His big hands were moving too, running over Jillian’s body, through her hair, cupping her face so he could cover it with kisses, thumb away the tears. “God, honey, don’t. It’s all right,” he murmured, tucking her head under his chin and wrapping his arms around her tightly, rocking her. “It’s all right now.”
She couldn’t settle, couldn’t relax. Her entire body was alight with raw, instinctive need and she struggled to get her hands under his shirt. “Just touch me, oh God, James, please touch me. I need you, I need—” Words failed as urgency overpowered her. She had to get to his skin, had to press her skin to his.
Had to.
Some primeval switch had been thrown, and she might die or implode if she didn’t get these damn clothes out of her way.
The wildness infected him too. James’s lips became hungry on hers, and the offending clothes disappeared rapidly. Hands flew, his and hers, in frenzied need, to touch, to grasp, to glide over trembling flesh. Lips left hot trails of rapid, desperate kisses. Hearts beat with a primal need to be in one skin. They tumbled to their knees, still entwined around each other. He bore her backward and paused, about to thrust into her, and touched her belly with a question in his eyes.
“It’s all right,” she whispered. Jillian gasped as he filled her, as he reared back and filled her again and again. Oh,
yes
. This was exactly what she wanted, what she craved.
Yes, yes, yes . . .
She clung to him with arms and legs, breathed his name into his mouth and rose to meet him. It felt so good, so damn good as his much larger body moved over hers, into hers. He overwhelmed her with heat and strength, yet she wanted it. Wanted him, heart and soul and body. All the worry and fear and loneliness of the past few months slid away as she called for him to bring her. They peaked together, and on the long, slow drift back to earth, she felt the world right itself.
James stirred reluctantly and found himself facedown in the sand, half on Jillian, half off, but probably still too heavy for her. Sense rushed in then and quickly he raised himself on his elbows and looked at her. There were tears on her face.“Oh Christ, I’ve hurt you.” He sat up at once, scooped her into his lap, wiped the tears with his knuckles as he scanned her body frantically. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be so rough, it’s just . . . I just . . . and the baby. I was worried about the baby, but—”
She put her fingers over his mouth. “Relax. The baby’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”
“But—”
“
But
I totally loved it.
But
I’m happy.” Her eyes were dreamy, delighted as she looked at him. “You didn’t hurt me, so quit with the sorries, okay? The doctor said that sex wouldn’t bother the baby in the least.”
“Really?”
“I promise. Here, check for yourself.” She pulled his big hand over her stomach, rested her hands over it. “See?”
Her belly was sweetly rounded, just beginning to bloom. Had he lost more time than he thought? “Um, just how long have I been MIA?”
“About three months or so.”
Jesus.
He hugged her to him then, kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry to have left you on your own for so long.”
“If you say you’re sorry again, I’ll have to hit you. Yes, I missed you like crazy, I was scared and worried, and I had to take everyone’s word for it that you were still alive. And why was that? Because you saved my life. Because I needed you and you came. Don’t be sorry for that.” Her voice gentled then and she cupped his face with her hands. “We’ve both been through a lot. Let’s just focus on the now, okay? I just want to spend a lot of time enjoying you.”
In answer, he kissed her long and deep and slow, rubbed her tummy in lazy circles—and froze.
“What? What’s wrong now?”
“Shhh—nothing. Here, move this way.” James sat up straighter, pulled her into the vee of his long legs with her back against him. Kissed her temple to distract her as he reached his hands around her, all senses alert. He sought a spot low on her belly, skimmed his hands back and forth over the warm skin like a caress. And suddenly there it was. Life. Carefully he sought to discern, to sense, to sort the shimmering vibrations he felt into—
Two.
James’s heart skipped a beat as he realized there were
two
. No mistake. The delicate sensations fluttered beneath his hands and in his mind like faery wings. Joy and wonder surged through him, and he began to laugh.
