The Shifter’s Secret Baby (Shades of Shifters Book 3)

by T. S. Ryder

  But even as Andre bent to acquiesce, the soft purr of a vehicle interrupted them. Both glanced at the narrow road that twisted between the pine and spruce trees up the side of the mountain. Moments later, Zoe appeared in a sleek two-door Chevrolet. She pulled to a stop and got out, eyeing Mary with obvious interest. Andre glanced at Mary, whose jaw dropped at the sight of the other Bear.

  "You didn't tell me she was gorgeous," Mary murmured to him. "She looks like Aphrodite! Are all Bears insanely beautiful?"

  Andre chuckled. "I suppose that depends on how one defines beauty."

  Mary shot him an annoyed look, but by that time Zoe had joined them and Mary fell silent.

  "So this is your Wolf then?" Zoe cocked her head as she studied Mary. "I expected her to be… I don't know."

  Mary's face flushed red. She glared at Zoe, as did Andre. He didn't need this other Bear making Mary feel insignificant or whatever else Zoe was trying to do. The other Bear seemed oblivious to both of the dark looks she was getting, however, and continued to openly appraise the Wolf's appearance.

  "I've met other Wolves," she said after a moment. "But they were all short, scrawny things that looked like they hadn't eaten a meal in weeks. I suppose I wasn't expecting a Wolf that looked so healthy."

  Mary continued to glare. Andre frowned but decided to take Zoe's words at face value. They didn't really have time to debate such things right now, anyway. He cleared his throat, bringing the other Bear's attention back to him.

  "Do you have our papers?"

  "I have the information that will get you to the next stop." Zoe glanced again at Mary. "It seems like your family has gained quite a reputation among Bears. You'll understand that we don't want to take any risks by trusting you too quickly."

  "Reputation?" Mary's brow furrowed. "What sort of reputation?"

  "That's not important," Andre said quickly. What else had the Locke family done? He hadn't even heard of them before Paul Locke murdered Isadore and Eve. But they must have done even more than that if Zoe knew their name. His blood ran cold. How many others had Paul Locke killed?

  "But—"

  "I'll tell you later, Mary." Andre squeezed her hand and addressed Zoe again. "The important thing right now is that we get as far away from them as possible."

  Zoe nodded. "The papers are on the passenger seat."

  She pointed at her car. Andre stared at her and she stared back. He frowned.

  "Why didn't you just bring them with you?"

  Zoe shrugged. "I want to talk with Mary myself for a moment."

  Andre's frown deepened. He opened his mouth to protest, but Mary put a hand on his shoulder. She smiled encouragingly at him and nodded, indicating that she was okay. He pressed his lips together and reluctantly left the two women to talk. The car was parked just far enough to be out of casual earshot. What did Zoe want to talk to her about?

  ***

  Mary had to admit she felt quite intimidated by this she-Bear who was so beautiful. Worse, the way she looked at Andre was the same way that her three-year-old brothers had looked at cookies. Like she wanted to devour him from head to toe. It occurred to her that she had been out of Andre's life for two months. From his own admittance, he tried to forget about her, to put a safe distance between the two of them.

  He also told her that he met Zoe in a strip club.

  "So—" Zoe started.

  "Did anything happen between the two of you?" Mary surprised herself by asking. Also, to her surprise, she sounded more curious than anything else. "Sexually, I mean."

  "Would you be jealous if something had?"

  Mary tilted her head, brows furrowing. "I don't know. I would, probably, be at least a little jealous. It's hard to say until you actually know about that sort of thing, isn't it? I've never been in a position where I can be jealous of another woman when it comes to a man."

  Zoe laughed, shaking her head incredulously. "Are you for real, or is that some sort of Wolf polygamy thing?"

  "We're not polygamous," Mary replied sharply. Her eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips. "Wolves mate for life. That means there is only one woman for a man and one man for a woman. Having multiple lovers is unnatural and… strange."

  "What if it's a soulmate threesome? And what about if a man's soulmate is another man? You guys don't seem like you'd be very open to that."

