Hearts Aflame Collection IV: 4-Book Bundle

by Melissa F. Hart

  Her mind wanted to fire countless questions at her but she refused to let it. The questions would have to wait. As crazy as it was that two wolves had just been fighting on her bed, she couldn’t let herself think about it, not now.

  Taking long, deep breaths, Erin tried to calculate the time between her contractions. She sensed that she was extremely close to giving birth. She continued to breathe slowly, rubbing her hands over her bump, whispering reassuring comments to her unborn baby.

  “It’s going to be alright,” she promised, even though she wasn’t sure it was. “Mommy’s here, it’s going to be alright.”

  “Erin?” someone called from the other side of the door, making her abruptly stop whispering and subduing her in to stunned silence.

  “Erin?” the voice called again and it was instantly recognizable. She knew the deep, dulcet tones immediately. It was Sean.

  “Sean?” she called out weakly. Her whole body ached and groaned with the final stages of labor, and she was close to losing consciousness. The surge of adrenalin that had enabled her to reach the bathroom had drained her of her final stores of energy.

  The door to the en suite bathroom opened, and Sean stood in the opening. Erin was too exhausted to be shocked though her eyes did widen when she realized that he was completely naked. As she looked at him, she also spotted splatters of blood upon his skin.

  She didn’t want to query where he had come from, why he was naked and covered in blood but a part of her already knew the answer. She was too weary to deal with any of it now; all she cared about was her baby.

  “Are you okay?” Sean knelt down before her and ran a comforting hand across her forehead.

  “I’m having the baby,” Erin gasped.

  “Now?” Sean looked alarmed. Erin nodded frantically in response.

  “That explains the attack.” Sean cast a backward glance toward the bed, where a dismembered corpse of a wolf now lay.

  Erin wanted to press him for more details, to demand to know what was happening, why he had suddenly showed up at her house but the pain of labor clouded her thoughts and she could do nothing except cry out in agony.

  “We need to get you to a hospital,” Sean declared decisively. “I’ll go call an ambulance, wait here.”

  Erin watched him hurry out of the room, unsure where he had disappeared to as there was a phone on the bed, or at least there had been before the battle between the wolves had ensued.

  The contractions were much sharper and almost on top of each other. Erin knew she didn’t have much time.

  A few minutes later, Sean returned. He was suddenly dressed and his face and arms had been cleaned of any blood.

  “The ambulance is on its way,” he explained, taking Erin’s hands in his and giving them a squeeze.

  “It’s going to be alright.” His deep voice was soothing as he spoke.

  Erin wanted to just lap it all up. To enjoy finally having someone be there for her. With Sean’s sudden appearance, everything was as it should be. She was going into labor with the father of her unborn child beside her, literally holding her hand for support. But Erin couldn’t suppress her need for answers, even as her body was burning with searing pain.

  “You’re dressed.” She coughed out the words in an accusatory tone. Her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her; he was most definitely completely naked when he had initially opened the bathroom door.

  A part of her regretted her current state as the sight of Sean’s naked torso was a glory to behold. He was perfectly toned with flawless, supple skin. His physique was the stuff fantasies were made of.

  “I stored some clothes out back in your shed,” Sean explained casually as though that were a completely normal thing to do.

  “In my shed?” Erin asked, bemused.

  “Guess you never go out there.” Sean smiled and in spite of her confusion and suspicions, Erin felt herself melt. Sean was so devastatingly handsome.

  She wanted to shout and scream at him for abandoning her for all these months but now, with him there, she was powerless to do anything at all. The pain impaired her judgment, meaning that for the time being, she was just thankful that he was there to help her.

  “Owww!” Erin leaned forward, her eyes watering as the pain became more intense. Sean rubbed her back as beyond them, outside, the sounds of sirens bled in to the night.

  “The ambulance is here,” Sean explained. “I’ll be right back, I need to let them in.”

