Wolf's Mate Mpreg Romance Box Set

by Kiki Burrelli

  "Sounds great, I'm sure Felix will be thrilled at this new endeavor." Felix pretty much stayed out of it when it came to Pippen and the kitchen. Smart man.

  "Andrea, were you going to be able to make it tomorrow?" Pippen asked. "Frannie is dead set on putting on this baby shower. That is, if you feel comfortable going."

  Andrea smirked. "That was a nicer invitation than I got from Frannie. She said, and I quote, 'You're coming to the baby shower. Bring candy bars.' End quote."

  "Candy bars?"

  "For this game she has planned. You put the candy bars in the diaper and then put the diaper in the microwave so it melts. Whoever can guess the type of candy bar melted in the diaper wins."

  "What do they win?" Conner asked, a little grossed out.

  "Hopefully the ability to not play anymore baby shower games," Pippen muttered, though with a smile that took the edge off. "Oh jeez, look at the time, the dinner rush is going to be on us any minute." Pippen gave Conner a quick peck on the cheek. When he saw Conner's look of almost disapproval he kissed his lips. "I'm taking it easy, mostly just bossing everyone around." He left the room but not before Conner could give him a quick smack on the bottom.

  ***

  For once, it was Pippen's turn to sit back in his chair and rub his tummy. Little Felicity was moving so much these days. Before the pregnancy, he might have thought it would feel weird. He remembered a moment while Sorell had been pregnant. They had been in the park hiking and Pippen had not been able to understand why Sorell would allow a man, a human man at that, to have so much control over him, to weaken him. Pippen had felt Sorell's twins moving under his skin and though he never mentioned it at the time, he'd been equally weirded out and jealous. Now, it was a welcome feeling.

  "Does everyone have a pencil?" Frannie chirped the question to the silliest group of baby shower attendees ever. Sorell was there, of course, as well Finn, Stella, and two other female shifters from the downtown pack. Then there was Andrea and Christian—who was only in the state for as long as the baby shower then Derrick was sending the jet to bring him back, something about being impatient for another litter—and last, but certainly not the least, Daryl was there sitting at the end of the couch, his pencil in hand, listening attentively to Frannie's game instructions.

  At Pippen's raised eyebrow Daryl only said, "I've always thought these parties sounded fun. Never got invited to one before now."

  Frannie had blessedly excused Pippen from participating in any of the games and after that point he found he was actually enjoying himself.

  "Now this last game we won't know who won until after little Felicity is born. I want you all to write your best guess for how much the baby will weigh. We'll lock everyone's guesses in this box here and then the person who is closest will win a prize!"

  "You have an actual lock box," Pippen asked, impressed with her dedication to the sanctity of the game.

  Frannie beamed. "This prize is that awesome."

  She gave everyone a few minutes to stare at Pippen, that part he didn't enjoy. Daryl went as far as to ask if he could pick Pippen up but Frannie told him that would be cheating. Eventually, they all wrote down their guesses and with a clap, Frannie announced it was time for presents.

  That part, Pippen actually enjoyed. His childhood had been horrible and he'd spent most of his young adult years intimidating everyone around him. Because of that, he never got many presents. One or two from Sorell, that was it. He found that he liked the process of unwrapping things, the thrill of not knowing and then the added thrill of finding out what the heck the thing was supposed to be.

  "It's for sucking the snot out," Stella explained at Pippen's confused look. "They are legit important, you'll see."

  He hoped he wouldn't.

  When he opened Sorell's present he nearly died laughing. He'd given him an assortment of items that he had found useful with the twins and then a pile of newborn clothing, including a black onesie with white letters that said, "Be nice to me or my daddy will murder you."

  "That's not nice," Frannie said, though even she couldn't not smile at the joke.

  Pippen patted his stomach and looked down. "Don't worry, Felicity. I'll just give them a stern talking to," he said to his stomach. "Unless they are mean twice, then…"

  Sorell laughed.

  "That's everything," Frannie said in regards to the presents that had been stacked on the table.

