A Chase Christmas (City Shifters: the Pride Book 6) Read online

  She took a deep breath, then shook her head. "I'm not sure, to be honest. The best thing is usually to let them come out of it on their own, but they're so young they might not know how to do it. And if they weren't taken care of or taught the basics of what to do, they could get stuck. The longer they stay wolves, the more likely it is the human part of their brain will atrophy."

  My heart sank but I ignored Logan's effort to herd me toward the rocking chair, and instead gently lifted the girl cub from her basket. I wrapped her in one of the softer blankets and sank into the plush chair, which had until recently taken up a corner in the nursery next to Logan's and my bedroom. Putting my feet up felt like heaven, and the soft weight of the cub on my chest, resting on my belly, nearly undid me. I closed my eyes as they discussed the relative merits of when to change the kids back, but I didn't care. If they wanted to stay wolves forever, that was fine. We would find a way to take care of them.

  Chapter 3

  Natalia

  I pried my eyes open some time later to find the room half-lit and Logan asleep in an overstuffed armchair across from me, his mouth open as he snored. The other two cubs slept on his chest, grumbling and growling as they dreamt. The sudden, debilitating urge to pee was the only thing that could have gotten me to put the girl cub down, but it was that or ruin the rocking chair I loved.

  Somehow, the boys had managed to move the cribs into the room without waking me, so I placed the cub there and hurried to the nearest bathroom. The rest of the mansion remained still and quiet, even at ten o'clock at night. It was large enough that each of the brothers had their own space, so no one disturbed the rest of the family until we met for dinner every night. I massaged my back as I returned to the infirmary.

  The girl cub still slept in her crib, and Logan still slept in his chair. One of boy cubs on his chest stirred, though, and I picked him up before he could wake the other cub or my husband. The little cub blinked up at me and yawned mightily, snuggling in my arms, and my heart melted. As ridiculous as pregnancy emotions were, I cherished feeling things so strongly, so overwhelmingly. I could do without the tears, though.

  I eased back into the rocker and got three rocks in when the wolf cub stretched. And kept growing. Turned inside out, then a pink-skinned, naked little boy sat in my lap instead. He looked up at me, sheer terror in his eyes, and trembled. My heart raced and I desperately wished Ruby was there to help. Chances were, whatever questions the boy had, I wouldn't be able to answer them. I managed to smile, though, and kept my voice soft. "Hi there. My name is Natalia. What's yours?"

  "H-henry," he said, raspy. He stared around the room, eyes still blue. "Where's my sister and brother?"

  "Still sleeping." I pointed at the crib, then at where Logan still slept, massive arm curled around the tiny cub. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

  He shivered, hugging himself, and I eased him off my lap so I could reach a pile of blankets and clothes. None of the clothes would fit, since we didn't have any kids in the house, but I wrapped Henry up in a fleece and gave him a hug for good measure. "I could use some hot chocolate. How about you?"

  The little boy still looked uncertain but he held my hand as we walked into the hall and toward the kitchen. His dark hair stuck up in tufts and cowlicks, and he looked around with wide eyes. A hint of a scar divided his chin, and I'd seen some bruises along his back and arms. I held back the torrent of questions and only pointed him at one of the tall stools next to what remained of the island. "Climb up there, Henry. It'll just take me a moment to heat the milk."

  He remained silent and watchful, expression too serious for someone so young. I poured milk into a small pan over one of the burners and broke apart some chocolate in preparation. "How old are you, Henry?"

  "Almost five." His skinny chest puffed out even as he held the blanket tighter. "I'm the oldest. We're triplets but I was born first."

  I nodded and went to dig through the fridge to find snacks for him, despite not knowing what a four year old wolf cub would want to eat. Cheese and crackers, cold cuts, leftover lasagna, a few boxes of cereal, and everything else I could find ended up balanced on the cracked quartz top of the island. Henry eyed it all dubiously but picked at some of the crackers. I desperately missed cheese, the really stinky kind, and wine and fish and rare beef.

  The milk started to bubble so I added the chocolate, careful to keep an eye on the little guy. "What are your sister and brother's names, Henry?"

