Cristie looked first at her daddy, who nodded his approval, then to Bam.
“She’s my sister. She’s a very nice lady. She doesn’t have any little girls; it would make her smile if you would be nice to her for a little while,” Bam told her.
That was all she needed to know; she held her hands out and leaned toward Avaleigh who took the child in her arms and hugged her tightly to her. The little girl wrapped her chubby little arms around Avaleigh’s neck and held on tight, too. Daniel and the rest of the boys had by now gathered around and were all exchanging greetings.
“Avaleigh? Love?” Daniel said to his Mate.
Avaleigh lifted her eyes to his, a melancholy kind of happiness smiling at him through her tear-filled eyes.
Daniel’s eyebrows pursed down and together as he regarded her, trying to determine that she was okay.
“I’m good, I’m okay,” she said quietly.
“Let’s go see what we have good to eat over there,” she said to Cristie as she turned the baby so that she could see the table with all the food on it. Cristie immediately began nodding her head and babbling about, “Eat?”
As soon as they got to the table, the other ladies swarmed them.
Kaid clapped Riley on the back, “Come on, Man, let’s get a beer; you have no chance of getting her back right now.”
Riley watched his baby girl being swarmed by the bevy of women and called after her, “Honey, I’m right here if you need me, okay?”
Her little head peeked over Avaleigh’s shoulder and waved at him, “Kay, Doddy.”
He smiled; since she’d first said Daddy, she pronounced it with an O, Doddy, instead of Daddy. He loved it, it was unique, just like she was.
Once he was assured that she was okay, he relaxed enough to visit with the guys, accepting a beer and fielding their questions after asking a few of his own.
“What’s the deal, Bam? What did you do?”
Having been given the okay from Kaid, Bam explained just a little, “I’m a healer. My Bear can feel and speak to others’ animals. Her Kitty was just afraid. I told her it was okay. Calmed her a little.”
Riley nodded his head, reached out to fist bump Bam, “Thank you, Man. I owe you for soothing her.”
“Naw, it’s just what I do.”
Then Maverik steered the conversation to what they were all thinking, “A baby? Damn, Man, I thought you were bringing a hot babe to visit us.”
“I did!” he said jokingly, “she’s a lot sweeter than any other female I ever met,” Riley told him, smiling.
“She is that,” Maverik said, looking longingly at the little girl.
And what the fuck was that about, Bane thought. Since when did Maverik notice any child, much less want to be around one. He elbowed Bam, used his chin to point in the direction of Maverik. Bam looked at Maverik and immediately allowed his Bear to reach out to Maverik’s Wolf. While Mav was preoccupied with the little girl, he was able to catch a couple of broken glimpses of Maverik. Holding a kid. Then another kid. Then nothing, just blackness. When he came back to himself, he found Maverik glaring at him, his Wolf clear in his eyes. “If I wanted you to know why I am the way I am, I would tell you myself. Stay out of my head, Bear.” Then he shoved off the tree stump he was leaning on and made his way over to talk to the little girl. Riley watched him go and looked back at the rest of the guys, eyebrows raised.
“He’s good. I swear. Just a little out there. But a good male,” Kaid told him.
Riley just took a swig of his beer and watched the secretive Wolf get down on the ground, pick up a stick and start drawing pictures in the dirt with Cristie. She was squealing with delight at whatever he was drawing for her.
“So what’s the deal, Man? You raising her alone?” Goldy asked him.
