“What’s fitting?”
“That you were drawn to those kinds of stories.” He paused, his hands tightening on the wheel until his knuckles bled white. “Shit, Lia. The world as you see it, the world around you, is so much more than most people realize. Anchor is not like any other town you’ve ever been in.”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” she interrupted. “Hell, I figured it out on my own.”
He shook his head. “Yeah, it’s a weird place, but not because it’s small. Because everyone knows each other’s business… It’s weird because of the people who live in it. Those books you read probably have the wrong end of the stick about paranormals, but they’re right about one thing, baby. Supernaturals do exist, and you’re mated to one of them.”
For a second, Lia wanted to chuckle. She pressed a hand to her lips to withhold it though. He looked so earnest, so concerned and stressed, it would have been mean to show her amusement. Especially if she wasn’t 100 percent sure he wasn’t teasing.
“I know, it sounds crazy. Go ahead, laugh.”
Surprisingly, he didn’t sound frustrated. If anything, he sounded relieved. “No, it’s okay. I think I can cope. So, go on then, I’ve read enough to know a bit about supernaturals. What are you? Vampire? Shifter?”
“Shifter.”
“What can you turn into?”
“A Lion.”
“A lion? That’s unusual. Normally, they’re always wolves.”
“Yeah, well, this isn’t a novel, babe. This is real life. I’m a Lion shifter. Your father was, too, but your mom, she was a Wolf shifter.”
“You’re trying to say that my parents were supernaturals, too?”
“Yes. That’s the only reason you can have my baby, Lia. If you didn’t have shifter blood, then we couldn’t have had a child together.”
Her brow puckered at that. “Did you think I was a shifter when we got married?”
“No. I thought you were human.”
“And you married me knowing we wouldn’t be able to have kids together?” Before he could answer, she burst out, “Is that why your mother hates me? She thinks you’re some kind of werelion and because I’m not, she wouldn’t have any grandchildren?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “If you were a human, then that baby wouldn’t be in your belly. And there’s no ‘think’ about it, Lia. I can shift into a Lion.”
His statement had her scowling. “How long have you known I’m a shifter?”
“For definite? This morning. But ever since you told me you were pregnant, I realized you had to have shifter blood, but you just didn’t know it.”
She paused to contemplate that. Hell, she paused to contemplate it all. “So, not once did you believe I’d cheated on you?”
At that, he hesitated. “When you first told me, I was shocked. I never expected to have a baby with you. I didn’t mind,” he inserted quickly. “It was worth going without kids to be with you. I wasn’t lying when I said we have a mate bond. Most shifters don’t. They settle for a partner like humans do. My parents are a prime example of how miserable that life choice can be. But yours, your parents were like us. Together despite the odds.
“At first, when you told me you were pregnant, I was poleaxed. I didn’t know what to believe. But then, I realized there was no way you would be unfaithful to me. Just like I never would be to you.”
“I don’t know how that’s supposed to make me feel.”
She switched her gaze from her knees to the console, as the repercussions of what Caden was saying hit home. She’d have accused him of talking bullshit if her eyes hadn’t turned into those of a cat the other day. But they had shifted, and she had felt weird. Fuck, weird was an understatement. She’d been odd all her life. Reacting to different situations in unusual ways. Ways that weren’t normal, ways like making people cower when they really pissed her off. This had to be the reason why.
She sucked in a breath, then blew it out slowly. All she could think was, thank Christ, I’m not an alien. Relief at knowing she wasn’t from Mars pummeled her, making her sag into her seat.
Totally unaware of her thoughts, or her relief, Caden said, “My trust in you is absolute, Lia. It always has been. I would never want to touch another woman, and I know you feel the same way about other men. That doesn’t stop me from getting jealous, like I did this morning. I can’t always help it. I control the Lion as much as I can, but he’s pretty primal where you’re concerned.”
Lia turned her head to stare out the window. It was either that or look at Caden’s earnest profile while she was still processing the ramifications of this conversation.
