Shawn: Spring (Shifter Seasons Book 5)
Author: Raines, Harmony
Date: 2020-07-23
Publisher: Harmony Raines

Table of Contents

Copyright

Shifter Seasons

Foreword

Chapter One – Shawn

Chapter Two – Joanna

Chapter Three – Shawn

Chapter Four – Joanna

Chapter Five – Shawn

Chapter Six – Joanna

Chapter Seven – Shawn

Chapter Eight – Joanna

Chapter Nine – Shawn

Chapter Ten – Joanna

Chapter Eleven – Shawn

Chapter Twelve – Joanna

Chapter Thirteen – Shawn

Chapter Fourteen – Joanna

Chapter Fifteen – Shawn

Chapter Sixteen – Joanna

Chapter Seventeen – Shawn

Chapter Eighteen – Joanna

Chapter Nineteen – Shawn

Chapter Twenty – Joanna

Chapter Twenty-One – Shawn

Chapter Twenty-Two – Joanna

Chapter Twenty-Three – Shawn

Chapter Twenty-Four – Joanna

Chapter Twenty-Five – Shawn

Chapter Twenty-Six – Joanna

Chapter Twenty-Seven – Shawn

Chapter Twenty-Eight – Joanna

Epilogue

Also By Harmony Raines

Get In Touch

Shawn

Spring-Shifter Seasons

Book Five

***

All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher.

This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.

© 2020 Harmony Raines

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Shifter Seasons

Hex

Winter-Shifter Seasons Book One

Beck

Winter-Shifter Seasons Book Two

Mac

Winter-Shifter Seasons Book Three

Kelos

Spring-Shifter Seasons Book Four

Shawn

Spring-Shifter Seasons Book Five

Shawn

Spring-Shifter Seasons

Book Five

A silverback seasoned shifters romance

He’s found his mate, at last. Can she stop him losing his daughter?

Cougar shifter, Shawn, has been a father to Jane since she was a baby. He didn’t know her past, he was only interested in giving her the best future possible—and keeping her safe.

Now her future is in jeopardy as secrets are revealed and unknown enemies unmasked.

But he’s not alone when it comes to keeping Jane safe. His mate is by his side every step of the way.

Joanna, gorgeous, strong, and funny, she is the perfect woman for him. The perfect mate and, if given the chance, Shawn knows she will be the perfect mother.

She’s also a very capable police detective. Surely, the bad guys don’t stand a chance. But they soon find out there is more than just Jane at risk. As the stakes are raised, will they ever find their happy ever after together?

Joanna is a wolf shifter who had given up all hope of ever finding her mate. Instead, she poured her energy into bringing bad people to justice. Including the man who was responsible for killing her father.

But just as she is starting to move on, Shawn enters her life.

Smart, sexy, and a loving father, he is the mate of her dreams. However, she is soon drawn back into the corrupt world that ended in her father’s murder.

Only this time she intends for everyone to come out of it alive.

When two mates join forces, nothing can stop them. Of course, it helps to have a dragon shifter fighting alongside them. Even one as cantankerous as Fiona.

Chapter One – Shawn

“Can we go and explore along the trail?” Jane caught hold of Shawn’s hand and swung it back and forth as she twirled around.

“As long as you don’t go too far.” Shawn loved seeing his daughter so carefree and happy.

It makes it all worthwhile, his cougar said sadly.

It does. Shawn watched Jane run across the backyard to her new friends Lauren and Elliot who had recently moved to Bear Creek.

“You look like a man who needs a beer.” Joey passed Shawn a bottle of Bear Creek Honey Beer. “Here, we can drown our sorrows together.”

“And what sorrows are those?” Shawn asked as peals of laughter reached them from the trail.

His cougar grinned at the sound of the children playing. Jane might not be their biological child, but they loved her more than anything else in the world. They would protect her with their lives.

“I don’t suppose you feel it so acutely since you have a daughter.” Joey took a long swig of his beer. “But those of us who live alone.” He sighed heavily. Not in a theatrical kind of a way but an accept-my-fate kind of a way.

Shawn looked over Joey’s shoulder at the rest of the people assembled in Kelos’s backyard. “Ah, I get it. We’re surrounded by couples.”

“Yep. Couples with children. Couples expecting children.” Joey shook his head.

“And I have a child and no couple.” Shawn’s brow creased and he took a solemn drink of his beer. “We are the bachelors two now.”

“We are.” Joey glanced at Martha who was cradling baby Evangeline in her arms. “I’m going to go console myself by asking Martha if I can hold the baby. I already offered to babysit whenever they need me. And by the time Beck and Mac have their babies, I’ll be so busy with other people’s babies that I won’t get a chance to mourn for my mate who never was.”

“Hey, Joey, where did this mood come from?” Shawn asked. His friend was unusually morose today.

“Polly is pregnant.” Joey’s mouth turned down at the corners.

“You liked her a lot.” Shawn’s sympathy was evident in his voice. Joey had dated Polly for a few months. It had started out as a friends-with-benefits relationship.

Or shifter with benefits, Shawn’s cougar suggested.

Yeah, a shifter with benefits. Shawn sighed. Only Joey and Polly had acted like a normal couple who were dating. They’d gone to the movies, shared intimate dinners, and genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. Until Polly found her true mate.

Joey had been dropped like a hot rock.

“When I was with Polly I got a small glimpse of what it would be like to have a mate.” He frowned and shook his head. “I knew it wasn’t real. But it was nice pretending for a while.”

“And now she’s having a baby.” Shawn nodded, completely understanding how Joey felt but was unable to say anything that might help. Because there was nothing to say. He couldn’t tell Joey he’d get over it, or that one day he’d meet a mate of his own because there were no certainties in this world. The truth was that neither Shawn nor Joey might ever find their mate. They might be destined for a life alone.

“And now she’s having a baby.” Joey nodded. “And I’m torn between being so happy for her I could burst and so jealous I could explode.” His forehead wrinkled and he took a long drink of beer.

“That’s natural,” Shawn assured him. “For a shifter, I think those feelings are totally natural.”

“I tell you what doesn’t feel natural,” he said a little forlornly, “is being alone. No mate, no family.” Joey scanned Kelos’s backyard and all the people in it. “I feel like the odd one out.”

“It’s not as if I have a mate.” But Shawn had Jane.

Who fills a large hole in our heart that only a mate could completely heal, his cougar replied. Joey doesn’t have that.

“I’m going to sound like a frickin’ jackass, but I’m glad I’m not alone in being lonely.” Joey raised his beer bottle and Shawn did the same. “Here’s to bachelorhood. May it die a fiery death.”

“Amen to that,” Shawn replied.

Now I’m depressed, his cougar shook himself from head to foot as if trying to shake off the melancholy mood Joey had cast over them.

“Now, I’m going to go and coo over the baby.” Joey grinned, his unhappy mood forgotten at the thought of baby Evangeline. “Or maybe I might drool.” Joey winked and then swung around, heading across the grass to where Martha was cradling her new daughter while talking to Amber, Kelos’s mate. The dragon shifter had sure gotten lucky, but he’d also waited an incredibly long time for his woman to come along.

As if hearing his thoughts, Amber lifted her head and looked at him. Shawn waved at his old friend and she drifted over toward him as Joey began cooing to the baby.

“How are you doing?” Amber asked as she reached him.

“I’m okay. Busy at work as always. How about you?” Shawn’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her face. “There’s something different about you.” His forehead creased and then his eyes widened.

Amber took hold of his hand and led him farther away from the others. “Big announcement coming up.” She looked at him sternly. “Please don’t say it out loud.”

“I won’t.” He broke into a wide grin and fought the urge to hug her. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” She grinned like a fool. “It’s all happened so fast. But I’m so happy.”

“And I am happy for you.” He sighed in exasperation. “Damn, I want to hug you. But people will talk.”

“Later. When everyone is here, we’ll make the announcement and then you can hug away.” She smothered her smile as she glanced back toward the house. “I’m content, Shawn. I never thought this was for me but it’s what I want, and I think it’s what I always wanted. I just didn’t know it before I met Kelos.”

“I know what you mean. Raising Jane has been the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.” He paused. Raising a child alone had never been his plan but you make the most of what life sends your way.

“That’s quite a statement coming from a doctor. You’ve saved lives and helped countless people over your career.” Amber tilted her head to one side. “You know I’m going to be calling you at all hours for advice.”

“Call away…” His voice trailed off as his attention switched to something in the distance.

“Shawn?” Amber touched his arm and he jumped. “Are you okay?”

“Someone is coming.” His brows knitted together as a fog seeped into his brain. “Are you expecting someone else?”

“Yeah.” Amber swung around and stared in the direction of the road. “We’re waiting on Joanna and O’Malley.”

“Joanna. The police officer who helped you find the evidence that got Roman Ostabell arrested for murder?” Shawn swallowed down the lump in his throat. He didn’t feel right. He didn’t feel right at all, but he couldn’t perform his usual self-diagnosis because whatever was wrong with him appeared to have affected his cognitive thought process.

“Yes, we invited them both. Since they helped so much with the whole Ostabell thing.” She tapped Shawn on the chest. “O’Malley is looking forward to meeting you.”

“He is?” Shawn asked. Did Amber think he was gay?

“Yeah. He doesn’t meet many cougar shifters in the city. Apparently, they are a secretive bunch. The opposite of the inhabitants of Cougar Ridge. I told him you would invite him to Cougar Ridge some time.” She grinned. “I think he likes the idea of being free to shift in the street. City living must be hell if you are a shifter.”

“Sure.” Shawn nodded absently and took a couple of steps forward as if he were being reeled in like a fish on a hook. “And Joanna?” he asked in a dreamy voice.

“Joanna.” Amber let out a small cry of surprise that got everyone’s attention.

“Amber, is everything okay?” Kelos strode toward them, his fists clenched at his side.

“Everything is just fine.” She put out her hand and placed it on Kelos’s chest. “Shawn is just having a moment.”

“A moment?” Kelos asked, his body language remained tense as he readied to protect his mate.

His mate, Shawn’s cougar said.

Shawn switched his focus inward. Yes, Amber is Kelos’s mate. He didn’t understand what his cougar meant.

And whoever is approaching in this car is our mate. His cougar’s words hit him like an avalanche of snow hurtling down from the top of the mountain.

Mate. His brow furrowed as he searched to find the knowledge inside himself. If his cougar felt it then so should he. There. He jerked his head up, his attention fixed solely on the car approaching the house.

Stumbling forward, he left Amber and Kelos staring after him as he headed around the side of the house needing to get the first glimpse of his mate so he would know this was real.

Of course, it’s real, his cougar told him.

“Shawn?” Amber trailed behind him and Kelos followed. “Are you okay?”

“Of course, he’s okay. He’s about to meet his mate,” Kelos said, all tension gone from his voice. Whatever threat he’d perceived in Shawn was now long gone.

“So why does he look as if the world is about to end?” Amber asked as she leveled with Shawn’s shoulder.

“He’s in shock.” Kelos didn’t hide the amusement from his voice.

The approaching car slid to a stop and the passenger door flew open. There she was. A vision of loveliness in her skinny jeans topped by a T-shirt and leather jacket. She stared at Shawn and he stared right back at her, oblivious for the moment of all the people crowding around them.

“You never said there was entertainment,” Hex said from somewhere behind them.

“Great, Shawn has a mate. Now I’m not just a sad bachelor, I’m a lonely sad bachelor.” Although to be fair, Joey did sound happy for his friend. Even though he could not mask the longing in his voice.

“I’d ask what everyone is staring at,” O’Malley said as he got out of the car. “But since Joanna went all googly-eyed as we drove up to the house and this fella looks as if he’s punch-drunk, I’m guessing we are watching the newest mating in town.”

“That just about sums it up.” Amber stepped forward and waved her hand in front of Shawn’s face. “Earth calling Shawn.”

He blinked a couple of times, still not really seeing anything other than his mate. “I…” He lifted his hand and pointed at Joanna.

“You need a few moments.” Amber turned away from him and began herding everyone else back toward the house. “Let’s give these two some alone time.”

“Sure.” O’Malley glanced toward Joanna. “If that’s okay with you?”

Joanna blinked a couple of times and it was as if she’d been woken from a dream. “Yes. You go on.”

“Could you keep an eye on Jane for me, please?” Shawn asked Amber as the rest of the group walked away talking to each other in excited hushed whispers. “She’s gone along the trail.”

“Sure. I won’t say anything, though. About this.” Amber glanced at Shawn and then smiled softly at Joanna. “I think that is a job for her father.”

Shawn nodded. “Thanks, Amber.” He watched them go, terrified of meeting his mate’s eyes in case she was disappointed in him.

Why would she be disappointed in us? his cougar asked.

We have a child. Not every mate would be happy about that. He took a deep breath. There was no putting off the inevitable.

This is supposed to be the happiest day of our lives, his cougar purred.

It is. Shawn shook his head imperceptibly. Or it would be. If Joanna wasn’t a police detective.

Oh, his cougar’s fur stood on end as if he’d come face to face with a big slobbery dog. Now I understand.

Why does life have to be so complicated? Shawn asked his cougar. Detectives like to ask questions and there are some questions even we don’t know the answer to.

Jane. His cougar’s tail twitched from side to side.

Exactly. There is so much we don’t know about where she came from. Shawn had never outright lied about where his daughter came from. But he’d often allowed people to believe what they wanted to believe. He’d sidestepped the truth so many times the people around him had no idea what to believe. All for good reason. He’d promised to keep her safe and that had meant keeping the truth to himself.

At least the part of the truth he knew.

We would never be without Jane, his cougar answered.

Never! Shawn agreed. But I doubt Joanna will not ask about Jane’s mother. And that will open a whole can of worms we have spent years keeping a lid on.

Why does life have to be so complicated? His cougar sighed then his expression cleared. We must trust in fate. Joanna will be there for us. As much as we want to protect her, she will want to protect us.

She is a shifter. The weight pressing down on Shawn’s chest lightened. He needed to trust in fate more than ever. It was fate that had given him a daughter he adored. He wasn’t ready to believe that fate would give him a mate at last and then rip Jane away from him.

Fate was not that cruel.

Was it?

Chapter Two – Joanna

“Are you going to stand there and stare all day?” Uncertainty gripped Joanna. He was her mate. The man standing right before her. The man she’d waited her whole life for.

He might have the decency to look a little excited.

He’s not the only one, her wolf commented drily.

“Sorry.” He blinked a couple of times as if she were an apparition, he couldn’t quite believe it was real.

“It’s okay,” she conceded. “Shock does that to a person.”

“I’m Shawn.” Her mate took a faltering step forward, his hand outstretched as if this was a business meeting. “Sorry.” He dropped his hand to his side. “I’ve never done this before and have no idea how to react.” He smiled and Joanna’s heart pounded so hard in her chest she thought it would burst out of her ribcage.

That’s more like it! Her wolf licked her lips, hungry for their mate to run his fingers through her thick luxurious pelt. Her wolf shivered in anticipation.

“Joanna. But you already know that.” She gave a short laugh. “Speechless is a new experience for me.”

His smile widened and warmth filled her. Shawn was a good man. She’d known enough bad men to be sure of that.

So he’s not the bad boy you always dreamed of. Her wolf had no trouble finding words. Unhelpful words.

However, her wolf was right. Joanna had a long-held suspicion that fate would play a trick on her and her mate would be a bad boy she would need to reform.

We’re too old for that, her wolf conceded. She was right, again. If Joanna had any hope of having children of her own, she didn’t have time to tame a man.

“I don’t think either of us expected to meet our mate today.” His smile was disarming and after his initial bout of staring, he seemed more relaxed.

“I’d gotten to the point where I didn’t think I’d meet my mate any day.” Joanna glanced over his shoulder. “So, you’re friends with Kelos and Amber.”

“Amber and I go way back. Kelos is a good friend. We have spent more than a few bachelor nights together.” He put his hand up quickly. “Only drinking at The Happy Bear Club.” Color crept over his cheeks. “Nothing else.”

“You two didn’t go hunting together looking for easy women to pick up?” Joanna was playing with him.

“No! Nothing like that.” The color in his cheeks deepened and he ran his hand through his hair and puffed the air out of his cheeks.

“I’m teasing you,” Joanna confessed.

Shawn shook his head. “You had me for a moment. I thought you were going to put your cuffs on me or something.”

“If that’s your kink, I can bring them next time we meet.” She held his gaze as he opened and closed his mouth.

Now, who is lost for words? Her wolf liked this game.

“I…um.” He shrugged. “I don’t have a kink.” His attention was dragged away from Joanna as the sound of children screeching reached them. Shawn half turned but didn’t leave her.

“I think they’re just having fun.” Joanna watched her mate intently. There was something in his expression. She’d seen the same something in the faces of people she’d taken into custody and questioned. People who had information they were scared of sharing. “Shawn?”

“I have a daughter.” He switched his attention back to Joanna. “Jane. She’s my daughter.”

Joanna’s breath caught in her throat and she fought to keep her composure. “Okay.”

He shook his head again, his hand raking through his hair as he avoided her eyes. “I… I…”

“Don’t want to talk about it?” she asked. She knew the signs of a man with a secret he didn’t want to tell. Maybe fate had a twist in its tale after all.

“Not here.” He lifted his eyes to hers. “It’s complicated.” His forehead furrowed as his jaw tightened.

“Isn’t it always.” She shrugged. “Listen, we’re not young and just starting out. I’m sure both of us have some skeletons in our closets. I’m okay with that.” She sliced the air with her hand. “If you want, we can just draw a line beneath all that. As long as, from now on, we are honest with each other and don’t keep secrets.”

His shoulders sagged forward in relief. Which she should find worrying. What skeletons did her mate have in his closet?

No more than we do, her wolf answered. There are some things in our past we would rather stay hidden.

So true, Joanna replied. There were things they’d done. Stupid things that she wouldn’t want to share with anyone. But a child. Could she learn to be the mother of her mate’s child? Would she ever love her?

Worse. What if Shawn didn’t want any more children? If he already had a daughter, he might not want to upset her by having more children.

“Why don’t we drop the heavy stuff for now?” Shawn suggested. “We should join the others. I don’t want to overshadow Kelos and Amber.”

“Agreed.” She let out her pent-up breath. “Let’s just enjoy ourselves and be thankful we don’t have to search for our mate any longer. The rest can wait.”

“It can.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “If we weren’t shifters, our first conversation would consist of flirting and small talk while we made eyes at each other. I’d be trying to figure out what you were thinking and whether you liked me enough to go on a date with me.”

Joanna leaned back slightly and scanned Shawn from head to foot. Impressive. “Hmm, I guess I’d like you enough to date you. As to what I’m thinking, that’s easy, I think I need a drink.” She paused. “And I’d like to say hello to your daughter.” Her jaw tightened. “Or would you rather me stay in the background for now? Until you get a chance to talk to her.”