“Yeah, I am. Her mom was fine until she found out I was a shifter. She wasn't my Mate, but I loved her. Thought we could make it work. Then she got pregnant, and I figured I better tell her the truth. I started to a couple of times and just never did manage to make it come out. Then she had Cristie, fast. A lot faster than she should, she carried for less than half a human pregnancy. She thought that Cristie was going to be premature, and when she came out big and healthy, she knew something wasn’t right. We got home from the hospital, and I sat her down and told her about me. About Cristie. That I was a Panther. That most likely, Cristie was too. It’s why she was so healthy though she was born early. Shifter pregnancies rarely go past 4 or 5 months, depending on the animal. She was freaked out. But she tried, she really did, for a while anyway. Few months ago, I got a call from the sitter, said they were closing up, and Cristie was still there. She shouldn't have been there, should have been picked up by then. I left work and went to get her. Figured when I got home, her mom would be there sleeping or sick or something. She wasn’t. There was nothing. Not a thing. Furniture was even gone. Only thing left was a note taped to the inside of the door, telling me that she didn’t sign up for this. That there was something wrong with me and my kid. She wanted no part of it. I can only guess from the way that Cristie reacts to women that she was not always nice to my baby.” He paused to take another drink of his beer. “There is nothing wrong with my kid. She is an angel. One who doesn't understand why her mother didn’t fucking want her. And don’t tell me she’s too young to know. They develop so much more quickly than human babies, and not just physically. She knows.”
“Man, that is fucking rough. So wrong,” Goldy said.
Kaid said nothing, but the anger was clear on his face.
“Stupid, stupid woman!” Bam shouted, his hands fisted at his sides, the veins standing out in his neck and arms.
Bane reached out to calm him, arm around his brother’s shoulders, “It’s all good, Bam. She’s got her Daddy. He knows how special she is. She’s going to get love.”
“Yup, plenty of it. She’s my world,” Riley said.
Daniel heard Avaleigh giggling and turned to watch her mock chasing the little girl around the table. She had a cookie in her hand and was trying to keep Avaleigh from getting it, squealing, ‘Mine!’ as she pumped her little legs and left a trail of laughter behind her.
“Damn,” he barely whispered.
Riley realized that they were all watching Avaleigh, very solemn expressions on their faces, “What?” he looked at Avaleigh now snuggling his little girl, then back at Daniel, pointed his beer bottle at him, “I told mine, now tell yours.”
“She can’t have children. She was injured and can’t now. She wants a kid really badly,” Daniel didn't offer any more than that.
“Plus, you’re a Dragon,” Riley said, one eyebrow raised.
“Yes, there is that. Not risking my Mate anyway.”
“Understand,” Riley said.
“On a brighter note,” Kaid said, “Bane, how is Janie feeling? She seems to be growing every hour!”
“Oh, Man, she is so damn good! So happy. And Daisy is growing so fast, not sure how much longer we’ve got.”
“It’s good to see her happy,” Riley told him.
“Thank you again,” Bane started.
“Nope, no thanks needed,” Riley cut him off. “How much longer ‘til your house is finished?” he asked.
Bane looked over at it, “Not too much. We’ve been working on it whenever we can. Hope to have it ready in another week or so.”
“I’ll help. If it’s okay.”
“Oh, Man, yeah, I’ll take all the help I can get,” Bane told him, genuinely appreciative of the offer.
“Let’s get some food in us, and then we can work a little more on the house before we start the bonfire when it’s closer to dark,” Kaid said.
They joined the others around the tables and enjoyed a good meal. Cristie climbed up her Doddy’s leg, and he lifted her to his lap while he cut up tiny little pieces of steak and fed them to her. True to her nature, she loved meat. Kaid settled in a chair with Delilah on his lap. He fed her pieces of steak and baked potato whenever he could around the
constant pieces of garlic bread and pie she was shoving in her mouth. She definitely had a thing for carbohydrates and sweets.
Daniel found a place on the ground, leaning against what was left of an old tree. He pulled Avaleigh back against himself, murmuring softly against her ear. She smiled sadly and turned to kiss him sweetly on the lips. They were in their own little world, and each of her boys knew that she was being comforted by her big bad Dragon. For as deadly as he could be, he was not much more than a puppy when it came to his Avaleigh. He adored her, and it was clear to anyone who saw them, even if they didn’t know the couple personally.
When the meal was finished, Kaid brushed a kiss on his Mate’s temple before lifting her and placing her on her feet. “Well, let’s get back to it while there’s still some daylight left.”
Riley looked over at his daughter busy soaking up everyone’s attention.
“She’s in good hands, Man. She will not even miss you right now,” Kaid told him.
“I know that’s true,” he agreed.
“Go ahead, Riley, we have her,” Sadie told him. She was now bouncing the little beauty on her hip while she munched on another cookie.
