by Teagan Wilde
Damon turns around and grabs hold of the wolf, shaking his head violently until he breaks his neck. Only one shifter is left at this point, and he takes off into the woods. I change back into human form, and Brantley opens the door and hands me some clothes.
The baby is resting against Brantley’s chest, covered in a small blanket, fast asleep. I hear something running toward me. I turn around and, before I can jump back, a fist connects with my face, and my attacker tries to reach inside the vehicle.
I change into my wolf form, and I snarl and grab his ankle, dragging him away from Brantley. He screams loudly, trying to kick me in the face, and I only bite down harder. Stupid fucker. What kind of man hits a woman when she is looking the other way? No honor.
Something butts against my side. I look over and Damon is standing next to me. He is in his human form, and boy is he pissed. I ease my mouth open, even though every instinct is telling me to stay and bite down harder. The moment I let go of the guy, Damon picks him up off the ground like he weighs nothing.
I change back into human form, leaving me fully naked. My brother walks over to Brantley and takes the clothes that he tried to offer me. He hands them to me, and I pull the shirt and sweatpants on.
My face is stinging really badly from the punch. I hold my face, trying not to make any noise.
Damon snarls, and I hear a crunching sound, then a scream. Damon is stepping on the hand that hit me. His eyes are completely gold, blackened around the edges. He has lost almost all control.
“Hurt?” he asks in a voice so deep it’s almost a growl.
“I will be fine.”
His face darkens more. The wolf shifter on the ground screams at the sight of his face, and I don’t blame him one bit. Damon stomps down harder, and I hear crack after crack until his hand is completely mutilated. “Why did you attack?” Damon asks him.
“The boy has been sold.”
Fuck me, I knew it—but to hear it? Still sucks.
“You will run to your alpha and warn him to stay the fuck away or face the consequences.” Damon steps off of his hand, and the guy scrambles to his feet and runs into the woods. Damon walks over to me and touches the mark where the guy hit me.
“I should have killed him.” Damon gently strokes the mark, and it feels better instantly.
I lay my head on his chest; I can’t believe all of that happened. I knew that there was a possibly we would run into trouble, but I didn’t expect anything like this.
Damon walks me to the SUV, and I sit in the back seat beside Brantley, who is still holding the baby. Maverick gets in the passenger seat in front of me. “Thank you, Alpha,” Brantley says.
Damon smiles for the first time since this morning. “You are welcome. This baby is the start of the next generation, and his life is very important.”
I just love my mate. He has so many sides to him. He is fiercely protective and merciless with enemies, kind and generous to his packmates, and a sweet and considerate mate to me. I love all these aspects of him, even though his possessiveness gets on my nerves a bit—but I also kind of love it.
The baby starts crying. “I think he’s hungry,” Brantley tells me and I dig into the diaper bag, finding formula and a bottle. “I know it’s safer in the car seat, but I don’t think it’s a good idea, considering everything that just happened, in case we have to run.” I nod. I look at the measurements on the back of the can of formula and fix the bottle. I shake it up and hand it to Brantley, and he puts it in the baby’s mouth. He latches on like he hasn’t eaten in a while.
“I believe he was hungry.” I laugh, and Brantley’s face lights up in a smile.
Once again, I am so happy for him. I am glad that he is getting this opportunity to be a father, and watching him with the baby is an ovary explosion—there’s nothing like seeing a handsome guy caring for a baby.
“What are you going to name him?” I ask.
Brantley looks at me then back at him, touching his cheek. “I think I am going to name him Aiden.”
“I love it.” I lean back in my seat, watching the two of them being so happy together. I want that. I look into the mirror, and I see Damon staring at me.
I hope that I am pregnant. I want a pup.
When we get home, everyone is waiting at the gate. Brantley gets out, and they come over to welcome the new member of the family. I think I want to change the title from “pack” to “family,” because that is a better way to describe us.
