by Maia Starr
“Could we drop Cameron at Dwayne’s, and just...maybe see a doctor?”
“Whatever you want,” Jean-Paul said. “Whatever you need. But I think we shouldn’t wait for a doctor’s appointment. I think we should go to the hospital.”
“The hospital?” she asked. “No, I don’t think it’s that bad.”
“I’m so worried about you,” he said. “Please.”
Because he was looking right into her eyes and pleading with her, she gave in. She also was frightened by how much he was worried. Perhaps she looked worse than she did.
“Alright,” she said. “Alright, let’s go.”
By the time they got to the hospital, her legs felt shaky, and she felt like she could barely walk. Jean-Paul helped her into the emergency room.
Somehow, in her half lucid brain, it occurred her that she didn’t have a plan if something happened to him.
“What if something happens to you?” she said. “Do I take you to a hospital?”
“Don’t worry about that,” he said. “I will always be here to take care of you.”
“Uh huh,” she said, and then fainted in his arms in the hallway of the hospital.
Jenna Mae didn’t remember much of the next few hours. She remembered people yelling, flashes of light and then darkness.
When she awoke, it was to a loud beeping in her ear. Her vision was fuzzy, and a hospital room eventually came into view, with Jean-Paul’s worried face hovering over her.
“Hello, my dear,” he said. “How are you feeling?”
“What happened?” she asked, her mouth dry and her head pounding.
“The doctors said that you are dehydrated, and that’s why you fainted,” he said. “So they are just getting some more liquids into you.”
“Is it...is it a virus?” she asked. “Or is something seriously wrong?”
“I haven’t been told anything yet,” he admitted. “But if I don’t get some information soon, I’m going to start demanding answers. “
She saw a hint of the old Alpha in him, and she hoped that he wouldn’t have to pull out that side of him. However, just as she was about to reassure him that it was ok to wait, a doctor came in.
“Jenna Mae?” he asked. “How are you feeling?”
“Do we know what is wrong with her?” Jean-Paul asked, right away. The doctor looked startled, but then he smiled, which confused. Them.
“Well, there’s nothing wrong with her,” he said. “This is normal.”
Jean-Paul looked between Jenna Mae and the doctor, completely confused.
“How can you say this is normal?” he asked. “She threw up so many times, she fainted in my arms.”
“That sometimes happens,” he said. “Now, if you’ll let me explain…”
“Come on, Jenna Mae,” Jean-Paul was about to pull her out of the bed, completely done with the doctor’s opinion. However, Jenna Mae saw something in the doctor’s face and convinced Jean-Paul to hold still a moment.
“You say this is normal,” she asked the doctor. “But I was so sick.”
‘”It often happens in the beginning,” the doctor said. “Once you get past the first trimester, you’ll be ok.”
Jenna Mae and Jean-Paul stopped moving, their blood running cold in shock.
“What?” Jenna Mae asked.
“Oh, I’m sorry, did no one tell you?” the doctor asked. “You’re pregnant.”
“Pregnant,” Jenna Mae said, and then turned to Jean-Paul. “I’m pregnant.”
“You’re pregnant,” Jean-Paul was dumbfounded.
“Is this a happy occasion?” the doctor asked, unsure of their reactions.
“They’ll never take us back now,” Jenna Mae said, to Jean-Paul and he grinned.
“No,” he said. “They will never take us back now. We’re on our own.”
“So...this is happy?” the doctor asked. “Or do you need some support?”
“No,” Jean-Paul gripped Jenna Mae’s hand. “We’re happy.”
“We are?” Jenna Mae double checked with him. “I mean, I’m so happy...if you are.”
“Yes,” he said and kissed his wife on the cheek. “This is a happy occasion.”
“I’ll give you some time then, “ the doctor said and left the room. She squeezed Jean-Paul’s hand, her heart thudding in excitement.
