It was impossible to pretend to Sophie that everything was fine. Her eyes were too sharp. But she easily accepted my telling her I didn’t think things would work out with me and Dominic because of the baby. Although she pooh-poohed that idea, she believed that was why I couldn’t have anything more to do with him.
A lie, a complete lie. I did want to see Dominic again. I wanted to feel his arms around me and take his cock inside me. He made me feel wanted and cherished. Until he bit me. That was too crazy. He drew blood. Who does stuff like that?
If it had been just me, I might have crawled back to him. That’s how bad I wanted him. But I had to think of my baby first. I couldn’t do anything that might hurt my baby. No crazy people in our lives, no way.
I nearly told Sophie what Dominic had done. Except I felt some weird kind of loyalty to him. Although I couldn’t be with him, I couldn’t talk against him either.
A few days after Dominic bit me, Sophie went off to the café for lunch while I stayed to mind the store. Customers wandered in and out, but I was mostly alone. Sitting behind the counter in Sophie’s usual spot, I flipped through an old magazine. We kept a small selection in stock, and when the new issues came out we trashed the old ones. Or read them, like I was doing now.
The people in the magazines lived in some other world than the one I knew. They were so bright and happy, flying from some glittery spot to another. I tossed the magazine in the can.
I had my baby. And Mr. Bruin had made good on his promise about a cabin. A real estate agent had come to look at properties for me. There was a vacant lot near the city hall they could build on, if I liked it. And I did. They were going to send a builder to talk to me next.
My own brand-new cabin. I couldn’t understand why they were making a fuss over me, but I’d take it.
The bells on the door rang. Even before I looked up my whole body tightened with awareness. I knew it had to be Dominic.
I managed not to bolt to the storeroom. There were a couple of customers browsing the aisles. I’d be okay.
He came straight to where I sat. Despite my intention to pretend he didn’t exist, my eyes were glued to him. He was the most handsome man I’d ever seen. I remembered the feel of that silky hair between my fingers, his hands stroking my back, his hot lips against mine, his hard cock taking me every way he could…
His bite. It hadn’t healed yet. I’d had to stop wearing a bra because the strap chafed the scab.
The bite stung now, almost like it had that first day. The pain was a good reminder that Dominic Olsen wasn’t the kind of person I wanted to get involved with.
“How are you doing?” His eyes were uncertain.
It made my heart flutter to have him be so contrite. This was a new experience for me. I wasn’t sure yet whether or not I liked it.
Wait, of course I didn’t like it. He was a weirdo.
“Fine,” I mumbled.
“I need to explain.”
“No, you don’t.”
I glanced down the aisle. Old Mrs. Giles had finally picked out her chewing gum for the day. She brought it up to the register, and I rang her up.
She flirted with Dominic while I counted out her change. “You’ve been staying at the B&B for some time now,” she said archly, her faded eyes swallowing him whole. “There must be some attraction for you here.”
“The forest.” He smiled politely. “This town’s got access to one of the prettiest forests in the state.” He was looking at me when he said that. He followed her to the door, holding it open while she got her cane safely over the threshold, and came back to me.
My body welcomed his return. I adjusted my apron so it would cover my nipples better. I couldn’t do anything about the twitching of my pussy, but at least he couldn’t see that. He could widen his eyes all he wanted and breathe in, there’s no way he knew how he made me feel.
The other customer came up to the register with whatever he was buying. Something in a box. It took me three tries before I got the right number punched in. I watched him leave, biting my lip.
With a merry tinkle the door closed behind him. I was alone with Dominic.
“I’ve got to tell you the truth,” he said.
My blood was pulsing like crazy through my veins. I clutched the edge of the counter with both hands. I didn’t know if I was stopping myself from running away or from leaping over the counter at him.
“It doesn’t matter.” I stared at the door, willing someone to come in.
“I’m a bear shifter,” he said. “I got overstimulated and claimed you. That’s what that bite was, me claiming you. It won’t happen again now you’ve been claimed.”
I shuddered. He was crazy, and I was alone in the store with him. I had to play along with him. Otherwise there was no telling what he’d do.
“What’s a bear shifter?” I stared past his shoulder, unable to meet his eyes. I’d thought— I’d hoped— It didn’t matter. He was crazy.
“I can turn into a bear,” he said quietly. His voice sounded so reasonable. But what he was saying didn’t make any sense.
I flailed for something to say. “Uh, what kind of bear?”
“Grizzly.”
“Oh.”
He sounded so matter-of-fact. He really thought he could turn into a bear.
“How does it work?” I asked, desperate to keep him thinking I believed him.
“I don’t understand exactly. It’s more like something that just is. I’m not the only one,” he added quietly. “My parents were both shifters. That motorcycle gang—”
“No,” I said. That was going too far into crazy territory.
“Yes,” he said.
