Protected by the Bear

by Vanessa Devereaux

  She’d never been so scared in all her life. She could hear people crying and screaming in this place. She covered her hands with her ears. If she went to prison, she didn’t know what she’d do. Guess she should have thought of it before she’d made the decision to keep Sophie and disappear.

  Where was Sophie right now? Still in Montana, or had they taken her back to Texas, too? Handed her over to the Langens maybe? What if they decided to keep her now? She doubted they’d ever let Chloe see her after what had happened.

  Chloe flopped down on the bed, but knew she wouldn’t sleep at all. She burst into tears. She missed Ash so much. She didn’t think she could ever love someone as much as she did him. If she got out of this mess, she hoped that he felt the same way, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her like she did with him.

  Ash, please come and save me.

  ****

  Ash woke up with the mother of all headaches. Worse than any kind he’d had even after drinking heavily at parties. It felt like someone was trying to remove his eyeballs from inside his head and that drummers were practicing on his scalp. He sat up and tried to focus his eyes. He was locked up in a cell.

  What the fuck was going on here? He stood and remembered the taser.

  He walked to the door and peeked out through the small slit in it. He saw no one. The hallway was empty.

  It would take more than a cell to keep him locked up. If he shifted, he could be out of here in no time. He thought about it, but then knew he was putting everyone at risk. How could he explain a bear getting into a cell like this? He sat down then heard the door opening. He looked up and a police officer stood there.

  “Your lucky night having a policeman as a buddy. He’s vouched for your character.”

  Trent, thank God. Trent to the rescue.

  “We’re not pressing charges and your cousin is here to pick you up. We don’t want to see you back here any time soon.”

  Ash stood. “Don’t worry, I don’t intend to come back here any time soon.”

  Ash followed him out and down the hallway. The police officer opened the door for him and there stood Bear.

  “He’s all yours,” said the police officer. “Next time, you won’t be so lucky.”

  Ash waited until the officer’s back was turned away from him to give him the finger.

  “Just keep it cool and together until we get out of here,” said Bear. “And you’re coming to stay with us, at least for tonight.”

  “You got anything in the truck for a headache?”

  “Sure, and you look like you could do with a shower and a good night’s sleep.”

  Bear opened the truck for him. Ash got in. Bear got in beside him and handed him the bottle of aspirin and water. Ash tipped two out into his palm and threw them into his mouth. “They’ve taken Chloe to Texas.”

  “I know, and I phoned a couple of the shifters who are lawyers and they suggested we go with a human one. We found a female attorney and Brady’s paid for her to fly to Austin tonight to be with Chloe when she appears before the judge.”

  “Brady?”

  “Yeah, at least he’s flaunting his wealth in a good way this time.”

  “Maybe I should fly down there, too.”

  “Let’s wait and see how this progresses. Maybe Chloe will be just given a warning or whatever they do in cases like this.”

  “But what about Sophie?”

  “That might be a whole different issue. Chloe was just a surrogate mother.”

  “But she loves her.”

  “I know, but that’s not how these things work.” Bear pulled into the driveway and the two of them got out and walked toward the door. “Hannah’s pretty upset about all this. She was forced to hand Sophie over to a social worker who came calling shortly after they took Chloe away.” Bear opened the door and Ash stepped inside.

  “You got tasered?” said Sam, running toward him. “Was it cool or what?”

  “Hey, Sam, that’s enough. Ash doesn’t want to talk about it,” said Bear.

  Hannah walked out, threw her arms around Ash, and hugged him. “We’ll get Chloe and Sophie back. The group’s having an emergency meeting tomorrow and, together, we’ll find a way to bring her back to Montana.”

  ****

  Chloe didn’t know who the woman was who was brought into the room until she introduced herself.

  “Hi, I’m Jenna Paxton. I’m an attorney who’s been hired by Brady Walsh to represent you.”

  Brady had hired someone?

  “Are you a…”

  “A what?”

  She obviously wasn’t.

