by Lynn Leite
“Werewolf grandchildren,” Kendra said in a hush.
“I think you might be getting ahead of yourself Kendra, but yes, that is what the future seems to hold. It’s not what I would have wished for our daughter, but what I want is not in question. Wolves are loyal and above all faithful. If she does mate this man, it will be for life.
“What if she changes her mind in a few years? People do, you know?”
“People do. Wolves who find a true mate don’t. If Nina is feeling the mating fever, she is most likely his true mate like he claims. If that is the case, it’s forever. Whatever our daughter is feeling, it won’t ever go away.”
“How is that possible? She just met him.”
“As I understand it, the wolves believe that a true mate is the universe sending you your perfect match. Long ago, when the packs were small and their numbers low, mating’s became important to survival. A true mating assures that the female would be cared for and protected and the children of the pair would have a secure, stable home. Once a male wolf meets his true mate, he doesn’t stray. The downside to this is if that wolf already is dating or married. A true mate will always win.”
“Is this Ranger married?”
“Now that, I do know. Two of Royal’s sons are true mated and his daughter has two mates.”
“I thought you just said.”
“I know what I said. Emory, his only daughter, ended up with two true mates who, instead of tearing each other apart, mated each other as well.”
Kendra didn’t even begin to understand the connection her husband was describing. His reacting to Nina mating a Shifter was out of character. Nina had always pushed the boundaries and Malcolm pushed back. If what her husband was saying was true, then this mating, this connection, was meant to be. Malcolm was not usually so excepting of Nina’s
decisions. He obviously thought there was no choice in this one. “I want to come to this meeting with you.”
“Kendra, I don’t know what it is that Royal wants.”
“Well then, we will find out together. I need to see my daughter. I need to see her face to tell what she’s thinking.” Malcolm knew there was no arguing with Kendra on this one.
“Fine. Be ready to leave when she calls. I’ll be in the study.
Nina didn’t object when Ranger pulled her down into the same seat in the waiting room. The family was staring, but the expressions on their face were mostly smiles. No one had questioned Ranger’s statement. They had just continued on as if this happened every day.
Faith came out from the back scanning the faces, stopping at Ranger, who held the officer that had brought Rory in in his lap. Damn, another Cheveyo male off the market. Ranger was the only one of the brothers that she ever had any interest in. Oh well, he wasn’t her true mate. She had touched him enough to know that.
“Dr. Cheveyo asked me to tell you all he will be out in a minute.”
“How’s Rory?”
“Is it a boy or girl?”
“Whoa, slow down. Rory is fine. The baby is fine. As to the gender, I think Maverick wants to give you that news.” Faith smiled.
“It’s a boy,” Nina whispered to Ranger.
“How do you know?”
“I can feel the energy. Boys vibrate on a different frequency than girls,” she whispered.
“Nina says it’s a boy,” he announced.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because if you’re right, it’s important.”
“Important how?”
“Not sure yet, but trust me.”
“You know Ranger, you’re a bit confusing.”
“I know. You’ll get used to it,” he said flashing a killer smile that had her melting back into him.
Maverick looked at Rory and his new son. The smile on his face actually made his jaw hurt. “Mind if we take this little guy to meet the family?”
“I’m surprised they aren’t in here already,” she laughed. “I need to apologize to both Willow and Xavier.”
“Why Xavier?” Maverick knew she had to apologize to her sister for growling and kicking her out.
“I told Willow he got taken down by a girl.”
“I missed that. You mean he has a new girl?”
“No. I mean, when I went out on the porch to wait for him, I found him sprawled across the lawn and pinned to the ground by a female police officer. She’s the one that drove us here.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. Come on I’m sure if you ask, he’ll tell you the whole story.”
“If I were him, I’d lie about the whole incident. Seriously, a woman took him down?”
“Yup, and she was no bigger than Willow or me.”
“Shifter?”
“Don’t think so,” Rory smiled.
Maverick laid the sleeping baby in Rory’s arms, ignoring her protests, “I can walk Maverick.” She was annoyed that he insisted she ride in the wheel chair. Shifters healed quickly. By that afternoon, she would be back to normal. For now, he needed for her to allow him to indulge her. She had just given him the ultimate gift. He wheeled her out into the waiting room. As he had expected, his entire family was there. His mother was just coming in the door and rushed past the others to greet the newest Cheveyo.
“I’m really too young to be a grandmother you know?” she said while bending to pull back the blanket.
“Mom, meet Maddox.”
“Maddox, it’s a boy?”
“Hey, Nina was right,” Ranger said. Maverick noticed for the first time that his family was not alone.
A small woman in uniform was surrounded by his brothers. Rory smiled at the female. “Maverick, this is Nina, the officer I was telling you about.” Rory was trying to contain her laughter.
“Nice work Rory. He’s beautiful,” Nina said stepping forward with Ranger close behind.
“Nina, my wife tells me you drove her here… among other things.”
“You told him about that too? Will I ever live this down?” Xavier exclaimed.
“NO!” the men shouted.
“It was my pleasure. Hotshot here was in no condition to drive.”