“I’m sorry for scaring you,” she said. “It wasn’t like that when I was pregnant with Cameron.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I just...oh my goodness, we’re going to have a baby.”
“I love you,” she said, as he kissed her.
“I love you too,” he said. “Wife and mother of my child.”
“I can’t wait to get out of here,” she said, with a grin. “And tell Cameron he’s going to be a big brother.”
“One thing at a time, my dear,” he said. “We have the rest of our lives together, no need to rush.”
“I…” she paused. “I know this wasn’t planned, Jean-Paul but…”
“No,” he said. “This is perfect. I couldn’t have planned it better if I tried.”
“Well then,” she said, picking up a glass of water that the hospital had left for her. “Here’s to the future.”
“To the future,” he responded. “And maybe it really will be the future. I know the way things are now, with Remy, but you will be the mother of the rightful heir to the wolf and bear thrones. It could be the miracle that unites us all.”
“I’d just settle for a happy family,” she said. “Whatever will come, will come.”
“Yes,” he replied. “As long as we are together.”
And she knew, looking into his eyes at that moment, that they would always be together, and looking towards the future.
I hope you enjoyed the first book “Bear’s Baby” in the Bear Lake Protectors Series. If you want to consume more sexy shifters then check out a sneak peak of another shifter series of mine “Dragon Shifter Island” on the next page!
Dragon Shifter Island (Sneak Peak)
(A Dragon Shifter Series)
By Maia Starr
Chapter One
Hailey
There was always some amount of excitement when your work day came to an end, but when you had something to look forward to, your impatience and excitement mixed becoming a sort of anxious and overwhelming need to count down every last minute until quitting time. For me, work was fluid and constant. Bartending where I lived was regular work because there were more nightclubs than grocery stores. It was a party state, Florida, and while some things in the world had changed, there were those constants. The nightlife being full of partying, drinking, and dancing bodies was one of those constants.
I couldn’t wait for my shift to end and as I wiped the counters of the bar, a few of my regular patrons noticed the anxious way I was working.
“What’s up, Hailey?” one of my regulars, Paul, called out to me. I smiled, looking up just long enough to make eye contact with him but still wiping at the counters diligently.
“Oh, just doing the usual chore list so I can get out of here. It’s been a long day for this old girl.” I smiled and paused briefly, “Jesse should be in any moment to take over from here. I’ve been running all day through lunch and into dinner,” I explained. He gave a shrug as if he didn’t believe me.
“Nah, I am not buying, Hailey. Something else has got your feathers ruffled. What’s going on?” he asked me. I smiled. That was the thing about having older generation customers. They were wise enough to know when someone was throwing them a line of bull.
“I’ve got a date tonight, and I’m kind of nervous about it,” I said nonchalantly. I didn’t usually like to share my personal life with my customers, but Paul was the old pops figure that always looked out for me and all the other girls who worked the bar.
“Ah, well, you know this guy well?” he asked me, narrowing his eyes slightly, “I’d hate to have to come lend a fist to someone’s face because they messed with my favorite drink
-maker,” he said, half-joking and partially serious.
“You’re sweet, Paul, but I can handle myself. Don’t worry; I’ve got this,” I said. It was true; I ran a bar damn near nightly, so I couldn’t afford to be too soft. Not when there were drunks to put in order and drinks to create.
“Well, she said she didn’t need your help, bud,” another regular, Jason, piped up. The two of them usually came in to have a couple of craft beers together, and over the years I had learned they had retired to Florida to fish, drink, and enjoy the tropical atmosphere that Southern Florida provided. It made sense. It was why most folks moved here. I chuckled.
“You two should probably get on out of here soon, shouldn’t ya?” I asked, knowing their wives would call them up any moment to inquire about their whereabouts. It was a usual occurrence.
