A Baby for the Viking Wolf: Howls Romance (A Howls Viking Romance Book 2)

by Gwen Knight

  Right. I could handle that. Hopefully. “I’ll call tomorrow.”

  “Good. What about your parents? Are you going to tell them?”

  “Hell no.” My stomach churned at the thought. “You know how my mother is. She’ll smother me. And my father…” Well, that was one man I hadn’t spoken to in years. I had no intention of starting now.

  “Okay. But speaking of fathers…”

  My eyes fluttered shut. I’d been expecting that question since the second I texted her that I was pregnant. Truthfully, I was surprised she’d waited this long to ask.

  “You don’t know him,” I finally said. “He isn’t from our pack.”

  “But he’s a wolf?”

  I ran a hand through my hair and nodded. “I met him at the charity event, the bachelor auction.”

  “Wow. That feels like a lifetime ago.”

  “You’re telling me.” I hitched a hip against my dining room table and stared down at my stomach. No sign of a bump yet, but I’d never been the sort to analyze my body.

  “So, what’s your mystery man’s name?”

  My mouth quirked into a grin. Normally, I didn’t keep track of my conquests. But our night together had been unforgettable.

  “Lucy?” Reagan prodded. “Do you…know his name?”

  “Of course I know his name,” I snapped. It wasn’t one easily forgotten. “He said it was Leif.”

  A startling silence fell over the room. I lifted my head and caught Reagan’s wide-eyed stare. The same look I’d likely worn when staring at the pregnancy test.

  Reagan shot Jerrik a furtive glance, her shoulders tense. I followed her gaze and winced. Gone was the amused grin, replaced by a hard glare. He shoved off the wall and stalked toward me, a steely edge hardening his eyes. “What did you just say?”

  I blinked at them both. “I said his name was Leif. Leif Erikson.”

  Chapter 5

  Apparently, I wasn’t the only person who’d suffered a bit of a shock today.

  Hands clenched at his sides, Jerrik paced the length of my kitchen. Every few rounds, he’d stop and stare at me, a look of consternation creasing his face. I didn’t have a clue what his problem was—but anyone watching would have thought I’d just told him he was the father.

  Another lap, another series of soft grumbles I didn’t catch, even with my heightened senses. Eventually, I grew tired of watching him wear the same path into my floor and dropped my head onto the table with a loud thud.

  “Just stop, would’ya?” My breath fogged the wooden patina. “And maybe tell me what the hell is going on?”

  “It’s not possible.” Jerrik’s boots entered my field of vision, the leather lightly scuffed and well-loved. “You must have misheard his name.”

  I scoffed. “Right. Because Leif is such a common name and one easily mistaken.”

  “You’re sure that’s what he said?”

  “Yes, Jerrik,” I said, irritated. “Seriously, what does it matter what his name is? Can we focus on the problem at hand?”

  “There’s more than one problem here.” Reagan’s soft voice soothed my inner bitch. I lifted my head and eyed her across the table. She’d leaned back in one of the chairs, balancing precariously on two legs. Lowering the chair onto all four legs, she glanced at Jerrik with a soft smile. “Trust me.”

  He released a long sigh and plopped down at the table. Resignation rounded his shoulders, but he deferred to Reagan with a single nod.

  “There are some things you don’t know about Jerrik,” Reagan started. “Things about his past that we didn’t think were important to mention.”

  “Okay…” I hedged.

  “First is that Jerrik is far older than he looks.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. We all are.”

  “No, I mean far older,” Reagan said. “He’s over a thousand years old.”

  My brows shot upward, and I glanced at Jerrik. “Seriously? I never would have thought…”

  “We didn’t tell anyone for Gabriel’s sake. Most of the pack can sense that Jerrik is stronger than him. That’s why things have been so uneasy the past couple of months. They sense this imbalance. Things are settling, thankfully, now that Gabriel and Jerrik are working together. The pack’s grown accustomed to it.”

  Annoyance twinged within me. Maybe the pack hadn’t needed to know, but I was her best friend. Why not tell me?

