Lost and Found (A Werewolf Wars Novel Book 4)

by Bethany Shaw

  Vincent chuckled. “Not any time soon. Aunt Sarah is just getting started with her new job. Maybe in another year or two, but you should ask Uncle Daniel when he and Aunt Nora are going to spit out a few kids,” he teased, winking at his brother.

  Daniel rolled his eyes. Nora had let it slip to Sarah she was pregnant about a week ago. But Daniel and Nora weren’t ready to go public with the information yet. From what he understood, Nora and Daniel had barely found out themselves and there were concerns with some of the medications Nora took and how it could affect both her and the baby. Vincent just hoped it worked out for them.

  His thoughts were interrupted as Marcus drew the meeting room door open. “I think it’s time to head out,” he said, motioning with his arms to the front room where everyone was waiting for the ceremony.

  Vincent shot up, eager to see Sarah. He hadn’t seen her since last night; it was her idea, not his—something about bad luck.

  “I take it you’re ready,” Gene laughed.

  “Beyond ready,” he answered.

  “Well, let’s get you to your mate,” Devon said, clapping him on the back.

  Vincent filed out the door behind the other guys watching as they took their seats, except for Devon. He’d asked his brother to officiate the ceremony for them and Devon had been honored.

  “Do you remember how this works?” Devon asked.

  “Yes. Do you?” he asked, wagging his brow playfully.

  “Well, this is only my fourth ceremony ever. And I only officiated over Gene and Natalia’s which was almost five years ago so...”

  “Ha ha, you’re so funny,” he said dramatically as they came to a stop in front of the altar.

  “Everything’s going to be perfect,” Devon assured, motioning with his head to the door

  Vincent held his breath as Lark, Talia, Emily, Nora, and his mom hurried in and took their seats in the front row. His eyes darted to the doorway as Sarah appeared.

  She was a vision in white, an angel—his angel. Her long locks were up and out of her face, showing off her sapphire eyes. The dress she wore clung to her chest and hips before flowing out as it neared her feet. It wisped against her as she neared him. As she approached, he couldn’t help but wonder how he had gotten so lucky.

  Sarah was a wonderful person—a woman who saw him for who he was. She was a fighter and a romantic. Sarah was the woman of his dreams and he intended to show her how much he loved her for the rest of his life.

  Today, his forever started.

  ***

  Gene set the book on the nightstand and carefully adjusted the covers around Adrian. The boy let out a tiny, content sigh as he stirred ever so slightly with Gene’s movements. Gene smiled as he carefully stood up from the bed and let out a relieved sigh when Adrian stayed asleep.

  It had taken longer than usual to get the rambunctious five-year old to calm down. There had been a lot of excitement and cake with the ceremony today and the little guy had stayed up well past his usual bedtime.

  Gene turned out the light and took one last glance at the sleeping boy before heading into the hallway. He shut the door behind him and met Talia’s brown eyes as she made her way out of Preston’s room. She smiled at him, meeting him in the hallway.

  “Preston asleep, too?” he asked, pecking her lips.

  “Yes,” Talia breathed. “I’m ready for bed as well,” she whispered, nuzzling against him.

  Gene wrapped an arm around her as he led them down the hall to their room. “We should be done with mating ceremonies for some time now,” he reasoned. “No one else is in a serious relationship—at least not that I’m aware of. And Maddie and Amelia are still a bit young to find their mates.”

  “Today was fun, but I’m not sure the boys can handle all the commotion that comes with it,” Natalia mentioned as Gene closed the door behind them. “And we definitely need to watch Adrian around the cake. I have a feeling that sneaky booger stole quite a few pieces,” Natalia laughed.

  “I agree,” Gene said grinning.

  Natalia sighed, sobering. “There is something else,” she commented going to the dresser and pulling out a silky nightgown. She turned toward him, apprehension clear on her features. “I spoke with Antonio’s mother this evening. She wants to come here for a visit.”

