by Sky Winters
“Good. I brought your supplements and the pads the doc gave you.”
“I still am not quite certain what those are for,” Zebe responded.
“I have a feeling you’ll figure it out if and when they are needed.”
“Unfortunately, you are probably right.”
Several days passed during which the couple remained at Zebe’s. Blake checked in with the club and his family periodically just to keep up appearances, but mostly stayed by Zebe’s side. Zebe had been forced to claim an emergency out of town and go into hiding until after the birth due to the rapidly increasing size of his abdomen. Before he knew it they were only days away from the birth of their child.
“We’re going to have to head back to the house now. The doctor will not come to this side of the river to deliver and I don’t want to risk having you out and about in your condition when it comes closer to time,” Blake told him.
“That all makes sense. I definitely don’t want to do this without a doctor, even if it is an old, crotchety one like him.”
“I agree. I don’t think I’m equipped to deal with delivering a baby, much less one being born in such extraordinary circumstances.”
“Are you as scared as I am? I mean, I have no idea how to parent and we are going to have a child that is decidedly out of the ordinary to bring up. What will he be and how do we train him if we don’t understand how our different gifts affect him?”
“We’ll be like any other parents with their first child, making mistakes and just doing the best we can. Hopefully, when the elders become involved, there will be things they can advise us on that will help us along.”
“I just hope you are right. It would be a much better benefit to have them on our side rather than against us. If we have to run, we’re completely on our own.”
“Let’s just not worry with that right now. We’ll focus on getting the baby here safely before we worry about all that.”
“I can’t help it, Blake. I am worried. This has all been so sudden. For the first time in my life, I feel genuinely frightened by something.”
“I do too, but we’ll be okay. Come here.”
Blake pulled Zebe into his arms and held him. Even their relationship was different for Zebe. He had always been the alpha male in his relationships, but it seemed Blake had taken over that role in this one and it didn’t really bother him. Their relationship worked. Despite all of the what ifs and concerns, he felt happier than he had ever been in his life. Perhaps it was just some sort of hormonal thing due to the pregnancy, but he was very content to just let things be instead of feeling as if he had to be in total control as he usually did.
Zebe awoke the morning of the tenth day with the most incredible pain. He had just been to the doctor the day before due to heavy bleeding that had really worried him until he was told what it was. The exit was forming and now he knew what the pads were for. This must be what women felt like at least once a month . . . bloated, bleeding and in pain.
“You are going into labor. It’s time,” the doctor told them.
“No. I’m not ready,” Zebe said woefully.
“You are ready. Today is your due date. The baby is on the way. You have to be ready.”
“I can’t do this, Doc.”
“You can and you will. I will take good care of you. I promise, even if you do smell like a dirty dishtowel.”
Zebe almost laughed at his continued distaste for his wolf scent, but it caused a sharp pain in his side to laugh and he quickly stopped, grimacing instead.
“This is so great. We’re going to be fathers!”
“You’ll be a father. I am apparently a mother,” Zebe said sarcastically.
“As long as you don’t start wearing dresses and pearls, you can call yourself what you’d like,” Blake told him playfully.”
“It seems apt. Of course you realize that makes you a motherfu. . .,” Zebe began, his words cut off by a pain that seemed to rack his entire body.
“See, that is what you get for being mean to me,” Blake teased.
“Doc, can you check and see if he has a womb? I think I’d like to return this favor to him once we square all this away.”
“Sure, sure. I’ll get right on that. For now, get undressed and up on the table. Let’s get you into the stirrups and work on bringing this baby into the world.”
After several hours of labor, during which Zebe was quite certain he would pass out or perhaps even drop dead, their son was delivered. He smiled weakly as the doctor help the baby up and cleared its lungs, bringing forth a ferocious fit of crying. It was beautiful. He looked over at Blake, still holding his hand despite his efforts to squeeze it clean off his wrist during delivery and noted tears falling down his face.
“You did great. Just look at him. He’s perfect.”
“He looks so normal.”
“What did you expect? A wolf snout and fur covering?”
“I don’t know, some sign of what he will be, I suppose.”
“Time will tell.”
The doctor finished cleaning up the baby and lay him on Zebe’s chest, letting the two of them enjoy him as his tiny hands grasped their fingers and he cooed quietly, now calm and at peace near Zebe’s heartbeat. He was stunning. A sadness passed over Zebe as he realized that the real work would begin now. They would have to face the council of elders from both families and they would have to raise this very special miracle of a child.
“Alright boys. The easy part is over. Now, it’s time for the hard part,” the doctor told them as he finished tending to Zebe after the birth.
“The hard part?” the asked, almost in unison.
“Yeah. You have to raise the little booger now.”
They laughed as they went back to admiring the baby. After resting for a while in the doctor’s makeshift delivery room, Zebe was allowed to go home. They spent the next few days just enjoying their child and allowing Zebe’s wounds to heal. He was grateful to get back to normal, even stepping out into the back yard where he couldn’t be seen if someone happened to come to the house and shifting into wolf form long enough to make sure he still could do so without a problem.