  “I’m sorry I’m a little upset and…”

  She reached across the table and squeezed Chloe’s hand. “Don’t worry. I’ve worked in lots of child related cases and I’m going to see that the charges are dismissed. Brady told me to speak with Dr. McWilliams, both Ash and Bear, and they’d filled me in on why you chose to run before you gave birth.”

  ****

  Ash had never been to Texas before. Jenna Paxton had phoned him and told him that the judge had offered Chloe bail and that her parents had put up their home to raise the money. She was now with them. Jenna was staying at a nearby hotel. Ash was going to stay with Chloe’s folks and, as the taxi pulled up outside the house, he couldn’t quite believe he was going to see her again.

  His heartbeat picked up as he paid the driver and headed up the driveway. Chloe must have been looking out the window because suddenly she ran out the door toward him. He dropped his bag and put his arms out, ready to embrace her. She pressed her body against his and they kissed. It felt so good to hold her, smell her, and taste her.

  “I’ve been so scared without you,” she said.

  “I’m here now and everything’s going to be okay. Have they told you where Sophie is?”

  “Jenna made some inquiries and she’s with a foster family here in Austin.”

  Ash wrapped his arms around her as they walked into the house.

  “We have to get her back,” said Chloe. “We have to.”

  “We will. I know we will. Everyone in the group sends their love and they’re writing to the judge and court on your behalf.”

  “That’s so nice of them.”

  An older couple walked toward them.

  “Ash, this is my mom and dad, John and Agnes. Mom, Dad, this is Dr. Ash McWilliams.”

  “Welcome to our home,” said John, extending his hand.

  “I wish it was under better circumstances,” said Ash.

  “I heard you’ve been taking good care of our girl so I’d like to give you a big hug,” said Agnes.

  Ash extended his arms and let Agnes wrap her own around him.

  “Now let’s go and have some tea. I’ve made some cake and I think the attorney is coming over in an hour so we can sit down and discuss what we’re going to do to get these silly charges dropped and get our granddaughter back,” said Agnes

  Ash smiled. He already liked Chloe’s family.

  ****

  Chloe felt so much better knowing that Ash was with her. She’d told her parents about him and that they were a couple, but not what he and the other people in the group really were. That was for another time. She also had just assumed that he’d stay in the spare room, but when her mom didn’t put clean sheets on the bed in there, she guessed they were perfectly okay with her and Ash sleeping together in her room. He seemed to have hit it off immediately with both of her parents.

  Jenna arrived a few hours later. Chloe guessed she was expensive, and how she’d ever repay Brady was beyond her.

  “Now I think it best that you tell the judge all about your daughter,” Jenna told her parents. “You know her better than anyone and you can offer some insight into why she chose to run and protect Sophie.”

  “We can definitely do that,” said her mom.

  “And Ash, you probably can tell the judge how Chloe’s been as a mother to Sophie.”

  Ash nodded and squeezed Chloe’s ha
nd.

  “My goal is to get the judge to agree that this case shouldn’t go forward and charges be dropped. After that, our next goal is for you to be allowed to adopt Sophie. Chloe, you’re positive that’s what you want?”

  “I consider her my daughter, so, yes, I’d like to be able to make it legal and official.”

  Jenna closed her folder. “Then I think that’s all we need to discuss. Now, can anyone suggest a place for me to try some Tex-Mex food?”

  ****

  Ash tapped his fingers on his knees. Chloe’s mother had been called to the stand to tell the judge about her daughter.

  “I know I’m biased because she’s mine, but she’s a really good person. She’s always wanted to be a vet and she’d often bandage up whatever dog or cat we owned at the time.”

  Ash saw the judge smile. That was a good sign, right?