  Mary flushed. Such things were never talked of in her community. She looked at the ground and cleared her throat. "You didn't answer my question. And I suppose… well, if he was feeling anything like I was feeling without him, no. I wouldn't blame him for seeking out any sort of comfort he could get."

  Zoe raised a brow. "No. Nothing happened between us. But that is not why I wanted to talk to you. My contacts are very cautious about trusting a Locke. Werewolves, in general, don't have the best of reputations and your family has one even worse than most. But my question is, would it be possible for you, sometime in the future, to facilitate negotiations between your community and the larger Shifter communities of the world? We are coming to a time where we need to work together."

  "You want to work with my family?" Mary bit her lip. "I'm not sure that would be possible. My father always taught my brothers and sisters and me that Bears are heartless killers. It will take far more than me to get them to see the truth."

  "I see. Are you saying that there is no hope for it then?"

  "I don't know. My brother, Peter, he will be able to do more than I could. He's the one who helped me get back to Andre. I think he understands."

  Zoe looked disappointed, but she nodded. "We'll start with—"

  The rest of her words were swallowed up by the crack of a gunshot.

  Mary heard a sharp whistling and then a thump. As she turned, she was aware of something wet and warm on her face. Zoe's eyes were wide. She crumpled slowly, as though sinking in water, knees buckling beneath her. She fell back against the truck and a streak of red ran down the red door. A small hole, perfectly round, burrowed in her forehead. A trickle of blood ran from it.

  The Bear was on the ground before Mary realized she was dead. A scream choked in her throat and it was only the sound of Andre's roar that broke her gaze away. Her eyes went to his instantly, and then followed his gaze to a figure standing on a small swell right in the trees.

  Her heart stopped. Her father held a gun in his hands. Dimly, Mary saw it wasn't one of the family hunting rifles.

  It was pointed right at Andre.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The crack of a gunshot rang in his ears.

  Andre Mitchel's head jerked up, adrenaline coursing through his veins. His eyes immediately sought out Mary. She stood by the truck, mouth open and eyes wide as the woman beside her, Zoe, crumpled, blood trickling from the bullet hole in her forehead.

  His Bear cried out to see another of his kind die. He started forward before he even saw the man with the gun. The papers in his hands were suddenly too heavy to hold. They fluttered to the ground.

  Paul Locke stood on a swell between two trees. His gun was still aimed at the truck.

  Mary.

  Andre roared again, leaping forward. Anger and fear mingled hot in his chest and he raced forward, embracing his Bear as he did.

  The gun swung around to point at him.

  Crack!

  Fiery pain bit through his shoulder. The impact of the slug blasted him off course, sending him spinning. His head hit the ground, and he felt his Bear retreating even as he struggled to call it forth. Panic grasped at his heart but he forced himself upright again, beginning his charge again. He could not let Locke hurt Mary.

  "Papa, no!" Mary screamed.

  Crack!

  The bullet tore through his side, knocking him down once more. His chest heaved but his lungs couldn't seem to draw air.

  Get up, he told himself. Get up!

  He pushed himself to his knees. Locke was walking forwards now, expression hard. The gun was still aimed at Andre, but Locke did not pull the trigger. Th
e Bear snarled, pushing back his pain. So this was how it would be? Locke wanted to see terror in his eyes? Wanted to cut him open from throat to navel and let him bleed out?

  "Papa, please! Don't!"

  "Quiet!" Locke turned his gaze from Andre, looking somewhere past the Bear's shoulder. "You will receive your punishment, Mary, don't make it harder for yourself when your time comes."

  No. Andre pushed himself to his feet with another roar.

  Crack!

  His knee gave out and he fell again. Black and white spots danced before his vision, blinding him. Shapes like faces blurred in the lights, mocking him. He would die and Locke would hurt Mary. Would he kill her, his eldest daughter? He killed Eve when she was only six. He has no emotion.

  Andre struggled to push himself up again. Pain crashed over him, making his vision go dark. Mary screamed again, the sound echoing, as though coming from the distant end of a tunnel. Panic gripped his throat. Mary. Mary! No!

