MoonlightDrifter (6 page)

Chapter Six

Cain felt excitement thrumming
through him at the mere thought of Allie carrying his child. He was terrified
she’d still try to pull away from him, but he was confident he could convince
her to stay by his side. There would be things she needed as an expectant
mother that only a mate could provide. All right, anyone could provide those
things, but he would have to convince her that a mate was her best bet. With
his luck, she’d just try to move in with a friend. Good thing Gabriel was a
recluse at the moment, or she could go to him for help. Cain had no doubt the
alpha would allow her to stay in his house if she insisted on not accepting
Cain as a mate.

He glanced at her, where she sat
on the table. Paper crinkled under her as she shifted. There had been an
immediate opening in the doctor’s schedule and they’d been taken back right
away. Poor Allie had been poked and prodded, had her temperature taken, and had
blood drawn for the pregnancy test. Now they were just waiting to see the
doctor. He watched her, looking for signs of nervousness, but she seemed
completely cool and collected. If he didn’t know why they were there, he’d
never have guessed she was waiting on results for something so life altering as
a baby.

The door opened and the doctor
entered. A wolverine shifter in his forties, Cain was a little surprised the
doc hadn’t been hit on by more women in the pack. He wasn’t a bad looking guy
with graying brown hair and kind blue eyes. Word was that when the doc heard
the news that demons were heading to Ashton Grove, he called Gabriel himself to
see about switching packs, wanting to lend a helping hand.

“Well, Miss Jenson. Your vital
signs all look good.” He pulled his glasses off and looked up at her. “So it
seems you’re here because you think you might be pregnant.”

Allie nodded.

“And this is your mate?” the doc
asked, indicating Cain.

“Yes, I am,” Cain answered, not
giving Allie a chance to deny him.

“Well, I have some good news for
you. And for the pack. You are, indeed, pregnant, Miss Jenson. In about nine
months, the pack will be welcoming a new addition. I’m going to give you a
prescription for prenatal vitamins and I want you to set up an appointment for
a month from now, so we can do a follow-up.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Allie said.

“Remember, one month,” the doc
said as he backed out of the room. “Congratulations!”

Allie looked at Cain and he tried
to read her expression. Fear, excitement, denial. She was switching from one
emotion to another so fast he almost couldn’t keep up. When she was back to
fear, he stepped forward and took her hands in his.

“We’ll get through this, Allie.
It might not have been planned, but the baby is still a blessing.”

“I think I’m ready to go home.”

“We’ll pick up your prescription
on the way. I’m guessing the doc is going to leave the slip with the front
desk. You can pick it up when you schedule your next appointment. And I
will
be going with you. To every
appointment.”

She nodded and slid off the
table, the paper bunching and crackling.

Cain wrapped an arm around her
waist, refusing to budge when she elbowed him in the ribs. He escorted her to
the front and stopped at the reception desk. After they picked up her
prescription slip and set up her next appointment, he walked her out to his
truck and helped her into it. Cain made sure she was buckled before he walked
around and slid into the driver’s seat. True to his word, he stopped at a
pharmacy on the way to her apartment to get her prescription filled. When they
reached her place, she practically leapt from the truck and power walked to her
apartment. He caught up with her and placed a hand on her arm, stilling her.

“You don’t need to be alone right
now.”

She twisted her arm free. “I need
some time, Cain. At least give me tonight to mull things over.”

“Fine. I’ll pick you up at eight
for breakfast. I’ll call Connor and tell him I’ll be late to work in the
morning.”

“You shouldn’t do that, not when
your job is being taken from you,” Allie insisted. “Don’t make him regret
keeping you on until you find something else. He didn’t have to do that.”

“I think Connor would agree that
the baby takes precedence right now. You heard the doctor. This isn’t just good
news for us, Allie, but for the entire pack. We’re growing, bringing in a new
generation. Our son or daughter will grow up playing with the babies we already
have in the pack. If it’s a girl, she may even grow up to mate with Michael and
Chloe’s son, Mason.”

“Slow down there, buddy. The baby
is the size of a pea right now. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He smiled. “I know
you’re scared, Allie. I promise to be there for you every step of the way. I
can’t begin to tell you what this means to me.”

She snorted. “I know your type.
You’re a man-whore like some other men around here I could name. I’m thinking a
baby was the last thing on your mind.”

“Not since meeting you,” he said
softly, then turned and walked away, leaving her with her jaw hanging open.

Getting back in his truck, he
decided there was no time like the present to get to work on his future. He
pulled up in front of the Ashton Grove police station about ten minutes later.
Ten minutes that he’d spent grinning like a fool, happier than he’d ever been
before. He’d have to call his parents and share the news, but he was worried
about telling them too soon. He hadn’t lied when he said most tiger babies were
miscarried. Of course, no one in his family had mated a wolf so maybe that
would make a difference. Both of his parents were tigers, and his sister had
mated a tiger. He was bucking tradition, but knew his parents wouldn’t care as
long as he was happy.

