Quinn pulled his suburban into the garage, waiting while the door slid shut, effectively shutting them away from the rest of the world. Colorado winters were harsh, especially up here in the mountains, but his polar bear shifter genetics made him more in tune with it. He rarely noticed the temperature until mid-summer when he started to sweat.

Aubrey was sleeping with her arms wrapped protectively around her pregnant belly, and his heart twisted at the sight. She was absolutely stunning. Her ashy-blonde hair had a darker layer underneath, curling up slightly at the ends. He could imagine wrapping his fist in those long locks while she wrapped her plump lips around his hard…

Fuck! What am I even thinking right now?

He was disgusted with himself for fantasizing about a pregnant woman. He’d seen thousands of them in his career, and he’d never once been attracted to one before. There was just something unique about Aubrey Celine which made his nerves tingle.

Patting her shoulder, he attempted to rouse her. When she just murmured and shifted in her sleep, he sighed heavily. Of course, it couldn’t be that easy. Resigned to holding her in his arms again, he scooped the petite woman from the vehicle and kicked the door closed. She started in his arms, struggling for a moment before she realized where she was.

“Quinn! Holy shit! You scared the crackers out of me.”

“The crackers?” His laughter filled the air as he carried her into his home. “What the hell does that mean?”

She shrugged, her cheeks turning a pale pink. The additional color highlighted a handful of freckles that dotted her cheekbones, making her look young—too young.

“This place is beautiful,” she murmured, her eyes widening as they entered his family room, and he placed her on the massive sofa.

“Thanks. I’m going to find you something to wear, then we need to talk.” He rushed from the room, trying to block out the feeling of her soft curves against his body. His bear was chuffing with need, and since it looked like the two of them were going to be trapped for a bit with the object of their desire, he needed to get a grip on it.

Finding clothing for a small pregnant woman in his closet was a challenge. He pulled out a t-shirt that had the emblem of his alma mater on it and a pair of basketball shorts he’d barely worn from his closet. It wasn’t fancy, but it would have to do for the time being.

He returned to find Aubrey wrapped in the cashmere blanket his sister had given him for Christmas a few years back. She sat up instantly and reached for the pile of fabric he held. “Thank you, um, can you tell me where the bathroom is?”

“Down the hall, second door on the left. Help yourself to whatever you need. I’m going to make some tea; would you like some?”

“No, thanks,” she shook her head, “I’m trying to avoid caffeine. It keeps me up at night—well, more than normal.” Her giggle shot through him, making his cock twitch and his balls tighten. Fucking hell, she was like a siren of the sea. Calling out to him and promising him all the riches of the world. He just hoped she wouldn’t be his doom, too.

“I’m pretty sure I have some milk, I can warm you up a glass?” he offered.

A smile lit her face, and she rose up on her toes to hug him. “Thank you. For everything you’ve already done. Thank you.”

“I haven’t done much, yet.” Feeling unsettled, he patted her back before stepping away. “Chauffeured a pretty woman out to my house in the midst of a snowstorm that’s about it.”

“What you see as small, means the world to me.” With that, she headed off down the hallway, her hospital gown hanging open in the back and giving him tantalizing views of her thin back and perfectly round ass. The panties she wore were plain white cotton, but they turned him on more than any piece of lace or silk ever had.

Fucking hell, he was in serious trouble.

* * *

Aubrey stared at herself in the bathroom mirror, horrified. She looked like she’d been in a tornado!

“Or a car wreck,” she muttered to herself.

It was just her dumb luck she’d end up in an accident during her escape attempt. If not for that patch of black ice, she was sure she’d have gotten out of the state without Alex finding her. Whether or not she’d have been able to stay out of his hands for very long, she really didn’t know. He was one of the best trackers in the state. In fact, he had a special contract with local law enforcement to assist when they were tracking a fugitive. It was likely he’d already figured out she’d had assistance leaving the hospital. It would have been too easy to track her down on foot.

Dropping the hospital gown to the floor, she gave her body a quick once over. The bruising on her hip was already a mottled pink instead of purple, and her head no longer ached where she’d hit it in the accident. Stroking her hand over her rounded belly, she smiled when her son kicked in response.

