by Lola Gabriel
4
Every part of Brianna hurt in one way or another, and she had never felt so tired as she did now, but as she pulled the blanket aside slightly and looked down at the perfect little face there, she knew she would go through labor a thousand times for him if she had to.
Archer climbed onto the bed beside her and wrapped his arm around her. She rested against him as he cooed at the baby.
“He’s beautiful.” Archer smiled. “I’m so proud of you, Bri.” She smiled up at him, and he kissed her. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you, too,” she said.
The baby pulled an arm free of the blanket. Archer reached out to tuck it back in, and the baby’s tiny hand locked around his finger. Brianna felt a rush of love flood her as she looked at the baby holding onto Archer’s finger, like he knew who he was and that he would die before he let anything hurt the baby. Archer rubbed his thumb over the back of the baby’s hand, and then he gently pulled his finger free and tucked the arm back into the blanket.
“I had an idea for his name,” Archer said with a smile at Brianna.
They still hadn’t managed to find a name they could both agree on, and eventually, they had decided to wait until their baby was born and see if his face instantly spoke a name to them. It hadn’t worked. At least not for Brianna, but it sounded like maybe it had worked for Archer.
“I was thinking we could name him Logan. You know, after Logan who made all of this possible,” Archer said, indicating to the three of them.
Brianna knew what he meant. Without Logan and Raina rescuing her, she would have been sold off to the highest bidder by a Matchmaker, and without the money from Logan, her second chance at living the life she wanted, she never would have been able to come to Nebraska for medical school. She looked down at the baby again.
“Logan,” she said, trying it on for size. She loved the way it sounded, and she instantly knew it suited him. “It’s perfect.”
“So, Logan it is, then?” Archer asked almost shyly.
“Logan it is,” Brianna confirmed with a smile.
They fell silent for a moment, both so intent on baby Logan. Brianna could feel the worries she’d had through the end of her pregnancy slipping away. She’d worried about the labor, about whether or not the baby would be healthy, even about the mundane things, like what she would do if she forgot to pick up her hospital bag on the way out of the door. And now, finally, she could let them all go. All except for one. The one that hadn’t changed, the one that still bothered her. She sighed as she tried and failed to push the last worry aside.
“What is it?” Archer asked.
“Nothing, really,” she said. “I’m just worried about how I’m going to keep up with my college work, go to my internship, and be a good mom to Logan. He deserves my full attention.”
“We’ve been over this, Brianna. If you want to leave school and be a stay at home mom, then do it. We’ve got plenty of money,” Archer said.
“I don’t want that, though. I’m so close to being a qualified doctor, and I don’t want to have to start all over again when Logan is a few years old. I know I’m just being silly. Plenty of moms work and are still good moms. I’m just worried I won’t be one of them,” she said.
“You’ll be fine,” Archer reassured her. “You have the whole pack on hand to help with babysitting duties, and you’re rocking college and your internship.”
“I know. I guess I’m just a little nervous, that’s all,” Brianna said.
“That’s normal. It’s a big change, but give it a few weeks, and you won’t even remember why you were so nervous. You’re going to be a great mom.”
“And you’re going to be a great dad,” Brianna replied with a genuine smile.
Archer could always make her feel better, and he never lost patience with her, just gently talking her down, even when her worries were the same ones she’d voiced a million times.
“Knock, knock,” a man’s voice said from the doorway. Brianna looked up to see Sven, Archer’s beta, in the doorway. He was holding a blue balloon with IT’S A BOY! written on it. “The nurse said it was okay to come along, but I can come back later, if you want me to.”
“Don’t be silly.” Brianna smiled. “Get in here.”
Sven smiled at her and came in. He put the balloon beside the crib, and then he looked at the baby in Brianna’s arms.
“May I?” he asked. Brianna nodded and handed the baby to Sven.
“His name is Logan,” Archer said.
“I like it,” Sven said, nodding his head. “Somehow, it suits him.” He sat on the chair beside Brianna’s bed, holding baby Logan. He cooed at the baby and asked Brianna about her labor. It had been quick, and for that, Brianna was grateful, which she told Sven.
A nurse came into the room and took Logan away for his checks. Sven looked at Archer.
“I actually wanted to talk to you about something while I was here,” he said. “I know it’s bad timing, but I need to just ask you and get it over with.”
Brianna could hear the nerves in his voice, but he was smiling and she didn’t think it was going to be anything to worry about.
“Okay,” Archer said, nodding for Sven to go on.
“I met someone. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted,” Sven said with a grin so full of lovesickness that Brianna almost laughed. “She knows what I am; I told her when I felt myself falling for her. We’ve done the test, and she has the Sanmere protein in her blood. She wants to be one of us, and I want to ask her to be my mate, but obviously, you need to approve her, because I’d want her to join the pack. I was just wondering when you’d be able to fit us in. I know you’ve just had a baby, and there’s no rush—”
“Sven,” Archer interrupted him. Brianna didn’t think Sven would have ever stopped talking if Archer hadn’t spoken. It was funny to watch Sven, who was always so in control, acting like a lovesick teenager. “She’s in.”
