by Ardy Kelly
Hand in hand, they headed to the car. “You’re okay moving here when Luke finishes the house?” Chet asked.
David smiled. “I am. It took awhile, but this is the one place I don’t have to hide my growing waistline.”
“That’s only for a couple more months.”
David dropped his head and placed a hand on his stomach. “I’ve been hiding all my life. It’s nice to be somewhere I can find out who I can be.”
Chet nodded. “We don’t have to keep secrets here.”
David laughed. “Not like we could keep any with Troy as a neighbor.”
The day after David agreed to another month at the Welcome Inn, a camera crew from Sacramento showed up. “We like to do destination segments on the weekend, and your bed-and-dinner is an interesting angle.”
David was reluctant to participate until Trisha sat him down.
“What’s the problem?” she asked. “Is it the pregnancy? We just have to pad you up top.”
David exhaled. “How do you know everything about me? Especially since no one on the ranch knows anything about you…if you’re a shifter, I mean.”
“You could have asked.”
“The best way to keep a secret is to never ask anyone what theirs are.”
Trisha nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been there. I’m a shifter, too. A deer. But my hormone treatments mask the scent.”
“Why keep it a secret?”
“Really?” Trisha put her hands on her hips. “You think a deer is going to be happy to find a wolf pack living nearby? The fewer people who know, the better. I’ve got my reasons. Mack and Adam have kept my secret. I hope you will, too.”
“Of course,” David replied.
“You, on the other hand, shouldn’t be a secret. As the guest chef at the Welcome Inn, we need to advertise your face. The more you are connected to the community, the less chance Henry will have of claiming you.”
David laughed. “And just last night I thought the only place I didn’t have any secrets was Lone Wolves Ranch.”
“You can’t hide any secrets from a hotelier.”
“That’s what I keep hearing.”
She stood. “I’ve got a waiting list for the next four weekends. Let me know when your house is ready on the ranch so I can rent your room. Though I’ll miss having the bodyguards 24/7.”
The news crew captured shots of Timber Crossing, the Welcome Inn, and that night’s dinner. The day it aired, Trisha booked every room in the place through the end of the year. Including David’s. He was moving to the ranch.
A week later, Diana needed an emergency babysitter. “Please, David. I have to go into town. It won’t take long.”
“No problem. Bring Joshua over.”
“Could you watch him here? It will save me time dragging all the baby stuff to your place.”
As the morning wore on, David suspected he was being played. When he attempted to take Joshua outside in his stroller, Steven showed up with his newborn, Declan. “Can we sit and talk? I just need a little adult time.”
Mack was the next to arrive. “You heard what happened?”
What happened was a minor confrontation with Dominic when Luke’s crew went to San Francisco to remove David’s furniture. Dominic had attacked Lynn, believing her to be an easy victory. Not knowing she was a bear-shifter, he got his ass and other parts of his anatomy kicked. Dominic tried to use the incident to portray himself as a victim of harassment, but the hallway security camera painted a different picture.
David knew all the details, but Mack repeated them anyway. When Luke showed up, the pack leader seemed relieved to have an excuse to go.
“I had to turn off your water and electricity,” Luke said. “We’re upgrading your…um…water and electricity. We should be done in an hour. But it’s best if you stay here until then.”
David didn’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to know who was behind this.
As members of the Cub Club had predicted, Troy had moved on to another victim. Now it was David’s turn to pat Rob on the shoulder and tell him, “This too shall pass.” Troy was determined to get the doctor and Luke mated, despite their seeming indifference to each other.
David also knew that once he gave birth and hopefully survived, he’d be back on Troy’s radar. “My readers love custody battles,” he’d confessed.
But as everyone said, Troy turned out to be a good friend to have. He arranged for the Cub Club to baby-proof his new home from top to bottom.
Finally, his sister returned. “Sorry I took so long. Luke said the water and electricity is back on. You can go home now.”
David decided to test his theory. “I thought I’d get something to eat.”
Diana had a tell. Her eyes would move back and forth when she was searching for an answer. They were moving double time now. “Dressed like that?”
“What’s wrong with how I’m dressed?”
“You smell like dirty diapers.”
“I don’t smell it.”
“You’re not a wolf. You should change before you go where shifters are eating. Common courtesy.”
“Maybe I’ll walk around the ranch to air myself out.”
She snatched Joshua from his arms. “Go home!”
He smirked. “Don’t think I can’t tell when you’re hiding something.”
“Don’t think I’m going to tell you what it is.” She gave him a push. “Go home.”
He opened his front door, prepared for anything. Except a baby shower.
“Surprise!” Streamers hung from the wall; pink and blue balloons congregated on the ceiling. The Cub Club was dressed in their brightest clothing. Even Constance was smiling.
“Get your fat ass in here,” Troy chided. “It’s time to start the party games.”
Within five minutes, David was sitting on a chair, blindfolded. “Isn’t everyone supposed to guess at these?”
Steven scooped a spoonful of baby food from an unmarked jar. “We’ve played this so many times we can tell Gravenstein applesauce from Granny Smith.”
Swirling the spoonful on his tongue, David announced, “Pureed peas.” The group moaned. David had a perfect score. “I’m a chef. It’s my job to know what things taste like.”