Jason grunted in annoyance. His wife was a spender, and she liked to go out on the town regularly. I knew that he could afford her pampered life, but it seemed like an odd match. Jason usually dressed in Miami-style flyboy shirts with Palm trees printed all over them and paired those with cut off old jean shorts or a pair of cargo khakis. And shoes? Forget them; he donned a pair of leather Birkenstocks nearly every day I had ever seen him. I also knew he had served in the Airforce and was nobody to mess with—according to the stories I had heard him and Paul exchange.
I learned the two were nearly like brothers and lifelong best friends. It made me wish I had someone like that to pass the time with. Maybe by later that night I would. This thought only made me want to clock out even more. Damn, why was time dragging so slow tonight?
“Meh, don’t you worry your head with that. Suzanne knows where I’m at tonight. She doesn’t care either because we made a deal. She got to go off on a spending spree with her friend Annette, and I get to match her spending limit here at the bar. Thing about it is, I lucked out over here because I can spread the spending limit out over several visits. She’s going to be over hers about thirty minutes into the trip!” Paul chuckled. Jason chuckled too, shaking his head.
“Mine’s usually the spender, but everybody has their moments; looks like it’s Paul’s turn,” he turned to look at me directly in the eyes, “Just you remember, Paul and I are here to hand a can of good old-fashioned whoop-ass out to anybody who messes with you, Hailey. Can’t be losing the best bartender in town.” He winked, lifting his beer and tilting the neck toward me.
“You two are a riot.” I took a peek over my shoulder and noted the time, “And it’s time for me to get out of here!” I said, turning to clock out and smiling as Jesse walked in. “You’re just on time, enjoy. Paul and Jay are in a great mood,” I added, as I gathered my things and strode out the door. I loved my customers, but there was a limit to how much I could handle. I found my way across the parking lot and crawled into my car. I only had about an hour to get myself ready for the date, and I was anxious to get my drink on. Everybody deserved a little pick-me-up or a nightcap from time to time; I was no different.
I walked into the bar section of the restaurant and sat, waiting for my date to meet me. It was odd that he had insisted we each drive our own cars, but that was fine with me. I didn’t intend on having more than one drink with dinner anyway. A cocktail or something was all I needed.
“Hey,” I smiled as he sat down beside me. He was a handsome man, and I was finding myself gawking like a high school girl.
“Hey, have you been waiting a long time?” he asked me, sitting down and looking at his watch quickly.
“No, not really. Do you know what you want to order?” I asked, ready to get down to my one drink, maybe two. I could make a little wiggle room, I thought.
“Sure,” he said, smiling and waving to the waitress. She approached and tilted her head.
“What can I get for you two?” she asked him. He looked at me and shrugged.
“I think we’ll have some champagne,” he said. I nodded in agreement.
“That sounds good to me,” I smiled. So far, it seemed like he was pretty nice, and that was a plus. I couldn’t stand an arrogant jerk or anyone who behaved smugly. Trouble was in the town I lived in, those types were a dime a dozen. Most certainly not in short supply. A girl had to make exceptions, I’d been told by a few of my friends, but now that things like wolf-shifters existing was a known fact to the world, the dating scene had gotten even stranger. Especially for me.
“So, how was work?” he asked me as the waitress returned with the champagne glasses. She sat one in front of each of us on top of a fancy little napkin. It was a cute touch. I lifted the glass and tilted it toward him.
“Just serving nice drinks and raising glasses, as usual,” I chuckled as he clinked my glass with his. He chuckled and waved at the waitress before she took off again, tossing back his champagne quickly after toasting me. I was honestly kind of surprised.
“What can I do for you?” she asked him.
“We’re going to need more of the champagne. Much, much more,” he said, “Did you want to get an appetizer or an entrée?” he asked me. I smiled.
“How about something simple? Nothing too heavy but maybe some sliders or something to share?” I offered. He smiled with a nod, and I reached for my glass, finishing off the remnants of my drink quickly. The waitress peered at him momentarily.