Are we going to be his naughty little secret? Her wolf had a point. Without knowing Shawn’s history, without getting the skeleton out of his closet and giving it a dust down, she had no idea what Jane would think of her. Would she resent Shawn having a mate, a woman who wasn’t her mother in her life?

“Jane would love to meet you.” He gave a wry smile. “She thinks I need a woman in my life. And I know she probably needs a woman in her life. I’ve done okay so far but as she gets older… I worry I won’t be able to relate to her. That my advice won’t be… Well, you get it.”

Joanna swallowed the lump of emotion that formed in her throat. Shawn loved his daughter so much. It was evident in the way he spoke about her, in the way he cared about her well-being. Father and daughter were no doubt a close-knit unit. Would there be room enough for Joanna?

Shawn might think his daughter needed a mother figure, but Jane might have other ideas.

“Does she know about shifters and mates and all that?” Joanna asked nervously. “The last thing I want to do is say something I shouldn’t. I’ve got a good track record in that department.”

“She knows about shifters.” He paused. “She also knows her mom wasn’t my mate.”

Joanna nodded. “Great.” What else was there to say? She was already beginning to regret her whole talk about skeletons in the closet. She wanted details and she wanted them now.

“Let’s go get that drink.” He held out his hand and she took a step forward. As she slipped her hand into Shawn’s that step felt like the biggest in her life. She was stepping out of her old life and into her new life. A life where a man and a child would take priority over everything else. Her job, her friends, herself.

As her skin rubbed against Shawn’s and he closed his fingers around her hand, a shock of recognition coursed through her. He turned to face her, the same recognition registering on his face. “This is weird.”

He gave a short laugh. “Thanks.”

“You know what I mean,” she began. “You must have seen other shifters meet their mates. They tell you how it feels. How when they first see their mate, they know they’re the one. That first touch…” She looked down at her hand in his. “But to actually experience it. To feel that connection. It’s…”

“Unbelievable?” Shawn asked.

“I guess it is. Yet it’s here.” She tightened her grip on his hand. “I feel you. I sense you. It’s intense.”

His mouth curled up at one corner. “I can see why you’re a cop.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Detective.”

“I can see why you are a detective. You have an analytical mind.” He inclined his head toward the house. “Come on. Let’s go get a drink and enjoy this.” He lifted his hand holding hers.

“I can do that.” She followed him around the side of the house and into the backyard. Amber and Kelos came over to meet them, while O’Malley chatted to another guy like they were old friends.

“It looks as though Joey has dumped me already,” Shawn nodded toward the two men talking.

“He needs a wingman,” Amber said lightly but her expression clouded for a moment. “I think he’s feeling left out.”

“It only seems like only yesterday when you guys were the bachelors three,” Amber reminded them.

“The bachelors three?” Joanna chuckled. “You guys had a name?”

“Not something we came up with,” Shawn assured her. Color crept across his cheeks and he glanced up at Kelos. “And not something we will ever be again.”

“No.” Kelos slipped his arm around Amber’s shoulders. “Shall we?”

“Sure.” Amber’s face paled and she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as her hand slid across her belly.

Someone is about to make an announcement, Joanna’s wolf said.

Amber is pregnant. That was fast. Her wolf fell silent.

What’s wrong? Joanna asked.

That could be us. In a couple of months, that could be us about to announce we are pregnant. Her wolf’s voice filled with longing. She longed to raise a brood of cubs.

Joanna was lost in that thought for a moment as the other people in the backyard gathered around. Her wolf was right. Her life could pivot and go off in a different direction in a short space of time.

She glanced at Shawn. Her spine prickled as if icy fingers touched her skin. Was she ready for all of this?

After being on her own for so long, she’d given up believing this would ever happen. She’d gotten used to her life. She’d put all her energy into her career.

Now that would change. It would have to change. If they did have children, she’d have to choose, her career or a family.

Was it wrong to want it all? Was it wrong to want a career and a family?

“Joanna.” Shawn squeezed her hand. “Are you okay?”

Her head jerked up and she nodded absently. “Yes.” But that was a lie. She wasn’t okay.

But we will be, her wolf assured her. Because this is meant to be.

Chapter Three – Shawn

“Amber is going to have a baby!” Jane ran across the lawn and excitedly flung herself into his arms.

“She is.” He wrapped his arms around his daughter and lifted her off the ground. Holding her against his chest, just as he had when she was a baby and would wake in the night crying for him, Shawn turned to face Joanna.

“Does that mean we can babysit?” Jane asked.

“I’m sure Amber and Kelos would appreciate that.” Shawn wrinkled his nose. “Although you will have to do diaper duty.”

Jane giggled and shook her head. “That’s a grown-up’s job.” She curled her small hands around his neck and hugged him close. “I wish I had a baby brother or sister.” Shawn’s heart faltered in his chest and his eyes locked with Joanna’s.

“Maybe one day,” he murmured.

Joanna turned her face away from his, her expression unreadable. Did she want children?

Will she love Jane? His cougar’s question was probably more immediately important. Jane was a part of their lives and whereas shifters normally were happy to take any child under their protection and love and nurture them, this was different.

We’re going to have to explain Jane to Joanna. Shawn’s jaw tightened as his cougar shook his head.

We can’t. We gave our word we would never reveal Jane’s past. Never reveal where she came from. His cougar tensed. Will we always be torn between our mate and Jane?

Not necessarily. Perhaps Joanna meant it when she said our past is our past. But deep down Shawn believed that was wishful thinking.

We can’t let the truth fester and wound our relationship with our mate. Jane is a detective. She will understand. His cougar might want to believe that but they both knew the risks.

If Joanna knew the truth, she might stir up the past that had stayed buried, that had kept Jane safe, for so long.

“I’m thirsty,” Jane announced.

“Okay. We can go get a drink but first I want you to meet someone.” Shawn half turned and placed his hand on Joanna’s shoulder. “This is Joanna.”

“Hi, Joanna.” Jane lifted her hand and waved at Shawn’s mate.

“Hi, Jane. How are you doing?” Joanna smiled warmly. “I like your dress. It’s very pretty.”

“Thanks.” Jane’s fingers ran over the blue fabric embroidered with small flowers. It was her favorite. They’d picked it out for a party when they went to the city a couple of months ago. Jane had worn it at every opportunity since.

“Do you like flowers?” Joanna asked. She pointed to a little blue flower. “These are forget-me-nots. I have some growing in my backyard.”

“I like roses. They smell sweet.” Jane wriggled in Shawn’s arms. “Shall we go and get a drink?”

“Sure.” He let Jane slip out of his arms, even though he wanted to grab ahold of her and pull her back to him. What if finding his mate destroyed the relationship they had?

Jane slipped her hand into his and pulled him forward. He took a faltering step as Joanna stood her ground, her eyes on father and daughter. “Are you coming?” Jane asked in her small sweet voice that always tore at Shawn’s heart.

“Is that okay?” Joanna asked.

“Sure, it is.” Jane smiled brightly. “Do you like brownies? We bake brownies a lot. You can come over and help if you want.”

“I’d…I’d love to.” Joanna’s shoulders relaxed and the tension in her body dissipated.

“Great!” Jane glanced sheepishly as Shawn. “My dad could do with some female company over the age of eight.”

Shawn chuckled. “Hey, what are you saying?”

“That there are only so many dolls’ tea parties a grown-up man should go to.” Jane arched her eyebrow. “You should go to dinner together. Joey could babysit me. He’s fun.”

“My daughter the matchmaker.” He winked at Joanna and then asked Jane, “Joey’s fun but I’m funner, right?”

Jane giggled. “Sure, you are.”

“You’ve injured my pride.” Shawn put his hand on his heart and his mouth drooped at the corners.

“You’re my dad. Dads aren’t always fun.” Jane stopped walking and turned to face him. Reaching for his other hand, she tilted her head back and looked at him with her clear blue eyes. “Dads are for the more important stuff. Like homework and bad dreams. And hugs. Lots of hugs.”

He slipped his arm around her slim shoulders. “I’ll always be there for you, sweetheart.”

“So that’s a date?” Jane asked, her gaze on Joanna’s face. Shawn knew that look only too well, it was hard to deny Jane anything when she looked at him that way.

Why would Joanna deny Jane anyway? his cougar asked. She wants to spend time with us. We’re her mate.

“Sure. It’s a date.” As Joanna smiled, her eyes misted with tears. “I used to make brownies with my dad.”

“Why don’t you anymore?” Jane asked.

“He died.” Joanna sniffed loudly. “So it’ll be wonderful to come over to your house and make brownies with you.”

“And my dad,” Jane confirmed. “It’s a date.” She arched her eyebrow and dared either of them to say otherwise.

Jane is wise beyond her years, his cougar said.

Do you think she can sense that we are mates? Shawn asked.

Perhaps she can simply sense that you and Joanna have chemistry. And you do have chemistry.

“How about tomorrow?” Shawn asked. “I have a shift in the morning, but the afternoon works.”

“I have a shift tonight. So I’ll grab a few hours’ sleep and then come on over.” Joanna glanced at Shawn. “If you are sure that’s okay.”

“Absolutely.” Shawn nodded. “Joanna is a police detective.”

“Really?” Jane asked. “That is so cool.”

“Probably not as cool as it sounds. There’s a lot of paperwork involved.” Joanna screwed up her face. “A lot of paperwork.”

“But you get to arrest bad people and put them in jail.” Jane’s eyes shone bright with admiration.

“I do.” Joanna nodded. “That’s the main reason I joined the police force.”

“Hey, how are you guys doing?” Amber came across to them as they entered the kitchen. “Help yourself to whatever you want, Jane.”

“This all looks wonderful,” Shawn complimented Amber as Jane eyed the small iced cakes and a plateful of cookies. “There are some sandwiches, too.”

“I can see them,” Jane retorted.

“It’s my responsibility to make sure she eats a balanced diet,” Shawn told Amber as she smothered a smile. “Have you forgotten what it’s like to be a child?”

“You’ll soon be reminded.” Joanna dropped her gaze to Amber’s belly.

Amber reacted by smoothing her hand over her stomach. “I can’t wait. It seems like ages until the baby is due but I’m sure it’ll fly by.” She gave a small smile, leaned forward, and whispered, “You two look happy. Does that mean Jane is okay with this?”

“She is.” Shawn glanced at Jane. “She invited Joanna over to the house tomorrow to make brownies.”

“That’s a good start.” Amber reached out and took Joanna’s hand. “I’m so pleased for you both. It makes me happy to know two of my favorite people are meant to be together.”

Joanna glanced at Shawn. “I think we’re both a little shell-shocked.”

“A little.” Shawn nodded.

“Maybe you should try the cake and cookies,” Amber suggested. “Sugar always makes me feel better.”

“I was thinking of wine,” Joanna replied. “Since O’Malley is driving me home, I am free to indulge.”

“Help yourself.” Amber pointed to the fridge. “There’s cold beer if you want one.”

“Thanks.” Shawn headed for the fridge. “One won’t hurt.”

“Your mate won’t let you drink and drive,” Amber hissed.

“We’ve already discussed handcuffs,” Joanna said drily.

“Firstly, I would never drink and drive,” Shawn said lightly. “As for the cuffs…”

“I thought you said they weren’t your thing.” Joanna arched a questioning eyebrow.

“I might reconsider.” Shawn took a beer out of the fridge. “Bear Creek Honey Beer. My favorite.”

“If you want to drink more, I can always drive you home since I’m not drinking because of the baby,” Amber offered. “Although, I’m not sure you should let Joanna see you drunk this early in your relationship.”

Joanna chuckled as she poured herself a glass of wine. “That sounds like a story that needs telling.”

“Oh, I’ve seen Shawn drunk. On more than one occasion.” Amber giggled.

“That is all in the past,” Shawn assured them. “I’m a father now. And as a doctor, I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Really?” Amber’s eyes narrowed. “The last time was the night we arrived in Cougar Ridge when we were on the run.”

Shawn groaned. “One night. One night in how long?” He took a sip of his beer and nodded at Amber. “Just wait. You and Kelos are going to see what it’s like.”

“Ahh, you know I’m only teasing you,” Amber replied. “We all know how seriously you take being a dad.”

“It’s the best job in the world.” Shawn glanced toward Jane who had piled her plate full of cakes and cookies and added a couple of sandwiches for show. “Best job ever.”

“I can’t wait to find out.” Amber shot a surreptitious look Joanna’s way. Shawn could almost hear the question on her lips. Would Joanna think it was the best job ever, too?

“I bet Kelos is ecstatic about becoming a father.” Joanna sipped her wine and leaned back against the counter.

“He is. He’s waited longer than any of us.” Amber glanced over her shoulder. “It just seems weird when I think that this baby will one day grow up to be a dragon shifter. I’m not sure how I’m going to handle that.”

“You’ll be fine,” Joanna assured her. “My mom wasn’t a shifter and she coped.” Her smile broadened. “She actually liked it when my dad used to take us all out to do shifter stuff. It was her quiet time, the time she did what she wanted.”

“Like catch up on that Netflix series you never have time for,” Shawn suggested. “Or read a book.”

“Or go get drunk?” Amber opened her arms and hugged Shawn. “If I’m half as good a parent as you are, I’ll do okay.”

“Thanks, Amber.” Shawn hugged his friend tightly. “You’ll do fine and I am here for you whenever you need me. Not that I am in any way an expert.”

“Jane’s a wonderful young lady and you did it all on your own. So don’t sell yourself short,” Amber reprimanded him. “Now, before I start blubbering like a fool, I’m going to go talk to my sister-in-law.”

Amber turned around and left the kitchen, brushing her hand across her eyes as she went.

“Can I go outside and eat?” Jane asked, edging toward the door. “I think Lauren and Elliot are looking for me.”

“Sure. They can share the plateful of cookies,” Shawn called after his daughter as she slipped out of the room.

“Amber’s right. You have raised a wonderful daughter.” Joanna watched her mate as she drank her wine.

“You did just see how she disobeyed me? There should have been at least equal amounts of cookies to sandwiches.” Shawn didn’t see that he’d done anything special with Joanna. No more than any other parent would do.

“That’s the thing.” Joanna pushed herself off from the counter and sidled up to him. She was so close he could feel the warmth of her body through the fabric of his clothes and her scent invaded his senses. He took a swig of beer, afraid that if he didn’t drink, he might drool instead.

Nice, his cougar wrinkled his nose.

“What’s the thing?” he asked gruffly.

“You raised a daughter who is independent. She respects you but isn’t afraid to push boundaries.” Her smile faltered. “My dad raised me the same way.”

“Your dad must have been very proud of you.” Shawn reached for a tendril of her hair and wound it around his finger.

She swallowed hard before answering. “He died before I became a cop.”

“I’m sorry.” He wished he’d been there. He wished he’d been by her side to support her through a difficult time.

“He is the reason I joined the police force.” Joanna took a large gulp of wine. “He was shot. A hitman shot him. And I couldn’t let it go. I needed to find justice for him.”

“And did you?” Shawn asked.

“I did.” She nodded toward the open kitchen door. “The hit was ordered by the same man who Fabian was testifying against. Kelos managed to get his hands on some evidence that put the man, Roman Ostabell, away for a long, long time.”

“Has it given you closure?” Shawn asked gently.

“I don’t know. Not yet.” She met his eyes briefly before turning away. “I’m still dealing with all the emotions it dredged up. Emotions I’d buried for a long time.”

“And now this.” Shawn stroked her cheek and she turned to face him. “I won’t push you, Joanna. We can take things as slowly as you want.”

“And what if I don’t want to take things slow?” she asked, her voice hoarse with emotion.

“Then we go fast. No regrets.” A smile flitted across his lips. “Maybe this kind of crazy is what we both need.”

“Maybe it is.” Her tongue snaked out and she moistened her lips as she leaned in and kissed him.

Fireworks exploded in his head as he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She nipped his bottom lip and his pants tightened across his groin. He wanted her. Right here, right now.

Only the people in the backyard stopped him from claiming her right here, right now.

As Joanna slid her hands over his chest, her thumb brushing against his nipple through his shirt, he was in no doubt his mate felt the same way.

Chapter Four – Joanna

“What do you wear on a first date to your mate’s house to cook brownies?” Joanna asked O’Malley as he lounged on her bed while she sorted through her clothes.

“That’s your first date?” O’Malley pushed himself up off the bed and grabbed a blue blouse and denim skinny jeans. “Just go for casual. Wear these with your knee-high boots and put your hair up in a messy bun.”

“You don’t think that’s too casual?” Joanna asked as she headed to the bathroom to change.

“Not if you team it with some killer lingerie.” His advice was met with a shocked stare.

“I’m not planning on sleeping with Shawn tonight,” Joanna protested.

“But what if you do?” O’Malley asked. “I’m telling you, two mates, together. Two shifter mates together…”

“Not happening.” Although she was now doubting her ability to keep her resolve if Shawn was willing.

“Well, if you do, you don’t want to wish you’d made an effort.” He grinned and shook his head as she gave him an appalled look. “Don’t ask me how I know these things. But follow my advice.”

“How do you know?” Joanna paused at the door.

“It’s not because I have slept with a lot of women,” he said frankly.

“I never thought it was.” She tipped her head to one side and studied him for a moment. “I’d say it was because you have three sisters, but I don’t think that would explain the lingerie.”

“No, nothing to do with my sisters.” O’Malley screwed up his face. “But I have had a lot of experience with women.”

“You are a tease.” She turned around ready to flounce out of the room, then she had second thoughts and went to her closet to find her most alluring lingerie.

“When I went to college, I shared a house with a group of girls,” he said quickly. “In case you get the wrong idea and tell everyone I’m a man-whore.”

“I never thought you were.” Joanna couldn’t help smiling. “Why did you share with a group of girls? Isn’t college all about male bonding?”

“Which is why I shared with a group of girls.” He picked up her perfume bottle and sniffed it. “I didn’t want to spend college in an alcohol-fueled haze. I went to work hard. Women work harder. On the whole.”

“And?” Joanna asked.

“And most of the guys…and most of the women thought I was gay…because I lived with women. Women I treated with respect. The outcome was that I didn’t get harassed. Not by the guys wanting me to join them in their conquests or the women who wanted me to be a notch on their bedpost.” He shrugged and turned his cheek to her, so he was in profile against the window. “What can I say, I’m a good-looking guy.”

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to believe you or not.” Joanna glanced down at the clothes he’d recommended she wore. “I believe you.”

“It’s true. I had a great time. Mani-pedis are the bomb.” O’Malley curled his fingers and studied his nails. “I miss those days.”

Joanna rolled her eyes and giggled. “I’m going to get changed.” She left O’Malley in her bedroom and went to the bathroom, a smile on her face and a song in her heart. Although the rest of her just felt plain nervous.

What if Jane decides she doesn’t like us after all? Joanna said to her wolf.

She can’t not like me since she hasn’t even met me, her wolf replied. This is all on you.

Thanks for the support. Joanna stripped off her clothes and quickly dressed.

