Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Wolf’s Forced Mate Chapter 10

Leah

Every time I touched Tanner, my spirit soared. Things that didn't make sense suddenly fit together like an old puzzle. Ideas that hadn't ever been appealing were fit for my future goals. The body I once thought was too curvy and strangely shaped looked normal to me in the mirror. Normal-that was how it felt to live with Tanner. Between meetings with the alpha and playdates in the field with Inez, we were constantly in contact with each other, unable to keep our hands to ourselves. My desire for him had tripled. What I had thought would demolish any remaining attraction had actually intensified it.

And it had only been a week.

We did just about everything together aside from showering. Sometimes, we even shared the shower. Never before had things like that been attractive to me. I had always found those super-attached couples to be totally nauseating. Yet now that I had a partner of my own who was willing to stand by my side, it was less gross and more...beautiful.

Shells littered the shore where I walked with Inez and Tanner. Inez bounded ahead, shifting into her pup form and shredding right through her third outfit of the day.

I sighed with defeat. "Maybe we should just let her run around naked."

Tanner snaked his arm around my waist. "Maybe we should let you run around naked."

"Hey, we're in public."

"That didn't stop us last night."

A fever spread from my forehead to my cheeks. It dropped to my chest and then headed south, settling in my core where it belonged. My face cooled as I leaned toward Tanner. "Hush."

"You could make me, but..." He peeked at Inez who was trotting through the water. "Well, we're in public."

"Ah, so now you're shy about it."

He laughed. "You're right. It's just a kiss. It's not like how I drilled you over the kitchen counter while you-"

"TANNER!"

I swatted his upper arm, sending him cackling in the direction of my daughter. Inez barked and then trotted toward us, rounding us in a giant circle with the happiest twinkle in her eyes. When Tanner raced after her, she yipped and darted away, lingering within viewing range as she had been instructed.

Tanner took my hand. "She's been happy, huh?"

"Yeah, well..." I squeezed his hand twice. "She never got to shift around Edward."

"Didn't he know you were a shifter?"

I nipped my lower lip sheepishly. "Actually, he had no idea. He just..." I sighed and shook my head. "I kept him in the dark about my whole life. Almost everything I told him was a lie." "Even about your ability to get pregnant?"

I snapped my hand back. "Tanner, I told you already-the doctor told me it was nearly impossible."

"But not completely impossible."

My eyes burned with newfound anger. "Don't start this up again. Please."

"I'm just saying that the facts don't add up, Leah. If we hadn't banged each other about a hundred times already, I would have thought you adopted Inez." "What are you saying?" I propped my hands on my hips as he shot me an embarrassed grin. "Are you seriously implying that you can tell I've had a kid?"

He grabbed my hands. "Yes, princess. Absolutely."

My heart sank.

And just when I thought things were getting good.

"It's your curves," he continued. "I've seen you naked before and you were a damn stick. But now-" His eyes dropped to my hips. "Goddamn, it's like a f*****g candy factory here." "Tanner," I hissed. "Inez has good hearing."

"I'm just saying."

I shook his hands, trying to hide my smile. Even though it was easy to get upset with him, it was also easy to not be upset with him.

And I hated how he made it that way. "Well, you really saved your butt there. I almost thought you were implying that my-" I glanced over his shoulder and then focused on him when I was satisfied my daughter was far enough away. "-that my v****a was loose or something."

He choked and then shook his head like a dog shaking water droplets from his fur. "No, ma'am. Leah, I would never say something like that about you."

"But you've said it before about other women, haven't you?"

What had gotten into me? Being argumentative was in my nature, but it wasn't like me to just pick a fight out of nowhere.

He bowed his head. "Yeah, plenty of times. But I've learned not to be so crass. It's an old habit, you know? Hanging around guys can be a little..." "Demeaning?"

"Alright, girl. Easy."

I shrugged. "So, you picked it up from the boys. Is that it?"

"Why is it so important to you now? I'm with you, Leah. It doesn't matter what I've said about anyone else."

"But there have been other women, right?"

He frowned, his brows dipping so tightly together that they made a puzzled knot over the bridge of his nose. Silver eyes flecked with a hint of worry expanded like they were about to become planets. "Is that what this is all about?"

"What?"

"You're jealous."

I flushed. "No, that's not the case. I'm just concerned about how you perceive women, you know? Because Inez is going to grow into a woman someday." I cleared my throat. "You know, assuming she still identifies as a woman when she's old enough to figure it all out."

