SHIFTER ROMANCE: PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Claimed By The Wolf (Older Man Younger Woman Mail Order Bride Pregnancy Romance) (New Adult Wolf Shifter Romance) (8 page)

He ran his fingers down along her body and sank down on top of her. His fearsome weight felt welcome and deserved. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and pulled him close.

They rested without speaking for a few minutes before Becky realized that his cock was filling up and getting hard. She kissed him quickly and thought, "Here we go again."

Chapter 11

Five hours later, Becky and John rested on the bed on their backs, panting like steam locomotives on a steep grade. Their bodies and the bed were soaked with perspiration and their own fluids.

John managed to turn his head. He croaked out the words, "Are you alright?” Becky grinned up at the ceiling. She let her head fall over toward him. "I think it's very sweet that you're concerned with my well-being."

John frowned slightly. "Male wolves exaggerate the personalities of men. Emotions are..." He paused. "...not easy to work with. I really just want an answer. How are you?"

"I'm fine, but I'm not finished. I want to lie in your arms for a few moments."

He slipped his arm under her neck and curled her into his side. His arm pressed her gently against the muscles on his chest and side. She turned a little more and lifted her leg. As she moved, every muscle she owned screamed in protest. Every joint in her body told her in strong terms that something had been done to her. She snuggled a little and let her leg fall between his.

She was safe and protected inside his embrace. She closed her eyes and let her feelings loose. They were delicious.

An hour later, they got themselves out of bed carefully, like an old man moving from a hospital bed to a wheel chair.

Becky barely saved herself from personally committing to the giant of a man who'd made free with her body and emotions. She didn't want sexual desire making decisions for her. She came close to saying, “When can I see you again?” She kept it inside.

However, she wanted to say something that sounded positive and cheerful. She said, "Female wolves get to do this twice a year?"

"Yes." His hands trembled with fatigue. "The rest of the year we make love like humans."

She stood up with caution and care. He came to her and took her in his arms. The aggression created by the frenzy was gone, but not the strength. His voice was gentle and tender. "Thank you. You saved me from a lot of pain and anguish."

She leaned back in his arms and touched his cheek with his fingertips. "I'm glad I could help. Are you done? Do you need me to stay?"

"You can go home. I'm through it completely." He remembered something. She saw him do it. His eyes went away.

He took a step backward and the ‘John’ who’d been so thoughtful disappeared. His expression changed to neutral and distant. He said, “I appreciate your help. I remembered that you don’t hold any special affection for me. You’re free to leave now. We know you will keep our secret. Take a shower and come with me to Henry’s office.” He stopped then remembered something. “I’m sorry. I assumed you were taking birth control. I should have asked.”

“I am. We won’t have a baby.” Something inside her died when she said it. It sounded permanent. No baby, not ever. The words hurt her.

Becky didn’t enjoy the shower. She felt conflicted. One part of her, the mature part, was glad John recognized the temporary nature of their relationship. The other part whined at her, wanting John back. She reminded herself that she didn’t really like him. It helped a little.

Becky and John walked to Henry’s office. They didn’t talk. John lost his care and affection. He turned into the man who didn’t talk to her on the ride to the airport.

Henry said words that pointed her in a new direction. “We’ve done more work on Jack Butters. We have nothing connecting him with organized crime. We believe there are people in his organization who are less than legal, but we have nothing to tell us he’s guilty. We’ve also done some work on you. We talked with some of your friends and former employers. They all gave you a solid recommendation. We have confidence you won’t tell anyone what you’ve seen here. Thank you.”

John didn’t take her home. They called a taxi.

Chapter 12

A month and two weeks later she called her mother. “Mom, I’m in a bit of a quandary and maybe something more serious. I have to tell you something important and something that’s maybe silly.”

“Go ahead dear. I’m sitting down.”

“First, the silly part. I’ve been going out with Jack Butters virtually every day. We go to lunch together. He’s a perfect gentleman. More than that, he’s a perfect man. He’s always dressed as she should. He never says anything I disagree with. He never drives too fast or swears. He’s only stepped out of line once and that became really weird.”

“Weird?”

“Yes. He held me against some cabinets in the storeroom and put his hands under my blouse. I liked it. Since he hadn’t done anything else, I encouraged him. At one point, I mentioned that someone could come through the door.”

“Very wise. You don’t want anyone to see.”

“He didn’t try to do anything else. He just left. That’s not really the weird part. Before he left, he asked me if he’d done everything right and done it appropriately. He was really asking. That was on the second day on the job.”

“You’re right. That’s weird.”

“I know. Did I mention that he’s a billionaire?”

“No. That makes it worse. You could have a perfect home.”

“I’ve thought about that. We’d have everything we ever wanted. I’m sure he’d be a perfect father.” She paused, “Mom, we do everything on a schedule. It’s the same every week. He’ll change something if I ask him to, but then we go back to a routine.”

“You’re going to have to think this out before you do anything.”

“I know. Anyway, the second thing is...” She hesitated. She swallowed and paused again.

Her mother said, “It’s really serious if you’re having trouble telling me about it.”

“It is. Mom, I’m late.”

The line went completely silent. Both women could hear the other breathing. Finally, her mother said, “How late, exactly?”

“One week. There’s more. The baby isn’t Jack’s. I went to bed with another man. Jack hasn’t slept with me yet.”

“How sure are you?”

Becky took a deep breath. “I took a test. I really am pregnant.”

“I thought you were on birth control.”

“I am. I may have missed a day or two.”

