The Hunter's Heart (Wilde Creek Book Seven)

by R. E. Butler

  He stood and pulled her from her chair, enveloping her in a tight hug. “Let’s put a pin in things for now, sweetheart. First things first – find out if you’ve got my bun in your oven.”

  She made a face. “Did you just say that?”

  “What? People say that kind of thing.”

  “No, they don’t!”

  He tweaked her side until she shrieked with laughter, and then her giggles turned to a soft moan when their mouths met and the delicious meal she’d made for them was forgotten as a tidal wave of pleasure thundered down on them. Pasta could wait. His mate was too tempting to ignore.

  Chapter 15

  Mia stood to the side as Nila checked herself out in the full-length mirror in Brynn’s guest bedroom. She turned from one side to the other, checking out every angle, and then gently patted her mound of curls and adjusted the blue crystal hair clips that held twisted sections behind her ears.

  “You look gorgeous,” Mia said.

  Nila smiled. “We’re mated, so there’s part of me that feels like I shouldn’t be nervous, but there’s a whole buttload of butterflies hanging out in my stomach right now.”

  Brynn, who was holding a handful of strawberry Twizzlers in one hand like they were an edible bouquet, said, “I felt the same way. I think it’s because we’re human, and there’s such an emphasis on the wedding being the most important step in a life together. For wolves, it’s just a ceremony that doesn’t hold as much meaning as the mating.”

  Nila had been married, but not mated, to a wolf before she met Mal, and by all accounts he was a terrible male. Mia was thankful that Mal and Nila had each other, and that she and Lucian were able to be part of their ceremony. It was a small affair; just a few of Mal’s close friends in the pack, the security company employees, and Mal and Mia’s parents.

  There was a knock at the door and Diane, one of Nila’s close friends, opened the door and brought in Jack, who was wearing an adorable black suit with a navy bowtie. He waved his favorite stuffed wolf around.

  “Mama,” he said.

  Nila squatted down and hugged him. “Are you ready to see Mommy and Daddy get married?”

  “Juice?” he asked.

  Mia stifled a chuckle as Diane handed him a sippy cup. “He was getting fussy,” Diane said.

  “It’s close to naptime, and we were up early to finish getting things ready,” Nila said.

  Mia checked her watch and said, “Are you ready? It’s almost time.”

  Nila kissed Jack’s cheek and stood. “Okay, I have the dress, which is new. And Donna gave me her mother’s bracelet, which is borrowed and old, and the hair clips are blue. I think I’m all set.”

  “Your aunt is smiling down on you right now, sweetheart,” Diane said as she stepped in front of Nila and rested her hands on her shoulders. “She would be so proud of the strong woman you’ve become. A wonderful mother and mate. I wish you all the love and happiness in the world.”

  “Oh, you’re going to make me cry,” Nila said, fanning herself with her hands.

  “Me, too,” Mia said.

  “Oh man,” Brynn said as she brushed tears from her cheeks with her free hand and then took a big bite of two Twizzlers. “Me three.”

  Brynn left, followed by Diane and Jack, who was the adorable ring-bearer. Then Mia went and found Lucian waiting at the end of the hall. He was the best man, and looked extra-strength sexy in his suit. His eyes flashed red for a moment, and he grinned.

  “I’m the luckiest male on the planet,” he murmured.

  “I’m lucky, too.”

  He kissed her cheek, and she hooked her arm through his and held her bouquet of white roses tied with navy ribbon in her other hand. He walked her down the short aisle created in Brynn and Acksel’s family room, and they parted ways at Mal and Renfrow, the elder who was officiating the wedding. She smiled at her brother, who looked as nervous as she’d ever seen him. Then she turned her attention to Nila as she was walked down the aisle by Mia and Mal’s father.

  The wedding was a blur of heartfelt vows, cheers, and a lot of pictures by the pack photographer. The omegas had set up a large tent in the yard, which had side walls that were secured against the elements, and space heaters. The late April weather hadn’t cooperated.

