Maybe this is our reward for all our years of heartache and hard work.
Deep within her soul, Nami felt pretty much convinced of that. As the oldest, she had quit school and gone to work after their mother died from cancer, so that she could keep her family together. It’d meant putting her personal life on hold after years of heartache. Her two younger sisters, and their baby brother, had been the focus of her life.
Until she’d met Beck several months ago and her life shifted forever.
And now?
Well, all three of her siblings had now mated or married—Lu’ana, the second oldest, had no idea about the shifter stuff—so there was no reason for Nami not to focus on herself.
With a baby of her own on the way, Nami would be forced to pull her focus inward.
Lord. What am I doing having a baby at my age? She’d be forty in less than two years. Beck was ten years older than her but didn’t look it. Apparently, being a shifter’s mate helped slow down the aging process.
After dinner, Nami stood to go help in the kitchen while Beck was still deep in discussion with Dewi and the others. Badger also rose and started collecting dishes. He rounded the end of the table and when he paused next to her, he laid a gentle hand on her arm and met her gaze.
Then he used his Prime power to silently speak to her. “He’ll tell ye later, lass. Dinnae fash yerself. Nothin’ immediate.”
She laid a hand over his and squeezed, nodding in thanks.
Before she could stop herself, she pulled him in for an awkward hug. Awkward because he was balancing a stack of plates in his other hand.
An overwhelming swell of emotions drove her to blink away tears. “Love you, Dad,” she whispered.
When she drew back, the look of pleased shock on his face nearly made her laugh.
Then he smiled and kissed her cheek. “Love ye, too, girlie. Ye’re all like children to me. All o’ ye, and Dewi, there.”
Dewi turned. “What? I didn’t do it.” She smiled, drawing a hearty laugh from Badger, and making Nami wish she’d met all of them years ago.
She wasn’t the only one who’d shouldered a heavy burden alone. So had Dewi.
Nami took a deep breath and blinked back a sudden prickle of tears. Wow, this baby is gonna drive me insane with hormones before I have her.
“We’re just talkin’,” Badger told Dewi. “Gettin’ all sentimental in here.”
Now that Nami was paying close attention to the Enforcers, she realized Dewi looked weary tonight. More so than usual. Nami suspected it wasn’t due to her pregnancy so much as it was due to the weight of whatever conversation she’d had in private with Peyton and the others.
Badger took the plates from Nami that she was going to carry into the kitchen. “Ye both need to skedaddle. We men can deal wi’ this tonight.” He cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Right? Peyton, Trent, Beck, Joaquin—all o’ ye. KP duty. Now. Let’s give the ladies the night off, if ye please. Especially since most of ’em are carryin’ yer bairns.”
“Well, I, for one, won’t argue,” Gillian said, grinning as she handed the dishes in her hands to Peyton. “Thank you, Badger.” She kissed his cheek.
Trent sighed. “I won’t argue, either.” He let out a loud whistle. “Where’s my brood? Fall in for KP duty, kids.”
Charles, Kent, Arthur, and Chelsea all jumped in to help without too much grumbling.
As did Da’von, Nami’s little brother, and Brianna, his new mate and wife.
Ken, Dewi’s human husband and mate, had already taken a load of dishes to the kitchen.
Duncan hung back with Tamsin, shadowing her. Poor Tamsin was still understandably distraught, but her emotional Christmas Day eruption seemed to have helped her turn a corner. Peyton was trying to keep either Duncan or Badger—or both—with her as much as possible, for now. At least she’d eaten dinner without being coaxed into it by Duncan, who’d sat next to her.
Asia and Gillian herded their fellow pregnant women out of the way and into the living room, so they could settle on the comfortable couches to chat. With a large extended family, it was no wonder Peyton and Gillian had such a huge house so well-apportioned for entertaining. And it wasn’t pretentious, either. It felt homey, comfortable.
Lived in.