  He jerked his head up, drawing in a breath to tell her to run.

  Paul Locke was almost upon him. The gun glinted with the same gleam that was in Locke's eyes. The hands were steady, the expression triumphant. A slow smile passed over his lips.

  "This is what happens to Bears that trespass on Wolf prop—"

  A streak of black barreled into Locke. The gun went off again as it jerked to one side. A high whistle brushed Andre's ear. The world rang and his vision slipped sideways. He struggled to focus again. Locke was on the ground, his hand still clutching the gun, a black wolf over him, snarling and growling as her teeth flashed and stabbed into his arm. Mary.

  Andre pulled himself forward, eyes on the gun. If he could get it away from Locke…

  Blackness swallowed him.

  ***

  Not Andre, was all Mary could think as her teeth sunk into her father's arm. Not Andre.

  Her Wolf screamed, rage burning every cell in her body. The creature pinned beneath her was not her father. It was a threat to her soulmate, to her, to their future together. She would destroy it! The acrid smell of gunpowder bit her nose as blood poured into her mouth, sweet and metallic. Fingers dug into her scruff, reaching for her throat, and she released the arm to lunge forward, closing her mouth around her enemy's head.

  She tasted his scream and felt bone crunching beneath her jaws.

  A fist hit her in the ribs, jostling her. She yelped. Her teeth slid off the face, tearing through flesh. Another punch and she found herself rolling away. Each breath she tried to draw in sent a sharp pain through her lungs, but she quickly recovered and sprang to her feet.

  Her father's Wolf, twice as tall and muscular as she, bowled into her. She was knocked onto her back, kicking out at her father's belly. He leapt over her, headed towards Andre.

  No!

  Mary rolled again. Her teeth sank into his back leg, setting her heels into the ground, and dragged him back. Paul turned like lightning, jaws clamped over her neck in a second. A yelp sprang from her throat before the pressure increased to the point where she couldn't breathe. Mary twisted this way and that, eyes rolling, but she couldn't break her father's hold.

  The glint of the gun caught her eye. As black splotches began to cloud her vision, she swung her body around. Her neck jerked at an odd angle, but as she threw her weight back, her paws touched the gun.

  Fortuitous Luna, make this work!

  Mary suppressed her Wolf. Her father's teeth dug into her soft skin, tearing away flesh. He let go, her blood dripping from his mouth. As he darted towards her for the final time, Mary threw herself backwards. Her hands found the gun and she brought it up, stock braced against the ground, barrel pointed at her father.

  The kickback jolted up her arms, rattling her teeth and knocking the breath from her lungs. Her father's body flew backwards. He crumpled to the ground, whimpering. Blood stained the fur on his chest, dripping onto the ground. Mary's grip on the gun tightened, her eyes going wide.

  What have I done?

  Paul's head lifted. His clear blue eyes met hers. They rolled as he struggled to get to his feet, then collapsed. His head lolled. He took in a shallow breath. It rattled out, and he was still.

  Mary sat frozen. Her hands locked around the gun. She tried to tell her fingers to let it go, but they wouldn't obey. Her head swam, blood pulsed in her ears, and blackness swirled around her. The world was silent, cold, unmoving, as she stared at her father's lifeless body.

  A soft groan made her vision suddenly steady. She blinked and was finally able to cast aside the gun. Her hands felt numb, pain shot down her spine as she stumbled towards Andre. He twitched, limbs shivering. He lay on his face, but when she rolled him over, she was relieved to see his chest rising and falling.

  "Andre," she whispered, pressing her hands to his face. It was pale, bloodless. His eyes fluttered.

  Blood soaked through his shirt at his shoulder and abdomen, and more at his leg. Mary's hands trembled, but she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She had dealt with gunshot wounds before. At least once every year, a hunter would wander into Wolf territory and take a shot at someone. They were always brought to her family farmhouse since they were the closest to town and the doctor.

  I can do this.

  Her hands steadied. Mary ripped open Andre's shirt. The buttons popped off, hitting her in the face like tiny bullets. The feeling made her shiver, but she ignored it. The wound in Andre's side was not serious. A grazing shot. No entry.