  After Lucian toasted the new couple, he tipped his glass to hers and smiled. They shared a drink for the new couple and then sat as omegas began to bring the plated food to the tables. Mia leaned her head on Lucian’s shoulder.

  “I’m glad we could be here for this,” he said. “When things were rough before, Mal asked me to be his best man and I said I’d have to think about it. I didn’t think I could handle being around you all day. I think the berserker would’ve clawed his way free from those tattoos if he could.”

  She let that roll around in her head for a moment, and then said, “I remember hearing about the wedding and thinking that I’d finally have you in a place where you couldn’t get away from me for a whole day.”

  He chuckled. “I’d never have been able to resist you for that long.”

  She peeked up at him. “I like being irresistible. I’m so happy that you were able to accept your berserker and be mine.”

  “Me, too, sweetheart.”

  * * *

  On Monday morning, Mia and Lucian headed to Doc’s. She couldn’t keep from fidgeting in the passenger seat as Lucian drove them to the house. Doc was the pack doctor, an omega wolf who had dedicated his life to helping his people in their time of need. After Mia had taken a pregnancy test that morning and it had turned positive, she’d called Nila, who suggested they come into Doc’s for another test just to be sure. Since Mia had conceived at a time when she shouldn’t have been physically able to, Nila thought it best to have Doc involved from the get-go, which was fine with Lucian.

  “What’s with all the wiggling, sweetheart?”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  “Yeah.”

  “But I shouldn’t be.”

  “You’re worried about the baby?”

  “And myself. What if carrying a pup when I’m not supposed to is harmful to me and the baby?”

  He grasped her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. “I don’t think you call baby berserkers ‘pups.’”

  “Is that all you have to say?”

  He didn’t have to look at her to know she was smirking.

  “Of course not. I think maybe they’re called serkies. Or berzies.”

  “Are you serious?” Her voice rose a little at the end, her annoyance clear in each word.

  Damn, he enjoyed teasing her.

  “Mia, if you’re pregnant it’s because you’re meant to have this baby. I know the timing is off because it’s not fall, but there’s no sense in worrying about something that you can’t control right now. Either you’re pregnant and we’re going to have an awesome baby in about eight and a half months, or you’re not and we can see about bunning-up your oven in September.”

  “You can’t just make up your own verbs.”

  “Can and did,” he said.

  He stopped the car in front of Doc’s house and turned off the engine. Turning to face his mate, he let his gaze roam over her, from the pretty golden blonde of her hair to the way her brow arched in silent query. The blue eyes he adored staring into, the crinkles at the corners when she really smiled. And that mouth – sassy and tempting.

  “Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else or with anyone else,” she said.

  He got out of the car and came around to open her door. She took his hand as she got out, and as they walked up the sidewalk to Doc’s house, he squeezed her hand a little tighter. He’d faced down a nest of raven shifters for her. He could handle a visit to a wolf doctor.

  He held the door open for her, and a bell chimed in the house. Nila called out, “Come on back, we’re in room one.”

  The house smelled like a hospital, but the front room they walked through was
furnished like a regular house. Piano in the corner, a couch and table with magazines on the top, arranged in a fan. Through the living room, they followed a hallway to a set of doors. The first door on the right had a gold number one on it, and Nila was standing next to a hospital bed inside. A male with salt-and-pepper hair sat at a white desk with a laptop. He looked up and smiled, then stood, extending his hand to Lucian.

  “You must be Lucian. I’m Rich Gedding, the pack doctor. Everyone calls me Doc. Have a seat,” he said, gesturing to chairs set against the wall.

  Nila smiled at them in greeting.

  Doc swiveled on the stool and faced them. “Why don’t you tell me what happened, and then we’ll see where we are.”

  Mia looked at Lucian. He knew she didn’t want to be the one to tell the story, so he did. He told Doc every pertinent piece of information he could think of, and Mia occasionally chimed in when Doc asked her a question about the effects of the drugs and the mating heat itself.