  Again, Erin watched Sean leave the room but then another, more urgent thought exploded in to her mind. How would she explain the wolf carcass? She cast a desperate look at the bed and wondered why Sean hadn’t thought to at least hide it. If the paramedics saw it, they would ask questions, questions Erin couldn’t possibly hope to even attempt to answer without ending up in some sort of mental institution.

  Her body was all but completely drained, but Erin forced herself to stand up. Seeing Sean had empowered her somehow. A part of her knew that what was on the bed had become not only his secret, but hers too. Perhaps it was the baby growing inside her that propelled her forwards, the baby that was tied to Sean, tied to his curse, but Erin managed to stand up and precariously made her way out of the bedroom and to the top of the stairs.

  The paramedics were already halfway up the staircase and immediately took her by both arms and helped guide her down to the waiting ambulance. As Erin stumbled out of her home, she saw Sean by the doorway and spotted the look of relief, followed by admiration in his eyes. He knew that her quick thinking had potentially saved them both.

  ***

  The ambulance ride to the hospital was a blur. Paramedics frantically hooked Erin up to various IV drips and monitored the vital signs of her and her baby.

  “Baby is almost here,” a blond paramedic yelled to his colleagues who were driving.

  “It’s okay,” they told him calmly, “we’re pulling to St. Jude’s now.”

  Erin was wheeled away from the ambulance on a gurney and taken straight to the maternity ward, where she had no time to catch her breath; the time had come to push.

  Sean had accompanied her in the ambulance and beneath the fluorescent glow of the strip lights above her he held on to Erin’s hand, delivering words of encouragement.

  “You can do this,” he told her certainly.

  “I’m so tired,” Erin gasped, feeling defeated.

  “You can do this, Erin. I know you can.”

  “Just listen to your boyfriend.” The nurse who was with them smiled in a friendly manner. Normally Erin would be quick to correct her, stating that Sean was not her boyfriend, but suddenly it didn’t seem to matter. If anything, she was quite happy to exist beneath the façade that they were actually a legitimate couple.

  To anyone looking in, they seemed the picture of happiness. Sean was holding her hand, his handsome features twisted with concern as Erin gasped and panted, trying to deliver their child in to the world. No one would guess what had transpired before their journey to the hospital. They appeared perfectly normal.

  ***

  Just before dawn came creeping over the horizon, Erin gave birth to a baby boy. Sean was on hand to cut the umbilical cord and both he and Erin openly wept upon the arrival of their new son.

  “He’s perfect,” the nurse proudly told the new parents as she handed the small bundle to Erin. “Ten fingers and ten toes.”

  “He’s so tiny.” Erin smiled. Her entire body sobbed with exhaustion but she ignored it. Meeting her little boy made her feel renewed.

  “He’s amazing,” Sean cooed, wiping a stray tear from his cheek. Erin looked up at him and smiled fondly. In her most desperate moments, when she’d truly needed him, he’d been there for her. She still couldn’t explain how that happened, but he’d done more than just saved her life, he’d saved their son’s too.

  “I’m just glad he’s here, that everything is alright,” Erin breathed, her shoulders finally lowering in relaxation.

  Sean’s body language remained
stiff and rigid, even in the face of the euphoria he felt over meeting his newborn son.

  “We can’t discuss anything, not here,” Sean told Erin, his voice low.

  “Why not?”

  “It’s not safe,” Sean disclosed, moving to the door and glancing nervously along the hospital corridor.

  “It’s a hospital,” Erin objected. “Of course it’s safe.”

  “Trust me, it’s not. They can get anywhere.”

  “Who can?” Erin asked as she felt her heart sink like a dead weight within her chest. Sean might have been back, but so were his paranoid delusions.

  Erin was still struggling to make sense of what happened back at her house, the last thing she needed was Sean fearing some ominous ‘they’.

  “What shall we call him?” Sean came back over to Erin, wearing a large, proud smile, his paranoia suddenly gone.

  The question caught Erin off guard and made her forget her previous anger toward him. Looking down at her little baby boy, she tried to think of the perfect name for him.

