by T. S. Ryder
"What?" The alpha jumped to her feet. "Why am I just being informed of this?"
"Because by the time he gets here, it'll be too late."
Jamie felt frozen. Somewhere in the pit of her stomach, she knew what was happening. Her arms wrapped around her waist as it squeezed painfully, pulling in towards her spine. She gasped as Sean opened the door. In strutted a man with a sneer on his lips and triumph in his eyes. Jamie recognized him instantly from the news broadcasts.
Jordon. The Gorilla that wanted to rip apart the pack. Her hands clenched over her stomach, her eyes wide.
The alpha gasped and backed away from him. "Sean!"
"Ryan wasn't the traitor," the Tiger said. "I was."
He shut the door. Jordon smiled at all of them, focusing on Jamie. "Carrying a mixed breed child . . . The abomination will be destroyed as I take this government and tear it apart."
Jamie jumped to her feet, her arms wrapped protectively around her middle. Jordon stepped forward, but even as he did so, Katrina let out a feral snarl. Her clothes shredded off of her body as she Shifted into a Panther and sprang across the room at him. Sean moved to intercept her, but Katrina dodged him and attacked Jordon's face. On Jamie's other side, the alpha Shifted as well and charged the two men.
Jordon Shifted in the blink of an eye, his muscular body changing to that of a Gorilla. Jamie cried out as he punched at Katrina's face, but she herself was frozen to the spot. The alpha charged down Sean, knocking him aside. She kicked him hard in the face before attacking Jordon.
"Come on," Jamie hissed, trying to call her Panther forward. It stayed buried deep, fear rolling from it. But not because of the situation. Fear for the baby if it came forward.
A fountain of hot water gushed between her legs, soaking her. She collapsed back into her chair as her belly contracted tighter. She felt the baby Shift inside her, pressing down on her pelvis. A scream tore from her throat. No! It wasn't time!
A deep, thunderous roar filled the room. The doors burst from their hinges. A huge Lion with a full red mane leaped into the room. Ryan. He crouched for a moment, amber eyes flickering between them all before he pounced on Jordon. The Gorilla turned towards him with a howl. A huge fist crashed into the Lion's face, but Ryan simply rolled with the blow and swiped both paws, claws fully extended, towards the Gorilla.
Jamie screamed as everything seemed to bear down inside of her. Blinding pain shot through her. Hands grabbed her and she struggled against them until the pain passed and she saw it was Katrina and Melissa. They half-carried her towards the door. Sweat broke out over her face. The smell of blood was strong in the air. She twisted to see Ryan and the Gorilla still facing off. Ryan lithely danced around Jordon, batting at him, trying to find an opening.
Jordon howled and threw himself forward. He grabbed Ryan around the neck and threw him into the wall before charging the three women. Katrina slipped away and Shifted again. She dodged his long arms and jumped onto Jordon's back. Her teeth tore at his neck and he threw himself back like a wrestler. He landed hard on his back, crushing her. It gave Ryan the time he needed to jump on Jordon and catch his throat in his mouth.
"No!" Jamie shouted, eyes on the tufts of black fur she saw beneath them.
With a mighty yank, Ryan pulled the Gorilla away from Katrina. It caused him to lose his hold on Jordon's throat, but Katrina was able to scramble away. She Shifted again, joining Melissa and Jamie. One arm hung at an odd angle, but she still grabbed Jamie around the waist and hauled her out with the alpha's help.
The corridor was full of other Shifters fighting, and the alpha quickly directed the two of them into a room across the hall. She locked the door behind them and turned her attention to Jamie.
"Your water broke, didn't it?"
Jamie couldn’t respond as another contraction hit her. It pressed against her pelvis and she felt the baby moving down. Her knees buckled and she was barely able to keep herself up. Katrina helped her lie down and the alpha ripped off her pants. Jamie cried out, at first in protest at being bared like that, but it soon turned to another scream of pain.
"Turn onto your hands and knees," the alpha directed. "It's easier than lying on your back. Trust me, I've had two children."
