The Alpha's Mail Order Mate: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (15 page)

“More’s the pity,” Dane said, and grinned even more.

“And just think,” added Rick. “You won’t even have to turn out the lights.”

CHAPTER 14

Not long after Mr. Fiske had hammered out a contract with them and left, Night had a sudden feeling that he should go to his wife. He simply told Reina he would be home the rest of the day and headed for the door, intent on getting to the trees.

He entered his door, and found Tess and Grindelle sitting with Chastity in the living room. “What’s going on in here?” he asked as he stepped over to kiss the top of his wife’s head.

“Her water just broke,” Tess supplied.

“Did anyone tell Boris?” Night asked.

“He should be here shortly.”

“This hurts, Night,” Chastity told him. “The girls didn’t hurt like this.”

“Don’t worry, love, Boris will get it figured out,” said Night. Then he sat next to her and began to rub her belly.

“My back could use a bit of that,” she told him, and he switched for her.

Boris stepped in soon after. “Okay, off to bed with you, at least while we check you out,” he said briskly to Chastity. She cast him a disgruntled look. “Especially if your water broke and you’re glaring at me like that. It’s probably not going to take long before you’ll have to just stay in the bed and have done with it.”

“I’m way ahead of you,” she complained. “My back is killing me.”

“Night, you get one arm and I’ll get the other,” Boris said. “Why don’t you ladies do everyone a favor and make some coffee? We’re probably going to need it.”

Boris examined Chastity once they had her on the bed, and cast Night a worried frown. “The baby hasn’t turned correctly, Night. I hope we’re not going to have a problem.”

“You can’t help it turn?”

“There are ways, of course,” he said. “But you never know. I’ve been telling you we need a surgical room for some time now. I just hope it’s not something we could have used right now.”

As Boris tried various techniques to turn the baby, Night stood at Chastity’s side, holding her hand or rubbing her wherever she needed. He was very attentive throughout the process. In the end, Boris managed to turn the baby so Chastity would be able to push normally.

“I could really use some of that coffee,” said Boris as he sat down for a rest.

“I’ll have them make more,” Night said. “I think I just had the last cup in this batch. Tess? More coffee?”

“I’ve just finished a batch, actually,” she said. She brought in a cup and Night pointed to Boris. He took it gratefully.

“It’ll probably be a while before the main event,” he said. “I’ll leave you two alone and get in a nap on the couch.”

Night came to his side of the bed and climbed in beside Chastity, wrapping her into his arms. “Get some rest, love,” he whispered into her hair. “It won’t be long now.”

“My back feels a little better with you curled against it,” she told him with a smile. “I love you so much, Night.”

“I love you too, sweetheart,” he told her softly.

They drifted off to sleep for a time. Chastity woke Night with a particularly painful contraction as she rolled onto her back. “Go get Boris, Night, I think these contractions are back to back, and I feel like I want to start pushing.”

“Okay, sweetheart, just hold tight, we’ll be right back.”

Less than an hour later, baby Jaimie was brought into the world. He already knew how to smile.

***

“Sir, I know that you’re busy being a new daddy and all that,” said Mr. Dane through the phone.

“What is it, Dane?” Night asked tiredly.

“It’s about the little matter of Katie Dawson, sir,” he said. He sounded slightly nervous. “I’d like it very much if you‘d come along and tell her father what she has done. It might make it much easier to convince him to let me have her if you help.”

“You really intend to try to tame that beast?” Night chuckled. “She never does as her father says, so what makes you think you could succeed where he has failed?”

“Because he hasn’t got nearly the arsenal of enticements that I could employ,” Dane chuckled. “Besides, it was your idea to find me a wife, wasn’t it? Might as well have a bit of fun into the bargain.”

“So you intend to seduce her into submission I take it?” Night inquired with a smirk. “What do you need me for? You’re a good looking enough bloke to get the job done.”

