The Secret Wolf (A Full Moon Mercy Novel) (shifter / MC romance)

by Ana W. Fawkes

  When Debbie had her morning coffee, she went out for breakfast at the local diner where a lot of the women hung out from the strip club. Most of them were still awake from the night before, trying to get the booze and drugs out of their system so they could sleep a few hours before waking up and heading back for another fun shift and another wild night.

  Debbie ate, laughed, and when she had to use the bathroom, all hell broke loose again. She used the bathroom and while washing her hands, her stomach felt like someone had grabbed her from the inside and pulled. She hunched over and let out a cry. The pain was right back to where it was the night before and when it started to subside, Debbie rushed from the bathroom to find Mandy.

  She went to the club, Full Moon Mercy, and pounded on the front doors until someone opened them. It was a large man, tall with leather, looking pissed off. He was pissed off and he slammed the door in Debbie’s face, locking it. Debbie then walked her way around the building and strolled on the open lot where the motorcycles were all parked. There was also a small two door speedster car. The color was black. The tire and rims were black. The windows were black. Something told Debbie it was Mandy’s car. Luck stepped in a few seconds later when the door opened and Mandy came out of the club.

  After telling Mandy a few sentences of what was happening, Mandy took her by the arm and took her into the back door of the club. She dragged Debbie up the steps and into a top floor area that looked like another club in itself. She was then in a room with two couches and one window.

  When Mandy let Debbie go, she leaned down, her face just inches from Debbie’s face.

  “If I find out you’re lying to me,” Mandy said, her voice almost purring, “I’ll kill you. You understand that?”

  Debbie nodded.

  “Now, it’s simple. I’ll give you one chance to stand up and leave. If you’re trying to play games to get to Lucas…”

  “It hurts,” Debbie whispered.

  Mandy stepped back. Debbie’s arm throbbed where Mandy had held her. Debbie lifted the sleeve of her shirt and saw claw marks from Mandy’s nails.

  “What hurts?” Mandy asked.

  “My stomach,” Debbie said. “I feel… I don’t know how I feel. I saw something move last night.”

  “Last night? When you were fucked up on drugs? When you were out dancing?”

  “I don’t take drugs while I’m working,” Debbie said.

  “But you do use?”

  “I enjoy myself,” Debbie said. “I’m not addicted.”

  “Of course not,” Mandy said. “Nobody ever is.”

  “I swear to you, I’m not lying. I came here because… well, you were in the strip club a few times…”

  “You want to talk to Lucas?”

  “I need to,” Debbie said.

  “Why?”

  Debbie froze. She wasn’t sure if she dared to say something to Mandy about what was going through her mind about Lucas. Then again, staring at Mandy, she had a look about her too that suggested she wasn’t human.

  Debbie looked away.

  Was she really thinking like this? Questioning if someone was a human or not? It couldn’t be possible. People were people, that was that.

  Right…?

  “You have something burning in your mind,” Mandy said. “Something you’re afraid to get out.”

  “I just need help right now,” Debbie said. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Did you take a pregnancy test yet?”

  Debbie’s face turned red. That thought hadn’t come to her. She wasn’t due for her period for another two weeks, yet the pain in her stomach was enough to make her wonder, not to mention the sight from the night before.

  “Oh, damn,” Mandy said. “No common sense in anyone.”

  “I’m not late,” Debbie said. “But I saw something. It moved from the inside… like something was big and alive…”

  Debbie waited for Mandy to throw her out. To accuse her of being high. But Mandy didn’t do that. Instead, Mandy had Debbie’s arm again, lifting her to her feet.

  “Come with me,” Mandy said. “Keep your fucking mouth shut. Don’t ask questions. Don’t think. Just come with me.”

  Mandy took Debbie from the room and then made a call to whom Debbie assumed to be Vince. She offered a brief rundown and when she hung up the phone, Mandy looked annoyed. This time she skipped grabbing Debbie, ordering her to simply follow her. Debbie got into Mandy’s small car and the woman drove reckless and fast. Debbie had no idea where they were going and she didn’t ask. When Mandy pulled into the parking lot of the local gas station and convenience store, Debbie was confused.

