Touchdown Daddy (28 page)

The full moon hung low in the sky. The green leaves of the poplar trees glowed silver and a light breeze blew the scent of the forest to the farmhouse. The sky was cloudless and the stars were almost as bright as the moon.

Andre wiggled his fingers, growling playfully as he chased the children around a red wagon. They all shrieked with laughter though Lydia had recently decided she was too old to be caught up in such “baby” games. She bounced on her toes, clearly torn between her newfound maturity and her desire to join in. Andre caught little James and tossed him in the air, eliciting cries of “me too” and “again”.

The door to the house opened and Mary danced out. Her sparkling green eyes twinkled as she lightly clapped her hands, calling attention to herself. James ignored her, tugging at Andre's hair and demanding to be thrown into the air again.

"It's time to get going," she called, and instantly James was kicking to be set down. Andre laughed.

Lydia ran to Mary and whispered in her ear. Mary smiled and nodded, and the girl disappeared into the house. The rest of them scattered to the bushes, where they would quickly strip down and embrace their Wolves.

Andre stepped over to Mary, panting. "Wolves!"

"They've worn you out already, have they?" She laughed.

Andre shrugged with an embarrassed smile. "They're always hyper on the night of the full moon."

"Well, we only have half an hour to midnight and Neal won't embrace his Bear." Mary shook her head. "I'll get the rest of the children in the wagon if you'll go help him."

Andre nodded, pressing a kiss to Mary's temple as he passed her. He took the stairs to the nursery two steps at a time, anxious to get his little son to embrace his Bear before midnight and the involuntary shift to Wolf happened. He was a rarity, Neal, having a soul that was both Wolf and Bear. But he was a happy, healthy little fellow, with Andre's black eyes, Mary's black hair, and a laugh that was twice his size.

Neal sat in his room, having made a blanket nest on the floor. Unlike the rest of their brood, his energy spike didn't happen until
after
the full moon, and it lasted for a good three days before he got back to his calm self.

Andre crept over to his son and knelt beside him. Neal smiled sleepily at his father and Andre smiled back.

The pain of Isadore and Eve's death had not gone away, but in the eighteen months since Neal was born, Andre had felt it shift. When he thought of them, images of their dead bodies no longer haunted him. Instead, he remembered the good times and the happiness they shared together. He was as happy now with his odd little family as he had been then.

"We have to go out to the run, bud," Andre said, easing Neal into his arms. "Can't you be with your Bear? You know it hurts if you don't have it when it's midnight."

"Not tonight," Neal said, his babyish lisp muddled further by how sleepy he was. "Tomorrow."

Andre laughed and kissed his son's head. "What if Daddy embraced his Bear, too? Come on, you know you love running with your brothers and sisters."

He tickled Neal's feet and peals of laughter rang through the home. Andre heard the impatient little yips and playful growls from outside that told him that the rest of the family was waiting on them.

"Help me?" Neal tugged at his sleepers.

Andre undressed Neal, and with a little encouragement, the toddler wrinkled his nose and embraced his Bear. He was still in the spindly-legged stage, not quite used to walking and Andre carried him down to the yard.

Mary waited at the door and took Neal, kissing his fuzzy face while she took him to the wagon where the rest of their children waited with their Wolves, tails wagging, climbing all over each other. Andre paused, soaking in the sight of the love of his life settling their little Bear-Wolf son among their adopted Wolf children.

Peace and contentment filled his heart. He had a family once again.

Mary trotted next to Andre as he pulled the wagon. The children jostled each other, but the occasional stern woof from her kept them in order.

The moon's call filled her blood, and she couldn’t stop herself from dancing around the wagon, nipping at Andre's heels from time to time. He gave her an indulgent glare and she wagged her tail, spanking the ground.

Soon they were at their destination with its wide fields, frosty with the first freeze of the year. The others were already there causing the children bounded off to greet their brothers and sisters, as though they didn't see them every single day.

Mary hid behind Andre, repressing her Wolf so she could unhitch him from the wagon. The night air made goosebumps rise on her arms, but soon she was safely wrapped in fur once more.

Neal tumbled out of the wagon and Mary hurried to him, licking his fur to make sure he was okay. He stood on his back legs and wrapped his front legs around her neck, biting at her ear and making a purring noise.

Peter, Amy and their little girl jogged over to join them, rubbing heads and wagging their tails as greetings. Nearby Julia chased a young man, a human from town she had confided to Mary was her soulmate. His eyes were bright and his cheeks flushed as he dodged her attempts to tackle him. A little further, Conrad Milton and David Monroe roughhoused.

The children dashed back to Mary and Andre, growling and biting at Andre's thick fur.

