Honor of the Wolf [The Gray Pack 6] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Lori King

  Family was about more than blood. It was about acceptance.

  Chapter 20

  “I know you haven’t really met them yet, but I want Thomas to take a look at you and make sure you’re all right. You should have had your first shift last night on the full moon,” Luke said as he turned off the highway onto the gravel road that led into the Gray Pack den.

  “Maybe it’s just too soon,” Tavi protested for the hundredth time. “I did just go through the transition. Honestly, I’m okay.”

  He shook his head. “No you’re not. You’ve been tired, and queasy, and don’t think I didn’t notice when you got lightheaded this morning after breakfast.”

  “So I’m wiped out. It’s nothing a little extra rest won’t take care of.”

  “I’ll accept that if Thomas agrees, but he’s the doctor. I’m just an EMT,” Luke said. His jaw clenched, and his fingers tightened around the steering wheel as he pulled up in front of a cabin that was slightly smaller than the one Faith and Nathan lived in.

  Before he could reach for the door, she took his hand, and tugged making him look her way. “Hey, you’re not just an EMT. You’re a hero. You save lives. I’d say that’s a pretty damn important job.”

  He gave her a half grin, and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “And that’s why I love you Tavi.”

  Her mouth fell open, and her heart flipped over in her chest as she watched him climb out of the truck, and walk around to her door. Had he meant what he said? Did he even realize what he said?

  When he pulled open the door and she slid out, he stopped her. “Yes, I know what I said, and I meant every word.”

  “How did you…”

  He tapped his finger against his temple. “The bond, remember?”

  Tavi could feel her cheeks heat up as she remembered yet another piece of the transformation-from-human-to-werewolf puzzle. Once true mates bonded they normally shared certain psychic abilities. The most common was that they could hear each other’s thoughts if unshielded, and feel each other’s emotions.

  “Sorry, I’m still trying to get the hang of shielding.” She dropped her gaze, and shifted awkwardly.

  “So, do you have anything you want to say back?” he asked, tipping her chin up so that she was forced to meet his eyes.

  “I—umm, you know I care about you, but it’s been so quick, and I—”

  “Are you guys going to have a make-out session in the driveway?” a woman called from the front door. “Because if you are I’m going to grab my camera. That shit can earn big bucks online.”

  Luke growled at the intrusion, but Tavi was relieved. She wasn’t as sure about her feelings for him as he seemed to be about her. Hurting his feelings was the last thing she wanted to do.

  “Come on, we’ll have this chat later after we get you checked out.” He took her hand, and led her into the cabin. The floor plan was similar to Faith’s house, and she had a feeling of déjà vu.

  “Welcome to our home,” a tall man with dark brown hair, and beautiful brown eyes said, rising from a chair to shake her hand. “I’m Thomas.”

  “Nice to meet you, I’m Tavi.” She turned to the woman, and shook her hand. “And you must be KJ.”

  “Yep, and the cute blond over there is my other man, Bryson,” KJ said, winking at Bryson, who waved.

  Luke reached out to shake Thomas’s hand, too. “Thank you, for seeing her. I know you and I haven’t been on the best of terms.”

  “Water under the bridge. We’re pack,” Thomas said, shaking his head. A calm acceptance seemed to fill Luke, and he smiled at the other man.

  “Thank you. Considering everything, that means a lot.”

  “Um, so what now?” Tavi asked, fidgeting as she fought to keep control of her stomach. “I don’t really see doctors very often, and I have certainly never visited one at their home.”

  Thomas laughed. “Relax, I promise not to bite you, as long as you promise the same.”

  She returned his relaxed smile, and felt her tension ease some. “Deal. I’m not actually sure this visit is necessary—”

  KJ frowned. “But Luke said you didn’t shift last night?”

  Shaking her head, Tavi shrugged. “I figure I’m just too new in the transition.”

  “Did you even feel a tingling, or a pull to change?” Thomas asked.

  “Not really, well, I did feel itchy. Like my skin was covered in bugs, but that faded after a couple of hours. Other than that I’ve only felt really tired and sick to my stomach.”

