Rocky (Tales of the Were)

Tales of the Were

Rocky

by

Bianca D’Arc

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

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Copyright © 2012
Bianca D’Arc

Cover Art by
Valerie Tibbs

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Dedication

This book is for the fans and readers who have helped me through so many difficulties with their uplifting words and kind thoughts. You are a treasure!

I’d also like to give a shout out to the Wild West Wednesday crew for providing fun, friendship and good times that have been sorely lacking in my life over the past three years. With particular regards to Kim Rocha and the Book Obsessed Chicks, the Scarangella family who are each unique and utterly kind hearted, and the writers that make up International Heat, for welcoming me and being like a big, semi-dysfunctional family of mostly like-minded insane writers. I love you guys! Special thanks to my friend Michele Lang for the encouraging write-ins and pep talks. I’m blessed to have all of you in my life.

And I’m especially blessed to still have my father in my life. Thanks, Dad, for your support and understanding, even though you will never read any of my romance stories.

And to Mom, whom I miss every single day. Thanks for watching over us down here and for being the teacher and guide I needed when I was young. I still hear your words, even though I will never hear your voice or cute accent again.
Ik houd van jou.

All Hallows Eve

Maggie pulled into the gravel driveway, uncertain of her welcome. The sad truth was she had nowhere else to turn. The pains were getting sharper and closer together. She had to find him soon. After a few false leads, this had to be his place. It just had to be.

She took a deep breath, pulling the car to a stop in front of a
very large, rustic log cabin in the middle of the woods. Resting her forehead against the steering wheel as she was wracked by another pain, she tried not to scream.

“Are you all right?”

The deep voice was just as she remembered it. Finally, she had found him. Turning to look out the open driver’s side window, she offered him a shaky smile as the pain began to subside.

“Thank heaven I found you. God, Rocky. It’s good to see you.”

Rocco Garibaldi was stunned. The last person he
’d expected to see pull up in his front drive was Maggie Hobson. She was as beautiful as ever, even with deep circles under her gorgeous eyes. She’d gained a bit of weight too, if he wasn’t mistaken, and it looked good on her.

“Maggie? What in the world—”

He broke off as her knuckles tightened on the steering wheel and a keening cry ripped from between her compressed lips. In a flash, he had her car door open and then stopped, struck speechless by her rounded, pulsating midsection. Maggie was heavily pregnant, and from all appearances was in the throes of labor.

“I need your help,” she panted between puffing breaths.

“No kidding.” He caught her when she tried to get out of the tall SUV on her own. Lifting her in his arms, he wasted no time. He took her into his house, went directly to his bedroom and placed her on the bed. “Stars, Maggie! Where’s Tony? Why aren’t you with him for this?”

“Tony’s…” Her beautiful eyes filled with pain and she seemed unable to speak the next, final word
s. “He’s dead, Rock.”

Agony settled in Rocky’s chest as he felt the truth of
her words echo through his soul. His grief was reflected in her sad eyes. He’d lost a brother and he hadn’t even known it.

“When? How?”

“About eight months ago. He saw it coming. He had time to warn me about—” A new labor pain struck and Rocky reached for her hand, letting her hold on to him. He hated seeing her in such agony.

“You need help,” he said as the pain eased. “Let me call Allie.”

Maggie started to get up as he turned toward the phone on the small table beside the bed.

“I knew I shouldn’t have come, but Tony made me promise to find you before I gave birth. I have nowhere else to turn.”

Rocky soothed her, pushing her back down on the bed as he snagged the cord of the phone and pulled it toward him. “You’re not going anywhere until that baby is born.”

“Babies. Plural.” She panted. “Twins.”

“Sweet Mother in Heaven,” he whispered. “Maggie, did Tony tell you about us? About what we are?”

She nodded once, her expression tinged with fear. “The week before
he died, he showed me…” She gripped his hand as another contraction hit. “He warned me the birth wouldn’t be easy, and that I couldn’t go to a regular hospital. Damn, I’d give anything for an epidural right now!”

Rocky dialed the phone with one hand while
she clenched the other tightly. He was never more relieved than when the call was answered on the other end.

“Rafe, I need help.”

Maggie loved the rumble of Rocky’s voice.
It reassured her in so many ways. Many girlhood hours had been spent dreaming about this man. She found it strange that fate would send her to his home in the middle of the woods, so many years later, about to give birth to his best friend’s babies.