Like love had soaked into every corner to help make up for the tragedy of their parents’ murders in that very house when Dewi was only six months old. The house sat vacant for a couple of years after the murders before Badger convinced Peyton that, as pack Alpha, he should reclaim it. Thus they renovated and expanded it, removing all traces of the attack, and Peyton and Gillian had lived there ever since.
Trent and Asia Bleacke lived right next door with their children, in a house that used to be Badger’s. It was also where Dewi had spent her early childhood, before Badger, Beck, and Dewi relocated to Florida when she was twelve and named the pack’s Head Enforcer.
So many of their packmates lived in the compound. It was nice having people smile and greet her without any hint of fake pleasantries. She hadn’t once felt like she needed to be on-guard around anyone.
It also didn’t feel like people were sucking up to her because of who she was mated to, either.
She even understood why Da’von, who’d been raised in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Tampa, wanted to live here in Idaho with Brianna after he graduated from college. It felt peaceful and soothing here, like stepping into a familiar living room full of loved ones for a comforting evening of conversation. Who wouldn’t want to live like that all the time?
Didn’t mean she wouldn’t miss him like crazy.
Heck, an evening like this—surrounded by a large extended family and friends—was a relatively new experience for her. People she felt totally at ease with, who she knew she could count on.
Until earlier that year, their family was a tight-knit, self-sufficient unit. Sure, Nami had friends. And they had a few of Reggie’s family join them at holiday dinners on occasion. But, mostly, it’d been only the four Drexler siblings leaning on each other. Always having each other’s backs.
Once the dishes were finished and the evening came to a close, Beck and Nami walked back to their guest cabin. “You don’t need to slow down for me, wolf man,” she gently teased, squeezing his arm where hers was hooked around it.
“I didn’t want to go too fast.”
She chuckled. “I’m starting to see how Dewi feels.”
“What do you mean?” She sensed his genuine confusion.
“Y’all treating her like she’s fragile.”
“Yeah, well, she’s pregnant. And so are you.”
“Hard for me to forget that.” She paused on the cabin’s front porch and turned to him before he could open the door. “You know I’m still the same woman I was before you done knocked me up, right?”
One of the nice things about having Beck as her mate was being able to sense his emotions and spot the way his cheeks faintly flushed when she knew she’d gotten under his skin. “I’m sorry, babe. I told you, it was an accident.”
Nami chuckled again and rose onto her toes to kiss him. “I’m just messin’ with you. But all y’all need to ease up on Dewi a little, huh? She’s definitely not used to all the special attention. Maybe tell Peyton and Badger and them?”
“Easier said than done. She’s the baby.” He flashed the same panty-dropping smirk that helped win Nami over. “You of all people know how difficult it is letting the baby in the family leave the nest.” He opened the cabin door for her.
“Point taken.” She walked in ahead of him. “You starin’ at my ass, Dawson Beckett?”
“Yes ma’am. You know I am.”
She glanced back to spot his sexy, playful smile.
* * * *
Of course Beck was staring at his gorgeous mate’s gorgeous ass.
Yes, he was well aware he used the word gorgeous twice—because she was.
She looked even more gorgeous now that she was pregnant with their pup. A little
girl.
She patted her rounded tummy. “There’s gonna be a lot more to stare at by the time this little one’s born.”
He pulled her into his arms and stared down into her beautiful brown eyes. “Don’t care, baby. Long as you’re healthy, and she’s healthy, that’s all I give a damn about.” He started backing her toward the bedroom. Now that she was pregnant, it was like he couldn’t keep his hands off her.
I mean, I can’t get her more pregnant.
“You’re tryin’ to get me into bed, aren’t you?”
He nibbled the side of her neck. “You know me so well, mate.” He scooped her into his arms, making her laugh as it always did. And, as always, a brief flash of shock and wonder sparked from her before she draped her arms around his neck. She always forgot he could easily lift and carry her and loved that it made her happy when he did.
