by Jade White
After a few moments, he felt Cynthia stirring underneath him. Nick lifted himself up, sliding free of her body and sinking down onto the bed next to her.
“My neck hurts,” Cynthia said, confusion in her voice. Nick took a deep breath to slow the pounding of his heart.
“Yeah,” he said sheepishly. “It’s sort of an instinct. I’m sorry.” Cynthia chuckled, turning her head to face him.
“As long as I don’t need more stitches,” she said, pulling one arm out from under her body and draping it over Nick’s chest.
“No. Just a couple of punctures,” Nick told her, reaching up to dab at the small pools of blood that had gathered where his sharp teeth had broken her skin. “We’ll take a shower together in a minute and I’ll clean them out.”
“And I’m going to have scars there, huh?”
Nick nodded, grinning wryly. “Everyone of my kind will know you’re mine,” he pointed out.
“I guess that’s okay,” Cynthia said. “But before that nice shower, I’m taking a nap. Also—did we forget about the champagne?”
Nick laughed out loud. “Okay—we’ll do a bath instead, and drink the champagne there. How’s that?”
“I like that plan. But a nap first.” Nick nodded his acceptance of her terms, cradling Cynthia in his arms as she slipped into a doze.
Epilogue
Cynthia sat on the edge of the tub in Nick’s bathroom, trying not to look at the timer slowly counting down on the screen of her phone. You’ll know the answer soon enough, Cynthia thought firmly. Besides, what’s the worst thing that could happen? No? Yes? You’re doing pretty damned well either way.
She and Nick had been officially together—as lovers, instead of as surrogate and client—for three weeks. While she wasn’t entirely sure she was ready to commit to him, Cynthia had to admit that she loved being Nick’s girlfriend; she loved being his mate. Their lovemaking had gone from three nights a week to every day, and while she spent some nights in the townhouse he had leased for her, they rarely spent their nights apart. She had met Nick’s mother the weekend before; Nick had introduced her as his mate, and the older woman—strikingly beautiful, the same way that Nick was—had been overjoyed at the prospect of her son settling down and not just getting an heir but a family.
Cynthia smiled to herself. Now that they were together formally, she had almost completely put aside the question of getting pregnant for Nick. He had torn up the contract the morning after taking her as his mate for the first time, saying that it just wouldn’t be right to have that kind of contract with someone he loved, and someone he wanted to be with romantically. They were still working out details; Cynthia did not want to feel like she was being ‘kept’—and so she insisted that if Nick wanted to shower her with gifts and money to spend, he had to also give her work to do to earn it. But almost a month into their new relationship, Cynthia could tell that there was clearly something to the notion Nick had about her being his mate, and the ideal woman for him; they just seemed to fit together, in a way that Cynthia had never experienced with a previous boyfriend.
Cynthia’s phone beeped steadily, announcing that five minutes had passed. She closed her eyes, turning off the alarm and taking a deep breath. Now that the answer was right there for her, she found she couldn’t quite bring herself to look. “Come on. It’s not like anything bad can happen.” Cynthia took another deep breath and opened her eyes. She stood and walked towards the sink. Cynthia licked her lips and looked down at the applicator she’d left lying on the counter, waiting the five minutes it took for the test to finish. Pregnant, it read. Cynthia felt a wave of relief wash through her; she hadn’t realized how much the question of her becoming pregnant had weighed on her until she started to feel strange—queasy in the morning, with cramps like the first few hours of her period but no telltale blood. She was pregnant.
Cynthia snatched up her phone. Nick was in the office—she had chosen a time when he was away from home, because she hadn’t wanted to tell him her suspicions until she had an answer one way or the other. She made a quick decision that she was not going to tell him over the phone. After two rings, the call connected. “Hey, honey-lamb,” Nick said, and Cynthia smiled, so full of her good news that she thought she might actually explode.
“I need you to come home as soon as you possibly can,” she told him without any preamble. “I have something I have to show you.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Just get home. I’ll show you as soon as you walk in the door.” Cynthia hung up, giggling with giddy pleasure at what she would have to tell her mate. Looking at her phone, she pictured Nick standing up at his desk quickly, hurrying to get out of the office and come to her. She thought—she hoped—that she would have just enough time to slip into some lingerie before he arrived; instinct told her that Nick would want to celebrate the news of their future child together in the most satisfying way possible, and she wanted to be ready for him.
THE END
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BOOK NINE
THE TIGER'S
BABY
A PARANORMAL PREGNANCY ROMANCE
JADE WHITE
Copyright ©2015 by Jade White
All rights reserved.
About This Book
There is one thing that Kristen has always wanted in her life and that is a baby.
However, being a female tiger shifter makes this task very difficult since she can only mate with other Tigers and finding one is not easy.
But now the time has come.
She has been matched with a fellow Tiger shifter named Rodney who is set to be her mate and provide her with the one thing she has always wanted.