The sound of growling and yelling came from nearby.
“What’s that?” Steven asked.
“Sounds like a fight,” Troy replied. “In the backyard.”
David ripped off his blindfold and ran to the back door. Chet stood in the yard in a torn and blood-stained shirt. A large, snarling wolf circled him.
Grabbing a broom, David ran outside. “Shoo,” he shouted, swatting at the beast as it cowered.
“Stop,” Chet yelled, grabbing hold of David. “It’s just Eddy.”
Energy swirled around the wolf as his fur retreated into his skin.
David froze. He had seen a shifter transform—his dad had demonstrated the process when the family still believed David would develop the ability. His memory of it was dim, only retaining the absolute terror he felt as he watched his father collapse in on himself. He had also seen the pack shift during Chet’s ceremony but from a distance.
Yet, he had never been only a broom’s length away, and seen it in such detail. He had to admit it wasn’t so terrifying, possibly because the beast was turning into a human rather than the other way around.
Once Eddy’s fully formed body revealed itself, David lifted up the broom like a baseball bat. “What the hell is wrong with you, Eddy?”
Chet grabbed the broom. “He’s teaching me how to defend myself in a wolf attack.”
David rolled up the torn sleeve of Chet’s shirt. Blood ran from the scratched skin and he snatched the broom back.
“Don’t put your hands in front of you,” Eddy warned. “Never give a wolf something to latch their jaw on. You can use your arms for misdirection. Watch their trajectory and either attack them from below or from above.”
Chet nodded. “Let’s try again.”
“Not while Davi
d’s holding that broom,” Eddy warned.
“I’ll take it,” Troy answered.
Eddy turned to see the entire Cub Club staring at his naked form. He wasn’t the type to be shy, but there was something intimidating about being ogled by so many omegas at once. He shifted back to his wolf.
Troy patted David on the shoulder. “You may not want to watch. We know the sheriff isn’t much of a fighter.”
Circling Chet, Eddy’s wolf faked right and then sprung without warning.
Chet turned and slammed his body against his opponent. Losing his footing, he tumbled to the ground.
Sitting on his hind legs, Eddy patiently waited for the sheriff to get up.
Chet planted both hands on the ground to push himself up, but paused. It was bad enough getting knocked down so easily, but it hurt his pride to have his mate watch. He considered ending the lesson early until he saw the expression on David’s face.
I would fight to the death for that man. His fingers pulsed and the earth warmed where they made contact.
“Are you okay?” David asked.
Chet nodded. “I think I’m going to try a new strategy.” He slipped off his shoes and socks. Standing on the lawn in his bare feet, he intuitively drew the vibration into his body. He gazed at his mate, letting his fiercely protective instinct merge with the earth energy. He turned his attention to the wolf, imagining Dominic, and nodded once to signal his readiness.
As the wolf pounced, power shot up Chet’s body. He pirouetted to the right, raised his leg, and gave a swift kick to Eddy’s rib cage.
The wolf fell to the ground with a yelp. Once back on his four legs, he shook his head, narrowed his eyes at the sheriff, and leapt for him again.
Chet crouched and shifted forward, and as the wolf sailed over him, jumped up, sending Eddy tumbling onto his back.
Eddy shifted, but didn’t stand. “How did you suddenly get so good?”
“Just tapped into my roots.”
“That was an improvement,” Troy noted. “But David may want to keep that broom handy.”
Eddy grabbed his jacket and covered himself. “I don’t know whether I’m more afraid of you barefoot or David with a broom.”
Chet tilted his head toward the Cub Club. “The most dangerous one is Troy. You might end up in one of his books.”
“Not until you find a mate,” Troy replied. “Any possibilities?”
“I’m a confirmed bachelor.”
“Good. Those make the best stories. They’re always so surprised when they find their true mate.” Troy clapped his hands. “Everybody back inside. We have presents to open.” Grabbing Chet’s sleeve, he added, “You should join us. But change your shirt first. You don’t want a room full of wolves watching you drip blood.”
It took an hour to get through all the gifts. When everyone offered to help clean, Diana and Constance shooed them all out.
“Children, we should talk.” Constance sat next to David, while Diana pulled up a chair. “It’s about the line of succession.” She pulled out a large manila envelope. “I had half a mind to throw it away.”
“Do it,” David said.
“Yes, well, I’m going to let you make that decision. The paperwork is quite gender specific. It also involves spouses to sign agreements regarding naming of their children, and other ridiculous stipulations. In short, neither of you qualify for the Morehouse dowry.”
“Then it’s settled,” Diana said. “It’s over.”
“Not quite,” Constance replied. “Your children could qualify. If either of you produced a non-shifter female, that child could inherit a sizeable portion of the trust. So I’m turning this over to you two. It will be your decision to offer it to your daughters.”
A breathless voice behind the couch broke the silence. “A multi-generational saga!”
“Troy?” David sat up and turned, looking behind him. “I thought you left.”
“I was just looking for something that may have rolled under the sofa,” he explained unconvincingly.
David turned back and instantly winced in pain.
“Is your back hurting?” Constance asked.