The only aspect that caused her any concern was her mother’s role in all this, or maybe lack of one was more apropos.
Could she really believe that her mom could shift into a wolf but had never divulged that secret to her children? Why would she have done that? Why withhold such an important truth?
“Talk to me, Lia. I know this sounds insane, but if we can talk about it, I can explain more, and you’ll see what I’m saying isn’t so crazy.” He sucked in a breath. “Christ, it’s a wonder you haven’t tried to get out of the car. Maybe I should be grateful you’re not screaming.”
Lia pursed her lips at that. “I only scream if my life’s in danger,” she said, and watched him blanch.
“Shit, I wish I could have been there when you were a kid. The idea of you in danger is like a knife to my gut.”
She smiled at that, but it soon disappeared when a thought crossed her mind. “The blood test your mother wanted me to have...that was to ascertain my heritage, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. “Unsurprisingly, she doesn’t have the faith in you that I do. When I told her you were pregnant, she immediately thought the worst. The blood test was the only way to verify what your ancestry is.”
“And the test results really show my mother was a Wolf shifter and my dad a Lion?”
“Yeah.”
She raised a hand to rub at her temples. “So that makes me what?”
“A half-breed.”
“Tommy is as well, then.”
“Yeah. I believe that’s why he’s having problems. Why he lost his job, and why he split with Maria.”
“What do you mean?”
“Shifters are born being able to change. We can do it from birth. That’s why we live in towns like Anchor, in societies filled with nothing but those of our kind. Our children can’t always control the shift. We have to be among our kind when our children are at stake. But half-breeds are different. You’re not born being able to shift.”
“What are they born to do?” She didn’t think she was capable of using the pronoun “we” yet.
“For men, it’s when they hit their sexual peak.”
“Isn’t that when guys are like eighteen?”
“For humans, maybe. Not for shifters. Anywhere from late twenties to early forties is our peak. It isn’t as specific as it is for humans. We live longer. And different breeds have different sexual peaks. In your brother’s case, he has the hormones of a Lion and a Wolf. I know he’s older than you, but what’s his age?”
“He’s thirty-one.”
“So, his hormones have decided now is the time to come out and play. That means, just like when I was a boy, he can’t control the shift. He’ll have crazy ass mood swings. I mean, I know Tommy. He’s pretty even-tempered, but this...what he’s going through?” He shook his head. “It’s not pleasant. It never is for male half-breeds. His temper will be swinging hot and cold, he won’t be able to control himself. He’ll be aggressive one minute, then so damned tired he probably can’t move. No one can sustain a job or a relationship when they’re undergoing such internal stress.”
“What about me?” she asked. “If what you’re saying is the truth, when do I have this to look forward to?”
“You don’t. Not really. When you give birth, your hormones will be all over the place anyway. You’ll probably have a few crazy days, then
after, you’ll be okay. For you, it isn’t sex that triggers the change. It’s birthing the baby.”
“Can we turn on the heat?” Lia asked, voice shaken. It suddenly felt like the temperature of the car had dropped twenty degrees.
“Course, love,” Caden murmured, glancing at her with a frown of concern.
She watched as he fiddled with the car’s computer, and the instant heat blew from the fans, she shivered and held her hands in front of the warm air.
Lia wanted to deny all of it. She didn’t want to be a half-breed. Didn’t want to be half wolf or lion. And she certainly didn’t want to have her baby, and then turn into some kind of monster. Chilled to the core, she wanted to rail at Caden, demand that he admit he was joking. But how could she? How could he be playing a prank on her when she’d seen the proof of it herself? Her eyes had turned, and this was the only explanation.
“Later on, I want you to show me.”
He let his hand drift from the wheel and down to her knee. When he squeezed, she closed her eyes. “Thank you for having faith in me.”
“You had faith in me,” she told him simply, then reached for his hand. It was so warm and hers was so cold, she entwined their fingers.
“When we get back to Anchor, I’ll show you then.”
“O–Okay.”