  “You took a test this morning that came back positive?” Doc asked when the story of her ordeal had been thoroughly discussed.

  She nodded. “I wanted to wait for a couple weeks before I took a test, even though I know there are ones that can have results earlier.”

  “I’m still going to have you take one of ours.”

  Nila moved to a cabinet and removed a plastic cup with a lid. “The bathroom is down the hall on the left,” she said, handing it to Mia. His mate left the room, and Lucian looked at the doctor. He waited until he heard her go into the bathroom and shut the door before he spoke.

  “She’s worried that having a baby outside of her natural heat cycle is going to be dangerous, either for her or the baby.”

  Doc nodded. “It’s understandable she feels that way. In truth, I’ve never heard of a drug like what she experienced. I do know a little about ravens, and they’re very scientifically minded, but they’re also bat-shit crazy and keep secrets like the Kremlin. It’s my belief that if she did go into a real heat because of the drug, then her body will behave the way it would have in the fall, and that the pregnancy will be viable and she and the baby will come out on the other side healthy.”

  Nila said, “If her body couldn’t handle a pregnancy at a time other than the heat, I wouldn’t think the pregnancy would happen in the first place.”

  Doc made a noise of agreement. “There are drugs that mimic a heat cycle, but they’re mild in comparison to what females actually go through, and they don’t force ovulation. Whatever she was given… either she is pregnant or she’s not, but it’s up to her body to handle the baby. If there is one.”

  “You don’t think she’d be in danger from carrying a pup outside of the heat?” Lucian asked.

  “I don’t believe so, but I’m just guessing. She’ll definitely need to be monitored more closely during the pregnancy to be sure things progress as they should, but just because it’s not the right time doesn’t mean it’s not going to be fine.”

  The door to the bathroom opened and Mia returned, handing the cup of urine to Nila. Mia sat next to Lucian and said, “I heard what you were saying. I’m a little worried about the pregnancy, but I also know I can’t change anything. All I can do is take care of myself and the baby, and hope for the best.”

  Nila turned around and Lucian could see that the test in the cup had turned bright blue. “Congratulations, Mia,” Nila said.

  Mia squeezed Lucian’s hand so hard his knuckles cracked. “It’s really real, then.”

  “Yes,” Doc said. He turned to the laptop and typed for a moment, and then said, “Let’s give you a good old-fashioned checkup. I’ll draw some blood and we’ll run tests and make sure everything is okay. And you’re going to want to start on prenatal vitamins, too.”

  Lucian sat back as Mia went to the scale in the hall with Nila, where her height and weight were recorded. Then she sat on the exam table while Nila took measurements of her heart rate and blood pressure. Doc went through her entire health history. Wolves didn’t normally get sick, but they could be injured, and Mia had twice broken bones as a teenager and seen Doc for treatment. After the blood was drawn, Doc said, “I want to see you every two weeks. We can do an ultrasound at two months, but in the meantime, I want to keep an eye on you and your little one.”

  Lucian stood and shook Doc’s hand. “Thanks for taking care of my mate.”

  “You’re in charge now,” he said.

  “Um, no,” Mia said. “Momma’s in charge.”

  Lucian snorted. “I think he means I’m in charge of taking care of you.”

  “Oh,” she said, wrinkling her nose as she smiled. “That’s okay.”

  He chuckled as he kissed her forehead. “You’re still the boss, Mia, I promise.”

  “Good.”

  Chapter 16

  Kismet Thorburn glanced down as her watch buzzed on her wrist and a reminder flashed on the screen.

  Favor for Noah.

  Grabbing the remote from the arm of the couch, she stopped the recording of her favorite daytime talk show and turned off the TV. Her twin had asked her to run some healing ointments and poultices to his brother-in-law, Rich, because Noah had been called on for an emergency healing. Which was what happened when you were the go-to healer for the shifter community.

