by Cecilia Lane
A roar burst in his ears as Ethan charged back into the battle. Blood streamed from wounds down his side and face, but he fought with all the vicious urge Jesse felt within himself. Viho had stripped choice away from both their mates. Both needed to taste the fucker’s blood.
And Viho ran.
Two wolves lay still and a third limped, but more melted out of the darkness and followed their death-mad leader.
Jesse roared at the cowards. His blood pumped through him, demanding he give chase, track them down, rip them to pieces. None would survive. Not a single fucking wolf. They didn’t stand up for Nora when Viho brought her into their pack. They followed him to their deaths.
“Stop!” Alex called.
Jesse skidded to a stop, whipping around to face whatever new threat emerged from behind.
And found nothing.
Alex leaned on his knees, breathing hard. Blood seeped from multiple wounds and his eyes glowed the bright, inhuman green of his bear.
Ethan pawed at the ground, claws digging into the earth with all the impatience Jesse felt jabbing at his nerves.
“Joss is in labor. I know you want to chase him down, but we need every fang around the new cub.”
Chapter 19
Nora shot a last glance over her shoulder. Jesse waved and gave her the push she needed to follow the other mates into the house.
They were good people, and they wanted her to join in the celebration for one of their own. Her heart pounded against her breast bone with all the nerves she could manage which, admittedly, were a lot. They had their own jokes and bonds that she didn’t know.
But they still asked for her. Specifically. Not in the oh yeah, please tag along because everyone else is doing so general invitation. No. Tansey straight up said, ‘Nora. You’re coming. Bring a gift. But not a baby gift. Something tailored for Joss because she’s a little sensitive about this whole baby shower thing.’
So, yeah. She was a VIP. And she couldn’t blow it.
But probably would.
The mates had what she wanted out of life—real bonds. A sense of family. Each other.
“I know you didn’t want a baby shower, buuut,” Tansey began as she led Joss through the door with a blindfold over her eyes.
Joss stuck out her tongue. “Buuut you went ahead and threw me one despite my very clear wishes?”
“Think of it more as a retirement party. You’re retiring from a childless lifestyle.” Tansey pulled Joss to a stop and nodded for Nora to do the honors of untying her blindfold.
Joss’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as she spun in an uneven circle. Black and silver balloons were tied to nearly every surface or weighted down in corners. A giant banner hung from the exposed beams declaring Happy Retirement, Joss!
Food stations were arranged down the kitchen island and dining table. Piles of cookies sat near cupcakes and brownies. Ice cream and sodas chilled in giant bowls of ice, ready to make floats or simply to add a scoop to the sweet selection.
On the other side, plates of meats and dishes of veggies, cheese, and other toppings waited for anyone wanting to make their own tacos.
“Tacos and desserts with just us,” Tansey explained. “No other guests. No baby games like guessing the size of your belly or making diapers out of toilet paper or whatever you’re supposed to do with clothespins. Your clan wanted to celebrate with you in a way that you wouldn’t hate.”
Liv looped an arm around Joss’s and led her toward the food. “Our only rule is you have to open a present between plates.”
“I just won’t eat, then.” Joss planted her hands on her hips and turned up her nose. Her resolve folded after three audible sniffs and she waddled to the taco side. She glared at them all while she made herself a plate and sank into a chair.
“Maybe I don’t hate this,” Joss said between bites.
“Gift!” Tansey ordered. The others picked up her chant. “Gift! Gift!”
Joss wiped her hands and then held them out, making grabby claws. “Fine. Bring one to me.”
Tansey picked up the smaller of two big rectangles from the counter and dropped it in front of Joss.
Wrapping paper went flying and Joss stuck the bow on the very top of her head, then flipped open the lid of a small chest. She drew out a tiny cowboy hat and holster.
