Mouth Watering

by L. P. Maxa

  “No,” Baze and Dom said in unison.

  Dom grabbed Corey from under Keller’s massive arm and curled her into his side. She was all his, and he was tired of sharing her. He was terrified when he had woken up earlier in the night and found her gone, again. Not like the last time when she went to meet Jace either; that had been anger and irritation. This was heart-stopping fear. He had known instantly that something was wrong. He woke up seconds before hearing her screams. Even now, thinking about what could have happened made him break out into a cold sweat.

  They were all sitting on the back porch. Hot coffee in hand. After Corey shot Bull they dragged him to the house, tied him up, and called the cops. Dom also made a call to his friend Detective Fuller and he would be arriving tomorrow to start questioning Bull in relation to Henderson’s murder. This whole thing was turning into a way bigger issue than any of them would have guessed a week ago. The whole month had been nonstop crazy from the moment he had laid eyes on Corey Cooper to the current moment where they were all sitting quietly enjoying their rare peace.

  “What now?” It was Linc who broke the glorious silence.

  “Well, thanks to you assholes, I am headed to McCormick’s office to fill him in on the weekend from hell. As soon as I finish this cup of coffee.” Baze cracked his neck. “Corey, sweetheart, since you were attacked and subsequently forced to shoot someone, I think you get a free pass on going with me.”

  “Thanks, Baze.” She wrinkled her nose. “I really want to go to bed. I am so exhausted. Who knew shooting someone’s balls off could take it out of you like that?” She giggled when all the men in her presence clamped their knees together as if to protect their packages. “What about you, kiddo? You seem to be healing pretty well, but you probably need to lie down and sleep for a while, huh?”

  “Yeah, um, do you think I can stay here to sleep?” Riley looked over at his coach for permission, when usually he’d looked to Corey.

  It took Dom a few seconds to realize that Riley was addressing him and not his mate. “Oh, uh, yeah of course. That would actually help me out. I can’t miss work today. I have a lot to do before our first game. You can stay and watch Corey for me.”

  “Watch Corey? For real? I shot a man last night.” Corey pulled away from Dom’s side, apparently baffled that he still thought she needed a babysitter.

  “You need to rest, I need to work. I would feel much better knowing that Riley is here to make sure you don’t go off and try to save a mountain lion or something equally as foolish.” Dom grabbed her hand and brought her back to him, kissing her head. “Come on, baby, I’ll tuck you in.”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Baze

  Baze stayed silent as Corey and Dom headed inside. He waited calmly as Keller and Linc finished their coffee and left for the field. When it was only he and Riley left on the patio, he cleared his throat and spoke softly. “You can’t say anything to her, it’s not your place. And she is going to wonder what’s going on if you keep avoiding eye contact and directing all your questions to Dom instead of her.”

  Riley met Baze’s gaze head on. “How do I do that? It’s so hard. Every time I open my mouth I’m afraid I’ll let it out. I thought something was different about her last night, but with everything that happened I couldn’t put my finger on it. Then this morning when she was cleaning up my cuts… How long until she figures it out?”

  “Not long, another week or so. Is that why you didn’t want to leave her today? You’re worried about her?”

  “I guess. I don’t know, it kind of came out. I didn’t like the idea of leaving. I thought since maybe no one else knew, it was kind of up to me to watch out for her.”

  “It’s nice that you care about Corey and that you want to make sure she’s safe. You’re a good kid, Riley. We’re lucky to have you.”

  “Yeah, I love Corey, but I’m staying for the baby. No one else in the world knows she exists except us. I need to make sure she stays safe until her parents figure it out, then they’ll make sure she’s okay. Coach Hardy won’t let anything happen to her, right?”

  Baze studied Riley. How did the kid know it was a girl? He couldn’t possibly, yet he said it with such conviction. Riley was tuned in to that little baby. Baze’s powers were stronger than Riley’s, and even he couldn’t sense the gender. Not yet anyway. “Dom will protect them both with his life. But today you stay here, keep an eye on our girls.” Baze got up, helped Riley to his feet, and then followed him inside.