“How are you doing?” O’Malley handed her a cup of chamomile tea as she joined him in the kitchen. She’d applied minimal makeup since she didn’t want to look as if she were trying too hard.

The lingerie will tell Shawn that morsel of information, her wolf commented.

If he gets to see it, Joanna replied shortly. Sleeping with Shawn was not a forgone conclusion.

Her wolf chuckled but didn’t argue otherwise.

“Okay. But nervous.” She smoothed her clammy palms over her thighs. “Very nervous.”

“I was thinking more about the court case and Ostabell.” His jaw tightened and then he added, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up now. Not when you are about to go on your date.”

“No, it’s okay. Truth is, I’m not sure how I feel,” she admitted. Sitting down at the kitchen table, she rested her elbows on the table and sipped her tea. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.”

“Closure?” O’Malley asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down across the table from her. “The man who killed your father is going to rot in jail.”

“It doesn’t bring my dad back, though, does it?” she asked. “That part of it hasn’t changed. I had hoped that seeing the man responsible behind bars might ease the pain. But it doesn’t. He’ll always be gone, and I’ll always miss him.”

“Point taken.” He glanced around the kitchen and then looked back at Joanna. “Want me to help you pack your stuff?”

“What?” she asked sharply, her tea sloshing around her cup.

“You’re going to be moving to Cougar Ridge, aren’t you?” O’Malley broke into a grin. “I’m thinking of asking to come live with you as a renter. Those mountains are like heaven.”

“I thought you loved it here.” O’Malley’s words had shaken her. If things worked out with Shawn…

Of course they are going to work out with Shawn, her wolf snapped.

Then they would be leaving behind their life here. No question that it would be Joanna who had to move. It wouldn’t be fair to uproot Jane when she was settled at school and had friends. Joanna had no intention of being a wicked stepmother.

“I do love the city. And the bar.” His jaw clenched. O’Malley was unusually tense.

“Is there something going on with you?” Joanna asked. Had she been so wrapped up in her own world and in her own problems that she had missed something going on with the bar owner?

“Restless.” He gave a short hollow laugh. “I’ve been running the bar for years. I’m not getting any younger. I’m thinking of semi-retirement.”

Joanna nearly choked on her tea, which was not having the usual effect of soothing her nerves. “You? Semi-retire?”

“Yeah, I spoke to Shawn and he was telling me about Cougar Ridge and the freedom they have there to be who they really are.” He smoothed his hand through his hair. “Here I just feel as if I’m constantly hiding.”

“I get that and I for one would love it if you moved to Cougar Ridge.” She looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “We can help each other pack.”

“It’d be a new start. Perhaps a chance to put all of our past lives behind us.” His mouth tugged up at the corners, but he didn’t elaborate. O’Malley was ex-special forces. He’d likely seen and done things in his past that he’d rather forget. Things that might haunt him. Just as her father’s death haunted Joanna.

“Let’s do it!” She reached across the table and took hold of his hand. “New life, new start. Maybe you can open a bar in Cougar Ridge.”

He cracked a grin. “You know, that might be a great idea. Every town needs an O’Malley’s, right?”

“Right. And even if it’s not in Cougar Ridge, there’s Bear Creek and Bear Bluff right on the doorstep.” She shrugged and lifted her teacup. “To new beginnings.”

“To new beginnings.” He touched his cup to hers and then gulped down his coffee. Getting up from the chair, he grabbed his leather jacket and slid his arms into the sleeves. It fit him like a second skin. “I have to go.” He glanced at the kitchen clock on the wall. “And so do you.”

“Wish me luck.” Joanna stood up and went to the sink with the cups.

“You are not going to need luck.” O’Malley paused in the doorway. “Take an overnight bag.”

“What?” She spun around to face him. “I can’t, it would look too…”

“Too what?” O’Malley asked. “It’s a long drive and you don’t have to work early in the morning. And you two are mates. What happens between you is a foregone conclusion.” His eyes darkened. “Take an overnight bag.”

Her breath shuddered through her body as she let out a long nervous breath. “I don’t think I can do this.” Nerves finally got the better of her and she reached for the counter as her knees went weak. “What do I know about being a mate, let alone the mother of a child?”

O’Malley was by her side in an instant. He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her close. “You know everything you need to know.”

“You always know the right thing to say.” Joanna rested her head on his chest, taking comfort from his presence.

“We’ve been friends for a long time, Jo. I like to think I know you better than anyone. And I know you are the best thing that could ever happen to Shawn and Jane. They will love you.” He pulled away from her and hooked his fingers under her chin, tilting her head back. “In fact, I can guarantee that by the end of this evening, they will love you more than brownies.”

She snorted. “Now I know you are just making it up. No one loves anything more than brownies.” She kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”

“You are welcome.” He headed back out of the kitchen. “And just remember you owe me one.”

“I do?” she raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, when I come to you a blubbering mess because of my mate, I am expecting the same kind of pep talk. Deal?” He grinned but there was a sadness lurking in his handsome features.

“Deal.” She followed him to the front door. “And you will find her.”

“I hope so.” He nodded and then strode down the streets, turning once to give her a brief wave before he disappeared from view.

I truly hope he does find his mate and has the chance to start a family, her wolf said.

So do I, Joanna answered. So do I.

Swiveling on her heel, Joanna turned back toward the house she’d worked hard to buy. O’Malley’s words echoed in her head. She would need to sell. Or maybe she could hang on to it and rent it out. It would make a good investment.

Or Shawn might see it was you hanging on to a part of your old life because you are worried it won’t work out. Her wolf always cut straight to the chase.

It will work out. We’re both shifters. We’re fated mates. No one is walking away from this relationship, she said firmly.

Her wolf chuckled. Yeah, make sure you tell Shawn that.

Joanna groaned inwardly as the pressure of her relationship with Shawn pressed down on her. There were so many decisions they would have to make together. Since Shawn was a similar age to Joanna, both with forty behind them, he was probably used to making all his own decisions.

Set in your ways, her wolf said with a grin.

It’s going to be tough to be part of a couple, Joanna conceded.

But fun. Her wolf was all for fun. Imagine running over the mountain with our mate. She wrinkled her snout a little. Even if Shawn is a cat.

Joanna smiled as she shut the front door and paused at the bottom of the stairs. See, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

I’d rather have a cat as a mate than no mate, her wolf announced. Go pack your overnight bag.

Yes, sir, Joanna made a mock salute.

That’s ma’am, her wolf panted at the thought of staying overnight with their mate.

Now I’m having second thoughts, Joanna admitted as images of Shawn, naked in bed, crept into her head.

Take a chance on love, her wolf said before slinking off into the corner of Joanna’s mind. Circling around and around, the wolf flopped down on her side and slept.

Joanna ran up the stairs, grabbed a small backpack, and shoved a few things into it. At least if she took the backpack, it wouldn’t look as if she’d packed for an overnight stay. Shawn might think she carried so much clutter around that she’d outgrown a purse. Or she could simply leave it in the car and grab it if the need arose.

Her wolf chuckled in her sleep.

With a sigh, Joanna zipped the backpack shut and slung it over one shoulder. Checking her reflection in the mirror one more time, she then headed back downstairs. A brief tour of the house confirmed everything was secure. There was nothing else to do, no more stalling, she needed to get in the car and drive.

Inhaling deeply, she steadied her breath. She was going to enjoy this evening. Who did not enjoy making brownies?

With her mate. That was never going to get old.

Heading for the front door, she exited her house, pulled the door closed behind her, and double-checked that it was locked before heading for her car.

As she slid into the driver’s side, she caught her reflection in the rearview mirror. With both hands, she tilted the mirror down and studied her face.

Did she look different? Her cheeks glowed a little more and her eyes shone a little brighter.

Just think of how glowing you’ll look and how much brighter your eyes will shine when you’ve claimed him, her wolf said sleepily.

Who will claim who? Joanna replied, her cheeks glowing redder.

It’ll be fun to find out who wears the pants in this relationship. Her wolf chuckled as she finally lay down her head and went to sleep.

Joanna put the car in drive, heading for a new life with her mate and his daughter.

Chapter Five – Shawn

“Your hand is shaking.” Jane looked at Shawn with concern in her eyes. His heart faltered as he placed the large mixing bowl down on the counter and turned to face his daughter. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m nervous,” Shawn admitted.

“Why? I thought you said that Joanna was your fated mate. Doesn’t that mean you two are meant to be together forever?” Confusion mixed with concern as Jane tried to make sense of the grown-up world that was unfolding around her.

“It does.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “But I’m still nervous. I’ve never done this before.”

“Oh, I get it. You’re just worried that if you mess up today, you’re going to live your whole life with Joanna thinking she’s stuck with an idiot.” Jane strode forward, exuding confidence as she took the bowl from him and pointed to the chair. “Sit down. I’ll pour you some coffee and then I’ll get everything ready.”

Shawn cracked a wide smile. “Do you know how much I love you, Jane?”

“Yeah.” She cast a look over her shoulder. “I love you, too, Dad. Which is why I’m going to make sure everything goes smoothly.”

“You are okay with Joanna in our lives?” Shawn asked.

“Sure.” Jane very carefully took the pot of coffee and poured the dark aromatic liquid into a cup. “I always knew that you would meet your mate one day.” He got up from the chair and picked up the cup as Jane filled it a little too full.

“Thanks.” He sat back down. “Although, you know not every shifter meets their mate.”

“I know. But I always knew you would.” She studied the cupboards for a moment before she began pulling out the ingredients they needed for the brownies. “You deserve to be happy.”

“Everyone deserves to be happy.” Shawn sipped his coffee slowly and tried to relax.

“Even bad people?” Jane paused as she placed the flour on the counter.

“It’s not that simple,” Shawn replied. “Not everyone sets out to be bad. Sometimes things happen and that’s just the way it turns out.” He ran a hand through his hair. These deep questions always caught him off guard and he often stumbled through his answers.

“Was my mom bad?” Jane asked quietly.

“No, honey. I’m sure she wasn’t bad.” He swallowed hard. This question had blindsided him.

“Is she dead?” Jane asked.

“I don’t know.” Shawn placed his coffee cup down on the table and went to Jane. Sinking down to his knees, he closed his arms around her slim shoulders and pulled her close. “I don’t know a lot about her. I’m sorry I can’t answer more of your questions.”

Jane lay her head on his shoulders. “I just thought…”

“Thought what, honey?” Shawn rubbed his hand over her back as he soothed her.

“That if you and Joanna got married and have kids of your own…” She didn’t finish her sentence, but Shawn had a good idea of the words she’d left unsaid.

“Hey.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and held her a foot away so he could look into her face. He needed her to see he was telling her the truth when he said, “You are my daughter. We are a family. If Joanna had a child of her own, we would have joined the two families together.”

Jane nodded mutely.

“I love you.” He placed his hand on his heart. “I love you so much it hurts. I will always love you.”

Jane’s eyes misted with tears and she nodded before flinging her arms around his shoulders and sobbing. “I love you, too.”

Shawn held her for the longest time. It no longer mattered if he wasn’t ready for when Joanna arrived. It no longer mattered if his mate thought he was perfect. Because he wasn’t. Nobody was.

The one thing he could offer her, that no other man could, was unconditional love. The same unconditional love he showered on Jane every day. And had every day since she’d been handed to him.

“Okay. Shall we get everything ready together?” Shawn asked as he got up from the floor.

Jane wiped her hand across her red-rimmed eyes. “Together.”

“Okay. You have the flour already. What else do we need?” He put his finger on his chin and tapped it thoughtfully.

“Sugar!” Jane spun around and went to the cupboard for sugar while Shawn got the butter from the fridge. Together they collected all the ingredients and utensils they’d need to make the best brownies in Cougar Ridge.

“She’s here.” Shawn’s senses locked onto his mate as she drove into Cougar Ridge. He’d never experienced such an intense focus on one person.

She’s our mate, his cougar said.

She sure is. Shawn grinned. That’s never going to get old.

I sometimes thought we would get old before we met her, his cougar admitted.

You’re not the only one, Shawn admitted.

Now we don’t have to worry. She’s here. His cougar looked up. Right here outside the front door.

“Are you going to answer the door?” Jane’s voice jerked him back into the present.

“I am.” He smiled nervously. “How do I look?”

Jane screwed up her face as she studied her father. “The same as always.”

Shawn looked down at his clothes. “I thought I’d made an effort.”

With an arched eyebrow, Jane came around the kitchen table and stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. “I like that you look the same as always.” She lifted her chin and looked him square in the eye. “You shouldn’t change for anyone other than yourself.”

Shawn cracked a grin. “You do listen to me!” He leaned down and scooped her up in his arms.

Jane giggled as he tickled her, planted a kiss on her cheek, and then set her back down on the floor before hurtling toward the front door. Skidding to a halt, he composed his features before he reached for the door handle and opened his home and his heart to his mate.

“I thought you were going to leave me standing out here.” Joanna thrust a bottle of wine and a six-pack of honey beer in his direction. “These are for you.” She held up a box of candy tied with a ribbon. “And these are for Jane. If that’s okay with you.”

“Wow, you didn’t have to.” He accepted the beer and wine. “Jane is in the kitchen. I’m sure she’d like you to give them to her.”

“Okay.” Joanna’s face paled as she inhaled deeply and took a step inside the house.

“She won’t bite.” He snapped his teeth at her as she walked past.

“But I might,” she murmured as she brushed against him.

“I hope so.” He closed the front door and followed his mate through into the kitchen. His eyes were drawn to her curvy figure and the way her skinny jeans enhanced her butt. He sure would like to peel them off her.

Later, he told himself as Jane met them in the hallway.

“Hi.” Joanna lifted her hand and waved. “These are for you.”

“For me!” Jane’s eyes opened wide. “Thank you.” She took the box of candy and hugged Joanna.

“That’s okay.” Joanna hunkered down and took hold of Jane’s hands. “I want us to be friends, Jane. If that’s okay.”

“I want us to be friends, too.” Jane glanced up at Shawn. “Well, more than friends, I guess.”

“I told Jane that we’re mates.” Shawn went around to the table and set the beer and wine down. Opening the fridge, he shuffled the contents around and transferred a couple of bottles of beer and then wine to the bottom shelf.

“And is that okay?” Joanna cocked her head on one side and looked at Jane’s face critically. “I’m not responsible for these tears, am I?”

Jane put her hand to her eye and dabbed the red skin before shaking her head. “We were talking about my mom.”

“Oh, I see.” Joanna glanced up at Shawn. “As long as you are okay. I don’t want to do anything to hurt you. I know how much a daughter loves and needs her dad.”

Joanna stood up and placed her hand on Jane’s shoulder. Shawn stared at them for a long moment. They could almost be mother and daughter. His wife and their child. His breath caught in his throat and Shawn coughed before indicating toward the table.

“Shall we get baking?” Shawn wanted to break the tension in the room. Today was supposed to be about fun, about the three of them bonding together. Tears were not on the agenda. However, it was a fight to contain them as he shuffled the ingredients for the brownies around.

“Are you okay, Dad?” Jane was empathetic, able to pick up on people’s emotions as if it were a sixth sense.

“I’m fine.” He nodded and gulped. “I’m fine.” He gave a short laugh and kept nodding.

“Why don’t you teach me how to make these brownies, Jane?” Joanna placed her hand over Shawn’s and gave it a quick squeeze. “I’d love some coffee.” Her mouth curled up at one corner and she winked at him.

It didn’t help. His emotions rushed toward him like a freight train. He had to be one of the luckiest men alive. He’d got an amazing daughter and now he was blessed with the most amazing mate.

“Do you want a soda?” Shawn’s voice cracked but he sniffed loudly and went to the fridge. Pulling it open, he took out the milk and then reached for a can of soda.

“Yes, please.” If Jane knew her dad was close to tears, she didn’t let on. “This is going to be hot work.”

“But good work. Since we get brownies at the end of it.” Joanna helped Jane measure out the ingredients and put them in the bowl while Shawn poured the coffee and opened the can of soda.

“I’m a little redundant.” He pulled out a chair and sat down. “But I do like watching my women work.”

“Your women?” Joanna asked in mock shock.

“He’s joking with us.” Jane giggled, then she cupped her hand to her mouth and said, “Joey thinks my dad would make a good housewife. If he wasn’t so good at being a doctor.”

“Oh, I like the sound of that. When I come home from a hard day at the station, my dinner will be on the table waiting for me. And if ever I get injured, I won’t need to go to my own doctor.” She gave him a teasing smile.

“Oh, I am a man who believes in equality. We share all the cooking, all the chores…”

“Does that mean that Joanna will be moving in with us soon?” Jane asked hopefully.

Joanna stopped stirring the cake batter. “We have only just met. I think we might all need some time to get used to the idea.”

“I’m used to the idea already.” Jane got the baking pans ready. “You’re mates after all.” She looked from Shawn to Joanna and back again. “I thought being mates meant you knew you were meant to spend the rest of your lives together. So why wait?”

She has a point, Shawn’s cougar said.

“Okay, I think these brownies are ready to bake,” Joanna expertly changed the subject, grabbing Jane’s attention and saving them from an awkward moment.

“Let’s get them in the oven.” Jane took the distraction and went with it. In a couple of minutes, the brownies were baking in the oven and all talk of Joanna moving in with them was forgotten.

For now, his cougar said. But it is a conversation we need to have. Jane is right, we are meant to be together. We want to be together.

We just need to figure out how that is going to work. He glanced at Jane as she knelt in front of the stove and watched the brownies as they cooked. He hated the idea of moving his daughter away from Cougar Ridge and the life she had here. Her friends, school, all the people who loved her and cared for her. This was their home.

But Joanna had a life, too. She had a home and friends in the city. People like O’Malley.

Somehow, they would need to find a compromise. A way for them to all be happy.

If that was possible.

We have no choice but to make this work, his cougar replied. And he was right.

Chapter Six – Joanna

“The brownies were delicious,” Joanna complimented Jane as Shawn’s daughter headed upstairs to bed. “And I’ve had the best time. Thank you for inviting me over.”

“I had a great time, too.” Jane came across the living room and hugged Joanna. “Goodnight.”

“Night, Jane. Sweet dreams.” She wrapped her arms around Jane and hugged her. As she let the young girl go, Joanna experienced an unusual jolt of maternal love.

She’s part of Shawn. Which means she is part of us. Her wolf was right. Jane was part of their family now and she would love and protect her as if she were her own flesh and blood.

I wonder whose flesh and blood she is part of? Joanna mused as Shawn entered the living room with a glass of wine and a bottle of beer.

“I refilled your glass.” Shawn gave a small smile as he handed her the glass. “I figured if I got you drunk you might stay the night.”

“Did you?” She accepted the glass of wine and took a long drink. “We should test that theory.”

“No strings,” he said hurriedly, taking a slug of beer before putting the bottle down on the small side table next to the sofa. “I’m just going to say goodnight to Jane.”