  Bryson cleared his throat. “Werewolves, even newly transitioned ones should feel a distinct pull to shift on the full moon. Your teeth and fingernails ache, and your body feels tight. As you get practice you can control the urge if necessary, but it’s better to just let your wolf out for that night. I’ve never heard of a brand new wolf not shifting on the first full moon.”

  “That’s why I brought her to Thomas. I want to make sure she’s not sick,” Luke said, worry filling his hazel eyes as he stepped closer to her.

  Thomas nodded, his smile growing on his face. “I’m not an expert yet on werewolves, but I’m learning, and I’m pretty sure I know what the problem is already.”

  They both looked at him in question, but it was KJ who jumped in with a loud, “You’re pregnant!”

  Tavi’s head flipped around and she met the other woman’s happy face, with a shriek of “What?” just before her knees wobbled and she started to fall. Thankfully Luke and Thomas were right there to catch her, and they helped her over to the sofa.

  “Pregnant?” Luke asked in a hoarse whisper.

  Thomas nodded as he knelt in front of Tavi and held her wrist checking her pulse. “We’ll have to run a test, but I’m fairly certain of it. My new sense of smell picked it up the moment she came through the door. Pregnant werewolves shouldn’t shift just in case it would cause harm to the baby, so your body is resisting that part of the transition instinctively. It’s actually a good thing.”

  “This is wonderful!” KJ said, laughing and clapping her hands. “Don’t you already have a daughter? I bet she’ll be ecstatic.”

  Shock was still rippling through Tavi’s system, and thinking about Sonny made it worse. “I’m going to throw up.” She gasped, lurching to her feet. Thomas directed her and Luke to the bathroom, where they shut themselves in, and she dropped down to sit in front of the commode.

  Silent tension filled the room, but she couldn’t look at Luke. They were in no position to welcome a baby. It was like her whole past was repeating itself.

  “Do you want me to go back in the other room?” he finally murmured, brushing her hair away from her face. She almost told him yes, but she knew that wasn’t fair. It wasn’t just her life that had been upended by that one word.

  “I’m sorry, I’m just overwhelmed. I never imagined…”

  His arms came around her, and she realized that he’d lowered himself to sit next to her. Pressing her nose into his throat, she let all of her emotions free and cried. A snot-slinging sob fest, that didn’t seem to affect him one bit. He just held her, letting her use his shirt for a tissue, and stroking her hair and her back soothingly. When her sobs finally slowed, and she was just hiccupping quietly, he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

  “It’s going to be okay, baby. It wasn’t what we planned, but we’ll work it all out. I promise, I’ll take care of you and our children.”

  The words were clearly meant to comfort her, but all she could hear was his own shock at the news. Talk about upending both of their lives. Just when she thought maybe her future was back on track, now she had a new baby on the way. It was almost too much to take in.

  “Pregnant. He said he smelled it on me. Why didn’t you smell it?” she asked.

  She could feel him shaking his head. “I don’t know. I guess I noticed your scent was different, but I chalked it up to being part of the transition and mating bond. I mean your DNA just changed. I never considered…”

  Another moment passed, and sh
e suddenly thought of something. “I can’t be pregnant. Or at least, he wouldn’t be able to tell yet. I’ve only been a werewolf for a couple of weeks, and it takes like a month for pregnancy to show up on those pee stick tests. There’s no way they could know.”

  The feeling of being so right filled her, and she pushed out of his grip. “I’m going to go tell him to run some tests, because his sniffer is obviously wrong.”

  Before she could even reach the door, Luke was pulling her back. “Wait, Tavi, werewolf pregnancies are different than human ones. They’re only about six months long. The babies grow faster, so I think Thomas is right. He would know, he helped care for Caroline through her pregnancy.”

  “But…but…everything was so right, and now it’s so wrong. I didn’t get pregnant on purpose, Luke, I want you to know that.” She trembled as he reached out and pulled her against his chest, once again wrapping her in comfort and his protective warmth. It was like he blocked out all of the negative thoughts in the world, so that she could just be.

