by Abella Ward
Soon all four were sleeping, and Lucy leaned against Levi, smiling at their little ones. "They're beautiful, don't you think?"
"They are. They're just as beautiful as you. But they've all got my nose, don't you think? Especially Iris. You know, I never liked looking human when I was little. I just wanted to run around as a Coyote, getting into trouble."
Lucy repressed a giggle. Of course he had. He was so loose and free, and she never wanted him to lose his childlike love of fun. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she sighed. "Remember when you told me you loved me?"
"Yes."
"Remember how I didn’t respond?"
Levi paused. "Yeah. I remember."
Lucy turned around, putting her arms around his neck. "I love you. Three months too late, I know, but I love you."
"Too late?" Levi lifted her from the floor and twirled her in a circle. "It's never too late to hear those words! You love me! I knew it. I knew you loved me."
Lucy laughed, letting her head fall backward. "I love you. Now, what are you going to do about it?"
"Simple." Levi pulled her higher on his hip, his arms snug around her. He pressed her against the wall and kissed her hard, making everything inside of her quiver with delight.
The Coyote moved to her neck, then moaned and moved back from the wall. He headed for the bedroom while Lucy kept a hand against the wall, making sure that they stayed steady. Her eyes were half-closed as her lover continued to kiss her neck, sending tight and warm tingles down her spine.
As soon as they were in the bedroom, Levi laid her down on the bed and pushed both hands under her shirt. He shifted her bra aside and Lucy laughed, gripping his hips with her knees.
"Straight for the breasts. I should have known."
Levi kneaded her breasts for a moment, his eyes darkening with lust. Lucy tugged her shirt and bra all the way off, sighing in delight as the tight garment finally slid off. Levi kissed her collarbone and flicked his tongue over her throat. Desire flared in her core as he did. She gripped his shirt and tore it apart, the buttons popping off and bouncing off her naked chest. The Coyote jumped, startled, and looked down. A grin crossed his face as she ran her hands over his perfectly formed muscles.
"Amazing," she whispered. "Absolutely amazing."
"Can't argue with you there."
Her lover dove into her neck again. This time he pressed his hands between her legs. Shots of pleasure bolted up her legs and Lucy's head fell back. Her body sang for his touch, and at that moment all she wanted was for them to tear off what clothing separated them and to be joined. It had been too long, and there had been so much that happened…
Levi gently unbuttoned her pants, sliding them off her hips. His mouth trailed down her neck and over her chest as his fingers played, setting fires under her skin. Lucy reveled in the sensations. Smith was in jail. Levi and Steven had been cleared of all charges. The babies were healthy. Right now all that mattered was her and Levi, in this moment.
"Wait," Lucy mumbled, pushing herself to her elbows. "Come here."
Levi moved back his mouth, kissing gently. "What is it?"
Lucy caught him with her arms and legs, holding tightly as she rolled. She pinned him down, kissing him fiercely until she was certain he was going to be still, and then she reached for his belt. He sprang free of his jeans. His hands grasped the globes of her buttocks as she fully removed his jeans. With one more searing kiss, she moved back and grinned.
"Is this going where I think it's going?" Levi asked.
"Yup."
She turned around, positioning herself over him while she took him into her mouth. Both of them began moving together. Lucy moaned. She could hardly keep to her own task as Levi's wicked, talented tongue did its work. Her eyes rolled into her head. Her body moved of its own accord, pulling away from the pleasure that was just too good, too much. She couldn't breathe.
When Levi grasped her by the hips and spun her onto her back, she jumped in surprise. The Coyote spun around. He parted her thighs. Eyes twinkling, he pressed against her. She tried to roll her hips up, but Levi held her hips down.
"Let me take my time." Levi moved to her neck, kissing her gently as he released her. He moved to the nightstand and pulled out a condom, making a big show of putting it on.