“Baby-girl, Doddy’s going to go over there,” he pointed at the house, “and help our friends finish building the house, okay?”
She got serious all of a sudden and started trying to get down. She made her way over to her daddy, and he knelt down to her level; well, as close as he could, he was a big guy. “Do you want to go inside and see where I’ll be?”
She nodded her head yes, so he picked her up and started toward the house behind the others. Just when they were about to the front steps of the house, Maverik went skipping by, actually skipping, allowing his Wolf to yip and whine at her on his way past. She immediately dissolved into giggles, “Puppy!,” she said. Maverik smiled at her, a more genuine smile than he’d bestowed on anyone in a long, long time, and skipped on into the house. After Riley had shown her the house and where he’d be, he took her back to the ladies. He tried to put her down, but Delilah stepped forward. “I will hold your youngling now.” Cristie looked at Delilah and then at her Daddy, but made no move to reach for the tall, imposing woman with the silver streaks in her hair. Delilah knew that she could be frightening, without even trying, so she leaned over, so she could look the child right in the eyes. “I have not been around children. I have been lonely for a long time. I am learning. I have a scary Beast. She is strong. She will protect you while your Doddy works. Yes?”
Cristie regarded her for a moment; then, she turned her whole little body around, looking at the house behind them, where Bam stood on the porch with Kaid. She looked directly at Bam. Bam smiled at her, nodding ‘Yes,’ animatedly. She turned around and reached her hands out for Delilah. When Delilah took the child into her arms, she let out a quick, sharp sob. Only one. Her heart felt what it was like to hold a child. To have one so innocent look at you trustingly, believing that you will keep them safe and secure above all else. And she also felt the first pangs of maternal want pulling at her. She lowered her head to the child, closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. She opened her eyes, smiled at Riley, “Your youngling will be here happy and safe when you return from making the house.” As she turned to walk away, he heard Delilah say, “Do you like pie, little one?”
Kaid stood on the porch of Bane’s house, watching his Mate take Riley’s little girl into her keeping. He’d felt her heart surge when she’d taken the child into her arms. He’d heard the sob. It told so much. They would have much to speak of later.
Chapter 14
A couple hours later they’d all but finished Bane’s house. Another couple of days like today and it would be done. They gathered around the bonfire, Mates in their arms, and family near. They told stories into the night. They roasted marshmallows, had smores and hot dogs. They relaxed and enjoyed the simple pleasure of being together. When they finally called it a night and drifted off toward their own beds and homes, everyone taking leftovers with them, no one noticed that they were no longer alone. Every move they made watched and studied. Every word overheard and secretive plans made in the dark, unbeknownst to them.
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Kaid stepped from the shower, towel in hand as he rubbed it through his hair to remove most of the water. Thoughts of this evening and his Mate swirling in his mind. Nothing in this life had prepared him for his Mate to be an Alpha as strong as he was, possibly even stronger. He always assumed that he’d have a strong woman, but not one that could kick his own ass if she so chose. He smiled, though it wasn’t what he’d expected; he’d never change it. Lilah was more than he ever dared dream, and though she gave him a run for his money, he wouldn't change it if he could. When he padded into the bedroom, towel now around his waist, she sat in the middle of the bed waiting for him. “I want a youngling.”
“Uh, okay.”
She reached for her clothing to pull it over her head.
“Whoa, hold on. We got time.”
“But I want one now. You are my Mate. Give me a youngling.”
“Baby, I will give you a child. But not yet. We have so much to learn about each other. You still have so much to discover. Let’s just wait a little while longer. I haven’t even claimed you yet. Let’s go a little slower.”
“Why have you not claimed me?”
Kaid ran his hand through his still damp hair; then, he walked over and sat on the bed, taking her hands in his. “Baby, I want nothing more than to claim you. And I will. But I’m trying to be patient. I’m trying to give you an opportunity to get your bearings. You’ve been held captive all your life as far as we know. The last thing you need is me locking you down immediately upon your release, while you’re still trying to figure out who you even are.”
