Mac blinked then raised an eyebrow. He had almost forgotten the entire reason he was there in the first place, he had been enjoying his time with her so much.
“She said they are ready to go home now. You have to go and she’ll tell you where they are,” Kensie said, with a frown. Mac got the sense that she didn’t want him to leave just yet, either. She stood up and sighed.
As she gathered the cards to put them back in her toy chest, the wolf pups lifted their heads, then jumped down from the bed.
Kensie raced over to Mac and patted him on the knee. “You stay right here, okay?” she asked, then she exited the room quickly with the pups hot on her heels. Mac sat in the chair and waited patiently for them to return, all the while thinking about if he had what it took to be a good father.
He knew he would protect his children with all that was within him, just as he’d protect his mate until his dying breath. He sat up straighter in the little chair. Hell yeah, he’d be a great dad. Kensie seemed to think that he would be and, damn it, that was more than enough for him to believe it.
When Kensie and the pups returned to the room, Mac noticed that the pink ribbons had been removed from her hair and she had changed out of the dress and into a pair of pajamas with feet. The pajamas were yellow with pink and white angel wings printed all over them. Because, of course they were.
He watched as the pups bounded up into the bed and then he turned his focus back to Kensie as she climbed into his lap and wrapped her little arms around his neck and squeezed again.
“Thank you for coming to visit me, Mah-cheese. I missed you sooo much,” she said, her voice muffled into his neck. Mac hugged her tight and closed his eyes, inhaling her sweet little girl scent again.
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I missed you more than you’ll ever know, pretty princess,” he said, as he laid a kiss on the top of her head. She raised her head and looked him straight in the eye.
“You’re gonna be THE bestest daddy ever! Your babies already love you,” she said, as she scrambled off his lap and climbed into the bed. Mac gave her a wry grin as he stood to tuck her in.
“Oh, yeah?” he asked. “How do you know that?”
“I am little, but I know things.” Kensie nodded her head, like the wise little person she was.
Mac smiled and shook his head. “Ok, princess. I believe you.”
Kensie flashed him a great big smile. “Yay! I brushed my teeth. See, look.” She opened her mouth wide. Mac squinted and looked.
“I don’t know, I think I see a few rocks back there, maybe a few puppies…” he said as he pulled the covers up to her chin and poked her in the belly.
Kensie giggled. “No, Mah-cheese! No rocks and puppies in my mouth! No, no, no!” She shook her head and grinned. The pups padded up next to her, turned in synchronized circles, then settled down on the bed.
Mac leaned forward and kissed Kensie on the forehead. Then he reached over and rubbed each pup with his fingers gently on their snouts. The chocolate-colored pup sneezed and the honey-colored one looked up and him and licked his finger. Mac and the pup looked at each other for a long time. He still couldn’t put a finger on what seemed so familiar about the pups, but it was something. He could feel it.
“See, I told you,” Kensie said, as she yawned again and settled her head back into her pillow. “It’s love,” she whispered.
Mac leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. He really wished he could stay a bit longer, but he was starting to feel a pull in his chest. A pull that somehow told him that is was, in fact, time to leave.
“I love you, pretty princess. I’ll miss you,” Mac said, as he planted another kiss on her forehead. Kensie smiled and raised her hand, then patted his cheek.
“I love you, Mah-cheese. To the moon and back,” she said. Kensie gave him an even brighter smile then closed her eyes and turned over to her side. Mac’s heart squeezed a bit more this time, but it was partly due to Kensie’s familiar bedtime goodbye, the words their mother had taught them both many years ago, and part to that urgent “You need to get out of here” tug that was feeling more insistent now.
Mac rubbed Kensie’s back once and then gave her one final pat before he headed to the door. He gave her and the sleeping pups one last look before he stepped into the hallway.
And then he heard someone clear their throat. A decidedly male throat.
Mac’s eyes darted quickly across the hallway towards the sound. Sitting in an overstuffed chair was a man, who didn’t look much older than Mac himself. He looked up at Mac as he sat forward in the chair and set a book down on a small table next to him. Mac immediately bristled and shifted his stance in front of Kensie’s door.