“They weren’t bears,” I said flatly. They did a lot of stuff to me, but none of them bit me.
“You wouldn’t know what they were if they didn’t shift in front of you,” he said patiently. “Biting, that’s something special. We shifters only do that to our mates.”
“Mates.” I wrinkled my nose, unable to hide my scorn.
“You’re my mate, Laleesha.”
I hated the way my heart jumped when he said that. Lies and delusions, all of it.
“I want to take care of you and your cub.”
I gasped. Did everybody know I was pregnant? Mr. Bruin must have told him. I felt a spurt of anger, but it quickly died. I couldn’t afford to protest about his talking about my business, not when he was going to build me a home.
I lifted my chin. “I don’t need your help.”
“I’m not trying to just help you,” he growled. “You’re my mate.”
For just a teeny tiny moment I had the weird feeling that he was a bear. I shook it off.
“That’s kind of you,” I said, trying to sound gracious and distant.
He leaned over the counter toward me. I couldn’t help swaying toward him.
“There’s nothing kind about the way I feel about you.”
His eyes burned into me. I felt them scorching me down to my core.
Sophie had to come back soon. All I had to do was keep him talking until then.
“How is it I couldn’t tell the bikers were bears?” I asked.
“They weren’t bears. They were wolves.”
A laugh escaped me. I covered my mouth, but it was too late.
“Laleesha, I’m telling you the truth. Your baby is a wolf too.”
He’d gone too far. My grip on the counter tightened. Otherwise I’d slap his handsome face for saying things about my baby.
“You shut up about my baby,” I said fiercely. “It’s none of your business.”
“It is my business. You’re my mate. Bear Bruin’s involved because he keeps an eye on all the shifters. The pack alpha’s looking after wolf interests.”
No, I wouldn’t believe him. It gave a reason for their helping me, but that was just his crazy reasoning. His looking sincere was just because he believed his crazy shit.
“Get out of here.” I didn’t care if I set him off. I wasn’t listening to any more of his crazy talk.
“Laleesha…”
His eyes still burned into me, but I’d had enough. Putting my hands over my ears, I turned my back to him.
I didn’t move until I heard the bells tinkle his departure.
My shoulders sagged, from relief only. I didn’t miss him, not at all.
By the time Sophie got back from lunch my nerves had calmed down enough I was able to pretend everything was okay. If Dominic continued to pester me I’d have to tell her, but I didn’t want to get involved in any drama if I could help it.
Building my cabin was causing enough drama. I kept out of the way of people most times, but I heard them talking in the store. People speculated about developers moving in and ruining the town, or water rates going up because of the extra users, or whether everyone’s property tax was going to get adjusted, and all sorts of other things that almost made me wish I didn’t have anything to do with it. Except my baby needed a home.
I could feel her sometimes. She wasn’t kicking yet, but I could tell she was there. Sometimes I’d think about how she got there and worry about how I could love her after that. But it wasn’t her fault and I was determined not to blame her.
And I swore to myself I’d never tell her she was stupid.
Sophie took over the cash register. I was going to the storeroom to get the cart so I could finish restocking the baking goods when the phone rang. It was an old-fashioned landline with one extension at the register and another in the storeroom.
“It’s for you,” Sophie called. “Go ahead and get it on the other phone.”
I slipped through the curtain to the back. When I picked up there was a click as Sophie hung up.
“Hello,” I said cautiously.
“It’s me, Cara. I got the appointment for tomorrow, if that works for you.”
“I’ve got to ask Sophie.” When Cara had first offered to make the appointment as well as drive me into Arquinta, it hadn’t felt any more real than them building a cabin for me. Not knowing what else to say, I’d accepted.
Now I panicked a little. What would I say, sitting in a car with her for all that time?
“I’ll wait while you ask Sophie,” Cara said. “If tomorrow doesn’t work, what’s a better day?”
“Tomorrow’s okay,” I said in a rush. I couldn’t make Cara change her plans for me.
“You can check with Sophie first if you need to.” She didn’t sound impatient at all. “It’s no problem at all to reschedule.”
“No, tomorrow will be good. It’s a no-delivery day.”
We agreed on a time for her to pick me up, and then hung up.
My first doctor’s appointment for my baby. It made me a little sad to think that if I’d had a steady boyfriend, it would be him taking me instead of Cara. The image of Dominic flashed through my mind. But I threw that thought right out the window.
And the next morning when Cara picked me up, I was able to smile hello when I climbed into her SUV.
The drive into Arquinta was mostly quiet. I was relieved Cara didn’t expect me to talk. I didn’t have to pretend to know anything about stuff or worry about embarrassing myself.
Then we got to the doctor’s office. It was so nice inside. The walls were painted a soft grayish green, and the carpets were clean, not a single stain. We sat down to wait in chairs cushioned in with tweedy fabric flecked with purple, and they called me in after just a few minutes.