  “That’s not all,” Reagan commented before I could ask. “Jerrik wasn’t born a werewolf.”

  Wait, what? I swung him a surprised glance. I’d never met someone who’d been bitten before. Because it rarely happened. Gabriel had long since established laws to protect humans against such a thing. And most werewolves abhorred the idea of bringing humans over. We had our psychos, obviously, but when they hunted, they didn’t leave survivors. And those crazed enough to hunt humans were always put down. I wasn’t entirely sure what any of this had to do with Leif, though.

  “But before Jerrik was turned, he was a traveler.”

  “Um, okay?” What was the relevance of all this?

  “A Viking traveler,” Reagan said, her gaze boring into mine.

  My heart sank to my feet. I suddenly had an inkling as to where this was headed. Hard not to put two and two together when talking about Vikings. “You’re serious?”

  Reagan nodded. “Jerrik sailed the seas with his best friend, Leif Erikson.”

  And boom goes the dynamite. “You think they’re the same person.”

  Jerrik growled. “If they weren’t, I would be very curious to know why someone is walking around using the name of a man who has been dead for centuries.”

  “This Leif—my Leif—is a werewolf.”

  “Mine is dead.” Doubt flickered across Jerrik’s face. “Or, I thought he was.”

  My gaze skipped between him and Reagan. There was something they weren’t telling me. Something important.

  Reagan met my stare and sighed. “The first time Jerrik changed into a werewolf, he lost control and slaughtered his entire village. Including Leif and—”

  Jerrik cleared his throat, effectively silencing Reagan.

  “And who else?” I whispered, stunned by this news. I knew those who were bitten were increasingly volatile, but I couldn’t picture Jerrik harming anyone. Which was a tad silly, considering his previous profession.

  She shook her head, dark hair spilling over her shoulders. “That’s not important. The only thing that matters is figuring out who your Leif is. It’s not a common name here, as you pointed out, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t popular outside America.”

  “He said he was Norwegian.”

  Jerrik’s eye twitched.

  I shook my head. “So, you’re suggesting that the man I slept with, the father of my child, is not only another ancient wolf but also a Viking? And not just any Viking, but the Leif Erikson? The chances of that are…”

  “Astronomical,” Reagan finished. She reached across the table and took Jerrik’s hand. “We need to handle this the right way. We have to tell Gabriel if there’s another wolf in town.”

  “Gabriel?” I squeaked. “What? Why?”

  “Lucy, you know I’m right. After Benjamin, we can’t ignore this. Gabriel needs to know.”

  Panic fluttered beneath my breast. I’d had no intentions of telling anyone about the baby. At least, not yet. Time wasn’t on my side, but it could wait a little while longer if it meant avoiding the stares and whispers.

  “Just hold up. Give me a second to think.”

  “I know this is a lot to take in, but Gabriel needs to be made aware. You know the rules. All foreign wolves are supposed to receive permission from Gabriel before even entering our territory. It isn’t going to look good that Leif never announced himself.”

  I ran my fingers through my hair. “He said he’d just arrived in America the afternoon of the event. Maybe it was a quick visit. Maybe he didn’t stick around afterward.”

  “You…didn’t ask his plans?”

&
nbsp; “No, I didn’t!” I dropped my hands. “I wasn’t exactly looking for his life story, you know? We both had one thing on our minds, and in the morning…”

  “You bailed,” Reagan supplied. “Like you always do.”

  “Don’t,” I growled. “Now is so not the time for those kinds of comments.”

  She nodded, regret flashing in her eyes.

  “Can’t we just…figure this out, first? Before we cry wolf to Gabriel? Let’s make sure Leif’s still in town. That takes precedence here. And then we can figure out if he’s the same guy.”

  Jerrik sighed. “About my height? Dark hair, dark eyes, a bit of a reddish hue to his beard, scar on his lower lip?”

  A chill rippled through me. “Lots of men have scars.”

  “It runs down the left side of his mouth to his chin.”