"You think I would disrespect your daughter like that?"

My muscles didn't seem to know what else to do other than shrug. "Yeah."

"Leah, I would never treat Inez like that."

"It's not that. It's just-" No, it was that. And so much more. I needed to stop lying to myself. I needed to stop lying in general. "I don't know."

I covered my face. Tanner wrapped me in his arms, soothing me with soft kisses to my temple.

Inez giggled somewhere in the background. I heard Tanner instruct her, his voice rumbling his chest with that masculine quality I treasured. Each command was kind and firm, authoritative in just the right ways. He was a protector and a keeper, the kind of man who could build a life with any woman and treat her right.

So, why did he choose me?

While Blake had matched us in a very public way, Tanner had still chosen to be with me. He chose to bite me. He chose to make love to me. He chose to keep us in his home.

What would happen on the day he chose otherwise?

Tears sprang to my eyes. This was the worst time to think about this sort of thing. After such a blissful week, it felt like I was crumbling under the worst kind of pressure. It was too good to be true. Edward had done it to me. And Tanner had already done it before. How long would it take for him to do it this time?

As I slipped out of Tanner's grip, I realized my face was wet. I turned to the ocean with my arms tightly folded over my chest, trying to hide the fact that I was shivering despite the heat. Tanner remained close. His hand brushed my upper back in firm strokes, just the way I liked it.

I closed my eyes. "Sorry."

"No, don't be sorry. You're allowed to be concerned about your daughter."

"It's stupid."

He spat. "Far from it, princess. Inez is going to be an adult someday and it's important she has parents who support her."

I turned to face him. "You see yourself as her parent?"

A light feeling laced around my heart, encouraging me to drop my arms. As a wistful smile spread over my lips, the breeze picked up, drying the tears on my face. Inez continued playing in the background. It sounded like she was counting shells.

Tanner lost some of his confident smile. "Well..."

Oh, there it was. Well. That meant he was still unsure about this whole situation.

"Well," I whispered. "I understand."

"It's not like that, Leah. It's just that she isn't-"

"Yours."

My lips tightened into a flat line. I stepped around Tanner and called for my daughter to grab the shells she wanted to take home.

"Hey," Tanner whispered, touching my shoulder. "That doesn't mean that I don't care about her. Or you."

I nodded. "I remember how upset you were four years ago. I get it."

"It doesn't mean I can't learn."

"Of course."

He took my hand and made me stop on the sand. "Leah, I'm being serious. I care about you both. I want to take care of you."

"I believe you."

That was a lie. So was the way he held my hand. Everything had simply been painted in a way that made it seem like things were great.

How had I pulled the wool over my own eyes so quickly? All because he screwed me and then bit me?

I rubbed the mark on my neck. While it had healed, a collection of scar tissue remained where his canines had pierced my skin. Just touching the points brought an onslaught of memories from that night. My feet carried me forward despite how much they wanted to plant into the ground and face my forced mate.

Because that was still what he was-forced. Blake had chosen our pairing. He had initiated the ceremony. Tanner and I had done the rest.

If that hadn't happened, then maybe I would be paired with someone else. Or maybe I would have met my true mate by now. It was hard to say.

But what I knew for sure was that I was trapped between a rock and a hard place. I was stuck in Tanner's house until he decided that he didn't want to keep Inez as a stepdaughter. Though some things had changed, I knew that hadn't.

He still wanted his own children. How did I know? Because he simply wouldn't believe the fact that Inez was literally a damn miracle of science.

After a few deep breaths and several seconds spent in silence, Tanner released my hand. I lifted Inez and headed for the trees, knowing the path that led back to the house would reveal itself eventually.

Tanner lagged behind. He probably felt the wall I was erecting between us. But it didn't matter. He would eventually change his mind. Whether it would be in months or years wasn't clear. I couldn't control that.

But I could control when I left.

Tanner's phone rang. He answered it quickly, speaking in short sentences that inevitably ended in, "Yes, Alpha."

I glanced over my shoulder. "Blake needs you?"

"Yeah, we have to go over another plan."

Worry gripped me despite my desire for it not to do that. "Is everything alright?"

"We just keep finding tracks out here. We know we're being watched but-" His eyes drifted around the area. "I don't know. It's been weird."