“What? But—” Sven started.
“No buts. If you love her, she must be a good person,” Archer said.
Sven nodded his thanks to Archer, and then he hugged him tightly.
“Thank you,” Brianna heard him whisper.
“I can’t wait to meet her,” she said when the moment was over and Archer and Sven were seated again.
“You’re going to love her, Brianna,” Sven said. “And maybe we’ll have our own baby soon.”
“Oh, imagine if you had a girl, and our children grew up and got married to each other,” Brianna said.
“Slow down,” Archer laughed. “Our boy is barely an hour old, and you’re already planning his wedding.”
Brianna laughed, but she knew Archer was right. She wanted time to move slowly, to let her cherish each day. Archer had made Brianna’s life perfect, and now Logan had completed their little family.
“I’m so happy, I feel like I might burst,” she said.
“Nah, that’s just the stitches,” Archer chuckled.
Brianna elbowed him, but she was laughing, too. Everything had turned out even better than she ever could have hoped it would.
READ MORE ABOUT SANMERE SHIFTERS IN A NEW SERIES BY LOLA GABRIEL!
Shifting Fates: Sanmere Shifters 1
Fae Loyalty: Sanmere Shifters 2
Dragon’s Clutch: Sanmere Shifters 3
Shifting Truths: Sanmere Shifters 4
Shifting Fates
Sanmere Shifters
Shifting Fates: Sanmere Shifters
Text Copyright © 2020 by Lola Gabriel
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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First printing, 2020
Publisher
Secret Woods Books
[email protected]
www.SecretWoodsBooks.com
1
Ellery Martin kept her head down as she walked along the street in sunny Miami. She could feel the sun beating down on the back of her head and the suit jacket made her feel sweaty and uncomfortable. She wished she hadn’t bothered with the jacket now. It hadn’t done anything for her. If anything, it had made her job interview worse as she was so damned hot all through it.
This morning when she was getting ready, she had told herself that she wanted to look the part for the job interview. She had ignored the heat and after putting on her favorite black shift dress, she had added the jacket. She remembered thinking she looked professional like an office worker should.
She had been confident as she made her way to the bar downtown where the interviews were being held. Within ten minutes of her interview starting, her confidence was gone, replaced by an overwhelming need to just get up and run out. She had managed to resist the urge, but she knew she wasn’t getting the job.
It had all gone wrong from the start when the interviewer had asked her about her administration experience and she had had to tell her that she had none. The interviewer’s whole demeanor changed and Ellery knew that the interviewer was just going through the motions, too polite to tell her to just leave.
Ellery sighed, shuddering at the memory of the awkward encounter. I should have just left, she thought to herself. Done us both a favor. A mixture of pride and shyness had stopped her from doing so. It was this same combination that made her walk with her head down now so no one spotted the tears sparkling in her eyes.
She had moved to Miami two weeks ago, using the last of her savings to put down a deposit on a tiny studio apartment just outside of Wynwood. It was meant to be her fresh start. To say the last year had been the worst year of Ellery’s life would be an understatement. The problems had started for Ellery four months ago when she had lost her job as a retail assistant because the store she was working in went bust unexpectedly, leaving her jobless.
She had soldiered through for the first couple of weeks, taking on agency work here and there, but she knew if she kept doing that, her savings wouldn’t last much longer, so she’d gone to her parents and asked them if she could move back in with them temporarily. They had agreed, and Ellery had gone home with her tail between her legs, having put her furniture into storage, taking with her only her clothes, her toiletries and makeup, and a few personal possessions.
She had tried desperately to find a new job, but Jacksonville seemed to be hitting an economic downturn and nowhere was hiring. She had managed to get a part-time cleaning job, but this barely covered the money she gave her parents for her share of the bills and her food.
Ellery had thought her life couldn’t get much worse, but the universe had other plans for her. Three months ago, she had attended a job interview for a full-time position in a little boutique store. She had been up against hundreds of other applicants, but her mom had convinced her she was as good as any of the others applying, and she had attended the interview confident and happy.
She had left the interview feeling like she had a chance of getting the job and she had gone home feeling optimistic, only to find that her home no longer existed. In the three hours she was out, her parents’ home had burned to the ground. A policewoman talked to her in a soft voice, informing her that both of her parents had been trapped in the kitchen where the fire originated. They had both been dead by the time the fire fighters got them out of the building.
Ellery’s world had collapsed then. Homeless, jobless, and completely alone in the world, she had gone to a motel that night and contemplated ending it all. One thing had stopped her. From what little she had been told about the fire, she was convinced it was arson—a deliberate attempt at her parents’ lives. She told herself she had to fight for justice for her parents, and only once she had that would she end her own life.