“I know you won't be able to use it for a few years,” Tansey explained, “but I figured we can add to it. You decided you weren't going to learn if you were having a boy or a girl right around Halloween, so I stocked up on costumes after. We have some cowboy accessories, just like dear old Dad. A chef's hat, like Mom. That was Ethan's find, by the way. A turtle shell and a cape just because. This kid will be the envy of every other little kindergartener with the best stock of dress-up supplies.”
Joss laughed as she balanced the bow on the cowboy hat on her head. “Right on. We’re off to a good start winning the early popularity contests.”
With the first present down, the rest of the women dug into their food.
Nora glanced around as they chatted with one another with ease. They weren’t like the few women in Viho’s pack. They weren’t actively competing against each other for the affections of their latest target. Genuine smiles lifted their lips.
The entire place and their interactions felt like home. Not just a shelter or a house or a simple roof over their heads. Home.
The word rang through her head like a bell, just like it’d sounded the night she went mudding.
The first night she slept with Jesse.
Her wolf sat up in sudden interest. Sendings flashed through her head, each one focused on the man who’d found her at her lowest and didn’t bat a lash. She could feel his lips on her mate mark, laying claim on her body and soul.
She wanted to make it real and lasting.
“Two more tacos, please,” Joss called, holding her plate high for someone to take. “Shredded chicken with all the fixings.”
Nora hopped up to make her a plate while Sloan deposited a second large box at Joss’s feet. The bow from that, too, joined the original bow and cowboy hat in a precarious wobble.
Liv gestured inside. “Oh, oh, hurry up and grab another plate. There’s another gift inside.”
Joss pointed to the cupcakes. “Fine. One of the vanilla and sprinkles.”
Tansey took point on the cupcake order and soon both offerings sat on either side of Joss as she unboxed a light grey bassinet.
“Lorne and I went the traditional baby route and got you a bassinet,” Sloan said. “Some very careful probing in the form of ‘do you still need one of these?’ got Hunter to give up the one you wanted.”
“That’s why he wouldn’t let me get it last week!” Joss pulled down the blanket inside and sat back with a laugh, cradling two bottles of alcohol swaddled like newborns.
“Mom and Dad deserve a little something, too,” Liv grinned. “Wine is from me, Alex got the whiskey.”
“Of course he did,” Joss snorted. “You guys, this is just too much. I didn’t want a fuss made over me. I don’t even know if I’m going to be good at this whole mothering thing.”
Disbelief washed over the group.
“You’re going to make a great mother!” Tansey exclaimed. “Just look at how much practice you’ve had cleaning up after me!”
“And the rest of us.” Liv waved a hand at the kitchen. “I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so well in my entire life.”
“Even if you mess up sometimes, this kid is coming into the world with two parents who care for each other in the deepest possible way. Growing up surrounded by that kind of love is the best way to parent,” Sloan offered.
Nora nodded her agreement. “I’d let you adopt me,” she said, only half-joking.
Joss ran her hands over her stomach. “This makes it all so, so real.”
“Because you could pretend otherwise carrying that around?” Liv teased with a significant look at Joss’s belly.
Joss laughed again and wiped at her e
yes. “Thank you. For everything. I don’t know how I’d do this without all of you. Now, I spy one more gift. Can I open it now, or do I have to clean my plate first?”
Nora fixed her with a stern look. “Just this once, missy.”
Butterflies took to their wings in Nora’s belly as Joss slowly unwrapped the final gift. All the others seemed so special and tailored for the growing family. Hers wasn’t anything nearly as nice or expensive.
“You drew this?” Joss asked softly, running her hands over the frame. At Nora’s nod, she sniffled. “It’s perfect.”
The barn stood in the background with a horse and cow on either side. She’d placed the entire clan in the middle of the yard. A big blond bear and a badger held the center while the other pairs stood with their mates. Sloan was the sole human, though she still looked fierce standing next to her bear mate.
“I’m hanging this above the crib. This little one is going to see our clan every time they wake up and right before they go to sleep.”
