Shifting Destinies: A Paranormal Interracial Story (HIdden Hills Shifters Book 3) (14 page)

“How could you?” Elizabeth said. “Why couldn’t you have found someone of your level of upbringing?”

Like a human? “It’s not as if I planned this. Wade and I are mates.” The words just tumbled out, but there was no use denying it.

Frederica laughed. “That’s rich. You don’t even believe in mates.”

“You’re right. I didn’t, but I do now. When Wade and I are together it’s like—” Pleasant images filled her head, but only for a second as her father cut her off.

“We don’t want to hear the disgusting details. What are you going to do about it?” he asked.

His arrogant attitude pissed her off. “I’m not
doing
anything about it. I’m going to have the baby. I’m sorry if you don’t approve.”

Her mother stood. “Then I think you should leave.”

Emmaline had not been ready for that. A tight band squeezed around her chest. “What do you mean?”

“It means that if you do not leave this man, you will no longer be welcome in this family.”

Stunned, Emmaline looked between her sisters’ faces and her dad’s. All looked identical, so she rose as gracefully as she could. “I guess that’s that.” She faced Millicent. “Happy birthday,
sister
.” She hadn’t meant for her words to contain so much sarcasm, but they did.

With her stomach swirling, she grabbed her purse and sweater and ran out. If that didn’t constitute a tragedy, she didn’t know what did.

*     *     *

Emmaline didn’t want
to go home, but she knew she had to at some point. Facing Wade now would be difficult. It would be hard to tell him that she’d had to choose between him and her family. Too bad, she had no way of knowing how he’d respond.

When she found that Wade wasn’t there, she was actually relieved. Turmoil still blanketed her though. Wade was her mate—that much she’d finally figured out.

She fixed a cup of herbal tea to help her think more clearly. As a former paralegal, she believed in the logical thought process and mentally studied the facts. She would have this baby, and Wade would be part of his or her life. As much as it would have been nice to have her mom or her sister help out with the babysitting duties, with their rejection, that was out of the question. The bottom line was that Emmaline had to decide if she could be happy never seeing them again. Even when they saw their first grandchild, she doubted they’d change their minds.

With teacup in hand, she moved over to the dining room table and sat down. When she thought about her dilemma, her stomach revolted again, and she made it as far as the kitchen sink before throwing up.

Heart pounding, Emmaline realized she couldn’t live like this. She had to make a final decision between staying with Wade and siding with her parents. In either case, she would keep the baby.

As she turned to go back to the table, she spotted a note from Wade next to the sink, stating that while she was at her sister’s birthday party having fun, he, Burke, and Storm were getting together to shoot pool at Justin’s Pool Hall. He asked if she would call him when she got home. She’d mentioned the party included dinner, so he wouldn’t expect her for a while.

Needing some counsel herself, she decided to let Wade have a good time with his friends before she broached the topic with him about what happened today. Not wanting to disturb Chey and her new husband, she dialed Tasha.

“How was the birthday party?” her friend asked.

“It was a disaster.”

She sucked in an audible breath. “Tell me what happened.”

Discussing her problems over the phone made her uncomfortable. “Any way you can meet me at the Cove Bar? I really need to talk to you. I’m so confused.”

“Totally. Do you want me to call Piper and Chey?”

A while ago, the four of them had agreed that more minds made for better decisions. “Do you think we should pull Chey away from Storm? No, wait, I just remembered Storm is with Wade. Yes, call her, please.” She hated how her brain tried to trick her.

“Are you going to be okay?” Tasha was concerned about everyone.

“I hope so.”

“I’ll call the girls and meet you as soon as we can get there.”

Emmaline hung up, poured the rest of her drink down the drain, and left, not wanting to chance running into Wade should he decide to come home early. When she arrived at the bar, the place was rather empty, so she was able to snag a table in their usual corner. One of the server’s came over and asked what she liked to drink. If she hadn’t been pregnant, she would’ve ordered a double. “I’ll have a hot tea.”

She didn’t have to wait long for her friends to arrive. Tasha came in first, then Cheyenne, and Piper followed a few minutes later, each stopping at the bar to order drinks. Tasha must have warned they’d need them.

Tasha placed a hand over hers. “What’s going on?”

Tears brimmed her lids. “I don’t know why I was surprised, but when I arrived at my parents’ house and gave Millicent her birthday present, it was as if I had become invisible.” She told them about getting sick from the cake and finally having to confess that she was pregnant.

Cheyenne placed a hand over her mouth. “That didn’t go over well did it?”

“Let’s just say they told me I had to choose between being with Wade and being a member of the family.”

All three women talked at once, their faces full of concern, anger, and injustice.

Piper leaned forward. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I’m falling in love with Wade. He wants to be part of my life and is doing everything to make the transition smooth, but of late, he’s been driving me crazy.” She told them about the little things—the towels on the floor, his clothes everywhere, and his toiletries running into hers.

Tasha leaned back. “Oh, honey. Living with someone takes getting used to. Didn’t you tell me that Wade was building a larger home?”

“Yes.”

“I bet when it’s done, your space problem will disappear. You need to give him a chance.”

Emmaline closed her eyes for a moment and placed a hand on her belly. She then sat up. “Do you know what I fear the most?” All three shook their heads. “When I tell Wade that it’s either him or my family, he may walk out. Family is very important to him.”

“Are you ready to walk away from yours?” Cheyenne asked.

That was all she’d been thinking about. “As a matter of fact, I am. I really want this baby, and I truly believe that Wade will be an amazing father.”

