ARINA'S MATE (Shifters of the Bulgarian Bloodline Book 2)

by Dalia Wright

  “You will not keep me from the woman I love and my unborn child. And I swear to you Alistair, if anything happens to either one of them because of something you did, there will be hell to pay. I will tear you apart limb to limb.”

  “How dare you speak to me like that! Have you no respect for your elders?”

  “I only give respect to those who deserve it and a man who would turn his back on his own child and grandchild because she broke some godforsaken antiquated rule doesn’t deserve respect in my books. I will find her and when I do, you better hope she or my baby aren’t hurt in any way.”

  Without giving him a chance to respond, Jake turned his back on Alistair, hoping he would never have to see the man again. Being back in the community had made him realize he had made the right decision years ago to not commit to the Amish life. It wasn’t for him, and he knew in his heart it wasn’t the life Rosalie wanted either. And he sure as hell didn’t want this life for his child, but that’s a decision they would make together once they were reunited again.

  But that was easier said than done because he couldn’t find any trace of Rosalie or where Alistair may have sent her. Asking anyone in the community would be useless because Alistair would never drag his family’s name through the mud by confiding in anyone else, so Jake had virtually nothing to go on except the little bit Alistair had let slip unconsciously. He said Rosalie would come back more pious, that indicated some kind of religious place…but where?

  After almost two weeks of following up on fruitless leads, Amanda came to see him once more in the middle of the night. She had been doing some investigating of her own and she had come across a torn slip of paper with a name scrawled on it - Saint Agatha and the beginnings of a phone number.

  “I don’t know if it’s a person or a place, but this must be the person Father dealt with because he never uses a telephone and I don’t see why he would need a telephone number.”

  Convinced she was on the right track, Jake was ecstatic. He wanted to grab Amanda and kiss her for joy. But he restrained himself.

  “First thing tomorrow morning I’m going to track this down and find out who or what Saint Agatha is. Thank you so much, Amanda.”

  “I love Rosalie, and I don’t think what Father did is right. Go get her, Jake.”

  CHAPTER TEN:

  Jake didn’t need to be told twice. At the crack of dawn, he was off heading to the nearest town where he could get Internet. Within an hour he had tracked down a handful of places and people with the words Saint Agatha in them, and one of them was a convent. Given Alistair’s pious comment it seemed like the most logical place to start with. But when Jake called, a nun told him quite firmly there were no guests staying with them and their convent wasn’t a hotel. His gut feeling told him he was on the right track and he wasn’t about to give up so easily. The convent was a four drive away so he decided to head out early the next morning. That afternoon he boldly went to Rosalie’s house to speak to Amanda and thankfully she was the one who opened the door.

  “I think I found her,” he said briefly.

  “Where?”

  “A convent. I don’t know for sure but…”

  “A convent for unwed mothers.” Amanda said bitterly.

  It was only then Jake noticed Amanda was on her way out of the house, holding a suitcase in one hand.

  “Are you going somewhere?”

  “Yes, I’m leaving home. I just had a big argument with my father, he admitted he sent Rosalie to the convent and he paid the nuns to take the baby away as soon it’s born and give it up. He refuses to listen to reason and I…I can’t do this anymore. I was on my way to come and see you. I was going to ask you to take me to Rosalie. I have to get her out of there. Will you take me please?” she sounded almost desperate.

  “I was going to wait till tomorrow because I didn’t think it would be a good idea to storm a convent at night but I can’t risk losing my child or Rosalie, so let’s go now.”

  Four and a half hours later they found themselves standing in front of the imposing looking convent closed off to the world with massive, fortress like iron gates. They rang a doorbell located in the front but nobody answered. Refusing to be deterred and willing to wake up the entire convent if necessary, Jake kept ringing the bell over and over again until a harassed, angry sounding voice came on over the intercom.

  “No entry after 7pm.”

  “We’ll wait here all night and ring the bell if we have to but we’re not leaving.” Jake said firmly.

  “Visitors have to be approved before hand,” the voice replied. “Come back tomorrow.”

  “No. We need to see Rosalie right now.” Jake remained firm but he didn’t see how he could force the woman to open the doors when Amanda suddenly piped up,

  “The father of Rosalie’s child is in the process of filing a civil suit against the convent, and if we don’t get her and the baby out of here right now, there will be hell to pay. He’s on his way here with lawyers as we speak.”

  For one awful moment Jake thought she would say Rosalie who but the woman obviously thought better of butting heads with lawyers because the doors swung open allowing them entry.

  A tall, stern looking nun met them at the entryway. Her long, angular face creased in disapproval.

  “We have strict instructions to keep her here until the baby is born and adoption papers have already been drawn up.”

  “If she’s not released in our custody this instant, the convent will be charged with kidnapping and trafficking. The baby’s father never consented to any of this and I doubt the mother has either.”

  The words kidnapping and trafficking seemed to rattle the nun. She sniffed at them a few times before turning on her heels indicating they should follow her. She led them down a maze of long, dimly lit hallways flanked by rows of doors and stopped in front of one near a set of stairs.