“Who’s the father?”

“A policeman with the RCMP. It’s complicated, but I’m not ashamed of how it happened.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Talk to the father. He’s an honorable man. I don’t have any strong, romantic feelings about him, but he’ll do the right thing.”

“Good luck, dear.”

“Thanks, mom.”

Chapter 13

Jack consulted his calendar. He mumbled, “Take over is today. It’s time.” He went home and made everyone leave, including Sylvia. He took his clothes off and concentrated. A black cloud enveloped him. He screamed and whined as his body changed size and shape. Twenty seconds later, he was a dragon.

Jack’s dragon weighed a third again more than other dragons. He was a third again bigger and his wings stretched out almost twice his length.

He blew fire once and flew towards the RCMP barracks.

Becky walked through the Administration building in the RCMP compound looking for John. Henry saw her. “Becky, come here a minute. I want you to see something.”

He led her to an office and had her sit down in front of a computer. He punched a key and the last ten years of John’s record popped up in front of her. He said, “I wanted you to know the kind of man John is.” She started reading. He left her alone.

After the first page, she had to get a tissue out of her purse. After the second, she found a whole box on a nearby desk and kept it close. She read for another ten minutes then cried silently. She took a deep breath and found the ladies room. She washed her face and reapplied her makeup.

When she finished, she left the room and found John. His expression told her that he was keeping his police personality in place. She said, “I have to talk to you in private.” They moved to an empty room and closed the door. John’s wall was still up. He didn’t stand close to her or change his neutral attitude.

“I didn’t know you’d lost a partner and your wife. Both within three years.” John made a very masculine shrug and mumbled, “They died. I wish they hadn’t.”

“You didn’t tell me about the medals you’ve won or about the tour of duty you went through in Iraq.”

“It didn’t seem necessary. Did Henry show you my record?”

“Yes. He wanted me to know what kind of man you are.” She started to stumble in her words. “I didn’t realize... everything that... happened to you.”

John dug deeper into his manhood. He reinforced the wall with steel plates. “I didn’t think you wanted to know those things.”

“I did and I do.”

“I don’t use my record in public. It sounds like bragging, and it’s no better or more distinguished than any of the other members of my unit.”

“Well, I thought it was very impressive.” She stopped talking. John could tell she was about to say something important.

It couldn’t be avoided. She said, “I have some news. About us.”

“Yes?”

“I’m...”

A screeching roar interrupted her. It came from above. John stopped listening. He shouted, “It’s started.” He bellowed, “Combat stations.” His voice might have been heard on the mainland.

He took her to a door leading outside the building. “Huddle near the fence. Roll yourself in a little ball and stay still. They don’t see stationary objects very well.”

She took his advice and curled up in a little ball. She knew he expected her to face the fence. She couldn’t see what was happening if she did that. She put her back against the chain link.

She saw an enormous dragon land at the back of the compound and roar at the twenty wolves penning it in. The dragon was intelligent. It recognized John as the most dangerous.

John knelt behind a heavily armed vehicle. The dragon concentrated a blast of flame at the vehicle. For a few seconds, the flames flowed over and around it, hiding John from her sight.

Her heart froze. She couldn't talk. She couldn't breathe. Her eyes flooded with tears. She rocked back and forth with her arms hugging herself. She said, "Oh no. Please, dear God, no."

The flames ended. John was still alive, unhurt. A man called John's name from behind a building. John turned and the man tossed a strange rifle and a small package to him. John opened the package and took out a dart. He loaded it into the rifle.

The dragon was turning to the side. His tail swung against the vehicle and threatened to push it over on top of John. Becky bit the second joint of her index finger and made pitiful groaning noises.

John bounced up, put the rifle to his shoulder and fired the dart. It hit the dragon in the big muscle of its rear leg.

John scrambled around on the ground looking for the package containing the other darts. He found it. The dragon hadn't slowed down yet. It was still whirling around looking for a wolf to set on fire. They bobbed and jumped in front of it.

John's second dart landed within five inches of the first.

It took five minutes and two more darts for the dragon to slump down to the ground. Within thirty seconds, the dragon changed into Jack Butters. He was carried into a stockade and into a cell. Becky found that suddenly she wasn’t interested in Jack in any way.

Chapter 14

She ran as hard as she ever had toward John. He turned and opened his arms. She ran right into him and bounced against his chest. She kissed him then stood back. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" She felt his shoulders and arms and made him turn around. He said, "I'm fine. Honest. No burns. No broken bones." He embraced her for ten seconds then twitched and pushed her away. He used his neutral, cop voice to say, "Are you alright now?”

She gulped. He hadn’t changed. Why would he? He didn’t know what she did. She said, "Yes. I am. "

“What did you have to tell me?”

“We can’t do it here.” She led him to his house and made him stand still in the middle of his front room. She held his arms to keep him close. “Do you remember the day I helped you in the frenzy?”

“Very much.”

“Well, it turns out that I either forgot to take my pills or one of them failed at just the right time. Sweetheart, I’m carrying your baby.”

He backed away. His face was wary and careful. He said, “Have your feelings changed for me?”

“Yes, Completely. They’ve turned around and gotten stronger. I don’t dislike you or hate you. Just the opposite. When I saw you in danger, I almost died. I love you. Do you love me?”

He was a very direct man. He simply said, “I always have. Come here.”

He held her in his arms, gently kissing the top of her head. “You have to decide whether you want to become a wolf.”

“I’ve already done that. I want to be with you and our baby is a wolf so I really don’t have a choice.