Now she must make the journey to go and meet this man for the first time and begin the mating process. But will she really be able to mate with a complete stranger? And will this pregnancy really be as straight forward as she hopes?
CHAPTER ONE
Kristen slammed the old Chevy into fourth gear and took notice of the sign board that was situated on the side of the road. It looked as if it had seen better days, and the faux wood paneling had started to come away in certain places. Still, there were fresh bouquets of flowers next to it, and up ahead she could see the autumn colors pre-launching through the maple trees that lined Nelson. It was definitely a quiet place, but after having spent nearly a decade in the hustle and bustle of Seattle, she was ready for a break.
Her job as a reporter for the Herald had been her pride and joy, and even now she knew she couldn’t totally shake her attachment to it. But this was for the best; she had to remind herself. She pulled back on the black braid that was tightly pulled behind her head and unleashed it down her back. So I’m finally here, huh, she reflected.
The truck squealed as she pulled the clutch down to third gear and started in on the main street. Huge tall colonial buildings lined the quaint township, and spoke of its British origins – despite the fact that everything else about it smacked of being Canadian. Having growing up in Seattle, Kristen had often gone across the border to explore Vancouver, especially for skiing. But she had never dreamed she would ever spend more than a fleeting vacation in the northern neighboring country.
Well at least they live up to their stereotype, she reflected, seeing smiles dance out at her from the sidewalks. Everyone seemed to be in a perpetual good mood, and she could see lots of alternative clothing shops and organic food stores. Hippie Central. That’s what Gloria had called i
t anyway. Kristen pulled down the zipper on her dark burgundy leather jacket and rolled the window down, letting in a bit of the crisp air that still lingered with the smell of summer. In the passenger seat, Gloria was still sleeping. Kristen’s best friend and confidante, the shorter and slightly chubbier brunette seemed to be dozing peacefully, perhaps lost in a dream.
Silly Tiger, Kristen thought fondly. Truthfully, she was glad that Gloria had decided to come along because she wasn’t sure she would’ve had the nerve to go through with it by herself. And what exactly have I gone through with, she wondered absently, feeling a cold ball grow in her stomach. As she looked back out the window, she almost ran a red light pulling a right turn up Vernon St. It gave her cause to speculate about how many of the men and women and children she saw going about their daily business were like her, a shifter.
Probably very few, she decided.
Kristen had grown up in the Enclave, a small community based in and around the Seattle area, and composed of others like her. There were names for her kind, names that normal humans had relegated to the stuff of fiction and fantasy and myth: shape-shifter, werewolf, whatever. In truth, there was about as much verisimilitude to the fictional form of her people as there was to the bogeyman. More so because, as far as true Wolves went, there were only a relatively few bands that stuck mainly to the Oregon coast or farther north. In fact, she was herself a Tiger.
As she flexed her hands on the steering wheel, she could almost feel the inner animal stirring within her. She knew that she was better suited to an active lifestyle, being cooped up in the car for two days straight had put both her and Gloria on edge, though Gloria, she suspected, probably enjoyed the opportunity to get out of the Enclave.
“Hey, psh, wake up,” she said, giving Gloria a gentle nudge.
The woman made a humming sound and opened her eyes. Far to the west the sun was beginning to set on the far hill, closing like a winking eye. It cast all the buildings in a kind of ginger light and only seemed to emphasize the beautiful maple leaves.
“What, already?” Gloria said, wrinkling her pug-nose. “You were breaking the speed limit, weren’t you?”
“Oh, shush,” Kristen said, nudging her again.
The small loft that had been provided for them was also colonial and looked out on the city below. Inside, the two women made themselves comfortable, taking note of the different rooms.
Gloria let out a sigh. “Well, it’s not much, but…”
“It’s pretty nice, I think, quaint. It’s kind of cute,” Kristen said, pulling her socks off and unzipping her jacket. She threw it casually onto the back of one of the chairs. “I mean, if I have to spend a long time here… if…”
When Kristen turned hesitantly away and walked to the kitchen, Gloria frowned. She had known Kristen almost since the two of them had been children. They’d grown up in the Enclave together, and the fact they shared the same form had only served to heighten and strengthen their friendship.
“Kristen,” the brunette said, crossing her arms and taking a step forward.
Her short pixie-cut always seemed to give her a sterner look, especially when she frowned. It was the one expression of her friend that Kristen had never gotten used to, because it usually meant one of two things: either Gloria was disappointed in her, or else she had seen through her emotional façade.
Am I that transparent? Kristen thought.
Maybe that was the reason she had wanted Gloria to come along, after all. Because somehow Gloria always knew what Kristen was thinking, even if Kristen was doing her best to hide it, even from herself. Gloria had become her conscience, on more than one occasion. But now that they had actually arrived in Nelson, it was suddenly very real. There was no way to hide from the fact, or to get away from it. And that only served to increase her temper.
“Drop it, Gloria. I’m not in the mood for this right now.”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re in the mood… I can tell you’re sulking. You know you don’t have to go through with this. If you have any doubts, any at all, it’s possible to annul the agreement. You know the Enclave would support you.”
