Chapter Fifteen
Russell
It was my first pack run since mating Jameson, and I was nervous as heck. The last time they had been kind enough or at least not cruel, but that was when I was the alpha’s wayward brother. This time, I was the beta’s pregnant mate, and I knew enough gossip to understand Jameson’s choosing me had a lot of people less than pleased. Not because of who I was as much as his choice hadn’t been them.
Not that I could blame them. He was a catch and a half.
We walked hand in hand to the meeting place. Or, more accurately, I waddled. Ollie had already run up ahead to meet his cousins. While I had no choice at the time, I could see clearly how much not being around other wolves had impeded Ollie. He had bloomed so much in the short time we’d been there. He was still the smart and amazing kid he always was, but now he had an inner wolf to match. I was beyond a proud papa.
“You’ve got this,” Jameson whispered in my ear as we reached the clearing.
Travis came out, announcing the run, along with all of the rules. They weren’t needed. No one was new to the pack or the run, but that was my brother. He was kind of a stick-in-the-mud. Given the enormity of his responsibility, the one he’d known he’d carry since he was but a boy, I couldn’t blame him.
When the run was announced, we all shed our clothing. I didn’t hide like I wanted to. My roundness and stretch marks told them all that Jameson, their beta, found me worthy when they had deemed me garbage. It was petty, but that bolstered my confidence.
Wolves were lucky in that they, unlike many of our shifter brothers and sisters, could shift during pregnancy. In fact, my wolf demanded it. He was done being hidden away as he had been in the city.
I waited until Ollie was shifted and bounding playfully off with his cousins before I allowed my wolf to take over.
Ready, mate? There was no better sound than that of Jameson in my mind. Our connection was a gift I’d always treasure. It had gotten stronger with each passing shift, and a few times we’d been able to share brief thoughts as humans.
Who? I asked, both of us knowing the question at hand. Who was doing the chasing? Our wolves loved the chase almost as much as the human side of us loved sex. Almost.
Five. Four.
Crap. My turn to run. I tore off as fast as I could, knowing my head start was barely that, although knowing Jameson, he probably slowed down or started again to give me a “fair shake” since I was pregnant. I should be miffed that he did things like that, but it was sweet enough as far as intentions went.
I ran my ass off, jumping over logs in an attempt to lose him for even a second. I knew it would be in vain, but a guy has to try. I’d never been amazing at being chased, but I was a wiz at chasing, and I needed to pull on all the skills I used for that and flip them.
We had an unspoken rule that if we ended up at lover’s rock, the hunt was over, the person there first victorious. No one knew how the rock got the name, but I had a feeling we weren’t the only ones who used it during the chase. It was centrally located on pack lands and close enough to the river our wolves could drink their fill after an exhilarating hunt.
It was hard to concentrate with the new scent of so many wolves surrounding me, and that was when I decided that being tricky, which was my normal method of avoidance, might not even be necessary. If I faced the challenge, so would he. To that end, I changed tracks and gunned for Lover’s Rock.
I’d only gotten halfway there when I was tackled, not by Jameson, but by my little wolf.
Gotcha, Papa. Yes, yes he had.
I didn’t know you were in cahoots with Jameson. I licked his jaw and gave him my neck. It was good practice for the young wolves, and the reward of face kisses from my little man never hurt.
He told me when you ran.
I shifted right then and there. Jameson told Russell when I ran.
“Oh, little wolf. What a secret keeper you are.” I belly laughed, my rotund belly bouncing as I did.
“It was a surprise.” James sat down beside us, still smelling like his wolf. He must’ve just changed.
Ollie shifted, too, his smile as wide as the ocean.
“He’s really my daddy, now,” he proclaimed before shifting back into his wolf and running away.
Wolves usually hear only their own young and parents. Them and their alphas, but him hearing Jameson had nothing to do with him really being his dad. Jameson had taken that role the second we rolled into town and he showed us our temporary home. We might not have known it yet, but he had.
“Well, Daddy, looks like you are stuck with us now.” I held up ten fingers, not saying another word, and lowered them slowly one by one.
I was at seven when Jameson’s brain caught up and he shifted and bolted. It was my time to hunt. I gave him the full count before shifting and heading out for my prey.