The Wealthy Wolf’s Secret Baby
CHAPTER ONE
Rachel ran through her mental checklist, muttering under her breath as she did. “Balloons—check. Cake—check. Pizza—check.” As she spoke to herself she hurried around her small, one bedroom apartment, trying to make sure everything was ready.
“Mommy!” she heard Joel, her son, call out from behind her.
She turned around quickly and spread her arms as he ran to her. Scooping him up, she spun him around placing three quick kisses on his cheek before setting him down.
“I hope the birthday boy is ready!” she smiled down at him.
He bounced in place, clapping his hands and looking around at the family room, decorated with train posters and matching streamers.
Today was his third birthday. She couldn’t believe how the years had flown by. When she found out she was pregnant the summer before her senior year of high school, she was terrified.
Thankfully, she was able to graduate with a lot of help and patience from her teachers. Her mom and dad were supportive when she decided to keep the baby and raise him on her own. Her friends always volunteered to babysit, and her boss at the restaurant gave her as many extra hours as she needed.
Despite all of the love and encouragement from everyone around her, there was still one very important person missing in her and her son’s life—his father, Caleb Malone.
Caleb was not only the star of the football team but he also graduated valedictorian. He was tall, muscular, and mysterious. All of the girls in school would nearly swoon whenever he flashed them his perfect smile. He had very dark brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. There was something about his eyes that made you want to stare into them for hours. In the right light, they looked hazel—just like Joel’s.
She couldn’t help but think of Caleb whenever she looked at her son. He looked a lot like his father. He had the same dark hair and large, entrancing eyes. He didn’t look like her at all, really.
Rachel was short, with long, light brown hair and light green eyes. Her skin was pale, and her face was very round. She had always thought of herself as plain, but apparently Caleb did not. He liked her curvy figure and her light features. He always told her that.
The day he asked her out, she almost fell over right there in front of her locker. The only problem with that perfect moment was that Caleb’s dad, Christopher Malone, the richest and most powerful man in the city, refused to let his son date. He told Caleb that if he ever caught him sneaking around with a girl, he would write him out of the business and throw him out of the house, taking away his inheritance before doing so.
They spent as much time together as they could, always in secret. The night she got pregnant was the night of the end-of-summer party. Caleb was a year older than her, and preparing to go away to college. They had agreed that once he left, they would go their separate ways. If at some point in the future their paths crossed again, they would do whatever it took to be together, despite his father’s wishes.
By the time she found out about the baby, he was already gone. She thought about calling to tell him, but it didn’t matter at that point. His father would never let him have a part in Joel’s life. He would probably just write a check and hope that she and her son would go away. So, she kept it a secret from him. She kept the identity of the father a secret from everyone. She told her parents he was a secret boyfriend she had that turned out to be a huge jerk. The only person who knew the truth was her best friend Amanda.
None of that mattered anymore, though. At that moment the only thing that mattered was Joel, his party, and making sure he was happy. By the time the guests showed up, she had completely wiped all thoughts of Caleb and high school and the emptiness in her life from her mind.
Everything went perfectly. Joel squealed and laughed as he opened his presents. He made a mess with his cake, dropping it down the front of his shirt and smearing blue frosting all over his face. By the time the last guest left, he was fast asleep on the couch, hugging his new train.
“He’s adorable,” Amanda said, carrying the last of the cups into the kitchen.
“Thanks,” Rachel smiled at her as she shoved the massive bundle of wrapping paper down into the trashcan. “He’s my whole life.”
“I’m surprised you’re so calm these days,” Amanda noted leaning against the counter and crossing her arms at her chest.
“Why?” Rachel looked at her surprised. “I mean, having a two-year-old has been trying, but I’m sure Joel turning three won’t change much.”
“Not that,” Amanda said, looking at her with wide eyes. “You mean, you really don’t know?”
“Don’t know what?”
“Caleb Malone is back in town.” Rachel felt like the words landed square in her stomach, knocking the air out of her.
“What?” she squeaked.
“Yeah, he’s been back for a few days. I’m surprised you didn’t know.”
“How would I know, Amanda?” Rachel answered quickly, not meaning for her tone to be as aggressive as it was. “I’ve been a little busy raising my son to keep up with everyone from school!”
“Well,” Amanda shrugged, “he’s here. Are you going to see him?”
“No,” she said firmly. “No. I’m sure he’s moved on. He probably has his whole life mapped out. I don’t want to get in the way of that.”
Amanda looked at her with a sad, almost pathetic look. “You’re a martyr, you know that? If I knew my baby’s daddy was the son of a multi-billionaire, I’d be trying to bank on that.”
Rachel reached out and punched her in the shoulder. “Amanda! I don’t want a handout. Joel and I are doing pretty well these days. I don’t need any of Christopher Malone’s money. And I don’t need help from Caleb.”
