Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
DAWSON
Parker had been living with me for two weeks, and I was still getting used to the small changes that came with sharing my space.
His coffee mug was on the counter next to mine and his jacket hung on the hook by the door. He hummed off-key while making breakfast and the citrus-sweet scent of him that my wolf had picked up on was woven through every room of the house, marking it as ours instead of just mine.
My wolf loved having our mate safe in our den while carrying our cub.
Parker, at ten weeks pregnant, was less enthusiastic about some aspects of his new reality.
"I don't understand how this works," he said one evening, curled up on the couch with his hand resting on the small bump that was just starting to show. "What if the baby shifts while I'm holding them? What if they get hurt and I don't know what to do? What if—"
"Hey." I sat beside him, pulling him close. "You're going to be a great parent."
"But I'm human, Dawson. I don't know anything about shifter babies. What if I mess everything up?"
This wasn't the first time he'd voiced these fears. The pregnancy had been a surprise, but a welcome one. The shifter aspect of it, though, that worried him.
I'd explained that shifter babies didn't meet their beast until they were teens but Parker was convinced our little one was going to be different and they'd spark a revolution because they'd shift in the middle of the mall.
"The full moon is this week," I told him. "I was thinking maybe you'd want to come with me and meet Tony and the others. See what shifting is really like."
Parker looked up at me. "I've already met Tony and seen him naked." He snorted with laughter. "Sorry but I can't forget his bare butt as he scurried through the woods, trying to get as far from us as possible."
I'd prefer to forget that moment when I spied Parker hiding in the bushes.
"You want me to watch you all shift?"
"Only if you're comfortable. But I think it might help to see that it's not scary and that we're still us, but in a different form." I squeezed his hand. "There are a few others who run with us. I think meeting them might ease some of your worries."
"Okay." Parker took a breath. "Yeah. I'd like that. But will I see all their dicks?"
"Shifters aren't weirded out by nudity as humans are."
"So that's a yes."
Thursday evening found us driving to the same clearing where Parker had discovered my secret. He was quiet in the passenger seat, one hand absently rubbing his belly.
"You sure about this?" I asked.
"I am because I need to understand this part of you and our baby." He managed a smile.
Tony was already there when we arrived, along with Samson, a quiet omega with dark eyes, Casey, an alpha who worked at the local library, and Jaden, an alpha who ran a construction company. We weren't a formal pack, but we'd been meeting for the full moon runs for years.
"Everyone, this is Parker." I kept my hand on the small of his back, a possessive gesture that satisfied me and my wolf. "My mate."
The others greeted him warmly, though I could scent the nervousness on Parker. Samson stepped forward and offered his hand.
"It's good to meet you. Dawson's been happier these past couple of months."
Parker shook their hand. "I'm glad."
"You can stay here," I told Parker, pointing to a fallen log at the edge of the clearing. "Far enough back that you won't feel crowded, but close enough to see."
"I know this log. I hid behind it on that day." He shooed me away. "Now go. I'll be fine." But his hand found mine, squeezing once before letting go. "Go. Do your wolf thing."
I worried that he'd be scared in the dark but he said he'd yell if he heard noises and I promised I'd be by his side in an instant.
The shift felt different with Parker watching. I was more vulnerable as I stripped off but my wolf was proud, prancing around the clearing. But when I looked at Parker while in my wolf form, there was no fear in his expression. He gave my beast a shy wave.
The others shifted too, and we ran through the trees, under the moon, letting our wolves play and hunt. It was freedom in its purest form, and for the first time, I wished Parker could experience it and understand what it felt like to run on four legs and to smell the world with a wolf's senses.
We returned to the clearing as the moon began to set. We shifted back and got dressed, falling into the easy camaraderie that came from years of running together. Parker had stayed where I'd left him
"That was beautiful," he said. "The way you all moved together. It was sort of in formation."
"That's what pack feels like." I sat beside him, pulling him close. "Even when we're not formal about it."
Samson approached, his expression thoughtful. "Parker, may I...?" He gestured toward his belly.
Parker glanced at me as if he was uncertain what to do but I nodded.
"Samson's parent was a healer and he has some of his dad's instincts. He won't hurt you or the baby."
"Okay." Parker straightened. "What do you need me to do?"
"Just stay still." Samson knelt in front of him and his hands hovered over Parker's small bump. My friend closed his eyes, and I studied his expression as he concentrated. "I can feel your baby."
"Feel what?" Parker's voice was barely a whisper. "You're not touching me." He looked at me.
"Your cub is strong and healthy." Samson's smile widened. "And definitely a shifter. I can sense their wolf already sleeping until your little one reaches adolescence."
Parker's hand flew to his belly. "Really? Our baby's a shifter?"
"Without question." Samson looked up at me. "Congratulations. Your cub is going to be powerful."
I pulled Parker close and whispered in his ear how much I adored him. He leaned into me, seeking my warmth, a gesture that had become automatic and I loved it. My wolf preened. Our mate was carrying our shifter cub who would grow up knowing both worlds.
"Here." Samson took Parker's hand and placed it on his belly, then reached for mine, guiding it to rest beside Parker's. "Feel that? That's your family."
Under our joined hands, I felt it. Not a kick, but a warmth. Our cub, nestled safe inside Parker, was already showing signs of the wolf they would become.
Parker's eyes were wet. "I can feel our little one."
"They know you," Samson said softly. "Both of you. And they're excited to meet you."
After Samson stepped away, Parker leaned into me. "I'm still apprehensive," he admitted. "But less than before. Knowing there are others who understand has reassured me our baby is fine." He cradled his small bump. "Thank you for bringing me here."
"You're part of this pack now." I pressed a kiss to his temple. "And when the cub comes, you won't be doing this alone. We'll all help. Samson, Tony, the others. That's what pack does."
"Pack." Parker tested the word. "I like that."
The drive home was quiet but comfortable. Parker dozed in the passenger seat, one hand still resting on his belly. When we got back to the house—our house now—I carried him inside, though he grumbled that he could walk perfectly fine.
"I'm pregnant, not broken," he muttered, but he didn't push me away when I set him on the bed.
"I know. But my wolf likes taking care of you."
"Your wolf is very bossy."
"You have no idea."
I helped him out of his clothes and into sleep pants, then crawled into bed beside him. In the darkness, his hand found mine, guiding it back to his belly.
"Our little one is really in there," he said. "A shifter baby."
"Yeah." I splayed my fingers across the small bump. "Our cub."
"What do I say when our kid asks, 'Dad, I want to shift?'"
"Tell them to wait for me before they get furry. Or they might just do it. Teens don't always ask permission. But you're going to be a great father."
"How do you know?"
"Because you care enough to worry about it. That's what makes a good parent." I kissed his shoulder. "Besides, the cub will teach you. They'll shift when they're ready, and we'll figure it out together."
We lay there in the darkness, my hand on his belly, feeling the warmth of our cub growing inside him. Parker's breathing evened out, and I knew he'd fallen asleep.
But I stayed awake a while longer as me and my wolf were content to be beside our mate. Parker was safe and our cub was strong. And for the first time in my life, I understood what it meant to have everything I'd ever wanted.
And it all started with a grumpy meteorologist falling for a sunshine morning show host who interrupted him.
Life, I decided, had a strange sense of humor but I wouldn't change a single thing.