Secret Daddy

by Liam Kingsley

  “Do you think it’s a weird thing to do?”

  “Oh, honey, no. I’ve wanted to become a wolf shifter since, well, for ever. It just means he loves you and wants you to be together the way his wolf’s nature intended.”

  “So you think it’s a good idea?”

  “Yes!”

  I smiled, relaxing for the first time since Gavin asked me.

  “I’m so pleased for you, Kyle. Now, go and tell your wolf he can claim you!”

  I nodded even though Trevor couldn’t see me. “I will.”

  After hanging up I sat on the end of Gavin’s bed for a moment, collecting my thoughts. I wasn’t sure what had spooked me. Gavin was perfect for Brock, perfect for me. There was no real reason why I shouldn’t accept Gavin’s proposal.

  I got up and slowly walked to Gavin’s games room. The door was open and I heard both Gavin and Brock laughing as they argued over who was winning whatever race they were playing.

  “Hey, no cheating,” Brock said.

  “That’s not cheating, it’s being smart.”

  I poked my head into the room, and I suppose it was enough for them both to know I was there. They both stopped playing and looked at me, a mix of hope and apprehension on their faces.

  “Well?” Gavin asked.

  “Yes,” I said.

  Two days later I watched the full moon rising over the horizon before the sun had even set. I was getting claimed tonight, and I’d planned a special show to celebrate even though I wasn’t going to be here to actually play any records. My producer had agreed for me to pre-record the show, so as soon as I’d made my own personal dedication to Gavin, I’d pressed play, and then started giggling as the airways filled with wolf-themed love songs. Who knew there were even that many made.

  Gavin was waiting for me when I got home, and I felt like a giddy teenager when I saw his car parked in the driveway. I raced inside to see him sitting in a large chair in the living room while Britt and Kennedy fawned over him, giving him different accessories that would match his deep red suit.

  “Here, try my yellow bow-tie,” Kennedy said as she nudged Britt aside.

  “That is ochre, not yellow. And it does not look good with the burgundy suit. Here, wear my black scarf,” Britt said, nudging Kennedy back.

  “I think you should wear them both,” I said. Everyone turned to look at me, but my gaze was locked on Gavin. He was caught mid-laugh, and the creases beside his eyes were deeper than ever. He smiled at me lovingly, then started folding the scarf. As he stood and made his way over to me, he placed it into his jacket as a pocket square, crimping the corner to it sat straight and flush against his broad chest.

  “You look amazing,” I said, straightening the bow-tie.

  A high-pitched squeal of excitement came from the women in the living room, and I rolled my eyes at them over my mate-to-be’s shoulder.

  “Go and get ready,” Gavin said. “I’ll try and keep these two off you.”

  I grinned as I headed to my bedroom. I had intended to wear an old suit I had tucked away in my wardrobe, but when I opened the door I saw a deep blue suit laid out on my bed, complete with a tie to match the color of Gavin’s suit. I gasped, realizing he must have bought it for me. I was about to go back out there and thank him before I realized I didn’t have enough time. And I’d be putting myself in Britt and Kennedy’s clutches.

  I dressed quickly, and then admired myself in the full-length mirror while trying not to allow the tears that had formed in my eyes to spill over. I was getting married, claimed, whatever. I was going to be Gavin’s.

  Taking a deep breath I managed to pull myself together, and then with little more than a final glance at my thirty-year-old no longer to be single self, I went to join the only man who was ever meant to be mine.

  “Ready,” I said as I entered in the living room. Both Britt and Kennedy were nowhere to be seen, and only Gavin stood waiting for me.

  “I noticed,” he said with a light smile. “And very handsome you look too.”

  “I would say it’s not traditional to see the groom before the wedding, but I guess this isn’t a traditional wedding.”

  “It’s better. It’s where I make you mine.”

  I shivered at the possessive quality of his voice, and he smirked before planting a soft kiss on my lips. “Let’s go.”

