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CHANTI WOKE WHEN COLD hands touched her skin. She turned to see Kody standing over her, and her racing heart stumbled to a slower pace.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s okay, I just... was dreaming.”
She didn’t want to sit up so she pulled him down onto the bed with her, his freezing nakedness a relief against her sweaty skin.
All those deaths, the evil, the black. Her throat was still tight and sore from her silent screams.
“Whoa. You’re trembling. What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, unable to explain except for choking out, “Bad dreams.”
Kody turned her in his arms and held her tight, offering her his shoulder, literally, to cry on.
She gripped tight to his chest, letting her tears flow and her body shake with the stress. It was beautifully cathartic to be able to cling to Kody and let everything go.
He didn’t say anything, only stroked her hair and held her as she released the tension from the day. So many things had changed in so little time.
What would her life be like now? Would she still have a home and a business to go back to, once they found out what she’d done and who she’d sided with?
“I’m so scared.”
“Scared of what?” he asked, kissing the top of her head as he rhythmically stroked down her spine.
“Of what’s going to happen now. How will I go back to New Orleans?”
He rocked her in his arms and she let out a long sigh. Now that she’d said it, she wasn’t sure that really was the problem. What was there to go back for? Yes, she loved her home, but what life would she have against those who wanted to hurt her?
Tania’s family would seek vengeance, and they had powerful allies in New Orleans.
“We’ll find a way. And no matter what, you have a home here with me and the pack. You saved our Alpha. You’re one of us now.”
Chanti lifted her head and stared at Kody’s face, shadowed in the darkness of the room.
“Thank you,” she said.
He kissed her lips gently, his smile visible even in the dark.
“Sleep, beautiful girl. You’re safe with me.”
She let the night take her, the body of her huge wolf shifter keeping her safe from the nightmares.
***
WHEN THE SUN ROSE THE next morning, Kody woke to the sexy body of his mate pressed against him, and a huge erection fit to split his clothes apart.
“Good morning.” Her sweet voice rolled through him as she stretched her back like a sensuous cat and bumped her bum into his pelvis.
A groan vibrated through him.
“God, don’t do that. Or I’ll take you here and now.”
“Fine with me.”
Oh, really?
He rolled on top of her and pulled her dress up with one hand, staring down into her beautiful eyes. He dropped his body and let their lips meet, the taste of her so sweet on his lips that he dipped his tongue in further, until his head was spinning from intoxication.
When he pulled away, she pushed him and they rolled, her landing on top of him with a cheeky grin.
She grabbed the cotton dress she still wore and pulled it up and over her head, dropping it off the side of the bed.
Kody sat up and reached behind her, unclipping her black bra and pulling it away from her body.
Her full breasts bounced out of their confines and he ran his hands lovingly over the soft flesh.
“Tell me about the mating,” she said. “How do we do it?”
She ran her hands up and down his chest, her gaze averted as she watched her fingers make a path over his pecs.
He swallowed hard before he answered. This was one of those moments he was going to remember for the rest of his life.
“We make love, and during climax, I bite you. On the shoulder, here.” He reached up and ran a finger over the flesh between her right shoulder and neck, close to her pulse point.
Her eyes lifted and she stared at him. “Will it hurt?”
“I honestly don’t know. No one has ever told me, but I hope not.”
Maybe they should wait until he spoke to his mother, or someone else from the pack.
A smile spread over her face. “Let’s do it then.”
“Really?” He couldn’t believe she was agreeing to mate with him already. He’d assumed, with Chanti being who she was, that she would want to wait and think about her decision.
“Yes. I want to begin my life with you.”
He opened his mouth to ask her another question, then slammed it shut. Why wasn’t he jumping her this very second?
“Come here,” he said.
He grabbed her and pulled her down to him, wrapping his arms around her back and enjoying the hot press of her breasts to his chest.
Beautiful...
He rolled them and got back on top of her, slicing her underwear off with a claw.
She pulled him down for another kiss and wrapped her legs around his waist.
He was ready, his cock persistently pressing against her core.
He pushed apart her legs and twisted to the side, sliding his fingers down to the crease between her thighs.
She moaned and arched into his caress as he dropped his head and suckled her nipples.
“Oh, Kody...”
He used his thumb to flick her clit from side to side, then slid his middle finger inside her.
She cried out and grabbed for his head.
He went back up to her mouth, kissing her deeply as he added a second finger, pumping her pussy as she became slicker and hotter.
She reached down between them and wrapped her palm around his cock.
His body bucked for attention.
She moaned as he began to rock into her fisted grip, needing the touch and connection.