  Pippen thought he was pretty lucky to have a friend who demanded he do something like this. Now that it had been done, he was thankful for the memories.

  "What's that?" Stella asked, pointing to a box under the table.

  Frannie reached down and grabbed it. "Huh. This isn't from me. No card. Who put this box under the table?"

  She was met with a group of blank faces.

  "Finn? Did Luke buy this one?"

  "Nope, we got the swing."

  Frannie was about to hand Pippen the medium-sized box when she froze. "I don't like this. I know a little something about opening mystery packages in this house and it never ends well."

  Pippen had thought Frannie was joking, being dramatic and saving the best present for last. There was nothing theatrical about her tone or the way she gripped the box like she was afraid it would jump from her hands and into his lap.

  "Give it to me, Frannie," he said, his voice quiet.

  "Pippen," Finn said warningly.

  But Pippen already had the plain white wrapping paper torn off of one side. The box was plain cardboard, taped shut with gray duct tape. He yanked the end of the tape up and off the box ends. Pippen tried using his shifter senses to gather information about what was inside but his senses were still too dull to know much other than it wasn't anything organic. He pried open the box top, aware of the crowd that had formed around him.

  Inside, taped in a way so that the face was turned up toward him was what looked like the head from a generic baby doll. The eyes of the doll had been scratched out viciously with a sharp edge and above the doll's head, written in red marker were the words, "I wonder if she'll have your eyes? Congrats, Pips."

  Pippen shoved the box off of his lap violently.

  "What is it with the eyes? Always the eyes." Frannie muttered while pulling out her phone.

  "Who are you calling?" Pippen asked.

  "Duh, Luke."

  "Already on the phone," Finn said, his cell phone to his ear.

  "I've got Felix on the line, Conner's with him," Sorell said.

  "I'd call Derrick but I bet he's got Bridgette on her way now to get me," Christian said. "No one tell him about this or I'm never leaving the house again," he said, clearly trying to lighten the moment.

  Pippen sat back, unable to do anything but stare at the box on the carpet. From where he sat, he couldn't see inside of it, just the lip of the top, but the contents of the box were seared into his mind.

  Minutes later the front door opened and Conner ran in, followed by Felix and Luke. Conner went to Pippen first, hugging him reassuringly. "Felix told me the gist of it, where is it?"

  Pippen could only point a shaking finger at the box in the middle of the pack house living room. Conner stomped over to it. He didn't bend down to pick it up or crouch to see inside more clearly. He stood, feet above the box and looked inside. The growl that came from his mouth was primal. It promised violence. "Silas," he said with a voice that was nearly as fearsome as the growl.

  "More head games?" Felix asked.

  Luke went to Conner's side and peered in. His expression darkened. "This guy is getting on my nerves. Sorell, your brother, what is he capable of?"

  Through it all, Pippen hadn't looked to his best friend, to the brother of the man causing so much grief. He noticed him now, sitting on the couch, staring at the box as Pippen had been. "Anything," he said finally. Blinking and tearing his gaze away from the box he found Pippen's eyes. "He's capable of anything."

  Pippen nodded. In that moment, he knew what Sorell had been telling him. Call it a best
friend's intuition or maybe just the bond between two parents, strengthened by the threat to one of their children. He saw in Sorell's gaze permission, that if it came to it, if it became Silas or Felicity, Silas or him, Pippen had Sorell's permission.

  But would Pippen be able to come back from killing Silas?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Conner sat on the floor in front of the small television that Pippen had demanded he buy. Pippen sat between his legs with his back to Conner, allowing Conner to rub his shoulders while they watched some insane reality sharpshooting show.

  In the last few weeks of Pippen's pregnancy he had transformed more than even Conner thought possible, and Conner was a shifter. Pippen's belly was rounded out so far now Conner needed to help him tie his shoes if he didn't want to wear sandals shoes that day. His entire body seemed gentler, and less angular, a fact that Pippen complained about endlessly that Conner secretly enjoyed. He loved Pippen's old body, of course, but he loved his pregnant body just as much.

