Freakn' Shifters Bundle (3-in-1) (60 page)

“No need to explain. I went through it when I met your father. I understand how overwhelming it can seem. Hence, the distraction. You can thank me later.”

“But...” Chris tried sticking out his bottom lip again, but his mother proved immune.

She shook a finger at him. “Don’t you dare teach that face to the baby! Otherwise, he’ll have his mama doing backflips and spoiling him rotten. Now, as for what you need to do. Listen for Melanie. She’ll wake up soon. She’s a better sleeper than her busy brother. They might get hungry. If so, there’s breast milk in the fridge –” Chris made a face, “– and instructions for heating it on the counter. Have fun. I’ll be back before you know it.”

As his mother walked out the front door, Chris demoted her from best mother ever to…dammit, still the best mother ever. She was right. He needed something to keep his mind occupied and teaching one little boy how to rule the world – through the use of cute puppy dog eyes – would fit the bill.

Setting the baby down on the floor, Chris then sat beside his nephew, watching him strain to push himself up on his forearms.

“Good job, little buddy,” he said when his nephew regarded him with a drooling smile.

Piece of cake. Look at him, taking care of the baby. Who said he wasn’t ready for parenthood? Wait a freakn’ second. Once he and Jill hooked up, they could end up with kids of their own in nine months. His mom’s words penetrated his thick skull finally.

Holy shit, I could be a dad.
What once would have put him into a panic, now just made him grin. Funny how meeting the right person could change a man’s mind.

An hour later, elbow deep in dirty diapers, screaming babies, and encased in a layer of baby powder, he decided that perhaps he should invest in a case of condoms. Maybe two.

And that was how Naomi found him, along with her tag along guest, Jill. The icing on the cake though? Melanie spat up the breast milk he’d managed to feed her, and it landed on his bare foot. Gross!

*

Stopping the giggle proved much too hard despite Chris’s pleading look for help. How could Jiao not laugh until tears pricked her eyes at the sight of her big and strong wolf? He was the picture of a male out of his element and steps away from full blown panic. He sported a half dressed baby on each hip, hair in a mussed tangle on his head, eyes wide through the layer of powder on his face, and as for the steaming layer of vomit on his foot? Funniest thing ever.

Laughter bubbled forth, a belly laugh like Jiao couldn’t ever recall. She snorted and giggled so hard, her eyes watered and she hiccupped for breath.

“It’s not that funny,” Chris growled.

Risking a peek at him, while trying to stifle her mirth, she saw him wince as one baby drooled on his arm. It set her off again.

With a shake of her head, Naomi, grabbed a squealing baby, slapped a diaper on and handed the child back to Chris who’d just straightened after wiping his foot off with his filthy shirt.

“Hey!” he tried to protest.

“I’ll tell Ethan you made Melanie cry.”

Chris clamped his lips shut, but his eyes shot daggers as Naomi took care of the other bare bottomed tot. She shoved the second child – now thankfully diapered – at Jiao before taking off with the toxic waste her children created.

Shocked, Jiao gaped at the baby dressed in pink, who in turn regarded her with suspicion. What should she do with the little critter, um girl? Jiao didn’t exactly have much experience in the baby department and the unblinking gaze freaked her out. “Why is she staring at me?” She whispered the question, even if she couldn’t have quite said why.

“Melanie is trying to decide whether to scream or drool.”

“Maybe you should hold her then,” she exclaimed, holding Melanie under her armpits and aiming her at Chris.

He shook his head, and gestured to his armful. “Nah. I’m good. You keep her. Me and my buddy Mark here are going to chill.” Chris flopped onto the couch and balanced the baby on his lap. Content with the choice, chubby Mark stuffed a fist in his mouth and sucked noisily.

Jiao sat more gingerly, afraid she’d drop the child. Melanie didn’t want to sit, though, and let out a yodel. Jiao shot up and the baby quieted – and Jiao could have sworn she smirked.

“Ha. Works every time. She’s a true princess in training.” Chris beamed at his niece and Jiao couldn’t help but smile.

“I take it she’s done it to you.”

“Done it? Who do you think taught it to her? While my sister wasn’t looking, of course,” he confided in a low whisper. Then louder. “What are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t get out tonight.”

“Not without a good excuse. Your sister showed up and insisted I come over to her place for coffee. She wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

He frowned. “I thought she was going to supper with her jocks.”

“She did, but they got called in for some kind of emergency team meeting, so she detoured to my place and insisted I come with her for a coffee over at her place. We just stopped in here to grab the babies first.”

“Sorry you had to see me like this,” he said ruefully.

A smile curved her lips. “Why? I thought you looked very cute.”

“Well, I guess that’s nicer than inept.”

“If it’s any consolation, I think you handled it better than me. I can’t imagine taking care of two babies at once.” Heck, she found it hard to picture even caring for one.

“You’ll have lots of help when it happens to us.” He stated the eventuality they’d have children together in a matter of fact tone.

“We will, will we? And have you decided on how many we’re having?” She arched a brow.

“Lots.” He laughed. “But not right away. I’d like to spend some alone time first with you before we get into the whole baby business.”

“I like the sound of that.” She liked the sound of any plan that included a future with Chris. Now, if only tomorrow would come faster so she could have her talk with Jack – not a pleasant one she could predict already – and start her life with her wolf.

“I’m back so you can stop making googly eyes at each other,” Naomi announced. Two pairs of baby arms went up and Naomi scooped her children up, nuzzling them.

“I do not googly eye,” Christ retorted. “I stare longingly.”

Jill didn’t say a word, though, too shocked by the fact Naomi guessed her interest in Chris.

“Don’t look so panicked,” Naomi admonished. “I know about your secret yen for each other. I won’t tell a soul. Promise. However, you might want to do something about your I’m-married situation, because it’s kind of obvious you both have a thing for each other.”

