~

 

Malachi wanted to ignore the ringing of his mobile phone. He was enjoying daydreaming about his mate. Although, his balls were surely blue and there wasn’t a damn thing that he could do about that as he sat in his truck outside her cabin.

“I’d say talk to me — but…” Malachi growled into the handset.

He’d caught sight of the name just before he’d taken the call. The vampire was becoming too friendly by half.

“You have a problem,” Brook offered right off the bat.

“No, hello — how are you?” Malachi grumbled.

He considered that he had a lot of problems at the moment — anything added to those would just be dressing.

“Your mate’s father is in my bar…” Brook broke off at the sound of Sissy’s interruption.

“My bar!”

“Of course,” Brook offered to the woman before turning his attention back to the matter at hand. “The man is rallying up the natives and looking for juicy titbits about you.”

“How is that a problem?” Malachi knew the truth of it. There were plenty of humans in that bar that would like to stir the pot.

“Because he might find something,” Brook offered back.

“Let him look. While he’s wasting his time, I’m wooing my mate.”

“As you wish…” The vampire gave a low hum, and Malachi rolled his eyes. “Unless, you want me to make a certain person disappear, or have a sudden change of heart?”

“No,” Malachi growled at the thought of it.

He wasn’t sure if the vampire meant that he was going to kill him — alter the man’s thinking using his compulsion — or threaten him within an inch of his life. None of those things were acceptable to Malachi, and none of those things were going to happen.

“Sure?” Brook’s voice said teasing, but Malachi knew that if he gave the go-ahead, then Brook would oblige him.

“Yes.”

“And we’re back to one-word answers,” the vampire gave a dramatic sigh. “Speak to you later.”

“Hopefully not.” Malachi cut off the phone call and tossed his phone into the passenger seat beside him.

He’d spent the night there outside his mate’s cabin, watching, keeping an eye on her and Stacy just in case. He wasn’t sure what he was watching for, but he had a deep, ingrained need to protect her.

Malachi tapped his index finger against the steering wheel as he considered his options. If Donna’s father was looking for dirt on him, then he should return the favor.

He reached for his mobile, took a deep breath against the sour taste that he had on his tongue for what he was about to do, and told himself to get over it.

He might just need leverage — and his old clan might just be able to find some.

 

~

~

~

 

It wasn’t exactly hard to spot Malachi the moment that Donna opened the front door. There he was, standing with his backside against the truck, his arms folded across his chest, and his legs crossed at the ankles. He looked as sexy as hell.

Stacey shrieked with delight when she saw him. Donna didn’t even bother to try to hold her daughter back as she started off on fast feet towards the man and shrieking his name as she went.

Malachi was somewhat surprised to see Stacey’s reaction to him. His bear practically flipped over on its back with its paws up in the damn air inside of him — the beast was already attached and imprinted with the need to protect their new daughter from any danger.

Malachi didn’t think that the child was going to slow down. He took a large step forward and reached for her, swinging her up and sitting her on one big, muscled arm as she shrieked again — this time with delight — and his ears might have been ringing from her shrill tones, but his heart was full so he didn’t care.

“You came to take me to school!” Stacey chuckled, brimful of happiness.

“You asked — I said I’d be here, and here I am,” Malachi offered back.

He considered it only a small white lie. He didn’t think the child would understand that he had a needed to be outside of their cabin all night long.

“I’m going to tell everyone about my fairy cabin lights, and my huge Christmas tree that’s as big as my house.” She giggled with excitement.

He liked the way that her eyes were wide and shining so brightly. It made his heart hurt in a good way.

“As big as the house?” Malachi challenged her on that one with a teasing smile.

“Well…” She took a moment to think about that one. “Almost.”

“You know, I almost caught a fish that was as big as my truck once…” Malachi offered back and watched her eyes open wide in amazement.

“Really?” She asked, excited by the sound of it.

“Sure, if your tree can be as big as your house then my fish can be as big as my truck, yes?” He offered her a teasing grin, and she chuckled.

“Deal,” she nodded as if they’d just made one.