“Who the hell are you?” Mac demanded in a loud whisper, as not to disturb Kensie or the pups. The man raised his hands in supplication.
“Hey, it’s cool. First, she’s a heavy sleeper. Nothing short of an eight-hundred-pound green ogre stomping down the hall would wake her up,” the man chuckled. He ran a hand through his short dark hair. “Second, I’m a friend. I check in on her from time to time to make sure she and the pups are safe.” The man looked at him thoughtfully. “You must be Mac. She talks about you all the time. You’re a bit shorter than I thought. Let Kensie tell it, you’re eight feet tall.”
Mac loosened his stance a bit, but remained in front of the door. He got the sense that the guy was telling the truth, but he wasn’t taking any chances just yet. The man nodded at him.
“I get it. You don’t know me, but that’s okay. Just know that it’s important to me that she and the pups are alright. She takes care of those pups like they are her own babies. They’re family to her.” The man stayed in the chair, with his arms rested on his knees, his hands open and in full view. He gave no hint of harm or malice and a few seconds later, something clicked inside of Mac. The guy was okay. He wasn’t sure why he felt that way all of a sudden, but something deep inside him let him know he was alright. And anyone who protected his family, especially when Mac couldn’t be around, was good with him.
The man stood slowly and rubbed his chin. “She says some really deep stuff sometimes, Kensie does. It’s like she’s got an old soul. I’m sure whatever she told you was meant for you and only you. Whatever it was, don’t take it lightly or for granted. Sometimes those with the purest of hearts are the ones who give us the key to understanding the most profound things we’ll ever know.”
Mac looked at the man for a few seconds, then nodded. He had definitely learned a few things from his time with his baby sister. Things he would absolutely think about later. The man turned and headed down the hall, then paused as he reached a door.
“I’m about to make a ham and cheese sandwich, with extra mayo. You want one?” He looked expectedly at Mac. Mac made a face at the extra mayo part and was about to respond when he felt a sharp, tugging pain in his chest. He had to leave now.
“No, I – I have to—” Mac stammered out. He was beginning to have a hard time breathing. The man nodded then looked at him knowingly.
“Ah yes, it must be time,” he said. He pointed to a door at the other end of the hallway. There was bright white light streaming all around it. “Over there. Go that way. Quickly now, before it’s too late.” And, with that, he turned and walked away.
Mac started for the door with the light streaming around the edges. He clutched at his chest as each step brought him closer to the door. He was having a harder time breathing now and was starting to wheeze, but something told him that if he could just make it there, he’d be okay. As Mac forced his feet to move, his body felt more and more sluggish. He fought with himself not to panic, the door was only a few more steps away…if he could only make it. Mac groped for the handle, feeling more and more lightheaded and woozy. In an almost desperate attempt, as he struggled to breathe, he clutched at the door wildly, found the handle and yanked it open. A bright flash of light temporarily blinded him.
And then everything suddenly went black
.
Chapter Seven
Bru stole a glance at his watch and looked over at his best friend in the passenger seat. Mac had been out for twenty-seven minutes and fifty-three, fifty-four, fifty-five seconds. His guardian angel told him repeatedly that Mac was okay, and that made him feel better for the first thirteen minutes and eleven seconds. But now? Now Bru was officially freaking out again. He gripped the steering wheel so tight he was pretty sure he heard it crack in his grip. The angel had told him to keep driving in the direction he had been going (after the chili dog break, no onions, of course) and he had been driving that way ever since.
Okay, Bru. I’m going to tell you something and I need you to not overreact, alright?
The angel had been quiet for a while. She said she had something to do but that she’d be right back and now she was. Again, Bru felt instantly better, but not by much. He just wished his good buddy would wake up.
“Okay, I promise I won’t overreact.” All depends on what it was, he thought. He was barely keeping it together as it was. And bears, as a rule, always kept things together.
Just so you know, I can hear your thoughts, sweet bear. He heard her soft laugh in his head. You are doing so great, you have been absolutely amazing, protecting your best friend. And, now, guess what?
