by T. S. Ryder
"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.
He hadn't thought he'd see Kayla here, of all places.
As soon as he laid eyes on her, everything came rushing back. Every kiss, every smile, the way she had brightened his whole world. It had left him frozen and breathless. And when she had left during their meeting, he had wanted to go after her. He wanted to throw her over his shoulder, take her back to his hotel, and worship every inch of her body.
Because she wouldn't be creeped out by that at all.
The door slammed open. The tailor jumped, stabbing Eric again. The Alpha growled, and quickly removed the suit jacket. "We're
done." He turned to greet the person who had just come in. "Quin. Haven't you heard of knocking?"
"I'm your little brother and your beta. Why do I have to knock?" Quin grinned at him, but it quickly faded. "Look, I'm here because we have an emergency. You know that land you just purchased to be the community gardens?"
Eric grunted. Of course he knew about it. He had been the one to purchase it. He stepped behind the makeshift curtain he'd set up for this appointment. He was so busy that he didn't want to waste time going to and from the tailor’s. Maybe he should have just canceled the appointment altogether. It wasn't like he didn't already have great suits.
"What about it?"
"Well… the two old grain elevators that you planned to tear down have vampires living in them."
Eric jerked around so hard that one of the pins still in his trousers stuck him. He ignored the pain as he brushed aside the curtain. "Vampires?"
Quin nodded, looking grim.
"What kind?"
"Not sure. They attacked our crew when we went in. Pitch black inside, so we don't know if they have an aversion to sunlight or are just emo. But they definitely smelled undead, so I think we're dealing with some fairly traditional types."
Eric groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Vampires, like Shifters, came in different 'types.' With Shifters, it was pretty much limited to various animal species a person could turn into. With vampires, it was a little different.
Some were allergic to the sun, others could play outside in the middle of July without any problems. Some were undead, some just had a super slow heartbeat. Some reproduced through a bite, others the same way humans did. All drank blood. Yet, some were able to sustain themselves on whatever blood they found, while others had to drink it fresh from human veins.
However, all had a particular dislike of Shifters. Probably because they were so much better equipped to kill them than humans.
"Send somebody to the city hall to get information about them and on whatever disappearances or animal deaths there have been around town. And I want you to go to the vampires directly to negotiate some sort of land-sharing agreement. Maybe move them further from the town. See how open they are to talk, in any case."
"I will do that, then." Quin stuck his hands in his pockets as Eric shut the curtain again. "And if the vampires won't negotiate? You will do this community garden thing?"
"Yes."
Relationships between Shifters and humans were a little rocky, especially in small towns like this. Extending his wealth to help out those in need and fostering a sense of community was the first step in improving relationships.
"Oh, by the way…" Quin's voice was light and casual.
Eric tensed. His brother using that tone was never a good sign.
"I ran into Donna earlier today, and I moved your meeting with her and Kayla up. They should be arriving any minute."
Eric, who was just pulling on his pin-free trousers, toppled over. He hit the curtain, ripping it down as he crashed to the floor. His heart jumped to his throat as he struggled to dress, then threw the new suit towards the tailor.
"I will see you later," he said, smoothing his hair. Where was his tie? He looked around wildly for three minutes before remembering he was still wearing it.
The tailor slipped out of the room, leaving the two brothers alone. Quin stood laughing as Eric rushed around, trying to straighten his already-neat office. It wasn't until he shoved a bunch of papers into his desk that he realized he was doing more harm than good.
"I knew it," Quin crowed. "You're still in love with her. For all your insistence that it was just a fling and you both decided to end it—"
"That's enough," Eric snapped, the Alpha growling in his voice.
Quin immediately took a step back and bowed his head in submission – if only for a moment. His head came up again and he opened his mouth. Before he could continue, however, the two expected women appeared in the doorway. Eric's heart somersaulted as his eyes met Kayla's.
She had changed in the three years since they had last seen one another. The first thing he noticed was that she had dyed her hair. Instead of the rich red hair he'd known, it was now a strawberry blonde. Her overall look was more somber than he had known as well: sensible pearl earrings instead of feathers, business suit instead of flowing hippie skirt. Although that might just be because she was working.
But despite these changes, she looked exactly the same as the girl of his dreams.
Quin cleared his throat, making Eric realize he had been staring. An uncomfortable heat flushed his olive cheeks as he finally looked away. "Quin. You need to go do that thing."
His brother gave him a cheeky grin. "What thing?"
"Talk to the city hall and the residents of the grain elevators."
Donna blinked in surprise as she looked between the brothers. "Do the elevators have squatters?"
If the town didn't know about the vampires, that was probably a good sign that they weren't the kind that had to live off human blood. Eric gave Quin a warning look as his brother opened his mouth. "Yes. And I want to work with them in order to find them a new home. My brother was just leaving to—"
"Gosh, darn it!" Donna threw her hands into the air. "I am such a space case today."
