Children of the Moon: Book Four Read online

  “Mom!”

  Annalise Rose lifted her gaze and she started to cry softly and both of her daughters wrapped her in up their arms, smothering her as she started to cry in disbelief.

  “I can’t believe it’s really you.” India started to cry too and Bree’s eyes filled up as she watched their poignant reunion. She was grateful when she felt Nate’s arms go around her waist and she leaned into him and gave in to her tears of joy.

  She couldn’t imagine what they were feeling right now and wiped her face to go inside and prepare a room for their guest. They had years to catch up on and India and Imogen would want some answers to their many questions.

  Seann went inside to make sure that Jay had removed Danvers from his living room and locked him in the underground cell, the last thing Annalise Rose needed to see was the man who had held her captive for the last four years. Bree knew her brother would keep his word and would spare his life but she also knew there wasn’t a chance in hell that he would be prepared to set him free to wreak havoc on the rest of the world. Seann would have some kind of a plan for him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  Nate

  Nate loved nothing more than to watch Bree sleeping, her dark hair was long enough to curl over her shoulders now and was silky soft as he ran it gently through his fingers. Her chest was rising and falling softly and her breathing was even so he knew she probably wouldn’t wake up for at least another hour.

  He got out of bed gently and pulled on his shorts before going downstairs in search of fresh coffee. It was still dark outside and the kitchen was deserted but there was a fresh pot already on the stove and he was grateful to whoever beat him to it. He poured a large cup and took it out to the front porch and settled on the empty chair beside the boss.

  “You couldn’t sleep either?” Seann asked.

  “I always wake this early, hard habit to break. What’s your excuse?” he smiled.

  “Imogen is understandably upset that her mother is in such bad health and wants me to change her, but I’m not certain she would make it in her condition and the added complication of her age. Jonathan was in his forties when Jacob’s pack found him but despite his injuries, he was fit and healthy underneath.”

  “Shit.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What did you do with Danvers?” Nate changed the subject.

  “Jay shipped him off to a secure psychiatric hospital with a nice room, a warm bed and the best healthcare he could ask for, basically everything he was promised,” Seann said.

  “Except for his freedom.”

  “I never promised him freedom, neither did Jay. That was never going to be possible with the terrible things he has done to other people. I’m doing the world a favor by locking him up for the rest of his natural life. He will also be chemically prevented from shifting, Jay has a doctor on the inside.”

  “How did you swing that?”

  “I didn’t, my uncle knows some powerful people. He won’t be released, ever.”

  “What about his cohorts?”

  “The wolves who were guarding Annalise are dead as are three of the men he brought with him. The others surrendered and Jay is taking care of them. Jacob has offered to keep them for a while until the pack decides what to do with them. At least one of them was forced into it as Danvers threatened his family. With India’s help, we can weed through them and decide on their future. The list of pack prisoners is certainly growing.”

  Nate sipped his coffee knowing he couldn’t blame Seann, in fact, he had been sure he was going to kill Danvers, especially after seeing the state that Imogen’s Mom was in. Hope was pretty confident that with Summer’s help she could nurse her back to full health but Seann was outraged on his mate’s behalf.

  Garrett appeared on the porch and sat down on the step with a yawn.

  “How is India?” Nate asked him.

  “Very emotional. Delighted to have her Mom back but still furious at the way Danvers has treated her. Apparently he starved her to get her to do what he wanted and wasn’t above having his goons rough her up a bit when she refused. Summer said he did the same things to her and Lukas still wants to see him dead for what he did to his sister.” Garrett sipped his coffee.

  “I think Annalise is stronger than she looks. Hope is staying with her and Rafe will examine her in the morning after she has had a proper night's sleep. Roisin’s cooking will soon put the pounds back on her and if all else fails we can still try to facilitate her change if it’s what she wants.” Seann said.

  “I feel terrible for Liam and Finn. It’s terrible to know that your own brother is capable of the things Danvers has done.” Garrett added. “Especially Finn, he grew up with him in the same household.”

  “Cillian is immature and stupid, Garrett, but Danvers is evil,” Seann said knowing that his beta was reliving his own brother’s part in his mate's attempted kidnapping. It was the same night that he found out Garrett was actually his half-brother.

  “I know. He is still young and he is really trying to make amends, but I was thinking more of my father. He treated me like crap my whole life because I wasn’t his biological child, but even worse he kept Rylee locked up in the basement just to lure me in and she was his child. My Mom is so much happier without him though and Connor said she has started painting again, Rylee inherited her talent.” Garrett drained his cup and stripped off his shirt and shorts, ready to run.

  “Talking of Connor, where did he disappear to?” Nate asked him.

  “He was staying in one of the empty cabins with Lukas but he has some personal business to take care of. We are going for a run and then he is heading into the city, he will be back in a week or two. Lukas and Summer will go back to the mountain today to spend some time together. They are leaving as soon as she has made some potions for Hope to give to Annalise to help her heal.”

  “I’m sure they have a lot to catch up on.”