"Ryan," Jamie whimpered.
"Ryan will take care of himself. We need to deliver this baby."
Her mind whirled with denial and fear, but Jamie somehow found it in herself to obey. She crouched on all fours, the pain shaking down her spine with every contraction. The noises in the hallway grew louder and softer, Katrina's face moved in and out of focus. Jamie's fingers dug into the carpet as the metallic tang of blood filled the air.
After what seemed like an eternity, the cry of a baby sounded in her ears and she collapsed, gasping for breath. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, but Katrina still turned her onto her back and Melissa placed the baby on her chest.
The door burst open and Ryan rushed in. His eyes were wild, but he stopped when he saw the three of them – four of them – on the floor. Moving carefully, as though afraid he'd frighten the baby, he joined Jamie on the floor. His arms wrapped around her and he pulled her close. Jamie leaned against him, exhausted and so full of emotion she didn't know what she was feeling.
"Jordon?" the alpha demanded.
"Subdued. Not dead. The Guard has taken down the intruders and Sean's been arrested," Ryan replied. "I know that I will have to face disciplinary action—"
The alpha shook her head. "Don't worry about that. Just be with your wife and daughter for right now."
"Daughter," Jamie whispered. "Emily."
Ryan kissed the top of her head. "Yeah," he agreed. "Our little Emily."
Chapter Eighteen – Ryan
It was a beautiful day out, full of golden sunshine and bright colors. Ryan knelt on the platform before the alpha as she read off the list of things he had accomplished in just this last year. Even though it was a solemn occasion, he couldn't stop himself from smiling from ear to ear.
After all the trouble that he had been through, it was finally over. Jordon was in jail and the pack was safe. The alpha's position was stronger than ever, and there was a good chance she was going to be reelected the next year.
But more than that, Ryan was happy. He had a wife who loved him and whom he loved, and a precious angel of a daughter who looked exactly like Jamie.
"For your service, we honor you and give you this medal for going far beyond the call of duty," Melissa said, lowering a ribbon around his neck. The heavy medallion swung from it as Ryan stood. He took his place at the podium and viewed the sea of faces.
As he began the speech he had memorized, he let his mind wander while his mouth spoke. Jordon still insisted that what he was doing was for the good of all Shifters, but his organization had been taken down. There were no more whispers about how it was weakening the packs to have couples from different species coming together and producing offspring. The Gorilla's trial would be over soon, and Ryan was certain he would spend the rest of his life in jail.
Life was good.
He finished his speech and glanced at Jamie and Katrina in the front row. Little Emily had stayed at home with a sitter, but the two sisters had insisted on coming to see the ceremony. Jamie beamed at him though the dark circles under her eyes spoke to how tired she was. He was tired, too. The baby kept them both up at night.
But that was just fine because now that Jordon was behind bars, he was ready to take his leave and have a year off work. His smile slipped as he thought of Sean. His friend should have been taking over for him during that year, but instead he was going to jail as well. He didn't deny the way he had betrayed the pack, only saying he didn't have a choice. And he hadn't, not when his brother's family was threatened like that.
Sean would serve jail time and he would no longer be permitted to work for the Guard, but he had still been granted leniency for the circumstances. He was going to be in a low-security prison and only serve five years. His family had be
en retrieved and all were safe. Sean had said that was enough for him.
"Thank you all very much," Ryan finished and slipped away from the podium. Everybody stood and clapped, and then he and Melissa posed for a few pictures before he left the stage to join Jamie and Katrina.
"Ready to head home and give me an excuse not to shake hands and mingle?" Ryan asked Jamie under his breath.
"Yeah. I want to get back to Emily."
Katrina rolled her eyes. "More like make out. You don't have to worry about me interrupting you," she was quick to add, "I'm going to stick around . . . to make friends."
She blushed and Ryan had to repress a grin. She had set her sights on one of the Elite and was no doubt staying so she could do a little bit of flirting. It was good to see her coming out of her shell. Ever since the incident with Jordon, she had been much more self-assured and confident, and the result was astounding. She was blossoming, and many of the young men were noticing.
