The Wolf's Forbidden Baby: A Paranormal Pregnancy Romance (3 page)

That was what did force her to leave. It wasn’t fair to him. She could never truly have a relationship with a human. By the time the cab dropped her off in front of her small ranch on the outskirts of town, she was glad to be home. GreyFace Mountain nearby smiled at her, and she knew what she would be doing that night—stretching her legs and enjoying her freedom, something Devan would never do or understand.

Wow, girl, get it together and forget him already.

She unlocked the door. Immediately, she knew something wasn’t right. The air felt too disturbed. Her fingers lengthened into claws, and her nose turned from human to canine. Only after a long sniff did she relax.

“Wow, getting ready to rip into me, huh?” Her sister Paula entered the living room from the kitchen. “I’m so scared,” she mock whimpered.

“You know… I should cut you some for barging into my place.” Kyla reverted back to her human form with a sigh. At times, she felt more herself in her other form, that of a werecoyote.

“Hey, I just wanted to see how my younger sister was going. You mind telling me where you’ve been all weekend?”

“You’re the younger one.”

“Two minutes, three. Whatever. Doesn’t matter now. What does matter is why you’re not spilling.”

Suddenly, Kyla felt tired. Her body was still delightfully tender from her aerobatics with Devan, and she needed sleep… or coffee. She breezed past her sister to the kitchen and started to make a cup then opted to brew an entire pot instead.

“Come on,” Paula whined. “You have to give me details. I happen to know you went to bar I suggested you try.”

“The human one, yes,” Kyla admitted. She kept her back to her sister, trying to keep her flushed cheeks out of sight.

“And…”

“And… you were right.”

Paula shrieked. “I hoped that’s why you weren’t home! Tell me all about him.”

“Why? It’s over. It’s done with. It’s…”

Her sister sidestepped her, took one look at her face, and gasped. “No. Oh no, sis, tell me you didn’t.”

“Okay. I didn’t.”

“You did.”

“One weekend. That’s all it can be.”

“But you wish differently.”

For a second, Kyla allowed herself to daydream. If only Devan was a werecoyote, too. Then they could be together and happy and maybe even have a litter larger than her parents’. After all, she already knew that passion between them wouldn’t be an issue.

But his lack of fur, that could never be ignored.

“You know… Leo’s been thinking about having a human girlfriend until Father finds him a mate. Why can’t you do the same?”

Leo was their youngest brother. The baby who got everything he wanted and then some.

“It’s not worth it. Leo’s too selfish to…”

“To what? To fall for a human?” Paula eyed her suspiciously.

“Fall for.” Kyla snorted. “I’m not even sure he’s capable of love. Takes after Mom too much.”

“You got that right.” Her sister leaned on the counter. “I’ve had a few dalliances with humans, you know. So much easier than with other werecoyotes.”

Because of the impossibility of getting pregnant. Yes, a definitely plus. Devan hadn’t even mentioned condoms, and Kyla hadn’t bothered to carry any in her purse that night. No need to.

Paula’s sigh stirred Kyla from her thoughts. “What is it?” she asked.

“You. Your heart. It’s in your vagina.”

“Excuse me?”

“Forget I asked about human boy. Forget him. Father’s priming up to find your mate anyhow. Best to just leave him in your memories. And…” Paula’s eyes twinkled. “You might want to take a bath. You’re hobbling around like you couldn’t be more sore.”

Kyla laughed. Her sister was right. About Devan and the bath. Still, when she was sinking into the hot water fifteen minutes later, all she could think of was all the places he had touched, kissed, licked, caressed. Even something as simple as his arm draped over her shoulder as they watched movies had caused her to feel close to him, maybe even closer than when they had been intimate.

Oh no. This was bad. Forgetting Devan wasn’t going to be easy. Even if it was something she had to do.

CHAPTER THREE

Two weeks had passed since he’d woken up to find Kyla gone. No note, no explanation. Every night, he returned to the bar, hoping to see her again. No such luck. He should just move on. Maybe even find a new place. Five years was a long time, but staying in one place had been what kept him ahead of his old pack. If they found him, he wouldn’t have to worry about seeing Kyla again. He’d be dead.