  Luke’s brain was whirring with the bombshell news that he was going to be a father, but his first concern was Tavi. Clearly she was having trouble absorbing this new revelation. For her to even feel the need to assure him that she hadn’t gotten pregnant on purpose was heartbreaking.

  “It never crossed my mind, baby,” he said, pressing his lips against hers and holding her head in his hands. “Tavi, I know this is a lot to take in, especially after the last couple of weeks, but I’m so happy about this. Scared out of my mind, but I can’t wait to see you carrying our baby.”

  “What?” she asked. Confusion filled her beautiful blue-gray eyes, and he sighed.

  “I’m not him, Tavi.”

  “Who?”

  “The deadbeat who left you pregnant with Sonny and completely alone. That’s not me. I told you I love you. I want to marry you, and have babies with you, and build a life with you,” Luke said firmly.

  Outside the bathroom door he heard KJ whisper, “Oh my God that’s so sweet. Maybe he’s finally growing up!”

  “Damn it, peaches, I told you not to listen in. This is private.” Bryson’s voice drifted down the hallway as he removed KJ from her place outside the bathroom.

  In his arms Tavi began to shake, and he stared down at her in horror. Tears spilled down her cheeks, but she was…laughing? “Are you okay? Are you having a nervous breakdown or something?”

  “I–I don’t know!” She laughed. “Maybe! I mean, this is all so surreal. I went from a single mom barely making ends meet working as a waitress in a shithole diner, to a mated pregnant werewolf with extra special senses, and more money in the bank than I’ve made in the last decade. It’s enough to make anyone crack isn’t it?”

  Luke relaxed and started to find the humor in her words. She was right, it certainly was enough of a drastic change that he’d understand if she fell apart. Instead she stared up at him with a glorious new emotion in her eyes, and whispered, “I think I love you, too, Luke Gray. I’m sorry I couldn’t say it before and I’m glad I’m carrying our child. Thank you for wanting us.”

  Love rushed through him, and he lifted her up so that he could capture her mouth in a passionate kiss. Shifting, he pressed her against the wall so she could wrap her arms around his neck, and hold him back. It was the acceptance he’d only dreamed of finding. Sure, a few weeks ago he wanted nothing to do with mating, but now that he’d found his perfect mate, he couldn’t imagine letting her go again.

  Her lips parted on a gasp as he cupped her ass, and spread her legs around his hips. He loved how hot the center of her core was as he pressed his erection against her, like molten lava ran through her veins.

  Kissing his way down her jawline to the pulse at her throat, he growled and thrust against her, aching to show her physically how much he loved and desired her.

  “Luke, stop! We can’t do this here!” she whimpered, a soft sexy growl rumbling in her chest that ramped up his need.

  “Sure we can. The door is locked, and those guys are newly mated, they’ll understand,” he protested, reaching for the hem of her shirt.

  She laughed and pushed at his shoulders. “They might, but I won’t. I can’t have sex in their bathroom while they wait in the living room.”

  “Actually I’m in the hallway hoping Luke will agree with you so that you and I can have a happy squeal over the good news!” KJ’s voice echoed through the door, and sent both Luke and Tavi into a fit of laughter. Letting Tavi slide down to the floor was the hardest thing ever for his lust-ravaged brain, but he wasn’t stupid. The mood was ruined, and now they had to face their hosts, and figure out how to handle their news.

  “Katie Jo Whetstone, you get your ass away from that bathroom or I’ll spank it red right here right now,” Thomas’s voice thundered, and KJ let out a protest as she was once again drug away from her position.

  Luke stared down into the beautiful face of the woman he loved and wondered at all of the new revelations in his life. Tavi was human, and a mom, and most of the time an independent woman who didn’t tolerate his shit, but she was absolutely perfect for him in every way. It didn’t matter that she was born human anymore. It only mattered that she was his.