  Her twin took after their mother, who was a witch specializing in healing. Noah was technically a witch, but he preferred to go by ‘healer’ because the word witch made people think about pointed hats and green faces. Kismet, on the other hand, took after their father, who was fae. Her wings matched her father’s, ivory with copper tips, and she had her father’s gift of control over nature. She and Noah often collaborated on plant growth at his home, where she could make anything grow in any conditions. Which was really handy when one wanted to have a fresh lemon for tea in January, and one could make a lemon tree produce just a single fruit before sending it back to winter slumber.

  Standing with a stretch, she looked down at her ensemble of tights emblazoned with sugar skulls and her old-school Metallica t-shirt. She decided that Rich wouldn’t care what she was wearing, so she didn’t need to dress up. It wasn’t like she had a male in her life to dress up for, but it also wasn’t that she hadn’t had offers. Her father was a lifer in the fae military, and she’d grown up knowing that any military male would happily take her as his bride to get in good with a commander as stellar as her father. But color her unimpressed with males wanting to get into her pants just because she was related to a male who was the right-hand of the king.

  Picturing Noah’s home in her mind, she opened a portal and stepped in. Cool air rushed around her during the few seconds it took to transport from one place to another. The portal opened in front of his home, and she stepped out and onto his front porch, smiling at the scene. On a wooden rocking chair sat a paper grocery sack that was stapled shut. Next to it was a bouquet of wildflowers tied with twine, and a small notecard. She lifted the card and read, “Thanks. We’re even. N.”

  Snorting, she picked up the flowers and inhaled the sweet scent. She and Noah were forever doing favors for each other, and it was a competition to see who could come out on top, owing the other a favor. At the moment it appeared they were tied, but she’d figure out something to do for him that was grand enough to be worth two favors, and then she’d be in the lead.

  Check and mate.

  Lifting the heavy bag he’d prepared for Rich, who went by ‘Doc’ to his fellow pack members, she tucked the flowers under her arm and opened a portal. She stepped through, whisking to the mostly wolf town of Wilde Creek. She’d been to Wilde Creek with Noah before, but her life was in Burrows Woods, where her fae glen resided.

  A feminine scream rent the air and she spun in a circle, looking for the source of danger. She found a human female being shoved behind a dark-haired wolf male, with several other wolf males surrounding them.

  “What the hell!” the dark-haired male shouted.

  Kismet straightened from her defensiv
e crouch and shook out her wings. Figuring that she’d frightened the whole lot of them when she appeared out of the portal, she smiled sweetly and said, “I’m Doc’s kind of sister-in-law, Kismet.”

  Doc rushed out of the house, froze at the edge of the porch with his gaze pinging between the on-alert wolves and her, and then groaned.

  “Why can’t you drive?”

  “Duh, because I can transport.”

  “Alpha, this is my sister-in-law, Kismet Thorburn. She’s fae.”

  Kismet rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure they figured that out from the wings. No offense to the guards, but I’m not a danger to you or anyone else.”

  A male and female appeared on the porch behind Doc. The female was a wolf, but the male was…wow.

  “You’re a berserker?” she asked.

  His brows rose so high they almost flew off his face. “How did you know?”

  She tapped her temple. “I can sense what supernatural creature a person is. Plus, your aura is bright red, and that only happens with berserkers. What are you doing here?”

  Doc said, “His mate is a patient.”

  Kismet hummed in curiosity. She’d only ever met a berserker once. The old male had been a fearsome warrior, a protector of the fae throne who was unequaled in his loyalty or ferocity. When that king had stepped down for his son to take over, the warrior had followed him, having sworn to guard him until his last breath.

  “I’ve got your stuff,” she said to Doc, closing the distance between them.

  “You didn’t have to run this over. I could’ve gone to Noah’s.”

  “Yeah, but I owed him one and he collected.”

  Doc shook his head. “You two and your constant favors.”

  Behind her, the wolf male said, “If you all don’t mind, my mate has an appointment.”

  The female on the porch standing by the berserker made a soft sound, a whimper of pain that sounded as if someone had just poked a hot needle directly into her heart.