The server arrived with the women’s drinks, and Tasha held up hers. “To a new beginning.”

“I can only hope,” Em said.

With the decision made, Emmaline began to feel better. Given her parents’ ultimatum, she didn’t need to inform them of her decision. It was Wade she was worried about. She had no idea if he would stay, or if he’d think he needed to be noble and leave.

Chapter Thirteen

“Y
ou knew?” Wade
couldn’t believe his friends hadn’t said a word about Emmaline’s pregnancy.

Burke tipped back his soda. “Tasha would’ve killed me if I’d mentioned it. She made me promise.”

Justin’s Pool Hall was working on getting their liquor license and needed to hurry up. Wade glanced to Storm who just shrugged. “Same here. When a woman is pregnant, she can go from being irritable and irrational, to loving all in a span of minutes.”

That about summed up Emmaline’s behavior. Wade picked up his pool cue and eyed the table. “The fifteen ball in the corner pocket.” He took the shot and missed. Figured. He couldn’t do anything right today. “She’s at her parents’ house right now for a birthday celebration.” He explained how her relationship with her family was already strained. “She said she wasn’t sure when she would tell them about the baby, but at some point, she’ll have to.”

“Do you think they’ll have a problem that you’re a bear shifter?” Burke asked.

Wade chuckled, but it held no mirth. “They’re about as prejudiced as they come. All species, except humans, are beneath them, which was why I didn’t go with her today.”

Storm lined up his shot and took it. The ball dropped in the pocket, but his next shot would be more difficult. He leaned the cue against the table. “That might be a good thing—no in-law visits.”

Wade held up his hands. “We haven’t even discussed marriage yet.” He could tell from their furtive glances they were surprised. “I do plan to ask her, guys, but I don’t want to rush her and chance she’ll say no. I need to give Emmaline time to get used to having me around.”

“Don’t tell me you’re a slob,” Storm said, and Wade nodded. “You better shape up or she might boot you out.”

“I’m trying. It’s just that her house is too damned small. I have no place to put my shit.”

“When will your house be ready?” Burke asked, taking a drink then placing it on a nearby table.

“Not for another few months. Before they finished putting in all the walls, I want Emmaline’s opinion on how big she’d like some rooms.”

“You haven’t asked her?” Storm’s brows pinched.

“I will when I believe she won’t snap my head off.”

His friends laughed. “She has you whipped, boy,” said Burke.

“Only because she’s fragile. I’m walking on eggshells here.”

Storm picked up his cue and sunk two more balls before missing the next one. “Do you love her?” he asked.

Wade’s pulse raced. That was about the only question he didn’t need to think about. “Yes. And it’s not just because she’s my mate. Emmaline works hard, and she wants to please, but she has a mind of her own, too. She’s no pushover, that’s for sure. I truly believe she’s not interested in my money either.”

Storm slapped him on the back. “You’re a lucky man, Wade. I can’t wait until Cheyenne and I start a family.”

Wade leaned a hip against the table. “I am excited about our child, though I never thought I’d have one so soon. Now all I have to do is figure out how to win Emmaline’s heart.”

“What about your business up north?”

Since returning to Hidden Hills, he and Burke had shared a lot about their companies and their financial success. Burke was planning to invest with Wade in the coming months.

“That’s another hurdle I need to figure out. Even though I spend more of my time here, most of my clients live in Pittsburgh. If I want to stay in business, I need to spend a lot more time there, but I don’t want to leave Emmaline for weeks on end.”

“Take her with you,” Burke suggested.

“I’m thinking of doing that, but I need to ask her first. Do you think she’ll say yes? She was born and raised here.”

Burke and Storm looked at each other and then shrugged.

“Only way to find out is to ask her,” Burke said. “If her parents aren’t supportive of her, she might want a change of scenery. Then again, what do I know? I’ve given up trying to second guess what Tasha’s thinking.”

“I think she’ll go,” Storm chimed in. “She’s your administrative assistant and shouldn’t care if she’s in Hidden Hills or Pittsburgh. Hell, she might like the taste of big city life.” That was funny coming from Storm since he’d left Baltimore for that very reason.

That was Wade’s logic, too, but he didn’t know if Emmaline would agree.

*     *     *

Emmaline was scared.
She’d thought about calling Wade and asking him to come home, but she needed the time to think. The girls were right. She hadn’t really given him a chance. From the moment he’d moved in, she hadn’t budged an inch about anything. She complained when he didn’t clean up after himself, and yet there really wasn’t any place for him to store his clothes.

They kept bumping into each other in the kitchen, but perhaps she should have given him more room. She bet not many men would be willing to stay around when their woman was sick all the time. That couldn’t be sexy.

Wade Black was a good man, and Emmaline needed to make sure she didn’t chase him off.

Before he arrived home, she needed to get ready. Knowing he could have any woman he desired, Emmaline wanted to show him that she really wanted him there. Initially, it might have been because she was pregnant, but now she believed he truly cared for her, and that they share a deep-seeded connection.

God only knew she hadn’t been the best employee either. If they were going to make a life together, she needed to work harder—starting with making herself a little more presentable. She’d gotten into the habit of wearing her sweatpants and a shapeless top around the house. Wade hadn’t seemed to care, but the man deserved better. She scrounged through her drawers to find her sexiest bra and panties. She remembered how much he liked the outfit she’d worn when she interviewed with him and plucked up those. Wanting to dress in something that was easy to remove, she donned a sheer black blouse, and a stretchy skirt that he could tug off.