“What’s so funny? Did the baby move? I didn’t feel anything.”
James only laughed harder, the sound full and rich and deep, booming through the stone circle and echoing across the valley. That little frown appeared between Jillian’s brows and still he couldn’t stop the laughter. Finally, he flopped weakly back on the sand.
Jillian found her sweater, blotted his face with the sleeve. “Are you okay? Are you done now?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.” For God’s sake, he was practically wheezing. And his sides ached, but oh, it felt so good.
“Are you going to let me in on the joke or was that just post-wolf hysterics?”
“There’s no joke, honey. We’re gonna need two cribs.”
She goggled. “What?”
“Twins, we’re having twins.”
“We are
not
.”
“Trust me, there’s two in there.” He watched her struggle to come up with an argument, shook his head at her. “Sorry but Changelings can tell. Have you ever seen Connor use that fancy new ultrasound at the clinic?”
“Of course I—well, I don’t see him do a lot of things,” she said defensively. “We’re both busy.” Her face changed suddenly and she grabbed his arms. “This isn’t some cute little way of telling me we’re having a litter, is it? How could I have been so dumb? The baby’s a Changeling isn’t it? I’ve been so worried about you that I didn’t even think—”
He nearly burst out laughing again at the alarm on her face, but wisely decided to choke it back. “Twins don’t constitute a litter, honey.”
She didn’t look reassured. “You think this is funny, but I’ve never seen any werewolf children. No one in your family has any kids except some sister I’ve never met.”
“Carlene. In Wyoming,” he supplied. “She has three.”
“Whatever. For all I know they’re all running around on four legs.”
“Only when they want to. No, wait!” She was trying to move away from him, but he caught her and pulled her firmly back into his lap. “I’m sorry, I can see I’m not taking this seriously enough. You deserve a straight answer. My brothers and sisters and I are all Changelings but we started out like normal human children. Looked like them, acted like them, played and fought and laughed and cried like them. No pointed ears, no fangs, and no fur. No eating of raw meat. Definitely no tails.”
“You’re sure?”
“Cross my heart.”
“Really sure?”
He waved a hand at the circle of stones around them. “Elk Point is a sacred place. I couldn’t tell a lie here even if I wanted to.”
“The baby’s fine?”
“Babies,” he corrected. “Yes, they’re just fine. In fact, they’re wonderful and so are you.”
She placed her hands over his where they rested warm on her belly. Her fingers were trembling. “Oh God, James, it’s all so much. We’re going to have a family. We’re going to be parents. I’m going to be—”
“My wife. And a brilliant partner at the North Star Animal Hospital. And the director of an innovative new wildlife rehabilitation center. And the most beautiful mother on the planet.” He moved his hands up to cup her breasts, nuzzled over her hair to plant kisses on the sensitive nape beneath. “You’re going to be busy, honey. I think we’d better do this again while we can still fit it on your calendar.”
“Do what?” she laughed, although he could tell she knew.
In answer he simply cradled her against him and sought her lips. And loved her slowly, sweetly, thoroughly.
Epilogue
T
he October day was a gem. Warm, bright sun and cool, pleasant air. Perfect, James thought, for the official opening of the Northern Lights Wildlife Center. He surveyed the crowd assembled in the middle of the new complex, noted the TV news crew and the dignitaries with no small sense of pride as Jillian Macleod stepped down off the podium amid a long clatter of applause. She’d been a bundle of nerves for days, rewriting her speech constantly. But when the time came, she’d set the speech aside and simply talked to the audience about what animals meant to her, and how grateful she was to work with them. It was perfect.
She
was perfect.
He shifted the toddler dozing on his shoulder, wondered if Culley still had her brother. Or maybe Devlin had stolen Hunter by now. There was fierce competition for the twins among James’s siblings, and he counted himself lucky to have gotten a turn to hold even one of his children. He planted a kiss on little Hailey’s forehead, breathed in the soft smell of her hair. The twins were almost two now and their very existence amazed him. He imagined he’d still feel that way when they were twenty.