"I feel like we should do more packing," Jamie said as they headed home. "But I'm so tired. I think I just want to cuddle with you and Emily and take a nap. I'll have to feed her first, though. My boobs feel like they’re ten pounds each."
Ryan couldn’t stop himself from glancing at them. "They look great."
Jamie rolled her eyes. "I don't care what they look like. I'm a mother, not a model.'
They arrived at the house quickly and relieved the sitter. Boxes were piled everywhere, full of everything they were going to take with them when Jamie started university again. Leila had finally been arrested, but Jeremy had somehow cut a deal with the sisters. In exchange for a lighter sentence, he had given them the information for several offshore bank accounts that held the money that was meant for Katrina and Jamie. It was currently being transferred back to them, and Jeremy was being watched closely in case he had some other ones that he hadn't told them about. Most of the money had been accounted for, though, and what was missing was easy enough to account for Leila's lavish spending.
In any case, they were going to have the funds for Jamie's schooling, and with his paternity leave and sabbatical, they were going to go to her university so she could get her degree. The board at her father's company had already agreed to hire her once she had finished.
"Oh, it's been a wonderful few days," Jamie said as she stripped off her shirt and took Emily to hold to her breast. "But I'm glad that we can just be home now."
Ryan grinned at his wife, loving the light in Jamie's eyes as she fed their daughter. It was a sight he'd never tire of, seeing the way she showed love with her whole body. "You know what?"
"What?"
"I love you."
Jamie flushed slightly. She smiled at him and nodded. "I love you, too."
Ryan settled onto the couch next to her and wrapped an arm around her. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and relaxed. "Yeah. You do. And life? Well, it's perfect, isn't it?"
*****
THE END
Heat, Hockey and Two Werewolves
Description
A curvy witch who is also an artist PLUS two sexy Werewolves who want her PLUS a hot hockey game!
The only thing Piper Diamond wants to do with hockey is to stop hearing about it so much.
For this witch, gallery owner and artist, the absolute worst time to be in her hometown of Uphoria, Alberta is when the town hosts the Werewolf League games, resulting in hockey permeating every aspect of her life. Even her normally attentive, sexy Werewolf mate, Baxter, loses his head during the hockey season and eats, sleeps and breathes hockey.
But when the hunky center forward of Uphoria's home team, Patrick Giles, wants Piper and Baxter for his trois amour, a three-way mating group, Piper's interest in hockey suddenly skyrockets. Even though Patrick is sexy and Baxter is more than willing to have him join them, Piper's not certain that she can commit to a relationship with another Werewolf.
Unfortunately she doesn't have much time to think about her love life. Her gallery is in financial trouble and it's all she can do to keep warlock Thor Wragge from buying it and turning her dreams into cheap reproductions. Things don't get any easier when the gallery becomes a target for vandals and burglars, so Piper has to decide what she really wants from life.
Chapter One
Piper Diamond tried to ignore her mate, Baxter, as he sighed, rubbing his thumbs in small circles at the base of her neck. He always knew just the right way to touch her to ease the tension in her spine. His musky Wolf scent so close to her stirred desire like it always did, but right at this moment, he wasn't after sex.
Instead, his eyes were sad and droopy, his mouth downturned, trying to convince her to do something far different. And far less exciting.
"Please come to the game with me."
"Baxter, I can't."
"Why not?"
"Because I have all this work to do," she gestured to the receipts and invoices strewn over her desk. "And because I don't want to. You'll have more fun without me, anyway."
It was the Wolf League playoffs in Uphoria, Alberta. Winter howled outside and the windows rattled as sand-like grains of snow beat against them. And it always led people to bundle up in woolen hats and parkas to brave the frigid temperatures, so that they could sit in a freezing cold hockey arena and watch a bunch of Werewolves skate around on the ice, slapping around a puck with their little sticks.