“I want you to demand that something be done about Katie’s misdeed, of course,” he said. “Then I could begrudgingly offer to take her home with me to keep an eye on her. That’s going to prompt an argument, so then you say ‘yes, he’s the chief of security, and this is an issue of security. I think that’s the best idea’, or something along those lines. Dawson is sure to agree, she’s certain not to, and I’ll haul her back and lay my claim. Women love that sort of thing.”

“You make it sound so cut and dry,” Night pointed out.

“Well, isn’t it, when all is said and done?” he pointed out. “So, will you help me out?”

“You’ve been a great help to me since I turned you, Mr. Dane,” Night said. “Of course I’ll help.”

“Great,” he said. “Will you meet me at the base of the main tree in half an hour?”

“Yes, I can,” Night agreed, and did just exactly that.

The two men took the company car over to the mines and demanded to speak to Mr. Dawson. Even though she had no idea what they wanted, it was obvious that Katie was already feeling somewhat guilty. She’d been waiting for a confrontation, however, since she had betrayed them some weeks earlier, she was just as likely to have become a bit complacent in her guilt.

“Come on, then,” she said, leading the way to her father’s office door.

“You may as well stay here, Katie,” said Night gravely. “This visit concerns you as well.”

“Does it?” she asked, licking her lips nervously. Then she realized Dane had been watching her tongue as she did so, and blushed slightly as she looked down at her hands.

“Father? Night and his security chief are here.”

“Aw, yes, bring them in,” he said with a welcoming smile. “Good to see you, gentlemen.”

“I hope you will still think so after you’ve heard what I’m about to say,” Night replied, making both father and daughter frown with concern.

“Well, then perhaps you’d best get it said,” he replied, his eyes darting to Katie suspiciously. She flushed under the scrutiny. “Especially if it involves my daughter.”

*

“I really don’t think I need to stay for this,” Katie said blithely as she headed for the door. “There’s absolutely nothing these two could have to say that will make any difference to me, since I’m sure I haven’t done anything of importance where they are concerned.”

“Haven’t you?” Night inquired. “So then you don’t think that telling a government official all about the colony and endangering the lives and well-being of everyone there after vowing you would never do it to be ‘anything’?”

Dane stepped in front of the door and Katie crashed right into his chest. He caught her about the shoulders to keep her from falling, but then instead of letting go, he held her fast.

“Let me go, you great oaf!” she complained, pummeling his chest. Instead, he simply turned her around to face the others and held her fast.

Seeing this, Dawson’s eyes went wide, but before he could say anything further, Night continued. “It would seem, my dear, that we simply cannot trust you, and I’m afraid that means you’re in dire need of a babysitter.”

“What?” she gasped, trying to break free of Dane’s hold. Her father’s jaw had gone slack as he watched what was happening.

“She broke her word?” he asked.

“Yes, she did,” Night replied. “Thankfully, it turned out well this time, but I’m afraid we cannot possibly risk her doing it again, and you’re a busy man. My security officer is willing to take on the duty of keeping your daughter true to her word. It’s his intention to take her along with him so he can keep an eye on her. I hope you understand the necessity and allow it?”

Dawson’s eyes narrowed, and his cheeks went red, but then a light of understanding dawned in his eyes. “You say he’s wanting to take her home with him, then? That’s the only possible way he could keep a really good eye on her, don’t you think?”

“I’ll be taking her there directly, sir,” said Dane sternly.

Katie shrieked with outrage. “You’ll do no such thing!” she protested.

“You know I can’t let him do that,” said Dawson, purposely pausing before he added, “Unless he intends to take the girl to mate. Otherwise, it would be most unseemly.”

“What! Father, you’re not going to let him do it? You can’t mean that!”

“Katie, how many times have I tried to teach you to behave as you would like others to behave towards you?” he said then. “You’ve endangered the lives of one hundred and two people with your careless words. By rights, the Alpha could do anything to you he pleases. We pledged loyalty to Night and to the pack, and we cannot allow your actions to go unpunished. I have spoken, and you will comply. Go with Dane and do as he says. You belong to him now.”

