He looked up at Dewi. “Ye’re next.”
Dewi and Tamsin sat in front of the toddler, and Dewi howled. Bebe giggled and replied. Tamsin finally seemed to be wearing an authentic smile and her howl sounded a little different, but Bebe still giggled and howled.
“Tamsin, ye shift first, if ye please.”
She did, Duncan reaching over and picking up the blanket for her, where it was now draped over her back.
Bebe gasped and stood. “Auntie Tam! PUPPY!” She threw her arms around the oversized corgi’s neck and hugged her.
Tamsin softly chuffed, which Joaquin knew meant amusement.
Joaquin cleared his throat. “Badger, can I ask a stupid question?”
“Because I don’t want to scare her, right?” Badger said. “Nothin’ wrong with seein’ nekkid people, of course, but she’s not raised like a shifter to know it’s normal.”
“Gotcha.” That had been exactly what he was going to ask, why just Tamsin and Dewi.
“Now Dewi,” he said.
Dewi leaned over and booped Bebe’s nose with a finger. “Hey, watch me, sweetie.” Dewi shifted, and Peyton took her blanket.
Bebe’s eyes widened and a delighted albeit ear-splitting squee made the men wince. “Auntie Dewi WUFFY!” She threw her arms around Dewi’s neck, hugging her.
Dewi arched an eye at Badger.
He sat there, scowling. “I know, lass. Give it a minute, eh? Do it a couple of times.”
Dewi shifted back and forth three times, ending up as a wolf again.
Then Bebe petted her on the head, turned to Badger, and burst into tears.
“Hey, now. What’s the matter, princess?” He reached for her, sitting her in his lap.
“I WANNA BE PUPPY WUFFY! MAKE ME PUPPY WUFFY!” she screamed.
“Uh, oh,” Joaquin muttered.
“Quiet,” Badger said to him. “Sweetheart, shh, that’s why we’re here. Do ye feel like ye can turn into a puppy?”
She sniffled and shook her head, then threw it back and let out a mournful howl that made the hair stand up on the back of Joaquin’s neck.
“Dang,” he said. “If she’s not a shifter, she’s sure got the lungs of one.”
Peyton stood there with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched her. “We are going to have to figure out a way to get her out of preschool. We need to have someone watch her who’s family. She might not be a shifter, but until she’s old enough for us to be certain, we can’t risk her being in a school with human kids.”
“You can’t Prime her?” Joaquin asked.
“I’m afraid to Prime her too much for fear of masking her abilities.”
Duncan also wore a scowl. “What about Reggie’s cousin?”
“I know,” Trent said. “We’ll need to find out exactly who and where they are, infiltrate the school with one of pack, and go from there. I might even have to move someone into their neighborhood.”
Joaquin didn’t want to assume he knew more than the pack’s Alpha, but he had an idea. “Can’t we just arrange for them to move to Tampa, if they aren’t already in the area?”
“I don’t want to uproot a family if I don’t have to. If they are local to Tampa, it’ll be easy for Dewi, Badger, and Duncan to Prime the parents into letting them let their little girl be “homeschooled” by extended family.
“We don’t tell them about shifters, if she turns out to be one?” Joaquin asked.
“I’d rather not. The more clueless humans who know, the greater our risk. If we can get the kids through life until they’re old enough to understand how serious this secret is, we might be able to get away with not telling the parents. Then we can use the excuse of the kids coming to boarding school in Idaho. We’ll set it up to look like a high-tech STEM program or something. Then they can be around their own kind for a while and learn what they need to. Have a chance to be wolves.”
Duncan draped the blanket back over Tamsin, who shifted into human form once again. Dewi shifted before Peyton could do the same, taking the blanket from him and wrapping it around her. “Have we ever had cases of non-shifting parents who were clueless having shifter kids?”
Badger rubbed a hand over the scar twisting from above his left eyebrow, through the sunken lid of his missing left eye, and down his cheek all the way to his chin. “Not fer decades, that I’m aware of.”