  "Hazel and Harrison." His lips compressed in a thin line and he folded his hands on the counter in front of him, staring at the plate of cheese. "Are they going to be okay?"

  "The doctor thinks so," I said. "We'll know more when they wake up and can talk to us. Did you spend a lot of time in wolf form, Henry?"

  "It was my idea." He hung his head, thin shoulders sagging. "Harrison didn't want to but I made him. It was the only way we could hide."

  "Hide from what?"

  The dark head rested on his folded arms. "The alpha's guys. They took Mom and Dad on a trip, then came back for us and said we would go on a trip too, but they took us into the forest and we didn't have suitcases or clothes and they wouldn't let us bring any of our toys so I knew it wasn't a good trip. I got scared and wanted to run but they're really big guys and really fast. We had to be small and quiet to get away."

  "I think that was very brave of you," I said. My hands shook as I poured the hot chocolate into two mugs and eased onto the stool next to him. I wanted to hug him, to cuddle him close, but he struggled to sit up and hold the mug with a stern expression. Sipping the hot chocolate gave me time to gather my thoughts before going on. "And very smart. Is that why you hid in the tree?"

  "We ran. They followed us for a while but it was really cold and they gave up. Went away. Then we were alone and we didn't know where we were or how to get home and it started snowing." He took a shaky breath, small hands gripping the mug. "Hazel found the tree. We only wanted to rest for a little while."

  "Well, you can rest here as long as you like." I leaned my elbows on the counter and studied him closely, my heart in my throat. "Tomorrow maybe you can talk to a friend of mine. He's very good at finding people; he might be able to find your parents."

  Henry looked up, blue eyes hopeful beneath long dark lashes. "Really?"

  "Maybe. I don't want to promise you anything, honey, but we'll look everywhere for them." My heart broke for him, for all three of them. Not just missing their parents, but abandoned and threatened, and right before Christmas.

  The floor creaked behind us and I turned, smiling to see Logan awake and in the doorway. He shuffled closer to kiss the top of my head, stroking my back, and grumbled, "No chocolate for me?"

  "There's only enough for Henry and me," I said, smiling despite a heartburn flare. I leaned to nudge the little wolf. "Isn't that right?"

  But he'd frozen on the stool, huddled low, and shook so violently he nearly fell to the floor. Startled, I looked up at Logan. He looked just as surprised as I felt, but retreated to the other side of the kitchen to get a beer. I touched Henry's arm and he flinched. "Honey, what's wrong?"

  "We drank his drink," the boy whispered, cringing. "He'll be mad."

  "He's not mad, Henry. I promise." When he still wouldn't look up, I caught him around the waist and dragged him into my shrinking lap. I cuddled him close and turned until he could see Logan, though Henry tried to hide his face in my shoulder. "That's my husband, Logan. He's not allowed to get mad at anything I do or say, and he's not allowed to get mad at anyone I like. And since I like you, Logan can't get mad at you. Right, Logan?"

  "Right." Logan winked at me, on the verge of rolling his eyes, and finished his beer. "She's a lot scarier than I am, young man."

  Henry's arms tightened around my neck as he said, "He's an alpha. He's scary. They're all scary."

  "He's a good alpha." I hugged him, wrapping the blanket more securely around him. "And a good man. And he's one of the ones who brought you out of the forest today."


  The little boy cracked one eye open and peeked over my shoulder at Logan, who made a goofy face. Henry didn't crack a smile. I rested my head on top of his, suddenly so tired I could have fallen asleep right there. "Why don't we talk more about that tomorrow, Henry? Can you sleep in the same room with your brother and sister?"

  He seemed determined to continue to guard his siblings, and marched his way back to the room without another word. Logan trailed a good distance behind, safely out of sight so the boy wouldn't be nervous, and we discovered that Sophia set up a cot in the infirmary with the three cribs. She solemnly introduced herself to Henry and asked if it would be okay if she stayed with them overnight. A weight lifted off my chest when Henry nodded, just as grave, and Sophia helped him into the empty crib. She winked at me and shooed me away, so I retreated to where Logan waited in the hall.

