But, he wanted to do dinner.
Or that’s what the Chief said.
“Funny,” the Chief chimed when Wesley walked out of the main lodge, where all meetings with the Chief occurred. “I’d almost say you liked her.”
Wesley ignored him and began preparing his truck. He didn’t have time for the Chief’s teasing. He purchased some of the finer cuts of meat from the Clan butcher and went shopping in the nearby human village.
By the time seven o’clock rolled around, he hadn’t stopped to think about showing up in his old flannel shirt and old jeans. It was too late, though. He grabbed the whiskey and other provisions. She was waiting for him at the front door with Jonathan in her arms. The baby boy picked up his head with interest when he saw Wesley.
“He’s so animated,” Natalie muttered in awe, watching as Jonathan reached for Wesley.
“I think he’s caught my scent,” Wesley explained. “Shifter children still have incredible senses.”
“A scent?” she asked. He watched her long legs walk over to the kitchen table, already set, and she placed Jonathan in his playpen next to the kitchen. “Like a dog?”
“Yes,” he said with a laugh as he set everything down on her small counter. “You have to remember that we are wolves, sort of…”
Jonathan babbled happily from his soft cocooned bed in the play pen. They chuckled.
“He may be faster to develop,” Wesley explained. “Mentally, physically, etc., Shifter children are usually quicker than human children with their milestones. Human children catch up.”
“Huh,” she muttered. “I suppose that explains why his grip might be so strong.”
“Shifter, what can I say?” He unpacked his groceries. “Alright, I’ve got steaks and veggies for that tiny little grill you have out there. Baby Jon is on his own, though.”
She laughed. “He’s transitioned to formula, thankfully.”
“How was the pregnancy?” he asked.
She raised a brow. “You care?”
“Why wouldn’t I? Don’t human men care?”
She shrugged. “Yes, you’re right. My pregnancy was okay. The first trimester was hell with morning sickness.”
“Too bad you weren’t here,” he said as he prepared the food. “We have a medicine woman that makes the best tea for morning sickness. It takes away hangovers too.”
“Mighty Shifters get hangovers?” Her voice was playful. He liked that.
“Only once in a while. When we’re having drinking contests.”
“And the women?”
He winked. “Bold to assume that the women aren’t starting the drinking contests.”
She cackled and threw her head back, her long red hair thrown to the side. It carried her scent. Warm vanilla with cinnamon today. Always something with cinnamon. He wondered if she used a special soap. He said, “I’ll fire up the grill.”
The grill was a measly excuse, but it must’ve been bought a few years ago. He carefully scraped the rust off and prepared the grill. As he did, he could hear Natalie inside, cooing and playing with Jon. He smiled. If he didn’t know better, it was as if he’d been placed in a perfect family portrait.
But it wasn’t perfect, of course. And he’d never wanted a family. Not really. He was thirty. He’d been happy to sow his wild oats all over North America. Natalie was hardly the only one-night stand he’d had on his year-long trip. And yet…
He couldn’t shake the smell of cinnamon out of his mind. It was as though the fragrance was burned into his nostrils. Not that he minded, but he shook his head and placed the vegetables, skewered on kebab sticks, on low heat. Cook the veggies first and then the meat, which he preferred nearly raw.
“How do you take your steak?” he asked, popping his head in. She was getting ice for the whiskey and a pitcher of water.
“Medium-rare.”
He ducked back out and placed a hand onto his chest. A woman after his own heart. The vegetables roasted quickly, and he leaned in the doorframe, watching their progress, and chatting with her.
“Do you like your whiskey over ice?” she asked, plucking cubes out for her own glass. He nodded.
“One cube, please.”
An odd scratching sensation bloomed in his chest. Is that what it would be like to be in a family? When she wasn’t looking, he watched her. Quick movements, a little too careful. Perhaps because he was here. How did she move when she was alone?
Don’t be a pervert, he told the beast inside him as it roared up gleefully, ready to play with any naughty thoughts that flashed through his mind. True, he’d bedded her once. But it didn’t mean she wanted it again. It didn’t mean that Jon didn’t exist and that they needed to figure things out.
