Romancing the Paranormal

by Stephanie Rowe

  I walk up and grab her by the scruff with my teeth and pull her off. I put her down on the ground and nudge her little furry bottom with my nose. Mandy launches herself at Honey and he swings her around in a circle.

  “It’s twins, but I’m not telling you if they’re boys or girls,” she laughs as Honey lowers her to the ground.

  “They’re boys,” I grumble telepathically.

  “You’re no fun, you grumpy old bear,” Mandy says to me, but she doesn’t sound angry in the least.

  “I didn’t want your poor husband to have a heart attack thinking the cubs might be female.”

  “As soon as she said twins I knew they were male,” Honey boasts proudly.

  “And how did you know that?” Mandy demands.

  “If I fathered twins, of course they’re male.”

  I can only shake my big bear head. Honey will never learn. Demetria bites my nose and I swat her to the side. This is a game we play. Patreous shifts to his bear form and joins us as the two mated shifters argue. This is the game they play.

  “I’ve decided to shift today so the babies will be here sooner,” Mandy informs her mate.

  “No, you will grant me another week before cutting off access to your delectable body.”

  Neither I nor Patreous need to hear this, so I nudge little Deme into the cabin. Patreous enters, shifts to human, and closes the door behind him. I shift and make my way to the bathroom. “Watch her for a minute,” I call before shutting the door behind me.

  “Come here, you little rascal,” Patreous says when I hear Deme scratching at the door for me to let her in.

  By the time I come out, I feel better, but I’m starved. Honey holds baby wolf Demetria in his arms as her sleepy eyes slowly drift shut. We all remain quiet until she is completely asleep and Honey lays her on the bed in my room. I toss Patreous some sweats and put on my own pair.

  Honey closes the door to my bedroom and sniffs in my direction. “You okay, Tyboll? You smell funny.”

  I actually feel my face heat up. “The old witch poisoned me and I’ve been purging my guts ever since. I need to eat. Are the two of you hungry?” I really don’t need Patreous’s answer. He’s a growing Kodiak bear and needs to eat every hour.

  “If you can eat after spewing up your guts, I’m in,” Honey says.

  “It wasn’t that end that was spewing,” I grumble as I slam a pan onto the stove. “Where’s your mate?” I ask before Honey’s grin turns into all out laughter.

  “She’s sulking, but she won’t be changing form until next week.”

  Nope, he’ll never learn. I fight a grin. My daughter doesn’t take kindly to being told no. Not kindly at all.

  Chapter Five

  Veda

  His face is shadowed as his large hand reaches out and one finger trails down my cheek. My heart beats double time and I can’t get enough air into my lungs. I want him. His other hand curls around my waist and he pulls me tightly against him. He’s hard… ready. So am I.

  The pounding at my door wakes me. I’ve had these dreams all night and gotten very little sleep.

  “Are you okay in there?”

  It’s Mandy. I inhale slowly trying to clear my foggy, sleep-deprived brain. I smell… no it can’t be. I jump up, run to the door, and throw it open. Mandy stands with a small bundle of fur wrapped in her arms. A child. She came with her child.

  I fight back tears as Mandy thrusts the wolf cub into my arms. “She’s heavy and she’s not happy. She wanted to play with Patreous today, but he has other things to do.”

  I back up and tighten my arms around the squirming cub. I feel the magic build and suddenly I’m holding a bear cub. I laugh. This may be the greatest day of my life.

  “She likes you,” Mandy says with a big grin.

  “I love her,” I say with an answering one. The tears prickle my eyes again. “Don’t you know that I’m the big bad witch and I eat small children?”

  Mandy cocks her eyebrows as the little cannibal bites my finger.

  “Ouch.”

  “You better hurry up and eat her then because she’ll leave teeth marks all over you.”

  I shake my hand and laugh. Holding the wiggling ball away from me, I look into her small face. “You don’t scare me.” She tries to nip me again, but she can’t reach. “Teething, I see. You should have all but your back molars in by now. Let’s see what I have to help.” I look back to Mandy. “Can I place her on the floor while I check my cupboard?”