  I leaned into him and closed my eyes, sighing as his arms wrapped around me. He always smelled wonderful — like sun and work and the outdoors, and sometimes a little like my perfume. His heart beat steadily against my ear. I linked my arms around his waist, despite the baby belly separating us by a foot or more. "We have to find their parents."

  "They might already be gone," he said under his breath. "But we'll do our best. You know if anyone can find them, Smith can. Don't get stressed out about it, Nat."

  "I'm not stressed," I said, even though it was a damn lie. The idea of those three babies being orphaned at Christmas... The breath hitched in my throat and he made his grumbly noise and started rubbing his cheek on my hair. I cleared my throat and tried to pretend I wasn't crying. "I'm not stressed, I promise."

  He leaned to glance over my shoulder and the purr thrummed to life in his chest as he poked my side. "Your pants are on fire, you liar."

  "Look, kitty," I said, trying to give him a fierce look despite being nearly drunk on his warmth and scent and purr. "Don't make me get the spray bottle. I can be worried about those babies if I want."

  "And I love that you are," he said, though his purr seemed mostly a chuckle. He kissed the side of my neck, then behind my ear, and his hands drifted lower to squeeze my ass. "Just don't get too worked up, okay?"

  "Look who's talking," I said under my breath. My heart sped up as an avalanche of hormones crashed straight into my lady business and I could have fucked him right there in the hall. I pulled him closer, pressing myself against the growing bulge in his jeans, and Logan growled in response. I tugged at the front of his shirt, my breath coming faster. "I don't think I can waddle fast enough for how much I want you right now."

  In a blink, I floated, Logan lifting me easily and striding through the halls in the direction of our rooms. I tangled my fingers in his hair and drew his face down so I could kiss him, hungry for a taste of him regardless of how many people saw us as he practically kicked the door in. Calling him 'kitty' nearly always got me what I wanted, and I wanted him forever.

  Chapter 4

  Logan

  They slept late the next day, despite that Logan was up at dawn with Natalia's snoring. And there almost wasn't room enough in the bed for him and all of her pillows. She had at least a dozen — a couple under her stomach, another between her knees, more stuffed behind her back. He didn't mind the crazy mood swings and loved the desire it sparked in her, so the pillows seemed a fair enough trade when she tried to rip his clothes off in the middle of the house.

  Logan snorted and shook his head, leaning against a couch in the comfortable family room where Edgar built a fire, and brought his mind back to the business at hand rather than Natalia's sweaty, naked body with her full hips and heavenly breasts and her stomach round and taut with his child...

  Edgar cleared his throat, pointedly looking away as Logan adjusted himself, and flopped onto the couch and focused on the fire instead. "Dude. Come on."

  "Grow up." But Logan tried to think non-sexy thoughts as he shifted around on the couch. "When do you meet with Smith?"

  "He's meeting me here in an hour. Sophia and Isobel are staying with the kids to keep them calm. We're hoping by the time Smith gets here, they'll be able to tell us a lot more about their parents, their pack, and what happened." Edgar shook his head as he straightened, folding his arms over his chest. "Well, Henry might be able to tell us. The other two still haven't shifted back."

  "They could be stuck." Logan scrubbed his face, dreading the possibility that they'd end up with a couple of kids stuck as wolves. "Did Ruby know what was going on with them?"

  "She didn't see anything." Edgar studied him for a long moment before clearing his throat. "How's Nat doing?"

  "Her feet hurt, and her back hurts, and her ass hurts, and she's got heartburn and has to pee every five seconds and can't catch her breath." Logan shook his head, not wanting to laugh at seeing his extremely capable wife with a litany of complaints. He glanced up at his brother. "So overall, a bit more uncomfortable than the doctors predicted. And she's bigger than they expected. The baby, too."

  For a moment, he stared at the fire, breath caught in his chest. From the sonogram, the baby looked like she might have reached seven pounds already. Too big for only six months along.

  Edgar frowned. "Have you talked to her about some of the risks?"