  He already had his father’s dark, intense eyes and a generous covering of dark hair upon his head, courtesy of his mother. He looked to be the perfect symmetry of their best features.

  “He’ll grow up to be strong and bold,” Sean whispered, looking down on the small baby who looked back at him with confused yet curious eyes.

  “He’ll be handsome,” Erin cooed. “Just like his father.” She surprised herself with the compliment, which Sean seemed to like as he placed an arm around Erin. Even though she was still angry with him, it felt good to feel him so close to her. She’d missed his scent, how his body felt against hers.

  “Why don’t we call him Jack?” Sean suggested. “That was my grandfather’s name,” he added as explanation.

  “Jack.” Erin said the name aloud and looked down at her baby and he gurgled contentedly upon hearing it.

  “He seems to like it.” She smiled.

  “I think it suits him,” Sean agreed, drawing closer to mother and baby.

  “Well hello then, Jack, welcome to the big wide world,” Erin whispered to the gurgling baby. “I’m your mommy and this is your saddy.”

  It felt good to say the words aloud, to be able to let Jack meet his father. For so long, Erin doubted she would ever see Sean again yet here he was.

  “I’m surprised you came back,” Erin admitted.

  “Came back?” Sean echoed in confusion.

  “For so long I thought you’d never return, that you were gone for good.” Erin thought of the countless nights she’d wept out of loneliness, the sense of abandonment cutting through her like a knife.

  “Gone? What do you mean?”

  “Sean, you left. You told me all that…stuff.” She kept her description vague only to avoid agitating Sean, not out of a belief that there was some evil ‘they’ out to get them and possibly even at the hospital.

  “And I sent you away. I thought you’d never return. But you did, you came back, right when I needed you most.” Erin looked up at Sean and smiled gratefully. He leant down and kissed her softly one the cheek.

  “So you think I left?” he asked her, smiling slightly as though enjoying a secret that only he knew.

  “Yes.” Erin nodded.

  “Erin, I never left you,” Sean told her. “I was there all along, watching over you.”

  “You were?” Erin couldn’t hide her disbelief.

  “I never left,” Sean confirmed. “How could I?”

  Erin had so many questions dancing through her head, so many things she needed to know but sleep finally caught up on her and, as Sean carefully lifted Jack from her arms, she let her eyes fall shut and fell in to a much needed deep and dreamless sleep.

  Do you like this book? Be sure to check other books in this series

  Birth Right - Volume 5

  Let's Make a Pack - Volume 6

  Phases of Passion II (Trilogy Bundle)

  Be sure to check the first part of this series

  New Moon - Volume 1

  Crescent Moon - Volume 2

  Full Moon - Volume 3

  Phases of Passion (Trilogy Bundle)

  Cry Wolf

  Synopsis

  In Cry Wolf, the ‘wolf problem’ in Broken Wheel, Wyoming takes a very personal turn for Sheriff’s Deputy, Jade Lundgren. When beloved local rancher Duke Minton turns up dead from an apparent wolf attack, Jade desperately wants to find the real killer in order to protect Conall O’Faolán. Not only is Conall being blamed for the increase in wolves in the area, Jade realizes that she can’t ignore the profound connection she feels to the sexy Irishman, or the fact he’s trusted her to keep his true nature a secret. To make difficult matters more confusing, handsome bomb tech ‘Boomer’ Harkness makes his romantic interest in Jade known, and the beautiful Irish shapeshifter Aoife has her own plans for Conall.

  “Jade! Did you hear anything that I just said?”

  Shaking herself, Jade tried to demonstrate that she had been paying attention to Nicolette and the stack of bridal magazines arrayed on the table in front of them. “Empire waistline, ivory lace…” she stumbled a little, “Uhh, full sleeve.” She smiled sheepishly at her best friend, the bride-to-be. “Okay! I’m distracted, but I’ve got a good reason.”

  Nicolette gathered up the magazines into a neat stack. “You know what? I’ve been distracted with the wedding plans, and I haven’t been paying enough attention to what’s going on with you. How about a little glass of sherry by the fireplace, and you can tell me about what’s going on with you?”