“I hate to be the one to say this,” Dewi said, “but is it possible that the…thing we discussed in private yesterday might have been triggered by someone getting their hands on a shifter from a non-shifting family?”
“At this point,” Peyton said, “anything’s possible.” The pack Alpha sounded weary. “We’re entering a dangerous new time. Cell phones, CCTV cameras everywhere, computers. This is the other reason I want our pack moved to the States. We have a better chance of protecting them here. We can intercede more easily if someone’s picked up.”
Bebe had nearly cried herself to sleep in Badger’s arms. “Our lines are strong, but increasingly diluted. All we can do is improve communication and watch out fer each other more carefully. None of us will survive if we canna do that.”
Dewi and Tamsin got dressed again, and Badger returned a now sleeping Bebe to Joaquin. When they returned to the main house, it was just Beck, Nami, Ken, Trent, Asia, Malyah, Carl, and Mateo.
“Well?” Trent asked.
Peyton shook his head. “We’re all in agreement she’s acting like a shifter, but she didn’t shift.” He related what happened to the others. Nami and Malyah looked stunned, while the other seemed to be taking it in stride.
“I’d be happy to help watch her,” Tamsin said. “She’s adorable.”
“You’re gonna have one of your own soon enough,” Nami said. “That’s a lot to ask. Take it from me, I know what it’s like to raise an infant. I raised Da’von from a baby. And I helped Momma when the others were little, too.”
“That’s all right,” Carl said. “We’ll help. Absolutely, we’d love to watch her.” Mateo nodded, too.
Peyton stared at the sleeping toddler, then looked at Trent. “What do you think? You’re a father of shifters.”
“We can’t risk it,” Trent said. “She needs to be watched by family who can handle her. She shifts in the middle of a human preschool, that’s a panic situation, right there. It’s not only trying to Prime a few dozen kids and teachers and parents into forgetting what they say, it’s what happens if one of the workers films it on a cell phone and uploads it to YouTube before we get to them? Then we’re screwed.”
“People wouldn’t believe it, though, would they?” Malyah asked. “They’d think it’s a faked video, right?”
“Maybe,” Peyton said, “but it’s not worth calling attention to ourselves like that.” He turned to Dewi, Duncan, and Badger. “Let’s handle this tonight with Lu’ana and Reggie,” he said. “So that from when you all return to Florida, family is watching Bebe. I don’t want it on my plate any longer than necessary.”
Chapter Nine
Mateo listened to the other shifters relate what happened with Bebe. He’d learned over the years to listen to and trust his instincts, even though he couldn’t shift. It was sage advice their father had given him before his parents died.
Listening to his and trusting his instincts had kept him and Carl alive plenty of times while working for Abundio Segura. While on paper their former employer had been running a legit business…there was enough skating the edge that they’d avoided some pretty hairy scrapes by listening to that sixth sense. And Abundio’s nephews ran a notorious drug cartel.
Mateo’s instincts, in this case, were telling him Bebe would end up being a shifter.
It wasn’t impossible for a shifter to be born to clueless humans, but usually if a family had strong enough recessed genes in its history for them to combine enough to give birth to a shifter, there were people in that family who were aware of it to start with.
I guess we really are babysitters now.
That wasn�
�t even sarcasm. Frankly? He was looking forward to it. He’d take this option over their previous career. They were now working for a pack who’d welcomed them with open arms, allowed them to join, and were now considered family.
Literally, because of Brianna mating with Da’von.
With everyone going their separate ways until the party later, Carl and Mateo headed out across the backyard and toward their cabin, holding hands as they walked.
It was a simple pleasure Mateo would never take for granted, considering how many years they’d lived hiding in plain sight.
On their hands they now wore matching wedding bands. There was something magical in knowing they’d gotten married on the same day as Brianna and Da’von.
No excuse to forget their anniversaries, for sure.
Like this was the way their life was meant to be. Sweet and fulfilling.
Carl came to a stop in the middle of the backyard, pulling Mateo into his arms with a playful smile. When his mate smiled down at him with those blue eyes of his, it always melted him. It was like he was once again a nineteen-year-old and terrified someone in that Middle Eastern port they were in was going to stumble across them frantically trying to mate that afternoon.
