Broken Moon (10 page)

“You know, if the data you managed to
retrieve on this hard drive wasn’t so damned useful, I’d have you discharged
for insubordination,” Commander Fitzsimmons said as he glared at Harley from
behind his desk. It had been nearly a week since they’d stormed the Justice
base in Washington and rescued Jocelyne… nearly a week since he’d last gazed
into her gorgeous violet eyes, or kissed her perfect cupid’s bow lips.

            “Yeah,
well I figured getting the names and locations of every single shifter they’d
ever experimented on, as well as the results of those experiments, would put
you in a better mood,” Harley quipped as he leaned back in the guest chair he’d
perched himself in. “Sir.”

            “You
always were a cheeky bastard, you know that?” Fitzsimmons arched a brow as he
leaned back in his brown leather office chair. Aside from the top-of-the-line
computer, and the case that held his medals which sat off in one corner, it was
the only extravagant thing in the room – the Commander was a financially
humble man who didn’t believe he needed to throw his money around to impress
anyone. Muted greens and browns made up the color scheme, and the only things
hanging on the walls were photographs of the Commander with various groups of
old soldier friends from his long, illustrious career.

            The
obvious emphasis on friends and loyalty over money and connections was one of
the reasons he’d always liked the Commander, more than anyone else he’d ever
served under before.

            “Yes,
I do know that,” Harley said, hiding a grin. “I always thought that was the
reason you promoted me to Lieutenant.” He bit back a sigh, reminded of his
recent demotion. “I figure I have to keep doing what was successful if I ever
want to get my rank back.”

            “Yes,
well, that remains to be seen.” The Commander leaned over and pressed the
intercom button, his eyes still on Harley. “Send her in, please.”

            There
was a patter of light footsteps outside, and then Harley was already out of his
chair, having already caught the sweet, unmistakable vanilla scent that seeped
in through the door. Thankfully, the Commander had gotten to his feet too, his
eyes shrewd as a hawk as Jocelyne opened the door and stepped inside.

            “Ma’am.”
Harley bowed respectfully, his back ramrod straight even though he was out of
uniform – he was a soldier, after all. “You look lovely today.”

            “And
so do you.” Jocelyne grinned at him a little, her hands folded behind her back
as she regarded him. She was decked out in a lovely green dress that showed off
her legs, and matching earrings, her hair swept up into a high bun that
revealed the long, graceful curve of her neck. “But then again, you always do.”

            “If
only your father thought so highly of me.” He chuckled softly, and then glanced
at the Commander, holding his tongue until Jocelyne had properly embraced her
father. “May I ask what this is all about?”

            The
Commander sighed. “It turns out that my daughter
is
pregnant,” he said,
somehow managing to gaze tenderly at Jocelyne and glower fiercely at Harley all
at the same time. “And that you’re the father.”

            “Oh.”
The anxiety that had been slowly simmering in his gut all week eased a little,
replaced by an incandescent joy now that he knew Jocelyne really was expecting.
The idea that this brave, courageous woman was carrying his child… it was
almost too much to handle. His heart swelled with love for her, and for the
baby growing inside of her belly.  He struggled to remain calm; his simple
response a façade when all he really wanted to do was shout it from the
rooftops. Somehow he managed to keep the grin off his face, though by the way Jocelyne’s
grin widened, he knew she could see right through him. “Umm… pardon me, sir,
but how do you feel about that?”

            “Well,
I’ve always wanted grandchildren,” the Commander admitted, squeezing his
daughter’s shoulders fondly. “And though this wasn’t exactly the way I
envisioned her having them, I can’t exactly complain.” His face sobered as he
turned to Harley. “So now, Sergeant Coulter, you’re faced with a rather
uncomfortable choice. Would you rather have your career, or my daughter?”

            “Excuse
me?”