  “Anyone want to join us, we are going to run the perimeter a few times to blow away the cobwebs?” Garrett added

  Two large wolves came through the clearing, one brown, the other was almost black and Garrett shifted in seconds, his dark blonde fur covered his body and he joined them, waiting expectantly but Nate and Seann declined.

  Seann never seemed to have a moment to call his own and Nate wanted to go back upstairs and crawl into bed with Bree for an hour before the rest of the household woke up and chaos resumed once more.

  Seann went into his office and Nate climbed the stairs. Bree was still asleep and he stripped off his shorts and slipped in behind her, pulling her warm body against him and inhaling her addictively sweet scent as she stirred slightly.

  He ran his hand over her bare thigh and her lips parted as she moaned softly and his arousal was almost instant as she turned into his arms and pressed her lips against his. He rolled her on top of him and her tongue darted inside his mouth as her fingers tangled into his thick hair.

  “Good morning,” she whispered as she straddled him and raised a sleepy eyebrow as she pressed against his raging erection. Nate knew he had to take control or he wouldn’t last more than a few seconds and he flipped her onto her back and buried his head between her legs.

  Bree was receptive and wrapped her legs around him as his tongue probed her soft folds and she gasped as his lips found her sweet spot and he sucked the sensitive nub as she bucked beneath him. His fingers replaced his tongue and he brought her to the brink of orgasm with just a few strokes and as she started to keen he wrapped her legs around his waist and quickly thrust inside her.

  She cried out his name a few seconds later and after only a few more thrusts he joined her as they spiraled up into the heavens and down again to earth, wrapped tightly in each other's arms.

  “That must be a record, Nathaniel.” she grinned as he rolled over and they turned to face each other.

  “We could try and break it.” he slung his leg over hers and she could feel he was up and ready to go again.

  “W
e could, or we could take it slowly and savor it a little more this time,” she teased him as she ran her fingers softly over his broad chest, down over his taut stomach and wrapped her hand around him, stroking him slowly.

  “Darlin, I won’t last another minute if you do that, maybe we should both have a cold shower.” he threw back the covers and scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing and carried her to the bathroom despite her protests.

  “I hate cold water, Nathaniel no, please!” she squealed but he turned the dial on full and held her against him as he stepped under the spray.

  Bree yelped as the freezing cold water hit her skin and Nate laughed as she buried her head into his chest and waited for her skin to acclimate to the cold. He lifted her higher and held her body against the cool tile as his lips found her erect nipple and he sucked it into his mouth and Bree groaned at the sensitivity and her legs came around his waist and she instinctively rubbed her body against his.

  He was taking his time and despite her urgency, she closed her eyes and just savored the feeling as he switched sides and teased her other breast with his tongue and lips. The water felt almost warm but her skin was on fire as her arousal grew and she wanted him inside her.

  “Nathaniel, I need you.” she ground out as her orgasm began to grow again and he turned her around, facing away from him and he pushed deep inside, holding her hips and guiding her against his deep thrusts. The feeling was so intense, she gasped and pressed her face against the cool tile as he pounded into her and she unfurled as he reached around and his thumb massaged her swollen nub as he pounded harder and harder.

  The noise coming from deep inside her was animalistic and she threw back her head and gave into it as she soared up and up into the heavens until she couldn’t stand another moment and then she exploded around him in a wave of sheer pleasure. The waves washed over her again and again and in the background, she heard her mate call out her name as he climaxed too and she leaned against the tile, her legs like jello as she waited for the feeling to come back to them.

  “Wow, that was a little intense.” Nate kissed her and turned the water back to warm and shampooed her hair as she tried to steady her erratic heartbeat.

  When they were both done she wrapped a huge bath towel around her and padded back to the bedroom, needing another few minutes to get the strength back in her limbs. Nate cradled her in his arms and she closed her eyes, content and at peace with the world. How the hell did shifters get anything done when sex was this freaking awesome between them. She wanted to stay in bed all day long and make babies with this man.

  Something tugged in the periphery of her brain and it took a few moments before the thought surfaced properly and a bubble of realization exploded in her brain.

  When was her last period, she was late, very late!

  She turned around to hide her elated expression from Nathaniel and sent a silent prayer to the goddess that she was already carrying his child.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  Bree

  “Come on!” she willed the little stick she had just peed on to change and tell her whether or not she was actually pregnant. The minutes felt like hours but when she looked again there were definitely two lines, not one. She sat down on the side of the tub and looked at the test again to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.

  She was pregnant.

  She couldn’t wait to tell Nathaniel but first, she needed to go to the clinic and have Rafe confirm it. She wanted to be absolutely sure before she told him because she knew he would be elated and didn’t want to get his hopes up and then dash them if she had gotten it wrong.

  Nathaniel was in Seann’s office with Garrett, Liam and Jay and she knew they were waiting for Finn to join them. She went into the kitchen and India and Imogen were making breakfast. She snagged a pastry and a glass of orange juice and ate it quickly.

  “How is your Mom doing?” she asked them.

