The Horse Shifter's Mate: A Wishing Moon Bay Shifter Romance (The Bond of Brothers Book 2)

by Harmony Raines

  “That’s because you are carrying me,” Milo laughed and reached up into the air. “I’m nearly tall enough to reach the ceiling.”

  “Then you’ll need to duck as we go through the door.” Logan swooped Milo down so that his shoulder skimmed the floor.

  “Whoa, do that again.”

  “It looks as if you have two kids,” Helena teased as she reached for Penny’s hand. “That must be the best birthday present ever. To see Milo and Logan together.”

  “Don’t,” Penny warned as she dabbed her eyes. “I’ll ruin my makeup.” She sniffed and composed herself. “I can’t believe how lucky I am after the way Milo’s dad treated us.”

  “You deserve happiness.” Helena squeezed her hand. “And cake, lots of cake.”

  “Are we having cake for breakfast?” Milo asked over Logan’s shoulder.

  “Not for breakfast,” Penny answered.

  “Pity.” Helena laughed, feeling light and happy. If the specter of Barry didn’t hang over them then she would be happy to never leave Wishing Moon Bay.

  The thought struck her in the solar plexus, and she took a deep breath. Did this mean she was ready to settle down here with Dario? Yes, she was. As they entered Valerie’s apartment and the sense of love and affection washed over her, she felt at home. As if she belonged, something she had never experienced before. Living with her mom had always felt like living on the edge.

  The edge of what, she had no idea. But it was as if they were teetering on the edge of oblivion, one wrong step and they would fall into a deep dark pit.

  Her mom’s depression. That was the deep dark pit that had threatened them as they grew up. Their mom couldn’t help it, Helena understood that now, as an adult. But as a child, she’d never been able to understand what her mom was going through.

  “Happy birthday!” A chorus of voices welcomed Penny and Valerie hugged her like she was the daughter she’d always wanted.

  “Thanks, Valerie.” Penny kissed Valerie on the cheek. “It’s kind of you to let us take over your apartment.”

  “Don’t be silly, you are family.” Valerie reached out for Helena’s hand. “You both are. The daughters I never had.”

  Helena took Valerie’s offered hand. Growing up, Valerie was just the kind of mom she’d wished for. Kind and caring, she exuded warmth and confidence.

  Guilt came swift and sharp as if she’d pierced her heart. Helena loved her mom. Really loved her, and deep down she knew her mom had done the best she could. However, that knowledge didn’t make any of it easier.

  “Happy birthday.” Rift grabbed Penny’s hand and pulled her into his arms. “I’m trying to make your mate jealous, I think it’s working.”

  “He knows you are only trying to bait him.” Penny hugged Rift.

  “Here’s your gift.” Rift handed Penny a box, decorated with the same paper as Milo’s gift.

  “Thanks. And thanks for helping Milo with my birthday card.” Penny held Rift’s gift in her hands.

  “Morning.” Helena felt Dario’s presence before he entered the room, but she dared not turn and look at him, her cheeks were flushed pink as heat crept across her skin.

  “Morning.” She stared at Penny, her eyes unseeing as every fiber of her being focused on the horse shifter.

  “There you are, Dario. I thought you were going to miss breakfast,” Valerie kissed her son on the cheek. “But since your mate is here, I should have known better.”

  “Mom.” Dario rolled his eyes at his mom as Helena glanced up at him from under her lashes. Damn, he was so handsome, in a rugged mountain man way. He was as wild and free as his horse and her throat constricted as she swallowed down her desire.

  Yesterday, when they were alone in the cabin, they’d been close, not just physically, but emotionally, as if they were on the same wavelength, but here surrounded by other people, it was as if that closeness had evaporated. There was a distance between them. One she wanted to close.

  “I thought Dario had come for the food,” Helena joked, and his mouth curled up at one corner in a half-smile.

  “Ah, my mate knows me already.” He winked at her and she smiled back at him. “Food used to be the most important thing to me until I met you, Helena. And old habits die hard.”