  “She’s in there but is probably asleep. I’ll have you know I’m calling her father this instant,” the nun said.

  Jake brushed past her and knocked on the door.

  “You do what you want lady.”

  With another angry sniff, the nun stalked off leaving Amanda and Jake alone.

  “Jake, I’ll wait out here and give you two some space.”

  “Thank you.” Jake said gratefully.

  He knocked again and entered when a tired sounding voice said, “Come in.”

  He found Rosalie sitting up on a narrow bed, covered with a thin blanket. She seemed to have shrunk in size in the last month, especially compared to her round, protruding belly. A lump caught in his throat as he studied her worn out face, the sad eyes and the dark circles. What had they done to her?

  Her eyes widened in shock as she saw him enter the room, the last person she had ever expected to see.

  “You know,” she said dully.

  “I know.”

  They both let that sink in.

  “I’m sorry for not telling you,” she said softly.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you,” he apologized in turn. He walked over to her and sat down next to her.

  “I’m here to take you back with me.”

  “You don’t have to; I’m not laying any claims on you…my father paid them to get rid of it for me,” she said bitterly, “But that’s not happening. I’m not letting them take my baby away.”

  “You’re not?”

  “No.” she said firmly. “I was so scared before because my father terrifies me and I didn’t know what I would do on my own, banished from the community. But I don’t care anymore. Anything will be better than being separated from my child. I’ll make my own way somehow.”

  Jake’s heart thrilled to hear that she didn’t want to give up their child. It was a secret fear he had been carried with him since he found out about it. He took her hands in his and squeezed them gently.

  “You’re not going to have to do this on your own. I’m here for you and the baby.”

  “No Jake…you don’t need to do that
. I don’t want you to feel any obligations.”

  Jake studied her face and decided it was time to be honest regardless of how she may or may not feel.

  He leaned over and whispered a few choice words into her ear. Rosalie’s face glowed brighter with every word and she stared at Jake in awe, not sure if she quite believed what he was saying.

  “I promise. I swear, I love you and I want us to get married and be together. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you left.”

  The sad expression from Rosalie’s eyes disappeared and her face dimpled into a joyous smile.

  “I love you too, Jake!”

  “So it’s all settled then,” he said and sealed their commitment with a firm kiss.

  “And now you need to pack anything you need and then we can leave. I also have one more surprise for you,” he added.

  “What?”

  “Let’s pack first and then surprise.”

  “I don’t need to pack; I don’t want anything from here. Just let me change.”

  Rosalie threw on a long dress and bundled her hair into a bun.

  “I’m ready. What’s my surprise?”

  Jake led her out of the room where Amanda was waiting with open arms. The two sisters took one look at each other and burst into tears, both talking at once, neither one making any sense.

  Jake hustled them down the hallway,

  “Let’s get out of here first before the scary nun comes back. There will be plenty of time for a reunion after,” he said firmly.

  EPILOGUE

  Jake and Rosalie were married a few days later in a civil ceremony at the courthouse. The wedding was attended by Amanda and Jake’s mother, who was overjoyed at the prospect of a grandchild. Even though she was getting sicker every day, she seemed determined to hang on until she could hold her grandchild in her arms, if not longer.

  They decided to spend a very brief honeymoon in New York, the city where they had fallen in love. They intended on going back home to spend time with Jake’s mother, and Rosalie had no doubts they would become the topic of immense gossip and everyone’s hatred but she didn’t care. She was too happy and too in love to care about anything. It was decided Amanda would live with them for a time too. Once the time was right they would figure out their next move, but for now there was no hurry. They had the rest of their lives to figure everything out together.

  As for her father, Rosalie didn’t care one way or the other. She couldn’t hate him because in a twisted way, him sending her to the convent had been the catalyst that had brought her and Jake together, but she wasn’t quite ready to forgive him just yet, nor did she want to think about him. For the moment, she was basking in her newfound love and looking forward to the wondrous miracle of motherhood.

  The End

  Saved by a Cowboy

  By: Stephanie Hunt

  Tina hated being forced into things. All her life she valued herself as an independent woman who could make her own decisions. When it came to love and romance, especially, she liked going after the guys she wanted and not the guys her parents suggested for her. She came from a good family and was well educated. Men found her attractive and she was fairly confident about her looks. But now her parents were forcing her into the position of being a mail-order bride, which meant that she would have to get with a total stranger. She didn’t care who it would be, she had always believed in love and wanted to be with someone that she chose.

  When her dad put the mail order bride application on the table in front of her one Saturday evening, she almost vomited. “Do you really think this is for me, Dad?” she asked.

  “It is time you were married off, Tina,” replied Henry, her dad. “You are already 23 and we want to see you settled down and comfortable. You are not getting any younger.”

  “But I don’t like this whole thing, Dad. You know I want to marry someone that I love, not someone that you and Mom love. And besides, do you really want to see me marrying a total stranger?”