  As we drove toward the homestead, I could see the Wolf Lodge in the distance. It almost seemed to glow under the light of the full moon. I glanced out the windows of Gavin’s car and wondered if this was the last time Timberwood Cove would look like this to me… Would anything look the same ever again? I bit on my bottom lip and tried to keep my nerves at bay by stealing glances at Gavin as he drove. He was confident, centered, and focused—and being around him made me feel a little bit of the same.

  Gavin and I had insisted the ceremony wasn’t to be a big affair, but when we arrived at the Lodge the place still looked stunning, with fairy lights strung from all the rafters and a buffet feast being served along tables that spanned the hall.

  I spotted Brock playing with Cole and Liam, and I found that most of the pack had arrived along with Trevor, Britt, and Kennedy. The three humans were all dressed to the nines and talking with Jaxon. I caught the tail end of their conversation as I walked over.

  “Top secret, okay,” Trevor said with wide, wild eyes. “A complete secret. Not to be revealed to anyone. Got it.”

  Jaxon pointed at him with a stern look on his face. “Seriously.”

  “I wouldn’t!” Trevor declared. “I’ve been keeping your kind a secret for years.”

  I nodded as I wrapped an arm around his shoulder in solidarity. “He has. He’s the one who told me about shifters in the first place, and he’s kept Brock’s identity quiet for over ten years. So has Britt and Kennedy.”

  Jaxon looked at all of us, then he seemed to accept his pack wouldn’t be in any danger from my friends and family because he gave us all a brief nod and Trevor a pat on the shoulder before he walked away.

  “He’s cute,” Kennedy said, waggling her eyebrows.

  “They’re all cute,” Britt retorted as she rolled her eyes at her girlfriend.

  “That one is especially cute,” Trevor whispered to me, and then he motioned to a member of the pack who had his back to us as he arranged flowers in vases by the banquet table.

  “How can you tell?”

  “Oh, you know…”

  The guy turned to the side, and I gasped. “Trevor! That’s Jason, the guy from the flower shop, the one who drives you crazy.”

  “Oh, is it?” he asked in an all-too innocent voice. “I couldn’t tell, I’m not wearing my glasses.”

  “You don’t wear glasses.”

  Suddenly, I felt Gavin put his hands around my waist. I instantly leaned back into him and released a soft sigh. He chuckled, and then pressed his lips to my ear. “Are you ready?”

  I smiled “Yes, I am.”

  We stood outside in the manicured gardens of the Lodge, under the bright full moon. The pack crowded in and created a protective circle around us.

  Nicole stood by Gavin’s side, while Britt stood beside mine. Gavin took my hands in his and gave me a reassuring squeeze. In contrast to his steady, warm hands, I realized I’d been shaking like a leaf. His touch immediately helped me relax.

  Jaxon held up his hand, and everybody fell silent.

  I could hear my heart beating heavily as he spoke. “By the beauty of the moon, we accept a new member to our pack. Kyle, fated mate of Gavin and father of Brock, please join us as our brother.”

  I looked into Gavin’s eyes. He looked right back at me.

  “Gavin and Kyle,” Jaxon said. “By this claiming bite, you will be bound together for eternity. In spirit, body, and wolf. May the moon forever guide you back to each other, to take refuge in your love.”

  I took a breath and closed my eyes. I exhaled and leaned my head to the side, exposing my neck. My next breath was sharp and short as I felt Gavin s
ink his teeth into my neck, and I jumped, but Gavin steadied me. I heard the roar of the pack cheering, and I felt Britt put her hand on my shoulder. And then I felt nothing, saw nothing, until I glimpsed a pair of green eyes shining in the moonlight. I wasn’t afraid, but I was cautious, and then a wolf came padding out of the darkness. Almost immediately I knew who it was. I was him. And he was me. I was a wolf.

  I remembered what Gavin had said, to remain in control but to allow my wolf free, but when I tried, nothing happened, and then all of a sudden, he was gone.

  Where the wolf had been there was now Gavin, gazing at me with intense worry etched all over his face. Behind him, the moon shone straight down into my eyes. It was so bright I had to squint. That’s when I realized I was lying on my back in the cold grass.

  “Kyle?” Gavin gently placed a hand on my cheek. “You kind of fainted. I was worried. Are you alright?”