  “I’m not surprised food is so important to you when you have a brother who can cook like Ivan can. He has quite the reputation.” Helena slipped her hand into Dario’s, needing to feel the touch of his skin and the warmth of his flesh.

  His eyes darkened as his fingers closed around hers. “One day soon I’ll make you breakfast. I’m not as good as Ivan, but my eggs are good, and my oatmeal is legendary.”

  “Dario is right, his oatmeal is legendary,” Valerie agreed as she took a step away from them. “I am going to give my gift to Penny and hug Milo. It’s been too long since there’s been a child in the hotel.”

  “I thought you had enough of children after raising the six of us,” Dario said lightly.

  “Never enough,” Valerie answered. “Children can show you the world anew and I’m getting old. I’d like to get one last glimpse of the world as a child sees it.”

  “She’s incredible,” Helena whispered to Dario. “Just seeing you all here together, it’s obvious she loved raising you and she’s been so kind to me and Penny.”

  “Valerie is one of the kindest and most generous people I have ever met.” Dario pulled Helena toward the long dining table filled with freshly baked pastries, eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit. Her stomach rumbled in appreciation as he handed her a plate.

  “I hope I can live up to her standards.” Helena swallowed down her nerves.

  “What’s wrong?” Dario’s hand on the small of her back calmed her and she turned into him, pressing close.

  “Nothing’s wrong. It’s just...” She looked around the room at the happy faces of Dario’s brothers. And Penny, who had slipped seamlessly into this family. “I’ve never been part of a family, not like this. It comes naturally to Penny, but me... Even when I was young and went to play at my friends’ houses, I always felt like the odd one out. Like the girl at a dance who was always left on the sidelines.”

  Dario took hold of her hand and raised it to his lips. “You’ll never be left on the sidelines again, Helena. As for my family, just be yourself, we all come from different backgrounds, we’re all a little broken. But we’re good at putting each other back together.”

  Helena nodded. Perhaps when she’d dealt with Barry and the possible threat he posed, she’d come back to Wishing Moon Bay and spend the rest of her life learning to be part of this loving family.

  Chapter Twelve – Dario

  After breakfast, he’d helped Helena clear the table while the others left the apartment. All except Valerie who looked tired after standing on her feet for too long.

  “Sit down, Mom, and I’ll make you some tea. You should rest before this afternoon.” His lips were a thin line as he ordered his mom to sit in her recliner.

  “I’ll make the tea,” Helena offered. “Why don’t you spend some time with your mom, and I can go ask Ivan if he needs some help in the kitchen?”

  “No, you two spend the day together,” Valerie insisted. “As much as I would love to spend a couple of hours with you, Dario, I think I need a nap before this afternoon. I’ll sit and watch my show, Doctors of Haversham County is on in ten minutes, and after that, I’ll doze in my chair for an hour or two.”

  “Okay, do you want us to set out the table while you watch your show?” Dario asked. He didn’t like seeing his mom tired, her expression pained.

  “Rift is coming to help lay the table at two. Why don’t you come back then and help him? We’re eating at three.” She sat down heavily in her chair and pressed a button on the side. The footrest rose slowly while the back of the chair reclined until Valerie was almost horizontal. “That’s better.”

  “You didn’t need to go to so much trouble,” Helena told Dario as they made tea for Valerie. “Penny would have bee
n happy with you all wishing her a happy birthday.”

  “She might be, but my mom wouldn’t. This is a big thing for her. She’s waited so long for us to have mates.” Dario cracked a grin. “When’s your birthday? I’d better start making arrangements to do something special or my mom will have something to say about it.”

  “I don’t think your mom ever gets cross with you. I bet you are a golden boy who never got into trouble.”

  “You’re right. But not because I’m a golden boy.” He turned on the faucet and half-filled the kettle before setting it on the stove to boil. “I was so grateful to Valerie for letting me come live here that I promised myself I would never cause her trouble.”

