“It is now,” he said grimly, holding the door open and motioning her inside. “I couldn’t get him to stop crying. He actually cried himself to sleep.”
“Is he sick?” she asked, sounding worried. “From here, he looks feverish. Have you taken his temperature?”
That thought had never occurred to him. But then, Garth had only been sick once in his three months of life. Eric took comfort in the fact that his son was a full-blooded shape-shifter, and as such, only fire or silver could kill him. That could be both a curse and a blessing. He’d personally known a few people forced to live on in damaged bodies, enduring hell because they could not die. He wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy.
Chapter 6
Garth made a snuffling sound, drawing Eric’s attention. His son might be all bear, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t suffer from illness. A fever could easily be rectified, however. Eric fumbled in the baby bag he’d packed, finally locating the thermometer. It was brand-new, still in the wrapping. He’d purchased the forehead kind, not wanting to deal with a rectal one.
Once he’d unwrapped it, he did a quick read of the instructions before swiping it over Garth’s tiny brow.
“Ninety-nine point zero,” he said. “Just a little over normal.”
“Nothing to worry about, I don’t think.” JJ spoke with authority, despite claiming to know next to nothing about caring for babies.
“Maybe he’s teething,” she continued. “Is he drooling a lot?”
“Yeah.” Eric hesitated, eyeing his sleeping son. “I don’t think I can leave him if he’s sick.” Inside, his beast roared in protest. “I’m thinking I probably should reschedule.”
When he looked back up, Julia studied him, her head tilted. She appeared a bit shell-shocked, almost as if she’d heard his beast’s roar. “It’s up to you,” she said. “I personally think he’ll be fine. It’s only for a few hours, anyway. But you’re his father, so if you want to wait until another night, that’s fine with me.”
Again his beast made his presence known, rattling the proverbial bars of his invisible cage. Inside, Eric fought a minor battle. It had been too long since he’d let his bear out and the animal didn’t take well to being confined for lengthy periods of time.
“I can see your problem,” Julia said softly. “Your beast really needs to be free. Go change. Let your other self out to run and hunt. Make it short if you really feel you have to, but I’ll be perfectly fine here with Garth.”
Part of him wanted to leap for joy. The other, more rational part kept his feet planted firmly in place. “What would you do if he became sicker?”
“Take care of him,” she said, turning away. “I seriously don’t think there’s anything wrong with him that a teething ring wouldn’t fix. Do you have one of those?”
“A what?”
“A baby teething ring. You know, you put it in the fridge and once it’s good and cold, you let the baby gum it.” She frowned. “Though maybe those are for older babies. I doubt little Garth could hold it yet.”
“I don’t have one of those.”
“That’s okay. I’ve seen people use a cool, wet washcloth.”
“You seem to have more experience with babies than you let on.”
She smiled. “Just because I didn’t work in the baby room at the day care doesn’t mean I didn’t spend a lot of time in there. As I said, I love babies.”
Again, his inner beast roared, fighting to break free. And once more, JJ cocked her head as though listening. He almost asked her what she heard, but restrained himself. “I’m going to go.” He made a snap decision, knowing he’d have to shape-shift sooner or later, so he might as well do it and be done with it. A happy inner bear made life better all the way around.
“Good. I sense some discord between you and your beast.”
Either she was unusually perceptive or he was giving far too much away.
“I’m fine,” he lied. “Though I’ll be better once I change and hunt.” He studied his son. Garth made a snuffling sound and moved. Relief flooded Eric. Maybe she was right. Maybe his boy was just teething.
“I’m trusting you with my son.” Even as he spoke, he couldn’t believe what he was saying. He meant it, too, he realized. JJ, his landlord, was one of what his father used to call “good people.”
“I promise I’ll take good care of him,” she said, smiling. “We’ll be upstairs. I’ve got the perfect chair.”
“Then let me carry up his diaper bag and portable crib.”
Once everything had been set up, she smiled. “Now go. Run and hunt. I promise you’ll feel much better once you’ve changed. Especially if it’s been a while.”
He nodded and then impulsively kissed her cheek. The instant he did it, he knew he’d made a huge mistake. Wide-eyed, she stared at him, while a rose color suffused her entire face.
Her scent—lavender—lingered on his lips after he moved away. “I’ll see you in a little bit,” he said, and hurried out the door before he did anything even more foolish.
* * *
Cheek still tingling, JJ watched from her window as Eric headed across the clearing toward the woods. With the full moon reflecting on the snow, she could see him outlined clearly, his parka dark against the glowing, magically pure whiteness.
Though she knew he hadn’t meant anything with that casual kiss—on the cheek, no less—every fiber of her body had strained toward him, as if he were a lure she was unable to resist.
Luckily, she’d frozen in place instead of swaying toward him. Her blush had been the only sign of how his simple gesture affected her. Hopefully, he had no idea. Her secret attraction must remain just that—a secret.
Glancing at the still sleeping baby, she sighed. She’d need to be careful with these two. Both of them had the power to come dangerously close to stealing her heart.
Again her gaze drifted back to Eric, who was nearing the edge of the trees. Aching to be with him, she stood there until he vanished into the woods.
