Chapter 24
SAM
The scent of my mate’s tears made me instantly shift back to man form.
Changing shape was harder for some shifters than others.
My sister, Sylvie, had to concentrate hard and breathe deeply as she pictured her wolf before she shifted.
My other sister, Genevieve, thought it was painful–she said it hurt her joints and made her want to puke.
My mom said it felt like being birthed every time.
For me, shifting had always been fluid. One moment, I was on my belly in wolf form with my mate’s arms around my neck, the next instant, I had her cradled on my lap, my arms secure around her.
“Whoa,” JT said with awe again.
“Yeah. Whoa.” Clio buried her face against my neck, as if to hide whatever emotion had surfaced to make her cry.
I didn’t know her well enough yet to be able to guess what was wrong.
JT seemed to understand we needed some privacy, though, because he looked at us for a moment, then said, “Okay, I’m gonna go let my wolf run.”
Clio lifted her face from my neck and made her voice almost sound normal. “Okay, babe. We’ll be right behind you.”
We both watched as JT zoomed away.
“You okay?” I asked. “I smell tears.”
“Of course, you do.” She let out a soft puff of laughter. “You wolves and your super-sniffers catch everything.” She didn’t sound bitter, so I figured she was talking about JT, not her ex.
“I’m okay. I’m just happy.” Her voice sounded a little choked. “I felt like…I felt like I recognized your wolf. Is that crazy?”
Warmth flooded my chest. I squeezed her closer. Now my eyes were burning. “No, not crazy. That’s Fate talking to you. Just like she talked to me the moment I met you. Why do you think I spilled my coffee all over myself?”
Clio’s laugh rang out, sweet and full this time. It went straight to my dick.
Fate, this female did everything for me.
“It wasn’t just so you could show off your sexy chest by taking your shirt off?” She slid her fingertips lightly across my pecs, raising goosebumps on my arms.
I kissed her. “Oh, it was. If that worked, it definitely was.” My voice came out in a deep, suggestive rumble.
My lips met hers again one more time before I lifted her off me and stood to pull on my clothes.
JT was racing back and forth, climbing up and down boulders as he explored the Montana outdoors at a quick wolflike pace.
“Thanks for talking to him,” Clio said as I pulled on my jeans.
“Of course. I’ll always be there for him. He’s my family now. I already love your pup, Clio. As much as I love you. I would do anything for the two of you.”
Her eyes grew bright with tears again. “Stop making me cry.”
I reached for her waist and pulled her in. “Stop being so perfect.”
She blinked back the tears. “God, why am I so teary?”
“I hope it’s because you feel safe enough with me to let it all out,” I murmured, pulling her against me.
She wrapped her arms around my waist and stood with her cheek pressed against my bare chest. “It’s just that ever since I found out I was pregnant with JT, things have always been a struggle.”
I rubbed her back. “I’m so sorry you had to go through all that on your own.”
“Well, I had my dad to help when JT was a baby. He’s retired in Costa Rica, so I went there for the birth, and we lived with him for a couple of sweet years. But then JT’s nanny started noticing his super-baby stuff and was telling everyone in the little town about it. So we moved.”
“Does your dad know what JT is?”
She shook her head.
“You’ve really been alone in this the whole time.”
Her lips trembled. “Yeah.”
“Until now,” I said firmly. “Listen, I don’t know anything about your ex–hell I don’t even know his name,” I said.
“It’s Ted. Ted Thorson.”
Ted Thorson. I filed that away to research more later. The name was familiar–if I remembered, he was a hotshot as far as racecar drivers went. About to break a record for the most wins.
“Well, I don’t know anything about him, but for what it’s worth, most wolves have a strong urge to protect and provide for their young–human born or not.”
Clio pushed back from me.
I caught her waist and pulled her back in. “Don’t pull away from me, Sparks. I’m not him. I’m always gonna be Team Clio and JT. Always.”
She exhaled and softened slightly. “What are you saying?”
I shrugged. “I hate to even suggest it because the last thing I want is your ex sniffing around you and JT when I already want to kill him for hurting you, but–” I took a deep breath and exhaled.
What was I doing?
Ted Thorson didn’t know about JT. If I kept my mouth shut, our pack would never have to deal with him or his pack over anything.
But–fuck. I’d been careful with my female exploits, but if I had a pup out there somewhere, I’d sure as hell want to know about it, so I could be there for him and his mom.
“Maybe letting him know would at least get you the child support he owes.” I held my palms out. “But I support whatever decision you make one hundred percent. I’m your man, Clio. I have your back. Always.”
She studied me for a moment. “Thanks.”
“Can you trust that?”
She sucked in a breath and then let it out. “Yeah. I’ll try. I guess I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
I looked down at her. “No shoes will drop. I’m your mate. The male Fate picked for you.”
She gave me a smile. “A day ago I would’ve said that was bullshit, but I just experienced the strongest sense of déjà vu when I saw your wolf.” She shivered and stepped closer to me.
“I’m yours, Clio. And you’re mine. Get used to it.”
JT raced back up, holding a large pinecone. “Look, Mommy. This is the biggest pinecone out there!”
“Whoa, that is big.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “Should we take a picture?”
“Yeah!” JT cried.
I snapped a photo, then held my phone out to take a selfie of us. “Can I get a picture of us for my mom?”
“Who’s your mom?” JT demanded.
“Your mom knows about us?” Clio asked, squeezing in with JT and smiling for the camera.
“My mom is someone who is dying to meet you.” I picked JT up, flipping him upside down to swing him on top of my shoulders.
He shrieked with laughter.
I texted the picture to my mom. “My sisters want to meet you, too.” I reached for Clio’s hand. “Think you’re ready to meet the whole pack?”
She hesitated for a moment then said with a surprised laugh, “Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am. Let’s do it.”
I beamed at her then started to turn around as I flipped JT back off my shoulders and spun him to the ground. “Again!” he shrieked.
“Yep. But first I have to do that to your mommy!”
“What? No!” Clio laughed when I grabbed her by the waist and spun her around, too. “Oh my God, Sam. You’re crazy.”
I slowed us down and kissed her. “Yep. Crazy about you.” I ruffled JT’s hair. “Both of you.”