  “And did you stick to that promise?” Helena asked.

  “I tried.” He grinned. “But I have five brothers. Do you know how hard it is to keep out of trouble when you have five brothers?”

  “I can imagine.” She chuckled. “You have a good heart, Dario. I’m certain Valerie knows that. And whatever trouble you and your brothers got yourselves into, she knew it wasn’t malicious.”

  “Never.” His expression sobered and his eyes wandered toward the doorway and the sound of the TV beyond. “I just hate to see Valerie in pain. She looks so old. Maybe the six of us were too much for her.”

  “Your mom doesn’t think so. She knows you would do anything for her, and she will always live on through you.” Helena pushed herself away from the counter and went to him as the kettle hissed on the stove. “She loves you and she’s incredibly proud of you all, I can see it whenever she looks at any of you.”

  “We owe it all to her.” He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “I just hope that we have children one day soon and those children get a chance to meet their grandmother.”

  “I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.” She leaned forward, her lips pursed as she pressed them against his.

  Dario’s arms tightened around his mate and he held her close as their kiss deepened. She nipped his bottom lip, his arousal kicking up a notch as her tongue soothed the bruised flesh. Damn, he wanted her. Why hadn’t he claimed her yesterday in the cabin?

  The shrill whistle of the kettle broke the spell cast over them and Helena pulled away from him. “Where are the cups?”

  “The second cupboard on the right.” He pointed to the cupboard where Valerie had always kept the coffee mugs. Nothing much had changed in the apartment since they had all lived here. Sure, the decor had been updated several times over the years, but the apartment still reminded him of his childhood, of sharing a room with his brother. Just like any other teenagers, they had argued over stupid things, only to make up the next day. No grudges held, after all, they were brothers. Not by blood, but they were brothers all the same.

  We will always be brothers, bonded by more than blood. A shared understanding of being abandoned and finding love and security. The same love and security every child should have.

  It was that security that would make them track down Barry even though it would be better for them to all stay in town and never leave. But there were so many places Dario wanted to show his mate, so many sights he wanted to share with her. He was not about to allow Barry to make them prisoners in town. Even a town he loved.

  “I think you’ve stirred it enough.” Helena put her hand over his and he looked down at the swirling liquid in the teacup. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” He put the spoon in the sink and folded his arms across his body as he leaned back on the counter. “I’m just eager to get going, that’s all. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can figure this all out.”

  “And the sooner we can put it all behind us.” Helena cupped her face in her hands. “I’m hoping I simply picked up a normal, everyday stalker. That Barry let himself into my apartment to check out my underwear drawer or something else...normal.”

  “A man letting himself into a woman’s apartment to look in her underwear drawer is normal?” Dario arched his eyebrow in question.

  “More normal than a guy letting himself into my apartment to lie in wait for me or my sister. I certainly know which version of events I prefer.” She gave a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes. But it did reach his heart. He would make this all go away.

  “Maybe that’s all it was.” He let his arms drop to his sides and went to her. “If you hadn’t come here and found out about shifters and magic, you would have let it go. I know I said there’s no such thing as coincidence, but maybe we are reading too much into it and it was just a coincidence that Barry was in your apartment the day Penny was due to arrive.”

  “I thought you said you would never lie to me.” Helena looked up at him through tear-filled eyes.

  “I’m not lying.” He rubbed her upper arm, his voice low and soothing as her brow furrowed. “We don’t know. So maybe until we do know something, we need to believe it was just some mundane coincidence.”

  “I agree.” She sniffed loudly and wiped her tears. “Only because I don’t want Penny to worry. It’s her birthday, I want her to enjoy it with you and your family.”

  “And you. You are part of our family now and we are all part of yours.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheeks, tasting her salty tears. “You are not alone.”

  “I know that.”

  “Do you?” he murmured against her skin.

  “You have told me we are mates enough times.”