He’d spend the rest of their lives together carrying her around, if it was practical. And if he didn’t have to do stupid stuff to interrupt their time together, like work for a living.
Walking into the cabin’s bedroom, he gently laid her on the bed, kicked off his sneakers, and climbed in with her, caging her with his body.
Her sexy smile finished hardening his cock. “I know whatchoo want. Don’t need a mate bond to know it, either, mister.” She reached up and cupped his erection through his jeans, making him groan with need.
“Don’t tease me, mate,” he playfully growled. Leaning in, he grazed his teeth along the side of her neck, making her shiver.
“But I like teasin’ you.”
He nuzzled lower, finding the taut peak of her nipple through her bra and blouse and grazing his teeth over it. This time, she softly gasped.
“Yeah, you aren’t fooling me at all, baby.” He sat up and peeled his shirt off, tossing it to the floor. Hopefully, by the time they went to sleep tonight, he’d be covered in scratches from her nails from the dirty things he wanted to do to her.
Then she surprised him and planted a hand in the middle of his chest. “Wait, Beck.”
“What’s wrong?”
She propped herself up on her elbows. “You tell me. What had you so upset after your private talk with Peyton? What’s goin’ on?”
Beck sat back on his heels, already feeling his erection wilting with the abrupt change of topic. “What?”
“Earlier. When y’all were in there with Peyton and Trent and them. What happened? Badger said you’d tell me later. Well, it’s later.”
“Are you telling me you’d really rather talk than make love?”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “Nah. You’re the one talkin’. And the longer it takes you to tell me what’s goin’ on, the longer before you can get you some happy time with me.”
“Babe, there’s a lot I can’t tell you,” he whined, fully aware he was whining.
He didn’t want to talk about this with her.
Well, he didn’t want to talk right now, period, but especially about that.
She continued staring at him, until he finally grumbled and broke first. “I can’t tell you everything.”
“Are we in danger?”
“We’re always in danger, babe. There are levels of danger all the time. It’s a part of the secrets we keep as shifters.”
“You know what I mean, Dawson Beckett.”
He grumbled again. “We don’t have any hard information right now. It’s something that’s in flux. Peyton’s keeping tabs on it. Part of it is the whole Faegan Lewis deal. Part of it might be something else. We don’t know for sure.”
She scowled. “Are any of us in immediate danger?”
“I don’t know. I hope not.” He debated how much to tell her. He wasn’t a Prime and couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t tell someone else. “I really can’t tell you a lot.”
“I won’t tell anyone.”
“Not even your brother and sisters. No one. Understand?”
She nodded.
He updated her on the latest about Faegan Lewis, including Peyton’s blood order about anyone caught assisting Faegan Lewis.
She waggled her fingers at him. “What else?”
He thought about it. “I’m serious, you can’t tell anyone. Not Malyah or Da’von—no one. We can’t have the pack in fear.”
Her expression softened. “I won’t. I promise.”
He flopped over next to her on the bed. “I can’t give you any details, mostly because there aren’t any yet. But there might be a rogue out there trying to sell out shifters. It’s just a rumor. There’s no hard proof. For all we know, it might be a rumor Faegan started to put us off his track and cause fear.”
He hated she looked scared. “Sorry I asked.”
He pulled her into his arms. “This is why secrecy is so important. Do you want me to ask Badger to Prime you to forget it?”
She shook her head. “No,” she quietly said. “I don’t want to forget it. I need to know this stuff.” Her hands settled on her tummy. “Is she safe?”
He placed a hand over hers. “Babe, I’d die to protect you both. So would Dewi and all the others.”
Nami stared into his eyes. “That’s what I’m afraid of,” she whispered. “People dyin’ because of me.”
“You’re not a shifter.”
“No, it’s worse. I’m a human. I don’t have the senses y’all do. How am I supposed to protect her?”