“Go and get in your car seat,” Malachi chuckled on a small shake of his head. He put Stacey down, and she ran off, happy in her own little world.

Malachi walked toward his mate, and she raised her eyebrows, questioning him with just a look. Malachi chuckled again.

“I think I need to work on my reasoning skills with Stacey,” Malachi admitted that he’d messed up.

“I think she got you there,” Donna chuckled.

“She’s smart — too smart,” Malachi grumbled.

“And devious — and, I think she can wrap you around her little finger,” Donna sniggered.

“I think you’re right,” Malachi grumbled but in a good way.

He’d learned his lesson — hopefully, he wouldn’t repeat it, but he was new to the whole dad thing – so, what were the odds?

 

~

~

~

 

Malachi didn’t like grocery shopping, but he liked grocery shopping with his mate. He liked the way that she turned her nose up at the healthy option, and wrinkled her nose with guilt as she snatched up the sugar ladened option instead.

He liked watching her reach up to try to get something from the top shelf, and he liked it when he leaned in close and got it for her. He really liked watching her bend over for something on the bottom shelf — there was no way in hell that he was going to help her with that one. It was too good view to miss.

By the time that they reached her cabin, Malachi was definitely hungry, and not just for food.

“Yummy breakfast cereal with a sugar coating,” Donna reached for the big box that they’d bought at the store, and that was a mini-drama in itself.

Between them, they had managed to totally confuse the young girl on the checkout by arguing among themselves as to who was going to pay the bill. Of course, Malachi had won the day — as Donna commented on his pouty lip and muttered some strong words under her breath – but he didn’t care because he got to pay the bill.

“No.” Malachi frowned and berated her from under his dark eyebrows. In return, she cocked just one eyebrow back at him.

“No?” She hugged the box to her chest.

“They’re bad for you…”

“They have little pieces of fruit…”

“Bad fruit.”

“I didn’t think any fruit was bad fruit,” Donna huffed back.

“I’m going to make breakfast,” Malachi announced as he reached out and snatched the box from her grip. His mate had had a good grip on the box, and he had to figure that she really wanted the sugary cereal.

“You are?” She offered him a curious look.

“I am. I figure this is a good time to take charge or we’ll be eating cardboard cereal and bad fruit,” Malachi shrugged a shoulder as he started toward the kitchen with the box in hand.

Donna grimaced and refrained from reaching out for her favorite breakfast food. It was quick, easy, and tasty — how could it be wrong?

“Please tell me you have nothing against chocolate,” Donna grumbled as Malachi’s shot a look back over his shoulder at her and grinned from ear to ear.

“I have nothing against any food — but everything in moderation,” he offered as he stashed the box up on top of the cupboard where she couldn’t easily reach it and turned toward the stove.

“Who eats chocolate in moderation?” She tossed him a look of disbelief.

“Not females,” he chuckled and snatched a look at her just as she was scowling back at him.

“It’s in our DNA — you can’t deny a female chocolate when she wants it.”

“I’m well aware. There are times when I will toss a chocolate bar at you, without making eye contact, and back the hell off.” He chuckled to himself.

“The man is wise,” Donna chuckled with him.

Donna had been uneasy most of the night. She hadn’t slept well, not after her father’s visit, and she also knew that Malachi would be outside the cabin all night because he’d said as much in his big mucho tones.

There had been a part of her that wanted to go outside and tell him to sleep in the cabin, on the sofa, of course. But she’d denied herself from doing that because she thought that if she did, then he might not be sleeping on the sofa at all.

Not that she expected him to take advantage of her and crawl into her bed or anything — but, she didn’t know if she could stop herself from asking him to.

The more she’d thought about Malachi — the more she’d tossed and turned in her bed — the more she’d wanted to be with him, see him, and spend time in his company. He was pretty easy company to be around.

She hadn’t expected that. All the rumors and talk around bear shifters were aimed towards the fact that they were temperamental, unpredictable, and violent — when provoked — and some didn’t need provoking.

Malachi wasn’t like that. He might have been big, he might have been a shifter, but he had a certain gentleness to him that she hadn’t expected.

At least, he did around her and Stacy.

She liked that a lot.