by Bianca D’Arc
“Hi, Tracy,” he said, his deep voice hitting down deep in the place where her wolf howled in welcome. “Long time, no see.”
“Hello, Hank.” She couldn’t say anything else. Emotion nearly choked her as she stood, lifting her baby girl in her arms.
Emma was getting big, but Tracy was a wolf. She could easily carry Emma, who clung to her neck, though she turned her head to look Hank. Her big blue eyes watched him curiously.
“She’s yours,” Hank said, unnecessarily. “Congratulations on…your mating,” he finished somewhat lamely. Tracy didn’t hear joy in his words. Or, maybe, she was reading too much into his tone. Maybe she was hearing what she longed to hear.
He was still so tall and muscular, her mouth went dry at the sight of him. His hair was a little longer than it had been all those years ago, but that was about the only change she really noticed. He was still just as handsome and just as much a draw to her starved senses as he had been during their first encounter.
“I’m not mated,” she revealed on a deep breath. “But I do have the love of my life, as you see.” She bent to kiss Emma’s soft cheek, and the child giggled, the sound filling the empty places in Tracy’s heart, as it always did.
Hank looked confused, but he hid it after a second.
“I was wondering, if you haven’t already eaten, would you—and your daughter—like to have lunch with me?”
Brave man to ask her to share a meal in a lobby filled with her Pack mates. They all knew he was a cat. He smelled feline…and ferocious, she’d always thought. Forbidden.
Cats and dogs didn’t mix. At least according to her father. But she’d liked the way she and Hank had mixed during their stolen night together. She’d liked it a lot.
And the little girl wriggling in her arms was proof of that. Tracy opened her mouth to answer his question when a wave of shifter magic caught her unawares…
Hank was caught completely flat-footed by the gorgeous baby girl in Tracy’s arms. She was a joyful child, and the mischief in her baby blue eyes spoke to something in his own soul. He’d been charmed when the little beauty accosted him in the crowd, but then, his emotions had swung into chaos when he realized the child was Tracy’s. If Tracy had found her mate and started a family, then any hope he had of renewing their relationship had just gone up in flames.
Then, his emotions had been tugged in the other direction at her claim that she was still unmated, though she was a single mother. He admired the strength in her voice as she spoke her truth. Tracy had always been a powerful woman, and he’d enjoyed coaxing her into playing with him. They were both strong shifters, but together, they didn’t have to compete for dominance. They could just…be. Together.
It had been wonderful while it lasted. An all-too-brief affair. He’d tried for the past two years and more to get back to her, but his duties to his Alpha had kept him far away.
Somehow, he had dug up the nerve to ask her to have lunch with him. He wanted to know everything that had happened in her life since they’d last met. He wanted to know where the child’s father was, and if he was still in the picture. He wanted, more than anything, to have some place in Tracy’s—and now Emma’s—life. As much of a place as she’d let him have.
He was waiting for her answer when a magical wave reached out to him. The child… The child was emitting shifter magic in a familiar pattern he had experienced a few times on Jaguar Island, now that Mark had gathered their people together and there were little baby jaguars running around the place.
But Hank had always thought wolves were different. They didn’t usually start shifting until they hit puberty. Didn’t they? And yet… There was no denying the magic coming from the little girl now struggling in her mother’s arms. She wanted to be put down, and even before Tracy had released the girl completely, a golden shimmer enveloped the child.
Clothes fell away, and a little furry body lay within the drape of the child’s dress. It struggled its way out, the entire crowd in the busy lobby now watching in silence, waiting to see how she would emerge. Something significant was going on here, but Hank barely registered their surroundings, except to note that nobody seemed intent on harming the girl or interfering with her shift. He read the crowd as curious. Maybe overly so. But not dangerous.
Then, the little girl’s head emerged from under the fabric and…she was golden with little black spots. She was…
Sweet Mother of All! She was a jaguar.