  “As long as you have nothing of value that will perish under sharp teeth. Could I have some tea also? I need to calm my nerves.”

  My heart sinks slightly. “It must have been hard to bring your child out here to me.”

  Mandy looks stunned. “Umm, no. That was the easy decision this morning. I’m arguing with my mate and I don’t want to be around him. Out here, he may not find me.”

  The bear cub bites the tip of my toe. I squeal and laugh. She’s absolutely adorable. “You watch her while I make us tea and give her something to chew on. I know just the thing.”

  Mandy walks over to the table and sits down. “She’s a handful and I have no idea what I’ll do when there are three of them.”

  I place the water on to boil and unwrap a large deer bone. Mandy stays quiet as I look through the cupboard. The silence is broken when a tall stack of wooden bowls that are resting on the floor clatter as they fall. “What is this precious one’s name?”

  Mandy laughs and I smile. “This little hellion is Demetria, named after Dmitri, our clan vampire. I don’t think anyone’s called her precious since she was two weeks old.”

  “She’s not just precious, she’s amazing.” And she is. My entire cabin now smells like a child. I may never clean it again. To be gifted by the Goddess like this is a true miracle. I carry the bone to Demetria. “Here you go, little one. This will make you feel better.”

  I bend down and wave the bone. The magic in the air shifts again and it’s a wolf cub who runs over and snatches it from my fingers. It’s too large for her, but she manages to drag it under the side table by my favorite chair. Her small growls make me grin from ear to ear.

  “So she’s using us as chew toys because of back teeth?” Mandy asks as her daughter goes to work on the bone.

  “Yes, they pain her something fierce. I’ll give you the salve to use when it’s bad and she won’t bite as much.” I fill two mugs with tea and carry them to the table.

  “Here,” Mandy says as she lays down the cloth she took the day before that contains the mushrooms. “It’s probably not the best idea for me to keep them. Three small pieces won’t permanently harm a bear shifter will it?”

  I burst out laughing. “Poor Tyboll will never forgive you or me.”

  Mandy laughs, too. “It wasn’t Tyboll I fed them to. My mate needed an attitude adjustment and an hour or two of solitary thought. I added the third piece because Tyboll recovered too quickly.

  Both of us laugh until tears run from our eyes. I finally manage a sip of tea. “What did your mate do to deserve such ire?”

  “The man has sex on the brain.” She looks at me and blushes. “Don’t get me wrong, I do too. I just want to shift and have the babies as soon as possible. He insists we wait a week so he gets his fill of my body. I told him the entire process would go faster this way, but he put his paw down.” She gives me a very mischievous grin. “Or so he thought.” Now Mandy looks over to her daughter. “She never stays in one place this long. Can I take the bone home with me?”

  “Please keep it. It will take her a month or more to chew through it. Just cover the bone with salve once a day and she will feel much better.”

  Mandy’s grin is infectious. “You’re a lifesaver.”

  I always smell fear on the she-bears who visit. They hate coming here. Hate me. But this young wolf smells of maternity and forest—not fear. I can’t help but ask, “Why are you not frightened of me, Mandy?”

  She rolls her eyes. “Truthfully, it makes no sens
e that anyone would fear you. Everything about us is magic. Vampire magic. Beastkind magic. Why should yours be something to fear? And you’re a bear shifter. You would think that would ease their stupid doubts.”

  I truly love this girl. For one so young, she is incredibly smart. “Thank you.” My voice cracks when I say it. “And thank you for bringing your child. She is the first one.”

  Mandy looks from me to her daughter, who now lies curled in a tight ball fast asleep. She walks over, picks her up, and carries her to me. “This is the only time you have to cuddle her. The little demon never stops moving.”

  I take the small bundle and bring her against my chest. I can’t help the tears that slip down my face. Never did I think I would hold a child.

  Mandy’s face holds pity, but I smile when she says, “You will be crying harder when she wakes up and bites you again.”

  I look down at the baby wolf in my arms. “She’s incredible,” I sniff.