Her plan to avoid him didn’t work very well. Just a few days later she saw the familiar perfect smile, the short, dark hair, and the mesmerizing, brown eyes staring at her across the restaurant. He was sitting at her table; of course, he was sitting at her table.
CHAPTER TWO
“You look good, Rachel,” he said quietly.
“You, too,” she said, staring down at the notepad in her hand.
She noticed that he was alone, which she thought was weird. He smiled up at her, kindly, and waited for her to catch control of her nerves. He always had such a good way of sensing how she was feeling.
“I didn’t know you were back,” she half-lied.
“I just got into town a few days ago.”
“When do you leave to go back to school?” This was the first time he’d been home since leaving to go to college. He usually spent his summers with his family at their lake house, and went to see his grandparents in Florida for the holidays.
“I don’t,” he said excitedly. “I’m done. I graduated.”
“Oh,” she felt her cheeks flush red. “Of course, I hadn’t realized it’s already been so long!”
“I would have called…” he started.
“It’s alright,” she shrugged. “I’m sure you’ve been busy.”
An awkward silence fell over them. She tried to keep her heart rate from accelerating, but every time she peered at him over the edge of her notepad she felt her hands begin to shake slightly.
“What can I bring you?” she finally asked.
“We’ll start with two glasses of Merlot,” he said glancing past her at someone walking towards them.
She turned to see who it was. When she saw, her heart stopped suddenly. It was a woman—a beautiful, tall, thin, woman. She had dark hair and dark green eyes and was absolutely stunning. “Right,” she said scribbling their order down and hurrying away.
Throughout their meal, she could sense that it wasn’t just her that was uncomfortable. Whenever she neared the table, Caleb and his date would exchange quick glances, and the woman would toss her hair over her shoulder and look up at Rachel with harsh, cold eyes.
By the time they asked for their check, Rachel felt like she was emotionally drained. She set the small leather case down on the table quickly and walked away without saying a word.
Escaping quickly to the bathroom she locked herself in a stall and let her emotions out. Her eyes filled with tears and her hands started to shake. She should have told him. She should have told him the day she found out she was pregnant. It was too late now, though. He was happy. He had moved on and he was happy.
She was ready for her shift to be over. She needed to get out of the restaurant; she needed to get back to her son. Thinking of a quick fib, she told her boss that Joel was sick, and she needed to leave early. He was understanding, and being that it was a slow night he let her leave early.
Stepping out into the fresh, warm summer air, she felt herself relax slightly. The sun was just setting in the distance, and it was casting shades of pinks and reds across the sky.
“It’s a nice night,” she heard Caleb say from somewhere in front of her.
She looked around quickly and found him leaning against the passenger side door of her car. “Caleb,” she said walking towards him quickly. “What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you,” he said reaching out and wrapping his strong arms around her.
The feeling of being close to him again filled her with a warming, relaxing sensation. It felt familiar and safe. “But I thought…” she stuttered.
“Come with me,” he said, taking her by the hand and leading her to his own car.
They drove in silence. She didn’t know what to say to him. Every time she opened her mouth she felt like she was going to let the truth out.
The car turned into the nicer part of town—the part that she only dreamed of ever living in. When he pulled into a long drive, she sat up straighter to look around. The house in front of them was enormous, with a large wrap-around porch and a three-car garage. “Whoa,” she said under her breath.
He laughed a little at her surprise. “I just moved in, so it’s not furnished or anything yet.”
“It’s amazing, Caleb.”
He led her inside, and she saw that he was right. There was no furniture to be seen. She wondered where he ate or slept or did anything, but she didn’t have the chance to ask. He led her down the hall to an expansive, open room with a large bay window. The empty space glowed a soft red color, reflecting the light of the setting sun.
He stopped suddenly and turned to face her. Wrapping his arms around her he pulled her towards him, kissing her passionately. His lips were soft and his body, pressed against her, was strong. She wanted so badly to let go, to melt into the moment with him. But, she couldn’t help but think of her son back at her parents’ house and the woman at the restaurant.
She pressed her hand to his chest and pushed him back slightly. “What’s going on, Caleb?” she asked softly.
“I want you, Rachel. I need you,” he whispered in her ear. The feeling of his warm breath against her neck made her body surge with desire.
She tried to remember why this was wrong but she couldn’t. He ran his hands along her sides. She felt a shiver run up her spine as he began to unsnap the button of her jeans. In an instant, there were no reasons why she couldn’t be with him. She couldn’t think of anything else besides that moment.
He swiftly pulled the shirt off over her head then he pulled off his own. Wrapping his arms around her, she felt the feeling of his skin against hers. It sent waves of longing and desire coursing through her. He once again ran his hands over her body, this time letting them rest on her bare breasts.
Her stomach ached with passion, and when he pulled her down onto the soft carpet, she didn’t resist. They both simultaneously slipped out of their clothes. The air around them became warm and charged. Her heart raced in her chest as she traced the muscles of his chest and stomach with her fingertips.