Eric stared at the mousy-looking woman in shock. What was she going on about? He glanced at Kayla to find her face as white as a sheet. Why did she look so scared? Eric moved forward instinctively, wanting to reassure her. She shied away from him.
"I forgot to bring our sketches," Donna said with an exaggerated eye-roll. "You two stay here, I'll be right back."
She darted from the room even as Kayla started to protest. Quin hurried out as well, leaving the two of them alone. Eric shifted uncomfortably. What was he meant to do now?
"How have you been doing?" he asked eventually.
"I have a daughter."
Surprise flooded him. Eric struggled to keep the shock and dismay off his face. A quick glance at her left hand showed no wedding ring. But if she had a daughter, that must mean that she was serious with somebody. He fought down the urge to demand who it was. He was not going to be jealous of someone he didn't even know…
"Her name is Mikayla," Kayla continued. "I know. Mikayla. Kayla. I wanted to name her after myself without naming her after myself. But that's… Well, she's a Wolf, too."
A Wolf? His battle with jealousy intensified.
"She's just starting to do the whole Shifting thing. I've been looking for some sort of program to put her into, you know, since I'm not a Shifter, I don't know how to give her the best support with that part of her heritage, and I thought it would be good if she had more contact with other Wol
ves, and I'm babbling."
Kayla sucked in a deep breath and peered anxiously at Eric. He stared back at her, jaw slack, unable to think of the correct response to it all. She had had a child with a Shifter. That must mean that another Wolf found himself a mate in her.
He lost the battle with his jealousy. It flooded him no matter how much he tried to fight it. But that didn't mean he had to give in. As much as he wanted to track down that Shifter and challenge him for the right to mate her, he very much doubted that she would find it a romantic gesture. More likely she'd hate him for it.
"There are certain programs available," he managed. "I'll send you a few links. I can even get in touch with somebody to come out here and talk to you—"
He cut himself off, frowning. If the father was a Wolf, why couldn’t he help Mikayla with her Shifting? Kayla's eyes widened and she actually stepped back from him.
"Why can't her father help you with all this?
"He doesn't know about her," Kayla whispered, her voice rasping. "At least, he didn't…"
Eric's heart pounded. His body had already figured out what she meant, even as his mind scrambled to understand. "What do you mean?"
"She's your daughter."
Chapter Three – Kayla
Eric's whole body went stiff. For a moment all he did was stare at her. Kayla's heart hammered shallowly, her throat dry. She had planned out how she was going to tell him about the secret she had kept from him for three years. Every phrase, every word she was going to say had been carefully chosen.
And in the moment of truth, she had stumbled around and blurted it out before she was ready to face the consequences.
"I have a daughter?" the Alpha whispered.
Kayla nodded, chewing her lip. "I know I should have told you."
"Yeah. You should have." Eric's brown eyes darkened. "Why didn't you? I have a right to know that I have a child!"
"I know. I know." Kayla held out her hands and shook her head. "And I'm sorry. I was just scared."
"Of me?"
"No! Of me. I didn't think that I was good enough to be your mate, not when you were going to become Alpha. I thought it would be better for you if you didn't have to deal with the political backlash. I know it's no excuse for keeping Mikayla from you all these years, but that's why. I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry."
Eric turned his back on her. "I don't know if I can forgive you for this."
Kayla flinched. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. She knew he had every right to be angry with her. The situation was all wrong. They were meant to be doing business together, not discussing her three years of silence on the fact that he was a father! She wrapped her arms around her waist and stared at the floor.
"I am sorry, Eric."
He just grunted in reply.
"I should go."
"Probably. This is a lot to take in."
Kayla nodded. She stepped towards the door, then swallowed. "Would you like to meet her? She gets out of nursery school at three. We could meet at a playground at three thirty."
"I… the playground will be fine. Which one?"
"There is one close to her nursery school." She quickly wrote out directions on how to get there and managed a small smile as she handed them to the Alpha. "I'll see you at three-thirty then."
Eric nodded stiffly. "Three thirty."
***
Around noon, it started pouring. The rain came down so thick that the roads were lined with rivers, carrying leaves and bits of debris into the storm drains. Kayla called Eric and suggested that he stop by her house instead of waiting for a day when they could go to the playground. As soon as he agreed, she rushed around the house, wondering how she could have invited him over when everything was such a terrible mess.
When the doorbell rang at precisely three-thirty, Kayla gulped in a deep breath, called Mikayla, and answered it. To her surprise and dismay, Eric hadn't come alone. He had brought Quin with him.
"Come in," she said, trying to hide her disappointment.
She liked Quin. He had always been an interesting fellow to talk to. But she had hoped that this would just be Eric. She didn't want them to gang up on her… Quin would always have his brother's back, no matter what.
"We brought cookies," Quin said as he stepped in. He glanced around until he saw Mikayla. "Hi there!"
Mikayla's eyes, green like Kayla's, narrowed. Her lip curled and she growled as she darted behind Kayla. Her little nose twitched.