Lucy grinned. Even though she was on birth control now, they couldn’t be too careful. Their current four children deserved to have as much love and attention as they could be given, and while Lucy hadn't ruled out more children in the future, it was good to take precautions right now.
He entered slowly. Lucy dug her hands into his hair as her mind spun out of control, everything far more intense than she remembered. All of Levi's movements were slow, from the rhythm he kept to the kisses he gave her to soft caress of his hands on her body. The build was not nearly as slow. Everything shot straight to her head, taking Lucy to the edge in an instant. Levi held her there, keeping her in intense pleasure for what felt like ages. Lucy was almost ready to beg when everything broke.
Flashes of heat broke over her body, flooding her. Her back bowed. Her legs alternately kicked and clenched around her lover's hips. Her fingers dug into his back. Levi threw back his head and howled.
Levi groaned, sinking down onto her. She ran her fingers down his back until he rolled off her again. Their hands twined together, Lucy turned her face into his shoulder and smiled. "If someone told me four months ago that I'd be in love and have four children, I would have slapped them."
"And if four months ago somebody told me I'd have a beautiful mate and four beautiful children, I would have died laughing."
They both chuckled, then wrapped their arms around each other. Lucy's eyes slid shut as her body relaxed. Life was good. Very, very good.
*****
THE END
The Shifter's Secret Baby
Description
A curvy gal with a secret love child PLUS an impossibly hot werewolf Alpha PLUS a vampire coven getting ready to flash some fangs…
Eric Civery is scorching hot, filthy rich and the powerful Alpha of a werewolf pack. His gobs of money and killer abs can get him anyone he wants. But he isn’t interested. He gave his heart away a long time ago.
Kayla thought that she would never see Eric again. Three years after their passionate affair, all she has from him are memories… and a little daughter he doesn’t know about.
But the past comes rushing back when Eric and Kayla meet again. She knows she has to forget about him—it will only end up being a big mess. But why on Earth does the guy have to be so freaking hot?
And as the same intense passion that was Eric and Kayla’s undoing years earlier reaches a boiling point, a vampire coven threatens to attack Eric’s pack.
Eric has to ask himself one question: Can he keep his mate and child alive? Is he prepared to risk everything for them?
Chapter One – Kayla
An ear-piercing squeal made Kayla Hollis flinch. She groaned as the sound charged towards the office space she and her business partner rented. A spine-chilling noise like that could only be one of four things: a dying cat, screeching tires, an unholy demon from the underworld, or her partner, Donna, after receiving some good news.
Kayla already knew which one it was. Yet, she did hope that, for once, it was the unholy demon. When the doors to the office burst open, Kayla held her breath–only to sigh in disappointment. No demon this time.
"Guess what?" Donna's black hair flew in a wild mess around her head, as it usually did. She ran her fingers through it, making it stand on end as she danced through the office. "It's fantastic! It's terrific! It's going to put us on the map and make us a household name!"
Kayla smiled indulgently. Donna could be pretty high-maintenance and excitable, but they had been friends for three years now, and there was nobody better for creating business contacts. "What is it?"
"Okay, so I was just walking down the street when my phone rings. So I answer it, 'This is Donna Freeman from Freeman and Hollis Marketi
ng Co., how may I help you?' And guess who it was!"
"I have no clue."
"Eric Civery! CEO of Galaxy Transport Co.! They make the most luxury electric cars you can imagine, and he called me. He wants to do business with us."
Kayla's face went white. Her green eyes widened, and she was instantly bombarded by hundreds of memories. A tall, handsome young man meeting her at the university grad mixer. A glass of wine spilled all over her white dress by a girl who called her fat. Him taking her home and staying the night. Waking up to him making eggs the next day and asking if she wanted to see a movie. Going out with him almost every day after that. The utter devotion in his eyes every time he looked at her. The way his grin made her heart jump every single time.