He lifted her chin and placed a quick kiss on her lips before moving his mouth down to her neck, then her shoulders, then to her chest. The feeling of his lips delicately brushing against her skin sent waves of pleasure rushing over her.
Her longing overtaking her, she pushed him back and placed herself on top of him, her legs straddling his muscular frame. When he lifted his hips just slightly, pushing himself inside of her, her entire body surged with the feeling of satisfaction. He wrapped his large hands around her waist and pushed her down, forcing himself deeper inside her.
Overwhelmed with lust and passion, Rachel let herself get lost in the moment. She let herself become one with him. The feeling of being with him was familiar and comforting, but still new and exciting. He seemed stronger than he had before—his movements surer and his desire seemingly unquenchable.
In that moment she wasn’t thinking about anything else. She wasn’t thinking about her life as a single mother, her responsibilities, or the sadness she always seemed to carry with her secretly. In that moment, she was free; she was happy; she was fulfilled.
CHAPTER THREE
“We shouldn’t have done that,” she said quickly gathering up her clothes from around them. “We really shouldn’t have done that.”
“Rachel,” he said pushing himself up and reaching for his pants. “What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?”
“Caleb,” she said turning to face him, her eyes filling with tears. “You don’t understand, okay? That was wrong. We shouldn’t have done that.”
“You keep saying that,” he said taking a step towards her and reaching out to take her hand in his. “But I don’t understand why. It’s not like it’s the first time we have.”
“That’s the point,” she shot back at him.
“Wait,” he said, opening his eyes wide and staring at her. “What do you mean, ‘that’s the point’?”
She took a deep breath and said, “I have a son, Caleb.”
“What?”
“We, actually,” she said quietly. “We have a son.”
The expression that flashed across his face was one of anger. But, it melted away quickly to one of concern and hurt. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were gone, and your dad had said, and…” she broke into a quiet sob.
He rushed over and pulled her into him. She buried her face in his chest and continued to cry.
“I’m sorry, Caleb,” she choked. “I know I should have told you. I should have told you the moment I found out. But, I didn’t want to ruin your life—your inheritance, the business. I didn’t know what to do. And now, it’s too late. You’re with someone and,” she pushed him away quickly, “oh God!” she cried cupping her hand over her mouth. “We shouldn’t have done that!”
“Rachel, breathe,” he said taking her hand in his and looking at her sternly. “Elise isn’t my girlfriend. Tonight was our first date.”
“Really?”
“Yes. My dad introduced us.”
“So, he approves of her?” she asked, feeling a twinge of anger and jealousy bolt through her. “She’s good enough for you?”
“It’s not like that.”
“I can’t do this right now, Caleb. I’m sorry. But, Joel is at my parents’ and I really should go pick him up. Will you drive me to my car please?”
“Rachel…” he tried to persuade her to stay.
“Please!” she yelled, turning to storm out of the house.
He followed her out quickly, not saying a word until they were in the car and pulling into the restaurant parking lot. “Can I meet him?” he asked quietly.
“I don’t know,” she said thoughtfully. “It’s not fair to him to have a man just walk into his life with the liberty to walk out whenever he wants.” She collected her things and reached for the door. “Let me think about it, okay?” she asked over her shoulder.
“Rachel,” he stopped her before she could get out. “I really think it’s best if I meet him.”
“You think it’s best?” she shot back at him, a mocking laugh on her tone. “You’ve known about him for all of, what? Thirty minutes? And you already know what’s best for him.”
“Don’t do this,” he said to her firmly. “Don’t try to turn this around and make me the bad guy. You didn’t even tell me I had a son!”
“What would it have mattered, Caleb? Your father would have never let you see him! He would have never let you have any part in either of our lives!”
“It doesn’t matter!” he yelled back at her. “It wasn’t your decision to make! You don’t get to decide if and when I find out that I’m a father!”
His eyes flashed with anger. The light shining in from the lampposts made them look hazel. Staring into his eyes made her feel weak inside. She turned away quickly to avoid being swept away by them. She felt guilty. He was right; she should have told him about Joel a long time ago.
With a sigh, she responded, “fine. You can meet him.”
“Tomorrow,” he said harshly. “I’ll meet you here at noon.”
She noted the finality in his tone and accepted his conditions. There was never any use arguing with Caleb; she remembered that. He was very strong-willed and determined. It was something that had attracted her to him initially.
As she stood in the parking lot, watching him drive away, she couldn’t help but feel like someone was watching her. She turned around quickly but didn’t see anyone around. Shrugging it off as nothing more than old paranoia of Caleb’s father finding out about them, she got in her car and drove to pick up her son.
CHAPTER FOUR
“I want to go to the park!” Joel demanded once they were in Caleb’s car.
Caleb looked over at her and smiled, “he’s a demanding little guy.”