“Everything will be all right, little one. Mama won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise,” she whispered the words, but they couldn’t have had more meaning if she’d shouted them. Until now, she’d never really understood why mothers were so protective of their young. The moment she’d read the positive sign on a home pregnancy test, she’d fallen in love with the child she carried. She’d known there was no future happy family with Alex, but she’d never anticipated his reaction to the news.

Stepping into the large door-less shower, she turned the water on as hot as she could stand it and let it soak into her, easing the tightness in her muscles. It was the first shower she’d been able to take alone for almost seven months. Alex always stood in the bathroom, watching her bathe to make sure she didn’t try anything funny. He seemed to think she’d try to harm herself or the baby, and he’d become almost insane with rage the one time she slipped on the wet bathroom floor.

When the water began to run cold, she forced herself to shut it off and get out. Her limbs felt heavy as she toweled off and pulled Quinn’s t-shirt over her head. Even with her large round belly, it was big on her. The back hit her mid-thigh, while the front—lifted because of the belly—hit her upper thighs, exposing a bit more leg than she would normally have liked. Sadly, the shorts were a no-go. They were too big to go under her belly and too snug around her belly, so she had to skip them. Pulling her panties back on for a little more modesty, she carried the shorts off in search of the kitchen.

It took a few minutes, but she finally found Quinn seated at the kitchen island, poking away at his phone. He looked up when she entered, and she was surprised to see his gaze zero in on her bare legs.

“These didn’t fit,” she gestured with the shorts, “but thank you for the shirt.”

“You’re welcome.” His words were husky as if his throat was clogged, and he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from her legs. She quickly stepped to the other side of the island to block his view. Not that she minded him looking his fill, but that it turned her on felt weird when she was pregnant with someone else’s baby.

“Did you enjoy your shower?” he asked, rising and moving to the stove where he poured milk out of a kettle into a mug.

“It was nothing short of miraculous,” she replied with a smile as he passed her the mug. “I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you for all of this.”

“You can start by telling me your story.” Quinn resumed his seat and met her gaze, his blue eyes dark with questions. “I just broke a bunch of rules, and possibly a few laws, by helping you. I think I should at least know the whole story.”

Aubrey nodded, but shame made her flush and stutter nervously. “It started last spring, when I met Alex Hadley, the Alpha of the Grisom Pack—”

“Aren’t they lions?” Quinn interrupted, his jaw flexing with tension when she nodded.

“I was working the cash register at the supermarket, and he came in to buy supplies for a barbecue their pack was having. Of course, we noticed each other because we’re both shifters, and he asked me to come to the barbecue as his guest. I was flattered to be asked out by an Alpha, so I said yes.” She sipped the warm milk and wrinkled her nose as she remembered those first few moments of the biggest mistake of her life. “I let him seduce me that night, and for a few weeks, everything seemed wonderful between us although there were some red flags if I’d have paid attention.”

“Like what?” Quinn asked.

“Like the fact that he always wanted me to come to him at his den rather than coming to see me. He never took me out in public—in fact, we never went out. Our relationship was almost purely physical, but in my head, it was all roses and rainbows. I was so stupid.” Tears burned her eyelids and she sniffed, struggling to hold onto her composure. To her surprise, Quinn reached out and covered her hand with his, offering silent support.

“It didn’t take long before I realized something was off. Alex began acting really possessive and protective of me. He wanted to send one of his betas to pick me up rather than let me drive to see him. He began telling me what I could and couldn’t eat, and then he put pressure on me to just move to the den. I couldn’t figure out what had changed. He’d gone from an attentive, affectionate man, to…” she shrugged, unsure how to even explain her feelings.

Quinn nodded, “He knew you were pregnant?”

“I think so. He never said anything, but when I got a positive pregnancy test, he sure didn’t seem surprised. In fact, he became hostile.”

“He hurt you?” Quinn roared, shooting to his feet. Aubrey could see he was fighting hard to rein in his bear. It was there in the subtle shift of his jaw line and the way his shoulders rose and fell with his heavy breathing. He was furious on her behalf.

“No, not physically. He set guards on me. From that moment on, I wasn’t allowed out of his house. Not even once. He still went about his business as the Alpha, but his pack was told to keep me safely locked inside at all times. He was their Alpha, so there was no chance they would go against him.”

“But surely they could see he was holding you captive?”

“Oh, they saw, all right.” A tear slid down her cheek, and she furiously brushed it away, “They saw and were okay with it. After all, this child will be the first liger born in over one hundred years.”