  “I meant it, Luke,” she murmured, hugging him. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, baby. And I meant what I said. I’m not that other guy. I’ll be here for you even when you don’t want me, too.”

  “I can’t imagine not wanting you with me anymore.” She frowned at herself in the mirror, scrunching up her nose. “I can’t even remember what it felt like to not have you in my life.”

  “That’s good, because you’re stuck with me now,” he boasted. “Will you tell me what happened with him? I want to make sure I don’t slip up and make his mistakes.”

  Her body tensed, and he felt her pull away from him. “His name was Jason, and we met in college. We shared several classes, and he was your standard frat boy. He wanted to party, and play and drink, and I was your standard nerd. I wanted—no, I needed to study, because I wanted my degree. When I found out I was pregnant, he freaked out and said it couldn’t be his, and even if it was I’d have to take him to court to prove it. I didn’t bother. I didn’t want someone in my life or my child’s life that didn’t want to be there.”

  “Good for you. He didn’t deserve you, you were too good for him, and so is Sonny,” Luke said with a growl. Anger over how her ex had treated her rippled through his wolf and it was a damn good thing the man didn’t live anywhere close. “Has he ever contacted you?”

  “No. Never. It was for the best. I wouldn’t have let him into our life even if he did,” she answered firmly, “and his betrayal is only part of the story. When my parents found out I was pregnant they kicked me out of their house. I’d been living there to save money while I went to school, but they felt like I’d brought them shame.” Sadness filled her eyes, and he wanted nothing more than to beat someone up just to ease her ache. “They disowned me, and I haven’t spoken to them since I was two months pregnant. That’s why Sonny and I moved away from California. I needed a fresh start.”

  “You’re stronger than I ever imagined, Octavia Reid, and I don’t think I’ve ever loved you more. You’re exactly the kind of woman I want to raise pups with,” he said, holding her jaw between his thumb and forefinger so that he could kiss her gently.

  “Pups? I’m not going to actually have baby wolves am I?” The shock and horror that she spoke with made him laugh, and he shook his head.

  “No baby. Werewolves don’t shift until puberty. You’ll have babies, they’ll just have wolf DNA,” he explained. “Thomas can probably explain it all better.”

  As though summoned by his name, Thomas’s voice broke over them. “Um, Tavi, your phone was ringing, and KJ answered it. It’s someone named Este, and she said that Sonny is in trouble.”

  Just like that everything fell apart again.

  Chapter 21

  Tavi lost her shit after hearing that Sh
ane was at her home threatening her daughter. Luke was barely able to keep up with her as she shot out the front door on her way to his truck. It wasn’t until she’d climbed in the driver’s seat that she realized he had the keys and she wasn’t going anywhere without him.

  “Give me the keys damn it,” she snarled, feeling the new being inside of her rolling with rage and terror. “I have to get to her.”

  “Stop for a minute! You can’t save her alone, Tavi, and all we know right now is that Shane is there with her and Este making threats. That could mean anything,” Luke argued, lifting her from the vehicle and setting her on her feet.

  She wanted to argue, but he was completely right. If she didn’t have backup Shane was likely to harm her or her family. “So what do you think we should do?”

  “Let us help,” Bryson said from behind them. They both turned to find three fierce-looking werewolves tensed and prepared for battle. “We’ve fought before, and I’ll be damned if anyone hurts a member of our pack.”

  “I can’t ask you to do that—” Tavi started to protest, but KJ cut her off.

  “We’re not giving you a choice. Get in the truck with Luke, we’ll be right behind you.”

  The blonde woman was already moving across the lawn to an SUV. The fact that they wanted to help her was hard enough for her to accept, but the knowledge that they could be putting themselves in danger left her feeling completely out of control. Looking back to Luke she shook her head.

  “I don’t know what to do,” she whispered, emotion threatening to break free.

  Luke took her hand and pulled her around the truck throwing open the door. “Get in, and ride. I’ll do the rest.”

  She did as she was told, and before long they were barreling down the highway toward her home. “We’re not going to make it,” she whimpered.