Still, he found himself yet again in that seedy bar. The same bartender shot him sympathetic looks. She knew why he was there, but she had never seen Kyla before that night and hadn’t since either.

“You look like you’re ready to drown some sorrows,” a deep voice said.

A deep, familiar voice. Devan forced himself to not hesitate, to pick up his glass and drink, not chug it, before lifting his gaze to stare at one of his brothers.

Erik, now sporting a huge beard, motioned to his glass. “Drink up and let’s blow this joint.” He glanced around, as nervous and on edge as Devan had been the first time he’d ventured here. Why, Devan didn’t know. Erik had no reason to be unnerved unless…

Devan drained the rest of his scotch. The bartender waved, and he nodded back, trying to keep his cool as he marched out, his brother trailing behind him. He never was one to keep his back to an enemy, but Erik wasn’t the enemy… was he?

Erik kept his silence until they entered Devan’s apartment. Again, his gaze roved everywhere. “You sure we can talk here?”

“I’ve been safe here. No one came close until now,” Devan ground out.

His brother lounged on the couch, sitting where Kyla had, and the wolf inside Devan growled. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d given in and allowed his wolf freedom. Living in a small city in Minnesota meant he had no possible locale to give in, unless he ventured to the mountains. But the chances of running into his old pack or another or even other were-species prevented him from even contemplating shifting.

“What do you want?” he barked. Anxiety filled him, and he channeled it into energy, pacing.

“Temper, temper.” Erik shook his head. “Is that any way to treat a brother after so much time?”

“If you cared so much, you would’ve left when I did. Warrick’s behavior crossed the line too many times and—”

“And I was wrong to not leave when you did, you’re right. As for Warrick’s behavior… well… let’s just say if anything, it’s become more savage.”

“More?” Devan halted, unable to believe what he was hearing. “How is that possible?” Raping and plundering, acting more like a pirate or Viking than a werewolf, even killing those who dared to question him… what more was there?

“He’s killed Asha.”

His teeth changed to fangs without conscious thought. “Why?” The word was almost too animalistic to be understood.

Either Erik heard or comprehended enough because he explained, “She disobeyed him. He wanted her to mate with an alpha from another pack, but she suspected he only wanted it so he could kill the alpha and claim domination over the other wolves in that pack and refused. She came to me for help, and we had planned on fleeing and finding you but…”

Devan gnashed his teeth. Warrick was the eldest of Kempers. Then Devan, Asha, Erik and Sari. Their parents had died years ago during a rockslide. “How is Sari?”

“You know her.” Erik’s eyes flashed from their human brownness to wolf gold and back again.

“Ever devoted to her oldest brother.” Devan spat. Sari had attacked Devan the night he’d left. He managed to not harm her but she’d left a mark even the past five years hadn’t completed faded.

“So…” Erik stood and glanced around the still-unclean apartment. “What have you been up to? Please tell me you aren’t just screwing human females.”

Devan knew better than to lie. Erik could always sniff falsehoods out, whether in human or wolf form. “Human female,” he clarified. “One.”

“Well, I guess it’s okay to have a hobby, but you have a plan, right? Five years to set up a… Oh, for the love of… What have you been doing?”

“Running. Staying alive.” Devan felt oddly defensive. “I’m just one wolf. What can I do against a pack of fifteen?”

“Twenty-three now. No, twenty-two after Asha.” Erik stroked his beard. “We have to do something.”

“We?” Devan said blankly.

“Yes, we. Stop thinking like a human and start being a wolf again.”

Being a wolf meant he couldn’t be with Kyla but without a means of finding her and with her interested in him he might as well move on, move forward even if it meant death.

At least I knew happiness with her before I die.

CHAPTER FOUR

Six weeks had passed since she left Devan. For the past two weeks, she had done everything she could to forget him, but now she couldn’t. She had skipped her period. At first, she thought it might just be from the stress of her domineering father and the pressure he was putting on her to find a suitable mate, but there was no denying it now.

Kyla was pregnant.

Honestly, she should’ve realized before now. Weight gain, heightened sense of smell, larger and tender breasts… And there was only one possibility for who the father was, as impossible as it seemed.