“What?” Bru said absently. He reached over and checked Mac’s pulse. Hm. Seemed a little faster than it was when he checked it a few minutes ago. That was weird.
Mac is going to wake up in a few moments and –
“He is?? Oh, my goodness, finally!” Bru let out a sigh of relief.
Yes, he’s going to wake up any minute. Now, it may seem a little scary, how he wakes up. Sometimes, when people…uhm come back, they might have a funky reaction. Everyone reacts differently. Mac is just–
Mac suddenly wheezed loudly, then coughed and sputtered a bit. Bru whipped his head in his direction, his eyes wide.
“Is he going to die?!? What’s wrong with him??” Bru quickly tore the truck across two lanes of highway as cars honked and swerved to avoid him. He pulled onto the gravel roadside, ripped off his seatbelt and turned to face his friend. Mac wheezed again. He had grabbed his chest but his eyes were still closed. Bru thought Mac looked like he was turning blue. All the color immediately drained from Bru’s face.
Okay, Bru, again, don’t freak out. What Mac is experiencing seems extreme, and it kind of is, but he’ll be okay in few sec—
Bru heard nothing the angel said. His firefighter training was kicking in. Must save Mac. His best wolf friend was not about to die on his watch. Besides, Rogue would kill him. Bru checked Mac’s airway and positioned him to prepare to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He opened his mouth (sanitary measures be damned, there was no time!) and was about to lean in when Mac gave a final wheeze and a ragged cough, then took in huge gulps of air. His eyes flew open and he blinked a few times. Bru, mere inches from his face, looked at him with a bewildered look for a split second before his face broke out in huge grin.
“You’re okay!” Bru exclaimed. He crushed Mac in a big bear hug.
“Yeah, I’m good.” Mac grumbled. “Or, at least, I was good until you crushed my ribs just now. Get off me, man.” His voice was a little hoarse and raspy, but he was otherwise okay.
Bru squeezed him once more then sat back in the driver’s seat. “I thought you were going to die, Mac. I had to do something.”
Mac stretched in his seat and cracked his neck. “Do what? Smother me to death? Yeah, that would’ve been helpful as shit.”
Bru put his seatbelt back on and checked his mirrors then pulled carefully back into traffic. “No, I was gonna give you mouth-to-mouth. You were having trouble breathing and I—”
Mac whipped his head in Bru’s direction. “You were what? Mouth-to-mouth?? What did I tell you about always trying to make out with me, man? And while I was sleeping too? Consent much, buddy? You’re killing me.” Mac sniffed the air. “Are you kidding me? You stopped for lunch, too? Chili dogs?? Seriously?”
Bru shrugged. “She said we had time. Besides, I was starving.”
“I swear, you have the appetite of a twelve-year-old boy.” Mac stared out the window. He watched the green fields, grass, and trees whiz by. “How long was I out?” he asked.
Bru checked his watch. “Thirty-one minutes and twelve seconds.”
Shit. “Really?” Mac closed his eyes briefly. He felt like he had been out for hours.
“Yep. I checked the time and your pulse. Had to make sure you didn’t die. If you did, I’d probably have to leave the country, because I am pretty sure Rogue would have killed me.”
Rogue. Mac’s heart tugged at hearing her name. And then he felt a twinge again as he remembered Kensie’s words. “You’ll make THE bestest daddy, Mah-cheese!”
Whoo, welcome back, Wolfie McCheese. Feeling good?
Mac grinned. “Selina, I presume?
“What?” Bru asked.
“Just talking to my guardian angel.”
“Oh, okay. Tell her I said hi!” Bru checked his mirrors and kept his eyes on the road.
Nope, none of this was weird at all.
You know you don’t have to talk out loud if you don’t want to, I can still hear your thoughts.
So, you were the one who orchestrated all this, Mac thought. Why?