  All their lives had been turned upside down when Corey came to St. Leasing. And now, the world was days away from tilting again.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Dominic

  Dom rubbed his temples. Things kept getting crazier by the hour. He’d called Baze, Linc, and Keller into his office before practice. Once they were all seated and the door was closed, he began to relay what he’d learned earlier that day. “Fuller called a couple hours ago with some new information about Henderson and Franklin. After Bull was processed they matched his prints with prints found in Henderson’s hotel room. They think that Bull killed Henderson. When they went to get him out of holding to take him to interrogation, they found him dead in his cell. His neck was broken, and there was a note on the bed. It said ‘Stop asking questions, you can’t handle the answers.’”

  Keller stood up running his fingers through his hair. “What the hell does that even mean? Do you think Franklin had Bull killed? To keep him from admitting that it was Franklin who made him off Henderson?”

  “Those were my thoughts exactly. How many murderers does Franklin have working for him? But that’s not the half of it, there’s more. Apparently during Henderson’s autopsy they found a zip drive. He’d swallowed it at some point. Fuller said the zip drive has all kinds of encrypted files. Pages and pages of research about the team, about St. Leasing, and shifters.”

  “Oh my god. What now? The townsfolk storm the gates with pitch forks?” Linc leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. “What a fucking disaster.”

  “Fuller said that the investigators think Henderson was a crackpot. That he was delusional. But they are still going to have to come up here and follow this lead. We are all going to have to mind our p’s and q’s until they leave. We need to have a meeting with all the shifters, students and staff, McCormick. It’s going to be total chaos.”

  “Speaking of the dean,” Keller said, “how was he this morning, Baze? How’d he take all the drama?”

  “He cried. Wrote out a massive check to give back Franklin all the money he’s ever donated to St. Leasing. Massive, lots of zeroes. After a while he calmed down, and I convinced him to tear up the check. I told him that Franklin’s donations to the school were the only good the man has ever done. Anyway, I think we can safely say that McCormick was in no way involved in any of this. I didn’t tell him that Corey got attacked. I didn’t know if you and she were ready to tell him you were mated. If I’d told him about the attack on her, he’d have asked why Bull went after her to get to us. But I did tell him about his attack on Riley.” Baze looked each one of them in the eye. “And I am no longer on McCormick duty for the next two years. Any bad news that needs to be discussed with that sappy old man, you guys draw straws.”

  Dom nodded. “Sounds fair.” He got up and stood at the window, looking out onto the baseball field. He loved to play ball, and he really enjoyed coaching it too. The team was going to be amazing this year. He needed to get his players focused and ready for their first game on Friday. He couldn’t wait to look up and see his girl sitting in the bleachers, cheering him on. Well, not him, everyone. She loved them all. And they were all lucky SOBs. “We are going to have FBI agents, police officers, news cameras, and a mad momma’s lawyers all over campus. It’s going to be a hell of a season, boys.”

  Baze started to chuckle. “You don’t know the half of it.”

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Corey

  Corey woke from her long nap, stretched, and rubbed her e
yes. She’d slept like the dead. One of those crazy deep sleeps that you can’t wake up from even if you try. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and got up to go check on Riley. She hoped he was still here so she could talk to him about everything that had happened this weekend and see where his head was at.

  When she walked out of her bedroom, though, she tripped over a massive rust-colored dog. She caught herself on the doorjamb. The dog was sleeping against her door and woke up when she unknowingly kicked it. She looked from the empty couch to the dog and back again. “Riley?”

  In response, the dog sat up and nudged her hand. Guess it was actually more of a wolf than a dog. “Riley, why did you shift? And why are you sleeping against my door?”

  She didn’t know if it was because kicking a wolf had woken her up completely or because she was upright instead of lying down, but she was suddenly aware of how sore she was. Her face ached where Bull had slapped her and her leg throbbed from her gash. She felt sick too. Just thinking that man’s name made her want to puke.