Finally, they each called their respective elder councils and asked to meet with them, explaining that there would be members of the other shifter family in attendance so there were no surprises. Though each side had arguments against attending any peace talks, it seemed more like posturing than a sincere desire not to make peace. When the day arrived, both Blake and Zeke were extremely nervous. They took the baby, whom they had named Michael Darren after each of their grandfathers, with them.
“You ready for this?” Blake asked.
“As ready as I will ever be,” Zebe replied.
“Just remember, Michael comes first. You make sure he is safe and I’ll do most of the talking.”
“Sounds good to me. Let’s do this.”
Blake kissed him on the forehead before they walked into the large building where council meetings hadn’t been held in decades. It sat on a barge in the middle of the river with a walkway coming in from either side. Neither was surprised to see that the elders sat on their respective sides not speaking or looking at one another as they waited for them to arrive.
“Gentlemen, thank you so much for coming here today to listen to us. Before we begin, we want you to know that we have the deepest respect for each and every one of you on both sides. We hope that you will hear us out and consider what we have to say with the gravest consideration. As many of you are aware, there was recently an incident in which a wolf shifter was killed after having drifted across the river into bear shifter territory. This is his brother, Zebe.”
Everyone’s eyes fell on Zebe and looked curiously upon the bundle he held in his arms as he greeted them with a warm smile. Of course, most of the wolf elders knew him from previous discussions of how to handle the murder of his brother and they smiled thoughtfully at him. The bear shifter elders remained expressionless as they waited for more, looking back toward Blake.
“Zebe is my partner and the bundle he carries in his arms is the first wolf/bear hybrid born in thousands of years. We came here today to ask that you consider this great miracle as a sign that our people should restore the peace that existed not that long ago between us. Our fighting has gone on long enough and we feel it is time you established your places in history as the elder council that established a new era of nonviolence and perhaps even friendship.”
“What sort of nonsense is this? That is just a myth. What do you think you are trying to prove?” one of the elders said angrily, jumping to his feet.
“I promise you that it is not a myth. This baby is, in fact, our offspring and while we don’t know what traits he will possess, we can tell you that it seems to us that he is just the sign that has been needed that we’ve reached a point in modern times where it is in all our best interests to make peace with one another,” Blake said hastily, moving in front of Zebe and Michael protectively.
“Have you any proof of this, son?” one of the bear shifter elders asked quietly, drawing the eyes of all the others, including the one who had burst out in anger.
“Doctor Dunson will confirm what I am saying to you. He assisted us with the birth when the time came. He can provide you with the assurance that this is Zebe’s child and since only another shifter can impregnate a man, you will have to afford me the willingness to accept that I know I am the father.”
“Let me see the child,” a wolf elder said, stepping forward toward the center of the room. Zebe nodded toward Blake and stepped forward, opening Michael’s blanket and letting him view the child. He was surprised when the elder reached for his foot, gently pulling his toes apart and nodding. “He speaks the truth. This child bears the mark.”
Several other council members stepped forward to see for themselves and before long, the entire council was intermingled looking at the baby. Many of them broke out in smiles and hugged the men, shaking their hands and congratulating them. Finally, they all returned to their seats and looked at the two of them.
“Zebe, I am sorry for what happened to your brother. I have learned that the culprits have paid the price for their actions. We have no desire to escalate the situation with further acts of violence. If your elders can agree, I believe it is in everyone’s best interest to make peace with one another and take action against any that dare breach that promise,” the Chief elder of the bear shifters said.
“I see no reason not to make such a pact and require our people to honor it,” the Chief elder of the wolf shifters replied.
“Then we are at peace?” Blake said, more a statement than a question.
The two chiefs nodded their agreement.
“Then I suggest we have a grand celebration and share the good news with everyone,” Blake said.
The elders agreed and began calling in other members of the community to join them in celebrating a new day where bear and wolf shifters would live among one another peacefully. Blake and Zebe smiled down at Michael as he smiled up at them happily. It was hard to imagine that one day, this tiny child would be found in the history books of their people as the one who brought peace between their people. Not only were they his very proud parents, but they were falling deeper in love every day.
DADDY WOLF
Chapter 1
Greg trudged into the condo he was renting with his fiancé Jorge. Jorge, as expected, was up in the loft in front of his giant easel. The canvas was blank, as it usually was, and Greg sighed. Jorge kept promising that his next masterpiece would sell for as much or more as the first, but somehow he just never seemed to be working on anything at all. It was starting to weigh on Greg, who spent nearly twelve hours every day at his soulless, corporate job. His cousin Brad had started a successful company years ago and had hired him in early. Although the pay was great, the long, grueling hours were destroying him.
“Jorge,” Greg called.
“Yes?” Jorge’s falsetto pierced the air and Greg cringed.
“I thought I asked you to take out the trash. And those tissues are still on the table. You’re going to get me sick! You know I can’t afford to miss work. We’d be late on rent again.”
“Of course,” Jorge said, his French accent thick and playful. “My bad.”