  “Just a little woozy.” I groaned as I propped myself up and looked around. The whole pack was staring at me. “I saw my wolf,” I whispered to Gavin. “Doesn’t that mean I should be able to shift now? Like you and Brock?”

  “Well, it might take some time to learn, but you can try. Just relax and think of your wolf, accept him.”

  “I did. I tried, like you told Brock.” I didn’t mean to sound concerned, but if I couldn’t shift, then what kind of mate could I be to Gavin?

  “It’s okay, it doesn’t come naturally to you. It may take some practice.”

  I nodded, but as Gavin helped me to my feet I heard whispers in the crowd. A man came forward, and I remembered him being introduced to me as Bryce, Jaxon’s mate. Beside him stood another man, and they both glanced at each other before Bryce grinned.

  “There could be another reason why he can’t shift,” he said.

  Gavin frowned. “Oh?”

  The other man, who I thought was Shawn, Linc’s mate, looked at me. “Yeah. The same reason Bryce and I couldn’t shift when we were claimed. You could be pregnant.”

  “No,” I said in denial.

  “Oh my god, yes. You were dizzy and slightly nauseous a week or so ago,” Gavin said, starting to grin.

  “And that stopped.”

  “Still…”

  I shook my head. I couldn’t be. I mean, I could be. I went into heat, and we didn’t use condoms, and then my heat stopped, and I felt lightheaded like I did with Brock… I glanced around at the shifters all gathered around me. Technically I was a shifter now too, except I couldn’t shift because… I swallowed hard, and then looked at Gavin who was still grinning. “I don’t suppose anyone has a pregnancy test, do they?”

  I didn’t even see who pressed one into my hand a few minutes later, but I found myself being ushered into the Lodge’s toilet by Gavin, with Trevor, Britt and Kennedy close behind.

  “No. I’m not going to have an audience. You can all wait outside.”

  “But…”

  I glared at my sister. “Outside.” But at the animated shimmer in Gavin’s eyes I relented. “Okay, you can come in.” I waited until the trio of busy-bodies had sat down at an abandoned table, and then I gripped Gavin’s hand in mine and closed the door behind us.

  “It’s going to be okay, sweetheart,” Gavin whispered.

  I simply nodded before opening the little box and taking out the plastic stick. I remembered having to do this once before, and how frightened I’d been, how sick with worry. I didn’t have to worry so much now though because I wasn’t doing this alone. I wouldn’t have to try and raise another baby with no one to help me. Yes, I had Britt and Kennedy, and even Trevor, but I had to admit it wasn’t the same. Being with the man I loved, my mate, made all the difference in the world.

  “Well, are you going to just stand there looking at it or are you going to pee on it?” Gavin asked as he looked over my shoulder.

  “Well, I don’t think I can actually pee with you staring at me, so if you wouldn’t mind turning your back a little…”

  Gavin laughed but did as I asked.

  I did my part, and then placed the stick on a little shelf below the window.

  “How long…”

  “Um, three minutes, but it’s probably best to wait a little longer because you’re supposed to do this in the morning.”

  Gavin nodded, but kept his gaze glued to the stick. I put the lid of the toilet down and sat on it.

  “Nervous?” Gavin asked, sparing me only the slightest of glances.

  “Yes, and a little excited.”

  “Me too.” I looked up at him, and he smiled softly before crouching in front of me and holding my hands. “Whatever happens, we’re mates now, together, and I will always look after you, be there for you, and I promise to be the best father I can be.”

  “I know. You’ve already proven you’re a good father to Brock. I couldn’t ask for better.”

  I expected Gavin to offer up some cocky reply, but he only squeezed my hands, the light in his eyes fading just slightly. Then he stood.

  “Times up.”

  I stood as well, my legs slightly wobbly. I reached for the test but didn’t look down at it. I simply watched Gavin’s face and the incredible joy that slowly graced it.

  I was pregnant.

  11

  Gavin

  The first snow broke on the day Kyle and Brock officially moved in to my house a few weeks after the claiming ceremony. Kyle had an armful of records while I was leveraging part of his gigantic display cabinet through the living room door when Brock came screaming inside.