  All she wanted to do was to eat some watermelon and then go back to sleep until Dom got home. “Riley, look, buddy, I’m not sure why you are a wolf instead of a human right now. But I don’t care. If being a wolf makes you feel better and helps you heal, then be my guest. I’m going to go get a snack and then get back in bed.” She headed toward the kitchen and glanced down when she felt Riley’s soft fur against her leg. “You thirsty?” She sat out a bowl of fresh water and cut up watermelon into cubes and put them in a bowl.

  Corey sat and watched Riley lap up the water for a few minutes. Man, this was so freaking weird. Then she headed back to her bedroom. She looked back at the door when she heard a whine. “Really? Begging at the door? Fine. Come on. But you cannot get on the bed. That has to be inappropriate, right?”

  Wolf Riley stayed in her doorway, whined, and turned back toward the living room. “Ugh. Fine. I swear you shifters are all bossy buttheads.” She gathered up her comforter, her pillows, her phone, and the watermelon and climbed onto the couch.

  Wolf Riley jumped up next to her and curled in a little wolf ball. They watched crappy reality TV until they both fell back asleep. Corey woke up when she heard Dom’s truck door close.

  She looked down. Riley was still a wolf and he was still asleep. But he had rotated around so that his head was resting on her stomach. When she tried to move him, he growled in his sleep. “Riley, get off me. Dom is home and he’s not going to like you sleeping on me like this. Wolf or not, it’s going to set him off.” That woke him up. He lifted his head and stared at her, then glanced back to her belly. When he heard Dom come up the porch steps, he hopped down to the floor and lay at her feet.

  “Hey, honey, I’m home and I have some terrible news for—” Dom trailed off when he saw Riley at his mate’s feet. “Why is Riley in wolf form?”

  “How am I supposed to know? I don’t speak werewolf. But he’s been like this all afternoon. And he’s also being pretty damn bossy about it if you want to know the truth.” In response Riley lifted his head to look at her and huffed. “Huff all you want, kiddo. Or better yet how about you go to the bathroom and shift back?”

  Riley turned and looked at Dom, as if asking if he had to. “You heard her, go shift and tell us what’s going on.”

  When Riley left the room, Corey whispered, “What’s up with that? Why did he want to be a wolf all day? Does that help the healing? Oh, or maybe he doesn’t want to talk about last night. Maybe he isn’t ready for my awesome therapy sessions.”

  “Usually we only stay in wolf form when we are outside, running and hunting for fun. Being in wolf form in the house is too confining. I mean, unless he was really worried about you. Sometimes we do that for protection reasons. Last night must have really shaken him up. He probably isn’t ready to talk about it yet,” Dom whispered back.

  A few minutes later Riley emerged fully clothed and fully human. “Okay, kiddo, what’s up? Why the wolf all day? Are you still upset about last night?” Corey shoved her blanket aside, suddenly burning up.

  “No, it’s not that, it’s, uh, I…” His eyes darted from Dom to Corey and then back again. He took a deep breath and seemed to make his mind up. “Coach, close your eyes and clear your mind. Block everything—”

  “Riley, man, I can’t do what you and Baze can. Tell us what’s bothering you.”

  “Please, Coach, I know you can get this one. Please try.” Riley waited until Dom closed his eyes, then coaxed, “Block out everything except Corey. Focus all your attention, all your senses on her.”

  “Oh. Wow.” Dom opened his eyes, an enormous smile taking over his face.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Corey

  A little over two weeks later

  Corey loved the way her engagement ring caught the light when she tilted her hand back and forth. The nearly two-carat pear-shaped bezel-set diamond was a dream come true. Dominic’s proposal hadn’t necessarily been a shock, but it had been insanely romantic. He’d taken her out to the baseball field one evening’ the whole varsity team was there along with her friend Molly and all the other coaches. They had played a laid-back version of home run derby, adults versus players. Toward the end of the game Dom had convinced her to pitch for them. She went up on the pitching mound and Dom threw her a little black velvet box instead of a ball. When she had looked up to question him, she’d found him in front of her, down on one knee.

  “I knew that you were mine from the first moment I met you. The universe brought me my forever when I was least expecting it. You are kind, funny, compassionate, sarcastic, tough, sexy, stubborn… You are everything and I am the luckiest man in this whole damn world. You know that in my eyes we are already bonded. Already entwined so tightly that I can’t tell where I stop and you start. But I would do just about anything to see that gorgeous smile on your face. What my girl wants, my girl gets. So. Will you marry me, baby?”