Nora ducked her eyes under the attention, then glanced back up. Her wolf flashed another series of sendings at her. Moon high in the sky. Quiet forest with dark forms on the ground. A pack sleeping together.
Her pack.
Her wolf howled with joy.
Tansey left the room for a quick second and returned with a small basket of nail polish. “Now, it’s time to pick the color you may or may not wear as you bring new life into this world. Choose wisely. You have to look amazing for your newborn.”
Joss laughed and shook her head. “Someone else go first. I don’t know what color I want.”
Tansey pointed to Nora, then to the table. “Step into my office, new girl. I have just the color for you.”
“Oh!” Joss’s eyes grew wide as everyone turned to her. She rested both hands on her stomach and winced. “Oh, that’s real. Who wants to be a doll and track down Hunter? I think the baby is coming tonight!”
Nora rolled her shoulders and eyed the others slumped in chairs or stretched out on benches. Most were sleeping, though the cramped waiting room made it difficult to get comfortable. Given the option between staying and going home, though, every last Black Claw member chose to wait. None wanted to miss meeting the new arrival.
Across from her, Jesse rose to his feet and wandered to the coffee station stuffed into one corner. Nora frowned, noticing how he favored one leg. The bruises on his face had mostly faded, as had the ones on the rest of the men. Aside from gruff responses about trouble with the herd, none had offered a complete telling of how they came about their injuries.
Which smelled like a whole lot of bullcrap to her.
Nora sidled up next to Jesse as he fixed himself a cup of weak coffee. “Will you tell me what happened tonight?” She squinted at the brightening sky through the front windows. “Last night?”
His jaw tightened, but he dipped his chin to his chest. The plastic stirrer scraped against the paper bottom of his cup for a long moment before he answered. “The Vagabonds came for the herd, but we fought them off.”
“And now?” she whispered too loud. Nora’s eyes widened as her heart jumped into her throat. Her wolf leaped to her feet and snarled at hidden dangers. “Everyone is here. Doesn’t that leave the ranch vulnerable?”
“We have an agreement with the lion pride on the next ranch over. They’ll keep a watch for us, but I don’t think Viho will bother them. He needs to lick his wounds.”
Panic and guilt waged a war inside her for total dominance and control. One wanted to send her running, the other into hiding. Which were mostly the same, except for the faces haunting the emotion. Guilt won out with the clan surrounding her and secrets lodged in her throat.
Nora wrung her hands. “This is all my fault.”
“No,” Jesse said in a rough tone. “Not your fault. This is on him. His actions, not yours.”
“But if I wasn’t here—”
“Do you want to leave?” he growled. “Are you not happy here?”
“No, that’s not what I—”
“Pick somewhere. We’ll go.” He leaned forward and grabbed her hands. His fingers stroked over her skin while his eyes locked on her face. “I’m in this with you. You go, I follow. You stay, I stay. That’s how it is and will be.”
Her heart swelled bigger and bigger the longer she stared into his eyes. So much truth was etched in his expression. So much filled his scent. Pure, raw; he meant his words.
And she didn’t deserve them.
Wanted them, sure. But she’d stumbled into his life and brought a fight he didn’t need. She’d kept secrets from him. Still kept them from his clan.
Jesse caught her chin between his fingers. “Stop that. Whatever you’re thinking, stop it right now.”
She widened her eyes in innocence. “I’m not thinking anything.”
“You’re probably the most transparent person on the planet, Nora Morgan.” His snort turned to a low growl as he rolled his shoulders to release the tension. “I need to shift.” He swiveled his head toward her and gentled his tone. “What about you? How is your wolf holding up?”
The little beast roared to the surface at his acknowledgment. She padded through Nora’s head, brushing fur and prodding at her control.
She wanted out. To run or fight, Nora couldn’t be sure. Both seemed equally likely under the circumstances.
Nora offered Jesse a weak smile. “Oh, you know. I’m keeping her locked down. She hasn’t stolen away with me yet, so that’s a win.”