"Should we be worried?" I adjusted Inez on my hip. He didn't miss how my grip on her tightened. "I mean, should I be worried about you?"

He gave me an easy grin. "Chill, princess. You bit me. I bit you. We're good, okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright then."

A smile crashed through my defenses. "Great."

"You go ahead and get home, okay? Lock the doors. I'll call later."

A few twigs cracked nearby. I jumped, and Tanner clapped a hand on my shoulder, steadying me.

Jermaine raised a hand. "Don't panic. It's just me."

I held a hand over my heart. "Jesus."

Inez patted my cheek. "It's okay, Mommy. That's a bear."

The three of us broke into chuckles. Hearing that sound made me feel much better, like things were back to normal.

But I knew better than to get swept up in that sort of thinking. Comfort appealed to me. Why wouldn't it? We had been unstable for so long.

Comfort is the enemy, I convinced myself as I wandered ahead. My ears tickled with the knowledge that Jermaine and Tanner were watching us head back to the secure perimeter. If I get too comfortable, then he'll pull the rug right out from under us. I can't let that happen.

By the time we made it back home, Inez had fallen asleep in my arms. The sun drifted low in the sky, threatening to set fire to the horizon. Since she hadn't gotten her midafternoon nap, I decided to let her sleep, putting her in a pajama onesie before tucking her into her bed. Then, I headed to the main bedroom.

I could have called it my room as Tanner insisted, but that was foolish. No comfort. None at all. I couldn't let it happen. Things were too good to be true here, which meant that they would inevitably shatter. It was best to grab what we could and move on. Besides, Tanner had gotten what he wanted-protection. That was the whole point of Blake hooking us up. Blake was a remarkable alpha from what I had seen thus far, but that was it. He was invested in protecting his pack, which sometimes meant having people do things they weren't entirely on board with.

Like random mating rituals.

I'm sure the bond will hold up no matter where I am.

I glanced out the window, checking to see if anyone was approaching the house. Once I felt like the coast was clear, I went to the closet and grabbed my suitcase. I shoved clothes inside it while thinking of how to sneak out of the neighborhood unnoticed. It's not like he'll come looking for me.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, bra. Each necessary item got piled on top of another. Soon, I would go to Inez's room and start packing her stuff. She would probably wake up by the time we had to get out. Knowing Blake, that meeting would last for three hours. We had time, but I wanted to get a head start.

Tanner doesn't care. He's just doing this for his pack and his alpha. He made that clear like a week ago. How could I be so stupid?

My heart shuddered in my chest as the tears returned. No, now wasn't the time to start crying again. I had to get Inez packed up. I had to get out of here. It was the only way to avoid heartbreak all over again.

Regret hung heavy in the air on the way to my daughter's bedroom. A cool breeze swept over my shoulders as I walked through the doorway, a shiver cutting through my body so abruptly that it made me stop in place. Wait a minute. Something wasn't right.

White lace curtains fluttered from the balcony doors that were wide open. There was a lump in the toddler bed. Inez hadn't gotten up. Had I opened the doors before heading to the bedroom?

I went to shut them and sniffed a few times, noting the weird musk clinging to the breeze. One of the shifters nearby must have been in desperate need of a shower. Either that or I was picking up on the people coming back from the fields.

That wasn't even important. What I needed to do was wake up my daughter and get her into the yard. Maybe we could shift and race for the beach. We could even commandeer Tanner's schooner.

Not like I knew how to sail that thing. I just liked the idea of taking something of his for once.

"Nez," I whispered. "Honey, we got to go."

She didn't move as I approached the bed. That girl could really sleep. I reached down and patted her shoulder.

"Baby, get up. Come on."

Still no response.

Terror cracked my heart in half.

I grabbed the sheets and whipped them off. A pile of teddy bears stared back at me, a heart-wrenching sight that pushed a wail right out of my lungs.

Where the hell was my daughter?

I raced back to the balcony doors and whipped them open. The balcony was clear. So was the ground below. Had she fallen and gotten injured? Had she run off? It wasn't like her to shift randomly and race out of her room. She knew better than that. I had taught her better than that.

The wail followed me into the hallway, down the stairs, into the foyer. It strengthened on the porch. It pitched higher in the street. And as shifters gathered from every house nearby to see what was making that racket, my head spun and I hit the ground like a pile of bricks. Then, everything went black.