  Mandy’s voice is soft when she speaks next. “My father did not set your home on fire.” I jerk my head up, but Mandy continues before I can say anything. “He came to apologize and found you consumed by smoke on the cabin floor. He says he thinks the fire started at the stove.”

  I look at my newer stove, which he also delivered. The old one didn’t have a tight seal and sparks escaped it constantly. This made more sense than Tyboll burning the place down and then rebuilding it. I give a weary sigh. My anger and sadness have simmered for years over the thought that he could do something so terrible. I didn’t want to believe it of him. With loneliness as my only friend, I pushed aside my doubts. I glance back at Mandy. “I owe him an apology.”

  “He will not soon forgive you for the mushrooms, but he deserved it for saying you had warts on your nose.”

  We both smile. I bring up my arms and nuzzle my nose against Demetria. She’s so soft and wonderful. Her tail escapes from between my arms and part of my dream makes sense. I refuse to think about the remainder of the dream. If I could only freeze this moment in time. My heart is near to bursting with love.

  “You want to babysit while I go check on my mate?”

  I can’t believe my ears. I’m stunned and my heart swells even more. “I will guard her with my life,” I promise.

  “The only people who will watch this little hellion are her father, uncle, and grandparents. It’s you who needs to guard your toes and fingers.”

  “We’ll get along fabulously.”

  Mandy sighs. “I’ll remind you of that when I pick her up. Right now, I will shift so I can get there and back sooner. I don’t want you placing yourself on the list of people who hide when I need someone to watch her.”

  Chapter Six

  Tyboll

  I am fully recovered, but Honey is in bad shape. It does no good to remind him that he brought this on himself. We’ve managed to keep sedation dart guns away from my wily wolf daughter, but obviously she got her hands on the mushrooms that bent me double yesterday. Honey’s a wimp because he’s moaning loudly and won’t listen when I tell him he won’t die.

  “Take care of my children and see that Mandy suffers without me for the rest of her life.” A louder-than-necessary groan follows this diatribe. He’s been like this for more than an hour. Shifting hasn’t helped and Patreous hasn’t returned with Mandy.

  “You’re not dying,” I explain for the twentieth time.

  “Please don’t say that. If you’re right, I may need to kill myself. Goddess, it hurts.”

  I grit my teeth. Honey seriously needs to grow a set. My daughter has somehow emasculated our next alpha.

  Finally, I hear Mandy and Patreous approaching. “Your mate is back,” I whisper. “It’s in your best interest to beg for forgiveness.”

  “It doesn’t matter. I’ll be dead.”

  I look to the door when Mandy walks through naked and sporting a large grin. She ignores her husband and pulls on sweats and a t-shirt.

  “Where is my granddaughter?” I huff loudly.

  Mandy walks to Honey and sits on the side of the bed. She pushes the hair from his face. Honey shakes off her hand, jumps from the bed with a moan, and runs into the bathroom.

  “Was poisoning your mate absolutely necessary?” I demand.

  Her grin grows larger. “I think so. How bad has it been?”

  “He thinks he’s dying and nothing I say will change his mind.”

  “He’s lucky I only gave him a third more than your dosage. I thought about doubling it.”

  “You are a terrible mate,” I say with long-suffering impatience.

  “Yes, I believe I am.” She doesn’t look contrite in the least.

  “My granddaughter. Is she with the alpha?”

  “No…”

  I don’t like her tone. “His mate?”

  “No…”

  This is Mandy at her finest with trouble in every nuance of her short non-satisfactory answers. “What have you done, daughter of mine?”

  “She’s spending a few hours with Aunt Veda.”

  I’m beyond stunned. It takes about three seconds before my voice explodes into the room even louder than the near-death groans coming from the bathroom. “You endangered my granddaughter by leaving her with that old crone? Are you out of your scattered wolf’s brain?”