Mary's blood sang, as her gaze was drawn to the moon. It seemed closer than ever before and she could see every crater in its pearly surface.

There was a long moment of silence as all Wolves turned their faces to the call of the moon. Luna sang to them, and as one, they threw back their heads and sang too. The humans who had joined them cupped their mouths and howled, as the few Bears attending stood on their back legs and roared their solidarity. Neal's thin, puppy howl joined the song, and Mary glanced down to see he had transitioned smoothly from Bear to Wolf.

The children gathered around Andre and Mary. Tongues lolled out and tails wagged. They watched eagerly. Wolf and Bear shared a glance and as one, they started forward, running together at a speed even Neal could keep up with.

Mary let the air rush around her. She was aware of each of the children and every other Wolf, Bear, and human in the field. They all ran under the moon, connected by her silvery light.

And she thanked Luna that this life was hers.

*****

THE END

Bonus Book 6: Kidnapped by the Vampire Prince

By:
T.S. Ryder

Description

A curvy doctor refusing a new job PLUS a hot Vampire Prince who wants her no matter what PLUS a suspicious and deadly attack!

It is mere months before the Great Gathering when a mysterious disease threatens the lives of the Louisiana vampire clan. The Clan King, Baptiste Roche, gives the task of finding the cause and the cure to his son and heir, Sebastien.

But when the lead expert of the medical team, Dr. Duquesne, is killed in a suspicious accident, all hope and months of hard work seem lost forever...

Until Sebastien finds out that, in the last few weeks before his death, Dr. Duquesne had been consulting with a human hematologist on the project without anyone’s knowledge.

Shortly after the death of her former mentor, Dr. Kendra Allenby is offered the chance to take over his job at the highly private Roche Laboratories. But nothing – not the prestigious position, the generous paycheck, or the chance to finally get her hands on Dr. Duquesne’s mysterious project – can tempt her into leaving the Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

Desperate, Sebastien Roche sees no other choice but to bring her in by force, kicking off a chain of events he never could’ve predicted...

Sparks fly when two indomitable wills clash, and the mighty pull of attraction between them cannot be denied. A wild passion blooms in the midst of the desperate race against the clock... but will it be their undoing – or their salvation?

Kendra Allenby entwined her fingers, rested her hands on her desk and gave Alexander Beauchamp a level stare. “I don’t think you understand, Mr. Beauchamp,” she said, her tone flat, “I am not leaving Moffitt, and that is my final answer.”

Mr. Beauchamp flashed her a perfectly charming smile that nevertheless did nothing for Kendra. “While MCC is certainly a fine establishment, I sincerely doubt it can offer you the kind of working conditions and financial compensation Roche Laboratories can,” he said. “Not to mention the years it might take you to become Head of Hematology – a position we are ready to offer you right now.”

“Moffitt provides me with the kind of work I want to do,” she replied, managing to maintain her calm despite the slight edge of annoyance creeping into her voice. “The kind that allows me to work for the good of the general public, rather than a shadowy organization with a mysterious billionaire benefactor at its helm.”

Mr. Beauchamp cocked an eyebrow. “You make it all sound so... ominous.” He tried to endear himself to her with a bit of humor, but Kendra was not amused. “Roche Laboratories may be privately owned and funded, but we are no more secretive than, say, Monsanto, or any other organization that heavily relies on research and invention to achieve success.”

“You do realize that Monsanto comparison is making my case for me?” Kendra asked, deadpan – a comment that finally broke Mr. Beauchamp’s amiable façade.

“Dr. Allenby...” he began, rather condescendingly, thus choosing both the wrong tone and the wrong words for this conversation. “Let me be perfectly clear. Yes, you are undisputedly an expert in your field and Roche Laboratories’ first choice, but you are certainly not our only one. Furthermore, considering the debt your student loan has racked up, I’m not so sure you can afford to refuse our offer.”

Resisting the urge to punch the arrogant twit, Kendra instead pressed a button her intercom, not once breaking their eye contact. “Yes, Dr. Allenby?” Dan Swenson, the desk clerk on duty at the reception, answered promptly.

“Mr. Beauchamp will be leaving now,” she said, her tone even. Dan didn’t need further instruction. Just a moment later, two security guards were inside Kendra’s office, standing by Mr. Beauchamp’s chair, ready to escort him out of the building by force if need be, and making their intention clear through the sheer force of body language.

At first, Mr. Beauchamp just sat there, ignoring them while he watched her with the kind of keenness that made her feel uncomfortable before he blinked and stood up calmly. “Very well, Dr. Allenby,” he said and, followed by the guards, exited her office without any further comments.