“Take your time.” Joanna leaned back on the sofa, her eyes drooping after a long day at work followed by too much food. Shawn had cooked a wonderful pot pie and the brownies for dessert had been so good she’d eaten two. Now her belly bulged, and she longed to curl up on the sofa and sleep it off.

Except that her mate was upstairs, and she’d worn her best lingerie. She did not want it to go to waste.

“Hey, you okay there?” Shawn touched her shoulder and she jumped, her wine sloshing around in the glass.

“Yes.” She jerked her head upright. “I dozed off.”

“I see that.” He arched an eyebrow. “I must be riveting company.”

She ran her hand across her eyes and yawned widely. “I had an early start.”

“Listen, why don’t you go to bed?” He inclined his head toward the stairs. “I’ll clean the kitchen while you sleep.”

Joanna yawned again. “Jane is right, you are a good househusband.” She placed her hand on the arm of the sofa and pushed herself to a standing position. “But I don’t want you telling stories to our grandkids about how I fell asleep on our first date.”

“I already have that one in the bag.” He grabbed his phone from his pocket and tapped the screen. “I also have the photo to prove it.”

“You do not!” She made a grab for his phone, but he was too fast and dodged back out of the way.

“Now you’re awake.” He grinned and tapped his phone screen once more. “I was joking, I would never take a photo of you like that.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You know you have to tell me the truth, right? That’s what mates do.”

“I swear there is no photo.” He tilted his head to one side. “I meant it about you going up to bed if you’re tired.”

“No. I’ll help in the kitchen. It’s the least I can do.” She gulped down her wine and nodded toward the door. “Lead the way.”

“Do you want another refill?” Shawn went to the half-empty bottle of wine and lifted it.

“If I didn’t know better, Doctor Shawn, I would think you were trying to get me drunk.” She held out her glass for him to fill. “I think I need the courage.”

“Courage?” Shawn asked.

“Yeah.” She sipped her wine and then waved her finger toward him. “This is all so new. I’m scared I’m going to mess it up.” She put her finger to her lips. “The alcohol has loosened my tongue.”

Shawn sighed. “Why would you mess this up?” he asked. “I’m the one with a daughter.” He hesitated, his lips pursed as if he was going to say more.

“Is she okay? Jane looked as if she’d been crying when I arrived.” She took a quick sip of wine and shivered as the alcohol infused her blood. “And you looked as if you were about to cry after I arrived.” She nodded. “I feel that making everyone cry on a first date is not great.”

“I cried because… Because when I saw you and Jane together, you could almost be mother and daughter.” He put his hand on his heart. “A child needs a mother.” His voice hitched and he turned away.

“Hey, kitty cat. It’s okay to have feelings.” Joanna placed her wine glass down on the table and slid her arms around her mate’s neck. “I like that you have a heart. I like it a lot.”

His mouth curled up at one corner. “Aren’t I supposed to be the alpha male? The protector.”

“Oh, I think you’d do just fine protecting us against whatever comes our way.” She slid her hand down over his shoulder and rested it on his bicep. “Do you work out, doctor?”

He chuckled. “I like to keep in shape.”

“To fight off all those female patients who want to ease your loneliness?” Joanna licked her lips, her eyes fixed on his mouth.

Shawn shook his head. “I’m pretty sure every female in town knows I’m unobtainable.”

“Not this female.” She inched her head forward and Shawn slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. His strong hands were warm against her skin and heat flared across her body.

“I want you, Joanna,” he ground out. “So much it hurts.”

“Then it’s a good thing there’s a doctor in the house.”

He kissed her. Tendrils of desire unfurled in her belly, spreading out through her body until her knees were weak and her heart raced. She wanted him. Needed him.

This might be their first date, but she had waited her whole life for him.

Joanna slid her hands down his body, her fingers brushing his hard-toned stomach as they inched toward the hem of his sweater. Curling around the woolen fabric, she tugged it upward, grabbing his T-shirt at the same time. She wanted him naked. Fast.

Shawn groaned as their kiss broke and he raised his hands above his head, helping Joanna as she tugged his clothing over his head. Blindly aiming for the back of one of the kitchen chairs, she threw his clothes out of the way.

His jeans were going to go next. She reached for his belt, at the same time Shawn carefully undid the buttons on her blouse. A shiver of anticipation rippled down her spine. This was really happening. She was about to make love to her mate.

She fumbled with his belt as if her fingers had grown to twice their normal size and were incapable of responding to simple instructions. Joanna blew the air out of her cheeks and focused on unbuckling his belt, while simultaneously trying to ignore Shawn’s breath on her skin and the soft touch of his fingertips as he worked his way down her blouse, leaving her skin exposed in his wake.

“You are beautiful,” he whispered against her neck as he nuzzled the sensitive skin, his lips leaving a trail of butterfly kisses as he moved lower.

“Thank you,” she murmured lamely but this was not the time for conversation. It was time for action.

Yanking the leather of his belt, she opened the belt buckle and slid it loose. With a sigh of satisfaction, she pushed his jeans and shorts down over his slender hips. As they slid to the floor, they revealed his long slender thighs and his hard length.

He was definitely hard.

She swallowed down her nerves. Would they fit together, would they satisfy each other? This bonding was for life and if the sex was bad...

Her wolf chuckled. When has sex ever been bad?

True. She lifted her eyes to his as he undid the last of her buttons. His desire registered in his eyes as a hunger and she licked her lips in anticipation as Shawn slid his hands under the fabric of her shirt and pushed it from her shoulders. The cotton fabric fell to the floor where it mingled with Shawn’s clothes as he turned his attention to her skinny jeans.

There was about to be some wiggling going on. Joanna leaned down and kicked off her boots before hooking her finger and thumb around the buttons of her jeans. Flipping them open, she tucked her hands in the denim and pushed them down over her curvy thighs.

“Need a hand with that?” Shawn drawled.

“No, I got it.”

“Take your time.” Shawn stood back and watched her wriggling out of her skinny jeans, his arms by his side. He was confident in his body, even though he was no longer a young man. But age had only enhanced his body, his honey-toned skin taut but with the marks that come with age visible. Faint lines and creases, scars, and blemishes. Shawn was a man who had lived a full life.

“Like what you see?” he asked.

“Oh. Yeah.” Joanna realized she’d stopped wriggling and was just openly staring at her mate. Who was doing some staring of his own. “Maybe I might need a hand.”

“My pleasure.” He stepped forward, hooked his hands under her arms, and swung her around. Lifting her a little, she slid onto a perched position on the tabletop.

Joanna lifted her foot and he took hold of the denim caught around her ankle and pulled. Her jeans slid down her leg and she repeated the action with her other leg. “Thank you.”

She was seated on the edge of her mate’s table, naked aside from the sexy lingerie O’Malley had advised her to wear. One glimpse at the passion in his eyes told her she’d been right to take the cougar shifter’s advice.

The look in her mate’s eyes was one of hunger. And the only thing that would satisfy his appetite was her.

Joanna reached out her hand and took hold of his, pulling him toward her. Shawn placed a hand on each of her knees and eased them apart before nestling between her thighs. He slipped a hand around her and placed it on the small of her back. With one abrupt movement, he slid her forward and leaned in, pressing his hard length against her mound.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his chest, her hands stroking his taut skin, fingertips probing, exploring him. Shawn groaned and reached for the clasp of her bra. In seconds it was gone, discarded like the rest of her clothes. His hands took the place of the lacy garment.

Large, warm, hands cupped each of her breasts, his thumbs brushing her nipples in a simultaneous motion. Her belly clenched and heat flooded her. She was wet. She was ready for him. She needed release.

Easing her hips forward, she rubbed herself against his hard length. Shawn groaned and inched his hips up and down, pressing against the sensitive bundle of nerves between her thighs.

Joanna pursed her lips, a silent moan escaping as her arousal kicked up several notches. She wanted him inside her, stretching her, taking her. But she also didn’t want to break the connection between them.

Sensual, enticing, they caressed each other, his hands expertly fondling her breasts. Shawn applied the right amount of pressure. The palm of his hands massaging her soft plump flesh while his thumb and forefingers tweaked her nipples, just hard enough to cause her exquisite pain. The sensations flooding her body joined as one and lifted her, carrying her toward her orgasm.

His breath quickened. Joanna was taking her mate along for the ride. They were going to reach climax together.

She would make sure of it.

Slipping her hand down between their bodies, she cupped his balls in her hand and squeezed them, rolling them in her palm. His thighs tightened and he claimed her mouth, his kiss needy, his lips firm. Probing for entrance, he ran his tongue along her lower lip, and she nipped it before opening her mouth for him.

Shawn groaned again, and slid his right hand around her waist, holding her close against him as he flexed his thigh muscles, his movements more exaggerated as he rubbed against her.

She was close, her body sending signals to her brain that it needed to release the buildup of tension in her muscles. Her nerve endings tingled, each touch too much, and yet not enough.

So close. She teetered on the edge until she finally let go. Her inner muscles clenched and wave after wave of pleasure swept over her.

Shawn groaned, his breath hissing through his teeth as he reached for her hand cupping his balls and eased it away. Inching his hips back, he slid his fingers over her mound and stroked her over her panties. Pinching, rubbing, stroking, she came long and hard as he slipped his finger inside her and moved it in and out.

Joanna pushed forward, wanting more, needing more. Shawn gave it to her. Sliding one more finger inside her, he hooked it, stroking her inner walls until he found her G-spot. Although, by the time she collapsed forward in his arms, Joanna was gripped by the notion she had many G-spots and he’d found them all.

“That was intense,” she whispered hoarsely as she leaned against his chest, her breathing ragged.

“Very intense.” He nuzzled her neck, reigniting her desire.

Joanna slipped her hand down between their bodies and curled her fingers around his hard length. “I want you inside me.” He was still impossibly hard, painfully hard, and she wanted him to experience the same release she had. She wanted him to climb to the highest of heights and throw himself off into the abyss with her.

She wanted Shawn to abandon all caution and follow her into oblivion.

Someone is high on love, her wolf chimed in.

Very high, Joanna replied dreamily. And I don’t want to ever come down.

But she did want to come. With Shawn buried deep inside her.

Chapter Seven – Shawn

“We could go upstairs. Get a little more comfortable,” Shawn suggested. Jane would probably be asleep by now and they wouldn’t disturb her.

“We could.” Joanna ran her hand over the top of the table. “Although, I’m becoming rather fond of this table. We’re building up lots of memorable memories.” She sniggered.

“Yeah, I am never going to look at this table the same way again.” He slid his hands under her thighs and lifted her into his arms.

Joanna wrapped her legs around his waist and clasped her hands behind his neck. “Maybe a bed sounds like a good idea. We can really stretch out there.” She leaned forward and nipped his earlobe. “If you think you can make it that far.”

She slid her hand down his chest and tweaked his nipple before lowering her head and curling her tongue around the taut bud. He groaned as a new wave of pleasure swept over him, threatening to capsize his resolve.

Shawn longed to bury himself inside her and make love to her until they both lost their senses. He wanted to spend the rest of the night claiming his mate. Over and over again. He doubted once would ever be enough.

He took the stairs two at a time, ensuring his mate was safe in his arms as he hurried to his bedroom. At the top of the stairs, he paused and listened to Jane’s breathing. Slow and deep, she was asleep. He could turn all his attention to his mate.

All his attention and all his body were hers for the night.

Turning to the left, he strode down the hallway and shouldered his bedroom door open before moving to the bed. His heart thundered in his chest as he laid Joanna down on the bed. He’d dreamed of this moment since they’d first met.

Hell, he’d dreamed of this moment since he’d first moved to Cougar Ridge. Only now his dream had the gorgeous face of his mate.

Joanna reached for his hand and pulled him down beside her. “Nice bed.”

“It’s much better now that you are in it.” He kissed her mouth and she nipped his bottom lip, sending shockwaves through his body. Shawn was barely hanging on to his self-control. He wanted to thrust into her. Long, hard strokes until he filled her with his seed.

But he also wanted to take it slow. He wanted to take his time and savor every minute of making love to his mate.

“You are so smooth. You have the perfect bedside manner.” She stroked his cheek and kissed his lips lightly. “I’m so lucky you are my mate.”

“And I haven’t even made love to you yet.” His mouth curled up at one corner as he brushed her hair back from her face, using this moment of calm to regain his control.

He wanted his mate so much it hurt, but he was content to lie here in bed with her. As long as she was in his company, that was enough. It would always be enough. The rest of it was just an added extra.

Joanna kissed his neck, her breath warm on his skin. Shawn inhaled her scent, a mixture of coconut and orange blossom, and beneath that scent was an undertone of pine and damp earth. She’d been running in the forest.

I long for us to run together, his cougar said wistfully.

Soon, Shawn replied. Soon.

“I’m right here.” She kissed his jawline and he tilted his head and looked down at her face.

“I was thinking of the mountains and the forest we can explore together.” He kissed her cheek.

“I did stop on the way over. Only briefly.” She turned his face and kissed his mouth, her hands roaming his body. “I needed to ease the built-up tension in my body.”

“I could ease your tension,” Shawn offered.

“I think you already have.” She dipped her shoulder and reached down between his legs, her fingertips tickling his balls. His thighs tensed and he bit down on his bottom lip. “But I feel you have some tension that needs easing.”

“I know just what I need.” He pulled away from her and sat up. Curling his fingers around the elastic of her panties, he pulled them down over her thighs. “Very pretty.”

She squirmed as he looked down at her naked body. “I wore my best lingerie.”

“I wasn’t talking about your lingerie.” He slid a finger inside her and drew it up over her mound. She gasped and opened her thighs wider.

“Make love to me, mate.” She pushed herself up on one elbow and slid her hand around his neck, pulling him down toward her.

As he moved forward, he guided himself into her.

Shawn closed his eyes as he fought for control. Being inside his mate left him breathless. He’d waited so long for her and being with Joanna was more incredible than he could ever have imagined. As he eased himself deeper, they connected on a level he never thought possible.

She kissed him, her hands roaming his body, touching, stroking, teasing. Shawn brought his attention back into the moment. She was here beneath him and he was buried deep inside her. He didn’t want to think about the past or even the future. Not when the now was the most incredible thing he’d ever experienced.

Joanna drew her knees up toward her body, changing the angle of her hips as he thrust into her. She whimpered softly as he flexed his hips, pulling out of her before thrusting deep into her once more. Her fingers raked his back as she urged him to take her and his control slipped with each beat of his thundering heart. He wanted to claim her, to fill her with his seed and put a child inside her.

A child that they would raise together, nurture together. Being a parent was the most primal need of a shifter and it threatened to overwhelm him. He wanted to make a perfect life for his mate. One that included Jane, who was his child even if his blood didn’t flow through her veins. But he wanted a whole brood of cougar cubs. Or wolf pups.

Shawn didn’t care which. If they were blessed with one or two children, he’d be happy.

He lowered his head and kissed her beautiful mouth as he trailed his fingertips over her belly, her soft skin heated from their lovemaking. A similar heat grew in him. Stoked by the flames of desire. Desire for the woman who had only just entered his life but already consumed him.

He thrust his tongue into her mouth, and she nipped it, her teeth grazing the sensitive flesh. Shawn slid his hand higher and cupped her breast in the palm of his hand. A perfect fit. Rubbing his thumb over her nipple, he teased and tortured the taut bud. Her inner muscles tensed around him, and she dug her nails into his back.

She was close. So close. He wanted to push her over the edge where they would lose themselves in pleasure and forget the world around them.

He hooked his hand around her knee and drew it higher, spreading her thighs wider. With each thrust, his body grazed her sensitive bundle of nerves and her breathing quickened. He pushed her further, harder.

Joanna broke their kiss and gasped for air, her hips moving in time with his until her whole body tensed. She came around him, her inner muscles tight, bringing him to the edge of his orgasm and he finally let go.

His seed spurted deep inside her. Filling her with his essence and maybe planting the seed of their first child in her womb.

A shifter could hope.

Chapter Eight – Joanna

There was something wrong. Joanna opened her eyes, immediately alert.

“Jane.” Next to her, in the bed they’d shared for the night, Shawn sat upright and glanced around his bedroom. “Jane.”

“Is everything all right?” Joanna asked, as her mate continued to look around the room as if searching for someone. There was no one else in the room. The house was all quiet.

“I thought.” He ran his hand through his hair, his forehead creased, as he tried to shake off the fog of sleep. “I’ll just go and check on Jane.” He paused, his leg half under the covers, half exposed to the cool early morning air that filtered in through the open window.

Concern bloomed in Joanna’s heart. What had caused this reaction? Did Shawn have regrets about last night? Was he worried Joanna being here this morning might upset his daughter?

“Do you want me to come, too?” Joanna sat up in bed, the covers pulled over her breasts as she stifled a yawn.

Shawn sat in silence for a moment before lifting his head and staring toward the window. “There’s someone outside.”

“Are you sure?” Joanna gathered up her clothes. Shawn had thoughtfully gone downstairs and collected them up, so Jane didn’t find them strewn around the floor if she’d gotten up early. But before she had a chance to dress, her shifter senses confirmed the presence of someone outside the house.

Shawn nodded. “I thought I’d imagined it.” He sprang out of bed and grabbed his clothes, pulling on his jeans as he walked to the door.

“Can you sense who it is?” Joanna pulled on her blouse and wriggled into her skinny jeans as she followed him out of the room.

“I…” He stopped at the top of the stairs, his hand on the rail as he turned his head from side to side. “I think so.”

He plunged down the stairs, and Joanna followed, her heart racing.

Why would someone be here at this time of night? her wolf asked, as they reached the front door.

I don’t know. Perhaps a patient, or someone needing medical attention. Joanna swallowed down her apprehension.

Perhaps. Her wolf wasn’t convinced as she prowled around the edges of Joanna’s mind, ready to leap into action.

“Shawn?” Joanna hissed and placed a hand on his shoulder, wanting him to know she was there for him. “Be careful.”

“I will.” He turned to look at her, his body blocking the door. “Maybe you should go back upstairs.”

“Really?” She arched her eyebrow, her expression telling him in no uncertain words that she was not going anywhere and if he thought she was, he’d made a huge mistake.

“I don’t mean it like…” He sighed, curling his fingers around the door handle. “I know who it is.” With no further explanation, he opened the front door. “Fiona.”

“Shawn.” Fiona’s gaze, however, was locked on Joanna. “I don’t believe we have met.”

“I don’t believe we have either,” Joanna said warily as she eyed the woman before her. Fiona was past middle age if Joanna had to guess. Yet there was an agelessness about her. As if she’d been around for a long, long time and seen far too much.

Her wolf sat back on her haunches and whined submissively.

Joanna clucked her tongue disapprovingly at her wolf, but it made no difference. Her other side was like a dog with its tail between its legs. Then she tasted the faint metallic scent of dragon on her tongue.

The mystery deepens, Joanna muttered to her wolf.

