by R. E. Butler
“Why would the females think that Kammie was a threat?”
“Because she’s pretty and she’s kind. Females tend to see any beautiful female as a threat. I think it’s an ancient, in-born thing. Every female wants the biggest, baddest male to be her mate, and anyone who might take that male from her is a threat. Females don’t physically fight as much as males do with rivals, so they resort to undermining their confidence and shunning them.”
Row shook his head. “It’s still the biggest bunch of bullshit I’ve ever heard.”
“I don’t disagree. But you’re talking to a guy who’s been shunned as well. Someone told me once that Acksel would never trust me to guard Brynn because I can’t run fast.” He glanced at his hand, where light scars were visible. “I would’ve protected her if they’d asked me to. Dani’s the first person who didn’t see my scars as a liability.”
Row knew he was that person for Kammie, too.
“How are you going to handle Dani shifting? I’m asking because I’m her brother and I want her to be safe.”
“I do, too.” Adam said. “I talked to Acksel about it. I’m going to fence in the yard. Acksel’s making arrangements with the local construction company to put up what will amount to a security fence. I’ll be able to stay with her in my shift, and she’ll be safe within the confines of the yard. It’s not ideal, but it’s safer than taking a chance on someone mistaking her for prey.”
Row nodded. “She’s impulsive.”
“I noticed.”
The girls returned to the table and the waiter brought dessert. Row shared a slice of dark chocolate cheesecake with Kammie, and then they headed home. When he unlocked the door to Kammie’s home and led her inside, he asked, “Would you like to stay longer?”
“Why would I want to do that?”
“This is your home, the pack is all you’ve ever known. I just want to make sure I’m not rushing you from a place you love.”
She pressed her palms to his chest and looked up at him. “I don’t love Wilde Creek, I love you. And this place isn’t my home anymore – my home is wherever you are. Do you know how much you’ve changed my life? You give me the strength to be myself. I sat at a table tonight, in public, with a shirt on that clearly showed some of my scars. I don’t even know if anyone was paying attention to them, because I honestly don’t care. Because of you, because of your love and strength, I’ve found my own strength.”
“I think you had it all along.” He was humbled by her words, and profoundly proud of her.
She shrugged. “Maybe. All I know is that I don’t care if anyone sees my scars anymore. I am what I am because of what I endured. I can let my past go, because the future is going to be amazing.”
He lowered his head and captured her lips, drawing her close. She sighed and relaxed into him, her hands clenching in his shirt. He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her into the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed.
Slipping his hand down the center of her body, he pushed her top up and kissed her stomach. She fisted his hair and sighed happily. It took him no time to strip her of her clothes, and then he spent the rest of the night worshipping her the way she deserved and making love to her one last time in Wilde Creek.
Chapter 14
Kammie woke up early that next morning. She was used to waking up and getting out of bed immediately to get ready for the day, but she didn’t have a job in Wilde Creek any longer. Before she met Row, she would’ve been out the door as soon as the sun was up to start working around town. She’d spent a majority of her time each day at the alphas’ home, cooking meals for them; Brynn had told her once she thought of Kammie as her own personal chef. It hadn’t been Brynn’s idea to have someone cook and clean the house for them, but Acksel hadn’t wanted Brynn to work too hard because of her pregnancy. Kammie knew that Row would be the same way once she became pregnant. He wouldn’t want her to lift a finger. But unlike the alpha wolf, Row would take care of her himself.
Her mate slept quietly next to her, his big body warm against hers. She hadn’t ever spent the night with a male before Row, but she adored the way it felt to fall asleep with his arms around her and his warm breath on her neck. She didn’t think she’d ever get tired of how amazing he smelled and how safe she felt in his arms.
Row growled softly and pulled her a little tighter against him. She felt his erection against her back and smiled as she laid her hand on top of his where it was splayed across her stomach.
“You must always have sweet dreams,” he murmured against her neck.
“Oh?” she asked, chuckling.
He hummed. “You smell extra sweet in the morning.”
She rolled to her back and he straightened his arms, caging her and gazing down at her with adoration and heat. “I was just thinking about how much I love to wake up with you.”
He smiled slowly, his eyes darkening. “You’ve come a long way from the female who made me sleep on the couch that first night.”
“Because of you. If I’d mated a wolf in the pack, nothing would’ve changed about my life. You’re a wrecking ball. You knocked down all my carefully constructed walls. I see myself more clearly now because of your influence.”
“You’re going to make me blush,” he teased.
She stroked her hands up his arms and gripped his shoulders. “It’s true. Without you, I don’t think anything would’ve changed about my life. I don’t think I believed I was worth loving.”
“And now?”
“Now I know I am.”
He nuzzled her throat with a growl and began to kiss down the center of her body. She loved the rough scrape of his stubble against her stomach, and she shivered as he kissed her navel and nuzzled her. He paused, burying his face more firmly against her and inhaling slowly. She brushed her fingers through his soft hair and scraped her nails lightly against his scalp.
He lifted his head, and his eyes were dark with passion. A smile spread swiftly across his face. “I think you’re pregnant.”