“Hotshot?” Maverick asked raising an eyebrow. Nina just shrugged.
Maverick watched as the family all fussed and cooed over his son. The pride that filled him was greater than he could ever imagine.
“Maverick, I hate to do this, but I need you for about an hour. That is if it’s alright with Rory,” Royal said as he slid his finger into the hand of the squirming bundle in Rory’s arms in an affectionate gesture.
“Why, what happened?” Maverick looked to his wife for permission. Royal may have been his Alpha and his father, but his priorities had shifted.
“We need to meet with Malcolm Blackwell.”
“The Mage, why? Has one of theirs been taken?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes. Nina is Malcolm’s daughter.”
Nina smiled at the huge man while noting how much Maverick, Ryder, and Ranger looked alike.
“Xavier, what did you do?” Maverick barked. Yup, he was Alpha alright. Nina thought with a laugh.
“I didn’t do anything. It was Ranger.”
“Ranger?” Maverick swung his head around to look at his brother. He watched as Ranger took Nina by the shoulders and hauled her back against him. “Oh shit!” he said. He realized immediately what the possessive movement meant.
“I don’t know why everybody keeps saying that?” Nina quipped shaking her head. “Seriously Maverick, I’m not that bad.”
“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean. So she’s your…?”
“His mate, yeah,” Nina felt Rangers pull. There was no way she wanted to be discussing this. She was a girl of action and the action, she wanted to take needed to be done without an audience.
“Royal?” Gemma squawked and looked to her mate for conformation. Rory was unsuccessfully trying to stifle a laugh.
“Yes dear. It would seem Nina Blackwell is Ranger’s mate. We are
meeting with her father shortly.”
“It’s sure to be a party. You should all come,” Nina joked.
6
Malcolm tried to speculate the way this meeting would go. Surely, if Nina was his son’s mate, Royal wasn’t denying them. That would just harm his son. A union between their children did mean more contact between the Witches and the Shifters. The two races had remained separate for so long. This would impact both communities. Malcolm could see the good in that.
“This is it,” he said as they pulled up outside the Brooks home. The trucks that lined either side of the street told him the wolves had already arrived.
“Malcolm, do you think it’s wise to take the guard?” Kendra waited as three huge men exited the vehicle in front of them and came to open the door. “They might feel you pose a threat.”
“It’s protocol Kendra. I’m sure Royal has his sons with him.” Malcolm had no sons, only daughters. His guard was not made up of family but trusted men in his coven.
Royal stood on the porch. He didn’t relish this conversation. He knew however it was a conversation that needed to happen.
“Welcome Malcolm, Kendra. Thank you for coming. Gemma and the others are inside,” he welcomed them while reaching to shake the Mage’s hand.
“And Nina?”
“She’s giving my sons a run for their money. She’s already tackled my youngest and taken the heart of my third. I believe she is currently arguing with Maverick about woman’s rights in the pack.”
Malcolm laughed. That did sound like something Nina would do. He was happy to see that Royal was in good humor about it.
Rory sat quietly on the couch watching the interchange with Nina and Maverick. She had the urge to get between them, but the deal was she could come to the meeting only if she took it easy.
She had just had a baby. It wasn’t like she was in a train wreck. She was a werewolf. They healed at an accelerated rate. She had to remind Maverick that it was hours after Garrett attacked and tried to kill her that she and Maverick completed the mating bond. If they could have
sex only hours after she almost died, she and the baby could leave the clinic and come to the meeting. He really had no argument to that.
“Maverick.” Royal’s voice echoed in the room. The room was full of the family. Every member of the Cheveyo Alpha family including its newest member was in Willow and Ryder’s living room. Maverick turned to his father after flashing a brief smile at Nina. She was going to make a wonderful addition to the family, even if she threatened to rile up the women even more than they already were. Both Willow and Emory trained daily. He had no doubt Rory would insist on starting as soon as tomorrow.
“Yes Dad?”
“Come son, I’d like to introduce you. This is Malcolm Blackwell and his wife Kendra.”
“Nina’s parents, so pleased to meet you,” Maverick took Malcolm’s hand in a firm grip.
“As you might have heard, Maverick will be taking the Alpha position in the new year. The Shifter council has asked me to oversee this region.”
“I had heard that, yes,” Malcolm was smiling with the usual pleasantries he reserved for such meetings. He was still hesitant about the Alpha Shifter, but having seen his daughter in a
heated debate with the man, he felt better. It was clear he was not angered by her boldness. He might have even had a look of admiration on his face. Malcolm couldn’t be sure.
“Come, sit down. We have much to discuss. Your men are welcome to come in as well,” Royal said with a wave.
Nina stepped back to Ranger who had been watching the sparring between his brother and his mate. “Dad, this is Ranger.” Nina pressed her back against him like she was shielding him. Ranger reached around her to extend his hand to the Mage. The whole room seemed to pause until Malcolm took hold of Ranger’s hand and gave it a shake.
“Hello sir.”
“Well, Ranger, from what my daughter has told me, you believe her to be your true mate. Is that right?”
“That is right sir.”