  She could barely get out “yes!” through her tears. Now, she and Dominic had been engaged for exactly one week. And she was already keeping secrets from him. She had known days ago that she was most likely pregnant. Not surprising considering all that claiming sex they’d had when they first got together. She had a doctor’s appointment in three days to get on birth control. She called and canceled it this afternoon. She hadn’t told Dom yet, because she wanted to be sure. The pregnancy test she was holding confirmed her suspicions. No matter which way she tilted or angled the stick, the second pink line stayed visible. She was going to have a baby. She and Dominic, her amazing shifter of a fiancé, were going to have a baby.

  Corey had been doing deep breathing exercises all day to keep the anxiety at bay. Dominic hadn’t met her parents; he hadn’t asked her father for her hand in marriage. What would her family say? Asking permission to marry someone’s daughter was a big deal where she was from, and her dad wouldn’t take lightly that not only had Dom not asked, he’d also knocked her up before they could make it down the aisle. She took yet another deep calming breath and smiled despite her fears. Dom was going to be thrilled about the baby. The engagement and wedding ceremony were more for her benefit, and she was okay with that. In his eyes, they were already married.

  Well, wolf married.

  Corey heard the front door open and she couldn’t stop herself from running into the living room, positive test in hand. “Dom. Oh my god, babe, guess—”

  “Hey, Ms. Cooper, sorry, it’s just me.” Riley walked past her and into her kitchen like he owned the place. He was here all the time. Since the attack on them a couple weeks ago, he’d basically been her shadow. “Coach Hardy and Coach Byrne had to stay late at practice because one of the sophomores dislocated his shoulder.” He took two bottles of water out of the fridge, holding one up to her. “Thirsty?”

  Corey smiled as she grabbed the water and drank a few sips down. For some reason Riley had also been the water warden lately, making a big deal out of all of them staying hydrated. He’d even calculated ho
w much water everyone should consume in one day and kept running tabs. He gave her a gold star sticker the first day she made her goal. She’d asked if she could trade it for a candy bar, but he’d said no. “Is he going to be okay? The sophomore? Should they take him to the hospital?” She put the lid back on, ignoring Riley’s frown when she sat her water to the side. “And I’ve told you a million times, you don’t have to call me Ms. Cooper when we are here at home. Just Corey.”

  Riley was checking his cell phone. He was always on that dang thing, his thumbs flying faster than her eyes could move. “Yeah, he’ll be fine. They are popping it back into place themselves. It just takes two, one to pop and one to hold him down.” He finally pulled himself from the device in his hand, focusing all his attention on her for the first time.

  Right about the moment Corey became aware that she was still holding a stick saturated in her urine. She looked down at it and then back up at Riley. “I, uh, I’m—”

  His eyes got wide. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “Do you think it’s a pregnancy test?”

  “Yes.”

  She nodded once. “Then yes.”

  “Oh thank fuck.” He clapped his hands once and then did this little fist pump motion into the air.

  “Don’t say fuck.”

  He ignored her reprimand completely. “I am so glad you finally took a test. I have been holding this in for, like, two weeks now. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve wanted to shout, you’re pregnant? And I swear Coach Hardy has almost let it slip like, every day. Damn, took you long enough.” The look of relief on his face slipped as she took a menacing step closer to him.

  “What’s that now?” Corey narrowed her gaze. “You knew?”

  “Well, yeah. I’ve known since the night Bull attacked us. No, wait, actually, I figured it out the next morning. So did Baze, I mean Coach Carter. Then the next day, Coach Hardy figured it out, after I had to all but spell it out for him.” He rolled his eyes like Dom was such a moron for not being able to know immediately like he did. “And then Coach Hardy told Coach Smith and Coach Byrne. Anyways, we have been waiting for you to figure it out for what seems like ever. So glad all the secrets are over. What’s for dinner?” Riley opened the fridge again, searching for leftovers.