By the time the inquest was over and the police had ruled arson out, Ellery had started to come to terms with losing her parents and she no longer wanted to end her own life. She knew the thoughts for what they were—a knee-jerk reaction to the suddenness of her grief.
Ellery wasn’t convinced the fire had been accidental, but no amount of pushing the police or the coroner would convince them to reopen the case, and eventually, Ellery had to accept defeat. She had known she couldn’t stay in Jacksonville. It held too many bad memories and she was no closer to finding a job than she had been the day she lost her old one. The interview she had felt so positive about hadn’t resulted in an offer, and she hadn’t had the energy to go through the motions of applying for more jobs after the fire.
She had decided then to leave Jacksonville, and she had started scouring the internet for options. She had stumbled across her tiny Miami apartment, called up and arranged a viewing that day, and she had never looked back.
She still hadn’t found a job, but she had only been here for a week and a half and she had another couple of interviews lined up that week. She thought tomorrow’s interview was more promising. It was for a job in a large clothing store, similar to the one she had worked in ever since she had left college. Surely five years of experience had to count for something.
She raised her head, blinking back her tears. This melancholy attitude wasn’t helping her. She would find a job, and when she did, she would make friends and then she could shake off this lonely feeling too.
“Excuse me,” a voice said from beside Ellery.
She glanced to her left and saw a man looking at her questioningly. He looked a little older than her, maybe around thirty. He was well dressed and his smile seemed genuine. He had intense grey eyes that Ellery found herself gazing into. She caught herself staring at the man’s eyes and forced herself to look away from them, giving him a shy smile.
“You don’t happen to know of a decent dry cleaner’s place around here, do you? I’ve tried several laundry mats, and my theory is I’m just not cut out for doing this shit on my own. Today is the third time I’ve managed to dye my white shirts pink,” he said with a smile.
Ellery found herself returning the smile. The man’s gentle self-deprecation and the humor in his face put her at ease and she felt sorry that she couldn’t help him.
“I’m sorry. I have no idea where to find anything,” she said. “I’m new here.”
“Me too. It’s the worst, isn’t it? Not knowing anyone or where anything is. Still, there are worse places to be, right?” he said.
Ellery nodded. She supposed there was.
“I know this is going to sound crazy, but would you like to grab a cup of coffee?” the man asked, nodding to a café across the street.
“No, thank you,” Ellery said. “I’d best be getting back home.”
“Oh, come on,” the man said, still smiling at her. “One quick cup.”
Ellery shook her head, flustered suddenly and wanting to get away but not seeing any way to do it without being rude.
“Please,” the man said. He sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I sound like a total creep, don’t I? I don’t mean anything by it. I’m not suggesting anything weird. And I’m not even asking you on a date. It’s just, well, I’ve been here two months, and it’s hard getting to know people. I’ve barely spoken to anyone who wasn’t behind a cash register in all of that time. I just got carried away meeting someone else who is new to the city. I’m sorry. Have a good day, miss.”
He started to walk away and Ellery’s own loneliness buzzed inside of her, reminding her that she could really use a friend herself.
“Wait,” she called. The man turned back to her. “I’d love to grab a coffee.”
The man flashed her a charming smile and came back. He extended his hand.
“Kiefer. Kiefer May,” he said.
Ellery shook his hand and smiled at him.
“Ellery Ma
rtin,” she said.
They started to cross the street and head for the little café.
“How are you finding Florida, Ellery?” Kiefer asked.
“I’m originally from Jacksonville so Miami isn’t a huge culture shock or anything, but to be honest, I’m not loving it so far. I mean, the city itself is nice enough, but it’s like you said. It’s so hard to meet people here.”
“I know. Do you remember being a child, when making friends was as simple as announcing your name to another kid?” Kiefer said.
“It was much easier that way,” Ellery smiled, feeling a little nostalgic.
“The trouble is that it just doesn’t work as an adult. People just think you are totally nuts. Trust me, I’ve tried it,” Kiefer said.
He gave her a mischievous grin that made his eyes twinkle and Ellery found herself laughing. She didn’t know if it was a case of Kiefer being the only person she had really spoken to here, but she thought there was definitely potential for them to become good friends, and boy, could she use a friend right now.
They went into the café and ordered their drinks. Kiefer tried to pay for Ellery’s coffee, but she reminded him gently that this wasn’t a date and insisted on paying for her own beverage. They found a small table beside the window and sat down to people watch.
“What’s her story, then?” Kiefer said, nodding to a young woman walking by.
She looked around twenty with blonde hair with red and purple streaks in it. She was wearing ripped jeans and a band t-shirt for a band Ellery had never heard of. Ellery smiled and began to tell the woman’s story.
“She was a good little Catholic girl up until she turned eighteen, and then she rebelled. She fell for the lead singer of a punk band, but he broke her heart. She got her revenge by starting her own band, the one on the t-shirt, and now she’s an overnight success, outselling the guy completely. What no one knows, though, is that at night, she goes home alone and watches Lifetime movies with her cat.”