“It is?” Jill’s shoulder slumped.

“What does it matter?” Chris asked moving from his spot on the couch to kneel at her feet. “After tomorrow, Jack will know the truth, you’ll be free, and we can mate just like fate intended.”

Or, her brother would knock Jiao out, kidnap her and not let her regain consciousness until they’d gotten far away with a new life and identity. However, she couldn’t tell Chris her fear. God only knew what he’d do. “I just hope everything works out,” she murmured in a low voice.
But I have a really bad feeling.
A sixth sense that things would not go as planned.

Only a few days since the Thanksgiving dinner, and just over twenty four hours since Gina had driven her Asian pussycat to the edge of his control, Gina was no closer to forgetting him, no matter how many C batteries she went through riding her plastic substitute.

Where did the insane attraction stem from? Sure, Jack was freakn’ hot with his short hair, smooth skin, and tight little bod, but she’d screwed better looking men than Jack. She’d walked away from cuter ones too. None ever had her masturbating like she’d die if she didn’t come. None ever took up residence in her mind, got comfortable and refused to budge. And none, not even hot to trot, Frank Miller, ever got her wolf panting and drooling.

She really didn’t like what she thought it meant.
Not my mate.
A dozen, a hundred, more times than she could count, she repeated that to herself. It ran through her head like a melody. Unfortunately, she found it harder and harder to believe.
Not my mate. Oh yes he is. No he’s not. Stop fighting destiny.
God she hated arguing with herself. As for her wolf, she’d swear it mocked her.

Stupid dog had no sympathy for the human half that wasn’t ready to get tied down, and to such a stick in the mud. Although, according to her research, Mr. Jack Smith might not be as pristine as he appeared.

Gina drummed her fingers on her desk at the precinct as she hit another dead end on her latest query. Despite all her searches, through public, and some private, databases, for all intents and purposes, Jack and Jill Smith didn’t exist until a few months ago. A check of their previous address showed a home still under construction. Their previous employers were both businesses that suddenly went under with no one to reach. No arrests. No parking tickets. Not even a Facebook or twitter profile. In this day of technology and accessible online records, they were virtually nonexistent.

Impossible. And probably illegal. The most obvious reason for their lack of paper or electronic trail was they must have arrived as immigrants. Wanting to skip the laborious citizen application process, they instead acquired themselves new identities. Gina could call the immigration department on them, if she chose. But she wouldn’t. Jack and Jill – who didn’t live on a hill – seemed like an upstanding couple if you ignored their false identity. Were they even truly married? Damn her heart for racing as it suddenly hoped her pussycat wasn’t.

Single or not, Jack was not meant for her. Well, not permanently at any rate. A test drive, though, just to get him out of her system? Whole other matter.

Of more immediate interest, what did Jack and Jill’s pretend existence bode for Chris and his quest to win his mate? Who knew? But it did mean Jack, the uptight Asian fellow whom she couldn’t seem to forget, was possibly a criminal.

As an officer sworn to uphold the law, she needed to think twice before associating herself – A.K.A. knocking boots – with someone involved in a crime. Even if he made her panties wet enough to wring, and had her inner bitch panting like he was the juiciest steak bone ever.

Or, did she examine the evidence, more like lack of, from the wrong angle? What if the couple she snooped on hid from something other than immigration, say like their past? In her line of work, it wasn’t uncommon to see people who’d gone through tragedy or violence start over. Choose a new life and identity. Could that be the case? If yes, then perhaps she should restart her search keeping that in mind.

Assuming Jack and Jill were not their birth names, all that left her was the basics: approximate age and cultural heritage. She tried the missing persons list first. It returned a number of possibilities, too many for her to sort. Dammit.

She rattled her fingers on her desk again, the rat-a-tat, annoying to others, but somehow helpful to her thinking process. What else did she know? No visible birthmarks or tattoos. No access to their dental work or doctor records. But wait. Didn’t she hear mention of a brother. Sang, Sing, no, Sheng. She typed it in along with some variations and spelling. The database returned one hit.

Missing After A Fall in the Rockies

Sheng Chua and his sister, Jiao, are missing after an unfortunate rock climbing incident. The pair were last seen heading into the Saber region of Rocky Mountain park. It is believed they fell during the ascent, but their bodies were never recovered, nor was any of their equipment. If you have any information on this missing duo, please contact Park authorities or your local RCMP branch.

Stunned, Gina leaned back in her seat. What could this mean? Was Jiao, Jill? Had she and her brother faked their death? If Jill was indeed the missing rock climber, then who did that make Jack? Had Jiao perhaps lost her memories in the accident? Did Jack find her? Or worse, what if Jack abducted her and made her change her name and identity? What if he held Jill against her will?

Crazy assumptions – and possibly the basis for a movie she’d once watched – but farfetched or not, the cop in her had to know. Was Jack a criminal? Did Jill need rescuing?

Or the better question before she jumped to conclusions, was this Jiao Chu, Jill? Only one way to find out. The missing report, filed about six years ago listed an uncle as the only family contact. Gina dialed.

The phone rang several times before someone answered, with a low, “Can I help you?”

“Hi, I’m Gina Greco with the Ottawa police department. I am looking to speak with a Mr. Kaleb Chua.”

A pregnant silence followed interspersed with heavy breathing before he answered. “This is he. May I ask what this is in regards to?”

No hesitation, or worry in his tone despite her claim of working for law enforcement. Odd. Most people had mini panic attacks when cops called, even if for benign reasons. “I’d like to ask you a few questions about your missing niece and nephew.”

“Is there news? Have you found them?” He finally showed some animation.

“Not exactly, but your nephew’s name, Sheng, came up in connection to another case I’m working.”