“You’ll get better. You’re practically a newborn.”
“Well, I’m not calling you daddy, so get that out of your head right now,” she shot back.
Jesse chuckled and shook his head. Whatever he planned to dole back cut off with the angry buzz of multiple messages arriving on his phone. He took a quick look and shoved it back into his pocket with a growl.
“My father,” he answered her silent question. “He wants to meet up again.”
“Oh?” she asked.
“‘Oh’. That’s all you have to say?” Jesse teased.
“I don’t want to step on any toes. You have more experience dealing with him.”
He hadn’t been the most pleasant man, that was for sure. But he was Jesse’s father. A relationship wasn’t owed, especially after the details Jesse had told her. But the shared blood and history meant more than the average person on the street. And as someone who frequently put her foot in her mouth, she wasn’t entirely comfortable writing someone off over one or two disappointing interactions.
But again... Jesse’s father. He had more than an uncomfortable dinner in his memories. He had to be the one to decide if old wounds could be forgiven.
“It’s been over ten years since I spent any extended time with him. Hell, closer to fifteen. A person can change in that amount of time, can’t he?”
Nora didn’t need shifter senses to hear the traces of hope in his voice or to see it in his eyes.
The man was his father. Maybe not the one he wanted or deserved, but he was the only one Jesse had. Walking back into his life undid all the mourning and acceptance of the damage left behind. Nora didn’t like the idea of Jesse hurting all over again.
“What about something easy to escape? A day at the park or something where we can do our own thing if the visit starts to go south?”
“That could work,” he said thoughtfully. “The Summertime Fest and rodeo are coming soon. There’s enough going on then to keep anyone distracted and busy.”
The door to the back of the clinic opened. Hunter stepped carefully through, his eyes bouncing from the floor in front of him to the tiny bundle cradled in his arms.
Everyone rushed to gather around him in unison. The new father held back while his father pushed to the front of the crowd.
“This is Jackson James Shaw,” Hunter announced quietly, huge smile stretching across his face.
Noel’s shoulders shook with his choked cry. He turned and waved off the others while he dabbed at
his eyes until he regained his composure.
“That’s my grandcub,” he whispered as he gazed down at the baby with pure joy. “Boy, your mother would be so proud of everything you’ve accomplished.”
Hunter’s throat bobbed with a hard swallow. “Thanks, Dad.”
Then it was time for everyone else to get their peek. Hunter stood still, gazing in astonishment at the baby, while the clan pressed forward, one or two at a time.
Nora hung back on the fringe. Guilt soured her stomach. They were a family. And she was an interloper. An outsider.
She hadn’t been honest with them. They’d accepted her, brought her into their homes, and she still held herself apart. They deserved better than someone who kept secrets and brought threats to their lives.
A heavy hand landed on her shoulder. Nora didn’t need to glance behind her to know it was Jesse. She let him draw her close, one arm looped around her waist to hold her tight against his chest as he walked her forward.
“We’ll meet him together,” he murmured in her ear.
Jackson curled his fingers around one of Hunter’s. The sweet, sleeping face tugged at Nora’s heart almost as much as the absolute adoration Hunter wore as he looked down at his son.
She wanted that. The baby, the man in awe of his child. The clan taking up space in the waiting room until they had the chance to meet the new addition.
She wanted a family.
Her wolf whined. No, that wasn’t right. Not a family.
This family. This clan.
And... Jesse.
Her dream felt more impossible than ever with her vicious mate determined to wreak havoc until he had her back in his grasp.
Chapter 20
Nora wobbled as she stepped out of the ride’s barrier, the flimsy fence a mere suggestion to the rowdy shifter town. The next set of riders—victims—passed through the gate on the other side for their chance to be flung around in a gravity-defying spaceship.
“You okay?” Jesse asked, a smile crinkling his eyes.
“More than,” she answered with a grin of her own as they made their way back through the fair and toward the space claimed for the rodeo grounds.