The angel sighed. You were just so sad, Wolfiekins. I know it wasn’t something you’d admit to anyone else, but I knew it. I’ve known you your whole life. You have this super-thick skin, like everything is always fine. And then you met your mate - who is a complete badass, by the way, love, Love LOVE her! – and then I thought you were going to be okay. But then, as soon as she started talking about babies, you got sad again. The angel paused.
Mac said nothing. He just listened.
You’ve spent decades beating yourself up about something that was completely out of your control and it broke my heart. I wish I could have been there to stop it. I tried to send someo—.
The angel abruptly stopped.
What? Mac thought. What was that?
Nothing, the angel said. Suffice it to say that the only one would could really get through to you wasn’t me. It wasn’t even Rogue.
It was Kensie, Mac thought. The angel was right. He smiled.
Well, of course I’m right. I’m always right, the angel said. Then he heard some rustling in his head. Alright, alright, sheesh, Rhyann. Pushy much?
Who’s that? Mac thought.
The angel ignored his question. Okay, Wolftastic Sam, the babies are ready to be found now. The bear knows where to go, just follow him.
Mac frowned. They’re ready to be found? What the hell does that even me—.
Geesh, so many questions, Wolfman! There are just some things that aren’t gonna make any sense right now! The angel huffed out an exasperated breath. And I just can’t explain it to you. All I can say is that those babies are super special and you are very important to them. Almost as important as you will be to your own babies. Never forget that, Mac.
Mac heard some more rustling in his head. Okay, Hairy Potter, I’ve gotta go now. Talk to you soon. Go get those babies!
Mac was so confused, none of this made any sense at all. He looked over at Bru, who was taking a rural exit off the interstate.
“Where are we going?” Mac asked. He could see nothing but trees for miles around. For all intents and purposes, it looked like they were in the middle of no-freaking-where.
“She said to take that exit then follow this road. There is a little…oh, there it is!” Bru pointed to a little stand off the road that was situated in front of a copse of trees. As they came closer, they saw it was a fruit stand. It was one that was unmanned, where you could grab some fruit and leave your money in a box on the side. Bru pulled the truck into the dirt lot next to it and shut off the engine.
Mac looked at him and shrugged. “Okay, now what?”
“She said just wait. We’d know it when we saw it.”
This s
hit was getting weirder by the minute. “Saw what, B?”
“I dunno. All she said is that we’d know— Oh, look! Look at that!” Bru pointed to a clearing in the trees, one they hadn’t seen from the road. As they both watched, a white light formed into a ball in the center of the clearing. It started small, maybe the size of a melon, then grew into a larger and larger ball and then it started to shimmer.
Mac and Bru got out of the truck and cautiously approached the shining light. From a distance, the light seemed opaque at first, but as they got closer, the light began to ebb outward and was surrounded by what looked like a blanket of foggy mist. And, in the center of that mist, were Kit and Kyla and a woman with a warm and friendly smile. She held both babies and gently coaxed Mac and Bru to step forward.
Here, the word rang out in both Mac and Bru’s heads. She handed Kit to Bru and Kyla to Mac. Where they were, they had no need to eat or sleep, so they’ll probably be cranky and really hungry in a matter of moments. She smiled at them both.
Bru smiled back at her and carried Kit to the truck. Mac shifted Kyla on to his hip and the baby girl smiled at him. He smiled back.
Hold on, Mac, one more thing.
Mac looked up as the angel’s spoke. The angel pointed across the clearing.
She wanted one last look at you before you left…
Standing off in the distance, within the misty fog, Mac saw Kensie in her pajamas with feet. She wore a huge grin and the two little wolf pups tumbled and rolled around her feet. Kensie clapped her hands and waved. Mac’s face broke out into a huge grin.
He waved back at her. “Goodbye, my Pretty Princess,” he said softly. His heart tugged again.
“See, I told you, Mah-cheese! They love you already!” Kensie said, as she pointed to the wolf pups. They had stopped tumbling and sat on their haunches, their little tails wagging in delight.
Mac looked at them, then at Kensie. Wait, he thought. Could they—
Kyla let out a loud and piercing cry. He bounced her a bit, startled away from the view for a moment.
One True Mate: Shifter's Lullaby (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 5