  “What are we doing here?” Debbie asked. “I really need your help.”

  “I am going to help you,” Mandy said. “Don’t be stupid. You need a pregnancy test.”

  Mandy reached into her purse and pulled out a hundred dollar bill. She handed it to Debbie.

  “I have money,” Debbie said.

  “Sure thing,” Mandy said. “Take this and buy three tests. Different brands. I’ll meet you in the bathroom around back. You have two minutes before I leave.”

  Mandy opened her door and got out of the car.

  Debbie moved fast. Her mind spun in a whirlwind of questions. She had hoped to find Mandy and then find Lucas. She wanted Lucas to comfort her right now, not Mandy. She wanted Lucas to touch her, hold her, caress her. She wanted him to offer her the wild passion he did the last time they were together.

  In the store, Debbie moved fast. She found the back aisle and pregnancy tests. With three in hand, she paid and left the store. The judging eyes of the cashier meant nothing. She had been used to judging eyes for most of her life. As a stripper, sometimes she was worth the money and sometimes she wasn’t. It was just part of business, and that meant it was part of life.

  When Debbie opened the bathroom door, Mandy was standing there with her hand out. Debbie let out a cry.

  “Oh, shut up,” Mandy said.

  She pulled Debbie into the bathroom and slammed the door. The bathroom stunk of old water, piss, and an array of other smells that made her even more uncomfortable than just by looking at it.

  Mandy tore the packages open and had the tests on the sink before Debbie could think about dropping her pants.

  “Come on,” Mandy said. “I don’t have all day.”

  She grabbed Debbie’s pants and turned her. She opened Debbie’s pants, moving so fast Debbie was helpless. Mandy stripped down Debbie’s pants and panties.

  “Squat and piss,” Mandy said. “I’ll put these under one at a time.”

  “Mandy…”

  “Don’t fucking argue with me.”

  Debbie did as told, squatting. It took her a few seconds to start to go. When she did, Mandy put one test at a time between Debbie’s legs. She then placed them on the sink and stared at them.

  Before Debbie could finish going to the bathroom, Mandy let out a sigh.

  “Fuck,” she said.

  “What’s wrong?” Debbie stood and pulled her pants up.

  “You’re pregnant,” Mandy said.

  “I thought it takes a few minutes,” Debbie said.

  She looked at the sink and saw all three were clearly telling that she was indeed pregnant. Debbie couldn’t believe her eyes. How could it be? How could it be so soon?

  “I’m not due…”

  “Fuck,” Mandy said again. “This is from Lucas?”

  Debbie hesitated for a second. “Yeah…”

  “You don’t sound confident,” Mandy said. “How many boys fuck you each night, Debbie? Come on. This could be anyone’s.”

  “But the pain,” Debbie said. “What I saw.”

  “Stay here,” Mandy ordered.

  She left the bathroom and Debbie stared at the tests. Each time she blinked she wished the tests would suddenly change. That they would become negative and it would all go away. As far as being with other men... sure. She had been with a lot of men. Unprotected? Probably. But this wa
s from Lucas. Debbie could just feel it.

  Many tore the door open again and grabbed Debbie's hand.

  “Where are we going now?” Debbie asked.

  “Going to see a doctor,” Mandy said. “You’re getting an ultrasound to find out how far along you are.” Mandy pulled Debbie close. “And when I find out this isn’t Lucas’s, you’re going to fucking disappear. Whatever you decide is up to you. You’re not dragging any of us into your mess of a life.”

  Debbie nodded and her eyes filled with tears.

  Mandy sighed and mumbled, “Fucking strippers.”

  *

  Mandy drove fast and hid the fact that her heart was racing. She called in the favor to Dr. Kient’s office, telling them that a friend needed an emergency ultrasound. There was no arguing, not when Mandy called for a favor. People listened and people acted. If not, they would either have to deal with Mandy herself or the wrath of Vince and Full Moon Mercy.