“I’m going to protect you both. You focus on being a mom and a mate and a student.” He needed to get her mind off this and fast. “Someone’s got classes starting soon, don’t they?”
“Maybe I shouldn’t go.”
“Why?”
She sighed. “Puttin’ me out there alone? I don’t want you worryin’ about me.”
“I’m going to be worried about you even if you’re only going to the grocery store. I already worry about you. I’d be horrible at my job if I didn’t worry about you every time you’re out of my sight, babe. That’s no reason for you to give up on your dreams. I want you to go back to school. I know it’s what you want.”
She snuggled into his arms. “You don’t think it’s a mistake?”
“Not in the slightest. The mistake would be for us to stop living our lives and let fear rule what we do. Then, if we really do have an enemy out there, they win by default.”
“That sounds like some expert-level motivational bullshit, right there.”
He snickered and kissed her. “Maybe it is, a little.” His smile faded. “But it’s the truth. We lived for decades worried about who killed Charlie and Chelsea. My whole life became focused on protecting Dewi, me and Badger both. I gotta tell you, I love Dewi. You know I do. But I don’t want to go back to living like that. For all those years, Endquist had all of us living in fear. I don’t know if he fully appreciated that or not. But I hate it. I wish I could’ve helped kill him myself. He caused a lot of misery for a lot of people. And that’s one of the reasons I love Ken like a brother, because he not only saved Dewi, he saved all of us from that persistent fear.” He kissed her again. “No, I refuse to live in fear.”
She stared into his eyes. “Do you think we’re safe?”
“I think we’re reasonably safe right now, yes.”
Finally, he got her distracted and out of her clothes so he could make love to her. Once they were both sated, and she’d fallen asleep in his arms, he laid there awake for a while, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the discussion with Peyton earlier.
No, he wasn’t certain they were safe. But he damn sure didn’t want the happiest time of Nami’s life spoiled by worry over something that might never impact her life.
That was his literal job—to protect her and do the worrying so she didn’t have to.
And that’s exactly what he’d do.
Chapter Six
December 31st
A little after dawn, Davon stood at the cabin’s back door and stared out the window at the Idaho wilderness sweeping into the distance. It had snowed again overnight and everything ar
ound them was blanketed in white.
He felt like he’d been dropped into an alternate universe.
Literally.
Just being in Idaho in the winter, with the large Bleacke family, was a massive adjustment. This was the first Christmas in his life where he’d had such a large extended family.
But werewolves—excuse me, shifters—were real.
And he was now married to one, as of four days ago.
Mated. That’d happened almost two weeks ago. Well, Brianna couldn’t shift, and neither could her brother, but still. Apparently, the process was the same, in this case. She’d had enough wolf shifter in her to feel a mate bond with him, and she’d claimed him.
He hadn’t known that at first. He’d thought she just really liked him.
Okay, so he’d really liked her, too. Fell in love with her at first sight, literally.
Then, when their secret was discovered, Peyton, Asia, Gillian, and Malyah broke the news to him about what was really going on.
And Peyton had demonstrated by shifting into his wolf form.
Anyone would have trouble adjusting to that.
Didn’t mean Da’von loved Brianna any less, but it was still…disconcerting, in some ways.
Many ways.
He’d need some additional time to wrap his head around it and the related circumstances.
Like the fact that two of his sisters were also mated to wolf shifters, and the adopted family he’d come to love—and respect—was also largely comprised of wolf shifters.
Behind him, Brianna stirred in their bed. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“Nothin’.”
He couldn’t pull his gaze from the winter wonderland outside.
This wasn’t his first trip to Idaho, but he literally saw it through new eyes now.
Saw everything through new eyes.
He heard her get out of bed and, in her bare feet, pad over to where he stood. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, pressing her naked body against his. She was twenty-five, five years older than him. “Nami’s baby shower is today,” she said. “And Peyton’s holding the New Year’s Eve party tonight.”
Geek-Speak (Bleacke Shifters Book 6) Page 5