It was always his bad. Ever since moving in with Jorge, Greg’s blood pressure had been on the rise. Dealing with his soul-sucking job might have been okay if he was still living in his affordable bungalow, but Jorge had insisted they find something fancier, where they could truly start their lives together. But spending the rest of his life cleaning up after a lazy man-child who was all talk and no action, was the last thing that Greg wanted to do. Still, he had made a commitment. Maybe, eventually, Jorge would catch on and pick up his slack in the household. One could only hope.
Greg didn’t have time to argue with him. He had been working all day and needed to get some sleep before the next shift. Brad’s company had a big shipment coming in, and huge deals were in the works. While Brad was on vacation in the Bahamas, Greg was in charge and pulling double shifts to make ends meet, and do whatever had to be done to keep the company afloat while Brad dodged phone calls.
After a long, steaming shower, Greg plopped facedown onto the bed and fell immediately into a deep sleep. Sometime during the night, he felt the warm weight of Jorge fall beside him. Normally he would have wanted to put his arm around him, but neither of them had been in a cuddling mood lately.
The next morning rolled around like clockwork. When Greg woke up, Jorge rolled over and smiled at him. Greg’s heart fluttered. Sometimes it was hard to remember why they were together, but that smile always did it.
“Good morning, love,” Jorge said.
“Morning,” Greg replied, snuggling into his shoulder.
“I forgot to ask, how was your day yesterday?” Jorge shifted so their eyes could meet. “You showered in such a rush there was no time for us.”
“Oh, it was good. We got some business from the wolf shifters downtown. I met with one of the alphas and they loved Brad’s plan.”
“Wolf shifters?” Jorge said, crinkling his nose. “They’re such beasts. What do you need to do business with them for?”
Greg prickled. He had actually very much enjoyed the interaction he had with the wolf shifters the day before. They were a wild bunch, sure, but they were loyal and fierce. People you could respect. Jorge just thought they were dirty and ate out of trash bins.
“Money is money,” Greg said with a frown.
“Too true,” Jorge said. “As soon as I finish with this canvas, we’ll be rolling in it!”
Greg smiled indulgently at Jorge, wondering when exactly that would be.
“Of course,” Greg said, climbing out of bed. It was time to get ready for work.
As he walked through the apartment on his way out, he was irritated to see Jorge’s old tissues still stacked on top of Greg’s business magazines, and the trash still overflowing in its bin. The easel in the loft was still blank, and Jorge was snoring loudly.
He arrived at the office as usual and spent the next six hours working like a mule. When 2:00 rolled around, Greg’s cell phone buzzed in his pocket.
“Yo! Cousin! I’m on the way to the office. Thanks for holding down the fort. Why don’t you give yourself the rest of the day off!”
Brad clicked off the phone and Greg’s heart pounded with elation. He would be able to get home. Maybe spend some time with Jorge. Definitely take out the trash.
He hopped into his convertible and sped home as quickly as he could. It had been a long time since he had been able to relax, and after two weeks of twelve hour days, he felt he deserved it.
The condo was eerily quiet when he entered. Jorge was neither snoring nor in the loft painting. Greg tucked his keys into his pocket and poked his head into the bedroom, hoping to ask Jorge what he wanted for dinner.
“Jesus Christ!” Greg exclaimed in disgust.
Jorge was in their bed with another ma
n. Someone he had claimed was just a friend from the gallery. He had been hanging around quite a bit lately, and now Greg knew why.
“This isn’t what it looks like!” Jorge exclaimed.
“Save it you bastard!” Greg cried. “You can keep the condo. I’m moving the hell out of here.”
Greg packed his bags and kicked the trash can over as he left. He should have seen this coming. Jorge was a loser from the start. Now he would just have to start over.
Chapter 2
“I quit,” Greg told Brad in the same matter-of-fact way that Brad had told him he would have to pull twelve hour shifts for the next few weeks while he drank martinis and went surfing. Before Brad could protest, he hung up the phone and turned to his friend Marty.
He had known Marty since they were sophomores in college, and he was his closest friend in the area.
“Nice,” Marty croaked between hits on his cigarette. “Stick it to the man!”
Greg smiled and ran his hand through his thick brown hair. It had been cut close not long ago, a look that suited Brad and his stupid company, but Greg had never liked it much.
“I think I’m going to grow this out,” he said.
“Cool man,” Marty said.
They drank for the rest of the night, bitching together about the ridiculous situations Jorge put him in and problems Marty was having with his ex-wife. By the end of the night, both of them had decided to revert back to the slogan they had lived by in college. Don’t get mad. Get even.
In Greg’s case, this meant thinking outside the box. The city was full of all sorts of people. Everyone from strippers to shifters populated the area. Jorge had always been a close-minded and judgmental type, wrinkling his nose in disgust even when a shifter had just asked to buy them drinks. Greg on the other hand had always been strangely drawn to these mysterious creatures.
When he retired for the night in the bedroom Marty had given him to use, he logged onto Facebook before falling asleep. His feed was littered with advertisements for a dating app for men to meet other male shifters. The app was called “ShiftMe”, and it had been wildly successful. He was shocked to find that his friend Alex had already joined months ago, and was posting pictures with his shifter husband and their new baby!