“I’ll wait here unless you want me to come in,” Cara said.
Although I barely knew her, at least she wasn’t a complete stranger. But I was a grown woman now, soon to be a mother. I’d have to get used to doing things for myself.
“I’ll be okay alone.” I went off with the nurse and got weighed, feeling like I’d passed some kind of test.
The questions the nurse asked me weren’t that easy. I didn’t know anything about whether members of my family had heart disease or diabetes or childbirth complications. Mama might know, but she’d never told me. The nurse made it sound like it was important to get all that information in my records, but I balked at the thought of calling Mama.
After I was done getting examined and the doctor had told me I was definitely pregnant and the receptionist set me up for my next appointment in a month, Cara took me out to lunch.
It was a chain restaurant and not as fancy as the doctor’s office, but I’d never eaten there before. I’d been out for fast food, but never to any place like this. The restaurant was dark inside with individual lamps hanging over the tables. Sitting in our booth, despite the sound of people all around us it felt like we were in a cocoon.
I pored over the menu. “Everything looks so good,” I confided.
Cara laughed. “I always change my mind three times before I finally order.”
When the food arrived it tasted as good as it looked. It had been hours since I’d eaten, and I managed to put away every last crumb. At first I worried Cara might think I had no manners, but the way she went at her meal set me at ease.
By the time we got back in the car I was feeling like maybe Cara was a person I could be friends with. I’d had that feeling right away with Sophie, but Cara had scared me. She was a big girl and dressed for comfort, but she had an offhand elegance that made people give her a second look. Beside her I looked like a plucked chicken.
She didn’t seem to care or even notice, and I was comfortable enough on the drive back that, my tummy full, I fell asleep. I woke up when the car stopped.
Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes. We were parked alongside a tree-shaded patch of road just outside of town. Another half mile past the curve ahead, and we’d be at the market.
“What’s wrong?”
She turned toward me, her eyes full of compassion. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What?” My heart started beating a little faster. Here it came, whatever it was that was causing these people to be so nice to me.
“Your baby…”
“What about my baby?” My voice was shrill with nervousness.
“Those bikers you met, they weren’t regular men.”
I gaped at her. I already had a sinking feeling what she was going to say.
She continued, “There are people who can change shape, just like in the fairy tales. The fairy tales are based on truth.”
“No,” I said weakly. It was too much. First Dominic and now Cara.
“Those bikers were—are,” she corrected herself, “wolf shifters. They can turn into wolves.”
“No,” I repeated, my voice stronger this time. “They were men. The only thing animal about them was the way they acted.”
“Laleesha,” Cara said gently, “your baby’s father was a wolf shifter.”
My heart pounding, my lips pressed tight together in denial, I stared at her.
“And your baby is a wolf shifter too.”
I shoved my door open and jumped out.
“Wait,” Cara said quickly. “I can prove it.”
“How?” I asked scornfully. I felt safe with my feet on the ground while she was belted into the driver seat.
“I’m a bear shifter. I’ll show you.”
“Don’t come any closer,” I warned when she unsnapped her seatbelt.
“I can’t shift fully inside the vehicle.”
Like she could shift at all. Maybe there was something in the water that made everyone there crazy. “Then just shift your hand.” I’d humor her that far before I started walking.
She released a gust of breath. “Okay.”
She held out her hand, palm up. I pretended to watch it while wondering whether she’d try to run me down if I started walking. Crazy people did crazy things.
And then her breathing deepened to a harsh huffing. There was a popping sound. My gaze focused on her hand. Swelling, it changed color and sprouted long claws. Tufts of brown fur raised around the edges of the hairless pads of the fingers and palm.
I clung to the car door. My mouth opened, but I couldn’t make a sound.
Her hand returned to its normal shape, but I couldn’t get what I’d seen out of my head. A giant paw. Her hand had turned into a giant bear paw.
“Laleesha,” she said softly. “I won’t hurt you.”
“M—my baby.”
“Your baby will look human when she’s born. It will be years before she shifts.” Her eyes pierced me. “For your baby’s safety, she needs to know her heritage. She’s got to be prepared before she shifts for the first time.”
I was still asleep, I had to be, and any minute the SUV would pull up at the market. I’d wake up, thank Cara for the ride, and get out.
“Shifters exist.” Cara spoke as if she’d read my thoughts.
“Who? How many?” I drew in my breath sharply. “Not the whole town?”
She shook her head. “Just me. Val Stanton.” An expression I couldn’t read crossed her face when she said his name. “Those bikers. My brother, Bear. Dominic Olsen.”
Dominic really was a bear. I’d screwed a bear. And wolves, but they no longer seemed real to me. My baby was a wolf.
It was too much. My legs gave way, and I sank to the ground. Next thing I knew Cara had lifted me into my seat and buckled me in.
She jumped back in her seat and took me home to Sophie’s.