“Just like someone I know,” she whispered rolling her eyes.
“Park!” Joel shouted.
“Alright, little man,” Caleb said turning on the car. “We’ll go to the park.”
As they watched Joel run back and forth around the playground, Rachel and Caleb talked quietly.
“I just want to get to know him,” Caleb started.
She turned to face him and set her eyes on his, looking at him seriously and sternly. “Caleb, are you going to be a part of his life?”
“What?” he said offended. “What does that mean?”
“It means do you plan on being a regular part of his life? I don’t want him to be around someone, especially a man, who’s just going to come and go.”
“Rachel,” he said softly, reaching out and placing his hand on hers. “I’ve thought about you every day since I left. I’ve missed you; I’ve wanted to be with you. I know what my father said. But, it doesn’t matter anymore. We have a son, all right? I’m going to be a part of his life, and yours. I swear.”
“But if he finds out…”
“He won’t. Not yet at least. Okay? Let’s just take this one step at a time.” He turned to give his attention to Joel, who was digging a hole in the dirt at the far end of the park. “The first step is me spending time with my son,” he turned to look at her and added, “with my family.”
His words filled her with a sort of hopeful comfort. She was hesitant at first. She no longer had to worry about only protecting herself, it was her son’s well-being that weighed on her heart.
But, over the next month, she let Caleb spend more and more time with him. Their meetings were always quick and in secret, but they were wonderful all the same. More often than not, they met at her small apartment, and Caleb would spend the hour or two he was able to slip away from his responsibilities at his father’s company playing with Joel.
On rare occasions, she made dinner and the three of them would eat together, talking, laughing, bonding, and feeling like a real family. Joel became very attached to Caleb and would ask where he was on days they didn’t see him. Rachel found herself longing to see Caleb on a daily basis. When he was around, things felt like they were in balance; they felt complete.
“I think we should tell him,” Caleb said to her one night after they had tucked him into bed. Up to that point, Joel had no idea that the man who had been spending time with them was his father.
They were sitting together on the couch. It was one of the few times they had been alone since the night at his house.
“Is it too soon?” she asked.
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. She rested her back against his chest and let the warmth of his body wash over her.
“I’m not going anywhere, Rachel. When will you realize that?”
“I’m still scared,” she said turning to look up at him. “I hated when you left before. Back then it was only me you were leaving. But now…”
“Now I’m not going anywhere,” he cut her off. He leaned in and slowly pressed his lips to hers.
Her stomach turned to knots. He ran his hand slowly down her back, causing her skin to turn to goose bumps. She felt like the entire world ceased to exist. In that moment, she felt like nothing could pull them apart.
It was over all too soon, though, when his phone started to ring loudly. The chimes broke through the air, causing her to jump back. “Damn it,” he said reaching for it quickly.
She saw the name that appeared on the screen. “You’re still seeing Elise?” she asked, feeling her heart sink.
“No,” he said quickly, hitting the ignore button. “But I think my dad has been talking to her,” he admitted. “She’s been calling me the last few days.”
“Oh,” Rachel said pushing herself up and getting to her feet.
“It’s not like that, Rachel,” he said standing up quickly and wrapping his arms around her waist. “I swear. It’s not like that. It’s just complicated.”
“I don’t have time for complicated, Caleb. I have a three-year-old. We have a three-year-old. We can’t play games anymore. This isn’t just a high school fling. This is our child’s life we’re talking about.”
“I know. Just give me a little time to figure this all out, okay? I swear I’m going to figure all of this out.”
“Call me when you do,” she said, pushing him back and walking towards the door. She pulled it open forcefully and avoided looking back at him. She waited for him to leave. He turned as if he were about to say something, but she quickly threw the door shut in his face.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Where’s Caleb, Mommy?” Joel asked every day for the next week.
Caleb still hadn’t called, and her heart had finally stopped jumping every time her phone rang. She never knew how to respond to Joel’s question. She thought of one excuse after another until eventually she just stopped answering all together.
She divulged her recent activities to Amanda, between sobs and tears while they watched Joel playing in the park one afternoon. “I knew he would just leave!” Rachel exclaimed. “I knew he wasn’t going to be around forever. Why did I let myself fall for him?”
“You had to try,” Amanda said soothingly. “He’s your son’s father. You had to try.”
“I feel like an idiot,” Rachel confessed.
“Don’t,” her friend replied in an authoritative tone. “You did what you thought was best, Rachel. At least you tried. One day, when Joel’s old enough to understand all of this, at least you can say that.”
“I guess,” she admitted, wiping her cheeks with the palm of her hand.
“I’m really sorry, Rachel,” Amanda said looking down at her phone, “but I have to get to work. Will you be okay?”
“Yeah,” Rachel said with a shrug.