She blinked. “Um, no. I can’t get pregnant until my mating heat in the fall.”
He quirked a brow and pressed his nose into her stomach. She felt the air move across her skin as he inhaled. Lifting his head, he said, “You smell like a pregnant bear, sweetheart.”
She slipped her hand to her stomach and thought about their time in the mating cave. “Aggie said that sometimes pregnancies happened during the mating time. I didn’t think it was possible because of my wolf biology.”
He lifted off of her and slid out of the bed.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“To get you a pregnancy test.”
“Wait,” she said, laughing, as she rose onto her elbows. “You don’t have to rush out now.”
“Aren’t you curious to know for sure?”
“Yes, but I want to finish what we were starting here, and then we can go to the drugstore.”
He growled softly as he climbed back onto the bed, pushing her legs apart to make room for his broad shoulders. She dropped back to the bed with a soft moan as Row took them both to the heavens.
* * * * *
Kammie looked at the pregnancy tests spanning half of one aisle in the pharmacy. She-wolves didn’t really use pregnancy tests. Normally, they could only become pregnant during the fall mating heat. A she-wolf would know when she became pregnant during the heat because the heat would actually cease, so there was little need for a test. Wilde Creek wasn’t entirely wolf, though, and there were many human females who would have a use for the tests.
“Hi Kammie!” Nila, Malachi’s human mate, said brightly as she led her son Jack down the aisle.
“Hi Nila. Hi Jack,” Kammie said, squatting down to give the cute little boy a hug. He babbled in his baby talk, holding out a stuffed wolf and saying, “Woof.”
“It sure is, kiddo,” Kammie said with a laugh. It was a joke in the pack that Malachi’s adopted son loved to woof like a dog when Malachi tried
to get him to say wolf.
Kammie stood and leaned back against Row. “How are you, Nila?” Row asked as he wrapped his arms around Kammie and drew her back against his chest.
“Good, Row, thanks.” She glanced at the tests and down at her son who was shaking the wolf and giggling. “I think I might be pregnant. I didn’t want to take a test at Doc’s because I wanted it to be a surprise for Mal.” Nila was a nursing assistant and worked for the pack doctor, Gedding.
“We won’t tell,” Kammie said. “Congratulations, if it’s positive.”
“Thanks. I want to give Mal a baby of his own so badly. He treats Jack like gold, but I think all males want young of their own, you know? A wolfy sort of legacy.”
Kammie understood. “I don’t have any idea what I’m doing here.”
Nila’s head tilted slightly. “I thought wolves didn’t get pregnant outside of their heat.”
“We’re not really sure,” Kammie said and Row cut her off.
“I am.”
Rolling her eyes, Kammie continued, “but we think it’s because of how bears mate their females.”
“Because you’re truemates,” Nila said thoughtfully.
“Exactly,” Kammie said.
“How long has it been since the ceremony?”
“About two weeks. Row said I smell pregnant, but it’s so early. I’m not even sure if I can test yet.”
Nila turned to face the shelves and scanned the boxes. She pulled two purple boxes from one shelf and said, “This is an early detection one. They’re formulated so you don’t have to take them first thing in the morning, but we always recommend it. You can take one now and then one in the morning just to be sure.”
“Thanks, Nila,” Kammie said.
“You’re very welcome. And congratulations on your pregnancy.”
Kammie and Nila hugged briefly, and then Kammie gave Jack a kiss on the cheek before leaving the aisle with Row.
Row paid for the tests, and they held hands as they walked out into the cold morning. She shivered, and Row put his arm around her, giving her a squeeze as they navigated the icy parking lot.
“Do you want to get breakfast first?” Row asked as he opened her door and then handed her the sack.
“Nope. I’ve got a date with a pregnancy test and then we’ve got to get on the road.”
“In a hurry to get back to Oakville?” He chuckled.
“You bet. We’ve got the next chapter of our lives to get started.”
He grinned, and it was her favorite smile – the one that showed a hidden dimple and made his eyes dance. “Love you, little wolf.”
“I love you too. Now let’s get on the road!”
* * * * *
Kammie looked around the empty house. She’d already checked every room twice. This was the place she’d called home since she moved out of Maggie’s house. Now she had a new home in Oakville, with Row and the sleuth. Somewhere along the way, she’d stopped thinking of Wilde Creek as home and started thinking of Oakville that way instead. She knew it was because she felt like she finally belonged.
Row hugged her from behind and buried his face in her neck. He kissed her with a soft growl. “Are you sad, little wolf?”
She laid her hands on top of his and sighed as he kissed her throat. “Yes and no. There are things I’ll miss, but I’m mostly happy because you and I get to start our lives together.”
His hands pressed lightly against her stomach. The first pregnancy test had turned positive immediately. Row had growled happily and hugged her. She could count on one hand the good things that had happened in her life, and all of them had happened after Row tackled her in the woods.
She turned in his arms. “I have an idea for a name for our baby.”
“Oh?” He kissed her nose and squeezed her waist lightly.
She nodded. “If it’s a girl, I want to call her Joy.”
“That’s beautiful. And if it’s a boy?”
