Arizona. My brother was going to be a father. We had a chance to start a new family legacy. None of that had changed; it just wasn’t going to look the way I’d envisioned.
The duet with Cole had been inspired because it voiced something inside me that I hadn’t been able to put into words. Until I met him, I’d been living in the shallow waters. No real risks. Comfortable. But this was more than I had bargained for.
A baby’s cry snapped me back into reality.
I ran into the clinic and found Wendy on a table, draped in blue surgical blankets and towels. My brother cradled a tiny baby in one arm. A full-term, healthy baby boy.
Cole was at the other end of the table, his voice controlled and calm. “One more push, Wendy.”
My new sister-in-law gripped Chandler’s hand. I came closer, keeping my voice down. “Can I help?”
The love on my brother’s face brought tears to my eyes as he handed me my baby nephew. He was perfect. Ten fingers and ten toes.
And apparently with the ability to shift into a wolf or jaguar or…? He looked up at me with my brother’s bright-blue eyes, and my heart burst. He was so damned beautiful. I didn’t care what he might turn into. This little guy was family, and I loved him already.
Wendy panted, sweat running down from her forehead.
“That’s it, baby,” Chandler coached his wife.
“One more push for the shoulders. Ready?” Cole said. “Okay, bear down.”
Wendy cried out, pushing until a tiny yowl echoed through the clinic. Cole was quiet for a second, and I held my breath. He stood up with a baby wrapped in a blue surgical towel, but he looked a little baffled. “It’s a…girl.”
Wendy and Chandler both craned their heads to see. Wendy gasped. “A girl? I thought…”
Her words faded as Cole handed the bundle to Chandler and said, “She’s a jaguar shifter.”
They all seemed puzzled, staring at the baby like she was an unexplainable paradox. Obviously, I was new to all this, but they looked as stunned as I must’ve looked in the truck when Cole told me he wasn’t human.
“She takes after her daddy,” I offered, unsure how to read the confusion in the room.
Chandler took the boy from me and placed both babies in Wendy’s happy arms. My brother kissed Wendy’s forehead. “They’re perfect.”
She nodded, a tear rolling free from the corner of her eye. “Welcome to the world, little ones.” She pressed her lips to each tiny head and looked up at Cole. “I thought the shifter gene was carried on the Y chromosome. How is she a jaguar without being bitten?”
He stood up and pulled off his gloves. “I’m not sure, but I remember Luke Reynolds mentioned something about their Alpha’s mate being a born shifter. She’s a jaguar, too. I’ll give him a call.” Cole grabbed his stethoscope and listened to their tiny chests and gave the new parents a smile.
“Hearts and lungs sound healthy. Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Cole,” Chandler said, stroking his fingers through Wendy’s hair. “Sorry about earlier.”
Cole shook his head. “It’s okay. I’ll be right outside if you need me.”
He crossed to me, taking my hand as he left the room. I followed, so overwhelmed by conflicting emotions I wavered between tears and laughter and an ache I couldn’t quite place. Once we were in the parking lot, he slid his hand free of mine.
“Thanks for staying.” He shifted his weight, and I realized he was nervous.
“Did you think I would leave?”
“Well I did drop that I was a werewolf while we were in a moving vehicle, and your brother’s wife was in labor.” He shrugged. “No one would blame you if you ran now.”
I took a slow breath. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.” I pointed toward the door. “Those babies didn’t look premature.”
“Nope.” He glanced over at me. “Gestation for shifters is four months. Wendy was full term. Chandler needed an excuse to explain why Wendy was so big at the shower, though, so that’s what the diabetes was about… I’m sorry about the lies. He thinks you’re safer not knowing about any of this. Part of me agrees with him. We were protecting you.”
“From the truth?”
He shook his head and met my eyes. “From the people who want to hurt us.”
Vivi said the same thing. A chill ran up my spine. “Who wants to hurt you?”
“Your boss, actually. Among others. She used Wendy’s DNA and blood samples to make a super soldier