by Mel Teshco
A sudden chill seeped into her bones and wound its cold breath through her veins. Shit. Werewolves were, by their very nature, intuitive. All knew to trust their instincts, rely on them. And she had a sudden, sinking feeling—a premonition—that Ricky knew of her betrayal.
He was a lawyer. His brilliant mind would have deduced her indiscretions. Even now, he might well be biding his time, somehow gathering the evidence with which to extract his own form of retribution. She shivered. Had she inadvertently summoned forth Ricky’s deep-seated menace?
A bicyclist in bright green and purple spandex pedaled past in a swish of tires. His matching helmet deflected the bright midday sun and jerked her chaotic thoughts back to reality.
She closed her eyes for a moment and then shook her head before giving in to a wry grin. She’d heard pregnancy hormones could drive a woman to the brink. Never would she have believed she’d be one of the afflicted!
The pedestrian light flashed red. While she waited to cross, her gaze drifted to the tree-covered park on the other side of the street.
Humans basked in the dappled shade of eucalyptus trees. One young couple lay on a striped blanket, their hands laced together, a picnic basket abandoned beside them. A handful of loners ate their packed sandwiches at the scattered, slatted wooden tables.
But her stare came to rest on a chubby little boy in denim overalls and yellow boots as he scampered over play equipment. A mother in a flower-print dress and wide-brimmed hat stood back and watched his exuberance, a proud smile curving her lips.
The light signaled green. Holly stumbled forward, clutching her belly tighter still, her maternal instincts overwhelmed by the picture-perfect scene.
Would Ricky be happy with her news? More to the point, would she, knowing she’d have to live with the deception of her children’s parentage?
Oh god. What were her choices? Stop deceiving him and give him up out of love and respect, or remain selfish and be with him because the former was too impossible to contemplate?
She hadn’t stopped thinking about that one night with the werewolf. Nor the next night when he’d turned up from the blue and gifted her with rabbit—an unbelievable generosity from a male whose appetite would’ve been frantic for meat rather than sex.
Her thighs trembled. Hungry or not, he’d ensured that he brought her to orgasm. With his mouth.
Her throat dry, she swallowed and steeled her spine. She couldn’t make excuses for that reunion. It’d been the second full-moon night. Her willpower hadn’t been totally swayed by beast instinct.
So why had she succumbed to the lycan?
She climbed into her car and then inserted the keys with a savage twist. Perhaps, deep down, she’d known the strong, virile wolf may well be the future sire of her children?
After a quick check in her rearview mirror, she pulled out into the busy street. At least now she understood why she hadn’t felt the calling to mate with another werewolf in the months since.
Her body and senses had been disinterested in just about everything but nurturing the growing life in her womb.
Clearly the incident with Simon had been her body’s adjustment period—pregnancy warring with a deep-rooted instinct to mate.
A smile pulled at her lips. That instinct had been greedily fed. Ricky had made love to her many times over those full moon nights. She suspected he’d been lured by her body’s unconscious but residual sexual needs.
Ten minutes later, Holly garaged her car. Thoughts rebounded in her head, strong as ever, and created a nervous energy which only sex or physical labor could sate.
The former was much more enjoyable, she mused as she set about scrubbing the kitchen tiles, which was confirmed when the noxious scent of bleach sent her gasping for breath.
With a curse, she threw down the cloth. It looked as though her nesting impulse wouldn’t be kicking in for quite some time yet!
“I can think of a much better way to work off some steam.”
“Ricky.” She scrambled to her feet and threw herself into his arms.
His briefcase thudded to the floor, his large hands cradling her ass as her legs encircled his hips. “This is nice,” he murmured. “I was starting to think—”
“I’m pregnant.”
Silence thickened the air, the wall clock ticking down the seconds before Ricky said with a soft sigh, “Ah.”
She drew back, her eyes searching his. “We’re— I’m, having a child. Two children.” She took a breath, her vision blurring. “Twins.”
“My god.” A grin split his face, his voice awed. “We’ve been blessed with two!” He swung her around, hugging her tightly, but gentling his grip as if it fully dawned on him that she was expecting.
Holly felt the world tilt as her heart lay heavy and cold in her chest. She had to tell him the truth. Or live a miserable existence.
He set her back on her feet, his expression shadowed, guarded. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re…ah… You’re not the father.”