He recalled the Chief’s words: “You must take responsibility for this. You know our code.”
Of course, he knew their code. He knew how Shifters were with their offspring: careful. He would have much to teach Natalie, much to explain to her. If Jon turned into a tiny wolf cub when he was three years old, she needed to be ready.
“Steaks are on,” he announced. She let out an ecstatic sound from inside. He smirked. She came out, and he could see her better in the soft light of the evening, dressed in a plain black shirt that clung to her chest and a pair of fitted jeans. Gods, a woman had never looked better. He liked her low maintenance. She handed him a glass of whiskey and held her own in the other hand.
“Cheers,” she said and clinked her glass against his. They brought in the vegetables and steaks on metal platters inside and sat down to eat.
“Let’s begin,” he said with a crooked grin as he stabbed at his steak. “It’s Shifter School time.”
Natalie
She was really trying not to tremble every time he spoke, but it was hard. His voice had a certain gruffness to it. A gravely sound that was somewhere between a jazz crooner and a chain smoker.
“Do you smoke?” The first question flung out of her mouth as they began dinner. Jon giggled from his highchair. She’d already fed him his formula, which he transitioned to early. He was big for his age, she realized, as she saw him in his purple plastic chair.
“No,” Wesley replied coolly. “Granted, there are cigars and some fun herbs that we sometimes enjoy during festivals, but largely smoking is looked down upon. Animals don’t do it. It was only our human-ritual side that really instituted the festival celebrations, once Shifters organized.”
“When did Shifters organize?”
“Depends on the clan and the type of Shifter. Wolves are old here in Alaska. We’ve been around for a few hundred years. I can tell you my great-great-great-great—you get the idea—grandparents’ origin story and so on.”
“The Storm Clan. Your Clan. Will they recognize Jon?” She chewed her steak carefully but let out a pleased sound. He smirked.
“This is amazing, by the way.”
“If you want them to. That’s why I talked with our Chief,” he explained. “The Chief is bound to secrecy with his Clan members, but he must be informed if there are any children from our clan running around.”
“Okay,” she said slowly with a sigh. “Does he know it was a one-night stand?” Her cheeks were hot.
“He doesn’t care.” Wesley’s voice was serious as he caught her gaze. “Shifters hold no shaming for sexual desire or pleasure. He was right to call me foolish for not providing my own protection.”
She blushed, suddenly remembering flashes of that night. His gloriously defined body beneath and on top of her. She wished she could fan herself, but instead settled on sipping more of her whiskey. He looked even fitter this time beneath his worn flannel shirt, which looked so soft that she could take a nap on it. He still smelled of the mountains.
“I could’ve asked you,” she muttered. “To be fair.”
He shook his head, his dark hair flying. “No. No excuses.” He sucked in a breath. “The Chief has asked me to explain our honor code to you.”
“Honor code?” she echoed with a raise
d brow. For some reason, Boy Scouts came to her mind. She cocked her head to the side. “What exactly do you mean, Wesley?”
“Shifters have a strict code of honor when it comes to certain things. Clan law rules all at the end of the day.” He tapped his fingers against the tabletop. “For example, I’m honor-bound to provide as much help as you need. I’m willing to pay you in resources and childrearing time. It’s unfair to expect the woman to take on the entire role of parenting.”
“How progressive, but I have a sitter and a well-paying job.”
“Yes, and you don’t have to accept my help,” he explained smoothly, “but it’s available to you. Additionally, it’s best if I explain to you how Shifter children, even half, might be different than human children.”
Her eyes widened. “I read online that he might be able to…well, Shift.”
“Of course. It’s his birthright, even as a half-Shifter. Not all half-children will Shift, but they have the ability lying dormant inside of them. Many do it unconsciously when they’re quite young. I don’t want you to be alarmed.” His fingers wrapped around his glass. She wondered how they would feel to touch her skin. “That’s why I want to offer help. I want Jon to succeed as much as possible. How long are you planning to stay in this post?”