He pushed open the double glass
doors and strolled inside, inhaling the scent of lemon cleanser and unwashed
bodies. His nose wrinkled in distaste. Since he’d never been processed the
other night, he didn’t see a problem with applying for the job. Of course, if
they thought he was a troublemaker, he’d be out the door empty handed. Giving
the woman at the front desk what he hoped was an engaging smile, he leaned on
the counter.

“I heard you were looking for a
few officers,” he said.

Hard blue eyes met his. Damn,
that gaze would freeze a man’s nuts off. She reached across the counter,
grabbed an application and slapped it down in front of him.

“Complete this application and
return it no later than Monday at four o’clock. That’s P.M. in case you’re a
smart ass and plan on returning it before the roosters’ crow. The applications
will be reviewed on Tuesday. If you make the cut, you should hear from us by
Wednesday afternoon. This is just step one, so don’t get cocky if you get a
call back. There’s a physical, an agility test, and a psych eval that have to
be completed before you get any further.”

He nodded. “Understood.”

“Remember. Four P.M.”

He scooped up the application and
smiled again. “Thank you.”

Returning to his truck, he
browsed through the application. Ah crap! There was a section asking about past
crimes, including youth offenses. Something told him he was screwed. He’d still
fill out the application and see what happened. If he was lucky, maybe his time
in the service would outweigh his youth.

Cain laid the application on the
truck seat and drove home. Something told him Connor didn’t want him back on
the job site today. A glance at the clock showed it was nearly two anyway,
almost quitting time. He’d been at work since six that morning and would have
only been on the clock another hour.

When he parked at the dorms, he
saw Lucas, Finn and Terrell hanging out at the foot of the stairs. He didn’t
hang out with them much, but they were a good group of guys. He waved as he
walked past, but Finn’s words stopped him.

“Is it true? Are you mated to
Allie Jenson?”

He faced the younger wolf. “Yeah,
I am. Why?”

Finn shrugged. “Word is
travelling through the pack that you claimed her at Lagoona’s, but we all know
that doesn’t mean crap.”

“Allie is mine.”

Terrell grinned. “Congrats, man.
I think we’re all a little jealous. Any of us would give our right arm to be
mated. I had hoped mine would be here, but so far she hasn’t shown up.”

“Don’t give up yet,” Cain said.
“I heard more women are coming in a few weeks. Only two, but you never know.
One of them could be the one.”

Lucas looked a little depressed
and Cain wondered about it. “Everything okay, Lucas?”

He shrugged. “All this talk of
mates makes me want one, but I know mine isn’t coming.”

Cain frowned. “Why wouldn’t she?
You never know when your mate might show up.”

“I met my mate a long time ago,
but I never claimed her. We were too young and she never showed any interest in
me, other than as a friend. I let her go. It wouldn’t have been right to claim
her when she didn’t want me.”

Cain gave the young man’s
shoulder a squeeze. “Not everyone finds their mate, Lucas. You should have told
her. Maybe you’ll get a second chance. If not with her, maybe there’s another
woman out there who wants to spend the rest of her life with you. Plenty of
wolves marry women who aren’t their mates.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I guess. Maybe
I’ll think about it one day. I’m still the baby of the pack. Well, you know,
except for the actual babies. I have plenty of time to settle down.”

Cain smiled. “I have some
paperwork to fill out, but I’ll catch y’all later. Maybe we can go out for
drinks one night this week. What are you three doing off work anyway?”

“I switched days with Hunter,”
Lucas said.

Terrell shrugged. “Still looking
for the right job. I put in an application at the fire department last week so
we’ll see how that goes.”

“I just took a day off to use up
some of my vacation time,” Finn said. “When I transferred here, I kept my old
job. I just work remotely now.”

“Well, y’all have a good
afternoon. I’ll catch up with you later.” Cain turned and hurried up the
stairs.

As much as he’d like to hang with
the guys, he had things to do. Like fill out the application clutched in his
hand. He hadn’t bothered to ask about the pay rate or benefits because he knew
it would be better than what he’d received working for Connor. Not that Connor
was a bad boss, but he just had limited resources. Working for the city sounded
like a good idea.

Chapter Seven

A knock at the door startled
Allie from her panic induced internal rant. She went to answer it and was more
than a little surprised to see several pack females on her doorstep, including
the alpha femme. What the hell was going on?

Aislinn smiled brightly, a
covered dish held in her hands. “Afternoon, Allie. Mind if we come in? We come
bearing treats!”

She stepped back. “Please, make
yourselves at home.”

Aislinn stepped inside, followed
by Chloe, Darcy and Jasmine. She’d spoken with the alpha femme and Chloe
several times, but she’d never really interacted with the other two and
wondered why they were in her apartment. Closing the door, she followed them
into the kitchen, where everyone set something on the counter.