            The
Commander glared impatiently at him. “I stand by my initial decision that I
would never allow my daughter to become involved with one of the members of my Order,”
he said firmly. “It’s simply too dangerous, not just because of the missions,
but because family attachments are liabilities to us… as we have no doubt learned
this past week.” He kissed the top of Jocelyne’s head, and she smiled at him
reassuringly. “However, I would not deprive my daughter of the father of her
child, so I offer you a choice – leave the Order and be with her, or stay
in the Order, and never see her or your child again.”

            The
idea of never seeing Jocelyne or his unborn child again hit him so hard he
actually sucked in a breath. “Harley,” Jocelyne said, worry shimmering in her
eyes as she stepped forward. “You don’t need to answer now. You can think about
this – ”

            “Are
you serious?” Harley stepped forward and took Jocelyne’s hands in her own.
“There’s absolutely nothing to think about. I love you, sweetheart, and I would
never give up you or our baby for anything else in the world.”

            “Oh
Harley, are you sure? You’d be giving up so much.” Jocelyne asked, her lips
curving into a wide smile.

            “Of
course I’m sure.” He wanted to kiss those cupid’s bow lips, but in deference to
her father he settled for a quick, but fierce hug, and then pulled back. “I’d
be giving up nothing compared to what I’ll gain.”

            “Are
you certain about this?” the Commander asked sternly. “Once you decide, there’s
no coming back.”           

            “I’ve
never been more certain about anything in my life,” Harley said firmly, taking Jocelyne’s
hand in his. As he stood side by side with her in front of her father’s desk,
her warm, soft hand in his, he felt as if he could take on the world. “I want
nothing more than to be with your daughter…and our child.”          

            “Good.”
The Commander’s face softened briefly. “Then you have my blessing.”

            Jocelyne
shrieked in happiness, then pulled Harley’s head down to hers for a kiss before
her father could protest. Harley felt as if his heart may burst with happiness,
as he held Jocelyne in his arms and drowned himself in her soft, sweet kisses
that were more addictive than any drug or potion.

            “I
love you,” she breathed.

            “I
love you, too. So damn much.”

            “Great,”
her father growled with a hint of humor. “Now get out of here!”

            “Yes,
sir.” Laughing, Jocelyne and Harley walked out of the office arm in arm, Harley’s
heart lighter than he could ever remember it being.

“Push!”

            Harley
tried not to wince as Jocelyne gripped his hand with bone-crushing force, and
let out a shriek of pain that could make fresh milk curdle. His beautiful,
strong, gorgeous wife was in a hell of a lot more pain than he was, as she
braced herself against the headboard of their bed and gave a mighty shove. Her
brown curls were damp with sweat, her face only a few shades away from fuchsia
as she struggled through the throes of labor.

            “I
can see the head!” the shifter midwife, who was braced at the foot of the bed
between Jocelyne’s open legs, ready to catch the baby, called encouragingly.
“You’re almost there, sweetheart! One more push!”

            “God!”
Jocelyne screamed as she pushed again, and Harley laughed with relief when the
piercing sound of a baby’s wail filled the air of their bedroom.

            “It’s
a girl!” the midwife cried, lifting a red, wrinkly-looking baby with a headful
of curly dark hair. Jocelyne immediately began to half-sob, half-cry, holding
out her arms for their child, and Harley watched in wonder and awe as their
baby was placed on Jocelyne’s bare abdomen. The midwife started to dry the baby
off with a small, micro-fiber towel, but Harley gently took the cloth from her.

            “Please,”
he beseeched her. “Let me do it.”

            “Of
course.” Shelly, the midwife, beamed at them both. “I’ll give you both a few
minutes, and then we have to run some tests to make sure she’s doing well.”

            She
bustled out of their bedroom for a few moments, and Harley carefully
scrutinized his daughter from head-to-toe as he dried her off. She was perfect,
with a cute, button nose, slightly chubby cheeks, and though her smooth skin
was still mottled-red from the birth, he imagined it would soon even out to a
healthy pink glow.

            “She’s
beautiful,” Jocelyne breathed as she stroked their daughter’s curls. “And she
has your hair.”

