Chapter Ten – Stephen
Stephen hung up his phone, hopefully for the last time that night. He rubbed his left temple. A headache pounded through his skull. Even with the advanced healing that Shifters had, spending hours dealing with politics and the legal system took a toll on Wolves like him, who weren't and never wanted to be Alphas. He was only glad that it was Iduna and not him that was studying law to fight for Shifter rights within the courts. He'd never survive it.
He smiled as he thought of his mate. In the seven months since the birth of their daughter, she had not only begun studying to become a lawyer but had also put together a plan to protect Shifters. The attacks on her community of Bears, along with the police involvement, had been brought to national attention. It invoked a significant outcry from across the world, with many countries calling for more police accountability. All the hunters that had been involved in Christianson's scheme had been found and were awaiting imprisonment. The BC government had been quick to round up and prosecute the other hunters.
As good as the action that the government had been taking against those directly involved, there were even more positive things happening. Stephen had returned to his community of Wolves and told them what was happening to the Bears, and they had been horrified. Now there were programs being put into place to heal the fractured relationship between Bears and Wolves. It wasn't perfect, but Stephen thought it was helping.
Still, there was a lot of work to be done going forward, and Stephen found himself in the middle of it. But he was happy to fight if it meant a better future for his daughter.
He heard Tiff gurgling and turned to see Tyson coming down the hallway, holding the baby. She burst into a grin at the sight of her father. She was just starting to grow some fuzz on her head, but with her big black eyes, exactly like her mother's, and toothless grin she was still adorable.
"Oh, Daddy needs a smile like that right now." Stephen took Tiff and kissed her. "Have you been a good girl for Grandpa?"
"She's an angel." Tyson beamed at his granddaughter. "She reminds me so much of Iduna when she was that age."
Stephen responded with a smile. Iduna's parents had finally accepted him as their daughter's mate. Carrying her miles out of the bush into a human town and not leaving her side even after they arrived had something to do with it. They got along in any case, and Stephen didn't feel unwelcome in their home.
He and Iduna were living with her parents right now, while his house back in the Wolf community was being sold, and the place they would be moving into in the Bear community was being built. There really hadn't been any question about where they were going to live. Stephen could keep in touch with friends just as easily here as there. Iduna, on the other hand, had everything here, where she had grown up. It was just natural to stay in her community.
"So did I hear some howling from Tiff last night?" Tyson asked.
Stephen grinned and nodded. "She's starting to show signs of shifting. Not just Wolf, though, a little bit of Bear as well. She seems to favor the Wolf, though. We'll see when she gets older."
Tyson nodded. "Of course. I think my daughter is trying to research a new type of evergreen while studying for her law exams. You may need to go rescue her from herself.
"Will do." He adjusted Tiff in his arms and went upstairs.
Iduna was in the study, her web browser open, a litany of papers strewn before her. Stephen smiled affectionately, watching her as she switched between the two things, her head moving like a bobble-head doll. It was amazing that she got anything done, the way she tried to do everything at once. But that was Iduna, and that was one of the reasons he loved her.
He crept up behind her and put Tiff in her arms. "Okay, Mommy, you're done studying for tonight."
Iduna gave him a vague smile while she kissed Tiff's bald head. "Just a few more minutes."
"I'd say yes, but a few minutes for you means a few hours." He kissed the top of her curly head. "Run away with me, my love, if only for tonight. You need to give that beautiful brain of yours a rest once in a while. Let's go to a restaurant or for a walk around town. An increase of blood flow and oxygenating your blood helps with brain functions."
His mate frowned but nodded. "That's a good point. How cold is it? Do I need a coat?"
"It's beautiful out. We may want to bundle Tiff up a bit, though."
"How long has it been since she ate?"
"She was eating when I took my call, and that was half an hour ago."
Iduna shook her head and muttered something about time being stupid. Stephen's smile widened. He couldn’t help himself. He leaned forward and planted a firm kiss on her mouth. Iduna responded with a moan, opening her lips to allow him entrance. Her hands wrapped around the back of his neck. It was only Tiff giggling at the sight that broke them apart. Iduna smiled at her daughter.
"I'm glad I didn't listen to everybody who told me that I was too young to think about getting pregnant, that I needed to wait until I found my mate and that getting myself artificially inseminated was a bad idea."
Stephen stroked her cheek. "I'm glad, too. You and Tiff are all I want."
"And I found more than what I was looking for when I met you." Iduna stood. "Did you know that playing in dirt can actually help bolster a child's immune system? When Tiff is old enough we'll have to arrange dirt playdates or something. Socialization is important for a child's development. Do you know about brain development between the ages of one and two years old?"
"No." Stephen wrapped an arm around her. "Tell me all about it."
*****
THE END