And the last night they were together, in the back of his brand-new pickup truck, hearing him moan her name again and again. The diamond ring he slipped on her finger after only knowing each other for three months – the ring that had filled her with terror. Breaking up with him and running, cutting all contact because she couldn't see him without wanting him, and knowing she couldn't give him what he wanted…
And the beautiful gift she had been granted nine months later.
"Hellllllo, Earth to Kayla." Donna waved her hand in front of her face. "Where did you go? I just told you he's coming over right away to discuss his marketing proposal. He's got this piece of land just outside of town or something, and he wants to build this great big community farming thing or something. It's going to be great! Everybody comes and takes part in caring for it, and then they're going to do some sort of distribution of what's grown there. Something like that."
"That's a lot of somethings," Kayla whispered.
Donna shrugged. "It was windy outside, and I was so enthralled. Eric Civery! Have you seen his picture in the paper? He's scorching! And he's, like, a triple billionaire. Filthy rich. And isn't he the Alpha of some big werewolf pack?"
"Yes." Kayla turned away, trying to hide her trembling from Donna. "And you ought to know what pack since we live on the packlands that his pack owns. We're on the outskirts, but it's still his."
"And he wants us to market for him."
"Yeah… Us."
"Gee whiz, girl! Try not to sound so excited." Donna plopped into her office chair. "What's with you? I thought you'd be excited. We've been doing decent these past two years, but with a client like Eric Civery, we could really boom. Maybe make enough so we can hire a few more people, take on more clients. Why do you look like a puppy that just got kicked?"
Kayla chewed the inside of her cheek. Her nerves churned. Needing something to calm them, she yanked open her desk drawer and searched inside for some chocolate-covered marshmallows. Both of her hands trembled so much she could hardly open the package.
"Okay, that face is green. Are you pregnant?"
"No."
"Then—"
"Eric is Mikayla's father."
"Oh." Donna froze. Her eyes rounded until they were as big as saucers. "Oh!"
Kayla nodded grimly. "Yeah. Oh."
Donna began to fidget again. Honestly, the woman was never still. Probably why she was so trim, unlike Kayla's own rather bulky frame. It also helped that Donna was diabetic and ate a strictly vegan diet in order to keep it under control.
"Do you think he knows that you’re part of the business? Maybe that's why he chose us instead of some big hoity-toity company. Maybe he's still madly in love with you and—" Donna cut herself off, frowning. "If he's Mikayla's father, why haven't you ever mentioned him before? Why haven't I met him?"
Kayla miserably stuffed the whole treat into her mouth. "He doesn't know I was pregnant."
Donna's jaw dropped.
"It's just… it was really complicated."
"It can't be that complicated! A man deserves to know he's a father, doesn't he?"
"Yes. But it was complicated."
Donna folded her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Kayla, I have known you for three years. You and I became friends that day that you came to my apartment answering that ad I placed looking for a roommate. I was with you at the hospital when you pushed your baby girl out. I helped you nurse her through colds, and I helped you through your post-partum depression. Why didn't you tell me about this?"
Kayla's shoulders slumped. Her friend had a point. After all they had been through together, she at least deserved an explanation. "Being with Eric was like a fairy tale. Including the timeline."
"Meaning?"
"He was so intense. He told me he loved me on our second date, and we'd only been together for three months before he proposed."
"He proposed?"
"I turned him down and ran away."
Donna gasped, pressing her hands to her mouth. "You didn't!"
"His parents cornered me after he proposed. They told me all these things that I'd have to do as his mate. They convinced me that I couldn’t possibly give him what he needed. And at the time I believed them. It didn't help that everything happened so fast. I didn't know what to do."
Donna rubbed her temples. "And you never told him about Mikayla because you thought you weren't good enough for him?"
"By the time I realized that it was just my self-doubts getting to me and his parents just didn't want him to marry a non-Shifter… he was Alpha. He already had so much stacked against him – I didn't think adding a secret love child to the mix would help him. I have wanted to tell him so many times. But I’ve been too afraid." Kayla shook her head in self-disgust. "I'm a horrible person."