Make that cubs. She was about to birth grizzly shifters. If not for the fact she’d seen Tony shapeshift right before her eyes, she would never have believed it. Rocky ended the call as she watched him.

“Tony said…” She waited to catch her breath, needing something to focus on other than the pain. “He said…you’re a grizzly too.”

Rocky nodded solemnly. “I am.”

“This is all so crazy.” She looked away, remembering. “Tony came home one day and told me. I almost laughed in his face—until he shifted to prove his point. I was never so frightened in my whole life.” She turned back to search his expression. “He only told me because he foresaw his own death, Rock. Something called
Venifucus
was on his trail, he said, and made me promise to tell you as soon as I found you.”

“
Venifucus?
Are you certain?” His words were a low growl that sent shivers down her spine.

“He was sure of it, and
told me how to retrieve this after he was gone.” She tugged on the gold chain around her neck, pulling it out from under her clothing and showing it to Rocky. The pendant was a faintly glowing blood red stone wrapped in gold wire. It was a bear totem that shone brighter than any gem. With shaking hands, she held it up so Rocky could see it.

His expression hardened and a single
tear trailed down his face.

“He really is dead.”

She nodded, feeling his pain as her own. “I burned his body after he died, as he instructed, then sifted through the ashes for this. He called it—”

“A heartstone.” Rocky’s expression was filled with an odd mix of wonder and sorrow. “If anyone could do it, Tony would have that kind of magic. But why? How did he die?”

Another contraction halted her explanation for a few moments, and he held her hand throughout. The pulsing heartstone seemed to comfort her, as it had all along her ragtag journey over half the continent.

“He was ambushed. He barely made it home before collapsing. He was beyond help by that point. It only took him moments to breathe his last, but he did it on his home territory, free and safe. He told me the magical protections he’d put on our land would fade after he died, but I would have time to fulfill his last wishes. I followed his instructions and lit out of there just hours later. I’ve been
crisscrossing the country ever since, but I knew when my labor started, I’d have to stop running. I came to you, like I promised Tony I would. My babies will be too vulnerable while I’m recovering—if I survive their birth—and you’re the only person on earth I trust to keep them safe.” She clutched at his hand. “I don’t care what happens to me. Just promise you’ll take care of my babies.”

Rocky surprised her by taking her in his arms and burying his face in her hair as she burrowed into his neck. It felt so good to be surrounded by his warmth, his strength. It had been so long since she’d been able to lean on someone, even for just a moment.

“I’ll keep you safe. You’re not going anywhere, Maggie. I’ll watch over you all. I promise. Tony knew I would. It’s why he sent you to me. But why did you wait so long? You should’ve come to me straight away.”

“I couldn’t.” Tears leaked from her eyes and seeped into his flannel shirt. He was so strong and she’d felt so weak for so long. It was such a relief to have someone to share her fears with. “I didn’t want to lead them to you. I’d just lost Tony and we hadn’t heard from you in a long time. I didn’t want to presume…”

“You should have, sweetheart. You had to know I’d never turn you away in a million years.”

She sniffled as he pulled back to place a kiss on the crown of her head. The gesture touched her deeply—so deeply—when she hadn’t dared hope he would welcome her. She’d spent the last eight months conflicted. She’d lost her husband, which was traumatic enough, but Tony
had known how she’d always felt about Rocky. Tony had been a shaman. He’d known things, and he’d sent her straight to the only man who had ever been a rival for her affections.

But Rocky had left so long ago. Right after the wedding, he had announced his move and she hadn’t seen him since. For all she knew, he was married with children of his own now, though judging by the sparseness of his
house, he lived alone. The thought brought a lightness to her heart. Perhaps it wasn’t too late for them. Perhaps Tony had been right to send her here. Perhaps she
did
have that chance for happiness again—as Tony had promised—once this situation with the
Venifucus
was straightened out. If it could be straightened out.

Another pain gripped her and she clung to Rocky,
digging her fingers into his thick muscles, but he didn’t complain. He just held her, speaking soothing words in that rumbly voice and stroking her back with one hand while his other hand moved down to cover the protrusion of her stomach. His touch felt good. When his fingers settled over the beach ball of her abdomen, it was as if the squirming babies within sensed his presence and immediately quieted.