  Jade rolled her eyes. “I might need a big glass of sherry.”

  “Then I’ll bring the bottle.” Nicolette smiled impishly. “If you drink it from tiny cordial glasses, it doesn’t really count.”

  A few minutes later, Jade and Nicolette were settled onto Nicolette’s cozy, overstuffed sofa. Between the crackling fire and the sherry, the two friends soon had a rosy glow.

  “So what’s going on?” Nicolette probed.

  “You know that bomb tech, Gil Harkness? The one everyone calls Boomer? He asked me to go out with him, and I’m trying to figure out what to say.” Jade stared into the flames licking upward from the stack of logs in the hearth.

  “What do you want to say? He’s a nice guy, right? And nice looking too…tall and strapping, chiseled jaw? Sort of looks like a Chippendale from what I remember.” Nicolette took a sip from the delicate etched glass in her hand.

  “Yeah, I mean, that’s just it. I can’t really figure out a reason to say no.”

  “But?”

  “But I’ve…I’ve got it bad for Conall O’Faolán.”

  Nicolette tried to mimic an Irish accent, “Aye, the lovely Irishman.”

  Jade started laughing. “You sound like some kind of demented elf.” She demonstrated a much better version of an Irish accent, “He’s a wee bit more sexy than that.”

  Switching back to her normal voice, Nicolette continued with a sympathetic smile, “Sexy yes, accessible…not so much.”

  Sighing, Jade held out her glass for a refill. “I don’t get it. We have this incredible night together—romantic, passionate, intimate—and then he…completely disappears. He didn’t seem like the type to kiss and run.”

  “Intimacy scares a lot of men.” Nicolette splashed some more sherry into Jade’s glass, then refilled her own. “They want it, but real commitment means they might have to change their lifestyle.”

  Jade swirled her glass a little. “He did mention that the woman he thought he was going to spend his life with died. He didn’t say how, but I could tell by the look on his face that it was something terrible and tragic.”

  “Oh honey, he’s probably still carrying a torch for her. Don’t try to compete with the dead. Besides, you haven’t even seen him since the ‘big night.’ Go out with Boomer. There’s something to be said for a man who asks you out on a proper date.”

  Arching an eyebrow, Jade looked at Nicolette. “It’s not like you and Har
lan figured out you were in love with each other through normal channels. Let’s see, as I recall, it took you being kidnapped for everyone to get real.” She poked Nicolette in the arm to emphasize her point.

  “Touché. Still, what’s the harm with trying normal channels? Lots of people fall in love without it ever involving methamphetamines, explosives, or psychotic ex-bosses.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Jade. “You know what they say about the correlation between a man’s shoe size and his…” she cleared her throat a little, “I mean, Boomer has got be at least a size 13, maybe bigger.”

  Jade started giggling. Men could come and go, but nothing could substitute for hanging out with your BFF. “Okay, I’ll call Boomer back tomorrow. You’re absolutely right, there’s no harm in going out on a date.”

  Nicolette clinked her glass against Jade’s in a little toast. “Who knows, you might actually have fun!”

  Jade thought about Boomer’s warm smile, his gentle concern for others, and the fact that he was a very good-looking man. “You’re absolutely right. I could do with a little fun in my life.”

  ***

  “You’ve been to Mr. Pink’s!”

  Tim and the rest of the Broken Wheel Sheriff’s Department—Sheriff Wilson, Deputy Dougie, and their dispatcher, Rosie—circled around the box of hot donuts in Jade’s hands like sharks coming to chum.

  “Yes, I have!” Jade opened the lid of the box a little, letting the sugary aroma of the warm donuts waft out, giving her colleagues a tantalizing peek at the array of instant gratification contained inside—glazed, chocolate, iced with sprinkles—before slamming the lid down and holding the box out of reach as Tim did his best to snatch one out. She gave them her best “bad cop” face. “There are conditions.”