  The office was a few minutes away, but the drive felt much longer than that. Mandy didn’t believe for a second that Lucas would be so stupid to knock up some woman, especially a stripper. Plus, Mandy knew how mating worked with shifters. It wasn’t like that with human to human contact. It was much more difficult to conceive, unless in beast form, which was impossible since Debbie was human.

  Mandy looked at Debbie a few times, seeing her touching her stomach as though she were uncomfortable.

  “Pain?” Mandy asked.

  “Yes,” Debbie whispered.

  “Scale of one to ten?”

  “Sometimes a seven. Sometimes a twenty.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah.”

  There was no more conversation until they were at the doctor’s office. Mandy walked into the office as though she owned it. Debbie lingered behind. There was no taking chances, not with some crazed stripper who was probably looking for a little cash or a fix. Mandy would make damn sure that Debbie wouldn’t come near Full Moon Mercy or Lucas. She feared the idea of the word pregnant being thrown around near Lucas, and if that weren’t bad enough, she also feared that word near Vincent.

  As Mandy stood at the check-in desk, she casually touched her stomach, thinking of the one thing she was never able to give to Vincent. It was something they didn’t talk about but certainly something that bothered Mandy. Because she wondered how much it actually bothered Vincent.

  Mandy gave her name to the woman behind the counter. She quickly stood, nodded, and walked away, going to make sure Mandy and Debbie would be the next seen. It didn’t matter how long people had been sitting and waiting, all that matter was that Mandy was there and needed help.

  “Let’s sit,” Mandy said and pointed to two empty chairs.

  Mandy watched Debbie walk and knew the pain was real. She could tell by the way her body tightened and the way her hands moved. Not to mention Debbie’s smell. Mandy could pick up the stench of money, sweat, and fear. Not a trace of booze or drugs at all. She almost wished Debbie was high to make this situation easier.

  They sat, but Mandy wasn’t going to sit in silence.

  “When was the last time you and Lucas were together?”

  Debbie had her hands on her stomach. She looked at Mandy and Mandy could see the doubt in Debbie’s eyes.

  “A couple weeks ago I guess,” Debbie whispered. “We had a fun night after he came to see me at work.”

  “Of course he did,” Mandy said. “You two fucked and that was it?”

  A couple people looked up from their magazines. Debbie’s face turned red. Mandy rolled her eyes and stood. She took Debbie by the hand and walked her to the bathroom in the waiting area.

  “Now we can talk,” Mandy said. “You two fucked how many times that night?”

  “Just once,” Debbie said. “But it was…”

  Debbie closed her eyes.

  “It was what?” Mandy asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Do you understand what I’m doing for you?”

  Debbie nodded. “Thank you.”

  “I’m not looking for thanks. I’m looking for truth.”

  “It was different,” Debbie said.

  “What was different?”

  “The sex. It was different.”

  “Different how?”

  Debbie winced and swallowed hard. “The way he came at me. The way he did me. There was this… this passion to him. It was animal like.”

  Mandy turned her head. Animal like? Did Debbie really just say that? Mandy couldn’t even imagine what Lucas had done with Debbie or why. She looked at Debbie’s stomach and shook her head. This could possibly be a disaster. The only saving grace would be to get the ultrasound done and have Dr. Kient give an age on the baby putting it much older than the last time Debbie and Lucas were together.

  “Okay,” Mandy said. “Let’s just sit and try to take deep breaths. The doctor will…”

  “Oh,” Debbie muttered as she hunched forward. She reached and grabbed Mandy’s shoulder. She let out a whimper.

  “What is it?” Mandy asked. “Pain, again?”

  “It hurts,” Debbie whispered. “So much.”

  Debbie looked up and tears streamed down her face.

  “Sit down then,” Mandy said.

  She guided Debbie to the toilet and sat her down. Debbie couldn’t take her hands off her stomach. She put her head back and cried out in pain.

  “It’s moving,” she said. “I feel it.”

  “Show me,” Mandy said. “Show me right now.”

  Debbie’s hands shook uncontrollably as she pulled at her shirt. It slowly lifted, revealing a flat stomach. Debbie certainly didn’t look pregnant right then. Mandy stood and watched, trying to look impatient and bitchy. Inside, her stomach turned.