Her phone rang. Paula. How she wanted to ignore it, but Paula was more than just her sister. They were best friends, and avoiding Paula wasn’t a possibility.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“I feel like you’ve been avoiding me,” Paula whined.

“That’s not true.” Actually, maybe a little. The new shampoo and conditioner her sister wore aggravated her something fierce. “But actually… I do have to get going.”

“Why? Got a hot date?” Paula sounded all perked up. “Don’t tell me it’s that human guy again.”

Kyla winced.

“I can’t help but notice Father hasn’t convinced you on any of the possible suitors he’s lined up.”

“Did you not hear the part were I have to go?” Kyla grumbled.

Paula’s sigh carried over the line. “Fine. Leave me again. Just don’t disappear for another whole weekend. Father will have my head. Yours too, if you don’t stop being so damn picky.”

Sighing herself, Kyla hung up. She wasn’t being picky. Her father wasn’t bothering to try to find her someone she might be able to tolerate for a month, let alone the rest of her life. Then again, her father and mother hadn’t had the happiest of marriages. Was it any surprise that he didn’t care if his children were happy with theirs?

It’ll be your turn soon enough, Paula. We’ll see how much you like it when the shoe’s on the other foot.

Right now, she didn’t have time to worry about her father or marriage.

She darted to her bedroom and changed out of the oversized t-shirt she’d slept in. Already she had outgrown some of her clothes and when she modeled a dress in front of her full-length mirror, she gasped. A were-pregnancy was much faster than a human one—only three months, and she was showing more than she realized. Paula and Viola and Maria probably all thought it because she had the appetite of a horse lately. No morning sickness for her, just a never-ending hunger.

This dress would never do. The next two looked just as bad and the third she couldn’t even zip up. Switching to a sleek black skirt and a tank top that didn’t cover half her breasts because of their increased size would have to do. Depending on the angle, she didn’t even look pregnant. Good.

Not that angles would help her any. Nothing would.

Her Beetle zipped down the streets as she drove to Devan’s. Before she could lose her nerve, she parked, marched up the stairs, and pounded on his door. No answer. It would be just her luck if he’d moved. She didn’t even know his last name.
My life deserves to be written into a freakin’ country song.

She raised her fist to knock again when the door abruptly opened. Devan stared at her, wide eyed. He hadn’t shaved that morning, and the scruffy look suited him.

Stop! Don’t stare into his eyes, don’t think about his six-pack that t-shirt is barely concealing, don’t look even lower…

Head high, she shoved him back and waltzed into his apartment as if she owned it. Nose in the air, she glanced around, pleased on some level to see he had cleaned up the place.

“K-Kyla… what are you doing here?”

He sounded dazed.

She turned on her heel to face him, hands on her hips, purposely pulling her clothes tight so her belly was visible.

All color drained from his face. “You’re…”

“Yes. And you’re the father.”

*

Devan opened and shut his mouth. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It had been shocking enough to see Kyla again after six weeks, but to see her with a swollen belly… and because of him… Wait…

“What are you?” they demanded at the same time.

His wolf reared its head within him, and he fought the urge to give in.

Her hands still on her hips, she curled her fingers into fists. “You first.”

God, she was stubborn, bossy and bold and beautiful and when she licked her lips, he had a hard time focusing. His wolf, however, wasn’t thinking about lust. Not right now. All the wolf wanted was to taste her blood. He reined in his animal side then thought better of it. With his foot, he slammed the door shut and locked it. After making sure all of the curtains were closed, he allowed his face—and only his face—to shift.

She watched impassively as his teeth changed into fangs, his nose lengthened and grew moist, fur sprouting everywhere, his ears changing until his human head was no more, replaced by his wolf head. Before he could see any kind of reaction, her face changed too, into that of a coyote.

Of all animals, a coyote: one of the wolves’ enemies.

Again, the animal pulsated within, slamming against his defenses, wanting to come out and rip her apart. Again, he subdued it.

He reverted back first, and then she followed suit.

“A wolf,” she spat.

“A coyote,” he retorted. “That was a human bar. Why did you—”