Her kind did best with others. They were called The Pack for a reason. But she’d always shape-shifted alone. Maybe it had been her natural reticence, but she hadn’t been up for being around a group of people when she turned human again, battling a fierce arousal. She’d often wondered what it would be like, for curiosity’s sake. She’d heard there were some groups for whom privacy was an option, who were not into random sex with strangers, but she’d always been afraid to take a chance. Though she’d often considered the idea, in the end she knew she did better alone.
Or so she’d told herself. Now, watching a gorgeous hunk of man on his way to shape-shift, she wanted nothing more than to do the same at his side.
Of course, assuming he was Pack. Why wouldn’t he be, when 90 percent of the shifters she knew were wolves? There was no way to find out for sure, unless she accidentally came across him changing. Which was extremely unlikely to occur.
She sighed, unable to keep from imagining him as he transitioned from his animal form back to human. As always happened with their kind, he’d be fully aroused. Her body heated, the desire she’d experienced the night before back in full force.
And then she remembered he’d kissed her on the cheek. The cheek, not the lips. The kind of kiss a man gave to his mother or aunt or sister. Or friend.
That was what they were. Friends. She needed to constantly remind herself of that and she’d be fine.
She must have dozed, sitting in her armchair with a still slumbering Garth next to her. Eric’s tread on her old wooden stairs woke her; no matter how quiet anyone tried to be, the third and seventh steps squeaked.
After pushing herself up and out of her chair, she pulled the door open before he reached it.
“Hey,” he whispered. Even in the shadowy hallway, his blue eyes blazed. As he stepped into her living room
, she could feel the satisfaction and coiled up energy rolling off him.
His inner beast had gone quiet. No longer restless, most likely sated by a run and a hunt. “How’d it go?” she asked, even though the question seemed unnecessary.
“It went well,” he said. “Very well. I feel much better. How’s Garth?”
“He slept the entire time you were gone. His color looks good. I checked his temperature one more time and it was the same. I’m sure he’s fine.”
Relief shone in her tenant’s face. “I really appreciate this.”
Mercilessly, she kept her gaze trained on his face, not daring to let it dip below his waist, though she badly wanted to see if his body revealed his certain arousal.
“I’d better go.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “See you tomorrow.”
When he bent to retrieve the portable crib, she got a great view of his nicely shaped backside.
Giving herself a mental slap, she dragged her eyes toward the baby, where they needed to be.
“He’s not moving,” Eric said, panic edging his voice. “JJ, Garth isn’t moving. I don’t think he’s breathing.”
“What?” She reacted without conscious thought, reaching for the infant and lifting him up to pat him soundly on the back. He gasped, his eyes flying open.
And then he let out a cry, a screeching sort of wail, so wonderful she sagged in relief.
“Garth.” Eric snatched him from her. “Baby boy?” Which only made him cry harder.
Trembling with relief, JJ reached into the crib and located the pacifier. She handed this to Eric, who held it to Garth’s mouth. Latching on and suckling wildly, he instantly ceased crying.
“What the heck was that?” Eric asked, bewilderment and panic lacing his voice. “I swear, I put my finger under his nose and he wasn’t breathing.”
“I don’t know.” Privately, she wondered if Eric had imagined it. “He must have been deeply asleep.” Tears stung the back of her eyes. “I’m so glad he’s okay.”
“Me, too.” The fierce tone told her how much the man meant it.
Aware she needed to be careful, she took a deep breath. “Earlier, you said he was full-blooded. If so, you know illness wouldn’t kill him.”
“I’m aware.” The shortness of Eric’s answer told her he was angry at himself for overreacting. “And while it’s true such a thing might not kill him, death isn’t always the worst thing that could happen to our kind. Think of a soul trapped in a nonfunctioning body. I’ve seen that before. A fever can cause brain damage.”
Slowly, she nodded. “I haven’t ever thought of it like that.”
“It’s because you’re not a parent.” He had no way of knowing how much those words stung.
All she could do was nod.
“What a night,” he continued. “I’m going take him downstairs now and get the both of us ready for bed.”
Good. Because maybe then she could sit down before her legs gave out from under her.
Apparently, he felt the same way. After jerking his head in a brusque nod, he grabbed the diaper bag and portable crib, then turned and left.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, JJ dropped into her chair, her entire body shaking. Had Eric imagined everything in a moment of overprotective panic, or had Garth really stopped breathing?
Truth be told, she didn’t know. Personally, she tended to lean more toward imagination, because every time she’d checked on him, the baby had been fine.
But after this, she had a feeling Eric wouldn’t trust her to watch his son ever again. Full-blooded or not.
* * *
Once he’d gotten Garth back home, Eric shook his head. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d never been the overprotective type of parent, stressing about his baby’s every sniffle. But for one split second there he’d been filled with a visceral dread, convinced something terrible and unimaginably awful had happened to his son.
Then Garth had drawn a breath and cried. Clearly, he was fine. Relief mixed with chagrin. His son was okay. Teething a little maybe, but all right. And Eric’s first reaction, that awful gut-churning response, had been to turn on the woman who’d been trying to help him.
