman who thought that he owed it to her to mate her.
If he had known about Tucker's plans, he wouldn't have banished her. The last thing he wanted was to have her take matters into her own hands like she had done here.
Joshua fished his phone from his pocket. No bars.
"There isn't any cell service out here. It's one of the reasons my father liked it so much."
"Get back to the truck," he said, putting his arm around Naomi protectively. "I want you to get back to the town and tell Matt that Susan's gone rogue and I'm hunting her down. I'll need some backup."
They headed towards the truck, Joshua walking behind Naomi as a shield. They hadn't gone more than a few feet when a thunderous roar shook the trees around them. Joshua whirled. Susan, in full Grizzly mode, burst from the trees and made a beeline straight for Naomi.
The Alpha shifted. He barreled into Susan, knocking her off course. She slapped a paw at him and he bit down on her shoulder. He saw Naomi disappear into the woods, heard Sapphira's crying, and mentally cursed again. A deep growl rumbled through his body as Susan pawed at him, still trying to go after Naomi.
The Alpha dug his teeth into the back of her neck, curling his claws into her massive shoulders, and used his body to flip her over onto her back. The other Bear kicked out with her feet, tearing at his belly. There was no reason in her eyes, only jealous madness. He avoided her heavy paws, slapping them apart. When she rolled onto her stomach, he pounced on her again, using the sheer extra bulk he had over her to pin her in place. His teeth clenched on the scruff of her neck again, his teeth piercing skin this time.
Susan let out a long, low sound of pain and stilled. When he felt her start to shift beneath him, he loosened his grip just enough so he could drag her to the truck without breaking her neck. Her fists still pounded him, but he knew he had won. He was the Alpha, and it was in her DNA to subdue herself to his will, no matter how much she railed against it.
"A Wolf can never be good enough to be your mate," Susan growled when he released her, keeping a paw on her stomach to make sure she didn't run after Naomi again. "She won't stand by your side and give you Bear babies. You'll see. You'll see, and you'll come crying back, begging for me to let you into my bed."
Joshua rolled his eyes as he retrieved a length of rope from the bed of the truck. He rolled Susan onto her stomach and shifted as he pulled her hands behind her back.
"One day—"
"One day, you'll see that you are not as fabulous as you think you are," Joshua said bluntly. He tied her hands and feet before roping her so her limbs were all pulled behind her back. "And if you ever attack my mate again, I'll kill you, Susan. You're lucky I didn't kill you now. Naomi is mine, and I will have no other."
Susan growled, but Joshua ignored it. He checked the strength of the ropes, then nodded. Even if she were to attempt to shift, she wouldn't be freeing herself from that.
Now the only thing he had to do was find Naomi and bring her back. He jogged across the clearing to where she had disappeared into the forest. "Naomi!"
Silence answered him. He listened closely to the sound of the forest, but if Sapphira was still crying, the trees and the snow was muffling the noise. Well, at least there was a deep path cut through the heavy drifts of snow, showing exactly where Naomi had run. Joshua shifted again, heading out.
A twinge in his shoulder reminded him he still had a bullet he needed to have removed. As soon as they got back to town he'd do it. Matt and Luke could give him updates about how preparing the pack for the Wolves' attack was going while it was being done.
He only hoped that Tucker didn't decide to attack the Bears while he was gone. Coming out to the cabin had already proven to take up more time than he wanted. What sort of Alpha abandoned his pack in a time like this?
Tucker isn't going to attack today. He'd need more time than that to organize the attack. Unless he had this planned for months. Maybe even years.
Joshua tensed. They had to get back immediately.
He followed Naomi's trail quickly, clicking his tongue to call for her as he did so. Getting her back to town and safety was his first priority at the moment. His body felt cold as he considered what Susan could have done if he hadn't been fast enough. Naomi could have been hurt or even—
A sharp pain in his back leg made him howl with pain. He whirled to see a wolf with its teeth sinking into him. He whirled, slapping at it, and it jumped out, yelping and barking. Joshua growled and charged, and the Wolf dashed away–until Joshua stopped. Then it jumped at his face, teeth snapping.
Sapphira's cries filled the forest. The Wolf–Naomi–lunged for his throat when he turned to the sound. Joshua grunted in surprise. She didn't recognize him. More than that, she was willing to take on a Bear to protect Sapphira. Even as he fended off his mate, trying not to hurt her, his heart melted.
She loved the baby that deeply already. He didn't care how many legal hoops they had to jump through. Sapphira was their baby.
Joshua shifted. Naomi howled and jumped at his throat again–only to yelp in surprise when she saw who it was. She colliding with him hard, knocking him backward into the snow. She shifted while she was still on top of him. Her warm, naked body pressed against his, her knees on either side of his hips. Joshua felt himself respond, a heat spreading through his body despite the cold air. Naomi panted, staring at him, her eyes wide.
"I didn't realize that it was you," she whispered.
Joshua gripped her hips, moaning as she moved against him. He couldn’t help it, grinding himself against her. He was rewarded by a startled gasp. Naomi shivered. Her pupils widened in desire.
"Sapphira's crying," she whispered.
Joshua nodded an
d released her. "Yeah. Yeah. We have to wait."
Naomi crawled off him and hurried to a small thicket of bushes. She retrieved Sapphira from inside and turned back to Joshua. Desire was still shining in her eyes, and Joshua knew that it was coming from his eyes as well. But they couldn't spend time on sex. Not yet, at least.
But oh how he wanted to…
"We need to move quickly," he said standing.
Without Naomi's warmth, the air seemed far chillier than it had moments ago. A quick look at the sky gave him the reason why. The sky was growing dark. They had maybe a couple of house before nightfall. Not to mention that both their clothes had shredded when they shifted.
Joshua picked Naomi up, cradling her in his arms. She yelped in surprise but didn't protest, in turn cradling Sapphira. The Alpha jogged back the way they had come, able to move quickly since the path had already been carved by their bodies.
When they emerged onto the old burial grounds, he stopped dead.
Susan was propped up against the truck, eyes wide, a single round hole in her forehead. Joshua didn't need to check her pulse to know she was dead. His heart pounded as he stared at the sight. Wolf tracks were everywhere in the snow. The tires on the truck were slashed.
"We need a safe place to spend the night," he said automatically. The Wolves were moving quicker than he thought. But Naomi remained the priority. He had to make sure she was safe above all else. "Bears are more diurnal and Wolves are more nocturnal. They'll have the upper hand over me once night falls."
"The Mating Caves." Naomi gripped his shoulder. "There is a system of caves just inside Wolf Territory where couples will go to mate for the first time. It's a sacred place. They won't dare attack us there, only couples who have not yet joined are allowed inside."
Joshua hesitated. If they went to these caves, then the Wolves could easily accuse him of trespassing on their sacred area. But on the other hand, it was getting colder. A cave would at least be sheltered from the wind, protecting Sapphira. And if they were attacked, it was a position he could defend.
He nodded. "Lead the way."