  “Oh,” Gene hesitated. He understood that Adrian’s paternal side of the family was anxious to see him again. He, Natalia, and Adrian had visited a few years ago, but he wasn’t thrilled about them coming to the ranch. Hosting humans at their home could end in disaster.

  “I tried to convince her we would plan a trip out there, but she was hoping to see him sooner rather than later,” Natalia explained. “It has been a while and she said she wants to meet Preston as well.”

  Gene nodded. “I would prefer to go there, but I do remember how unhappy Adrian was traveling at such a young age. I don’t suppose she’d be keen to wait another year for us to visit,” Gene offered, although he already knew the answer.

  Natalia gave him a pointed look. “I doubt it,” she sighed. “They are like a second family to me. I just wish there was a way to host them here without putting the pack at risk.”

  Gene grasped her hands in his. Antonio’s family had been overly welcoming of him when Natalia had introduced them. He had been quickly accepted into the family and felt comfortable around them. And he couldn’t deny a grandmother the right to see her grandson. “Tell her to come. We’ll figure it out. We always do. Besides, it will be a good practice run. If we are really going to expand the ranch and purchase the land for sale on the far eastern side of the property, we’re going to have to get used to humans being around. A dude ranch is going to bring in lots of people.”

  “True,” Natalia conceded. “But they won’t be staying here.”

  “No, but it will be good practice for us too. Tell her to come. I’d rather have slip-ups around family than strangers,” Gene explained. He couldn’t be certain, but he was very confident the family would keep quiet for Adrian and Talia’s sake if there were any incidents.

  “I’ll speak with her tomorrow,” Natalia said, squeezing his hands.

  “Good. I’m glad that’s settled.” He pulled Natalia down on top of him as he lay back on the bed. “I feel like I haven’t seen you all day,” he murmured against her lips as she bent down to kiss him.

  “It has been a crazy day,” she reiterated.

  “Let’s unwind,” he whispered, flipping them over.

  ***

  Nora flushed the toilet and sat back on the cool tile floor as she let out a long breath. She closed her eyes and cursed the person who named it “morning sickness.” If it were only in the morning, then she wouldn’t be cowering in the bathroom at dinnertime. So much for keeping the pregnancy a secret from everyone. She ran a hand through her hair and closed her eyes.

  She supposed it was flu season; most people would hopefully chalk it up to illness. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell people about the baby, she did. The problem was very few people on the ranch were aware of her medical condition—a condition that could jeopardize her health and her baby’s if not closely monitored. The worst part was she could pass the condition on to her baby. She shuddered at the thought. The baby was far from planned, but now that she had a life growing inside her, she wanted to protect it. Devon had referred her and Daniel to a doctor and her physician seemed to be optimistic, but she supposed it was the motherly thing to worry.

  Speaking of worrying, a shadow danced under the doorway, followed by a knock.

  “Nora?” Daniel called from the other side of the door.

  Nora reached up and unlocked the door, but made no effort to get up. She wasn’t sure she was ready for that yet. “It’s unlocked.”

  The door creaked open and Daniel stepped in and closed the door behind him. He knelt down next to her, placing a warm hand on her face. “You okay?”

  Nora huffed, but nodded anyway. The nausea had passed at least. “I think so.”

&nb
sp; “You want me to tell my mom we can’t stay for dinner?” he questioned, plopping down next to her.

  “No. I think I’m better now. It was the smell of antiseptic that got to me,” she explained.

  Daniel’s brow crinkled in confusion.

  “Adrian skinned his elbow and Natalia was cleaning him up in the kitchen,” she explained. “It should be better now. At least it wasn’t the food that turned my stomach this time.”

  “We can go home if you’re not up to it. I’ll make you soup and crackers,” he offered.

  Soup and crackers had been her diet for the past few weeks. It was one of the only things that never turned her stomach.

  “Actually the chicken and dumplings your mom is making sounds good,” she admitted. It had smelled good, too. Everything had been fine until Natalia had opened the bottle of alcohol. She pitied Adrian—that had to hurt, she thought off-handedly.

  “Okay. If you’re sure,” Daniel said, kissing her forehead.