“We have a slider special this evening. It includes four sliders and a basket of fries on the side,” she said. He nodded as if the waitress was more than appeasing with her prompt response. I noted those things because I worked in the service industry, and I knew the girl had made herself a handsome tip.
“Yeah, we’ll have that, and more champagne,” he said. I had only consumed one drink, but already I was beginning to feel limber, like I was losing my sense of time. It was weird, and I glanced into the glass, wondering what exactly he had ordered. It was definitely stronger than most champagnes I had ever had.
I decided to play it off. Maybe work had just made me more tired than usual. Yeah, that had to be it. There was no way it could be anything else and so far, the date was going pretty well. I didn’t want to ruin my good night. So, I didn’t. The waitress brought our drinks and the sliders to the table, and I inhaled the scent of them and smiled.
“That smells divine,” I said, closing my eyes and falling face-forward into my plate, unconscious.
Chapter Two
Weston
Fighting for your survival was one thing. Fighting because you had an instinctual need to thrive off carnality was another. And it was a hell of a thin line to know when the right time to battle it out truly was. But when it came to dragon shifters and wolf shifters, I was always game to stand my ground. There was no way in hell some mangy mutt was going to try to play dominant with me. Not when I could bite him in half with one chomp of my jaws. Maybe not in my current state, but that didn’t really matter.
When the prick decided it was time to tango, I didn’t waste any time. I’d taken a few of the blows, being that there was more than one of them, and my ribs were lined with a deep gash where one of the wolves had shifted and buried his claws into my flesh. That bastard rested some feet behind me with a snapped neck and a severed spine. But the stench of fresh blood soiled the ground all around me. In the distance, I could see that there was a pretty brunette woman sprawled out on the ground, and I wasn’t sure if she was still breathing or not, but the wolves were congregating all around her, and I instinctually knew something wasn’t right. Suddenly, a dark-haired male approached, his eyes looking over the ground and assessing what was going on.
“What do you want?” I barked at him, still on the defensive. The man looked around and shook his head.
“I’m not a wolf. I smelled the blood, and I’m training to be a healer. I just wanted to come and see if I could tend to the injured. That’s all,” he said, stepping back and putting both of his hands up in front of his stomach, a gesture meant to show he was unarmed and not a threat. I looked past him to notice that there were two other men jogging up behind him to
see the carnage.
“Oh, shit, you beat some ass!” another of the men stated, chuckling as he looked over the few remaining wolf bodies that rested just feet away.
“Who the hell are you guys?” I asked, sniffing the air and noting that they were definitely not wolf-shifters. No, they didn’t smell like wet dog after a good rain. The first guy who had approached walked toward me, extending his hand as he introduced himself.
“Name’s James; like I said, I’m to be a healer, and I think I may be able to help you with that wound there,” he nodded toward the scrape on my side, but that was the least of my worries.
“The girl, she’s over there on the ground; she probably needs help more than I do,” I said. I didn’t need this dude’s help with my injuries. I could handle my own. James peered past me at the girl on the ground and furrowed his brows. “Who are you two?” I nodded at the other two men, a redhead who appeared to be a baby by comparison to the guy standing beside him.
“Name’s Cree,” the redhead said, stepping forward and extending his hand. I shook his hand and sniffed the air. They were both definitely dragons. I had no doubt about that.
“And you?” I asked, looking to the other man who appeared rougher around the edges and had a much darker demeanor. I wasn’t sure if I liked him. He snorted and wiped under his nose.
“Name’s Malick. Here to help with the girl, just like you,” he said, brushing past me to follow after James who now stood looking at the girl lying unconscious at his feet.
“Well, guess it’s nice to meet you, Malick and Cree,” I said, walking up to stand beside James and looking down at the girl I had just helped save. She looked like a lifeless heap, but her hair had slid from her cheeks to reveal her soft features. She had bright red lips and fair tawny skin. Beautiful before they had gotten ahold of her, I thought.