“I won’t hurt you. When I shift, I’ll be like a lion. Just like you’d see on the Serengeti or in a zoo, but that’s only physically. My thoughts are a lot baser, but I’m still me.”
“I know you’d never hurt me.”
That had some tension escaping him. She actually saw his shoulders slump. It touched her, how deep her trust affected him. It also made her feel a little guilty that she hadn’t been as honest as him. Especially in the face of his fear.
God, she wished this wasn’t happening. There were men and women who roamed the Earth and, at will, could turn into animals. That was a whole helluva lot to absorb. Even if she was one of those people herself.
In fact, it was fucking crazy. Maybe she wasn’t a shifter, maybe she was just insane. Some kind of mass hysteria could explain why Anchor believed in all this, right? And she’d just been caught up in the madness.
What was easier to accept? That she was insane or that people could turn into animals? And if shifters existed, did that mean vampires did, too? Were there real-life Harry Potters walking around? Where did it all fucking end? Hell, screw that. Where did it all begin?
If it had been anyone else but Caden telling her all of this, she wouldn’t have been able to believe it. But this was the man she’d loved almost as soon as she’d met him. Who had turned her world on its head. She’d never believed in soul mates, never believed in destiny. Until him. Maybe, in a strange way, it made sense that he wasn’t human. That she wasn’t human. Her reaction to him and his to her had been anything but normal.
He broke her thoughts with his husky, “Thank you, baby. For trusting me, it means everything.”
Her smile was brave, as she squeezed his fingers. “W–Will I be able to shift, Caden? Like you? I mean, really?”
“No. Your brother will.”
“Why does that sound like there’s a but coming?”
“Half-breeds are discouraged from shifting.”
“Why?”
He blew out a breath. “Half-breeds have all the pros and cons of two different breeds. Packing those two kinds of traits into the one body isn’t good. As kids, they’re usually naughty. Getting into all kinds of shit, because the two breeds are trying to come to terms with each other. As adults, well, they’re aggressive. They make perfect soldiers. A hundred years ago, half-breeds were encouraged to shift. They were great for war.”
“Wars still happen.”
“Yeah, but there’s news coverage. Young half-breeds’ impulses are difficult to control. If they were to shift and a reporter managed to catch them on film, that’s us outed to the world. Which is the last thing we want. We try to contain half-breeds until they find a mate. Usually, their aggression dissipates by then. Sex helps.”
“Doesn’t it always,” she butted in, rolling her eyes.
“In this case, it really does. If they still want to fight, then they can enlist. No problem.”
“If we’re what you say we are, and Tommy is going through the shift, then, what are we going to do?”
“What we always do when we come across male half-breeds. We take them to the local clinic, have them checked over. They’re in a controlled environment until they actually shift.”
“That’s why I wasn’t allowed to see you in the clinic, isn’t it? Just in case I came across one of your lot shifted.”
He grimaced. “By the time we hit adulthood, we’re good under pressure. We hardly ever lose our cool. But when we’re ill or injured, that changes things. Did you notice, on the door, there was a metal railing?”
She nodded. “Yeah, now you mention it, I did.”
Caden cocked a brow. “I’m surprised you didn’t ask me about it.”
“I had more important things on my mind.” She snorted. “Like psychotic bitches trying to poison you.”
He just smiled and said, “That grill is there to lock us down if we shift and turn nasty. We live in a Pride, just like lions in Africa do, and they implemented all these rules to keep us safe.”
“Oh my God, this is really happening, isn’t it?” She rubbed her forehead. “I can’t dismiss this as being ridiculous. You mean all of it. I really am what you say I am.”
He lifted their clasped hands to his mouth. “I’m sorry, honey. I wish....”
“No. You don’t have to be sorry. It explains a lot.”
“What do you mean?”