  “We had her late in life and we’re not rich. We didn’t know about her offering to be a surrogate mother in order to pay her university tuition until she’d been fertilized, or whatever the procedure’s called. We weren’t happy, but then we realized that she was over eighteen, an adult, and it was her decision to do what she wanted. She had a rough first trimester. She had really bad morning sickness and a couple of days she was sick all day.” Her mother looked down and then up again. “The day she came home and told us that the baby had Down syndrome, she was heartbroken. We were too. She’d overheard the couple saying they didn’t want it. They didn’t want a child with any imperfections and couldn’t handle raising a child with special needs. The doctor said the best thing was to abort the baby and they said they’d definitely consider it and also think about offering the baby up for adoption as soon as it was born.” She stopped to wipe her eyes. “Monsters, that’s what I called them when Chloe told me and her dad. The next day she told us she was going to run away so Sophie could never be put in a home or foster care. Yes, she’d already picked a name for her. We were supportive of her and told her we’d help in any way we could. So if you put her on trial, then you have to put me and her dad on trial, too.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Davis. And Mr. Davis, you have anything to add?”

  Her father stood. “I think my wife has said everything I feel, and I’d also like to tell you that my Chloe is the best daughter ever and she’s in no way a criminal. She might have made some foolish choices, but we supported her in them, so like my wife said, we have to take the punishment, too.”

  The judge nodded and looked through his notes. “Dr. Ash McWilliams.”

  “Yes, your honor,” said Ash, standing.

  “I see that you were with Ms. Davis when she gave birth at the site of the plane crash.”

  “Yes, yes, I was. My cousin, who is also a doctor, delivered the baby.”

  “And she’s been living in your community of…well, it doesn’t quite say here in my notes, but by what I’ve read, Chloe has made a good impression on all those she’s been around.”

  “She has. She’s a wonderful person. I’ve seen her with Sophie and I don’t think you can find a better mother. She might have done something that wasn’t altogether legal, but I don’t think she should be punished for following her heart or moral compass.”

  “Moral compass. I like that phrase, Dr. McWilliams. I have spoken to Sophie’s biological parents. They have told me that they probably acted in haste in pressing charges and that now, in hindsight, they can see why Chloe chose to run. I’ve also read through all the letters I’ve been sent from those in the community where she’s been living so I think I’m ready to make my decision on whether or not this case should go forward to trial.”

  Ash took a deep breath. Chloe turned to look at him. He winked at her.

  The judge closed the folder. “Ms. Davis, I think being locked up in a jail cell overnight and transported here handcuffed by a marshal is punishment for what you did. Running away wasn’t the right thing, but I now have insight as to why you did it. You had a special needs baby’s welfare in mind. My granddaughter has cerebral palsy, so I know all about the dedication it takes to do that, especially in your case with the baby not being your own. I have to commend you, but at the same time, I have to abide by the law.”

  Ash bit his lip.

  “I’m advising that this case not be prosecuted and I’m now dismissing it. However, I’m not in a positon to rule on what happens to Sophie. That’s for another judge to decide upon.”

  Jenna stood. “Thank you, your honor.”

  He nodded, stood and left the chamber.

  Chloe hugged Jenna and then her parents. Finally, she walked over to Ash and hugged him. “All we need to do now is get Sophie.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I’m nervous,” said Chloe. She hadn’t been able to sleep. The first hearing about her being able to adopt Sophie was the next morning.

  Ash hugged her as they lay in her bed in the room she’d grown up in. He kissed the spot behind her neck. His erection pressed against her butt. “I know what you need to relax.”

  “Ash, my parents are just down the hallway,” she said, turning around to face him.

  “I know, but I can move my cock without moving my body, so they won’t hear a creaky bed and guess what we’re up to.”

  Another plus to being with a shifter.

  He reached for a condom, slipped it on, and in seconds, his cock was buried deep inside her beating faster than any vibrator on the market.

  “I just realized I scream a lot when I come when you do this,” whispered Chloe.

  “Then I’ll have to do this.”

  He kissed her. His tongue slipped over her lips and into her mouth as she enjoyed her first climax. She bit his lip as she came again and then once more.

  He was right. She was feeling a lot more relaxed.