Her pussy clenched and contracted around his fingers, and his cock throbbed, jealous for the first time in its life.
“Please, Kody.” Chanti panted as she arched up to him.
He jumped on top of her, lined up his cock, and slid to the hilt in one full thrust.
“Oh, fuck!” Chanti screamed out and Kody felt his teeth lengthen and shift.
It was time.
He lifted her thigh up to get deeper and she thrashed beneath him like a wild woman.
“Kody! Damn... please...”
He drew away and slammed back in, hard. Over and over again, until his blood was boiling, and his mate was crying out with every thrust of his body into hers.
Heat flooded his back and sweat broke out all over his skin. His balls drew up painfully tight against his body and he knew he wouldn’t last much longer.
Chanti panted and cried, keening as she arched up into him.
There was a moment’s silence as their bodies strained together, and then he started to cum.
She began to shake, convulsing and squeezing him while he pulsed hot cum into her.
He opened his mouth and dropped down, clamping his jaw onto the flesh between her shoulder and neck.
White lights flashed in his head and heat seared his soul, ripping it apart so that they could bind together.
Chanti convulsed beneath him, but he could barely think as the heat rose and then finally faded away.
He unlocked his jaw and rolled onto his back, pulling her with him and tucking her into his chest.
Their breathing finally slowed, as did the pounding of his heart.
“Wow.”
Chanti giggled and kissed his chest. “I agree, now excuse me while I pass out again.”
Kody chuckled and kissed the top of her head, his whole world shifting on its axis, in the best way possible.
***
CHANTI AWOKE AND ROLLED out of bed, reaching for the clothes strewn all over the floor. She would need to buy some new underwear. Kody kept shredding everything she wore.
“So, what’s the plan for today?” Kody asked her from the doorway where he leaned against the frame looking sexier than any man had a right to.
She had so many things to do, but which ones did she have control over?
“First, of course, is to go visit Marty and Tania, see how they’re both doing. Then, I... honestly don’t know.”
A hot tightening in her throat warned her of tears and she sniffed, pushing the stress away.
Kody smiled at her and pulled on a t-shirt from the dresser. “Well, let’s go see my brother then.”
He took her hand and together they walked next door, into the house that still smelled a little like death. There didn’t appear to be anyone home.
“Can you open all the windows and doors?” Chanti asked him, not liking the scent in the air.
Kody wrinkled his nose. “Absolutely.”
As one of the doors swung open, Chanti jumped. “Marty!”
He looked amazingly better. His eyes were clear, his skin a normal shade. He was even walking straight, his full height dominating the room.
“Good morning.” He smiled, his face happy and relaxed.
Then Tania waddled out behind him, her face pink and her eyes dancing.
So, you guys had a morning very similar to ours.
“Hi, Chanti,” Tania said with a little wave.
Her belly had swelled even further in the night.
Chanti reached out for the babe, running her hands over the bulge. “Whoa. Your son is going to be so strong.”
As usual with her premonitions, she had no idea where the words came from.
“It’s a boy?” Tania’s voice lit up with surprise and happiness.
Marty came over and ran his hand over his child.
Chanti stepped away, her body tingling with another premonition. This one, not so happy.
She wasn’t sure Tania would survive the birth of this wolf shifter baby. Her future was murky, to say the least.
“I’m sorry, if you didn’t want to know...”
“Are you always right?” Marty asked.
She nodded, unable to say anymore. She needed something to eat.
“Can we have some breakfast? I’m still feeling pretty weak from yesterday.”
Marty’s mouth tipped up at the sides in amusement. “You and me both.”
Chanti and Tania sat down at the kitchen table and Kody pushed his brother into a chair, before turning on the stove and hunting through the fridge. He threw some bacon and eggs, tomatoes and sausages, into frying pans and the smell of oily meat filled the air.
A man who can cook? Awesome.
Chanti stood up and with some direction from Marty, found the plates, knives, and forks. She finished setting the table just as Kody turned around with plate loads of food.
Her stomach grumbled and her mouth filled with saliva.
“Thanks so much,” she said, and Marty and Tania murmured in agreement.
They all dug in, too hungry for more words. If she’d been able to hold intelligent conversation while eating, she would have.
They ate every last morsel, and Chanti groaned as she sat back, her tank officially replenished. That felt incredibly good.
She patted her stomach. “Yum.”
Kody grinned at her, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“I agree. Needed that after yesterday.”
Chanti nodded, turning toward Marty. “How are you feeling today?”
He shrugged, chugging down a glass of juice in a few swallows.