“Why don’t you come in?” Shawn asked and opened the door wider for Fiona.

“You aren’t going to ask what a dragon shifter is doing on your doorstep at stupid o’clock in the morning before you let her in?” Joanna folded her arms and lowered her head to lock eyes with Fiona. Unlike her wolf, she was not going to cower before any shifter.

Even one who could flame grill you in seconds? her wolf asked.

No.

Fiona didn’t hide her amusement as she sniffed her clothes. “I must change my perfume.”

“I’ve met a couple of dragon shifters in my time,” Joanna said. “They leave a faintly metallic taste on my tongue.”

“Observant.” Fiona glanced sideways at Shawn. “I like her. Now, shall we go inside?”

“You’re not going to ask why she’s here?” Joanna asked Shawn.

“No.” His jaw tightened, and his body tensed. Shawn was troubled. “Fiona wouldn’t be here if she didn’t need to be.”

“Shawn knows me well. We have a…history.” Fiona glanced at Joanna as if assessing her before she stepped into the house and headed to the kitchen. “I smell brownies.”

“Do you want one?” Shawn asked as he went to the coffee pot and started a fresh brew. Joanna inhaled deeply as the aromatic scent filled the kitchen. She had a feeling this was going to be a long day.

“I wouldn’t say no.” Fiona pulled out a chair and sat down at the kitchen table as if this were a regular occurrence. Joanna’s curiosity deepened. What history did Shawn have with a dragon shifter that needed a clandestine house call?

As Shawn busied himself making coffee, Joanna positioned herself in the corner of the room. She could watch both Shawn and Fiona while melting into the background. She wanted them to speak freely and forget she was listening.

“Okay.” Shawn placed a cup of coffee and a brownie on a plate in front of Fiona before passing a coffee to Joanna. Then he sat down and waited while Fiona sipped her coffee and took a big bite of her brownie. The man sure had patience. Or maybe he was wise enough to know not to rile a dragon shifter before she’d had a cup of coffee.

“These are good,” Fiona said, taking a second bite of the chocolate gooeyness.

“I always wondered what dragons ate for breakfast,” Shawn joked.

“Normally Harlan will insist on a healthy breakfast. So we can keep this as our little secret.” Fiona’s eyes flicked up to study Joanna as she sipped her coffee. “Are you going to introduce us properly?”

“Oh.” Shawn facepalmed. “Sorry. I’m still half asleep.”

“And a little shocked.” Fiona smiled but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. Instead, if Joanna had to guess, she saw anxiety laced with uncertainty.

“I don’t know if having a dragon shifter turn up on the doorstep so early in the morning is a regular occurrence, but if not, I’m not surprised Shawn is a little shocked. I know I am.” Joanna sipped her coffee without taking her eyes off Fiona and Shawn.

“I’ll explain.” Fiona finished her brownie and rubbed her fingertips together, the crumbs dropping to her plate. “After you make the introductions.”

“Okay. Joanna, this is Fiona. As you guessed, she is a dragon shifter.” Shawn looked from one woman to the other, his expression guarded. He was hiding something. But from whom? “Fiona, this is Joanna. She is my mate. So whatever you have to say you can say in front of her.”

Fiona’s eyes narrowed. “Military or police?”

Joanna jolted upright in surprise. “Police. How did you…?”

“When you’ve been alive as long as I have, you get a feel for these things.” Fiona stood up, crossed the room, and held out her hand to Joanna. “I’m Fiona and I am one of the good guys.”

Joanna’s mouth twitched at the corners. “Does that mean whatever you have come here to tell Shawn is going to make me suspect that you are not?”

Fiona straightened her shoulders as the two women shook hands. “There is a very good chance that might be the case.” She looked over her shoulder at Shawn. “But there’s no other choice”

“You’re here about Jane,” Shawn spoke quietly as he stared at his coffee cup. He was worried and Joanna had to force herself to stay where she was and not cross the kitchen to comfort him. “I don’t know if I want to hear what you have to say.”

“The woman who gave me Jane is waking up,” Fiona spoke fast, as if she were ripping off a Band-Aid.

“Waking up?” Joanna repeated. “As in she’s been asleep? For how long?”

“In a coma,” Fiona confirmed. “She has been from the time I gave Jane to Shawn.”

“Holy…” Joanna brushed past Fiona and sat down heavily at the table. The dragon shifter gave a child to her mate. No wonder he looked at Joanna with concern when he heard she was a police detective. He sure had one hell of a skeleton in his closet. “What happened to her?”

“She had an accident.” Fiona paused as she looked down at her coffee cup. “She hit her head and slipped into a coma. At least that was the official report. I don’t believe that at all. However, it was convenient for the police not to take further action.”

“So she was taken to hospital and she’s been in a coma ever since?” Shawn acted as if this was all news to him.

“She has,” Fiona confirmed, although she had shifty eyes and Joanna doubted this was the whole truth.

“And Fiona never told you any of this?” Joanna asked her mate.

“No,” Fiona answered before Shawn had a chance. “I never told him any information about Jane or where she came from other than telling him the child needed caring for and he was the man to do it.”

“And you just did as Fiona asked?” Joanna shook her head at Shawn in disbelief. He was a doctor, surely, he knew something wasn’t right about this.

“Yes.” His voice hitched with emotion. “I sensed that the child…Jane was in trouble. Not that a baby can get herself into trouble. But there was something about Fiona’s tone of voice, her expression…she was scared for the child. Instinct kicked in and I said yes.”

“Just like that, you risked everything and said yes to her crazy plan.” Joanna could understand why a man like Shawn would take such a risk. But it was reckless. “Bringing Jane back to Cougar Ridge and raising her as your own could have landed you in a lot of trouble. She could have been a kidnap victim or anything.”

“I completely understood the risks,” Shawn said bluntly. “But I trusted Fiona and I still do.”

“And no one asked any questions?” Joanna asked incredulously. “No one was concerned that you moved back to town along with a child?”

“There have been plenty of questions and recriminations from the folks here. Especially at first, but over time most people have made up their theories of who exactly Jane is. Mostly they figure I had an affair with a woman who wasn’t my mate and we had a child together.” His eyes filled with guilt. “I didn’t discourage those stories. Although, I never outright admitted it was the truth.”

“Shawn adopting Jane was all done correctly. Legally, he is her father. I would never have risked them being torn apart once they had established a father and daughter bond. I am not a monster.” Fiona picked up her brownie and took another bite as if she needed to give her mouth something to do rather than pick a fight with Joanna.

“As long as no one guessed the real truth, it didn’t matter.” Joanna nodded with understanding.

“Until you, it never really mattered what the truth was or where Jane came from. She is my daughter and that is the only truth that mattered. I love her as if I was her biological father.” He sighed, his eyes dark as he studied her face. “If this makes things difficult for you, I’m sorry.”

He did what he had to do to protect an innocent child, her wolf said sadly. We would do the same. You know we would.

“Is the person in the coma Jane’s mom?” Joanna asked bluntly.

Shawn’s breath hissed through his teeth. He must realize that if this woman was Jane’s mother, and she woke up, he might lose her. How did he feel about the news? He must be torn between wanting Jane to one day meet her mom and get to know her, and the knowledge that the woman might one day claim custody of her daughter.

We might lose her. Her wolf gnashed her teeth, torn in two by the choices that might lay ahead of them. After all, they were Jane’s family too now.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. Yvette is not Jane’s mom,” Fiona said firmly. “However, she was found with Jane in her arms so she might know who Jane’s mom is.”

“What do you want me to do?” Shawn asked. “I’m sure you didn’t come here at this time in the morning just to tell me this news.”

Shawn was right. Fiona wanted something from him. Joanna was going to make damn sure, no matter what the dragon shifter needed from Shawn, that she would be by her mate’s side every step of the way.

“What do you want us to do?” Joanna corrected. “Whatever this is about we are in this together. Don’t ever forget that.”

Shawn’s fear showed on his face. It was so obvious now. At their first meeting, he’d been worried that Joanna might ask questions about Jane. That her job as a detective might mean she couldn’t let things lie. That she would go rooting around in the past and put Jane in danger. It explained his reaction when they first met and his relief when she said that their pasts were their pasts.

Whatever the cost.

However, things had changed, and she now knew the cost. She also knew she would stand by him through it all. Whatever it took. Even if the cost was her job.

“I want you to go to the hospital and see how Yvette is.” Fiona spread her hands out over the tabletop.

“You think Shawn going to the hospital won’t raise any questions because he’s a doctor?” Jane asked. “But it leaves a trail right back to here.”

“Whoever hurt Yvette all those years ago won’t be looking for a trail to follow. I took care of it.” Fiona took a deep breath. She knew the questions were coming. And Joanna was ready to ask them.

“How did you take care of it?” Joanna asked.

“On the night of the accident…” Fiona paused, her jaw clenched and her nostrils flared as anger simmered beneath her skin. “On the night it happened, I got a call from Yvette. Her voice was slurred, I thought she’d been drinking.” Fiona closed her eyes briefly. “She asked me to meet her. She said it was urgent.”

“So you went to meet her?” Joanna asked. “Did you know Yvette well?”

“Not that well.” Fiona raised her eyes and looked at Joanna. “She sounded in trouble. So I went.”

“And she was already injured?” Joanna asked.

“Her head was bleeding.” Fiona’s forehead creased as if she were recalling the moment. “It didn’t look that bad.” Her eyes misted with tears. “I told her she needed to go to the hospital. But before I had a chance to call the paramedics, she handed me the baby and said…” She sniffed and wiped her eyes.

“What did she say, Fiona?” Joanna asked gently.

“Don’t let him hurt the baby.”

“Who?” Shawn asked gruffly.

Fiona shrugged. “I don’t know for sure.”

“But you do have an idea.” Joanna went to Fiona and sat down in the chair next to her. “Who did she mean?”

Fiona sucked in a lungful of air. “She worked for a man named Ostabell…”

“Ostabell? Roman Ostabell?” Joanna asked.

“You and he have crossed paths?” Fiona asked.

“You could say that.” Joanna’s face paled. “Roman Ostabell is the man who killed my father.”

Chapter Nine – Shawn

“Your father was killed? Murdered?” Fiona’s hands clenched into fists and her eyes flashed a deep amber.

“Yes.”

Fiona forced herself to relax. “I had no idea.”

“Why would you?” Joanna’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion. However, her face was contorted with pain as if she were using all her strength to hold herself together.

“It’s okay.” Shawn went to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her close. For a moment she remained rigid in his arms before she slumped forward and took a bone-shuddering breath before breaking down. Her sobs racked her body, leaving her trembling in his arms.

“I thought it was over,” she said when she could finally speak again. “Ostabell has just been sent to jail.” She wiped her eyes and looked at Fiona. “What does he have to do with Yvette?”

“She worked for Ostabell. Yvette was good with computers and she worked in one of Ostabell’s offices. While she was there, she became suspicious of Ostabell and a certain business associate of his.” Fiona’s words seemed to have a shocking effect on Joanna.

She pulled away from Shawn and turned her attention fully on their clandestine visitor. “Who?”

Fiona shrugged apologetically. “I don’t know for sure. That is what I was hoping Yvette was going to tell me when she called.”

“But she never did.” Shawn raked a hand through his hair. He felt sick to his stomach. All this time he had no idea of the danger Jane might be in. He had no idea of where she’d come from.

I wish we could go back to the same state of ignorance, his cougar said forlornly.

“We first met when I’d arranged an adoption for one of her work colleagues. It was a casual encounter. But then a year later Yvette contacted me and said she had some disturbing information about the man she worked for.”

“What kind of information?” Joanna’s tears had subsided, and she was fully in control of her emotions as she talked to Fiona. Shawn suspected she’d switched to her professional headspace to help her deal with the situation.

It was the same when he was at work. No matter what came through the doors at the hospital, if he wanted to save lives and help people, he had to stay calm and in control.

“She’d seen some emails.” Fiona paused and drank her coffee. “She was convinced that Ostabell and the CEO of a major firm of lawyers were involved in selling babies for adoption.” She looked up at Shawn and Joanna. “Particularly shifter babies. It seemed that some people who knew about shifters wanted to raise one.” She ground her teeth together. “Like we are pets you buy in a pet store. But we’re not pets.”

“No, we’re not,” Shawn said hoarsely.

“Anyway, there was no actual proof. We tried to get proof. Yvette risked her job to find a shred of evidence. Nothing concrete that we could take to the police. There seemed little we could do.” Fiona got up abruptly from the table and paced the room. “We hit a dead end.”

“What happened to Yvette after that?” Shawn asked quietly. “What did she get mixed up in?”

“I had no idea…” Fiona held her hand up as if defending herself. “I swear I had no idea she planned to take things further on her own. I was making inquiries in the background, trying to find out anything I could about illegal adoptions.”

“What happened?” Joanna pushed gently for answers. “What did Yvette do?”

“Yvette began dating the CEO she suspected of being involved. She got close to him.” Fiona ducked her head and placed her hand on the countertop. “When I found out, I confronted her and told her it was too dangerous. But she said she could handle it. She said she couldn’t stop until she knew the truth.”

“And she got in too deep?” Shawn’s voice was barely audible. “And that’s how she got hurt.”

“I think so. I don’t know for sure…but I think so.” Fiona turned to face them, her arms folded across her body.

“So let me get this straight.” Joanna stood up and approached Fiona. “Yvette dated this man to get the proof about the babies he was allegedly selling. And Roman Ostabell had something to do with this?”

“I believe so. How deep his involvement went, I don’t know. The emails Yvette saw were private, they were sent between the CEO and Ostabell. The references in them were some kind of code. She put it all together.” Fiona drained her coffee cup and placed it down on the table. “Yvette said that Ostabell found the babies. Specifically, he found pregnant women who didn’t want to keep their babies for whatever reason. The other guy found people willing to pay a lot of money to adopt the unwanted babies.” Fiona pressed her lips together as her eyes glowed a deep amber.

“Okay. Do you think Yvette found the proof or at least raised enough suspicion that they finally realized she was investigating them?” Joanna asked. “And that was why she was attacked?”

“Yes.”

“And Jane. Where did she come from?” Shawn asked.

“I think she was one of the babies. How Yvette ended up in an alleyway with her, I don’t know. All I do know is that she was willing to give her life for the child. A child she asked me to protect for her.” Fiona straightened her back. “And that’s what I did. If at any time someone had reported their baby was missing, if the mother had come forward, I would have handed her over. But no one did. Nothing. I waited a month before I contacted Shawn.”

“How does a baby go missing and no one report it?” Shawn murmured.

“Because she didn’t belong to anyone.” Fiona ground her teeth together. “No one cared enough about her to even look for her.”

“This is all unbelievable.” Shawn needed more coffee. A lot more coffee. Or maybe whiskey.

“I know and I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have come to you now if there was any other way.” Fiona shook her head. “I just don’t want Yvette opening her eyes and believing she is all alone in the world. Not when the last thing that happened to her before her coma was being attacked. So, I’d like your professional opinion. I want to know, from someone I trust, whether Yvette is ever likely to wake up or if this is just a false alarm.”

“I’m no expert in that department, Fiona. So far as I know, there are no hard and fast rules for coma patients.” Shawn wished there were more he could say, more he could promise. But he never gave false promises.

“I understand,” Fiona replied. “And I know you have done enough. But I’m asking you all the same.”

“Why did you ask me to care for Jane?” Shawn asked. “You could have found her a home with a nice couple somewhere. But instead, you asked me to care for her and protect her.” His eyes widened as it suddenly became clear why he’d been chosen. “You wanted her close just in case something like this happened. It was convenient.”

“Yes,” Fiona agreed. “And no. Your proximity to Bear Creek was advantageous. But that was never my primary concern.”

“Then why?” Shawn needed to know.

“I knew you were the best person for the job. I knew you would care for her because that is what you do. I’d seen you in the hospital.” She waved her hand at Shawn. “There was an incident with a child. She was brought into the hospital with a broken arm. The way you spoke to her. She was so scared, but you set her at ease. That is when I knew you were the man for the job.”

“You were at the hospital where I worked?” Shawn asked. “Is that where Yvette is?”

Fiona shook her head. “No, this was a couple of weeks before. I was there to pick up a little shifter boy whose mom and dad had died in a car accident. I’d arranged foster care for him, and I was waiting for the doctors to release him into my care. So when I was suddenly given this small helpless baby, it was like fate had brought us together and shone a light on you.”

Joanna shook her head. “This is all kinds of crazy. You picked Shawn out to be Jane’s dad. Just like that?”

Fiona leaned forward, her elbows on the table, her eyes narrowed. “Yes. I’m old enough to be an expert judge of character. When I found out Shawn originally came from Cougar Ridge, it seemed like a perfect choice.” She sat back in her seat. “Then I had him thoroughly investigated.”

“Wow. You checked me out?” Shawn’s shock was evident.

“I had to be sure you were the right man for the job. The right person for the job,” she corrected herself. “And I believe you were and still are.”

“Okay. Let’s get back to the present. Yvette is waking from a very long coma. You want Shawn to go to the hospital. And then what?”

“Yes, I want Shawn to go.” Fiona tilted her head to one side. “But you seem to be a good candidate for the job, too. A police detective. What more could I ask for?”

“I can go alone. Joanna doesn’t need to get caught up in this. She could be risking her career,” Shawn said quickly.

“So could you,” Joanna replied.

“If this gets out, I’m already going to have some awkward questions to answer. No one knows you are involved,” Shawn said gently. He wanted to save his mate from any possible fallout from this.

“Shawn…” Joanna began.

“It’s better this way,” Shawn insisted.

“We go together.” He could tell by her tone there was no point arguing.

We are better together, his cougar agreed.

“Perfect. I need to know if she’s likely to wake up,” Fiona told them. “If she does, I need to know what she knows.”

“Because whatever she knows is the reason she is in the coma.” Then Joanna asked, “What did the doctors say at the time?”

“Blunt force head trauma,” Fiona replied. “The doctors believed she’d possibly tripped and fell. I think she was assaulted.”

“And you think the him Yvette referred to was either Ostabell or the CEO?” Joanna asked, keeping her voice calm even though her eyes crackled with anger.

“I don’t know.” Fiona rubbed her hand over her eyes, looking as if the early morning, or late night, had caught up with her. “For all I know it could have been someone else. That’s why I could never pursue this further. Without the information stuck inside Yvette’s head, there was nothing for me to work on.”

“She didn’t tell you anything useful?” Joanna asked. “Before the accident, she didn’t give you any leads? Anything that might give us a place to start?”

“Do you think I would have waited this long if she had?” Fiona snapped.

“I’m just checking,” Joanna replied calmly. “The slightest piece of information might prove to be the biggest clue.”

“Nothing.” Fiona shook her head in frustration.

“And neither the CEO nor Ostabell ever went after her to finish the job?” Shawn asked. This was beyond belief. He always knew there must have been a good reason Fiona gave Jane to him to care for, but he had no idea it was this involved.