  “It’s not just me. My brothers and Valerie are part of your family, too. And we protect our own.” His eyes darkened and his body tensed as an overwhelming desire to protect Helena from any hurt swept over him. But he knew that wasn’t possible. There was no way to shield his mate from every bad thing that might come her way.

  She needed to live and breathe, to experience the lows so her heart could soar on the highs.

  “I want to protect you, too. This isn’t a one-way deal. I might not be as strong as you and I might have no clue about this new world. But I’m smart, Dario, and sometimes it’s what’s in here,” she tapped the side of her head, “that saves people.”

  “I have no doubt you are a brave warrior. Your heart is pure, and you have a strong will, but often when it comes down to fighting, particularly with shifters, it does come down to brute strength.”

  “Then we should always stick together. We are two halves of the whole, you have the strength and I have the brains.” She covered her mouth and laughed. “I’m sorry, that sounds as if I’m implying you are stupid.”

  “I know what you’re trying to say and on one thing we definitely agree. We need to stick together no matter what. We were brought together now for a reason. A reason we’ll figure out together.” He picked up the teacup. “Now, let’s go and give this to Valerie. Then I’m going to go pack some clothes, you should do the same and spend some time with Penny and Milo. Tomorrow we leave and I can’t promise when we’ll be back.”

  “I’m going to do that right now.” She kissed his cheek and hugged him before she headed for the door. “Tell Valerie I’ll see her later.”

  Dario nodded and watched her leave before he took the cup of tea into Valerie who was watching her show on TV. “Here we go, Mom.”

  “Thanks, Dario.” She held out her hand to him. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too.” He kissed his mom on the cheek and held her close.

  “Has Helena gone?”

  “She’s gone to spend some time with Penny and Milo before we leave tomorrow.”

  “Good.” Valerie looked up at him, her eyes sharp. “You’re a lucky man.”

  “I know that.” He held her hand. “And I don’t just mean because I met Helena. I was lucky that you took me in and raised me. I’ve been blessed to travel the world and see things from a different perspective thanks to my other side. I just hope my luck holds.”

  “I believe we can create our own luck. You’ve always strived to be good, to be the best you can be.”

  “I never wanted to cause you any trouble
.” He gave her a sheepish look. “I’ve had a blessed life since the day I walked through that hotel door. It’s only now that I have a mate that I’m beginning to see I should have worked harder and gotten some cash behind me. I feel like a failure with nothing to offer Helena.”

  “You have your heart, Dario.” Valerie placed her hand over his heart. “If a man had ever offered me such a good heart, I wouldn’t have cared about his bank account balance. And neither does Helena.”

  “I’m not so sure. She has worked hard all her life and built a career. Would she give all of that up for a man like me?”

  “In a heartbeat.” Valerie patted his chest. “She might not see it right away. We hold onto our beliefs and don’t ever want to let them go. And I suspect part of Helena’s belief system, part of why she’s worked hard to build a life for herself, was to try to please her mom.”

  “Her mom has been gone a long time,” Dario reminded Valerie.

  “I know. But being a child is a strange business. No matter if our parents are living or dead, we want them to look at us and be proud.” She smiled sadly, her eyes fixed on his face, her TV show forgotten.

  “Is that why you adopted us all?” Dario asked the question that had often popped into his head as he ran across vast plains with a herd of horses. Being in a herd and galloping free brought him to an almost meditative state where his mind would pose a question and his subconscious would try to figure out the answer,

  One of his most frequent questions was why Valerie adopted six boys. Or more specifically, why did she adopt Dario? Out of all the children she could have adopted, why a small orphan horse shifter?

  “I adopted the six of you because I know what it’s like to be raised in the system, to believe that no one is there for you, that no one has your back.” She smiled sadly. “Of course, I had planned on stopping at one child, but then the next came along and the next. I only stopped at six because I couldn’t squeeze another bed into the apartment.”

  “You were in the system?” Dario asked. “It’s funny, I’ve never thought about it before, but that would explain why you never talk about your family, you have never once mentioned your mom and dad.”