“Here?” she wondered aloud and looked around. “I’m not sure. My contract is for a year and a half.”
Was it her or had a twinge of sadness sparked in his eyes? Your imagination, she told herself. Don’t go around being hopeful for this handsome Shifter. Another voice chimed in: he is the father of your child though.
“A year and a half,” he muttered. “Okay. We can work with that. If you want to.”
She smiled, feeling a sudden wave of melancholy without knowing why. “Okay. Well, I’d like some help. Not a lot. Never money. I’m happy with my salary, and it’s not like I’m shopping at department stores around this area.”
“I’ll be happy to provide any help you want.” His strong jaw set as he caught her eyes. Two perfect golden pools beneath the hanging light. She tried to quiet the wild thoughts growing in her mind. To reach out and touch him, to feel his skin against hers. Jon babbled cutely from his place, and she took the opportunity to check on him. Anything to get the heavy feeling of Wesley’s stare off her skin.
“We’ll be thankful for the help,” she said after a moment. Jon looked at Wesley with wide eyes. Wesley smirked at the boy, earning a delighted gurgling sound. “There’s a human woman who comes to take care of him on some days.”
“Would you two like to see the Clan?” he asked. A wicked smile came across his face. “I will warn you. They’ll know that it’s my child from the scent. You might see some people giving me hell.”
“Because of your womanizing ways?” she countered. His eyebrows shut up, and she gave a dismissive blink with a dark laugh. “You can’t think women are so naïve nowadays. You weren’t my only lover during a year either.”
He pulled back as though struck but laughed. “Fair enough, Red.”
“They don’t judge me?” she asked and then fluffed Jon’s baby hairs. “Or him?”
“On my honor.” Wesley placed one powerful hand over his chest. She wanted to hold that hand, but she kept her hands to herself.
It’s better like this. You can’t go falling in love. Your brain is just lonely.
She sucked in a deep breath. “This weekend?”
“Sounds great.” When he smiled, she noticed one dimple on the side of his face. A dimple that she sometimes saw in Jon’s face. Her heartrate quickened. She drained the last of her whiskey.
“Enough talk. Let’s finish this delicious dinner.”
He was happy enough to agree.
Wesley
“You?” Priscilla asked in front of the entire Clan. “Have a baby?”
Wesley was standing next to the Chief at the grand hall’s dining room on Friday night. They had a weekly meal with every Shifter from the clan on this night and often discussed important news. It was no secret that Wesley had a reputation as a free bird. Many of the Shifters his age had settled down already. Priscilla, in fact, was an old girlfriend of his but had left him for his best friend, Robert, when he refused to commit. She was clearly enjoying this entire situation. Robert smirked next to her, unable to contain his own amusement.
Wesley crossed his arms and with shameless indifferences, he replied, “Yes, I had a baby.”
“With a human woman?” someone else asked. The hall was quiet for a beat, and then raucous laughter burst out in every corner. Even the children were laughing, without really knowing what was happening.
“Our eternal bachelor,” the Chief announced.
“Still a bachelor, thank you very much.” Wesley uncrossed his arms and gestured to the long table, filled with the members of their clan. “She never expected to see me again and was more than happy to raise the child on her own. This situation is wild, I know. You can smell the honesty on her. She’s an accomplished scientist and our neighbor, so you might see her.”
“The gorgeous redhead?” Robert asked. Priscilla swatted him playfully but turned and winked at Wesley.
“Oh, we’ve seen her on patrol!” She was referring to when some of the clan members went out in their wolf forms to check their territory in the evening and at night. She raised her voice with a boisterous laugh. “And she is gorgeous!”
Cheers came from them all now, and Wesley shook his head. “Please don’t embarrass me.”
“Never,” Robert said in a teasing voice. “Mr. Alpha Bachelor.”
“How long until he’s on his knees with a human ring?” Priscilla asked with a loud cackle. “I’ll bet you all a piece of gold!” The crowd startled jostling with bets now, madness erupted. The Chief grinned at Wesley, who turned away from the madness.