“We’ve come this far,” Kristen insisted stubbornly.
“And we can go back,” Gloria countered quickly and sat down on the couch.
Kristen leaned over the sink and poured herself a glass of water and took longer than necessary to drink it. Gloria was right of course, there was no reason they couldn’t just turn right around. The Enclave would support her, of course. So why this rotten feeling in my stomach then?
“You’re scared,” Gloria said, filling in the empty space between them, and in a way, Kristen was glad for it. “You can say it, y’know. It’s just me.”
“I’m scared,” Kristen admitted, and took a seat next to Gloria, curling up and putting her head on her pack-sister’s lap. “Ugh, this is ridiculous. I’ve wanted this all my life. You know I have – hell, how long have I talked about it? But now, I don’t know. It feels weird. It feels too real, if that makes any sense?”
“Of course it does,” Gloria said soothingly.
The reason Kristen had come to Nelson, traveling over the border, to a small sleepy lakeside town, had everything to do with the fact the Enclave also functioned as an organization to assist Shifters like her. She could still hear her mother’s lessons ringing in her ears.
All her life, Kristen had dreamed of having a child, but Shifter anatomy was tricky at best. Only another Shifter of the same genetic build had any hopes of a successful impregnation. Even though she was only twenty-eight, she knew that the time to start and raise a family was bearing down on her and, like all Tigers, she sought to bring up the child alone.
But of course, finding another Tiger was troublesome in itself. The Enclave worked with other Tribes across different countries to try and arrange successful breeding programs. It had been a complete fluke they’d managed to find a donor relatively close to Seattle. She opened her eyes and glanced at her rucksack lying by the door. She knew inside was still the manila envelope with all of the donor’s details.
She’d studied the profile so many times it had almost become rote to her. In her mind, she could still see his face and the capitalized name above it. RODNEY MCCALLISTER. In his photo, he was smiling, but what had struck her was the fact it wasn’t a fake smile. In her work as a reporter, she had gotten very good at spotting insincerity in the slightest affectation or twitch of a muscle. But Rodney’s handsome profile smacked of intelligence and honesty.
His sculpted chin and rectangular jaw were strong, and in the photo there was a short stubble forming on his full cheeks. Dusky hair clipped down over his forehead, and was cut very short at the sides, which gave him a very modern and aristocratic look. Except he’s a paramedic, she reflected, feeling pride for having memorized the profile so well.
Gloria interrupted her reverie again. “You’re right, you’ve wanted this for a long time. It used to be all you talked about. But I know how you must be feeling. It’s a big step, it’s life-changing – hell, you’re making a life, of course it is. I sympathize with you, sweetie. But you know there’s nothing I can say that will really prepare you for it.”
“I know. I was just hoping… you would work some sort of magic on me.”
“Fresh out of magic. But I’ll offer this instead: I don’t think anyone is every truly prepared to start a family, to have a child. It’s like a leap of faith, something you just do. And hope it will work out for the best – and in this case, there’s no reason for it not to. You’ve read the profile, you’ve even had a few tentative conversations.”
“But going from a few conversations to… to having a child,” Kristen blushed in spite of herself.
“It’s big, sweetie,” Gloria repeated, “but that’s why I’m here.”
“To cheer me on?” Kristen rolled her head and gave a diffident tight-lipped smile.
“To cheer you on. Give you moral support. Rub your shoulders. Kick your ass. You know, all th
ose best friend things I’m so good at.”
Kristen took in a deep breath and closed her eyes again. She wished there was a way for her to actually express how thankful she was for Gloria, not just for accompanying her, but for everything. She knew that Gloria was aware of her own feelings, but still, it never seemed like it was enough. I am a coward, she thought begrudgingly. She hated to admit it to herself, but she was – when it came down to taking a stand, she had too often run and fled. Even this next big step in her life she hadn’t been able to take alone.
She bit her lip and tried to avoid disparaging herself further. It was a terrible habit with her, one that could end in her spiraling downward in depression. And there was no time for that right now. Tomorrow she’ll be meeting Rodney in person. Oh boy, she thought, letting herself drift off to sleep in Gloria’s warm embrace.
*
They agreed to meet at a small coffee shop just off the main street. Rodney was already waiting for her. He had on a dark blue plaid shirt unbuttoned at the front with a white t-shirt underneath and baggy jeans. It was remarkable how much he looked just like his picture, and when he looked up and saw her approach through the doors rather shyly, his smile lit up again. The only thing that was different, as far as she could see, was that he had shaven.
As for Kristen, she had decided to go with a simple white skirt that billowed just below her knees and a black top. Nothing too fancy, but also she hoped not too revealing that it would give a bad impression. At the same time, she wanted to look attractive. It was Gloria who had finally had to literally kick her out of the door and accuse her of stalling.
“Hey! Kristen, right? Kristen Rapelli?” Rodney said, standing up and shaking her hand.