“Nathanial, after your dad.”
Row smiled. “That’s wonderful, sweetheart. Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Being my mate. Being amazing. Being yourself.”
“It’s my pleasure. Now let’s get this show on the road. We’ve got a nursery to get ready.”
“I can’t wait.”
She went up onto her toes and kissed him. Without looking back, she left the house and locked the door, leaving the key on top of the doorframe.
Row’s mom waited in Kammie’s car on the street. After Row and Kammie had returned from the pharmacy and she’d taken her pregnancy test, Dani and Adam had come to say goodbye, bringing Row’s mom with them.
Kammie wished that Dani and Adam were coming to the sleuth with them, but she understood that they’d made the choice to stay in Wilde Creek. Dani seemed remarkably content already.
Dani’s face was shiny with tears, and Adam was consoling her. “Take care of my sister,” Row said, shaking Adam’s hand and giving Dani a last hug.
“With my life,” Adam vowed.
“It’ll be spring before you know it, and you’ll be able to come and visit,” Kammie said softly to Dani as she hugged her closely.
“I know. I’m just being emotional. It’s hard to say goodbye, but it’s a good thing to move on in our lives, right?”
“Especially when we have such amazing males to move on with,” Kammie said.
She kissed Dani on the cheek and waved at Adam as Row guided her to his truck and helped her into the cab. It was warm because he’d had the engine running, and she snuggled against his shoulder after he climbed in and pulled away from the curb. He honked the horn twice and they waved at Dani and Adam. Kammie turned in her seat and watched the house disappear from view as Row pulled onto Main Street and accelerated.
“You know the first thing I want to do when we get to Oakville?” she asked as she turned in her seat and snuggled against her mate again.
“What’s that, sweetheart?”
“Make love in every room.”
“Oh?” he said with a soft growl.
“Sure. We’re newly mated, and I want our combined scent in every room. Right now the house smells like a bachelor pad.”
He chuckled. “You can have anything you wish.”
She lifted her head to look at him. He glanced at her for a brief moment, and she couldn’t miss the heat in his gaze. “I have an amazing male for a mate, I’m pregnant, and I finally have a home in the sleuth where I feel like I belong. I don’t have any more wishes, because everything I’ve ever wanted has come true.”
“You’re my dream come true, too.”
The End
* * * * *
Contact the Author
Website: http://www.rebutlerauthor.com
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @rebutlerauthor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/R.E.ButlerAuthorPage
* * * * *
Also from R. E. Butler
Wiccan-Were-Bear Novella Series
A Curve of Claw
A Flash of Fang
A Price for a Princess
A Bond of Brothers
A Bead of Blood
A Twitch of Tail
A Promise on White Wings
A Slash of Savagery
Awaken a Wolf
Daeton’s Journey
The Wiccan-Were-Bear Series Volume One
The Wolf’s Mate Series
The Wolf’s Mate Book 1: Jason & Cadence
The Wolf’s Mate Book 2: Linus & The Angel
The Wolf’s Mate Book 3: Callie & The Cats
The Wolf’s Mate Book 4: Michael & Shyne
The Wolf’s Mate Book 5: Bo & Reika
The Wolf’s Mate Book 6: Logan & Jenna
The Wolf’s Mate Book 7: Lindy & The Wulfen
The Necklace Chronicles
The Tribe’s Bride
The Gigolo’s Bride
Ashland Pride Series
Seducing Samantha (Ashland Pride One)
Loving Lachlyn (Ashland Pride Two)
Marking Melody (Ashland Pride Three)
Redeeming Rue (Ashland Pride Four)
Saving Scarlett (Ashland Pride Five)
Hyena Heat Series
Every Night Forever (Hyena Heat One)
Every Dawn Forever (Hyena Heat Two)
Every Sunset Forever (Hyena Heat Three)
Every Blissful Moment (Hyena Heat Four)
Wilde Creek Series
Mate of Her Heart (Book One)
The Alpha’s Heart (Book Two)
The Protector’s Heart (Book Three)
The Omega’s Heart (Book Four)
The Scarred Heart (Book Five)
Saber Chronicles Series
Alaric’s Perfect Mate (Book One)
Slade’s Feisty Mate (Book Two)
Caleb’s Tempting Mate (Book Three)
Galen’s Lovely Mate (Book Four)
Saber Chronicles Volume One (Books One - Four)
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Coming Soon in the Wilde Creek Series
Dancer’s Heart (Wilde Creek 6)
Adam Cruz has spent the last twelve years of his life wondering if he’d ever find his truemate. As a low-ranked omega wolf, with a body full of scars from a firebomb, he’s had more than his fair share of trauma and shame. All he wants is to find his truemate and settle down, even though he wonders if his mate will care about his scars or that he can’t hunt as well as other wolves because of them.
As the only reindeer shifter in a bear den, Dancer Grayson knows what it’s like not to fit in. When she runs into her truemate in the woods of Wilde Creek, she discovers that she fits right in with him. Adam’s not ashamed to have prey as a mate, and she’s not ashamed of his scars. Together, she’s certain, they can survive anything.