  Mandy’s smile completely disappears. She arches her eyebrows before squinting and giving me her death stare. “Veda is not an old crone. She’s a beautiful woman who has never had a child to care for. This clan should be ashamed of itself.” She stands and moves in front of me, her nose a foot below mine but tilted up at me in anger. “She has helped all of you for years. I’ve asked around and she has never harmed a soul.”

  I’m barely holding onto my temper and I happen to know that it’s never a good idea to challenge Mandy. Another loud groan from the bathroom proves it. “You have no idea what you speak of. The entire bloodline of that woman is evil.”

  Mandy crosses her arms and drops her voice an octave. “You had better check every cup you drink from for the next few months because you will pay for that.”

  I’ve crossed the line and I know it, but my grandchild is more important than upsetting my daughter. “I shall go fetch Demetria. If one hair on her head is harmed, the witch will pay with her life.”

  Mandy waves me away. “That’s what I planned all along. Off you go.”

  I can only stare in consternation. Why do I bother? I turn and exit the cabin grumbling beneath my breath. Before stepping from the porch, I tear off my clothes and shift to bear.

  “Do you wish me to go with you, Father?” Patreous asks telepathically.

  “No. I will handle this myself. You best stay out of it or you will find yourself over the toilet releasing your bowels. Go home and leave Mandy and Honey to straighten out their problems in their own way. It’s what I should have done.” I take off into the trees.

  I repeat my promise in my head during the entire trip. I will kill the woman if she harms my grandchild. She’s had her for at least two hours now. A woman who can burn down her own cabin should not be placed in charge of any young beastkind. No, I don’t think Veda will harm her purposely, but the woman can’t be trusted with keeping herself safe much less a rambunctious child.

  I shift right before approaching the cabin. I’m surprised the door is closed and that she isn’t expecting me. I try the handle and find it unlocked, so I push the door open and enter. I don’t see them on my first sweep. Then my eyes return to the bed. Veda is curled around Demetria and they are both in human form. Veda’s hand rests on Demetria’s small, bare baby bottom. The child sucks her thumb in her sleep. Veda’s eyes are closed, too. If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. Demetria never sleeps in human form; she rarely shifts to it.

  My eyes don’t linger on my granddaughter because I’ve never had a chance to openly study Veda. She’s incredibly beautiful even though I hate to admit it. Her skin is sun-kissed from all the time she spends outdoors in human form. F
reckles pepper her face and arms. A long, flowing skirt is twisted around her legs and keeps me from viewing them. Her shirt is threadbare and a size too large. I look back to her face. High cheek bones, full lips, and long eyelashes that only accentuate her gorgeous green eyes. And then her hair—red, fiery, and long with flowing curls that never quite conform to the braids she insists on weaving. The reason I dislike red hair is because of hers. Every time I see a woman with it I’m reminded of this witch. My body reacts and I work very hard to tame the longing that flows through me. I’m surprised at the yearning I feel. I thought Patreous’s mother had cured me of sexual desire when she left. Just thinking of that woman deflates the erection swelling between my legs and I give a sigh of relief.

  Veda opens her large green eyes. I place my finger to my lips. She glances at the sleeping child and smiles softly. Goddess, the red hair makes this woman absolutely stunning. I nod to the door because I need to get out of this enclosed space and clear my head.

  She follows a minute later and closes the door behind us. “I should have known you wouldn’t want me with the child. I would never harm a baby.” The pain in her expression is palpable.

  Her scent, which overtook me when I entered the cabin, fills my senses again. I find myself staring at her lips. They’re full and sensuous… begging to be kissed. I look up into her eyes and see tears on her cheeks. “I know you would never harm a child, but accidents happen.” It’s the best I can do. I really don’t want her crying.

  She wipes her eyes, but her hurt expression remains. “Why didn’t you tell me you didn’t burn down my cabin?”

  Heat creeps up my neck. “It’s not like you stopped yelling long enough that I could get a word in.”

  Now her skin pinkens. She looks away for a moment before returning her gaze to mine and changes the subject. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save your mother. She was a good woman.”

  “Yes, she was. You did what was right.” She did. I know that now, but at the time anger guided me and hateful words filled with recrimination spilled out.