  Nora smiled and leaned into him. She knew Daniel was terrified at the thought of becoming a father and even more scared about the possible health risks to her and the baby, but he was being very supportive of her and doing everything he could to keep her comfortable. He’d even jotted down and asked a dozen questions at her appointment the other day—which was not like him at all.

  “We should probably go ahead and tell everyone. Your mom, Talia, Emily—everyone saw me dart off into here. They’re going to question it,” she whispered. This also wasn’t the first time she’d sprinted out of a room to get sick.

  “I thought we were going to wait until you were past the first trimester?” Daniel asked.

  “I’m nine weeks now. And I feel a little better after seeing the doctor,” she admitted. Seeing the baby on the monitor and hearing the strong, steady heartbeat had helped.

  “You know my mom is going to be excited,” he replied, giving her a pointed look.

  “I know. And she should be. She’s going to have another grandchild,” Nora smiled.

  “All right, let’s go tell everyone,” Daniel stood up and offered her his hand, pulling her up. “You still feeling okay?” he asked.

  Nora nodded. “Let me just freshen up first.”

  Daniel opened the bathroom door. “I’ll see you in a second.” He kissed her temple before leaving the room.

  Nora went to the sink and splashed some water onto her face and quickly rinsed out her mouth. As she stared into the mirror a sense of calm washed over her.

  Everything was going to be okay.

  ***

  A few months later

  Emily peered over Marcus’ shoulder as he typed away at his computer. He’d taken on the marketing for the ranch and was in charge of setting up the website.

  “It’s getting late,” she said, bending down so she could whisper in his ear. “You’re not going to make me go to bed alone are you?”

  Marcus twisted in the chair and captured her lips as he tugged her into his lap. “Of course not. I never want you going to bed alone.”

  “It’s after eleven,” she pointed out.

  “Is it?” Marcus asked his brow furrowing as he turned to look at the monitor. “I guess I got wrapped up in my work.”

  “It’s okay. I know how excited you are about doing this for Devon and Gene. It’s a great opportunity for you,” she reasoned.

  “Still, I don’t want to neglect you or Rick,” Marcus acknowledged.

  “You aren’t,” she assured. “I was just teasing you.”

  Marcus did spend a lot of time with them, which is how he ended up doing most of his work while she put Rick to bed at night. “How are things coming with the purchase of the land and the building contracts?” she asked curiously.

  “Good. If all goes according to plan, I think we can break ground on the building in the spring,” Marcus said.

  “That’s fantastic.”

  “It is. And it will bring in lots of revenue for the pack, too.”

  “That’s good. With all the new members out here, we’re going to need to maximize revenue,” Emily mentioned. “I can’t believe how quickly the pack has grown the past few years.”

  “I can,” Marcus admitted. “Now that Juarez and Luna are gone, all the wolves who were chased away from their homes are seeking out packs. No one wants to be a lone wolf.”

  “True. I just hope the probationary period and questioning are enough to keep us safe from all these unknown wolves. Some of Juarez’s and Luna’s men are still out there,” Emily said with a shiver.

  “Devon and Gene have it under control, Em,” Marcus assured. “And we took out all of the big shots in Juarez and Luna’s packs. We are at peace and things are going to stay that way. The pack is thriving. Look at all the pregnancies and babies being born. For the first time in years, a female wolf is going to be the first-born. That has to mean something.”

  “The doctor isn’t sure that Daniel and Nora’s baby is a girl,” Emily commented.

  “No, but it is a high probability. I can’t even remember another couple that has happened to,” Marcus explained.

  “Speaking of babies, my heat cycle is coming again. I can feel it,” Emily started. Heat flushed her cheeks at the thought.

  “Maybe we will be blessed with a little girl, too,” Marcus said, kissing her deeply.

  Emily melted into him as she threaded her fingers through his thick, black hair. A baby girl would be nice, but any baby was a blessing in her eyes.

  ***

  Lark peered up as the door to The Cookie Jar jingled. She smiled as Devon walked toward the cases.