  Beyond the physical changes, there was a mental change in Pippen as well. He'd appointed Stella as kitchen manager while he was away, but had left work willingly—before giving birth. And he cuddled so much more. Conner was in heaven.

  Or he would have been in heaven if anyone in the world had any idea where Silas was. After the baby shower both packs had gone on lockdown. A patrolling schedule was created and their territory was on twenty-four-hour guard by at least two shifters.

  And then days of nothing. The days turned into a week. The scouts Felix had sent out to Silas' pack in Mississippi said that not only had Silas never returned the first time but that Jeb and Jim—the pack mates sent to retrieve him--were missing as well. They simply didn't have the manpower to launch a nationwide search for a sneaky shifter. Conner tried relaxing despite this worry. He'd convinced Pippen to move into the safe room with him under the guise that they would be closer to Adam and Bettina while they transitioned into this new life and closer to Felix, who spent a lot of his time at the pack headquarters, but really, Conner needed the assurance that there were more bodies around to help keep his mate safe. Luke and Felix both not only agreed but could commiserate. Having a pregnant mate was one of the most nerve-wracking, wonderful things.

  Conner was moving his massaging fingers down to Pippen's lower back when Pippen hissed and crouched away from him. "Too hard, love?"

  "No—" Pippen gasped. "I think…ouch, yes, it's time."

  Conner's wolf howled and snapped its jaws. Grabbing the bag they'd packed beforehand, he was in alpha mission mode immediately. Conner yanked on his shoes, helped Pippen into his jacket and then picked him up, carrying him out of the door and down the stairs.

  "I can—oh—walk, ouch!" Pippen said, though the intensity with which he clung to Conner's neck canceled his words.

  "Stella, is Felix here?" Conner called to the kitchen. The restaurant was in the middle of the lunch rush. Customers, mostly human, stared at the two of them with wide eyes. Thankfully, holding him like he was, it wasn't as obvious that Pippen was a pregnant man. This day and age though, the most any person did when he saw Pippen was point. Humans had done a pretty good job of desensitizing themselves.

  Andrea rushed toward them from a table where she'd been taking an order. "Is it time?" she asked, clearly excited.

  "Yes, when is your shift over?"

  "In a bit. I'll pick up Adam and Bettina from school and head right over! Good luck!" Andrea said and then went back to her table.

  "Conner?" Stella poked her crazy red head in from the kitchen doors. "Felix is at the clinic."

  "Good," Conner said, already on his way out the door. "Tell him we're coming."

  "Will do!" Conner could hear the excitement in Stella's voice and knew if he had the time to look back, she would be beaming.

  He ran to Frannie's car. She let him borrow hers during Pippen's last bit of pregnancy. He'd wanted to buy a new one, but Pippen had insisted they would be walking most places after Felicity was born and the money could be better spent on the pack. Well, he'd said the kitchen, but that was a while ago.

  Thankfully, Conner remembered how to drive, though the majority of his driving had been in England, which was a pretty hard thing to become accustomed to in his first seconds back out on the road. "Are you okay, love?" Conner asked.

  Pippen had both hands supporting the bottom of his belly. His eyes were closed and he was doing a breathing technique Felix had taught them. If Felix wasn't careful he was going to become the region's most sought-after male shifter obstetrician. "I'm just a little uncomfortable. It's a pressure feeling, a little cramping. No stabbing or shooting pains like Felix said to watch out for. And I would know, I've been stabbed and shot." With his eyes closed, Pippen smiled at his own joke.

  Conner would have growled if he wasn't trying to keep his mate as calm as possible. He pulled into the free clinic parking lot and Felix ran out to their car with a wheelchair and Seth, the nurse who had assisted him with both Christian's and Sorell's deliveries.

  "Sorell is on his way," Felix said to Pippen, mostly likely in an effort to calm him. Pippen would definitely appreciate his friend coming over. "Let's get you in." Felix moved to help Pippen slide into the wheelchair, but Conner stepped in front of him, unable to hold back. He loved helping his mate and didn't want to lose any chance. The three of them rolled into the clinic through the back door and directly into the operating area.