Damon tells everyone what happened, and all the guys are pissed and ready for whatever comes next. I am too. This baby-selling business needs to end.
I follow Brantley to his new home. Damon moved him into a new house, closer to ours, in case he needs help. Brantley’s clothes and other personal items have already been moved. We walk into the nursery. Olive has done an amazing job with the furniture and necessities.
A baby bathtub is resting on top of the chest; I think a bath is in order first. “Want me to take him until you get everything ready?” He hands him over, and I snuggle him up against my chest. “You’re never alone, Brantley. I will help you with anything you need until you can figure everything out yourself.”
He gives me a side hug. “Thank you very much, I am kind of clueless.” He chuckles.
“I am here to help. I plan on having one of these as soon as I can.” I kiss the top of Aiden’s head.
Brantley carries the tub into the bathroom and fills it with warm water. He takes the baby from me and gently lays him inside the bathtub while I lean against the wall. He acts like he has done this many times. It’s like he was made to do this.
“Tomorrow, let me know what time you want my help to go shopping.”
He finishes putting on the baby’s clothes. “I sure will. Probably around noon—is that okay?”
“Give me time to sleep in,” I muse and he laughs. “He is so pretty.” Aiden is the most beautiful little baby. His hair is a deep, dark brown, and his eyes are a light green that is just so striking. He has a tan complexion.
“I will protect him throughout his life, push him whenever it is needed but, most all of all, I will raise him and support him throughout his life, no matter what his choices.”
“The way it should be,” I whisper and hug him. “I will let you rest and let you guys get acquainted with each other. See you tomorrow.”
“Bye, and thank you, Farren.”
I walk to my house, and Damon is in the kitchen with Olive and Randall’s little girl. She is sitting at the kitchen island with a glass of milk and some cookies. “I am sure that your brother will apologize really soon,” Damon reassures her, and she climbs off the bar and hugs his leg.
“Thank you, Alpha. If you say he will, he will.” The way he puffs out his chest, Damon looks like he is ten feet tall. She runs out of the house.
“She came to me so sad, her brother told her to leave him alone.”
How cute is that? A child usually would never dare to tell their alpha something; most fear their alpha. I am glad that they feel secure enough to mention something as small as this to Damon.
I bite my lip in thought—should I be this brave? I grab the bottom of my shirt and lift it straight over my head. I have no bra on. Damon’s nose flares as he takes me in. All for him. “See something you like, Alpha?”
He comes around the bar. “You have no fucking clue, Moon, good enough to eat.”
Fire flows through my body, and I take off my sweatpants, leaving me fully naked. His eyes move up and down my body. I turn around, giving him my back. I slowly walk around the living room and behind the couch. He growls and bends me over the back of the couch. Damon takes his clothes off, and his eyes are a beautiful golden color. I grin. I love that I can get him worked up.
He bends down, his lips touching the back of my neck. I shiver, my toes curling. His lips are like liquid fire, touching every single one of my nerve endings. “Mine, all fucking mine.” He growls so deeply, I can feel his body vibrating.
“All yours,” I agree. He owns every single part of me. He is made for me.
“Fucking right, Moon.” His hands grip my hips and move between my legs, touching me. Two fingers slide inside me. My knees are so weak I grip the edge of the couch to keep myself from falling.
“Soaked,” he whispers in my ear, and I throw my head back.
“I need you, Damon.”
“My baby gets what she wants.” He removes his fingers, and I feel the head of his dick pressing against my entrance. He pushes me further over the back of the couch, and he pushes all the way inside. I clench down on him, and he groans deep in his throat.
His fingers grip my hips as he pounds inside me. He was very gentle the first couple of days, when we’d just started having sex, but I wanted more—oh, so much more. I grab the cushion, pressing my face into it. I push back against him as hard as he is giving it to me. All of a sudden, he pulls me away from the couch and picks me up. “What are you doing?” I ask in shock, mostly because I was getting close.