  “She is still sleeping but she is on the mend, she just needs some time now. Summer prepared some herbal medicine that should help her heal quicker and give her an appetite. She has decided to drive back to the mountain with Lukas this morning, they have a lot of catching up to do. Hope and Rylee left first thing too” Imogen smiled.

  “What about your Dad?”

  “We will bring him here in a couple of weeks. Mom didn’t want to see him until she was feeling better but you know how the pack can gossip and the last thing we need is for him to hear it from someone else so she will need to stay inside, away from prying eyes until she is ready.” India added as she put a plate piled high with sausages into the oven to keep warm.

  “I hope it goes well, I truly do.” Bree hugged each of them.

  “Thanks, me too. As luck would have it, Dad’s actually out on the west coast on pack business so we don’t have to worry about him showing up for an unexpected visit.” Imogen smiled again, “I am more than a little nervous though.”

  “Is Rafe still here?”

  “No, he left about thirty minutes ago, he said he would be back around lunchtime. Roisin is going to stay with Mom for a couple of hours and India and I will be here too.”

  “I need to pop out for a little while, I won’t be long.” Bree said as she skipped out the back door, not giving them a chance to ask where she was going.

  She ran through the trees in the direction of the clinic, keeping away from the front of the Den in case Nathaniel should happen to look out the window. She stopped running as the building came into view and walked the rest of the way to get her breath back.

  Rafe was in the front office and looked surprised to see her.

  “Bree, are you looking for Hope. I think she was going back to the mountain cabin with Rylee?”

  “No, it’s you I came to see, Rafe.” she smiled and he ushered her into his office and closed the door.

  “Are you ill?”

  “No, I think I’m pregnant. My period is late and I did a test this morning that was positive.” she couldn’t stop the grin that split her face.

  “Come on through.” He smiled.

  She took another test which showed the same positive result as earlier and he examined her thoroughly before she climbed down from the bed and sat in the chair opposite him.

  “Well.”

  “I think it’s safe to say that you are pregnant, Bree, about seven or eight weeks going by the fundal height, but we will do an ultrasound in another couple of weeks or so that will tell more accurately.” Rafe smiled again.

  “I don’t think I can be more than five or six weeks at the most, I only missed one period.” Bree frowned.

  “It’s only an educated guess at this point and there is the possibility that you could be carrying twins, about one in forty shifter pregnancies result in multiples and being a twin, yourself increases the odds. Doesn’t really work that way for humans, but our DNA is unique and we are a fertile bunch.”

  Bree placed her hand on her still flat stomach and a wave of love washed over her. She was pregnant with Nathaniel’s baby, or babies. She couldn’t wait to go back up to the Den and tell him, she knew he would be over the moon.

  She walked back slowly, meeting a few people along the way but she would keep this to herself until she had a chance to talk to her mate. She would also tell Hope, Seann, Imogen, India and Garrett … oh and her aunt Roisin.

  She walked into the kitchen with a silly grin on her face and ignored the questioning looks of the others all having breakfast as she grabbed Nate's hand and pulled him to his feet and upstairs to their room.

  “You may need to sit down for this little piece of news.” she pushed him back until he sat on the edge of the bed.

  “What is it?” He looked a little confused.

  “I went down to the clinic this morning and Rafe confirmed that I am pregnant, Nathaniel, we are going to have a baby, possibly two. My uterus is a little bigger than it should be for five or six weeks so it may even be twins.” she couldn’t stop grinning.

 
; Nate jumped up and pulled her into his arms.

  “I don’t think I have ever had more welcome news, darlin.” he held her against him so tightly she was struggling to breathe. “You just made me the happiest man alive, Bree Donovan. Wow, a baby!”

  She pushed out of his arms and saw the joy on her mate’s face.

  “Let’s go downstairs and tell the others … unless you want to celebrate a little first with just the two of us.” she opened the buttons on his shirt and slipped her hand inside.

  “Is it safe?”

  “It’s more than safe and absolutely necessary. Pregnant wolves have a tremendously high libido you know.”

  “Thank the gods in their wisdom.” he grinned as he reached out, pulled her shirt over her head and pulled her towards him to claim her soft lips.

  Bree stretched lazily like a cat and turned around to face her mate, her heart bursting with love and joy. His steady gray gaze was watching her closely and she reached up a hand and stroked his handsome face.

  He took her hand and brought it to his lips and she smiled as her heart flipped over at the intensity in his pale gray eyes.

  “I love you, more than I ever thought it possible to love another person. You are my mate and will be the mother of my children and I can’t imagine my existence without you.” he kissed her hand again and smiled.

  She smiled as he tipped her chin up and she saw the truth in his words reflected in his eyes as he whispered softly.

  “Marry me, Bree!”

  The End.

  *****

  As always, a huge thank you for reading my latest book. I love the characters in this series, they almost seem to have a mind of their own and Bree and Nathaniel were no exception. Their story will carry on into book five as we find out what the fates have in store for her twin sister, Hope. We will also hear more from Imogen and Seann, India and Garrett, Kandis and Liam and of course our new characters, Summer Blackwood and Annalise Rose.