  Jerking to her feet, she ran back to the truck. She avoided looking at Zoe, slumped next to the truck with a bullet hole in her forehead. Mary gathered her clothes, which had shredded when she embraced her Wolf to attack her father. She needed bandages.

  The shot to Andre's shoulder had gone right through his body. From what Mary could see, it had missed the major arteries and organs. His knee was another matter. There was no telling what damage had been dealt; the bullet had hit his knee square on, and there was no exit wound.

  Mary packed the rags into the wounds. Her hands were soon covered in blood. Andre's eyes fluttered open and Mary froze. He had lost enough blood that he should be half dead, not regaining consciousness. Her heart lifted. He was strong! He'd make it through this.

  "Mary?" His voice was hoarse, but his eyes were clear and they focused on her face. A hand brushed against her cheek.

  His skin was cool to the touch, but not as cold as she expected. Mary grabbed his hand and pressed her lips to it. "Everything is going to be okay, Andre. You're going to be fine."

  A brief smile crossed his face before his eyes closed again.

  "Andre!" she shook him. "Andre! I need you to stay awake. You need to get into the car. Can you do that? I'll help you."

  His eyes opened again. His skin went even paler as he forced himself to sit up. With Mary's help, he managed to stand. She tried to hold his weight on her, but she felt like she was about to fall over. He was far taller than she was, and every inch of his body was muscle. He groaned with every step they took, but they managed to get to the car before his eyes rolled up into his head and he collapsed into the seat.

  Mary checked his pulse. Weak, erratic.

  As she got into the driver's seat, her gaze landed on Zoe. It felt wrong to leave her behind, but saving Andre's life came first. She pulled out of the clearing, headed down the bumpy mountain road as fast as she dared. The clearing and all that had happened there was soon swallowed by pine and spruce trees.

  Her father's face flitted into her mind and Mary's hands tightened on the steering wheel until her knuckles were white. How had he found them again?

  It doesn't matter right now. He's dead. I need to take care of Andre.

  She glanced at her soulmate. His eyes were roving under his eyelids, but as long as he moved, she knew he was alive.

  Mary turned her focus back to the road and thought of nothing but getting to town.

  Chapter Twenty

  Andre's head pounded as his eyes opened. It took a moment for him to remember wha
t had happened–he and Mary were meeting with Zoe, and she was going to give them papers that would get them to Europe. Then Paul Locke had shown up and killed her. Pain shot like jagged lightning from various parts of his body as he shifted.

  Right, he had been shot.

  A long, slender hand shot out and pressed against his cheek. "Andre? Are you okay?"

  "I'll be fine." He winced. "Bears heal fast. It's difficult for us to even scar."

  He focused on her. She was naked, her beautiful voluptuous body covered in blood, both dry and dripping from the puncture wounds in her neck. Her normally alabaster skin was a sickly yellow-green color, and a sheen of sweat coated her. She shook, her gaze forward, but shifting in and out of focus.

  "Pull over," Andre said.

  "No, we have to get to the hospital."

  A spike of panic drilled itself through Andre's head. Who would be waiting for them there? "Stop the car!"

  Mary stomped on the gas. They skidded to a stop, the seatbelt snapping against Andre's chest. The movement made stars explode in front of his eyes and he bit his tongue to keep himself from crying out in pain. Moaning, he reached over to shift the car into park before he turned the heat on full blast. Even using his uninjured arm made his shoulder burn and he gasped for breath.

  "What's wrong?" Mary's voice was higher pitched than normal.

  "We can't go to the hospital. That's the first place that your father will come looking for us."

  Mary closed her eyes and she swayed. He reached for her instinctively, and it felt like he was being shot again. He gasped and her eyes snapped open again. She leaned forward.

  "What do I need to do?"

  "Cigarette lighter. Get it hot so we can cauterize my bleeding." Andre leaned back, closing his eyes as waves of nausea threatened to take him.

  "No, you need to be in a hospital so you can heal properly. You still have a bullet in your knee."

  Andre growled in frustration. "He'll find us there."