She said nothing for a moment or two. When she did speak, her eyes flashed back and forth from violet to ice blue, “I know who I am. I am Delilah. I am Mate to Alpha Kaid. I am protector of the women in my clan. I am the keeper of a Beast. And we are both home here.”
Kaid took a deep breath, he figured, no time like the present, “Baby, what is your Beast? I don’t even know what you are when you change.”
She smiled at him, “She is a Monster. You will see her when it is time. It is not that time.”
Kaid could tell that asking her what she was had agitated her just a little, “Delilah, you do know that no matter what you are, I love you. Right?”
She looked at him, doubt in her eyes, “We shall see.”
“I do, Delilah.”
She smiled at him, tried to gently pull her hands from his. He held on a little tighter, just a little.
“Let’s spend a little more time getting to know each other. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. I just don’t want to move so fast that you don’t have a chance to choose me. I know we belong to each other, but I want you to want me, not just accept me. Understand?”
She looked at him suspiciously, “Maybe,” she pouted at him.
He laughed lightly, kissed her nose, wrapping her in his arms. “We are going to have babies, and we are going to Mate and be happy, and live and love a long time. But we are going to do this right, not just rush right in, okay?”
“Maybe,” she pouted again.
In his mind Bear huffed in frustration, “Mate wants us now!!!!!” he just about shouted at Kaid.
I will not take advantage of her. She does not know that we left her there. We will not deceive her by mating her without her knowing the truth! If I tell her the truth now, she’ll leave us! Kaid thought back at him.
Bear did what he always did when he didn’t like choices that Kaid made; he showed him a perfect picture of his big furry butt, and curled up in his mind with his back to him, pretending that he wasn’t even there.
Kaid knew Bear didn’t understand, but how could he Mate this beautiful creature knowing that he’d left her behind? He couldn't do that to her. He knew that one day when she learned the truth, she’d leave him. She’d never forgive
him for being close enough to save her and leaving her to suffer more. If he couldn't forgive himself, how could he expect or even hope to have her forgive him? He couldn’t. So he hoped to steal as much time with her as he could before she found out the truth and turned her back on him. He’d need as many memories as possible to get him through his miserable existence after she left him. He was going to love her a lifetime’s worth in whatever time she’d give him. Then when she hated him after she learned the truth, he’d love her enough to let her go.
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Outside the window the little creature trembled with anger. He’d decided on just stealing his female back and disappearing into the night. But after watching them tonight, seeing that the Bear had chosen his own personal reward for all the years of shit that Lurin had given him, and that the stupid bitch actually thought she belonged here, he realized just disappearing wasn’t enough. He needed to make the Bear pay. Come to think of it, he needed to make the Dragon pay, too. He could have had both women for his own. He could have lived like a king. But these fuckers had taken them both. He needed to rethink his plan. He needed to make them all sorry they’d ever crossed him. He trembled again, looking down at himself disgustedly, his fur covered in mud from the creek. He hated sinking to such depths, but he had no choice. They were shifters, too, so he had to cover his scent so they’d not know he was there. Fuck!! He hated them even more because of that. He hated mud, hated dirt. And they thought they were so high and mighty, just because their animals were predators. Yeah, they needed to pay, every fucking one of them.
Chapter 15
Over the next weeks and months, Kaid and Delilah spent time together. They dated. They went shopping. They went to a movie, which Delilah completely loved. They went on dinner dates and to the new coffee shop in town. They took walks in the woods. They kissed, they hugged, but always - always, they stopped before he actually mated her. It was driving her Monster insane. She wanted release, to be released, but Kaid avoided that final commitment, and Delilah? Delilah knew that Kaid was hiding something; she just wasn’t sure what it was. But there was always a little piece of himself that he held back from her. And her Beast had begun to tell her that it was time to go. That she needed to leave her family. The damn thing didn’t even sleep at night any more. It was as though she was waiting for something to happen. Like she did back at Lurin’s. Delilah was doing her best to ignore the stupid creature. She didn’t want to be alone anymore. She didn’t want to leave her new family, but she didn’t want her Beast to hurt them either, and she wasn't honestly sure what her Monster would do if she didn’t leave them as she was being urged to do. So for now, she just ignored her. Hoping she’d stop fidgeting and settle.
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