“We’ll be on our best behavior with the human woman and the young pup.” The Chief smiled and clapped a wide hand on Wesley’s back. “But I suggest you dress up in newer clothes. Human women tend to notice dirt a bit more.”
And now his Chief was giving him dating advice? After the chaos had settled, Wesley was nursing a pint of ale, homebrewed by the Clan itself, when Robert and Priscilla wandered over.
“We’ll give her a proper welcome,” Priscilla said with a warm grin. Robert wrapped an arm around his mate and kissed the top of her head. “But I have a funny feeling that this human woman might end up being the one for you.”
Wesley threw his head back to laugh. “We’ll see about that!”
And they would.
On Saturday morning, the Clan had been scrubbed from top to bottom for the visit. Not that it needed much. The Storm Clan enjoyed a wonderfully rustic living with polished wood cottages and ornate quilts that the elder women stitched. Wesley’s own cabin, a charming cottage near the back of the Clan’s area, was glimmering. Priscilla and Robert had helped him make sure everything was ready.
“We’ll get her good and drunk, so she and the babe have to sleep over,” Priscilla said with a nudge and wink at Wesley. “We’ve placed a crib from Joshua’s old nursery in your storage, just in case.”
Gods, everyone was scheming against him! Or for him, he couldn’t decide. He went to fetch Natalie and Jon. Natalie looked ravishing, he had to admit, in a fitted blue blouse with jeans and dark boots. Perfectly laid-back, which the Clan members would like. They took mostly to flannel and denim.
“I’m nervous,” she said, as she checked Jonathan’s car seat behind them, fussing with the plastic. He drove slowly, as the road was paved but not perfectly smooth. “You promise that nobody will eat him, right?”
Wesley cackled. “We’re Shifters, not cannibals!”
“It’s funny,” Natalie said in a soft voice as they pulled up. “You start to worry about all the stupidest and strangest things when you’re a parent.”
And she was right. Damn. He was a parent, wasn’t he?
“They’re going to be very friendly,” he warned. “And loud.”
“They’re here!” shouted a voice from the top of the fort wall. Long ago, the walls had importance when there were tensions between human settlers and Shifters, he explained to Natalie as she held Jon, bundled in her arms. Now, the walls served to look cool to outsiders as the gate opened with a flourish. A teeming, happy crowd was waiting for them with a sign.
“Welcome Jon and Natalie!”
He could’ve wiped a tear from his eye. He was proud of his clan. They always accepted everyone and anyone.
Priscilla was the first to step forward with a grand gesture. “Hello, Natalie!” She held up a tankard of ale. “We’re happy to have you.”
The midwives arrived to fetch Jon out of Natalie’s hands, which Wesley assured her was perfectly fine. If there was anyone in the world that could handle a child, it was Shifter midwives. Natalie hesitantly accepted the ale from Priscilla, who wrapped an arm around the shorter woman’s shoulders.
“To our new friends!” Priscilla cried out, and the crowd cheered. Wesley shot Natalie a smile, which she returned with a nervous grin of her own. Jon babbled happily in the arms of Nana, one of the midwives.
There would be a lunch and festivities all day long. Then, he’d show her his humble home.
Priscilla caught his eye and grinned. She seemed determined to get the humans to stay tonight. He held back from shaking his head and led Natalie by the arm with a smile.
Natalie
Wesley had told her that his Clan was going to be friendly. She had no idea how right he was! After the lunch, which was practically a feast, she felt dazed and tired as a few people lingered to chat with Wesley and them at their table. She had Jonathan back in her arms now. He was happier and more well-behaved than she’d ever seen him! Perhaps the Shifter midwives had a special touch.
“You alright?” Wesley asked as everyone else wandered away. They were fetching more ale and water. She was trying to drink more water, after already downing two beers. It felt like she was at a Renaissance festival of some sort. But the ale was crisp and refreshing, much lighter than the beer she was used to. Still, her head was a bit light.
The Baby Shift- Alaska Page 2
