Filed To Story: Secret Shifters Next Door Series PDF Free
There was one other thing I wanted to do before I went back home, though. So, I hailed a cab and gave the driver the name of the place I wanted to go. As we drove, a light drizzle began to
come down outside. The lights of the city ticked by, and I allowed myself a sigh of relief.
A few minutes later, I stepped through the doors of the lounge and took a seat at the bar. It was the exact same stool I’d sat on months ago. Across the bar was the spot where I’d first set eyes on Harley.
The bartender put a beverage napkin down in front of me, and said, “What can I get you tonight, friend?”
“Whiskey sour, no ice.”
“On it, boss.”
He returned with the drink moments later, and I sipped at it for several minutes. Continuing to stare at the spot where Harley had been sitting, I felt the nostalgia. The way my heart had warmed, and the stirring of my dragon, how beautiful she looked, it all came back. It hit me that even then, on that night, I felt the pull toward her. She was meant for me.
I downed the rest of the drink and looked around one last time at the place where it all began. Then, I stood and placed twenty dollars on the bar. I gave the place one last glance and smiled to myself. I left and went back home to my family.
THIRTY-EIGHT
HARLEY
It was December, and it had been almost two months since Tate had claimed me. I still hadn’t shifted. On one hand, I was happy. I had enough to worry about without transforming into a giant dragon. On the other hand, I couldn’t figure out why it hadn’t happened, and was ready for the shift.
I knew it had done something to me. Over the past few months, my senses had heightened astronomically. I could hear and smell things I never could before. Small things, like telling the difference between the scents of different types of woodlike the dining room table smelled different than the kitchen cabinets. I didn’t even know different woods could smell different, but there it was.
My body was also more connected to my baby. His magic was like a warm glow coming from inside me; it was actually something I could feel. The same was true of Tate and the guys. Something connected us that hadn’t been there before. There was no way to adequately explain it, but even though I hadn’t turned into a dragon, I knew I was no longer human.
Mariah and I were sitting on our porch watching Steff and Tate carry boxes across the street to his house. Our house now. We had decided to move into his place. It had an extra bedroom
that would work as the baby’s nursery. His home was bigger in general, and we would all have more room. I’d already messaged Maddox to tell him thanks for the home the last few months, but we’d be moving by the end of the month.
Jordyn was carrying a box and talking a mile a minute to Blayne about where to put all the things in her new room. To his credit, Blayne never lost the smile and did exactly as she asked. I was truly at peace and happy, even though I knew danger was still looming. Right now, however, there was nothing that could stop me from soaking in as much happiness as I could.
A smile slipped onto my lips as Kayden helped Mariah haul her desk across the street. The boy had become a pretty normal staple at our house. He was obviously smitten with Mariah and fell over himself doing anything and everything to make a good impression with me and Tate. The fact that he was over so much had forced me to have the dreaded
talk with Mariah about protection for sex. Her face had been flaming the whole time, but she’d promised to come to me if she ever thought she was ready for the next step with Kayden. After the talk, I believed she would.
A sharp cramp tugged at my belly, and I winced. I rubbed at the spot and ignored it. I’d been having Braxton-Hicks contractions for weeks now, and it was becoming routine at this point. The baby was due soon, but I still had a few weeks. At least, I’d thought that was the case.
A few minutes later, another contraction hit me. Painful enough to make me sit up in surprise. Not wanting to freak anyone out yet, I sat and waited. Three more contractions came. When the fourth one hit, I knew things were about to start happening.
“Tate!” I called across the street.
He stopped and put the box down. “Yeah?”
“Car. Now.”
“Car? You need to go to the store?” Tate asked dumbly.
Steff smacked him on the back. “No, numb nuts.”
Tate glanced at him as another, more painful contraction had me bending over in pain. Realization washed over Tate’s face, and he sprinted toward me. Less than three minutes later, I was in the car, trying to breathe through the pain. This wasn’t my first rodeo, I knew what to expect and how to handle it. Tate, on the other hand, was close to losing his damn mind. The stoic and calm man I’d grown to love was now freaking out. It got to the point that laughter bubbled out of me.
I placed a reassuring hand on his arm. “Stay calm, big guy. We’re gonna be fine. You’ll be an amazing daddy.”
Three hours later, Tory James Mills was born. As I lay in bed, exhausted, sweaty, and sore, I smiled as I watched Tate pace the room slowly, holding his son. He was in love the first instant he saw him. I could see the love radiating from his eyes. Adoration, pride, and happiness seemed to radiate out of Tate’s face as he watched Tory sleep.
After he laid him in the heated bassinet, he stepped over to me and took my hand. He kissed my knuckles, then pulled something out of his pocket. Before I could see what it was, he slid the ring onto my finger. Even in my fatigued state, I gasped and put my other hand to my mouth. Tate had claimed me, as a shifter. But I was born in the world of humans. In that world, a ring on a finger signified something equally as powerful as claiming.
Tate said, “I’ve taken you as mine in the ways of shifters. Now I want to take you as mine in the way of humans. I want you to be mine in every way possible. I want you to have my last name. I want you to be with me forever. Harley, will you marry me?”
As the tears flowed, I was barely able to get the words out. I managed, “Yes, yes, yes,” while sobbing and laughing at the same time.
I slept better that night than I’d ever slept in my life. Content with my baby in his bed beside me and my new fiancé napping on the couch across the room. My body was already feeling better. With the girls, I’d been in pretty significant pain for days. As I slipped off to sleep, I decided there were several benefits to being a shifter.
Less than a week after we got back from the hospital, I called for Tate. I’d finished feeding Tory, and I was feeling feverish and dizzy. Sweat poured off my body, and my skin felt like it was on fire.
Tate came in seconds after I called. When I told him what I was feeling, his eyes went wide. “It’s time.”
“Time for what?” I asked.