  I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. “Yes.”

  Jerrik slumped in his chair and tipped his head back. Unspoken emotions whisked across his face. I couldn’t imagine how this felt, learning that his best friend—someone he thought he’d killed—was not only alive but now the father of his mate’s best friend’s child.

  “Do you have a means of contacting him?” Jerrik rumbled.

  “Possibly. He gave me his number after we… Well, anyway. I didn’t give him mine. He seemed all right with that. Told me the ball was in my court. But who knows if the number he gave me is still active, or if he’s even in town.”

  “He will be.” Jerrik seemed so sure of himself. “You said you met at the charity event. Did he say why he was there?”

  “To meet someone. An old friend—oh, shit.” I met Jerrik’s narrowed gaze. “You. He said an old friend was supposed to make an appearance but didn’t. You and Reagan were the original guests.”

  “So, he knows I’m here, then. And that you and I are friends.”

  I frowned. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

  “You think it was just a happy accident that he approached you?”

  Well, wasn’t that a massive hit to my ego?

  “Leif was always the sort to do research. Information is key, he’d say. It’s too coincidental that he arrived so soon after Reagan and I announced our relationship. He must have heard the news and looked into it. And since Reagan is everywhere on social media, as was I at the time, a quick study would reveal…” He gestured toward me.

  “That’s a lot of assumptions.”

  He nodded. “But I’m right. I know him.”

  “No, you knew him. A long time ago. You didn’t even know he was alive.”

  Jerrik winced.

  “Maybe he doesn’t know who I am. Maybe he saw me and liked me.”

  “I’m sure he did. But I’m also sure he had ulterior motives. Every werewolf in the country knows that you and Reagan are best friends. And every werewolf knew about the charity event. When we didn’t show up, he found you.”

  “You’re saying he slept with me to get to you?”

  “In a roundabout way. Through you, he gains access to Reagan, and through her, me.”

  “Then why hasn’t he contacted her?” Reagan interrupted.

  “I didn’t give him a way to reach me,” I murmured. “I never do.”

  “And Leif was always a patient hunter. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a plan brewing in the back of his mind. A way of randomly running into you. The past few months have been a bit crazy for all of us, but things are calming down now. All this speculation is moot, though. There’s only one way to find out the truth.”

  I groaned and closed my eyes. “You want me to phone him, don’t you?”

  “You sort of need to anyway, don’t you?” Reagan asked. “I mean, he has every right to know he’s the father.”

  The thought of calling Leif gave me heart palpitations. I remembered our night together like it was yesterday. Hard to forget something I considered utterly perfect. But that didn’t make calling him any easier.

  I pulled out my phone and fiddled with it as I stared down at his contact information.

  “Lucy?” Reagan asked.

  I bit my lip. “What if he doesn’t…”

  She rose from her chair, crouched in front of me, and wound her arm around my shoulders. “Everything is going to be all right.”

  I met her gaze and nodded, but it was hard to believe her. I didn’t want to admit I was scared. It’d been a while since we’d slept together. He’d given me his number, and I’d never called. Not because I hadn’t thought him worth it, but because I knew he was. And that frightened me more than anything.

  But this wasn’t about me anymore.

  “All right. I’ll call him and arrange a meeting.”

  “And we’ll be there with you,” Reagan said.

  “No.” I shook my head. “I need to do this alone.”

  Reagan gave me a squeeze. “I know, and I’ll let you handle it your way. But Jerrik and I need to be there. Not only to confirm Leif’s identity but to ensure he isn’t here to make trouble. Our pack has been through enough without adding more fuel to the flames.”

  “Fine. But hold off on telling Gabriel. At least until we know more.”

  Reagan grimaced. “He needs to know.”

  “I agree. I’m just asking for a little time before the whole world finds out I’m pregnant.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, Reagan finally nodded. “The things I do for you, kid.”

  “I’d say you owe me, anyway,” I said with a light laugh.

  A faint smile chased across her lips. She leaned in and hugged me. “Always.”