Amanda gave her a quick hug before getting up to leave. She kept her focus on Joel, watching him play in the dirt and mud. He was so young. He couldn’t understand, not now. But, Amanda was right. One day he would ask about his father. He would want to know who he was and why he wasn’t in their life. At least when that moment came, she could feel some relief knowing she had done her part.
“Cute kid,” she heard a woman’s voice say behind her.
She turned around quickly, startled. “Thank you,” she said eying the woman walking up to her. It was Elise; she recognized her immediately. There was no mistaking the tall, breathtakingly beautiful woman who was now standing right behind her.
“He looks like his father,” she noted, her eyes still on Joel.
“Excuse me?” Rachel asked, suddenly very nervous.
“I’ve been watching you for some time now,” she said. Her words were dry, and her expression harsh. “Since the night at the restaurant, actually.”
“But, how did you know?”
“I have my ways,” she said walking around the bench and sitting next to her. “It’s sweet, really. Seeing Caleb try to be a good father. It’s endearing.”
“Why are you here?” Rachel asked, already annoyed by her condescending personality and cryptic speech.
“I just came to extend a friendly warning.”
“I have a feeling that anything coming from you is far from friendly.”
“Oh, a spicy one,” she said with a laugh. “I can see why Caleb was so drawn to you.”
“Just tell me what you want,” Rachel demanded.
Elise turned around quickly, setting her deep, dark green eyes on her. Her stare almost burned into her, increasing her uneasy feeling. “You need to stay away from, Caleb,” Elise warned.
“What?”
“You heard me. Stay away from him. You have no idea what you’re getting involved in. If you dive in too deep, you’ll never make it out.”
“Is that a threat?” Rachel choked, standing to her feet quickly.
“Just a friendly warning, like I said.”
“Joel,” Rachel called him, holding out her hand. “Let’s go, sweetie.” She picked up her son quickly and looked directly at Elise who was still sitting calmly on the bench. “I don’t want to see you around me or my son ever again. I’ll call the cops; I’ll file a restraining order; I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Now who’s making threats?” Elise replied with a hint of amusement in her voice.
Rachel pulled out of the parking lot before she even put on her seat belt. The only thing she was worried about in that moment was getting as much distance as possible from that woman.
CHAPTER SIX
“Caleb!” she yelled, banging on the front door of his house. “Caleb! I know you’re in there! Your car is parked out front!” She continued banging loudly on the door, determined not to stop until he opened it.
It didn’t take him long. He pulled the door open slowly and looked at her with a lazy expression of surprise. He seemed tired and distant.
“What happened to you?” she asked pushing past him and walking inside. “You look horrible.”
“You woke me up.”
“It’s noon, Caleb.”
“Why are you here, Rachel? I thought you didn’t want anything to do with me.”
“I just came to tell you to keep your girlfriend away from me and Joel,” she said storming down the hall to the parlor. The house was still unfurnished and her steps echoed out around her.
“Elise?” he asked hurrying after her. “What did she do?” He suddenly sounded alert and angry.
“She came to the park. We didn’t talk for long, but it was long enough to know that I don’t want her anywhere near Joel.”
“What did she say to you?”
“Other than the fact that she’s been following me since the night at the restaurant and that I have to stay away from you? Nothing really.”
“That’s all?”
“What?” Rachel said, surprised. “Maybe you didn’t pick up on my sarcasm, Caleb. I think that was more than enough!”
Caleb inhaled slowly and turned away from her, running his hands through his short, dark hair. When he turned back around his face was twisted in an expression of confusion and worry.
“There are a few things you don’t know about me,” he said quietly.
“What does that mean?” she asked feeling apprehensive.
“It’s just easier if I show you,” he said holding out his hand.
“No, Caleb!” she demanded. “I’m not going anywhere with you until you tell me what the hell is going on.”
“I’ll explain everything, I promise. Just come with me.”
She placed her hand in his and let him lead her slowly down the hallway deeper into the house. He took her out the back door and into a large backyard, surrounded completely by trees. Dropping her hand he turned around and looked at her.
“You wanted to show me your backyard?” she asked, still confused.
“Stay here,” he said turning to walk away from her.
She watched as he walked slowly towards the line of trees, removing his clothes as he did. She felt her heart quicken a little at the sight of his naked body—his muscular back and his sculpted legs that flexed as he walked. She scolded herself silently and refocused.
“What are you doing?” she yelled out to him.
He didn’t answer. He kept his back to her as he leaned forward and let out a quiet groan. With that, she could hear the soft cracking of bones and joints as his body began to twist and contort before her eyes.
She didn’t have time to react, although even if she had her fear and amazement would have kept her frozen in place. In the spot where Caleb stood naked just a moment before, was a large wolf. It was easily three times the size of any wolf she had ever seen before. As it turned to look at her, she couldn’t help but feel a numbing tingle run from her fingertips up her arms.