"Not a horrible person," Donna said. "But you need to tell him."
"I will. By the end of the week."
Donna nodded. She still looked concerned, though. Fortunately, she didn't look as judgmental as she had been a few moments ago. Not that Kayla really blamed her for being judgmental. For almost four years, she had been kicking herself for never telling Eric he was a father. And now he was going to show up again and—
Panic flared through her chest. "Did you say he was coming right over?"
"Yes."
Kayla jumped to her feet, breaking out into a cold sweat. Her sweater was too frumpy, so she yanked it off–only to remember she hadn't worn anything under it. Donna burst into keels of laughter as Kayla pulled her shirt back on, her face as red as a tomato. She ran to the bathroom to try to tame her hair.
"Honey?" Donna called. "When I said he was coming right away, I meant right away. He just pulled up. He's getting out of his car. He's got a hottie with him. Ooooh, boy. Forget Eric, he's got the scorcher with him. They must be brothers or something."
Kayla rushed back to her desk and sat at her computer, closing out the YouTube pages she had been looking at. She pulled up her art portfolio instead. Her heart pounded, her mouth dry, and she had the uncomfortable desire to go use the bathroom. But that was just nerves, and it would pass.
Moments later, Eric stepped through the door. He stopped dead. Kayla froze, staring at him. A million feelings rushed back over her. There were so many that she had no time to process them, and so merely let them wash over her. She clung to the arms of her chair.
Just looking at him brought back so many memories that she wanted to throw him on the floor and ride him until they both died of exhaustion.
"Kayla!" the man with Eric bounded forward. He picked her up out of her chair and swung her in a circle. "Wow! It's been forever!"
It took a moment for Kayla to recognize him. Eric's little brother and the beta of the pack. "Quin. Hi. Yeah, it's been a long time."
Quin sat her down and beamed. "How have you been?"
"Okay. Started a business. You?"
"Can't complain. Pack's doing good. Business is going well."
"Speaking of business." Eric finally came in, closing the door behind him. "I'd love to take some time to catch up, but I don't have a lot of time. I am looking for something that will excite the local people to take part in a community garden for those in need."
"Of course." Kayla smoothed her sweater and
tried to make her voice as cool and professional as Eric had made his. "What tone are you looking for? I imagine something binding. Something that will really build up a nice sense of warmth and community."
Eric nodded. He stepped a little closer, putting a briefcase on her desk. His elbow brushed hers and Kayla bit her lip to stop from gasping. It was like a shot of electricity had leapt from him into her. It sparked all sorts of unwanted feelings back in her. She stepped away. That part of her life was over.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Quin frowned at her. "You look a little green."
"Actually, I'm not feeling good." Kayla swallowed hard. "I think I got some food poisoning. I'm sorry, I'm going to have to leave the meeting early. Donna will provide you with some ideas, and we'll have a few sketches ready for you by the end of the week. If you'll excuse me."
Eric nodded stiffly. Kayla grabbed her purse and practically ran from the office.
Chapter Two – Eric
Why did it have to be her?
Eric fidgeted nervously, causing his tailor to stick him with yet another pin. The Alpha growled, jerking his arm away–and yelped as the motion jabbed another pin into his side. The tailor, a thin man with graying hair, sighed.
"Are you sure that there isn't something else you'd rather be doing?"
"No. Let's just finish with this."
Eric closed his eyes and forced himself to stay still. A good-fitting suit was vital to presenting a good image to this little town. He had chosen it because it was the poorest human-populated settlement in his packlands, down on the northern edge where the pack itself rarely went. He had thought it was the perfect place to start rolling out his community projects to help make such places a little more stable.
He had rented this office space temporarily until his business here was done. It wasn't as large as he would have liked, but he was able to fit in a nice antique oak desk and it would suit him.