CHAPTER TWO
Tracy watched Hank bend down to extend his arms to the little fur ball that was her daughter. Emma ran to him, unsteady on her paws but seemingly happy to seek the comfort of Hank’s embrace. Hank stood, cradling their daughter expertly, allowing Emma to curl up in his big hands. She was such a tiny cat. No bigger than a housecat. In fact, she was smaller than most housecats, but Tracy knew Emma would grow into something a lot bigger.
Hank stroked Emma’s head, scratching behind her little tufted ears. She really was the most adorable thing in her fur, though this was the very first time Tracy had seen it. She hadn’t been prepared for this. Wolf children didn’t start shifting for years yet! Was it her father’s presence that had sparked Emma’s first shift?
Fate had a funny way of making Tracy admit to the man she’d spent one glorious night with that he was a daddy. She’d been so afraid when she first found out she was pregnant. Fear of how Hank would react, how her father and Pack would take the news, and what would happen if they learned her baby’s father wasn’t even a wolf, but a jaguar, of all things, had kept her quiet. Over time, it had just been easier to keep her secret, even after Emma was born.
She’d agonized over whether to try to contact Hank. He hadn’t exactly left a forwarding address when he’d flown away. She could try his Clan, but then, she’d have to involve even more people in what should be a private matter. They’d probably want to know why she was so keen to find him, and how could she explain that she’d gotten knocked up after such a brief encounter? It still didn’t seem possible. Cross-species sex wasn’t supposed to be all that fertile, even when the two parties were mates.
Then, once Emma was born, the fear had changed to what Hank might do when he found out about his child. Would he try to take her away? Would he interfere in how Tracy was raising her daughter? Would he be murdered by her father when Dad discovered the truth? Or worse—would either of them try to make her marry Hank, or something equally stupid?
Realistically, she and Hank barely knew each other, except in the rawest, most physical ways. Their encounter had been about sex and need and attraction. It had also been fun. Hank was a great guy to be around. He had a joyful, playful nature that was very attractive. But their night together hadn’t been meant to last forever. Not even close. And yet…Emma was the result, and that little baby had stolen Tracy’s heart forevermore. If it had been up to her, Tracy probably would’ve kept Emma all to herself for as long as possible.
But the cat was—quite literally—out of the bag.
“Uh, Tracy? Is there something you maybe wanted to tell me?”
Hank’s expression was a mix of both delight and astonishment, with more than a bit of anger around the edges. Yeah, she knew he had a right to be angry with her, but she was glad to see that, so far, he wasn’t taking it out on Em.
“Yeah,” Tracy admitted, one hand reaching up to massage the tight muscles at the back of her neck in reflex. “I suppose so.”
She became very aware suddenly that they were not alone. Far from it. Half the Pack was in the lobby, witnessing one of the most embarrassing and potentially pivotal moments of her life. Damn.
“Come with me, Hank,” she said, leading him toward the back, where the offices were located. Maybe they could get a little privacy, after the fact, for the conversation that needed to happen, now.
She wanted to reach out and take Emma from his arms but curbed the impulse. Em was safe with Hank. Tracy knew that on a basic level that went beyond instinct. Hank would protect her—any child,
really—with his life. He was one of the good guys.
Hank was totally astonished at the turn of events. He’d finally returned to Texas, hoping to spend more time with the woman he’d never been able to forget, only to find…this. The most adorable little kitten, who scented of family.
Hank had no doubt in his mind that little Em was his daughter. His and Tracy’s little girl, born of the one night of passion they had shared. It almost beggared belief. Shifters were notoriously hard to impregnate unless the blessing of the Goddess was upon the union.
Mates were fertile with each other. Other joinings? Not so much.
In fact, it was almost unheard of to have a child with someone who was not your mate. And that held true for most shifter species. Jaguars and wolves, too, as far as Hank knew. So, then. Where had little Emma come from? And what did this mean for her erstwhile parents?