He felt awful, though his one consolation was that maybe she hadn’t noticed.
Of course she had. He would find her tomorrow and offer an apology. Once he’d made sure his son had a clean diaper, he put him down for the night and climbed into bed.
When his cell phone rang at 1:00 a.m., waking him from a deep sleep, Eric fumbled for the phone and finally answered.
“Yolanda has gone off the deep end,” a familiar voice said. “That woman is stark raving crazy.”
Blinking, Eric didn’t speak at first while he tried to figure out why his friend Jason was calling. This was old news, restating the obvious.
“I thought I’d pass along a warning.” Jason worked for the Pack Protectors and acted as a liaison between the wolves and bears. He’d been helping Eric with his case ever since Yolanda had started her crazy accusations.
It helped that the Wolf Pack had lately been trying to end the divide between the bears and everyone else. It was slow going, as the distrust was mutual, but Eric gave them kudos for even trying. He certainly could always hope.
Eric had been brought up by two people who refused to accept the status quo. In Norway, they’d settled away from the small enclaves of their own kind, living among humans and other shifters before immigrating to the United States when Eric had been ten and settling in California, choosing a town with numerous other shifters, including Vedjorn.
Growing up, Eric hadn’t known there was any prejudice against bears. He and Jason—who had to be Pack, though of course they’d never discussed it—had been best friends since kindergarten. When Jason had gone into the military and from there the Pack Protectors, he’d never once lost contact with Eric. Even when his top-secret clearance revealed that his best friend was a Vedjorn bear shifter, Jason hadn’t turned away. Instead, he’d asked to work on the task force dedicated to keeping the few remaining Vedjorn safe.
Yawning, Eric rubbed his eyes. Luckily, the ringing phone hadn’t disturbed Garth, who still slept. Eric couldn’t stop himself from once again checking to make sure his son was breathing. He was, of course.
“Thanks, man, but couldn’t this have waited until morning? Is it really the kind of thing that warrants a phone call at 1:00 a.m.?”
Jason cursed. “I’m so sorry. I forgot you were on the East Coast. It’s only ten here. I just got home from work. It’s been a long day. Most of my afternoon and evening were spent dealing with your ex.”
“She doesn’t know where I am.” Eric felt quite confident in that knowledge. “You’re still the only one who knows, right? Everyone else—faculty, friends—all still think I went up to Seattle.”
“Yeah, still true. But you know what? I really didn’t get it before. Why you felt the need to put as much distance as possible between you and her.” Jason’s wry tone told Eric he did now. “Sure, she seemed a bit emotional. Dramatic, even. But not unstable.”
“Is she still trying to brand me a Berserker?” Though he hated to even speak the word, Eric didn’t have a choice. A true Berserker, though rare among their kind, was extremely dangerous. When Berserkers shifted into their bear selves, they could become uncontrollable killing machines. The Wolf Pack Protectors had been working in conjunction with the Vedjorn Bear Council in making sure any true Berserkers were destroyed before they killed any humans and brought unwelcome notice to the entire shape-shifter population. In Eric’s lifetime, he’d heard of only two, both back in Norway.
“Yes.” Jason sounded tired. “I’ve shifted with you, remember. I know you’re not. And I really don’t understand her plan. What is she hoping to achieve?”
“If I knew
, I’d tell you. Despite her claims otherwise, it’s not like she truly wants our son—she handed him over without a backward glance and signed papers waiving all parental rights.” Again, rehashing old news. The two men had speculated endlessly over Yolanda’s motives. Since she wanted nothing to do with Garth, her reasons for stalking Eric remained a mystery.
“She flew into a rage at the office today when no one would tell her where she could find you. Something about having a score to settle. And needing to protect Garth.”
“Again, that makes no sense.” Before Eric could finish his statement, he heard an alarm that began shrieking in the background at Jason’s place. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah. That’s my burglar alarm. Perimeter alert. I need to check this out, so I’m going to let you go.” He ended the call.
Setting down his phone, Eric shook his head. With her rants and raves about Berserkers and the possibility that a sweet, innocent baby could be one, Yolanda presented a very real danger. He understood she wanted to harm their child and destroy Eric himself, which was why he’d hightailed it out of Cali. Eventually, she would turn back to her partying friends and forget about them. Until then—and maybe forever—he’d keep a low profile. All that mattered was making sure Garth stayed safe.
The phone call had startled Eric, making him wonder if he’d be able to go back to sleep. But apparently shape-shifting and hunting earlier had exhausted him, because he drifted off as soon as he laid his head on his pillow. When he opened his eyes again, bright sunlight reflecting on the snow outside lit up his room.
Instinctively, he checked on Garth. His son still slumbered, the rise and fall of his chest steady. The sight filled Eric with so much joy his throat felt tight.
The possibilities of this new life, with this child...he could ask for nothing more.
Once his son woke up, cheerful as always, Eric changed him and fed him. Then he ate his own breakfast.
The chime of his cell phone broke into his thoughts. He grabbed it. Caller ID showed Jason’s number.
Her Guardian Shifter Page 6