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I heard Mandy’s admonishment and titters, but I couldn’t see her in the sea of people. I’d see her later, catch up with my new friend, and yes, that was right, I made a female friend, and it was awesome. Caleb grumbled about it when we spent time together, and I made a no boys rule, but it had been good for me.
Besides, since he’d started working with Cole, I had free time, and this baby stuff, sheesh, it was no joke. Mandy talked to me about being pregnant with a shifter baby. She was helping me through the intense hormonal surges I had. With the six-month gestation period, pregnancy for shifter females was not a walk in the park, which wasn’t quite fair if you asked me.
Human women thought nine months was bad? They should try going to sleep with no belly and waking up looking like someone shoved a beach ball down their throat. I ate a lot. I was crabby one moment and happy the next, which was why Caleb locked all the guns away. In my defense, I tried to shoot him one time. Only once.
“I love you.” Caleb laughed, pulling me along behind him and down the aisle until I looked up to see Cole and Trey standing behind four very nervous Sheppard brothers.
“Caleb,” I muttered.
“I thought you could kick them in the balls! I know you’ve forgiven them and all, but they deserve it, and besides—oh fuck!” he groaned when I hauled off and did just that.
Oh yeah, I kicked each brother squarely in the nuts. And when they groaned and fell to their knees, tiny whimpers of agony leaving them, I felt as satisfied as I was guilty. They deserved it though.
What? Caleb thought I’d argue? I’d wanted to do that for years, and besides, it was easy to be all of me when my mate not only accepted it but loved me for it. Giggling, I leaned down and kissed each Sheppard’s cheek.
“I feel better now. Enjoy the reception!” I trilled, skipping over to give Cole and Trey a hug while Caleb snorted with laughter and warned each Sheppard to stay away from me.
Or he’d rip their heads off with his teeth.
God, he was so romantic.
Hours later, when I was smiling and happy and had danced enough to make my feet swell, I saw Mandy in the crowd, talking to Walker. It was cute, and I loved that she had settled in with her little boy, a two-year-old demon named Remy, who was…
Let’s just say I was so glad I had Caleb to be a father to my unborn child because if all shifter babies were that wild, I’d be run ragged in no time.
“What are you doing, baby?” Cole asked, sauntering up to me with a grin until he followed my gaze and grew tense.
He growled, the sound a rumbling vibration that had me frowning and glancing at him, and I flinched.
“Millie?” he rasped, making me gasp even more.
Because I knew all about Millie, the human female he'd fallen for and knocked up without telling her what he was. I knew he'd lied to her and that she'd run, and that Cole had been searching for her and his baby for so long the poor guy almost lost hope of finding his family.
“Oh, shit,” I murmured, my throat forming a lump when Mandy, Millie, whoever the hell she was, turned and met Cole’s eyes, her own narrowing.
“Well, fuck. I take this to mean she’s finally ready to talk?” I giggled nervously, my words trailing off when Cole snarled again and started her way.
His walk was a predatory amble that reminded me of Caleb when he was pissed and looking for claiming sex.
Giggling because thinking about Caleb made me think of how annoying I could be. Purposely. I mean, I pissed him off a lot. What woman wouldn’t when he was so hot and got all possessive and growly?
“Shit!” Caleb groaned, sliding his arms around me from behind, his huge hands cradling my belly while I sighed and looked up at him.
“I’m taking the credit for matchmaking. Even if it isn’t completely true,” I mumbled, my eyes rapt on Cole and a now yelling Mandy until Caleb pulled me around and into his arms.
He smiled contentedly, and I felt like I was the sun and stars in his dark sky. And then he kissed me sweetly, and I didn’t give a damn about anyone else.
Caleb was my sun. I loved him more than life itself, and with our cub coming, well, things were looking up. I guess I’d come a long way from the rejected, hated, poor mouse I used to be.
I still smiled, but now I smiled because I was happy and loved.
Caleb Chase was mine. I was wanted. My animal and the crazy in my head were finally calm-thanks to the bear and wolf I shared with my mate. And, well, life was good.
With love, great sex, a family, and a baby on the way, I was finally...wanted.
I was no longer the rejected mate.