Was there a deeper reason why Hank had never seemed able to get Tracy out of his mind? Was she the real reason he hadn’t given much thought to sex in the years since they’d parted? He’d thought his long dry spell was just due to overwork and lack of opportunity in the places he’d been sent by the Clan. But maybe there was more to it. Maybe he hadn’t been interested in other liaisons because there really was only one woman for him, and he’d found her without really trying.
Could he be that stupid that he hadn’t recognized the signs? Could he have been in denial all this time that Tracy was his destined mate? Hank had to shake his head. He just didn’t know.
That there was something special—something unforgettable—about her, he knew. But, somehow, he couldn’t be certain they were mates. Not now. Not after only the one night so long ago. Maybe there was something wrong with his mating instincts. Or maybe it was harder to tell when the shifters involved weren’t of the same species. Maybe his inner cat was confused about the idea of accepting a wolf into its life.
Hank had no way of knowing, but he sensed this mystery wasn’t going to be solved right here and now. No, this would require a great deal of thought, a lot of analysis and perhaps even a bit of prayer.
In the meantime, there was this new little person to consider. Whatever he and Tracy decided about their own lives and involvement, they had to make sure what they chose to do was in Emma’s best interests. She was the most important thing now.
But how in the world could Tracy not have told him? He was alternately astonished and mad as hell that she’d kept this from him for so long. And, if he hadn’t shown up today, would she have kept his daughter’s existence from him forever? Could she have been so cruel? He hadn’t thought the woman he’d been with so long ago could be that mean, but then again, what did he really know about her deeper thoughts? Their relationship—if you could call it that—had been purely physical. Fun. Nothing serious. At least, not serious enough to have spawned the little furry beauty in his arms. Hank was probably in shock. His thoughts raced, and his anger came and went alongside his awe at the little girl’s unexpected appearance in his life.
Tracy led him through a service corridor and into an office area. She didn’t stop walking until they were in a private office. Her office, he realized, seeing the way it was set up and the items it contained. On the desk was a photo of herself with a younger Emma. Suddenly, Hank realized he’d missed quite a lot of Emma’s life. A frown creased his brow as anger once again surged to the forefront of his mind.
Tracy turned to face him once the door was shut behind them. “Look, I’m sorry. I just didn’t know how to tell you. Furthermore, I wasn’t really sure how to contact you. I debated trying to track you down for a long time, but in the end, I didn’t think it was right to burden you with a child you never intended to make.”
Hank took a deep breath before replying. There were so many things wrong with what she’d just said, but he didn’t want to let emotion take control. He was a skilled negotiator who often dealt with intense situations. When anger erupted, sense went out the window, and he didn’t want that to happen here. Also, Emma was nearly asleep in his hands. He didn’t want to wake her or worry her. She was innocent in all this. So, Hank moderated his tone as best he could.
“I may not have expected this to happen, but I had a right to know. Tracy…” He had to pause as emotion choked him. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Tracy. This little girl is a miracle. However she happened, clearly, I need to be a part of her life. She’s a jaguar. How will she ever learn to be a cat if she’s the only one in a Pack of wolves?”
“She’s my daughter. My Pack wouldn’t treat her badly. My family loves her and spoils her rotten already, even if my father asks if I’ve changed my mind about revealing who her father is every few weeks.” Tracy rolled her eyes.
“They don’t know?” Hank was surprised, but he supposed he shouldn’t have been. If the Alpha of the Big Wolf Pack had known his granddaughter’s parentage, Hank was fairly certain he would’ve been contacted long before now.
“Nobody knows,” Tracy said, then seemed to think better of her words. “Well. Nobody knew. After this… I suppose word is spreading like wildfire through the Pack at this very moment.”
She’d no sooner said the words than the office door opened and Tracy’s father entered the room. He had an Alpha-sized scowl on his face, and he looked about ready to bite Hank’s face off if he said the slightest thing wrong. Hank brought Emma’s sleeping form closer to his chest, ready to defend his child to the death, if that’s what it took.