“What if you’re pregnant? I don’t want to hurt the baby.” He lays me gently on the couch, covering my body with his.
“I do hope I am, seeing Brantley so happy…” I trail off, touching the side of his face. I love the many faces of Damon: the sweet side, the loving side, the thoughtful side, and the protective side. I love all of him. To a human, it would probably look like we have rushed everything but, in our world, this is not the case at all. Why not do things differently when you know someone is meant for you? You have an instant lover and protector and all the love you can ever imagine. It’s a real-life fairy tale and, in a way, it makes me sad that humans don’t get to experience this.
We are hidden from the humans for the most part; only a few know about us. The town folks suspect, though. We live outside of Raleigh, Texas. We have a small store and a restaurant, just outside of town, that we go to because it’s easier. Raleigh is the home of the Devil Souls MC, and on the other side of us is the Grim Sinners MC. In a way we are very lucky; they run the towns, so to speak, and they keep the law out of the way. They are a bunch of badasses, I have to admit, and that is saying something because I am surrounded by them.
My thoughts are instantly back on Damon when he slowly moves inside me, kissing the side of my neck so tenderly. I wrap my arms and legs around him, holding, touching, and just feeling. My eyes are closed as I am taken off to another world that belongs only to me and Damon.
A Month Later
Tonight is the full moon, and this morning I noticed something different about myself. A shifter’s mate can tell if she is pregnant based on the way she smells, but Damon left early this morning, so I doubt he would have noticed. He is at the community center we are building, overseeing operations. He needed to get an early start because we leave for the pack gathering today.
I bought a pregnancy test a week ago in case of a moment like this. I pee on the stick and set it on the counter, waiting. A few minutes pass, and I close my eyes for a second as I grab the pregnancy test, nervous. I hope I am pregnant; I want a baby. I want a family with Damon.
I open my eyes, and the small screen says exactly what I was hoping for.
Pregnant.
I laugh, pressing my hand to my mouth in happiness and disbelief. In four months’ time, I will be giving birth to a baby. In the first month we don’t experience any changes, but after that it just seems to happen overnight. Everything is going to change. I will not be able to shift for the rest of my pregnancy, and that will make me vulnerable when it comes to protecting myself.
I leave the pregnancy test on the bathroom counter, and I hear the front door open as Damon walks in. I smile, waiting for him to notice. He shuts the door and looks directly at me. He breathes deeply. “Moon,” he whispers. He falls to his knees in front of me. He pushes up my shirt, leaving my belly bare. “Moon, you are pregnant?” His voice is deep with emotion, and I bury my fingers in his hair. He repeatedly kisses my stomach, breathing in my new scent, and I just hold him. I knew Damon wanted this, but I don’t think I realized how much until I witnessed his reaction to the news. I am so happy.
I hear someone walk onto the front porch, and Maverick comes in without knocking, but we were expecting him. My brother immediately looks at Damon, still on his knees in front of me, and smiles. “Pregnant?” I nod, tears filling my eyes. “Congrats, you guys.” Maverick walks over and hugs me. Damon finally snaps out of it and stands next to me, pressing me tightly against his side, his hand on my stomach. Uhh, I don’t think I realized how protective he is going to be. Brantley walks into the house next, holding Aiden. He halts, breathing deeply, the moment he enters the house.
“Farren, I am so happy for you!” He hugs me, and I hug him back as much as I can through Damon’s grip on me.
“Just know, the only reason you just touched her is because you’re her best friend and you like men,” Damon points out. I roll my eyes at his ridiculousness. “You will have two guards on you the whole time we are at the gathering. I will not be taking chances with her.”
Yeah, exactly what I was expecting.
“I will never leave her side either,” Brantley says. “Damon, I am not sure how people will react to my adopting Aiden.”
That is something I have wondered about myself. “I will babysit for you while you mingle with the singles.” Brantley looks relieved. “It’s no problem at all.” I touch the side of Aiden’s sleeping face.