“No. Because I made her disappear. When she arrived at the hospital, I gave them a different name. It was an alias I sometimes used.” Fiona lifted her head and locked eyes with Joanna as if challenging her to ask further questions. She didn’t. “Then I paid for Yvette to be moved to a private medical facility, where she has continued to receive all the care she needs. No one knew her true identity.”

“You paid for that?” Joanna pointed a finger at Fiona. “That’s not cheap.”

“No, it’s not,” Fiona confirmed.

“Fiona has treasure,” Shawn explained quickly. “Dragon treasure.”

“Of course. Don’t they all.” Joanna shook her head. “Sorry, that was rude.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve heard much worse.” She shook off Joanna’s comment. It was unimportant.

“So you paid for Yvette to be cared for privately. And you handed the baby to Shawn to raise.” She pointed at Shawn. “Now Yvette is waking up and you are worried that someone will get to her and try to silence her. And perhaps this will put Jane in danger, too.”

“That just about sums it up. Yes.” Fiona nodded. “We need to know what she’s said, if anything coherent… And if she wakes up, we need to know what she knows. Then we can take action and finally get justice done.”

“And the best person to send is a doctor who can read charts and make sense of her condition. And a police detective who knows the right questions to ask.” Joanna nodded. “Makes sense. We can leave first thing.”

“You don’t have to get involved in all of this.” Shawn hated the idea of Joanna being in pain and if this guy Ostabell was involved, it would cause her pain. Old wounds would be torn open. He didn’t want that for his mate. He wanted to protect her.

“No, I don’t. But I am. And if Roman Ostabell has anything to do with this and I can find the proof, I will make sure he pays. Along with this CEO. What’s his name?” Joanna asked.

Fiona ground her back teeth together. “He isn’t a CEO any longer. And there is slim chance we can find the proof we need and get anything to stick after so long.”

“Who is he?” Joanna asked firmly.

“He’s Gerald Comer. Mayor Gerald Comer.” Fiona tilted her head to one side. “This is not going to be easy.”

“Shit!” Joanna dragged a hand through her hair. “The mayor. That explains so much. I always knew the corruption in the police force went high up but I never guessed the mayor was involved, too.”

“He’s built himself a reputation for being respectable. But that respect was built by inflicting misery on others.” Fiona’s eyes flashed amber again.

“What is the plan? For Yvette. And Jane. What is the plan for their futures?” Shawn hated the idea of putting Jane in danger.

“The plan is to make sure Yvette is safe. Find out what she knows. If there is any proof of her suspicions, then we decide how to proceed. But above all, keeping Yvette and Jane safe is our priority. Even if that means walking away. But that would be the very last resort.” Fiona pressed her lips together. “I know this is personal for you, Joanna. But we do have to be prepared to walk away.”

“I get it.” Joanna nodded. “I agree that we do nothing that would put Jane and Yvette in danger. But I also believe that corruption needs to be swept away. And if there is any way of taking down the mayor, I’m going to pursue it.”

Fiona looked dubious but she nodded her head. “We only act on exposing the mayor if we have enough evidence that does not put Yvette in danger. She needs to be kept out of this. And so does Jane.”

“And Jane?” Shawn asked the most painful question. “If Yvette does remember. If she makes a full recovery?” As a doctor that was always his wish. He worked tirelessly to help his patients regain their life. “What if she knows who Jane’s mother is? Who her parents are?”

If Yvette regained her memories, then he could lose the child he’d raised as his own.

“We’ll deal with that when and if the time arises. But I promise you, Shawn, the adoption was completely legal. She is your daughter.” Fiona’s expression expressed pity and a hint of remorse laced her voice as she said, “I’m sorry I dragged you into this without you knowing the full details. But I did it for your own protection.”

“I don’t regret a single moment,” Shawn admitted. “Given the same choice and even with the knowledge of who Jane is and what I was risking, I would do it all again.”

Fiona smiled sadly. “And that is why I chose you, Shawn.”

“And that is why I’m lucky to have you as a mate.” Joanna turned around and linked her arm with his. “We’ll get through this together.”

Shawn nodded. “Together. And I only want what is best for Jane.”

“I’ll text you the details of the hospital. Can you arrange childcare for Jane? If not, she can come and stay with me.” Fiona headed for the front door.

“I can ask Joey. They have fun together.”

“Are you saying I am not fun?” Fiona asked bluntly.

“No, I’m just saying we don’t know what is ahead of us and it’ll be easier if Jane isn’t around to overhear conversations. Joey has no clue. I can just tell him I want to take my new mate away for a couple of days.”

“Will Jane be okay with that?” Joanna asked. “I’d hate for her to think I was taking you away from her.”

“I’ll make sure she’s okay with it. We can bring her back a gift.” He smiled. “But honestly, she loves Joey. She’ll probably thank you.”

“Aw, she loves you the best,” Joanna told him. “It’s not all about fun. It’s about knowing that someone is there for you no matter what.”

“As a parent or a mate, that is very true,” Fiona agreed.

“I know.” He inhaled deeply and ran his hand over his face. It wasn’t even light yet and he was already emotionally drained. “We have a long day ahead of us. Maybe we should go and get some more rest.”

“Yes, I’ll leave you two in peace.” Fiona headed toward the front door with Shawn following. “Thank you.” She glanced up at him, the dragon shifter looked old and tired, as if she carried the weight of the past on her back.

“Don’t be sorry,” Shawn told her gently. “I should be thanking you for giving me the chance to have a daughter as wonderful as Jane. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“One of the best things.” Fiona nodded toward Joanna who was still in the kitchen.

“One of the best things.” He grinned. “I still have not gotten used to having a mate.”

“You will.” Fiona took hold of his hand. He’d never seen the dragon shifter so openly emotional. “Whatever happens, Jane will always be your daughter.”

He pulled his head back and swallowed down the lump of emotion in his throat. “I just need to process all this.”

“Whatever happens, it’s going to be a long, long process. Yvette might have opened her eyes but it’s a long road to recovery. If she’s mentally aware.” Fiona’s mouth drooped down at the corners. “But Joanna is right. Gerald Comer needs to pay for what he’s done. He broke Yvette and he’s ruined lives. Every time I see him in the press or on social media, smiling as if he’s the good guy, I want to shift into my dragon and fly over there and bite his head off.”

“Remind me never to get on the wrong side of you, Fiona.”

“Never going to happen, Shawn.” She let go of his hand. “Now, go and talk to your mate. I’ll send the address to you. Let me know when you get there and keep me updated.”

“Will do.” Shawn lifted his hand and waved to Fiona as she crossed the street and melted into the darkness down an alleyway. He stood still, watching the skyline until the faint outline of a dragon appeared against the inky blue sky.

That never gets old, his cougar said.

Dragons are special, Shawn agreed as he closed the front door and turned around. But so is our mate. And so is Jane.

We just need to find a way through this, his cougar said. A way in which we all get what we want.

I didn’t know you believed in miracles, Shawn said drily.

I didn’t. Then we met our mate and now everything seems possible, his cougar replied.

Chapter Ten – Joanna

“How are you doing?” Joanna asked as Shawn came back into the kitchen. “I’m only asking since you look like crap.”

“Back at you.” Shawn cracked a grin when she widened her eyes in mock offense. “I’m only joking.” He came to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “You look amazing.”

“No, I don’t.” She ran her hand through her hair. “I look terrible.” Then she gave him a light punch on the arm. “And you are not supposed to lie to me.”

“I wasn’t lying.” He held her closer and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “You will always look amazing to me.”

“Thanks.” She lifted her chin and looked into his eyes, trying to figure out if he was all right since he hadn’t answered her question. Stroking his cheek with her hand, she kissed his lips. “Whatever happens, I’m there for you.”

“I know.” He nodded and glanced toward the stairs. “I’m scared.”

“I understand why.” She took a step back and held his hands in hers. “It’s tough. You want Yvette to be okay but at the same time you know that she might hold information that could cause you to lose your daughter.”

“That just about sums it up. My job, everything I believe in, everything I work for is about saving lives. I want Yvette to wake up and be well.” He sighed, his chest rising and falling as he stood in silence for a long moment. “But it’s not that simple. There are bigger repercussions and they scare the hell out of me.”

She nodded. “You’re worried that this will bring trouble. That the mayor is not going to roll over when…if he’s accused of…” She shook her head. “I don’t even want to think about it.”

“Yes. I’m scared about the trouble this might cause. The danger it might put Jane in.” He shook his head and pulled away from Joanna. “We don’t know the true story about Jane and Yvette. We don’t know who Jane really is. I don’t think I could bear to lose her.”

“We won’t let that happen,” Joanna said firmly.

“You don’t know that we’ll be able to stop it. Or that Gerald Comer won’t come after Jane and use her as leverage.” The pain in Shawn’s eyes was almost too much for Joanna to bear. She wanted to tell him this would be okay. She wanted to promise him that she would protect them. That the law would protect them. But Mayor Comer was a man of influence.

We could always just run somewhere far away, her wolf insisted. We know a dragon or two who would carry us across the ocean. We can find somewhere safe to live away from this all.

Maybe one of those dragons owns a nice secluded island we could live on. Joanna caught sight of a drawing stuck to the front of Shawn’s fridge. It was a picture of Jane and a group of friends, smiling and happy as they played in a pool. But that would not be fair for Jane.

None of this is fair, is it? Her wolf snarled fiercely as she paced up and down inside Joanna’s head. The mayor has a lot to answer for.

If it weren’t for the mayor, Jane would never have had a father like Shawn. Joanna huffed. I hate these conundrums. I like my life simple.

Then you shouldn’t have chosen to be a cop, her wolf answered.

“Let’s go and get some sleep,” Shawn suggested as he put the cups in the sink.

“Do you think you can sleep with all this in your head?” Joanna asked.

“I’m going to try.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Maybe if you hold me close, I’ll forget all about it.”

“I’m willing to test that theory.” She put a bright smile on her face even though she didn’t feel like smiling.

“And what about you?” he asked as they reached the kitchen doorway.

“What about me?” She swallowed down the lump in her throat. She’d cried so many tears over her dad’s death. The recent court case where Roman Ostabell had been sentenced to life imprisonment for his crimes, including the murder of her father, had given her some kind of closure.

With the news that Mayor Comer might be the man pulling Ostabell’s strings, the wound had been ripped wide open once more. It hurt so much, and her inner rage threatened to consume her. However, she’d lived with her father’s murder for so long, she was certain she could keep it together.

At least until the situation with Yvette and Jane was resolved. Then, maybe they could take a vacation and she could put it all behind her before she started a new life with Shawn.

A new life here in Cougar Ridge? her wolf asked.

Just because you like the idea of running free whenever you want, Joanna replied.

I like the idea of freedom, her wolf admitted. Not just freedom to become a wolf, but freedom from the past. Perhaps it’s time to start a new life here. And leave our old life behind.

Perhaps, Joanna agreed.

“It can’t be easy hearing this news about your father’s murderer.” They stood at the bottom of the stairs. All she wanted to do was go to bed and get some sleep, but she doubted she would. If the news about their upcoming visit to the hospital to see Yvette wasn’t enough to distract her from sleep, then the news about the mayor would be.

“It’s not easy.” She closed her eyes briefly. All she could see was the image of her dad lying on the ground with a bullet hole in his head. It had taken years for her to stop dreaming of her dad dying at the hand of a hitman. Years of racing to save him only to fail over and over again.

When Ostabell’s trial loomed, the dreams had returned. With his subsequent prison sentence, she thought she might be rid of them for good.

It seemed she never would be.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Shawn asked.

“Not right now.” She gave him a weak smile. “I think I need to process first.” She pointed to her temple and twirled her finger around. “This has come as a shock.”

“On top of the shock of finding your mate.” His eyes filled with uncertainty. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Joanna asked. “You had no idea this was heading our way. And I love that you took in Jane when she was a baby. I love that Fiona chose you to be a father because she thought you were the best man for the job.”

“You love me then?” he asked hopefully, and she chuckled despite her jumbled-up emotions.

“I might.” She tugged at his hand and took a step forward. “Let’s go to bed.”

“We should get a couple of hours sleep before Jane wakes up. I’ll explain that we’re going away for a few days. I could always tell her I’m going with you on a job.” He paused. “Do you need to ask for time off?”

They went into his bedroom and Jane climbed into bed, still fully clothed. “I’m going to call my boss in the morning. Trent was instrumental in bringing Ostabell to justice. He’s supported me every step of the way while I fought to find my father’s killer.” Her forehead creased. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to tell him something about the reason I need time off..”

“Do you trust him?” Shawn asked.

“With my life.” Joanna nodded. “He’s had personal experience with Ostabell. I’m one hundred percent certain that when I tell him we might be able to finally unmask the guy above Ostabell, he’ll give me whatever I need.”

“If you trust him, then I trust him.” Shawn slipped under the bedcovers and wrapped his arms around his mate. “I don’t want any of this to put you in an awkward position.”

“I like awkward positions.” She turned around and faced him. “Awkward positions can be very good.” Her eyelids drooped as she rested her head on his chest. “There are all kinds of awkward positions I’d like to get into with you.”

Shawn chuckled, his fingertips tracing abstract patterns on her back. “Once this is over, we’ll have all the time in the world to try those positions. For now, we need to sleep.”

“I am sleeping.” She closed her eyes, waiting for the image of her slain father to appear and chase away any hope of peace. But as she drifted under the darkness of sleep, it didn’t come. Instead, Joanna was surrounded by warmth and light.

Here in Shawn’s arms, nothing could touch her. Nothing could hurt her, he was her protector.

She only hoped that the same could be said about their real lives and the real world they would have to face tomorrow.

Chapter Eleven – Shawn

He’d only closed his eyes for five minutes. Hadn’t he?

Shawn blinked against the light streaming through his bedroom window and ran a hand over his face as he shook off the remnants of sleep.

Next to him, Joanna slept, her breathing a steady rise and fall. Shawn propped himself up on one elbow and watched her, savoring the moment. The moment he’d waited for. His mate was in his bed.

Memories of Fiona’s recent visit crowded in. This wasn’t exactly how he’d expected to spend this morning. When they’d gone to bed last night and made love, he’d fallen asleep with plans to cook pancakes and make fresh coffee which he would bring to her on a breakfast tray so she could have a leisurely sleep-in.

Those plans were now dust, the mystery surrounding Jane exposed.

“You’re staring.” Joanna lifted herself onto one elbow and kissed his mouth. “But I don’t think you are really seeing me.”

He kissed her back, his hand cupping her cheek as his lips moved against hers. “I don’t need to see you to know you are there.”

She chuckled. “Nice save.” Joanna flopped down on the pillow and shielded her eyes from the sun. “What time is it?”

“Time to get up.” He turned to face the small table beside his bed. “It’s just after seven.”

“Okay, it is time to get up.” She swung her legs out of bed and smoothed out her clothes. “Do you have the address from Fiona? Only I’m hoping that we could swing past my place on the way so I can shower and get a fresh change of clothes. But if we’re driving in the opposite direction, I’ll manage.”

Shawn tapped his phone screen and checked his messages. He’d muted his phone when they went to bed and had no idea if Fiona had already sent the address through. “There it is.” He glanced up at Joanna.

“Opposite direction?” she asked.

“Yeah.” He nodded.

“Okay.” She slapped her forehead. “Rewind. I packed an overnight bag. It’s in my car.”

“You did?” Shawn didn’t hide his surprise.

“O’Malley suggested it,” she began as color flushed her cheeks. “He was concerned that since it was a long drive…”

“You don’t have to explain yourself,” Shawn told her. “Do you want me to go downstairs and get it?”

“Sure.” She looked around the room. “My purse is downstairs, too, along with my keys.”

“Come on, we can get some coffee on and maybe have breakfast then you can take a shower and change while I talk to Jane.” He inclined his head toward the stairs. “I’d planned to make pancakes to impress you.”

“You impressed me last night.” She grinned as she followed him down the stairs.

“That does a lot for my male ego.” He went straight to the coffee pot as they entered the kitchen and soon the aroma of rich coffee brewing filled the room. “Keys.”

Joanna grabbed her purse from the kitchen chair where she’d left it last night. Shawn inhaled sharply as he recalled the events that led up to Joanna staying the night. His heart raced in his chest and his breathing became ragged. The taste of her, the scent of her. The touch of her.

“Keys.” She dangled them in front of his face.

“Thanks.” When his eyes came into focus, he noted the heightened color in his mate’s cheeks. He wasn’t the only one with thoughts of last night tumbling around and around.

Focus, his cougar told him. We need to figure out what’s going on with Yvette and deal with the situation. We need to make sure Jane is safe.

His feline side was right. The events of last night would have to be shelved while he focused his time and energy on Jane and Yvette. Even though, until last night, he’d not known the part Yvette had played in Jane’s abrupt arrival in his life, he already felt responsible for her. And very grateful for putting herself in danger to save baby Jane.

Now that he did know Yvette was alive, he felt a connection to her. Despite his fears over losing Jane, he wanted his daughter to eventually know the truth about where she came from. Even if that risked breaking his heart.

Shawn took the keys from Joanna and kissed her cheek before he headed out of the house and into the cool spring air. There was a hint of snow on the breeze, but none was forecast. He sure hoped the snow would stay away long enough for them to make the journey to see Yvette.

I wonder what she’s like, his cougar mused.

It sounds as if Yvette was trying to help people. She was trying to bring this guy Gerald to justice. He gave a short, humorless laugh. I always thought Jane’s mom had died high on drugs or something. She was small as a baby. I figured it was from malnutrition or the effects of drugs and Fiona had chosen us to raise her because I’m a doctor.

We would never have guessed the truth, his cougar said.

Never. Shawn unlocked the car and leaned inside. Spotting the backpack shoved between the seats, he grabbed ahold of it and pulled it out of the car. As he shut the door, his eyes drifted up toward the mountains. He longed to just disappear into the trees with his mate and run for miles.

Not because he wanted to run away or escape his life. He was committed to Jane and her future. But running wild and free had always given him time to think things through, to process stuff.

Later, his cougar told him. There’ll be time for processing later.

Shawn locked Joanna’s car and went back inside the house. “Here it is.”

“Thanks.” Joanna poured two cups of coffee and handed one to him. “Jane’s moving around upstairs. Will she be all right about me staying over last night?”

“Are you joking?” Shawn asked.

“She’ll be upset?” Joanna asked awkwardly.

“Oh, no.” He shook his head to dispel her fears. “When I put her to bed last night, she was telling me I should ask you to stay. She likes you.” His throat constricted as his love for Jane threatened to overwhelm him. Usually, he could keep his emotions in check, but these last couple of days, meeting his mate and then the threat of losing Jane, had wreaked havoc on his emotional self-control.

“I like her. And I so want to be part of her life.” Joanna came to him and threaded her fingers through his. “As a family.”

Shawn nodded and looked at the ceiling. “She’ll be down in a couple of minutes.”