“You can’t just give me to him, you beast!” she bellowed. “We’re not living in the Middle Ages. I thought you meant to bring the pack into the future, Night. This is the oldest trick in the book.”

“Be glad that I didn’t send him to eliminate your behavior in any other way,” Night commented. “This way, you may still have a chance at happiness, if you’ll just allow yourself to accept it.”

“So none of you cares how I feel?” she said, her jaw falling slack as she shook her head. “Fine, take me then, but don’t expect me to like it.”

“I’ll be sending you her things directly, Mr. Dane,” said Dawson, trying not to smirk.

“Oh!” she growled, so angry her face began to morph slightly to wolf form. “Keep it. Keep it all, you traitorous bastard. I won’t be needing anything from you.”

“I’ll expect it within a day,” Dane said. “I intend for her to be comfortable, whether she likes it or not.”

“You can let go of my arm, you know,” she complained. “I already said I would go.”

“And risk you trying to run away?” said Dane in her ear. “I hardly think so, my dear. Now come along and tell your father good-bye.”

“I won’t be speaking to him again, just take me away,” she snapped.

“And mind you don’t wolf out in front of the miners,” he added. “You’ve done enough damage as it is.”

***

When Night returned to his family and imparted his tale, his sleepy wife was beside herself with mirth. Chastity held her gut as she tried not to laugh too hard, and finally said, “Oh, Night, please, you simply must stop. I’m too exhausted to hear anything more. But it is such a delight to know Katie will be tended to at last.”

“In more ways than one,” Night added with a smirk, making Chastity chuckle again.

“That’s it, if you don’t stop it, I’m sending you to sleep on the couch,” she told him firmly. Then the pair burst into giggles again.

“How long do you suppose it will take her to give him what he wants?” Night asked then.

“Oh, wow, you’d know better than I would,” Chastity said. “She would have been all over you the day you met if you would’ve let her.”

“Maybe, but only because I was the Alpha,” he said.

“No, I’m sure that wasn’t the only reason.”

“What makes you say that?” he wanted to know.

“It certainly wasn’t my only reason,” she pointed out. “You have no idea how much I wanted to pounce on you in the caves the first time we bathed behind the waterfall.”

“The caves behind the waterfall,” Night repeated speculatively. “Did you know there’s a network of waterfalls all through them? Wouldn’t it be grand if we really could generate all the electricity for the colony in there, where nobody would be able to see?”

“Rick seemed to think it would work,” she answered tiredly. “And I think it’s an awesome idea myself.”

“Yes, love, I think so too,” he agreed. “Why don’t you get some rest and I’ll give him a call, see what he thinks of the idea.”

“Hey, I didn’t really mean it about the couch, you know,” she mentioned. “I’m sure there’s plenty of room in this bed for three.”

“Where is Jaimie, anyway?”

“Boris should be bringing him back any time now,” she said. “He took him to the medical building to weigh and measure him and all that.”

“Well, that’s fine.”

“Yeah, and Tess said she’d keep the girls for a few nights so we can get used to our son,” she said. “But make sure you visit them so they don’t think we’re playing favorites, okay?”

“Oh, don’t worry, babe,” he said. “I’ll be there with bells on.”

*

Hope and Julie were piled on top of their father in the middle of Tess’s floor while the others watched. Little John had a snarky smirk on his face as he asked, “Hey, why don’t we take that down to the forest floor? You promised me we’d go again.”

Night glanced over at the boy, slightly annoyed as he replied, “Well, if you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been a bit busy the last couple of weeks. Besides, haven’t you and Hope got that school project you’re supposed to be working on?”

“Yeah we do,” he grumbled.

“Besides, Julie isn’t big enough to go down there just yet,” Night pointed out. “She hasn’t hit her growth spurt like you two have done.”