  ****

  Ash wasn’t a suit sort of guy. When he’d left Montana, it had been in a rush and he’d just dumped some sweatshirts and jeans into his carry-on bag and headed for the airport. The Langens had agreed to put Sophie up for adoption, and Jenna had helped Chloe file the paperwork. She’d told her as she had carried her, given birth to, and had taken care of her, there was a good chance she’d be given permission to adopt her.

  Her first meeting with the people at the adoption agency was this morning. Jenna had agreed to stay in Texas to accompany her. Ash knew things would look more professional if he wore a suit because he had a surprise for Chloe that only Jenna knew about right now. He put his fingers down the back of his shirt while they waited to be called. The shirt felt like having some radio collar around him. He couldn’t wait to get back into his sweats or even his scrubs.

  He squeezed Chloe’s knee as they sat outside.

  “Did they say when we can see Sophie again?” Ash asked Jenna.

  “I think that will depend on how the interview goes today.”

  Ash nodded. He’d put her little teddy bear in his pocket just in case they did get to see her. Hannah had told him they hadn’t let Sophie take anything when Child Protective Services had removed her from the café that day.

  “Ms. Davis.”

  “That’s us,” said Jenna, standing. “Everything’s going to be just fine.”

  They walked into the room where two people sat across a table.

  “I’m Ms. Davis’ attorney,” said Jenna, shaking their hands.

  “If you’d like to sit, Ms. Davis.”

  Ash and Jenna sat to the side. Chloe crossed her legs, then uncrossed them, and then crossed them again.

  “We have your application to apply to adopt baby 34095.”

  Sophie wasn’t a number, but he wasn’t going to ruin things by starting to protest.

  “Yes, but I know her as Sophie,” said Chloe.

  “That’s a pretty name,” said the lady. “We’ve read all the details of this case and that you’re the surrogate mother.”

  “Yes, and can I say that I love her very much? As if she was my biological child.”

  “You’re going to schoo
l and you’re just twenty-one years old. You have no home or permanent work. How do you feel that you can support this child, especially a special needs child? This child will always have needs that may turn into costly medical bills.”

  “She won’t ever want for anything, and once I’m done with my studies, I’ll be a veterinarian and they make good money,” said Chloe.

  “But there’s the time until you are a qualified veterinarian.”

  If there was ever a time to spring the surprise on Chloe, it was now. Ash jumped up. “It’s no problem because I’d like to add my name to the application to be Sophie’s adoptive parent.”

  Chloe turned around, tears streaming down her face.

  “I’m a doctor and I’m buying a home. Sophie would be raised in Montana with lots of people who will care for her and love her, and if this beautiful young woman will have me, I’d like to be her husband.”

  Chloe put both her hands over her mouth and nose as more tears fell.

  Not the most romantic way to propose and not something that he expected to do for years to come, but this was his mate and Sophie felt like his little girl.

  Jenna handed Chloe a tissue so she could wipe her eyes.

  “Yes, I would definitely like this man to be my husband,” said Chloe.

  “I don’t think we’ve ever had anyone propose during one of these interviews. I have to say I can’t imagine a better couple to adopt this little girl.”

  Ash and Chloe threw their arms around one another.

  “When can we take Sophie back to Montana?” asked Ash.

  “There will be some paperwork to fill in and then a judge will have to sign everything, but in the meantime, you can visit her if you’d like.”

  “We’d every much like,” said Ash.

  ****

  Chloe had to be dreaming this whole thing. She had Sophie and she had Ash. They were going to be married. And almost like she’d come full circle, she was back on a plane. It was snowing as the plane went lower headed toward Kalispell.

  Sophie was fast asleep on Ash’s lap with her little teddy bear snuggled next to her. She was going to be theirs once all the paperwork was finalized in a few weeks’ time. She’d been sad to say goodbye to her parents, but they said they’d visit at Christmas and Ash was going to talk them into moving to Kalispell. How she was going to tell them about Ash and what he really was, well, that was a whole different story. They’d always been open-minded and never worried about people’s differences so hopefully, having a part-man, part-bear as a son-in-law would be fine with them.