  “With this application you can be paired up with a suitable husband. They will likely come from a good family as well and have the necessary means to support you. It is a hard economy out there and, especially as a woman, it is hard to make end’s meat.”

  “I don’t want to fill out this application. I know Mr. Right is out there somewhere, I just haven’t found him yet.”

  “But how long do you plan on looking for Princess? Most of your friends have already settled down by now.”

  “I am not sure, I just know I need a little bit more time.”

  Henry took a moment to assess the situation further. He decided that arguing with Tina was going to get him nowhere. He decided to put his foot down. “Tina, I am not going to have this argument with you. You are my daughter, and living under my roof. You will fill out the application and we will see this matter come to an end.”

  Tears began to well up in Tina’s eyes. She looked at her father in consternation. Why is he being so unreasonable? She grabbed the application and stormed up the stairs to her bedroom on the second floor, slamming the door shut and then collapsing onto her bed. The tears began to flow and she started sobbing. She realized to herself that she was going to have to fill out the application and there was no other option. She considered running away for a brief moment. But that idea dissipated quickly as she had no place to go. Her dad was right about all her friends already being married off. She was the last single one. She did not want to become an old maid, but that seemed a lot better than marrying a stranger too.

  That evening at dinner she ate her food quietly and sullenly. Her mother and father were also quietly eating, not looking up and sharing only the occasional glance between them.

  “I am going to fill it out,” said Tina dejectedly.

  There was a pause of about half a minute from her parents. Her mother, Dorothy, looked at her and said, “We think it’s for the best, hun. Your father and I have only your best interests at heart. You can’t live with us forever until you became an old maid.”

  “Listen to your mother,” said Henry. “She is right. And we are glad that you are going to become a mail-order bride. Some lucky man will get your application and will take care of you and make you very happy one day. You just can’t see it now because you’re young and naïve. But believe me, one day you will thank us.”

  Tina still felt sick to her stomach. But she couldn’t fight both her parents at once, especially while they were still providing the roof over her head.

  That night she filled out the application and by morning it was delivered via post to the organization that handles such matters. It was only a waiting game now until she heard back from them regarding her new husband. She hoped he was at least decently attractive and had some money. She was not going to stop looking for the man of her dreams just because some guy wanted to marry her. She was going to continue hanging out with her friends and going out to the saloon to have cocktails and gawk at the beautiful men who stopped by to play poker and shoot the breeze.

  The phone rang. It was her best friend, Kate Wimbleton. She wanted to know if Kate would join her and her husband, Eric, on a boat ride that afternoon. Tina didn’t really feel like leaving the house as she was somewhat depressed about becoming a mail order bride, but she decided that the company and some fresh air would probably do her some good, so she said yes.

  Tina got ready by putting on a beautiful, cotton, white dress and used one of her best purses. She looked at herself in the mirror for a few moments to make sure she looked great. She did. Her cheeks were rosy and her lips full and pouty. Her slender physique was striking and her full breasts accentuated her look. She smiled to herself, secretly hoping that today would be the day that she found her romantic partner. Maybe someone on the boat? Who knows. Men did quite often come up and approach her to start a conversation. Maybe finally someone would come up that she actually had feelings for in return.

  Out on the boat, it was a cool afternoon with a slight autumn breeze. Tina, Kate, an
d Eric were standing on the outside deck marveling at the beautiful sights and sounds of being on the open water. The boat’s destination was a small island about ten miles out from the harbour. There, the threesome would set up their lunch and embark upon a beautiful picnic.

  “You look wonderful today, Tina,” said Eric to Kate, offering her a sincere complement. “What is new with you?”

  “I am being set up as a mail-order bride. My parents are arranging the whole thing. I am not too thrilled about it.”

  “That is ill news, Tina,” said Kate. “I know how you have always valued your independence and you are certainly striking enough to find your own match.”

  “Yes, but I am twenty-three. How long must I wait before Mr. Right comes along?”

  “Maybe we will meet him today,” suggested Kate. There were a number of very good-looking men on the boat. Tina had only to glance around to figure that out. There was one gentleman in particular who caught her eye. He was tall, about six feet, with a slim build and coarse, dark hair. He wore a moustache and goatee and had very kind, smart-looking eyes. Tina couldn’t help but look in his direction several times. Upon glancing at him for the third or fourth time, their eyes met. He seemed to look directly into her unabashedly. After a few seconds of eye contact she looked away into the horizon once more.

  When the boat docked on the beautiful, green island, the three friends walked off the plank and strolled merrily around the boardwalk. They decided they would look for a suitable place to have their picnic. After about fifteen minutes of walking they came to a perfect spot to set up. It was a well-kept grassy hill under the shade of large elm trees. Eric unpacked, setting out a checkered table cloth for them to sit on and set out their delicious meal. Kate broke their bread into three sections and passed it out. Eric applied caviar to his piece and ate it savouringly. Tina enjoyed the food just as much as her other two companions.