He began walking towards her slowly, judging her reaction to his proximity. With each step he took, she felt her heart start to race. He stopped and when her pulse had slowed back to normal he took another step. This process continued for a short time until he was standing right beside her.
“Caleb?” she asked in a forced whisper. Despite seeing the transformation with her own eyes, she still couldn’t believe it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“You’re just telling me about this now?” she said to him angrily as they made their way back into his house. Her head was spinning wildly at the realization that he was a wolf shifter.
“I didn’t know how to tell you before,” he tried to defend himself.
When they reached the empty sitting room she spun around quickly, wishing there was a chair for her to collapse into. With nowhere else to sit, she slumped herself down onto the floor and crossed her arms at her chest.
“You should have at least tried!” she yelled. “Especially after you found out about Joel. Oh my God!” she exclaimed, a fresh realization washing over her. “Is he going to…?” she couldn’t figure out the right words, but she knew he understood. “What the hell is wrong with you, Caleb? Why didn’t you tell me sooner? What about our son?”
“Rachel,” he said sitting down in front of her and setting his hand on her knee. “You can be mad at me later. For now, I need to finish explaining everything to you.”
She inhaled sharply and waited for him to continue.
“This is why I wasn’t allowed to date you in high school,” he started. “My kind we,” he paused, “we like to keep to ourselves.”
“That’s why your dad didn’t want you to go out with any of the girls at school? Because none of us were… like you?”
“Exactly,” he nodded. “And, there’s something else you should know. The reason why it was so important to my dad is because he’s kind of the Alpha of our pack.”
“Your pack?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“Yes, there are about 20 of us.”
“Is that a lot?”
“Not really,” he shook his head quickly. “That’s the problem, Rachel. We don’t have a very big community. And history has taught us that humans don’t readily accept us. We need to unite with another pack. There’s safety in numbers.”
“Do you need safety? Are you in danger or something?”
“At the moment, no. But you never know what may happen, Rachel. Life for us is hard and isolating. People become suspicious when you show up to work looking like I did when you got here earlier because you spent the night before running through the woods hunting.”
“So, you can’t control it?”
“Yes and no. I can decide if I want to change during the day. But at night, during the full moon, it’s not really optional.”
“Oh.”
“That’s why my father worked so hard to build his business. No one can accuse you of anything when you’re the boss. Are you following so far?”
“I think so.”
“Good,” he said, leaning back and putting his weight on his hands behind him. He continued, “so, my father as the Alpha of our pack has been speaking to Lewis Parker. He’s the alpha of a pack located not too far away. And, he’s Elise’s father.”
“She’s a werewolf, too?” Rachel asked, only slightly surprised.
“Yes. We were supposed to meet, marry, and essentially unite the two packs.”
“Sounds romantic,” she replied rolling her eyes.
“That’s how it works when you’re one of us. You put the well-being of the group over your own.”
“So, you’re going to marry Elise?”
“I don’t want to,” he said reaching out to take her hand. “I don’t want to be with her, Rachel. I want to be with you.”
He pulled her in close to him and kissed her softly. She felt her heart begin to race. In a flash, the anger, confusion, and worry were all gone from her mind. The only thing she could think about was his lips pressed to hers, and the surge of longing that rushed through her.
“I’ve always only wanted you, Rachel,” he said pulling back away from her slightly.
“But how can we be together, Caleb? This is all so complicated and messy.”
“Do you want to be with me?” he asked her cupping his hand to her cheek and looking deep in her eyes.
“Of course, I do,” she whispered.
“Then it’s not complicated at all. We’ll figure it out, okay?” he pulled her to him again. He lay back onto the carpeted floor and waited until she was lying next to him. “I promise,” he whispered into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
“Promise?” she asked as he slowly kissed her neck.
“I won’t let anything keep us from being together ever again,” he responded, reaching down and slowly pulling her shirt off over her head.
This time, it was her that took the control. She pushed him back onto the carpeted floor and straddled him. He slipped his shirt off and looked up at her with an expression of anticipation.
She ran her fingers over his chest. She could feel his heart beating quickly. Leaning forward she kissed him—slowly at first, then with more passion. He ran his hands up her back, sending shivers through her body. When she felt him slip his hand around to the front of her shorts she rolled off him onto her side. As he fumbled with the button of her shorts she slipped her hand down his. She could feel his member already becoming hard with longing.
After removing what clothes they were still wearing, Caleb pushed her back onto the floor. The carpet tickled at her back, but she didn’t notice. All she could think about was the desire to be with him, both physically and emotionally.
When he placed himself between her legs, her body began to ache. Then, with one swift movement, he pushed himself inside her.
She bit her lip to keep from screaming out, and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down on top of her. He buried his face in her neck and let out a soft moan. Her body reacted to every one of his sure, strong movements, sending alternating feelings of satisfaction and longing washing over her.