            The
baby opened startling lavender eyes, and Harley grinned. “Maybe, but she’s got
your eyes,” he said, “And I’m sure she’ll be giving me the exact same pouty
looks as you whenever she wants something from me.”

            Jocelyne
laughed, then groaned, her body tightening. The baby whimpered, as if sensing
her distress. “What’s wrong?” Harley asked, gripping her hand again.

            “I…
I’m having another contraction.”

            “Shelly!”
Harley shouted, just as Shelly walked back in.

            “What?”
The midwife stopped dead, then immediately rushed over as Jocelyne groaned in
pain again. “Oh my God, another one’s coming!” She grabbed a set of clamps and
quickly cut and tied their daughter’s umbilical cord, who was wailing in
distress again. “Here, take her!” she demanded, shoving the baby into Harley’s
arms. Alarmed, he nearly dropped his daughter as he fumbled to position her in
his arms, having never held a baby before, but instinct and fear for his
daughter’s life had him quickly figuring out how to cradle her in his big,
muscular arms.

            “Shhh…”
he soothed as he cradled the baby against his chest. He gently rocked his daughter
back and forth as he watched Jocelyne brace herself for a second birth. “It’s
okay. Daddy’s got you.”

            The
second birth was much faster than the first – not ten minutes later the
midwife was lifting another baby into the air – but unlike the last one,
it was covered in golden fur, and yelps rather than cries filled the air.

            “Oh
my God,” Jocelyne gasped as she got a good look. “Is that… is that a wolf cub?”

            The
midwife laughed as she placed their cub on her belly. “Sure is,” she said,
toweling him off. “But don’t worry – he should shift back to human at
some point.”

            “Oh
thank goodness,” Jocelyne said with a nervous laugh. “Because I don’t know how
I’m going to be able to breastfeed him like this.” She reached out a hand to
stroke him as the midwife cut the umbilical cord, and the anxiety in her
lavender eyes softened into love as her fingers slid along their son’s silky
golden fur.

            “This
is totally normal,” Harley assured her, shifting their daughter to one arm so
he could also stroke their son’s fur. “I was born as a wolf cub too, or so I’m
told.”

            Jocelyne
shook her head, wonderingly, and their daughter started to wail again. “This is
probably the strangest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” she said as Harley
placed their daughter back on her belly, next to their son. On impulse, he
placed their daughter’s tiny little arm across the back of their son’s, and to
his amazement the two babies seemed to snuggle in closer. The wolf cub shifted,
his fur receding as his little body changed into that of a naked baby boy’s,
with wavy brown hair, and instantly he reached up and seized Jocelyne’s breast
with a strong, firm little hand.

            “Well
that’s pretty direct,” Harley choked out with a laugh, and he helped Jocelyne
lift both babies to her breast so each one could suckle a teat. He sat down on
the edge of the bed, his heart overflowing with pride and love as he watched
his new family all snuggled up on the bed together, his wife looking exhausted
and radiant all at the same time.

            “You
know, I still can’t get over thinking of you as my wife,” he said softly,
reaching out to brush some of her hair back from her forehead.

            Jocelyne
smiled. “I’m still getting used to having you as my husband,” she admitted,
tilting her head up for a kiss. As Harley ducked his head down to accommodate
her, he marveled at how beautiful she was.

            He
carefully slid an arm around Jocelyne’s shoulders and just savored the feeling
of holding his family in his arms, knowing that no matter what came their way,
they would always have each other, and he would do his damndest to make sure
things stayed that way.

About The Author

Catherine Vale has been
writing fiction for as long as she can remember, but it wasn't until she wrote
her very first paranormal romance story that she found herself hooked on the
raw, edgy love affair of shifters, vampires and other dominant alpha males, and
the captivating women that love them. 

Catherine Vale writes both
contemporary and paranormal romance for readers who are willing to take a walk
on the wild side of love. Her stories always include powerful alpha males,
smart and sassy heroines and a happily-ever-after (even if she often puts her
characters through hell to get there!)

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