  Then she saw it.

  Pushing from the inside of Debbie’s body, something pressed and moved. Debbie’s skin stretched, allowing the object the move. It could have been an elbow, a knee, anything. One thing was for sure, there was no possible way Debbie could have such a flat stomach with such movement. And when the movements occurred, the pain level seemed to increase ten fold for Debbie.

  “We have to get out of here,” Mandy said. “Right now.”

  “The doctor,” Debbie said.

  Mandy shook her head. “No. There’s no doctor that can see you right now.”

  That was very true. Even though Dr. Kient was a trustworthy woman, she wouldn’t be able to look at Debbie and understand the reality of what was before her. It would all be changed. Everything going forward would be benchmarked on this moment with the truth of what was inside Debbie’s womb. That was something Mandy wanted nothing to do with.

  She helped Debbie back to her feet. Mandy put her hand to Debbie’s stomach and held it there until she felt movement again. Another kick or punch or head butt. Mandy took her hand away and shivered. She looked at Debbie and knew exactly what was happening… the life inside her stomach wanted food. Lots of it. Preferably meat.

  “Don’t say a word. We just leave.”

  Mandy led the way again and got Debbie to the front door of the doctor’s office. The woman behind the check-in counter yelled Mandy’s name. Mandy waved and kept moving. In the parking lot, she rushed Debbie to the car. She peeled out of the parking lot, her mind racing on what to do next. She didn’t feel like calling Vincent right then. She didn’t want to call Lucas.

  This was a big deal.

  This was a problem.

  This was a fucking mess.

  Debbie was human. And it appeared she was carrying the creation of a shifter. Her perfect little stripper body probably couldn’t handle a human baby, let alone whatever was growing inside of her. Mandy almost felt bad for Debbie, she had no idea what was in store for her.

  Mandy caught herself just driving. She wasn’t going in the general direction of the club. She wasn’t going in the general direction of the strip club either. She was just driving.

  “How’s the pain?” she asked.

  “It’s going awa
y now,” Debbie asked. “That’s how it happens. Last night it was so bad I left work early. I got home to sleep it off and that’s when I saw something move. I passed out. I woke this morning and felt fine. Then it started again and I came to find… someone…”

  “You did good,” Mandy said. She reached and patted Debbie’s leg. “Just listen to everything I have to say. Let me find a way to help you.”

  “It’s not real, is it?” Debbie asked a few seconds later.

  “What?”

  “Lucas,” Debbie whispered. “I can’t get it out of my head.”

  Mandy pursed her lips. “What are you trying to say, Debbie?”

  “Lucas isn’t human,” Debbie said. “From the second I met him, I could sense it. He was so different. So powerful. Even his eyes… And then that night we were together. He was so vicious. I was almost afraid but I liked it. I never had someone touch me like that before. Now I’m pregnant with his… child?”

  Mandy sped up. Debbie wasn’t just some dumb stripper. She was more than that. Between that and Lucas’s inability to control himself, this was certainly a freaking disaster.

  “You need to clear your mind of everything,” Mandy said. “Let me figure this out.”

  Mandy took Debbie to an apartment she had on the edge of Mercy. It wasn’t in a dangerous spot, just very hidden. It was above a laundromat, looking almost rundown, but on the inside, it was anything but. Mandy used it for a personal space to get away from life, or to enjoy a fresh kill. She had her own urges that were nobody’s business, not even Vincent’s. She took Debbie up the steps and into the lavish apartment that was decked out in black and gold. The black was dark and soothing, the gold all real.

  “Get on the couch and rest,” Mandy said. “If you can’t fall asleep, I’ll give you something make you sleep.”

  “You’d harm the baby?” Debbie asked.

  Mandy smiled. “There’s no harming what’s inside you right now. No drug. No drink. The only thing would be to kill you to kill it.”

  “It?”

  Mandy nodded. She pointed to the couch and Debbie moved to it. In a matter of minutes Debbie was peacefully asleep. Mandy sat on the coffee table and touched Debbie’s hair. It was greasy and knotty with the remnants of glitter.