The feeling of being with him this time was different than it had ever been before. There was always an urgency between them—a fear that they would one day be ripped apart. But, in that moment, she didn’t have those worries or fears weighing on her. She held onto him tightly, remembering his promise to her. They would find a way to be together; she was sure of it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said giving her a quick kiss before she walked out his front door. “I just need to take care of a few things first. But then, I promise I’ll go see you, we will be together, Rachel.”
She walked down the long driveway to her car. She felt a lot better than she did when she arrived at his house a few hours before. At least she had answers. She was worried about Joel. But, Caleb had said that if he were going to inherit that part of him, there wouldn’t be any real signs until he was a little older. At this point, all they could do was wait.
She picked Joel up from her parents’ house and headed home. He sat quietly in the back seat, watching the trees fly by outside. Rachel let herself relax a little. Their future was uncertain—more uncertain than it had ever been. But at least she knew that Caleb would be a part of it. That much at least gave her a sense of security.
When they arrived at their small apartment she quickly busied herself with her afternoon routine. She had the night off, so she spent a few hours cleaning the house, playing with Joel, and preparing dinner.
After they ate she began getting Joel ready for bed. She had heard her phone buzz quietly a few times during their meal, but she ignored it. She wanted to focus all of her attention on her son. She only had a night or two off a week, and those were reserved especially for Joel.
When he was finally in bed she decided to see who had been messaging her. She was making her way across the family room to get her phone from the coffee table when a sharp knock stopped her. Grabbing her phone and slipping it into her pocket she went to answer the door.
“Hello, Rachel,” Elise said smiling at her menacingly.
“What are you doing here?” Rachel asked closing the door slightly so she wouldn’t be able to get past.
“I told you to stay away from him. You couldn’t do that, could you?” she countered.
Rachel tried to push the door closed all the way, but Elise threw her weight against it, causing it to fly open and throw Rachel to the floor simultaneously. She entered quickly, three large men followed behind her.
“Get out of my apartment!” Rachel demanded, pushing herself to her feet. The intruders simply laughed in response. One of the men stepped forward and grabbed Rachel firmly by the arm.
“Where is he?” Elise demanded.
“Caleb isn’t here,” Rachel replied, trying to twist free of the man’s grasp.
“I didn’t mean him.”
“Don’t you dare!” Rachel yelled. But it was too late. One of the other men was already heading in the direction of the bedrooms.
She felt her heart sink when she heard her son’s surprised gasp and his scream for her to come to his rescue. “Don’t hurt him!” she yelled out.
“Oh, we won’t,” Elise said looking down at her with her piercing green eyes. “Not yet at least.” She turned her attention to the man who was carrying Joel, kicking and screaming, into the family room. “Ready?”
All of the men gave nods of agreement and they began pushing her out the door. “Where are you taking us?” Rachel tried to fight them off, but it didn’t matter. They were bigger, stronger, and outnumbered her.
When they threw her and Joel into the back of a large SUV, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her. He was crying hysterically. She wanted so badly to comfort him but she was terrified herself.
Remembering that she had slipped her phone into her pocket she reached for it. Looking at the screen she saw she had three missed calls and four messages from Caleb. They were all warnings.
Why didn’t she look at her phone sooner? She felt the tears begin to sting her eyes. She held them back, though. Running her hands through Joel’s hair she tried to comfort him. She had to be strong for him. If he saw her cry, he would become even more nervous and upset.
She quickly typed a message to Caleb. All it said was, “I’m sorry.”
CHAPTER NINE
The SUV pulled into the parking lot of one of Caleb’s father’s many business locations. It was a warehouse, and inside she was afraid she would find more than appliances and forklifts.
They ushered her and Joel out of the vehicle and pushed them forward forcefully. “Mommy,” Joel said softly. He had stopped crying, but his eyes were still filled with terror. “Mommy, I’m scared.”
“It’s okay, sweetie,” she lied. She didn’t know what else to say.
Once they reached the large metals doors, Elise banged on them twice. They slid open slowly, just enough for the small group to squeeze in.
Inside it was dark, with only a few overhead lights on. It took her eyes awhile to adjust, and when they did, she wished that they hadn’t. In front of her, she saw Caleb’s dad—the large, imposing man who had filled her with fear since she was fifteen. He was standing in the center of the open space. Next to him was another equally large man. She assumed he was Elise’s father.
Around them were another six men and women, all tall, strong, and with serious expressions on their faces.
“Bring her here,” Caleb’s father ordered.
She was pushed forward forcefully, Joel still tripping along beside her. “I tried to warn you, child,” Caleb’s father said to her when she was standing in front of him. “I told you to stay away from my son.”
“Please don’t hurt Joel,” Rachel pleaded nervously.
Caleb’s father leaned forward to get a better look at Joel, who had his arms wrapped tightly around Rachel’s leg. “That’s the problem,” he said kneeling down and examining him. “We don’t know if he’ll be one of us or one of you.”