“What?” Mateo asked. At six-five, Carl was broad and beefy and four inches taller than Mateo’s own six-one.
“Snow angels!” With Mateo wrapped in his arms, Carl laughed and fell sideways into a snowbank, carrying a laughing Mateo with him.
Okay, yes, snow was a new and fun diversion for them both. They’d rarely seen snow in the past sixteen years they were together, and for both of them, before now, it’d been while in the military.
They both flopped onto their backs and started making snow angels. This was something they’d done at the beach with Brianna when she was a kid, but never in snow.
“This place is amazing,” Mateo said. “The people are amazing—”
“You’re amazing.” Carl looked at him and sat up to kiss him. “Thank you for not running away that day.”
Mateo smiled. “I would never run away from you, mate.” Carl was an Alpha wolf shifter, and while Mateo had gone to great lengths in his life to hide the fact that he was gay, that he’d met his mate—a shifter—in a desert port in one of the most hostile regions there were for gay men, told him that the Goddess Herself had laid her fingers on their union.
“Lucky for me.” Carl smiled.
“Lucky for me,” Mateo said. Carl was six years older than Mateo’s thirty-five, but he didn’t look that old. There was barely any grey in his dark blond hair.
They climbed to their feet, dusted the snow off each other, and continued to their cabin.
Once inside, with the door locked, Mateo pulled Carl to him and kissed him. “Do you think Abundio sent anyone looking for us?”
“I wish I could tell you no, but I don’t know.” Carl scowled. “Why are we talking about this now?”
“In case there’s anything we feel we need to talk about with Peyton and Trent while we’re here. I don’t want to miss anything and they think we deliberately withheld information.”
Carl snorted. “Buddy, Dewi, Badger, and Duncan are natural lie detectors. They’re all Primes. You’re still trying to wrap your head around that, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.” Carl had, at least, spent part of his youth with other shifters as part of a pack in Australia, where his uncle was the pack Alpha. “Any faux pas I missed learning about?”
Carl snorted. “Don’t piss in their living room. But that should be common sense.”
Mateo playfully shoved him. “You know what I mean.”
“We’re fine. We’re safe. Bri’s safe, and happy, and this is where we’re supposed to be.” Carl pulled Mateo in for a long, sweet kiss. “The only thing that could make today more perfect would be knowing where Dad is, and that he’s safe.” He felt a wave of old and unresolved grief from his mate.
Yeah, there was that. Carl’s father had disappeared over twenty years ago, while Carl was in the service. The man had moved after sending Carl a message, worried that he might draw the attention of Carl’s uncle.
Carl’s mom had died in an accident that hadn’t been his dad’s fault, but she’d been his uncle’s little sister.
They’d left Australia for Hawaii after her death, and Carl had gone into the Navy once he’d been old enough.
And the rest…
Well, here they were.
They had no idea if Carl’s father was even alive or not. No idea where he was.
It was something Dewi and the Targhee Pack were trying to help with, but it’d been a long damn time, and Carl had absolutely no idea where he’d gone.
Or if he was even still alive.
* * * *
Carl didn’t want old, sad thoughts pulling them down tonight.
“New year, new us, babe,” he said. “I want to focus on the future.” While kissing Mateo, he backed him down the cabin’s short hall and toward the bedroom. “We can’t miss the party tonight.”
Well, they could, but he didn’t want to miss it. The first New Year’s Eve party with their new pack?
Like hell would they miss it.
They started tugging at each other’s clothes, and by the time they fell into bed, they were both naked, Carl on the bottom. But he quickly got Mateo turned around on top of him. Moments later, they were both moaning as they sucked orgasms out of each other.
Mateo dragged himself around again and snuggled against Carl. “Now we can take a nap. Between breakfast and that, I am exhausted.”
Carl couldn’t argue with him. He grabbed the sheet and tugged it over them, happily dozing off with the scent of his mate deep inside his lungs.
The light had shifted, waning and dusky when they awakened hours later. “What time is it?” Carl muttered.