She’d expected rage and accusations. Anything but this quiet dignity as he said, “Are you really so sure of that?”
“Yes.” It was a small word but one with so much power. No matter how much she wanted it, she couldn’t have made children with this wonderful man. With any human male.
“You’re wrong. Sweetheart, I am the father.”
“No. You don’t understand, I—”
He put up a hand, his stare intent. “I have something I need to tell you too.”
So this was it then. It was over, finished almost before it had begun.
“Remember that night at the reserve?” he asked. “The male wolf you mated?”
What? She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Could only stare.
He ushered her to the kitchen table, and pulled out a chair. Numb, she sank into it.
“How— Oh my god. It was you all along,” she whispered, her voice tight. “You were the wolf I mated with from the reserve. The wolf who gave me the rabbit.” And so much more.
God, even now the thought of what his mouth and tongue had done sent a rush of moisture between her thighs.
“Yes.” He slid a hand down the fall of her hair before his fingers curled around one of her taut shoulders. “I had my suspicions you were a werewolf, and when the full moon called, I followed you to the reserve.”
She closed her eyes. It all made so much sense in hindsight. Of course Ricky had been a gentle lover when he had thought she was human. Only after he’d discovered her identity had he really allowed himself to let go and become the insatiable, assertive lover who’d stepped into her shower.
He dropped his hand and took a seat. “Hell, I was torn between sheer joy and desperation when I discovered for sure you were a werewolf.”
She leaned forward. Something burned from deep within, filling her vision. “And you didn’t think to tell me the truth once you discovered the real me?”
Bastard! All this time she’d been drowning in guilt, struggling to keep her head above water, her two worlds separate—her two lovers.
A muscle jumped once, twice in the tight line of his jaw. “I tried.”
She pressed a fist to her brow, kneading the beginnings of a headache. “Yes, you did.” And I silenced you with sex.
He scrubbed a hand over his face. “But then I realized I might lose you unless—”
“I fell pregnant,” she finished.
“Yes.” The brilliant silvery sheen of his eyes softened. “You should know that, with each full moon, I planned to follow you to your chosen mating grounds. Beyond that, I just prayed that you would accept me each and every time for your calling.”
He reached forward, his hand snaring her fist. “Never in my wildest dreams did I expect you to fall pregnant so quickly.”
Was it destined?
“You wanted me that bad?” she asked, needing to hear him say it.
He placed her palm against his chest, against the steady beat of his heart. “Yes.”
Hope lifted and swelled, then retreated once more. “I can’t believe how naïve I’ve been. I should have known.”
“How could you have known? You didn’t see my face, even at our joining.”
“Yes. But for pity’s sake, you had your running shoes on and your suit, the day you picked me up at school.”
“Mmm. I had to hunt. I couldn’t go without fresh kill again after a full moon night of coupling.” He squeezed her hand. “I didn’t even make it to work that day. I wanted desperately to see you again. Then when I saw you with that professor—”
“Simon.”
“Jealousy ate at my gut like acid. He’s a werewolf too, hence your attraction.”
Oh!
He took a deep breath and then grinned. “So I made certain it was only me you’d ever want again.”
Awe tugged at her conscience. “You truly are the father.”
He didn’t respond, didn’t have to. And she didn’t voice protest when he said, “Come,” and pulled her gently to her feet before steering her to the recliner in the lounge room.
He crouched on one knee, tracing a gentle hand over her still-flat belly. Her eyes went wide when his hand moved deep into his jacket pocket and pulled out a jeweler’s box.
“I’ve been carrying this around for weeks now, afraid you’d not accept.”
Tears trickled down her cheeks, and Holly didn’t give a damn. Ricky was incredible, wonderful. He loved her!
He clicked open the box, revealing an exquisite ring with a star-shaped diamond. “Holly. Will you marry me?”
She laughed, she cried, she wrapped her arms around him and held on. She’d have plenty of time to think later. She had a marriage to plan, babies to rear. A husband to adore. “Yes.”
This white picket fence and two and a half kids was no longer an intangible dream, only for humans. It was theirs too. It was real.
About the Author
Mel Teshco lives in rural Australia with too many animals, too many children and not enough hours in the day to write!
Her loving husband is in training as a real-life hero and waits patiently to retire on the success of his wife’s writing.
Mel welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Mel Teshco
Ice-Cold Lover
Kallie Revealed
Stone-Cold Lover
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