“Does that matter?” Rachel asked, putting her hand on her son’s shoulder. “He’s just a child.”
“For now,” he countered.
“But what happens if he does start to change?” Elise added. “None of us has ever had a child with a human. We don’t know what he will be!”
“What happens if he doesn’t change?” Elise’s father added.
“What does that matter?” Rachel asked, spinning around to look at all of them.
“We don’t know what he’ll become,” Elise replied taking a few steps in her direction. “We don’t know if he’ll accept us, or reject us. But we do know that as long as both of you are alive, we can no longer keep our existence a secret.”
“As long as we are alive?” Rachel asked, pulling Joel close to her. “What are you going to do to us?”
“What we need to,” Caleb’s father replied dryly.
He lifted his hand and motioned one of the men standing around them to come forward. Rachel felt her heart racing in her chest. Fear gripped her causing her breathing to become forced and labored. The man charged forward quickly, his heavy steps on the concrete floor the only sound in the room.
When he reached where they were standing, he grabbed hold of Joel by the arm, forcefully pulling him away from her grasp. “No!” she yelled, but it didn’t stop him. He lifted him up and carried him away from her, Joel screaming and kicking wildly.
“Stop!” a voice called from the entrance of the warehouse. “Let him go!”
Everyone turned to watch as Caleb stormed into the room, at least ten other people flanking him.
“Caleb!” his father yelled at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Me?” he asked with a mocking laugh. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? He’s your grandson,” Caleb said closing the space between them. He stopped right behind Rachel, the men and women with him scattered around behind him.
“No, he’s not,” his father countered aggressively.
“How can you say that?” Caleb asked. “He’s my son! He’s your grandson!”
“He came from a human. He has no relation to me.”
“Use your head, Caleb,” Elise said from behind them. “Who’s to say that she won’t turn on you one day? That her son won’t end up hunting all of us down once he’s old enough to realize what we are?”
“We just want to be left alone,” Rachel said softly, the tears now flowing freely down her cheeks. “We won’t say anything to anyone; you’ll never see us again, I swear.”
“Father,” Caleb said turning back to face his dad, “I don’t want it to come to this, but if you so much as lay a hand on either one of them, you’ll have to answer to me.”
“What does that mean?” his father asked, stepping forward angrily.
“You’ve been a wonderful alpha for our pack for a very long time but you’re getting older,” Caleb said softly. “The pack has already begun to look to me as a leader. Those you see with me here have agreed to stand by me,” he said motioning to the small crowd around him.
“You’d divide our pack?” his father spit at him.
“If that’s what it takes to protect my family.” He shot a look of warning to the man holding Joel. He released him, and Joel ran as quickly as his legs would allow him to rejoin his mother and father.
Caleb leaned forward and scooped him up. Holding him with one arm, he wrapped the other around Rachel. “We don’t know what will happen with Joel,” he said softly. “But, we can’t let ourselves become what we’re afraid of. Why do we fear the humans so much? Because they hunt and kill us! And we’re going to do the same to them? To a child?”
Caleb’s father looked around the room at the faces staring at him. Elise and her father had clear expressions of anger, but besides them, everyone’s countenance seemed to have softened. “You all agree with my son?”
One of the men stepped forward. “I’m sorry, sir,” he said, “but, we’ve lived in isolation for so long. We’re all ready for that to change. Maybe this is a sign that we don’t need to be afraid of the humans anymore. Or, at least that we don’t have to live in fear of them constantly.”
“What do you propose we do then, Caleb?” his father asked turning his attention back to their small family. He didn’t look pleased, but for the first time in Rachel’s memory, she wasn’t terrified of him.
CHAPTER TEN
It wasn’t easy convincing Caleb’s father to change his ways. But, over time he started to accept that his role as the leader of their pack was coming to an end. He was reluctant to accept Rachel and Joel at first. After some time, however, he did join them for dinner one night at Caleb’s house, where Rachel and Joel were living as well. He softened almost immediately to Joel’s boisterous personality and overwhelming amounts of energy.
Elise and her father were not happy about Caleb breaking off his arrangement with her, but they both knew there was nothing they could do to change his mind. Caleb’s conviction was apparent that day; it seemed to hang in the air.
The men and women who came with Caleb to show their support continued to stand by him. They believed in what he wanted; they were tired of living in fear. They wanted change. Eventually, Caleb inherited not only the title as Alpha but also his father’s business. He ran both the pack and the company with strength and grace. He was a wonderful leader, and everyone loved and respected him.
Their life together was far from perfect, but Rachel never complained. She had what she had always dreamed of—her family. Her son had his father, and she was finally able to be with the man of her dreams.
She knew that their future was still unstable; she knew that there were many hurdles they would need to overcome. That didn’t worry her, though. Because the one thing she knew without a doubt, was that Caleb would always be by her side, and that was all she ever really wanted.
***THE END***