“Pretty much back to normal, I think. My body feels a big sluggish, like a hangover or something... and, here, I think this is yours.”
He reached around his neck and pulled off her necklace. She’d forgotten she’d taken that off. It had been years since she hadn’t worn it.
Maybe that was why she was feeling so flat today. Strange.
“Oh, thanks.”
She put the protection amulet back around her neck, sighing as the warmth nestled between her breasts.
Marty cleared his throat and leaned forward. “Ah, I think it is I who needs to thank you. You saved my life. I am forever indebted to you.”
“We all are. The whole pack,” Kody said.
“Me, too,” Tania chimed in.
Chanti held up her hands, warding off the unwanted thanks. She didn’t see her helping them as a choice, but a calling. It was what she was meant to do, and she was glad for the chance to have a purpose in life.
“None of you owe me anything. I was very happy to help. It was Voodoo that hurt you, and it was my responsibility to do what I could to undo the harm.”
Tania reached out and touched her hand, squeezing tight. A wave of dark dread moved through Chanti and she shivered.
Tania continued. “I am so grateful for your help. You didn’t have to. No-one has to help. And you did.”
Kody reached over and grabbed her other hand, so she pulled away gently from Tania and put both hands in Kody’s.
Warmth and strength re-filled her and she sighed in relief. She was home with Kody, and perhaps they should share their good news with his brother.
“Yeah, well. Tania, I have a vested interest in the pack, too.”
Tania looked up from scooting a bite of bread around on her plate with a fork. “Huh?”
Kody laughed and put an arm around her. “Chanti’s my mate, and we completed the mating last night.”
Chanti beamed up at Kody and pulled her dress to the side so they could see the bite on her shoulder.
It had hurt much less than she expected. Instead, she had experienced the most amazing orgasm of her life.
“You’re what?” Tania and Marty asked at the same time, and then looked at each other and laughed.
“Yep, there must be something in the water around here.”
She turned her head as Kody pressed his lips to hers.
Marty cleared his throat. “You mean there’s something in the Fates. It can’t be a coincidence that Tania and you are meant to be part of our pack.”
She thought so, too. And although part of her had expected to feel different after mating with Kody, she didn’t. She felt settled, and happy. Was that how it was meant to be? Kody said she would be strong, like him. So, when did her superhuman strength kick in?
Kody grinned back at his brother and shrugged. “Yeah, true.”
She swallowed hard, mentally debating the wisdom of telling Tania and the group what she saw in Tania’s future.
“When do you think that baby will come, Tania? You’re getting bigger by the hour.”
“I know.” She ran her hands lovingly over the huge bump.
And to think, only a few days ago she’d asked to get rid of it.
“The normal gestation for a wolf shifter is two lunar months they said, and I conceived this baby, what was it? Five weeks ago?”
“Yeah,” Marty interrupted, “but being an Alpha born, our babies tend to be born on the full moon, which is next week.”
“Is labor hard for your kind?” Chanti asked, picking at a piece of bacon rind she’d left on the plate.
“No, not at all.”
She lifted her head and stared at Tania, who still looked pale, despite Marty’s recovery.
Tania cocked her head, staring at her with searching eyes. “What’s wrong, Chanti?”
“Oh. Nothing.”
Despite everything she’d been taught, and all the secrets she’d kept over the years, her face still gave her away too often.
“Is something going to happen to me, Chanti? What aren’t you saying?”
Chanti glanced away and Marty reached over and grabbed her arm. Kody growled, and Chanti jerked back as he knocked Marty’s hand from her arm. He leaned in at his brother, snarling.
That was good to know. Kody would protect her from anyone—even his own family.
Marty gave a deep, threatening growl, locking his gaze with Kody.
Chanti took a deep breath. There was no way around the truth. She would need to be prepared, and so would they.
“I... I’m not sure how the birth is going to go, Tania.”
Tania’s eyes widened, her face paling. Chanti bit her lip.
Both of the men retreated to look at Chanti, scowling.
“What are you talking about?” Marty demanded, wrapping an arm around his mate’s shoulders.
“I, uh, excuse me...” Her stomach rolled with nausea.
She was going to throw up.
She ran for the bathroom, making it just in time before losing her beautiful breakfast and too many calories to count.
Ugh. Gross.
She washed out her mouth with water, and then ventured back into the kitchen, still feeling sick, but under control.
Tania raised an eyebrow.
“What?” Chanti asked, taking her seat again.
Tania smirked at her. “You pregnant, too?”
“No. Of course not.”
They’d only made love twice. Unprotected.