He lost sight of Jillian as the crowd milled about, inspecting the facility. Among them, he knew, were fellow veterinarians, zoo directors, and representatives from other wildlife centers across the continent. James couldn’t resist putting his Changeling senses to good use and listened in on bits of conversation, picked up their surprised and approving comments on his wife’s innovative design. He recognized plenty of local people as well, clients from the clinic, farmers and ranchers from the area. Jillian had gained quite a following.
He saw Douglas Harrison, acknowledged him with a nod. After the arrest of Roderick, James had learned there were more victims than he knew—and realized Douglas was one of them. He’d asked Fitzpatrick to arrange a meeting. “I don’t imagine I can ever forgive what happened to Evelyn, but I do know it’s not your fault,” James had said to Douglas. “You were a kid, you weren’t responsible for what your father did. You couldn’t have stopped him either. I wish he hadn’t done it, but I wish just as much that you hadn’t seen it.” He’d left it at that. Fitz kept him updated, let him know that Douglas was doing well. Roderick on the other hand would be spending his remaining years in a psychiatric ward rather than prison. The man’s mental state had deteriorated rapidly when police unearthed Corena Harrison’s sad remains in the wooded area of his ranch.
Finally the crowd seemed to be thinning. James wondered how long it would be before he saw his wife again when suddenly she appeared in front of him. He kissed her soundly, then scooped an arm around her to pull her closer and kissed her again. “You were great up there. I liked what you said, and I think everyone else did too. Did you finish your tour already?”
“I gave a couple of interviews and then Zoey handed out press releases. Connor took over the tour for me.” She plucked the child from him and settled her on one hip. Hailey stretched, grinning sleepily at her father. “Birkie wants to take her home now. She and Kenzie are watching them both tonight.”
Tonight. The night of the full moon. Jillian’s left hand was bandaged and he reached for it, intending to inspect the bite wound beneath the gauze, but she yanked it away. “It’s still fine since the last time you looked at it. I’m a vet, trust me.”
He settled for grabbing her other hand, held it firmly. “You’re feeling all right?”
“Never better,” she said lightly and turned to walk away but he didn’t let go.
“I mean it, Jillian. It’s your first Change.” They’d talked about it for months. She’d made her decision to join his world fully—yet only by biting her could he give her that gift. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done. And now, with her first Change imminent, he was the one needing reassurance.
“Are you trying to scare me? You weren’t this nervous when Hunter and Hailey were being born. I got through that and I’ll get through this, and you know that both Zoey and Jessie have been coaching me.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “Okay, I’m nervous, too. But all my life I’ve dreamed of understanding animals better. This is more than I ever imagined possible, and I want it, James. I want all of it. I want the wolf and I want
you
.”
He held her, just held her, for a long moment until Hailey became restless. He tickled her and she squealed, breaking the bubble of tension within him.
“You know,” Jillian stage-whispered, “if you let me give this child away, we could have a couple of hours to ourselves before dark.”
He let go of her immediately. Jillian laughed as she walked a few steps, then thought of something and returned.
“Are you going to the house, hon? Could you please put this in some water?” She pulled open her lab coat to reveal a carefully rolled-up paper napkin protruding from the inner pocket. “Someone left it on the podium for me.” She gave him a long lingering kiss, filled with the reassurance James needed—and a promise for later that he was looking forward to collecting.
He watched as Jillian and Hailey bounced away across the complex. Saw them meet up with Birkie and Kenzie. Culley and Devlin were playing with Hunter—and James didn’t need Changeling ears to hear Hunter’s delighted yells. He chuckled and looked down at the napkin Jillian had placed in his hand. Unrolled it carefully to reveal a tiny stalk of lily of the valley that didn’t seem to know how out of season it was.
A return to happiness
. He looked again at his family. Knowing more than happiness. Knowing joy.