  I gave myself a moment to bask in her adoration before glancing down at my phone. I’d already pulled up Leif’s number, all I had to do was press talk. I could do this, though my pulse seemed determined to deafen me.

  I connected the call, then placed it on speaker and listened to the monotonous ringing. After a few heartbeats, the call connected, and I swear, my stomach flipped.

  “Yeah?”

  God, the sound of his voice. Weeks had passed, and still, the deep cadence affected me. “Leif?”

  “Yes. Who’s this?”

  I drew a deep breath. “It’s, uh…Lucy.”

  He hesitated. “Ah, elskan mín. To what do I owe the pleasure after so long?”

  Jerrik snapped to attention, but I waved him off before he could speak. “Can we meet tonight?”

  “Tonight?” He hummed under his breath. “Eager to see me, are you?”

  You have no idea, buddy. I glanced at the stove clock. “Eight o’clock? My address is—”

  “I know where you live, Lucy.”

  “You do?”

  A pleasant chuckle rolled across the line. “I know many things. I’ll be there at eight.”

  The call disconnected before I could say goodbye.

  “He calls you elskan mín?” Jerrik asked, his brow arched.

  “A few times now. What’s it mean?”

  “It’s an Icelandic term of endearment and can mean a few different things. In English, it translates to my dear or my darling, but it’s an endearment usually reserved for someone important.”

  Well, we had slept together. It didn’t get more important than that. “Icelandic? I thought he was from Norway?”

  “Leif was born in Iceland, raised in Greenland, then returned to Norway. We were also a part of the expedition that discovered Vinland. At this point, he could consider any of those places home.”

  This was almost too much to wrap my head around. To think I’d slept with the Leif Erikson. I’d recognized his name when he’d first told me, but I hadn’t been willing to consider that it could actually be him. So few werewolves lived that long. Even Gabriel. The man was more than six hundred years old, and that was unusual for our kind. Few chose to live so long and ended their own lives, driven mad by the world around them.

  I shook my head and moved on. “How does he know where I live?”

  Jerrik raked a hand down his face. “Before I formally introduced myself
to Reagan, I knew where you both lived. It’s part of the job.”

  The job. As in… the job? Fear cramped my stomach. “You think he’s an assassin, like you?”

  “Former me,” Jerrik commented, injecting a little humor into his voice. “And I don’t know what to think. Not yet. We’ll know more after tonight’s meeting.”

  “Okay, but maybe let me do the talking. I know you two have this painful history, but I think my news needs to be the main thing he focuses on.”

  “Agreed. I just want to make sure he isn’t here to hurt anyone.”

  I nodded, relieved at least that I wouldn’t be alone. It still left one major question, though? How the hell was I going to tell him?

  Chapter 6

  After a few more discussions, Jerrik and Reagan decided it would be best if we were armed when Leif arrived. I hadn’t agreed, but I’d been outvoted, and Jerrik had slipped out to hunt down some weapons.

  I waited until Reagan and I were alone before gesturing to her hand with a small grin. “Something you wanna tell me?”

  A deep blush colored her cheeks as she gazed down at the ginormous rock weighing down her finger. “Right. I kinda forgot about it in all the excitement. Yeah, so…”

  “You and Jerrik.” My grin broadened. I was hardly surprised. I still remembered the night they’d met. I’d never seen Reagan so flummoxed, or so eager to grind with a man on the dance floor. Clearly, he’d felt the same. Even now, the way he looked at her…like she was the last sip of water on a scorched earth.

  Reagan’s smile softened. “This ring belonged—”

  “To your mother. I remember.” Amalie had passed many decades ago, but I remembered the sight of that monstrous thing wrapped around her delicate finger. Gabriel had bought it back in the day—I honestly didn’t know when. They’d been married so long, two-hundred-and-fifty years or so. And in that time, the ring had never left her finger, no matter the issues that rose between them. A beautiful pink sapphire surrounded by a dusting of diamonds. Reagan wasn’t into pink, but this ring meant so much to her.