Oh, crap.
“But it’s only been a few days since the first time.”
Tania settled back in her chair, rubbing her big belly. “That’s how fast it settles in. Remember, nine months’ worth in a matter of weeks.”
Her eyes found Kody’s.
Oh, no. Not now.
“We’ll deal with that later,” she said. “You’re more important at the moment, Tania.”
She straightened her spine, trying hard not to focus on the fact that nausea was rolling in her belly and struggling with the fear that there was a child, at this very minute, growing exponentially inside of her.
“What’s going to happen?” Tania asked, lifting her chin, a proud and strong woman, even in the face of possible death.
“I’m not sure.”
Tania rolled her eyes and looked away. Obviously, she didn’t believe Chanti.
“I’m serious. It’s cloudy. Your labor is going to be hard; life threatening. Your baby will be healthy and strong, but I just can’t see what happens to you. I’m sorry.”
Tania looked up at Marty, who rose to his feet to stand next to her. His hand rested on her shoulder. His jaw clenched.
“Maybe you should book into the private hospital in New Orleans,” Chanti said. “They can handle any bleeding... or...”
Marty held up a hand. “No. That is not our way.”
Chanti frowned at Marty’s tone. Would he really put Tania at risk just because he didn’t like hospitals? Anger heated her skin, and she stood up, facing off against the Alpha leader of the wolf shifter pack.
“She could die, Marty. The doctors at the hospital could save her.”
But even as she said it, she saw a vision, of Tania’s parents, red fire...
“No. I take it back. I’m sorry. That’s not an option either.”
“Then what do we do, Chanti?” Tania asked, her voice small.
She closed her eyes and felt out the different options. New Orleans, her parents, Chanti’s own home, the shop, the bayou...
There was only one path that held light at the end of the tunnel. And that was Marty’s home. The bayou. And Chanti must be there to guide the babe into the world.
“I can only see one birth where there’s a chance Tania survives, and it’s here. With me, and perhaps any other healers you have. Like Daniel.”
A brighter light shone in her mind as she envisioned Daniel helping her.
Her eyes popped open. “Yes, that is the only way. Can you do that, Tania?”
Tania nodded, gripping Marty’s hand where it held her shoulder. “Yes. Of course, I can.”
“All right,” Chanti said, beginning to clear the table. “We’re in for a big week of planning then. Not to mention, I need to go back to my shop for some supplies.”
“I’ll take you,” Kody said, joining her. His strength, as always, was a constant in her life that she could now count on.
“Thank you.” She stared hard at her mate, absorbing the beautiful energy he sent her way.
This week was already one of the most intense of her life, and she had the feeling it wasn’t over yet.
Kody took her into New Orleans the next night and she grabbed her most valuable family possessions and some medicines from her shop. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but what she saw when she got home wasn’t exactly a welcome.
Goat blood had been poured onto her stoop, both at her shop and her family home.
She climbed in a side window, unable to cross over such a horrible omen.
Mary and her husband knew she’d helped Tania escape and there would be hell to pay for that choice. Despite the severity of the punishment that she knew would be coming, it was something she wasn’t going to worry about until after the full moon.
Tania and her baby were the only things Chanti was focused on, and they took all her energy.
Over the next few days, she stayed on high alert and learnt what she could from the pack.
Kody had told her she would grow strong like him, and although she still couldn’t lift anything substantial on her own, she was feeling better. Stronger. In her mind. Which gave her some optimism for the days to come.
It was late in the afternoon on Wednesday when the hairs on Chanti’s body began standing on end. She was sitting at the dining room table reading a book. She looked up and glanced out the window. From there she could see the full moon rising in the distance and a shudder wracked her frame.
“It’s coming tonight, isn’t it, Chanti?” Tania’s voice trembled as she sat down beside her.
Chanti stood up and moved to the table. She began grinding up herbs and ingredients for more potions: blood tonics, salves, and protection amulet ingredients. She’d been cooking and mixing and sewing all week.
“Yes. Are you ready?” she asked the beautiful girl beside her, putting strength into her voice.
Tania nodded once, her hugely swollen belly rolling and dancing in front of their eyes.
“He will be here soon.” Chanti ran her palm over Tania’s son, the flesh of Tania’s belly contorting and moving beneath her hand. “You’re so beautiful.”
Tania smiled, the picture of a Madonna in her element. “Are you pregnant too, Chanti? Do you know yet?”
“I’m not sure,” she lied. She was very sure, but she wasn’t sharing that information today. “I haven’t missed a period yet, but I’ve been sick most days.”