“Are we celebrating something?”
she asked.

Aislinn smiled. “As if you don’t know!
Connor called and told me the news. Congratulations on the mating and the baby!
I’m so happy for you!”

Allie groaned. “I’m not mated to
Cain. Yes, he claimed me and bit me, but that doesn’t mean I have to give in to
him.”

Chloe frowned. “Bit you?”

“It’s a tiger thing,” Aislinn
said. “Some species, mostly male cats, feel the urge to bite their mates. From
what I’ve researched, wolves used to do it, but the practice kind of died out
over the years. It’s a bit barbaric if you ask me. If Connor had tried to bite
me, I’d have smacked him on the nose.”

Allie laughed. This was why she
loved her alpha femme.

“So, you don’t want Cain?” Darcy
asked. “Because I’ll totally take him if you’re throwing him away. That man is
H-O-T hot!”

Allie’s inner wolf grumbled at
the thought of the other woman getting her paws on Cain. Just because she
wasn’t sure she wanted him, didn’t mean someone else could have him. And if her
thinking was slightly skewed, she wasn’t about to admit it.

“If you’re having a baby
together, doesn’t it make sense to accept the mating?” Jasmine asked.

“Maybe,” she mumbled. “But do I
really want to be with a man the rest of my life just because we have a child
together? Shouldn’t there be more than that between us?”

Chloe arched a brow. “And how
does he make you feel? You had sex so obviously he turns you on. Desire is half
the battle. Or are you worried it’s going to fade away?”

She shrugged.

“How did it make you feel when I
said I’d take him?” Darcy asked.

Allie locked her lips together
and Darcy smirked.

“That’s what I thought. You don’t
want
to like him, but you do.
 
You’re just too afraid to admit it. What is
it about him that has you running scared?” Darcy asked.

“He’s just so… overbearing. And
rude. And he doesn’t believe a woman should work if she has a mate!” Allie
narrowed her eyes. “He got me fired from Lagoona’s then said he was glad.”

Jasmine winced. “Okay, subtle he
isn’t, but can you really blame him? I mean, I went to Lagoona’s for a job when
I first got here, saw the way the clientele manhandled the waitresses and
turned around to walk right back out the door.”

“No one else would hire me.”
Allie shrugged. “It was that or the strip club.”

The women all shuddered.

“I love working with Matt,” Chloe
said. “But if I hadn’t needed a job when I first came to the pack, I probably
wouldn’t be working right now. Because of some differences Michael and I had, I
was forced to take care of myself for a while. Don’t get me wrong, I’d been
doing that before Michael, but I kind of understand a man’s need to take care
of his family. It’s archaic to some extent, but it’s just the way they’re
programmed. And shifter males are way worse than human ones.”

Was Allie really just blowing
things out of proportion? Was Cain just being a typical male? Her father had loved
the fact his mate worked by his side, but maybe most couples weren’t like that.

“So you’re saying what? I should
ignore him and keep working?”

Aislinn nodded. “At least, until
the baby is born. You may change your mind and want to devote all your time to
your child. I work with Connor, but that’s only because Cassie keeps the kids
when Alisdair isn’t in school.”

Allie had to admit they brought
up good points. She couldn’t imagine how crazy her life would become after the
baby arrived. She’d heard they slept little and demanded constant attention.
Having never really been around any, except for pack gatherings, she didn’t
know much about them. The thought of motherhood terrified her. What if she was
a bad parent?

“You look scared shitless,” Darcy
said.

“Because I am,” Allie admitted.
“The idea of bringing a life into the world, of being responsible for someone
other than me, it’s terrifying.”

Chloe smiled. “You’ll do fine.
Trust me; it will come naturally to you. All right, so it doesn’t come
naturally to all women, but you’re a shifter. I think
it’s
part of your DNA.”

Allie nodded.

Aislinn uncovered one of the
dishes on the counter, producing a chocolate cake with a white glaze. Allie’s
mouth watered. She’d missed lunch and the cocoa smell had her wanting to take a
bite. Or three.

The other covers came off,
revealing a veggie tray, a cheese and cracker tray, and some of those tiny
sandwiches they had at parties. Allie couldn’t think of what they were called.
Everything looked wonderful.

“We thought we’d have an
impromptu party,” Jasmine said. “I don’t know you well, none of us really do,
and we thought maybe you could use some girl talk and treats.”

“Everything looks great. Thank
you for coming over.” Allie smiled. Who knew, maybe she’d have new friends when
this was over. And they’d given her something to think about. She hadn’t been
fair to Cain, she realized that now. He’d marked her before they knew about the
baby so obviously he cared about her in some way.

She settled in for what Jasmine
had called “girl talk” and was determined to have a talk with Cain over
breakfast. It was time to face her future head on. With a mate by her side.