"Mikey, these are Mommy's friends I told you about," Kayla said, resting a hand on her daughter's auburn curls. "Eric and Quin."
"Go away," Mikayla instantly said. "You stink like wet dog."
Kayla gasped in horror, but the two men only laughed. Eric actually beamed. "You've got a good nose, little one."
Quin bent to one knee. "You stink a little bit, too. You stink like…" He inhaled exaggeratedly. "Chocolate. Did you just have a candy bar?"
Mikayla's eyes widened. "Yes. I did!"
"I thought so." Quin smiled warmly. He stripped off his sopping coat. "Do you mind showing me where to put these delicious cookies? Maybe Mommy will let you have one, too… so she and Eric can talk."
Kayla glanced at Eric. He was already looking at her, a strangely hopeful expression on his face. Her heart skipped a beat and she nodded. Maybe he wasn't angry with her anymore. Mikayla showed Quin to the kitchen, leaving Kayla and Eric alone as they stood at the entrance to the house.
"Here, let me take your coat," Kayla said, then glanced at the shoes and coat Quin had just left on the floor. "I'll take those, too."
Eric nodded. After putting the things away, Kayla led him into the family room. She perched on an old blue chair while he took a seat on the yellow couch. He glanced around. Heat seeped into Kayla's cheeks. It was a comfortable room, but it was certainly not an impressive one. Everything was second-hand, and while in good condition, nothing matched.
Kayla cleared her throat. "So… you brought Quin."
"Yeah. I needed to talk with you, and I'm afraid it can't wait."
Unease slipped into Kayla's stomach, but she nodded.
Eric stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head. "Mikayla. She looks like you."
"She looks like you, too. She's got my eyes and my hair, but pretty much everything else is you. Even some of her mannerisms remind me of you. Like the way she sniffs at her food when she thinks I'm not looking."
"So… you two are happy, then?"
"She's the light of my life. She's smart and gets along great with the other kids. Stubborn as a mule, but with an Alpha as a father, I didn't expect anything else."
Eric's brown eyes drilled into hers. "And you never told me about her because you didn't think you were good enough."
Kayla flinched. "Yes."
"Is that why you turned me down, too? Did you know you were pregnant when I proposed?"
"No. I only found out after I left."
Eric leaned forward, his gaze locked on her face. "Then why? You said you loved me. You said you wanted to be with me forever. I thought that it meant that you wanted me to propose."
"I did! I loved you, Eric. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. But when you proposed, all my insecurities rushed in on me. I realized how fast we were moving, and your parents…"
Eric growled. "What did they tell you?"
"That I wasn’t good enough. And I thought they had to be right, because there was never anything special about me."
"I thought they were done ruining my life when they died." Eric got to his feet. "You should have told me."
"What they said or that I was pregnant?"
"Both!"
Kayla stood, facing him. "I know. I should have trusted you. I shouldn't have listened to them. You should have known about Mikayla from the start. And I know I have no right to ask, but… Do you think you can forgive me? I don't want Mikayla to grow up without her father, and I've already taken three years from the two of you that I can't give
back. But I hope we can find a way to be friends, for her sake."
"For her sake." Eric stepped closer, his brown eyes intense. "Friends?"
"Friends," Kayla repeated.
"I think I can handle that."
His gaze flickered to her mouth. Kayla felt something surge through her; she leaned forward ever so slightly. Before she knew he was even moving, Eric had caught her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. Kayla threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Their bodies pressed together. Heat burned through her body, making her gasp with desire.
This was so perfectly familiar! Kayla tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging him even closer as she explored his mouth. His hands roamed her body, eliciting the familiar sensations he always created in her. She shuddered with pleasure.
And then she pulled away. Cheeks flushed and heart pounding, she shook her head. "No. No, we are not doing this. This can't happen."
"Why?" Eric's voice cut through her defenses.
She closed her eyes to stop herself from giving into the heat still swirling inside her. "Mikayla and Quin are in the kitchen."
"We can go back to my hotel room."
"No! No, we can't. I'm happy in my life. I don’t want it to go all topsy-turvy again. I need you to leave."
Eric chuckled. "If I'm going to do that, then you need to let go of me."
She opened her eyes again. Her arms were still wrapped firmly around him. Trembles shook her, and without reason, she launched herself at him once again. Their lips met and parted, allowing hot, frenzied access to the other.
The door leading to outside crashed open. Kayla jumped, breaking away from Eric. Standing in the doorway was a man Kayla had never seen before. He had the look of a hungry cat about him: a gaunt, pallid countenance and dark circles under his eyes. A shock of greasy black hair fell into his eyes.
Eric tensed. He grabbed Kayla and all but threw her over the couch. "Go get Quin," he ordered.
Kayla stumbled then froze. Her jaw hung slack as she stared between Eric and this newcomer. The man stepped in, swaying unsteadily. He pointed a shaking hand at Eric.