“Then you’re pregnant,” Tania said with confidence. “These wolf shifter pregnancies are quite different. They’re—”
She gasped, her voice hitched, then she hissed out her breath and slid her hands around her belly.
“Whoa, he’s kicking a lot today.”
Chanti nodded and kept up her preparations. She couldn’t think too much of the lives that tonight would literally be in her hands.
Over the week she’d made amulets and necklaces for everyone in the pack. Men, women, children. There was a storm coming, a fight. She wasn’t sure when or who would bring it. But what she did know was she would protect these people with everything she had.
She stopped mixing and looked at Tania. There was so much she wanted to say, but how to summarize it all?
“You need to keep your mind focused tonight, Tania. Okay? I know you are young, and you will be scared. But this is your destiny. There is no other reason that this has happened to you. Don’t give up. Never give up. Do you understand?”
Tania nodded, fear clear in her bright eyes.
“I mean it, Tania. Hold onto anything that is a strong anchor for you. Your love for your son, your bond with Marty. Your need to be there for your child as he grows. Anger at your parents, anything. Pick one thing. One thing that’s worth fighting for, worth living for, and imprint it into this.”
She handed a braided charm she had made to Tania.
Tania took it with trembling fingers. “Thank you. I... I’m not sure which one to choose.”
“You don’t have to tell me. Just take the bracelet, meditate on it, and when you have chosen, put it on. And remember, it doesn’t have to be what you think it should be. You don’t have to be selfless, or a martyr. Hatred can sometimes work just as well as love, better even. Look inside yourself and find a reason to still be alive tomorrow. And you will be.”
Tania took a deep breath in through her nose, her eyes clearing like the clouds parting on a summer day.
Yes. She had it.
“Thank you. I’ll see you after dinner.”
Chanti let her go and continued to grind and make pastes and drinks. Tania was going to bleed, she knew that. She’d made blood building tonics, and special bandages to aid with clotting. She wasn’t sure what she was going to be up against, but she had an arsenal.
***
AFTER A LOVELY DINNER in Kody’s house, cooked by her lovely mate, they went to bed.
Affection amongst the wolves was a high priority and Kody often whisked her away to cuddle or make love. Life was truly a dream at the moment.
They lay in bed, facing each other and stroking each other’s skin.
“Do you think tonight will go as you’ve foreseen?” Kody asked.
They’d discussed her visions a lot during the week and she still wasn’t sure which ones would come to fruition or not. She’d had so many, and seen so many things happen to the baby and Tania. It was hard to identify the right road to take.
“I honestly don’t know, but all day I’ve had the strangest feeling something is coming. More than just what’s going on with Tania and Marty. Maybe her parents have organized an assault? Maybe some of the black arts practitioners are going to attack? You’ll be ready, won’t you, Kody?”
He nodded. “Yes. We already increased the guards, and maybe I should speak to the women about removing the children into the bayou for a week.”
A strange coolness passed over her and she let the words, sent from another place, flow through her.
“Whatever’s going to happen, it’s going to be tonight. The bloodlines will mingle forever, or both will fall.” She shook herself hard as the premonition poured out of her. “Oh, damn. I think you need to go speak to everyone now. It’s all happening tonight.”
Fuck. If it wasn’t enough fighting to keep Tania alive, she had to deal with the whole pack being in danger as well.
“Kody! Chantelle!” Marty’s urgent voice echoed through their small house.
Kody and Chanti looked at each other in understanding and rolled away from each other to get up.
Luckily, they were clothed for once and jumped up off the bed, just as Marty came rushing in through the door.
“You’re here! Good. Tania needs you. The baby’s coming.”
Chanti grabbed the bags she had ready by the front door and looked at Kody. “You need to warn the pack.”
“I will. You deal with my sister-in-law and my nephew.”
“Go back to Tania, Marty. I’m right behind you,” Chanti told him, and Marty raced back to his mate.
Kody pulled her in hard against his body, kissing her deeply and fast. His taste exploded through her senses, knocking what fear she was feeling to the side.
When he pulled back, she stumbled a little and he grabbed her.
“Look after yourself, Chanti. And our bub.” He lay a hand against her slightly rounded belly.
She swallowed hard and nodded once.
It had been an unspoken agreement between them not to mention her possible pregnancy until a safe time.
But as he stared at her, she knew how scared he was.
“I will. Make sure you’re still alive in the morning, Kody. I’m not doing this on my own.”
He grinned and winked at her as though he didn’t have a care in the world. Cheeky devil.
“Deal.”
He turned and ran out of the room with Marty.