Joanna kissed his cheek, hitched her backpack over her shoulder and grabbed her cup of coffee. “Do you mind if I take this upstairs? I’ll drink it while I shower and change.”

“No, go ahead.” He reluctantly let go of her hand and she backed away from him as Jane came rushing down the stairs. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Jane sang, a wide smile on her face when she saw Joanna. “Hey.”

“Hi, Jane. Morning.” Joanna’s cheeks flushed pink and she opened and closed her mouth as if she didn’t really know what to say. “Did you sleep all right?” she finally asked.

“I did.” Then her forehead creased. “Although I thought I heard Fiona’s voice. Must have been a dream.”

“Fiona?” Shawn asked. He didn’t think Jane had met Fiona enough times to recognize the dragon shifter’s voice.

“Yeah. You know, the lady who arranges for shifter children to be fostered.” Jane went to the fridge and took out the orange juice.

“I know her. I didn’t think you did.” The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Had Fiona been meeting Jane in secret? Why would she go behind his back?

“I’ve met her a few times,” Jane told him as she sat down at the kitchen table and drank her juice. Joanna hovered in the background in case he needed backup. A small smile crept across his lips before he refocused.

“Did she come to school?” Shawn asked.

“Why would she come to my school?” Jane replied with a question as she often did.

“I… Where did you meet her then?” Shawn placed his hand on the back of the chair and kept his breathing calm. He didn’t know why it bothered him that Fiona had met Jane without his knowledge. He trusted the dragon shifter. With Jane’s life if not his own.

“She arranged for Emily’s aunty to adopt a baby.” Jane drained her glass. “Emily and I were there a couple of times when she visited. Fiona’s funny.”

“Funny is not how most people describe Fiona,” Shawn said with relief.

“She’s all bossy with grown-ups but she joined me and Emily when we had a tea party on the lawn outside. We had all our dolls out. I think she’d have liked to have had a girl. She said she’d never been to a doll’s tea party before.” Jane switched her attention to Joanna. “Have you ever been to a doll’s tea party?”

“A long time ago,” Joanna replied. “And if you and Emily have one sometime soon, I’d love an invite.”

“I’ll ask Emily over and I’ll make you an invite.” Jane turned to face Shawn. “How about tomorrow? I could invite Emily over for dinner.”

“Not tomorrow,” Shawn said, his gaze sliding from Jane’s excited face to Joanna’s.

“I should go and shower.” His mate took the hint and headed out of the room. “I’ll look forward to the tea party.”

“Okay.” Jane looked up at Shawn. “You like her a lot.”

“She’s my mate. I can’t help but like her a lot.” His forehead wrinkled. “That came out wrong. I think I’d like Joanna whether we were mates or not.”

“You look all smiley.” Jane tilted her head to one side and Shawn’s heart squeezed in his chest. A combination of overwhelming love for his daughter and pain that their life was about to be turned upside down cut off his breath.

“I’m happy.” He nodded and pulled out the chair and sat down. “The thing is…I need to go and visit another hospital. I’ll be away for a couple of days.”

“Oh.” Jane shuffled in her chair. “Could Joanna take care of me? She could stay over.”

“Joanna’s coming with me.” He hesitated, trying to read Jane’s reaction.

“Oh.” His daughter looked at her empty glass.

“I might need her help. You know, because she’s a police detective.”

“Oh!” Jane’s expression lightened. “Work.”

“Work.” It was kind of true. He might need his mate’s help in a professional capacity if Yvette did have evidence that Gerald was a criminal. “I thought I’d ask Joey if he would babysit.”

Jane wrinkled her nose. “I’m not a baby.”

“You’ll always be my baby.”

Jane wound her head back. “You and Joanna need to have a baby so that I am no longer the baby.”

“Good comeback,” Shawn replied and stood up. “Pancakes?”

“Yes, please.” Jane got up from her chair and helped him get the ingredients they needed. “Do you think you will have another baby? I’d like a brother or sister.”

“I’d love another baby.” Shawn shrugged. “But Joanna and I have only just met, and I don’t know if she wants children. And even if we do, it doesn’t mean that we’ll be blessed with them.”

“You will.” Jane nodded sagely. “I just know everything will work out.”

Shawn nodded. He hoped with all his heart that Jane was right. However, at the moment he had no idea how things could work out.

If Yvette woke up, it could cause an eruption in their family life.

We need to trust in fate, his cougar said. Fate brought Jane into our lives.

Maybe us finding our mate now is to soften the blow of losing Jane. Shawn didn’t like that thought, but it was like a worm of an idea in his head that would not go away.

Chapter Twelve – Joanna

“Hi again, Joey.” Joanna smiled warmly at Shawn’s friend who had agreed to drop everything and come over to Cougar Ridge to watch over Jane.

“Hi, Joanna. How are you doing?” Joey dropped his backpack by the door and headed for the kitchen. “You look good.”

“Thanks.” She ducked her head to hide her blushes. Blushes that were a little ridiculous since she was too old to get embarrassed about having sex with her mate. Perhaps it was just the fact that she’d only known Shawn for a couple of days that made her skin flush pink.

Or maybe the answer to Joey’s question makes you remember being in bed with Shawn, her wolf told her, which resulted in a fresh flush of color to her face.

How could I forget? Joanna allowed herself a couple of seconds to relive the touch of Shawn’s hands on her body and the feel of him inside her. Deep inside her… Then she pushed her thoughts to one side and brought herself back to the moment. Today was all about Yvette.

“Thanks for coming over at such short notice, Joey.” Shawn gave his friend a man-hug.

“No problem.” He chuckled. “I’m going to get a reputation for being the person anyone calls when they need a last-minute sitter.”

“Oh, yeah, you were the guy who took care of Amber’s sister-in-law and the kids, aren’t you?” Joanna pointed at Joey and then let her hand fall to her side. “You must be a good friend.”

“We all trust him,” Shawn complimented his friend and it was Joey’s turn to blush.

“I like to help out,” he confirmed. “Mr. Dependable, that’s me.” He shrugged. “Plus, what else do I have to do with my time now that both my best buddies have mates and I’m left home alone every night?”

“Emotional blackmail. I like it.” Joanna grinned and went to stand next to Shawn. “I promise to let this man out a couple of times a week to play pool or whatever it is that you guys get up to.”

“You’re going to let me?” Shawn raised a questioning eyebrow.

“I am.” She smiled sweetly. “I’m used to being in charge. Is that a thing you need to get used to?”

Shawn chuckled. “We can debate that on the way.” He glanced at the kitchen clock on the wall. “Right now, we need to get moving.”

“Is Jane upstairs?” Joey asked.

“Yes. She’s getting dressed. She’ll be down in a minute. I think she’s hoping you might take her to the park. It’s going to be a wonderful spring day.”

“A time for new beginnings.” Joey glanced out of the window, a wistful look on his face.

“You’ll get yours, I’m certain of it.” Shawn half turned toward the stairs as Jane came running down.

“Joey!” Jane ran into the room and launched herself at Joey. “Can we go to the park?”

“Direct. I like it.” Joey hugged Jane. “I thought we could go to the park and then drive over to the sawmill. Sue invited us to lunch.”

“Is it okay with Jake that you’re not working?” Shawn asked.

“He knows when there is a mate emergency.” Joey’s eyes widened as Shawn shook his head.

“A mate emergency?” Jane swung her head around to look at Shawn. “I thought you were going to another hospital?”

“We are. It’s shifter stuff. That’s why we need to go. Because we’re shifters and can handle the case quietly.” Joanna thought on her feet and smoothed over the situation. She only hoped she would be able to do the same for Shawn where Yvette was concerned. But that was a whole complicated mess of trouble that was going to take a while to unravel.

If Yvette wakes up and is not brain-damaged. She’s been in a coma for a long time. Her wolf was right. This was not going to be an easy fix no matter what state Yvette was in.

“We should get going.” Shawn went to Jane and his daughter half turned in Joey’s arms and then launched herself at her dad. “I love you and we’ll be back as soon as we can. Okay?”

“Okay. Joey will take care of me.” She placed her small hands on either side of Shawn’s cheeks. “I love you, Daddy.”

Jane pecked him on the cheek and wriggled in his arms as she tried to slide down to the floor, but Shawn tightened his arms around his daughter as if he never wanted to let her go. “I love you, too. We’ll be back before you know it.”

“I’m looking forward to our tea party,” Joanna told Jane as she tried to keep her emotions in check. Shawn and Jane might not have the same blood, but their bond was strong.

Unbreakable, her wolf told her.

I hope so. Joanna waved goodbye to Joey and Jane and then headed to the door.

Shawn kissed Jane one last time and then placed her down on the floor. “Be good and don’t let Joey feed you too many cookies.”

“I won’t,” Jane sang out as she followed Shawn to the front door.

“I’ll take care of her,” Joey assured Shawn as he took one last look at his daughter.

“I know you will.” Shawn nodded to Joey, turned around, and followed his mate to her car. “You’re driving?”

“Yes.” She looked at him directly. “Is that a problem? Does it dent your male ego?”

Shawn chuckled. “You can bait me all you want. I won’t rise to it.”

“Are you sure?” She arched an eyebrow. “Or is that a challenge?”

“No challenge.” He dumped his overnight bag on the back seat of the car. “I don’t mind who drives. I kind of figured we’d take turns.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She tapped the roof of her car. “Get in. We should make good time if we avoid the worst of the traffic. And my car has the kind of satnav that will tell us where that traffic is.”

Shawn got into the passenger seat. “Oh, I had no idea your car had a police radio.”

“Do you see why I picked my car for the journey?” she asked as she started the engine.

“I do now.” He sat back in his seat and buckled his seatbelt. “Thanks for this, Joanna.”

“What are mates for?” she replied as she pulled away from the curb and drove down the street.

“Was your boss okay about the road trip?” Shawn rolled down the window and looked up at the mountain as they headed out of town.

“He was when I gave Trent a brief rundown of why we’re going. Although, I did have to temper his excitement by telling him for all we know Yvette is in a vegetative state and that might never change.” She flashed him a sidelong glance. “We can trust him. He’ll keep it to himself, for now.”

Shawn nodded. “The fewer people know the better.”

Even though she trusted her boss with her life, she wasn’t ready to risk Yvette’s or Jane’s life. Once the information was out there, she had no way of knowing if it might get back to Gerald. Her boss had agreed.

As they drove onto the main road leading toward the highway, she looked in the rearview mirror.

“Everything okay?” Shawn asked as he angled his head to look out of the side mirror.

“Just being cautious.” She wanted to make sure no one was following them.

We should have taken Shawn’s car, her wolf suddenly said.

Jane winced. Of course, her car was fitted with a tracker. With the right software, they could be followed from a distance.

We’re being paranoid, Joanna told her wolf. No one aside from Fiona and Trent knows what we are doing. No one else knows that this journey is in any way connected to Gerald Comer.

Yet her unease grew. There was so much on the line here. So much that could go wrong, and the damage would taint her relationship with her mate forever.

“Relax,” Shawn’s voice comforted her, and she flexed her hands, trying to let go of the tension building inside her.

“Normally, I don’t let things get to me,” she told him. “But this is so close to home.” Her forehead wrinkled. “Even with my dad, I didn’t let it get too personal. I always managed to keep a professional distance.”

“Because this will affect your future. What happened to your father was in the past. There was no life on the line.” He took in a deep breath. “I’m no shrink but that’s how I see it.”

“You’re right. I had years to deal with my father’s death. There was a distance there. But this…” She glanced sideways at him. “I don’t want either of us to experience the same kind of pain my mother did.”

“No.” Shawn fell silent for a moment. “Whatever happens. However this ends. We have to promise each other that we’ll put it behind us and move on.”

Her mouth curled up at one corner as she forced herself to smile. “Maybe you should be a shrink.”

“So we promise?” he asked.

“Yeah. I promise that whatever happens, we will move past it and have a good life together. Knowing that we will each have done our best.” She arched an eyebrow. “Too much?”

“No, I think that covers it.” He nodded. “I promise.”

“And a shifter never breaks his promise to his mate.” Joanna reached across the car and placed her hand on his. “It’ll be okay.”

“It will.” Shawn rubbed his thumb over the back of her fingers and warmth flooded through her. As the miles wore on and their destination grew closer, Joanna let her mate’s presence soothe her.

We will get through this together, her wolf said.

By the time they reached their destination, Joanna was ready to believe it.

“Okay, we take a left here and the hospital is down a side road. There.” Shawn pointed to a small building. Nothing like the hospitals in the city which was a sprawling mass of buildings. This hospital was small, intimate.

Expensive, her wolf added.

Fiona must have a lot of treasure to afford a place like this for years. Joanna’s thought trail went a little further, exploring the terrain a little more. Why would she spend so much money on this place for a woman she barely knew?

Guilt? Her wolf was following the same thought trail.

What does Fiona have to feel guilty about? Joanna mused as she parked the car and switched off the engine.

The answers lay inside the building before them. Answers that would have ramifications on Shawn’s life and his relationship with Jane.

“Do you want me to go in alone?” Joanna half turned in her seat to look at her mate. Shawn was staring at the hospital, not attempting to get out of the car. Did he have second thoughts?

“No, let’s do this together. Every step of the way. No secrets. Even imagined ones.” He pressed his lips together, his shoulders tense.

“Agreed.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and rested her hand on the arm rest “One step at a time. But the first step is that we have to get out of the car.”

“You noticed my reluctance.” He gave a short, humorless laugh. “Until we go in there, until we see Yvette and talk to the doctors, everything is normal, my life, Jane’s life.”

“But as soon as you go inside, things change. Either way, things change.” Joanna leaned across the car and kissed his cheek. “Life changes all the time. Usually, they are only small changes that we don’t see. But then there are the big suckers. And you have to deal with them.”

Shawn nodded. “I never really put myself in my patients’ position before. This is how it must feel before they come in for a diagnosis. Before they receive test results, they can live in a bubble where everything is fine.”

“But they are still sick. Not hearing the results doesn’t make things go away.” Joanna pointed at the hospital. “Yvette won’t go away. She’s in there and we have to go talk to her.”

Shawn nodded. “I know. I just wanted to savor this moment.” His chest heaved. “Okay, now I’m ready.”

With that, her mate got out of the car. She walked by his side toward the hospital. Both knowing this would be a major test for their new relationship. Together, they would find a way out of the other side.

Chapter Thirteen – Shawn

“Hello, I’m Dr. Shawn Bradford and this is Detective Joanna Hargreaves. We’ve come to visit Penelope Lincoln.”

“Oh, yes. We received a phone call to say you were on your way.” The receptionist smiled brightly, although there was a hint of suspicion in her eyes. “You just need to sign here. And I’ll need to see some ID.”

“Sure.” Shawn and Joanna both showed their IDs and signed the visitor book.

This is risky, his cougar licked his lips nervously. There will be a record we have been here. What if someone here does know who Yvette really is and this all comes crashing down?

We don’t have a choice since I don’t have a fake ID. Shawn forced himself to appear relaxed and smiled at the receptionist who wore a name badge with Kelsie emblazoned on it.

“Thanks for your help, Kelsie.” Shawn placed the pen down on the countertop and smiled warmly.

“No problem.” Kelsie inspected the visitor book. She was very thorough, that was for sure. Thorough and efficient. The best qualities of a receptionist.

Pity, it means that if anyone does ask about us, she’ll be able to describe us thoroughly and efficiently, his cougar complained.

She won’t have to, Shawn replied. There are cameras in the reception area.

“Can you tell us which room Penelope is in, please?” Joanna asked in her best detective voice. Shawn smiled, she sounded just like the detectives on TV. Professional and no-nonsense. Although, she did manage to smile.

Kelsie pressed a button under the counter. “Someone will be here in a moment and they will show you to Penelope’s room. We don’t allow people to roam the hallways alone.” There was a smile attached to the comment but there was a lack of friendliness in it.

Maybe she has trouble with authority, his cougar suggested.

“Thanks, Kelsie.” Shawn tried his winning smile, adding in an extra dose of warmth. “We’re sorry to trouble you.”

Kelsie sighed and looked up at Shawn. “I’m a little unsure as to why Mrs. Turner has requested a second opinion. We have the best doctors here. They take exceptionally good care of the patients.”

Mrs. Turner? How many aliases does Fiona have? Shawn’s cougar asked.

“Oh, that is not being disputed,” Joanna assured Kelsie. “We’ve been asked to come and visit Penelope as a routine inquiry. It’s procedure.”

“Oh.” Kelsie nodded, slightly mollified. “Here’s Samantha. She’ll show you to Penelope’s room. I’ll message Dr. Howarth, she can let you know all the details and changes in Penelope’s condition.”

“Thanks, Kelsie.” Joanna smiled warmly. “You’ve been such a great help.”

“You’re welcome.” Kelsie switched her attention to her computer screen while Shawn and Joanna were met by another nurse.

“Hello, I’m Samantha and I’ll take you through to see Penelope.” She smiled and turned and walked away, heading through double glass doors before taking a left and heading down a corridor. At even intervals along the corridors were closed doors, each with a small round window in them.

“Thanks, Samantha.” Joanna arched an eyebrow at Shawn and inclined her head. “Ready?”

Shawn nodded, even though he wasn’t sure he was ready to meet Yvette

Most of the rooms were inhabited by patients. Some were elderly, possibly convalescing after a hip replacement or some other procedure. The hospital was clean and seemed to be staffed with plenty of nurses. He had no concerns for Yvette’s treatment and welfare.

“This is Penelope’s room. I don’t know what you have been told but she briefly opened her eyes a couple of days ago. The doctors weren’t sure if it meant she was regaining consciousness, so they did some tests.” Samantha opened the door and went inside. She paused, holding the door open for Shawn and Joanna.

“And what did the tests show?” Shawn asked, itching to get his hands on the chart at the end of the bed.

“That there is increased brain activity. The doctor can tell you more.” Samantha indicated to a couple of seats to the side of the bed. “You can sit and wait. It might be good for you to talk to Penelope. We do like to assume coma patients can hear and are aware of their surroundings. So when we are in here, we talk to Penelope. I think it puts her at ease.”

“We will,” Shawn’s voice hitched as he spoke. “It must be terrible to lie in a bed and know there is someone else in the room but not know who they are.”

“Exactly.” Samantha beamed widely and looked Shawn up and down. “The doctor will be along shortly.”

Samantha backed out of the room and left them alone with Yvette. Neither Shawn nor Joanna moved closer to the bed. There was something eerie about being in the same room as a person who may or may not be aware of your presence. A person who lay so still they might be asleep. A person who might never wake up.

Shawn moved first, jerking himself out of his reverie. “Hello, Yvette.” He approached the bed and sat down in the chair nearest the bed. Joanna followed, her eyes fixed on the still face of Yvette.

“She looks so pale.” Joanna sat down next to Shawn and reached for his hand. Whether to give comfort or receive it, he couldn’t tell.