“Royal, we have known each other for ages. I have the highest respect for you,” Malcolm started. Nina rolled her eyes. Her father could be a little long winded but screaming ’get to the point’ wasn’t going to help much.
“Yes, and I you,” Royal countered.
“I suppose we should discuss the mating.”
“The mating is between Ranger and Nina, Malcolm. The reason I called you was, if our children are to be together, there are certain things you need to know. Things that even some Shifters aren’t aware of.”
“I’m listening,” Malcolm said settling into one of the plush couches. He looked relaxed next to his wife, but Nina knew her father was anything but relaxed.
“Ranger mating Nina will have more of an impact on your coven than you might want. I wanted to be fair. I wanted your family and Nina to know what was at stake. Let me begin by saying your daughter is a pleasure. I couldn’t have chosen a more perfect mate for Ranger. I fully sanction the mating, if Nina still wishes it after our discussion.”
“Dad, get to the point please.” Ranger was holding on to Nina as if he thought she might run. She couldn’t think of one reason she would run from this man.
“Fine. As you know, Rory here is a white wolf and Willow golden, both rare, or unheard of. That has rocked our pack to an almost celebrity status. What you don’t know, and few people do, is that Rory was not turned by my son.” Malcolm looked as if that was news to him. He had always assumed that the two men, Ryder
and Maverick both, had turned their human mates willingly.
“Rory was attacked by a feral wolf. Willow killed him before he could finish her and we were able to thankfully save her. The death of a wolf, even a feral wolf, at the hand of a human, sent ripples through the community. Some Shifters believe Shifter should only mate Shifter.”
“We have purists in our own ranks, although it is few,” Malcolm nodded.
“Yes, well one in particular, his name is Blake Howland, kidnapped Emory a few months ago. If it weren’t for her mates, she might not be with us. He was after Rory and had mistaken Emory for her.”
“Who is this Howland?”
“He is the cousin of the wolf Willow killed. He is also Alpha born. The Council speculates that he might have killed his sire to gain that position. The death of his father is questionable. From what we have observed, and what my daughter was able to tell us, he is also quite insane, but smart.”
“That would be a problem.” Malcolm knew there was more so he let Royal continue.
“The reason I tell you all of this is because if Nina is my son’s mate, regardless as to her decision as to whether to turn or not, she will be
family. My family in particular has been targeted by this man. I don’t wish to drag your people into this but with Nina being my son’s mate, that might be inevitable.”
“So far he has targeted Shifter women. There was one human his people killed, but that might be because he tends to enlist rogues as followers. I don’t doubt that, left unchecked, your women could be in danger at some future date. Nina needed to know what she was walking into. Out of respect, I thought you should know as well. The mating bond is not set. Ranger can live apart from her if it means she will be protected.”
Nina looked at Ranger as he held her tightly around the waist. Ranger just closed his eyes and nodded in agreement. He would do whatever it took to protect her. Even allow her to walk away.
“Nina, a word?” Malcolm was already standing and moving toward the door. “Royal, I appreciate you telling us. I do realize you didn’t have to share any of this. Kendra, I’ll be right back.”
Nina followed her father holding up one finger to Ranger to let him know she intended to be right back no matter what her father said.
The front door shut behind her as she met her father on the porch.
“Before you say a word, I do understand the pull you are feeling. I can see it in you Nina. My common sense says, grab yo
ur daughter and run. My sense of duty to the coven says, stay out of it until it is completely necessary to get involved.”
“Dad it is necessary now. Women are dying. It doesn’t matter if they are Shifter or not.”
“I know. You didn’t let me finish. The father in me wants to give you your heart’s desire. An Alpha wolf is a good match for you. Someone has to keep you in line, and goddess knows I have tried and failed. Whatever you decide I will support. The coven is behind you, and if there is a threat, it is this man Howland. It is not the Cheveyo’s. They have proven their worth by trying to protect you and warning you away.”
“You know I never back down from a challenge Dad. I won’t leave because I’m running scared. I feel it Dad. I can’t explain it, but I know if I had to walk away from him, I would never be whole.”
“Then I suppose you’d better tell him that. I can feel his panic from here and I’m not his mate. Oh and Nina,” Malcolm said as she reached for the door.
“Yes Dad.”
“One more question. Do you intend to turn?”
“I was thinking about it, why?”
“Because if you asked my opinion, I would have to say it is recommended.”
“Really? That’s not what I would have expected.”
“Sometimes I still surprise even myself. If you turn, you will be witch and wolf. My first born would be the blend of the two races. It would show that both the pack and the coven fully accept one another.”
“That makes sense. Thanks for supporting me on this Dad.”
“I will always support you Nina.” Malcolm pulled the door open as he entered the house. Nina followed. Ranger’s rigid stance showed he was nervous. His distress at the thought of her leaving warmed her.
She rationally knew that she didn’t really know him. She knew that the mating heat was like natural selection. Your perfect mate just showed up and you knew instantly. That was convenient. She wondered why other species didn’t experience the same thing. The feelings she felt for Ranger were real. She knew in her heart they were forever.
“Is everything alright?” Ranger asked as Nina went to him. The six foot plus huge man looked pale and nervous.