  "This is where you wait, I'm afraid," Seth said to Conner grimly.

  Conner wondered if Seth and Felix had drawn straws to decide which one of them was going to try to keep him back away from his mate. He'd had this argument with Felix before. Both Derrick and Luke had been able to be in the room with their mates. Felix had as well, but he was the one performing the operation. "I realize that seems unfair, Conner," Felix had said. "But it isn't optimal; less people means less germs. Unless Pippen needs you in that room, I would advise you stay in the operating theater, you can still watch, but without getting your germs all over everything."

  Conner only growled and nodded at Seth, who looked relieved that that was all he'd gotten. Pacing the small room he listened to the rest of the clinic. It was quiet, but not silent. There were other people around. He wondered how Felix had convinced everyone to stay out of this part of the clinic. Felix had his ways with people and shifters alike, that was for sure. Helping him lead the pack had been the most surreal experience. It was like leading a group of shifters the way it always should have been—with honesty and integrity. Conner had so many ideas for the pack and couldn't wait to help them get back on their feet. Just then, Pippen was wheeled into the operating area. He was covered in cotton or gauze, a sheet draped over his bottom half. Pippen looked to the window where Conner stood and mouthed, "I love you."

  "I love you, too," Conner said out loud, though there was no one in the room to hear him. That was only just now striking him as odd. Where was everyone? Andrea's shift couldn't have been too much longer. And Sorell, he had nothing to do but drive over. Felix grabbed his scalpel and clearly wasn't worried about where everyone else was. But Conner was concentrating on watching his mate's face for signs of distress. If he saw one, he was going to be in that room so fast the germs would be left behind him like a cartoon dust cloud.

  Felix was an amazing doctor, though. It felt like seconds before he reached down, his hands blocked by the sheet and came up full of baby. An adorably slimy baby. He handed the baby to Seth who tucked her in a sheet and walked her up to Pippen. That Conner couldn't see Pippen's face would be his greatest regret but if it looked anything like how he felt, it would be awe. Pippen reached out, touching the small bundle before Seth took her back through a room. Conner growled loudly but remembered Felix preparing him for this part. Seth would take all the vitals and clean her up while Pippen was being stitched up. Then he would bring her back to them.

  Felix got back to work solo. His expert movements were efficient and soon he stepped back, adjusting Pippen's s
heets and moving his legs. Pippen turned his face to the window again and Conner stepped forward. This time, there was a tear in Pippen's eyes that slid down his cheek to the bedding below. His lip quivered.

  Conner burst through the operating room door in time to hear Felix sigh.

  "You waited until I had him closed up at least. Wash your hands and put those scrubs on. Hair net, too!" he added.

  Conner did as he said and was by Pippen's side. "Love, what is it? You did so great. She's beautiful."

  Pippen sniffed. "I know, I just don't like her being away from me."

  Conner smiled. "Me neither."

  By then Felix had finished placing the bandages on Pippen and went to the operating theater, returning with his cell phone and a frown. "I was checking my voicemail," he explained to Conner and Pippen. "Sorell, Luke, Finn—everyone should have been here by now. There was a message. The main street to the clinic was shut down by the police and no traffic is getting by. Probably right after you guys passed down it. Something about a pedestrian finding two decomposing bodies in the middle of the street?"

  ***

  Pippen felt like Felix had forgotten to stitch up his wound, like the blood in his body was draining out of him, covering the sheets, the floor, his world. His lips trembled as he whispered, "Silas."

  He saw on Conner's face that he was right behind him in realizing what was going on. "Felicity," Conner gasped and Pippen tried to sit up. His middle section was numb and he was still woozy.

  Felix stood over him, holding him back. "No, you'll hurt yourself," he said with a doctor's authority.

  The seconds that passed were torture, complete hell. Seeing Conner return with a white face and shaking, empty hands was worse. He did hold a note in one hand, written on plain white paper.

  "What does it say?" Pippen whispered though he wanted to scream.

  Conner read the note with a lifeless voice. "She does have your eyes. Meet me at our special place at midnight if you want her back. Pack a bag. Come alone."