Mateo rolled over. “Nearly five. I suppose we should get out of bed and see if they need help with dinner.”
Carl snorted. “You honestly think Nami’s going to let you into her kitchen, think again. It’s Gillian’s house, and even she’s ceded the territory.”
Mateo gasped.
“What?” Carl asked.
“You do realize we’re going to be surrounded by girls, right? Dewi, Nami, and Tamsin are all having girls. And now we’ll be watching Bebe, too.”
“At least we’re used to it.”
“We have to learn how to braid hair properly.” Mateo sat up. “We need Malyah to show us.”
Even for Carl’s perfectionist mate, this was a little much. “Uh, we’ve both braided Brianna’s hair, Mateo. Speak for yourself. I wasn’t half bad at it.”
“She doesn’t have hair like Bebe, dumbass. Black hair, like box braids. It’s different. Even I know that. We’ll be able to handle Tamsin’s daughter and Dewi’s, but we need to learn what to do for Bebe and Nami’s baby so we can care for them properly.”
Carl decided to humor him, because he realized Mateo was right, and he’d barely mastered basic braided ponytails for Brianna when she was little. “Why not just ask Nami or Lu’ana?”
Mateo gasped again. “I am not going to admit to them I don’t know how to braid hair!”
Carl burst out laughing. “Babe, what brought this on?”
“I just realized when we were talking about Bebe that there are things I don’t know. And I want to know. She’s family now. She’s our…” He seemed to need a minute. “She’s our niece. Niece-in-law?”
Carl sat up, cupped his hand around the nape of Mateo’s neck, and pulled him in for a long, deep kiss. “You’re fucking adorable, tío. No one’s going to fault you for not knowing something like that. We’ll learn.”
Carl finally coaxed him out of bed and into the bathroom for a sexy shower that almost ended up with them back in bed again. Fortunately, they made it over to Peyton and Gillian’s in time to help with dinner prep. This was a barbecue tonight, a celebration. There were family and pack from all over in attendance, many of whom would be leaving tomorrow or the n
ext day.
Including them.
Peyton walked over to them. “Thanks again,” he said, keeping his voice down. “I know it’s not the most glamorous assignment—”
“We’re honored and grateful to do it,” Carl said, sticking his hand out to shake with Peyton.
For more than one reason. He wanted Peyton to know he wasn’t lying about that.
That they were grateful to be there.
Peyton shook with him, smiling and nodding. “You’re good men,” Peyton silently said to him. “I’m glad to have you here in our pack.” His smile faded, and he didn’t release Carl’s hand. “Dewi’s our baby sister. I know she’s your boss, and a Prime, but I expect you to lay down your life for her or her mate, if necessary. That’s the other reason I want you both in Tampa—to help protect Dewi and Ken.”
Carl nodded. “We will, Sir. That’s a promise.”
Peyton nodded and pulled him in for a hug, then Mateo, before walking over to another couple to talk to them.
Mateo slipped his arm around Carl’s waist and leaned in close. “What’d he say?”
Carl nuzzled his ear. “Tell you later.”
As the evening progressed and they mingled, meeting more of their new packmates and chatting with everyone, Carl realized this was the most relaxed he’d felt in years.
Maybe in his whole damned life, since his mom died.
A few minutes before midnight, champagne and sparkling grape juice were passed out to everyone, and they all gathered around Peyton, Trent, Dewi, and Duncan.
Peyton held up his glass. “To those we’ve lost, to those who are absent, and to those who are yet to arrive. May the Goddess watch over us all and bless us with Her light. Thank you all for being here tonight, and may the next year bring all of us far more light than darkness.” They all drank.
That led to the ten-second countdown.
When the clock struck midnight, they all threw their head back and howled…
Which, in retrospect Carl realized Lu’ana and Reggie might think was weird, except the parents had already retired for the night with Bebe.
Carl slanted his lips over Mateo’s for a sweet, sultry kiss that tasted of champagne. “Love you, mister.’
Geek-Speak (Bleacke Shifters Book 6) Page 8