David nodded. “I’d volunteer to fly to Mars, just to be weightless until the babies are born.”
Troy stood and dusted himself off. “I know just the thing. But I’ll need the sheriff to help.”
Diana dangled keys in front of his face. “Take the ATV. It’s in the driveway.”
Chet and David had never ventured beyond Mack’s house, so when Troy went off-road, they had their first glimpse of how immense the ranch was. A large pond sat beyond a slight hill.
David gave Chet a puzzled expression. “You were never on the ranch before me?” When he shook his head, David added, “Because this looks just like the mosaic floor you have.”
A thick grove of giant redwoods hid a dirt path. Troy took the trail, finally stopping by a series of pools along the hillside.
“We’ve got our own hot springs here,” Troy said. “The hottest pools are up there, and the water cools as it flows down. We’ll stick with the bottom pool. It’s the largest.”
Troy stripped and jumped into the water. “I practically live here during my last month of pregnancy.”
Getting David’s pants off had become a two-man job. Chet worked quickly. “I’m keeping my underwear on,” David insisted.
“Me too,” Chet replied.
The water was the perfect temperature, just cool enough to feel refreshing but not so cold it was a shock.
Troy held his arms out. “Chet, take my hands. We’ll make a hammock for David to lay in.”
David floated along the top of the water, resting in the two men’s arms. It was heavenly. Why hadn’t he ever noticed how wonderful it felt not to carry twins? He vowed never to take it for granted again.
“Is this what you imagined?” Chet asked.
David recalled the moment at the vortex. He opened his eyes. “This is exactly like that.”
Chet smiled. “Are you going to trust the vortex now?”
“Trust, but verify,” he replied.
Eventually they got out of the pool. David struggled up the stairs as he surrendered to gravity. “Now I know how a beached whale feels.”
Wednesday was unusually hot and muggy, making David’s walk across the street for the Cub Club a miserable trek. He was counting the days, fourteen to be exact, until Dr. Kai arrived to assist Rob with the cesarean.
Two weeks felt like an eternity.
Bill had just given birth. The motorized chair the Cub Club reserved for its most pregnant member was now David’s. Maybe it was his imagination, but the motor seemed to strain when it lowered him into the seat.
He wiped his brow. “I’m sure I’m going to love my babies…”
The rest of the Cub Club replied in unison, “But…”
David hung his head. “Do you ever feel like…” Don’t say it. His discomfort was making him irritable, and he didn’t want to shock his friends.
“Like they’re alien parasites draining your life-force?” Steven offered.
“And when they emerge, all that will be left of you is an empty sack of bones?” Glenn added.
“I have four kids,” Troy said. “There’s nothing you can say about pregnancy that will shock me.”
“Ow,” David cried. “One of them just kicked me.”
The room quieted. “Just once?” Troy asked.
“Ow.” David placed his hand on his stomach. “Settle down in there. Ow!”
Troy barked orders to the others. “You, get Robby. You get Helen. The rest help me get him to my car. We’ve got to move him to the school. We’re using the nurse’s office for the surgery.”
“Somebody tell Chet,” David shouted between kicks.
As worried as David looked, he was no match for Dr. Rob. “Kai was going to assist.”
“No time for that,” Helen barked. “These cubs want to be born now.”
“Put a mask on, everyone,” Troy sa
id. “He’s human. He can’t shift to heal. So we’re going to have to keep the room as sterile as possible.”
Helen shook her head. “Morehouses always cause such a fuss.” She helped David onto the table. “Rob, what have we got for an anesthetic?”
“Dr. Kai was bringing it. All I have is nitrous oxide.”
“No gases,” David insisted. “It can cause breathing problems for the babies.”
“You’re a doctor now?” Helen asked.
“Read about it on the internet.”
“So it must be true,” she replied dismissively.
David winced in pain. “Give me a towel.” He rolled up the one Troy gave him. “Just do it. Save the nitrous for the stitches.” He brought the towel to his mouth and bit down.
The fabric drowned out enough of David’s cries to allow Rob and Helen to communicate while they worked quickly. The twin’s screams at being born mixed with their dad’s pained howls.
Troy and Gary swooped in, wrapping the babies in towels and taking them away to be cleaned.
Dr. Rob held the anesthesia mask while Helen removed the placenta. They changed places, as Rob cleaned the wound and stitched David up.
Chet arrived just as David, woozy from the gas, got his first look at the twins. “I did this? I made these?”
“Yes, you did,” Chet replied as he kissed David’s forehead.
It took Kai five hours to get to the ranch. By then a fever had overtaken David, climbing dangerously high. Kai ordered everyone out of the room, including Chet, while he and Rob put their patient on an antibiotic drip.
When Kai came to examine the twins, he found them sharing a bed with Ricky. Chet sat on a chair, watching.
The sheriff cleared his throat of all emotion. “Two weeks isn’t that big a difference, is it?”
The babies were small, and seemed uninterested in feeding. Kai examined the listless pair. “In a nine-month pregnancy, it isn’t. But when the pregnancy is only four months, it can create complications.”
“Will they be all right?” He stared into Kai’s eyes. “The truth.”