Kendra counted to fifteen and then let out a loud, frustrated groan as she dropped into her chair. This, this right here was why she entered relationships so rarely! Nursing male egos and dealing with their self-entitlement was both exhausting and frustrating, and she had lost both the patience and the will to put up with that for the sake of companionship years ago.

Some five minutes later, Dan came into the office with a cup of coffee in his hands to find Kendra focused on her work again, deeply engrossed in the reports of the most recent lab work. “So what’s the deal with Hottie McSnotty?” he asked as he approached her and put the coffee on her desk. Clearly, Dan was just as impressed by Mr. Beauchamp’s physique as he was disappointed with his attitude.

“He’s from Roche Laboratories,” she told him, in a considerably warmer tone now that the cause of her irritation was gone, and smiled to him gratefully. He made the best coffee, strong and black, with just a pinch of cinnamon to brighten the flavor.

Dan sat down, frowning. “Dr. Duquesne’s stomping grounds?” he asked, and Kendra nodded.

“They want me to take over for him,” she said, prompting Dan whistle and raise his eyebrows, clearly impressed. “Don’t get your hopes up,” she told him straight up. “We’re staying right where we are.”

Dan smirked. “I know,” he said. “You’re way too invested in the work here to quit. But, for the record, I think you’re making a huge mistake.” Kendra gave him a hostile stare, but he knew her too well to be perturbed by it. “Oh, come on,” he teased her. “Aren’t you even a little bit tempted?”

She shook her head. “No,” she replied categorically, “I don’t know what their deal is, but it gives me the heebie-jeebies. Nobody offers that kind of position or that kind of money to someone who’s barely made their full credentials, even if they’re as good as I am.”

She expected Dan to make a joke about her lack of modesty, but he just nodded gravely. “You don’t trust them,” he said.

“Not one bit,” she confirmed.

“Dr. Duquesne did,” he noted.

Kendra sighed, sitting back in her chair. Yes, her mentor had seemed to think that leaving the Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute for a private research facility was the right thing to do, but Kendra couldn’t help but be heavily disappointed with him. She had felt betrayed when he’d announced his decision the year before, and they’d had a huge falling out as a result. She was sure they’d never even talk to each other again... but then, about a month and a half ago, he started sending her emails, asking if they could meet. At first, she refused, but he knew her too well – he started sending her microscopic images and laboratory results of blood and tissue that behaved in a way that, frankly, should not have been possible, tickling her curiosity until she finally gave in and met up with him.

A part of her hoped this would be the start of their reconciliation, but even though their relationship improved, it was clear it would never be what it once was. Dr. Duquesne refused to give her any more information than he absolutely had to, which made each of their meetings both a delight and a major source of frustration. And now that he was dead, all hope that they could truly patch things up (or that she’d ever find out what the hell he was working on) was gone.

They had had one of their meetings scheduled for the day he died, but he had never showed up or answered his phone, leaving Kendra irritated and angry, thinking she was being stood up without a word... and then devastated with pain and guilt when, that evening, she had seen the news of the car accident that took his life. Relying on eyewitness accounts, the police suspected a drunk truck driver took a wrong turn, slamming into Dr. Duquesne’s rental and killing him on the spot before fleeing the scene of the crime.

Kendra was heartbroken and disgusted with herself for how angry she’d been with him that entire day. The only reason Dr. Duquesne was in Tampa that day was to meet with her, and she couldn’t help feeling responsible even though she knew she was being irrational. He had chosen to look her up. He had set the meetings up. She wasn’t even marginally to blame, but her heart still hurt every time she remembered he was gone, and the only thing that brought her joy in the ten days after the accident was the thought of her upcoming vacation.

But even the memory of him, even the prestige and money that would come with taking over his job at Roche Laboratories, even a chance to finally see what this mysterious and baffling thing he was working on was couldn’t convince her to leave Moffitt. If Mr. Beauchamp had been more upfront about the kind of work Roche did, she would’ve been tempted, but he was even vaguer than Dr. Duquesne, and Kendra refused to risk her peace of mind to satisfy her curiosity or clean her credit score.

“It doesn’t matter,” she finally said, “I’m staying here, and that’s that. And, besides, I’ll be damned if I’m gonna miss Maui just to dive into even more work than I have here.” She grinned, gladdened by remembering that, this time tomorrow, she’d be lying about on a beach in a private resort, completely cut off from any communication with the rest of the world. She had worked for three years without a single day off to make it happen, and she wouldn’t miss it for the world.

“Can’t argue with that logic,” Dan grinned and stood up to go about his business, leaving Kendra to go back to hers.

She had quite as few things to finish up before she could go home to pick up her luggage and get to the airport.