Tracy wanted to sink into the floor when her father showed up. Bad enough that her daughter’s first shift happened in public, and in the presence of her totally unknowing father. Tracy was certain the gossip was all around the Pack by now, and her dad’s arrival seemed to confirm it. No doubt some well-meaning busybody had phoned him first thing.
“Is this the father?” her father demanded. Tracy noticed the way Hank instinctually moved to protect their daughter.
“Dad…”
“Don’t you stonewall me for another minute, missy!” her father thundered, waking Em, who started to shake in Hank’s arms.
“I’ll thank you to lower your voice, Alpha. Your granddaughter is growing alarmed at your tone.” Hank’s words were full of command, and Tracy had to wonder for the millionth time what Hank’s position in his Clan was.
Was he an Alpha? He certainly felt powerful. But was he strong enough to stand up to the rigors of a very tight-knit werewolf Pack?
“It’s true, then. Emma is a cat.” The wolf Alpha imbued that last word with something akin to disgust, and Hank seemed to bristle.
“She’s a jaguar, sir. Of a long and noble lineage. She’s only…what? Two years old? And already shifting. If that doesn’t speak of her power, just wait. You’ll soon learn.”
Tracy got chills down her spine when Hank spoke all formal like that. And his words hinted at things she’d been wondering about for the past two years. She really knew way too little about him.
“This was her first shift, actually,” Tracy put in, looking at Hank.
“Your very first?” Hank lifted their daughter in his hands and looked into her eyes. He was smiling. “I’m so glad I was here to see it. You’re a strong girl, aren’t you?”
The kitten reached out with one little paw and touched his cheek, almost petting him. Hank allowed it and snuggled Emma close. Tracy felt a little pang in the region of her heart. She was glad he’d been there, too. For a number of reasons. Not least of which was the fact that she wasn’t really sure what to do with a baby jaguar shifter. All her experience was with her own kind, and they didn’t generally start shifting until puberty. Totally different problems with adolescent shifters than with toddlers. Tracy would have to learn all about how to care for Em if she was going to be shifting so young.
Em turned to her and seemed to want to leap from Hank’s arms into hers, but Hank caught her before she could try. He pinched the skin at her nape, and Emma quieted, going almost limp. Then, he lifted her and brought her over to Tracy, transfer
ring their baby to her arms.
“Just like cats, when they are in this form, you can move them by the scruff of the neck without harm,” Hank told her, concentrating on their child as he placed her securely into Tracy’s arms. “It’s helpful when both parent and child are in their fur. Instinct keeps them quiet while the parent transports them. It’s a survival mechanism, I think.”
Transfer complete, Hank stepped back a little, while Tracy marveled at the new form her daughter had taken. Never in Tracy’s wildest dreams had she expected her baby to start shifting so young. Tracy had worried over what form Emma would take, considering her father was a jaguar, but Tracy had figured she had years yet.
Apparently not.
Before anybody could say anything else, a shower of magical energy burst from the kitten in Tracy’s arms, and between one moment and the next, she went from holding a cat to holding her daughter in human form. She was naked, cute as a button, and rubbing her eyes with one fist.
“Tired, Mama,” she said, and Tracy went into action.
She kept a little bed in her office for the days when her baby came to work with her—which was most of the time. She had a toddler-safe office, complete with play area and rest area for her baby. She set Emma down, put a quick diaper on her little butt, just in case, and pulled the covers over her. There would be time later to get her dressed. Em was probably tuckered out from her first shift and would sleep for a while. Then, she’d probably wake up hungry, to replace the energy she’d used in the effort of shifting. Tracy would be sure to have a meal ready and waiting when that happened, but for now, her baby needed sleep.
“Shall we go someplace else to talk?” Tracy asked, as politely as she could manage considering how much she dreaded the next few minutes. She picked up the baby monitor on her way out and preceded the men out the door.