AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“On occasion.”
“So, I was just an occasion?”
I paused next to her, taking her shoulders gently to turn her toward me. We stood at the edge of the neighborhood where shadows were in the process of swallowing the vacant yard. “Ani, I enjoyed every single second of worshiping your body. I plan to do it again.”
She bashfully closed her eyes while bowing her head. “You don’t mean that.”
“I don’t want to hide anything from you anymore. I won’t pull the wool over your eyes.”
“You mean like you did about being a shifter?”
I breathed sharply. Alright, so I deserved some of her ire. That made sense. “I don’t want any secrets between us. I know this is a lot, so I’m willing to take it one step at a time.”
“It feels like several at once.”
“I know. That’s why I want us to slow down.”
She worriedly chewed her lower lip, bruising the plump flesh with a tiny mark. The place where her hand still rested over her neck drew my attention next. I listened to the beat of her heart, to the avid rhythm of her arousal.
I rubbed her upper arms firmly. “Let’s get you home before you catch a cold.”
“Do you ever get sick?” She touched my bicep, then my elbow, then slid her hand down to my palm. “Like the flu? The cold? You ever get more serious diseases?”
“We get sick like anybody else. We’re still mammals. But we heal a lot faster.”
She brightened with interest and skipped a few steps. “Can you heal other people with your blood? Do you use magic?”
“We don’t use magic. I mean, we can use charms and potions, but we can’tcastmagic from our bodies. Witches can do that.”
That reminds me to call Regina, I thought.She probably knows more about latent magic than anybody.
Anita glanced around the yard as we approached the porch. “What about plants and stuff? You guys have magic plants?”
I thought about the greenhouse and smiled mischievously. “Actually, I should take you to Fred’s greenhouse sometime. You just have to see it to believe it.”
“I think at this point I’ve learned to trust what you say as true.”
My smile never wavered as I climbed the steps and unlocked the door. I stood aside to shed my coat as she shut the door and bolted it behind her. A tinymewcame from the kitchen that made her gasp.
“Mem-phis,” she called in a sing-song voice. “Baby, are you hungry?”
My stomach growled, inviting a pointed look from her that made my cheeks feel hot. She wagged her forefinger at me and then drifted to the kitchen where I heard her cooing to her cat. Well, at least I knew she was the mothering type. It made me feel better about her carrying my child.
Sadness crept in where I least expected it—my heart. I rubbed the back of my neck while trudging toward the couch, an uneasy nervousness making me feel restless. It had been nice going to the park with her. Knowing she was going to give birth to my wolf pup made me proud.
And at the same time, it made me feel sad. Because once she delivered the baby, that was the end of our contractual obligation. Patricia would frown upon further involvement on either side. A little money would probably go a long way in that department. Maybe we could even void the contract.
I glanced at the kitchen.Is that what Anita would want?
Before I could think too much about it, footsteps thudded on the front porch. My senses sharpened as I spun around and faced the door, using my nose to sniff out who was approaching.Two males, both wolves, authoritative but gentle in the way they knocked on the door.
My chest tightened.The alphas are here.
A couple of deep breaths calmed me enough to open the door. Blake wore a leather jacket over his black shirt and jeans, his scuffed boots with the silver buckles appearing like they needed replacement. Troy wore a simple pair of jeans with a thick yellow and red sweater, an easy grin occupying his lips.
Blake was stocky while Troy was tall and brawny. Confidence glimmered in their auras, more of a feeling than a colorful picture. Obedience was my only response as I stepped aside to let them into my home.
“Welcome,” I greeted tentatively, “I didn’t expect to see you today, Alphas.”