  "I don't want her to worry." Logan pushed to his feet and went to stare out the window, not wanting to face his calm and capable brother. Edgar hadn't dealt with a pregnant mate. He didn't know the terror of it, fearing for her and the baby and himself. Terrified of every sneeze and cough, every interrupted snore as she slept. He'd never known fear in his life until Natalia showed him the pregnancy test and told him he was going to be a father.

  "Brother," Edgar said, a warning in his voice. "God forbid something goes wrong. Humans don't normally do well carrying shifter babies. You should talk to her about it."

  "I will. It's fine." Logan's phone rang and he glanced down at it. "Look, that's Mom. Go make sure the little ones are well-fed. The kid, Henry, is scared of men, it seems. Be careful with him."

  "Say hi to her for me," Edgar said, already halfway out the door.

  Logan pushed away every worrisome thought; his mother could always tell when something was wrong. Even with him alpha of his own pride, she knew. "Hey, Mama. How are you?"

  "Logan, my dear." Her voice, as always, warmed his heart. It was like hearing a hug. "What's wrong?"

  He snorted and shook his head. "Nothing's wrong. We're looking forward to seeing you."

  "I'm sure you are. Is Benedict behaving himself?"

  "About as much as he usually does." Logan frowned out the windows as the snow started to fall once more. "Although he spends just as much time chasing after his mate and keeping her out of trouble. So I guess that's an improvement."

  "And Edgar? The holidays are always rough for him." The worry came through the phone clearly enough Logan could picture her expression exactly. She'd always worried about Edgar, after he lost his mate so young.

  "Isobel is good for him," Logan said. "Distracts him a little bit but also needs him, so he looks after her. And the baby, too. She's been the biggest difference. He's a fool for that baby."

  "I'm very excited to meet them all." She sounded like she moved around, paper rustling and chairs kidding on the floor. "I'm sending a box with gifts in it. I guessed for most of the girls, and I made caramel corn for you boys, but —"

  "Mama, you don't need to send anything." But Logan's mouth watered at the thought of his mother's caramel-covered popcorn. It wasn't Christmas without the caramel corn. "Just yourself. You have the ticket reservations I sent, right? And the car will pick you up and take you to the airport two hours before the flight."

  She laughed. "I know, Logan. I've flown before."

  "Sounds good, Mom. Can't wait to see you." Logan frowned down at the floor, rubbing the back of his neck. Talking to his mother always made him feel like a little kid again, like he was about to get in trouble for picking on his brothers. "Yes, we'll pick you up at the airport. No, flying in on Christmas Ev
e isn't too late. Of course you're welcome. Yes. I love you too. Call me tomorrow."

  He hung up and exhaled, turning to go after Edgar to make sure everything with Smith went well, but stopped short. Natalia, arms folded over her chest, stood in the entrance to the living room. The dangerous eyebrow arched, and she eyed him like he was a lobster before she threw him in a pot to steam.

  Her voice practically sparkled with false cheer, though, and made him warier still. "Logan, my love, who was that?"

  "So, Natalia." He retreated a step, wishing one of his brothers would interrupt. Or that the windows behind him would open up and swallow him whole into the snow. "That was my mother."

  "Lovely. I'm so looking forward to meeting your mother." She advanced, the other eyebrow rising to match the dangerous one. Double dangerous. "Am I to understand from your secret phone call that she'll be visiting in the near future? And you didn't tell me about it? So now I have less than a week to prepare for meeting her? For the first time ever? At Christmas?"

  Logan held his breath and tried to convince the lion to act like a God-damned alpha and leader of a pride. He could stand up to his mate. Men did it all the time. Then again, if he ran, she'd never be able to catch him. Too pregnant. She looked adorable as she waddled, but he didn't want to test her speed. He glanced at the hall behind her and debated. He might never live it down if he ran.

  Chapter 5

  Natalia

  I walked in just as Logan told his mother how happy he would be to see her. On Christmas Eve. I'd asked him a month earlier whether we could expect Mama Chase to visit, and he'd been vague to the point I wondered if there were some problem between them. But no. He'd planned a secret trip without telling me, and I ended up with less than a week to prepare to meet my mother-in-law for the first time. Along with the perfect Christmas. Without a working kitchen, and six months pregnant, and feeling worse every day.