  “Let me guess—a blueberry muffin,” she teased already opening the door to pull out a muffin.

  “How did you know?” Devon smirked.

  Lark shrugged. “I suppose I’m just lucky. What brings you here? Is everything okay with Wyatt?” she asked, the smile slipping from her face. Had something happened to her son? No, she assured herself. Devon wouldn’t be so laid back. It was her first week back to work after his birth and she was still a little uneasy about leaving him.

  “It’s been a while since I stopped by to pick you up,” Devon said. “I thought it would be a nice surprise.”

  Lark relaxed and smiled as she handed him the muffin. “Let me just get my things.” She turned to Megan, one of her employees. “Do you need anything before I go?”

  “No. We’re good here. Have a good evening,” she said, waving her off.

  Lark quickly pulled her apron off and grabbed her coat and purse before hurrying to Devon. Her husband welcomed her with a kiss.

  “I was thinking we could pick up Wyatt from my mom and maybe head out to Luigi’s for dinner,” he offered, leading them out of the shop.

  “That does sound good,” Lark said. She could already taste the lasagna.

  “I know this first week back has been hard. I thought it would be nice for the three of us to have a little family time away from the pack,” Devon said as he opened the car door for her.

  Lark hopped into the Jeep. “It is hard to leave him,” she sighed as Devon climbed in on the driver’s side.

  “You know you don’t have to work,” Devon replied.

  “I know, but I want to. I can be a mom and have my business,” she insisted. “Once I get in the swing of things it will be easier. It helps knowing Wyatt is with your mom.”

  Claire loved being with her grandbabies every day. Although, with the way things were going, she wondered if the elder Alpha would have her hands full soon. Adrian and Rick were older and rowdy, and Preston and Wyatt were still quite young. Once Nora had her baby, which would give Claire five kids to care for. Even for an experienced mother that had to be stressful—not that Claire ever seemed frazzled. The alpha always took things in stride and knew just what to do.

  “I do plan on cutting back my hours,” she said, turning to look at Devon. She worked a fifty-hour week prior to Wyatt’s birth. With Devon’s hours as Alpha, their work lives had worked out nicely
. But now she wanted to spend more time with Wyatt.

  “You are the boss. Do what you feel is appropriate,” Devon encouraged.

  “I think I will,” Lark beamed. “I’m thinking a thirty-five hour work week and no weekends.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “I don’t suppose there is any way you could be home more?”

  “I spoke to Daniel this afternoon,” Devon replied.

  Lark turned to Devon with a questioning look. The two brothers had made great strides in repairing their relationship, but at times things were still tense.

  “And?” Lark asked, curiously when he didn’t continue.

  “With Nora’s due date in a few months and Wyatt, I asked him if he would mind sharing Beta duties with Vincent. Between the three of us, I think we can work out the duties so we all have a good home life,” Devon explained.

  “And Daniel was on board?” Lark asked, holding her breath.

  “Yeah. He thought it was a great idea.”

  Lark let out a relieved breath. Of course he would be okay with it; Daniel wanted to spend time with his family as much as Devon. “Did you ask him how Nora’s appointment was?”

  “I did. Everything’s progressing normally. So far as everyone can tell, they are going to have a healthy little girl.”

  “That’s good,” Lark smiled, happy for the other couple.

  “Vincent was excited to be offered Beta duties and I think Sarah isn’t going to be too upset about it,” Devon said, changing the subject back to the previous topic.

  "Sarah understands how things work. I think she’ll be happy for Vincent. It will give him a purpose. Besides, it isn’t like how it was a few years ago. Vincent won’t constantly be in danger because of a war,” Lark acknowledged.

  “Very true. I think Vincent has always wanted to be given more responsibilities.”

  Lark nodded in agreement as they turned down the long drive to the ranch. She bit her lip, eager to hold her little boy. Ten hours was such a long time to go without seeing him, especially after spending the first three months with him.

  She hurried out of the vehicle and up the front steps. Claire greeted them in the entryway with Wyatt snuggled in her arms.