Hockey season was the worst season in Piper's opinion. Though she could easily summon up a small dragon to keep her hands toasty in the arena, she just didn't see the appeal of the sport. Not a very Canadian attitude, as Baxter repeatedly told her.
When it came to hockey, the only delightful parts of watching a sports game–the rippling muscles of the athletes–were hidden beneath layers of padding and fur. Boring.
What made it even more unbearable was that while the playoffs happened, they were all anybody in Uphoria, especially Baxter, would talk about. Piper couldn't even walk down the street without hearing fights over the finer points of what happened in the last game.
Baxter leaned over her, nibbling at her neck. She tried to ignore the tingle that it created, focusing on her bookkeeping papers.
"You have been pouring over these books for hours," Baxter nipped at her earlobe, his steamy breath in her ear. "If you come with me, I can make it really worth your time…"
Piper swept her blue-and-purple hair out of her eyes and turned to her mate. As a Werewolf, he was able to shift forms at will and either be a man with firm muscles, dark hair, dark eyes, and a Latino complexion, or a humanoid wolf with hairy, clawed feet, hands the size of dinner plates and boundless muscles that rippled under gleaming fur the color of midnight.
"You'll be able to enjoy the game better without me," Piper repeated. "The gallery is in the red again, I'm not sure how I'll make rent. It seems every time I break even, something happens and I'm in debt again."
Baxter caught the arms of her swivel chair, trapping her. "Piper Diamond, you get your delicious ass out of this chair this instant. You need something to distract you, and you know how… desirous I get after we win a game."
"You're insisting, aren't you?"
Baxter nodded, and Piper wrapped her arms around his neck. He rarely insisted on anything, and so she knew that this was very important to him. "Okay. I'll go. On one condition. If we lose, you don't start pouting."
Baxter flicked his tongue across her lips and she opened them readily and moaned.
"I'll get your coat," he whispered, slipping away from her grasp.
Piper smiled at him. She really did not want to go watch hockey, even though she had to admit the sex after Uphoria won a game and Baxter was all hopped up on adrenaline and excitement, was always mind-blowing. But Baxter was right, as he usually was. She needed a distraction and hockey was better than sitting around stressing.
They had been mates since senior prom night. Neither of them had really understood just how permanent Werewolf mating actually was. They had been hormone-fueled teenagers with
their heads in the clouds, lost in a night of music and dance.
They hadn't even known each other prior to that night.
Nobody had asked Piper to prom. She was the high school's fat-girl that nobody noticed, except for when she snuck candy into Mr. Breton's oh-so-boring History of Magic in the Americas class. She wasn't the only one eating chocolate while Breton droned on and on, but she was the only one the other students seemed to notice. Back then, Piper hated her body, bouncing from diet to diet, her weight yo-yoed like crazy, making her constantly sick.
She hadn't even wanted to go to prom, but her mother wanted her to go. Her mother had just stopped chemotherapy and so Piper had agreed. During a slow song, Piper was making up an exciting story to tell her mother about how much fun she had when Baxter approached. He complimented one of her art pieces that was displayed in the school hall. Talking lead to kissing, intense and fiery.
Piper was still not entirely certain how or why it happened, but before the end of the night, they were in the backseat of his car, clumsy, awkward, but with no second thoughts.
It had been a mistake.
But it was the best mistake Piper had ever made. Baxter was the sweetest, most attentive mate she could ever hope to find. Even though knowing that she was his mate for life scared the shit out of her at first, it didn't take long for her to truly fall in love with him.
"I love you," she said, leaning against him for warmth as they scampered out to the car.
Baxter kissed the top of her head. "I love you, too."
***
The game, as Piper had predicted, had Baxter jumping from his seat, swearing like a sailor at the referee every few minutes, cheering and stomping his feet every other time. He wasn’t the only one, either.
Piper watched him with a smile, only half paying attention to the game. On the rink, two teams of Werewolves, both in their beast's forms, faced off, snarling and slamming into each other. The Wolf League games were notoriously more violent than the ones humans played and it was common for the ice to stain red.