Brantley is such a good father. He has taken on the role with open arms and has been absolutely amazing. He is so much happier—he is carefree and just glowing. I am glad that we were able to let him have this life.
Maverick steps forward. “I would be honored to help protect my sister. I sent a few of our dominants to check out the housing and set up as much security as possible.”
I am not sure how people will react to Damon. He is a new alpha and has taken many of the males from other packs. Damon has modern ideas, and most of the others do not. It’s going to be a clash of traditions, and I am not sure Damon is going to budge on anything—and I don't want him to.
“Brantley, I will assign one person to you also. I will not allow anything to happen to you. You will be in the main house with us.” My mate is amazing, so thoughtful. Olive and Randall will be staying here, keeping an eye on everything. Everyone else is going. As the alpha’s female, I am required to go so that if couples decide to mate, I am there for the females. Then each couple will have to decide whether to live with her pack or his pack; hopefully, they come back to ours. I love every single member of our pack and can’t imagine not having them here. Living here has made me realize it’s not so good in other packs.
We had it much easier in my old pack—it was not too strict—but the others are a living hell. If you do something that the elders do not like, you are punished and, in some cases, tortured. You are stuck in these packs, with no way out unless you beg another alpha to take you in. The bears are not as bad as the wolf shifters, but they are strict too. The older packs that come from pure bloodlines are the ones to watch out for.
This is why Damon is such a safe haven!
“We are leaving in an hour. Maverick and Brantley will be in the vehicle with us, and three extra guards will be in the back,” Damon informs all of us. We have a huge-ass Hummer, which is like a steel vault and holds eight people.
I’ve got to admit I am kind of worried because I can’t shift to protect myself anymore. I know that Damon will protect me—I have no doubts about that—but when you’re used to being able to shift anytime, anywhere, and then you can’t? It’s not easy.
“We will be ready.” Maverick walks out of the house to get his bags, and Brantley hands me Aiden. I kiss his forehead; he is so precious.
“I need to finish packing all of the necessities for him, do you mind?” Brantley asks.
“Not at all!” I wave him off and plop my butt on the couch for cuddle time, while Damon runs around the house on the phone, getting everything rea
dy.
Then it’s time to load up the vehicle, with a trail of SUVs behind us. Wolf shifters don't harm women, but the coyotes and the hyenas, on top of Ken—that is what bothers me. I look over at Damon, his grip tight around the steering wheel. He is ready for war, and we are diving into it headfirst.
Farren
The gathering place is in the middle of nowhere, with a bunch of houses for the alphas and their families. The single packmates will stay in tents surrounding the houses.
One by one, people come out of their houses, staring. There are rumors that we are vicious and evil and the guys are pure cavemen with absolutely no morals. I can see the fear on some of the women’s faces—it was probably put there by the alphas so they will stay away from us.
I want my pack filled with kids, happiness, and family.
Damon looks at me, and I take his hand. “Let’s do this.” He smiles and tilts his head to the side.
My mate.
He walks around and opens my door. I step out and stand behind him and, one by one, all of the SUV doors open. Everyone is just staring at us. I can see why we would be intimidating: all men except for one woman and a baby. Damon’s eyes are golden as he stares at every single person who is staring him down, Some alphas lower their heads.
I smile and press my hand to Damon’s back. A few women are standing on a porch a couple of houses away. I nod at them and they return the gesture.
“Moon, let’s get our things in the house,” Damon tells me, and he walks to the back of the SUV and grabs our bags.
“I will grab the baby’s bag, Brantley,” I say. He thanks me, carrying the baby in one arm. Quite a few people are staring at Brantley. I guess they are curious as to why he has a baby.
I lick my parched lips; the eyes on us have me on edge. Not that I expected a warm welcome, but half the guys from other packs are completely hostile with arms folded across their chests.
The bears are on the other side of the property. We do mix during dinner and certain activities, but most of the time we will be with the wolves.