  “You guys!” he shouted.

  “Oh my god,” Kyle said as he nearly dropped the records. “What is it, Brock?”

  “Snowing!” Brock squealed. “It’s snowing for the holidays!”

  Kyle shook his head, and then put his bundle on the coffee table before he shot Brock a look. Brock just gave him a cheerful grin and clapped his mittens together, sending a spray of half-melted snowflakes all over the hardwood floor.

  “Go spread your Christmas cheer somewhere else,” Kyle said, waving him off.

  “Not a fan of the holidays?” I asked Kyle as Brock happily skipped outside.

  “Are you?” he raised his eyebrows, tensing the tiniest bit as if worried about my answer.

  “We may celebrate the moon, but we would never deny the kids the same joys as human kids, so the holidays are just as important to us for their sake,” I admitted. “I haven’t picked up a tree yet. I was hoping you and Brock would want to, and we could do it together?”

  Kyle smiled and relaxed. “Oh, yes, thank you. Brock is obsessed with Christmas. He knows Santa isn’t real, but he keeps pretending like he is to keep the holiday spirit alive.”

  “Cute,” I said with a grin. I finished positioning the display cabinet to Kyle’s liking, and then slid a box of vinyl across the floor to him. He happily ripped it open and started to unpack the multitude of records. I was about to open up another box when I caught a flash of worry on Kyle’s face.

  “Oh.” He stopped short and put a hand on his belly.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked quickly.

  “Nothing. I think… It’s nothing,” he said. He shook his head as he frowned. My wolf whined and I started worrying that something was seriously wrong.

  “Do you need to see a doctor?”

  Kyle laughed and shook his head. “If we go to the doctor’s office every time something weird happened during a pregnancy, then we may as well move in there together instead of here.”

  I chuckled, but couldn’t help feel worried, and I guess Kyle noticed. He smiled reassuringly.

  “I’m fine. Let’s get the rest of the cases,” he said as he turned to leave.

  “Hm. We’ll mention this to Dr. Reed when we see her, though,” I insisted as I walked beside him out into the freezing cold yard.

  “Mention that I keep getting indigestion? I’m sure she’ll be riveted to hear about it. Seriously, Gavin. Don’t worry so much. I know what I’m doing.”

  It was a small comme
nt, but it felt like a slap. I couldn’t help but worry. It wasn’t Kyle’s first time being pregnant, but it was my first time being around for it.

  Kyle insisted he wanted to keep working, not just through the holidays, but through his whole pregnancy. That meant I was home with Brock in the evenings while Kyle was on air.

  “Hey, switch on the radio,” I told Brock as we got set up in the games room. “It’s my tradition to listen to your dad’s show while I play at night.”

  “Seriously?” Brock looked at me like I was a loser, and I looked right back at him like I was the coolest guy who had ever lived. “Ugh, alright.”

  Brock settled in beside me, and the opening credits to the game started to roll as Kyle’s voice joined us by introducing the next love song, dedicated to Shawn from Linc.

  “Hey, that’s Cole’s dads!” Brock exclaimed.

  “See? It’s a cool show. How’s school going?” I asked.

  “Hm.” Brock shrugged and pressed the start button on the game to skip the rest of the credits.

  “Are you hanging out with Cole and Liam?”

  “Yeah, they’re cool. But they’re not in my grade so I don’t get to see them all the time or anything.”

  “What about other shifters from other packs? Any in your grade?”

  “I dunno. Everyone kind of stays away from me,” he mumbled.

  “Why do they stay away from you?” I asked, sitting up and looking at him. Brock just shrugged and started playing, so I joined in and focused on the game. As Kyle spun another soft tempo love-song, I thought about how I could get Brock to open up about what was happening.

  “When I was in school, I didn’t really have any friends,” I said quietly. “Just a few from the pack. But like you I was older than them and in a different grade, and I got picked on by my human classmates a lot.”

  “You got picked on at school?” Brock sounded completely unconvinced.

  “I really, really, really did,” I said as I pushed the right combination of buttons to get us through to the next level of RuneMaze.