She swallowed back her nerves. “The other day, when you were admitted to the clinic, and you called me that afternoon. Do you remember?” When he nodded, she continued, “Chloë was there. She wanted to talk to me. And we talked, and she pissed me off. I did something, I don’t know what, but it made her back off. I was shaking like crazy by the time she left and my eyes stopped working—I was blind for a few seconds. Then, when my sight came back and I looked in the mirror, my eyes were like a cat’s. The pupils were oval.”
He reached for her hand. “You must have been terrified.”
His statement had her nodding shakily. “I was. And it isn’t the first time I lost control. It’s happened before. But this time, I remembered what Tommy had said, about not being able to talk about his problem over the phone, and I called him to ask if ‘cat’s eyes’ were one of his issues. He said they were.”
“That means your Lion is strong in both of you.”
“It does?” she asked, relieved when he squeezed her fingers gently. God, she needed the comfort.
“Yeah. Half-breeds aren’t monster hybrids. One race is dominant. That’s a good sign for the baby. It means he or she will display more Lion tendencies.”
Lia blew out a breath. “As terrifying as it is, I guess this also answers a lot of my questions where your mother is concerned. I guess my being a half-breed is better than being a human. Although, I can’t imagine she’s any more pleased to have someone like me in your family.”
“I don’t care if she’s pleased or not, Lia. I seriously don’t. Look, I live in Manhattan. Not Anchor. What does that tell you?”
“That once the baby’s born, we’ll have to move?”
He groaned at that. “Shit, I’d never thought about that.”
For the first time since their conversation had begun in earnest, she chuckled. “Yeah. ‘Home, sweet home’ is not something I think I can call Anchor.”
“Fuck, we’ll move somewhere else. I’m not living with my mother again.”
She frowned. “What do you mean? Why can’t we buy a house?”
He grimaced. “Lion shifters hark from a matriarchal society. That’s why my mother’s opinion holds such sway in our household. That’s why it’s always what my mother wants, never my father. If your mother was alive, we’d go to live with her. B
ecause she isn’t, we’d have to live with mother. At least until the baby was a toddler.”
“Screw that,” she gritted out. “I’m not having her watch my every goddamn move. That would be hell. Always having her criticizing me. I’d never be able to do anything!”
“Exactly,” he agreed. “There are other towns like Anchor. I broke Pride tradition once, I can do it again. I live in Manhattan. I should live in Anchor. But I don’t. That’s what I meant by breaking tradition. We never leave the Pride, ever. But I have. I left my mother’s den, and like we just discussed, I don’t want to return to it.”
“Good. We can both agree on that. I guess we should stay close though, huh? For Tommy’s sake.”
“There’s no point. You won’t be allowed to visit him. You’ll only be allowed to call. The thing is, Lia, you’re pregnant. That makes you a goddess to the Pride.”
She snorted. “Be serious, Caden.”
“I am serious. Deadly. A female gains power by having children. Before she has cubs, she has a higher rank than most males. But after? She gains prestige in the Pride. Power. Couples usually birth just the one child. But more than one cub is rare. So rare, that to birth more than one automatically places the female in a position of authority.”
She frowned. “You’re not kidding, are you?”
“No. Unfortunately not. My mother’s name is enough to give her prestige in the Pride, but because she only had me, she never really got a foothold in the hierarchy. The Leona is the head of our Pride. In Anchor, she’s Chloë’s mother and she had two daughters. That’s why she is where she is. No one in town has ever had more than two children. And female children at that. It makes her incredibly powerful. Powerful enough to play a national role.”
“What you’re saying then, is that my mother, who had two babies, even if we’re half-breeds, was a rarity.”
“Yeah. She was. And you, by being pregnant, will not be allowed to visit Tommy. Nothing can be done that will jeopardize you or the baby’s health. This will be the last time you see him until he’s shifted for real, and has himself under some semblance of control. And even now, my mother didn’t want you to come with me. You’re in danger by visiting an unshifted half-breed. But your presence is the only thing that will keep Tommy calm, and you’ll probably be the only way I’ll be able to control him at all. Around you, he should be a lot calmer. That was why she didn’t make too much of a fuss.”
Claimed by Caden Page 14