“So frail.” He rubbed his hand over his eyes, surprised at the wave of emotion that swept over him. He was usually exceptionally good at keeping his emotions compartmentalized, but he was finding it impossible to detach himself from the situation.

“It’s so sad,” Joanna whispered. “Yvette has missed out on so much.”

Shawn squeezed Joanna’s hand. “Perhaps one day she will get to pick up the pieces.” He’d never hoped for anything more. On the journey here, part of him wished that Yvette would never wake up. Never have to face the pain of knowing she missed out on so many years. Yvette not waking up would be easier for everyone. Jane would never know where she really came from. Was it easier for the big questions to remain unanswered?

Was it right that Fiona kept so much from us? his cougar asked.

Whatever Fiona did, I am convinced she did it for the right reasons, Shawn replied. Whether it was right or wrong, we might never know.

“Hello.” The door opened and a female doctor breezed in. “I’m Dr. Howarth. I’ve been Penelope’s doctor for the last three years.” She walked up to the bed and touched Yvette’s hand. “Morning, Penelope. I’ve got some good news.”

“You have the test results?” Shawn asked eagerly.

“I do.” She raised her left hand containing a clipboard and leafed through the pages attached to it. “The tests show increased brain activity. A lot of increased brain activity. These results indicate that Penelope is beginning to come out of her coma. Which has surprised us all.”

“Do you have any idea when she might wake up?” Joanna asked. “We came to see if she might be able to give us any information on the attack that left her so…damaged.”

“The brain is a strange and mysterious thing,” the doctor began. “We don’t really know what has triggered Penelope to wake up. We don’t know why now. We don’t know if this is a blip and she might slip back under.”

“What you mean is you have no idea when or if Penelope might regain consciousness,” Joanna said.

“Exactly.” Dr. Howarth smiled. A smile Shawn recognized. It was the same one he’d used several times throughout his career. One filled with pity for the relatives of a loved one he could not promise them he could save. “We can only wait and see.” Her eyes shifted to the young woman lying in the bed. “And even if she does wake up, we don’t know what she’ll remember. We don’t know if she will ever walk and talk again.”

“We understand,” Shawn said hoarsely. “May I look at the charts?”

“Of course.” The doctor handed them over with some reluctance.

“Is there anything we can do while we’re here?” Joanna asked.

“Talk to her. Let her know you are here. Beyond that…” She reached out and curled her fingers around Yvette’s. “We can only hope.”

“You must be busy. Perhaps Detective Hargreaves can talk to Penelope while I just look over her notes,” Shawn suggested.

“Sure. As I said, the more stimulus Penelope receives, the more chance there is that something will stimulate her brain and help her wake up.” Dr. Howarth shrugged. “But like I said, there are no guarantees. As you must know yourself.” She gave Shawn a cursory glance as he leafed through Yvette’s charts. “Everything is in order.”

“It looks very thorough,” Shawn said easily.

Joanna reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. “If there is any change, could you contact me directly, please?”

Dr. Howarth took the card and looked at it closely. “You’ve come a long way to visit a woman who has been in a coma for so many years.”

“I really want to know what happened to her.” Joanna glanced at Shawn before she added, “It’s a cold case and Mrs. Turner contacted my department to update us that there had been a change in Penelope.”

“I see. I wish I could give you more cause to hope she is waking up.” Dr. Howarth’s hostility weakened. “At least she’ll get to hear your voices. She rarely gets any visitors. No real family as far as I am aware.”

Joanna gave a brief smile. “I hope you understand I cannot talk about the case. Penelope’s safety is our paramount concern.”

“I understand.” She glanced at the card once more. “I’ll call you directly if there is any change.”

“Thanks.” Joanna turned her attention back to the young woman in the bed. “There is one thing…”

Dr. Howarth came around to the side of the bed where Shawn and Joanna were seated. “Anything I can do to help.”

“When she spoke, what did she say?” Joanna asked.

“Spoke? Oh yes, Penelope did mumble something.” The doctor glanced toward the door. “At least, Samantha said she did.” She shook her head. “It might have been nothing, just a reflex. Penelope has been here for a long time. We don’t understand exactly what cognitive damage has been done.”

“Please, it’s vitally important you tell us anything that might help.” Shawn held his breath as the doctor glanced at Yvette. What would a woman who had possibly been beaten so badly she was in a coma say? What would her first words be?

“Testers,” the doctor said. “She mumbled something about testers. It made little sense to me. Maybe it does to your case.”

“Not at present,” Joanna replied. “But sometimes these small details are the very thing that enables us to take great leaps forward with a case.”

“Thank you,” Shawn said with a grateful smile.

“I hope it might help shed some light on what happened.” The doctor glanced around the room, her eyes lingering on the flowers before she said, “No one wants to spend their whole life in a hospital room.”

“It’s a lovely room and the flowers are a nice touch. I suppose if Penelope can hear, she can smell.” Joanna indicated the vase of roses on the nightstand.

“Yes…” Dr. Howarth looked at her phone as it beeped. “I have to go. I have other patients to see and I don’t think I can be any further help to you.”

“One last request really. Can we talk to Samantha?” Joanna asked. “Just to check if there is anything else she remembers?”

“Of course, although that’s all she told me.” Dr. Howarth reached for her phone as it beeped. “I have to go.”

“Thanks for your help,” Shawn said as the doctor hurried toward the door.

“I hope you find out what happened to Penelope.” With that, the doctor opened the door and left Shawn and Joanna alone with Yvette.

“Testers. What do you think Yvette meant?” Shawn stood up and threaded his fingers through Yvette’s.

“It might not mean anything.” Joanna sat back in her chair, her eyes slightly out of focus. “Testers.”

“Perhaps Fiona might be able to help.” Shawn’s suggestion was met by Joanna’s laser-sharp gaze.

“Do you think Fiona knows more than she said?” Joanna asked.

“In what way?” Shawn asked. “You don’t trust her?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust Fiona. It’s more that…” She rested her elbow on the arm of the chair and rubbed her fingers thoughtfully over her chin. “What if she’s keeping information from us?”

“For what reason?” Shawn asked.

Joanna shrugged. “That might be the question we need to ask.”

“This is insightful.” Shawn glanced sideways at his mate. “Seeing how a real detective works. And a little scary.”

“I scare you?” Joanna asked. “How?”

“If I put the milk away on the wrong shelf, will you think it’s because I have a guilty conscience? That I have something else on my mind?” Shawn grinned as her expression clouded. “I’m joking. I like that you are so thorough.” He turned his gaze back to Yvette. “That’s exactly what Yvette needs. Someone to comb through her past thoroughly and pick out the threads that matter.”

“That’s a good idea.” She patted Shawn on the arm and got up from her seat. “I need to make a phone call.” Joanna’s mouth turned down at the corners as she looked down at Yvette. “Why don’t you stay here and keep Yvette company?”

“I’ll go through Yvette’s notes. Although, I’m not expecting to find anything useful. Dr. Howarth is right, we just need to wait and see what happens with Yvette.” He settled back down in the chair next to Yvette’s bed.

“Okay. Just take a look. You never know. A fresh pair of eyes might pick something up.” Joanna headed for the door, her phone already out of her pocket, her fingers tapping the screen. As the door closed behind his mate, Shawn turned his full attention to the woman who had been instrumental at bringing Jane into his life.

There were so many questions he wanted to ask Yvette. So much he longed to know about his daughter. Yet, at the same time, he hoped it would always remain a mystery and no one would ever take the young girl he’d raised from a baby away from him.

A mixture of fear and self-loathing swept over Shawn. He should be hoping Jane might one day meet her biological parents. That she would have a relationship with them. But he could not bear the thought of losing her. He could not bear the thought of the pain and turmoil such a revelation would unleash on the child he’d loved and protected since the first day Fiona placed Jane in his arms.

“Yvette.” Shawn closed his hands gently around Yvette’s, holding it gently as if it were a small bird. “I want to say thank you for what you did for Jane.” He frowned. “Jane is the baby you were carrying when they found you.”

Had he imagined her eyes flickered? Shawn reminded himself that didn’t mean anything.

It’s strange being in this position, his cougar commented. So many times, we’ve assured friends and relatives that this is normal and that is normal. But sitting here at Yvette’s bedside has shown us that nothing feels normal. Every muscle spasm, every nerve twitch means something. Even though it doesn’t.

It’s a valuable lesson, Shawn replied. I just wish we were learning it under different circumstances.

“What can I tell you about Jane?” Shawn looked up at the white-painted ceiling. “She likes walking in the mountains. She loves the snow. Jane’s favorite thing right now is hosting a doll’s tea party.” He gave a small laugh. “And I am making the most of all of it since she is growing up every day and I want to hang on to my little girl for as long as I can.”

His voice caught in his throat and he paused, his hand covering his mouth. The emotions unleashed by Fiona’s revelations were tumultuous, like the ocean in a storm. They ebbed and flowed, raged and calmed.

Would it have been easier if we had known the truth about Jane? his cougar asked.

No. I understand why Fiona never told us. Not just to protect Yvette and Jane, but also to protect us. If we raised Jane in the knowledge we might lose her one day, we might not have loved her so completely. We might have held a part of us back.

His cougar snorted. No, we would not. There is not a part of us we would not give for our child.

Shawn let out a long breath. A breath he had held from the moment Fiona told them the truth. His cougar was right. They would not have tried to shield themselves from potential pain. The relief was incredible. His shoulders sagged forward, and he placed both hands on the bed for support.

“I wish you could meet her, Yvette.” He stood up. He needed to get some air and find Joanna. “I hope one day you will know what an amazing thing you did that day.”

With one last look at the poor woman lying on the bed, he turned his full attention to Yvette’s notes.

Chapter Fourteen – Joanna

“Hi, it’s me.” Joanna looked up and down the hallway. There was no one to overhear her.

“Joanna. How did it go?” Police Captain Trent Rodgers asked quietly.

“I’m still at the hospital.” Joanna paced up and down on the clinically sterile tiles, her shoes tapping on the hard surface. Aware of the sound and not wanting to draw attention, she arched her feet and tiptoed up and down, too nervous to stand still.

“Any news?” Trent asked. “Is she awake?”

“No. And the doctor has no idea if or when she might regain consciousness. Even if she does, there is no telling what state she might be in. Recent tests have shown there is some improvement in brain activity but…” Her voice trailed away.

Joanna was disappointed that Yvette hadn’t made a miraculous recovery and was unable to help with inquiries. She’d been hanging on to the hope that there might be something here that would help them take down Gerald Comer. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that the mayor was the person responsible for all the cover-ups that had hindered the arrest of Roman Ostabell.

They knew someone had deflected the attention of the police away from Ostabell for years. It made perfect sense that Mayor Comer was that person. He was in the perfect position to put pressure on the police or to know exactly where he could bribe officials to turn a blind eye or feed him information. Until, thanks to Kelos, they had found irrefutable evidence against Ostabell.

Don’t jump to conclusions, her wolf warned her. Just because he was responsible for…other crimes, does not make him guilty of this one.

I know how to do my job, Joanna snapped back.

“Do you have any new leads, or has the whole thing been a bust?” Trent asked, disappointment lacing his voice.

“Not completely.” Joanna rubbed her forehead and tried to ease the tension building, threatening to inflict the mother of all headaches on her. The early wake-up, followed by the drive here and then seeing Yvette lying helpless in the hospital room had taken its toll.

“What do you have? Even the smallest thing could lead to…” Trent gave a low laugh. “I don’t need to tell you any of this.”

“No, you don’t.” She took a deep breath. “Yvette mumbled a couple of words. That’s all I have. I plan to go and talk to the nurse who heard her speak. I want to make sure Yvette didn’t say anything else. I also want to make sure I have the word right. You know what it’s like when words get repeated. Especially when they don’t immediately make sense.”

“So what do you need from me?” Trent asked. “I assume there’s something or you wouldn’t be calling.”

“You know me too well.” Joanna raked a hand through her hair. She was tired, hungry, and verging on cranky, but she needed to get the job done. “I need anything you can dredge up on Yvette. Where she worked, who she was friends with. Look into her foster parents, too. Has anyone ever filed a missing person’s report? Yvette disappeared years ago. Did no one miss her?”

“Okay, you’ll need to give me the details of her alias. I’ll get a copy of the police report from the night she was found.” Trent paused and she could hear him writing it all down.

“Thanks. Also, anything that might connect Yvette to the mayor, specifically anything from the time she dated him. I’d also like any background information you have on Gerald Comer. Business interests for example. He’s got his fingers in a lot of pies.”

“He sure has. I’ll get on it,” Trent said. “I’ll send whatever I can find over to you.” He paused. “This has to be done in the background, Joanna. This is a cold case. We don’t want to stir things up and put Yvette or Jane in danger.”

“I know. We keep this to ourselves. Unless we find something that actually connects to the mayor.” Joanna knew the score even though she didn’t like it.

“Even then… We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he pays for his crimes. Just like Ostabell.” Another pause. “If there is a crime. You said the original report said it was an accident. What if that’s all it was?”

“Don’t worry. If that’s the case, I’ll accept it. I am not going to fabricate evidence.” She turned around and walked back to the door, behind which lay Yvette, a young woman who had lost years of her life due to an assault. “But I do believe someone is responsible for what happened to Yvette. And where did the baby come from? I’m going to find out what happened. On my own time.”

“Okay. I’ll help you all I can. You know that. Text me the information.” The line went dead, and Joanna stood in silence for a long moment as she composed herself. This was too close to home. Too close to her mate and she hated that they might be in danger. The easiest thing would be to walk away and keep Jane safe and never allow anyone to make a connection between Yvette and Shawn’s daughter.

But that wasn’t fair to Yvette. She didn’t need to ask Shawn to know he would feel exactly the same way. Justice needed to be done.

“Right, let’s go find Samantha.” Joanna looked right and left and inhaled deeply. Using her shifter senses, she quickly located the nurse who cared for Yvette. “Gotcha.”

She texted Trent the details he needed and as she walked down the hallway to the left, which led away from the reception area, Joanna kept her attention on the white tiles and didn’t allow herself to look into the rooms on either side. She didn’t need distractions. She wanted her mind to wander, to try to intuitively connect the dots so she could see the bigger picture.

We do not have many dots to connect, her wolf told her.

I know but we have to start somewhere. There might be something in the case against Roman Ostabell that could shine a light on Yvette’s attack. We can’t look at the two things in isolation.

When she got to the end of the corridor, she turned left again. The short hallway led to a door that opened into an outside area. There, leaning against a wall, drinking coffee was Samantha.

She looks upset, her wolf noted.

Upset about Yvette? Joanna mused. Let’s go find out.

She pushed the bar on the door and went outside. The door closed firmly behind her and a lock clicked home. The door was a fire safety door that could be exited from the outside, but you could only get back in if you had the code for the keypad.

The hospital took the safety and security of its patients seriously. Which meant the staff should also have been rigorously checked before they entered employment. Yvette was about as safe as she could be here.

“Hello!” Samantha jerked her head up, looking guilty as Joanna approached. “Can I help you?”

“I spoke to Dr. Howarth. She told me that Penelope murmured something. I wanted to double-check what it was.” Joanna kept her body language relaxed and her tone friendly. “You were the one who heard her speak.”

Samantha’s eyes drifted toward the door before she looked at Joanna and nodded. “Yes. It was barely audible. At first, I thought I might have been imagining it, but her eyes were flickering, and her lips moved.”

“What did she say, Samantha?” Joanna moved close to the young woman. “Please, it’s important that you tell me.”

“I told Dr. Howarth what Penelope said.” Samantha took a sip of her coffee and didn’t meet Joanna’s gaze.

She’s hiding something, her wolf said.

I know. Joanna screwed her face up and then sighed. What was Samantha hiding, or who was she trying to protect?

“Testers. Is that what she said? Nothing else?” Joanna asked.

“That’s what she said. But it was so quiet, I had to put my ear close to her mouth just to hear it.” Samantha took a step toward the door. “I should go. My break is over in a couple of minutes and I’ll be in trouble if I’m late.”

“I had Dr. Howarth’s permission to ask you these questions, Samantha. It’s okay if you are late back,” Joanna assured her. “Please. Anything else. The smallest thing might help.”

“I don’t want to get in trouble. Or involved in anything…” Samantha eyed the door leading back inside with longing.

“Involved in what, exactly?” Joanna asked.

Samantha chewed her bottom lip before she spoke. “What if someone…you know, the government, or maybe some pharmaceutical company tested a drug on Penelope, and she slipped into a coma?” Her eyes widened. “Testers.”

“The hospital said it was blunt force trauma,” Joanna replied but Samantha didn’t look convinced. “But I’ll look into it. Thanks.”

“Something else… This is off the record,” Samantha suddenly burst out, as if she’d been holding it in for too long, and she could no longer contain her secret.

“Absolutely.” Joanna moved closer. “Please, anything, Samantha. Anything I can follow up. Please.”

“It was a couple of weeks ago.” Her eyes once more flickered toward the door. “I’m supposed to report everything…”

“But you didn’t report this?” Joanna asked.

Samantha raked her hand through her hair and then brushed her fingers across her lips as she looked away from Joanna. “I thought I’d imagined it.”

“Of course. You were in a room with a woman who has been in a coma for a long time.” Joanna was beginning to understand. Samantha was only trying to protect herself and her job here at the hospital.

“I talk to Joanna a lot. When I’m bathing her, turning her, checking her meds.” She gave a short laugh. “I’ve worked here for four years. I know it sounds crazy but sometimes I think of Penelope as my friend, you know. I see her every day, I talk to her.”

“You share your life with her.” Joanna reached out and touched Samantha on her upper arm. “It’s understandable.”

“Is it?” Samantha’s eyes widened. “It sounds sad and crazy to me, telling someone who is just lying there all your problems.”

“What happened?” Joanna wasn’t here to debate the rights and wrongs of what Samantha said to Yvette. She only needed the details.

“I was telling Penelope about a date I went on. Some guy in a nice suit and a nicer car. He invited me to some rally. Mayor Comer. He’s up for reelection.” She shook her head. “I don’t usually do politics. It’s not my thing but I figured why not?”

“A rally for Mayor Comer, that’s what you were talking about?” Joanna could barely breathe.

“Yeah. So I was telling Penelope how boring it was. All these people listening to the mayor speak.” She rolled her eyes. “Then my date wanted to meet him, and he muscled us forward so we could shake hands with him.”

“Okay.” Joanna nodded. “And did you, shake hands with him?”

“No.” She held her hands out, palms facing upward as heat spread over her cheeks. “This guy came out of nowhere and said something to the mayor.” Her forehead creased. “Something about ruining his life. Anyway, the mayor’s security guards just pounced on this guy and then bundled the mayor away.”

“And this is when Penelope reacted?” Joanna asked. “Did she speak?”

“First, her hand clenched. I was sponging her arms and hands when it happened. It made me jump, then she let out…it was almost like a breath. But I’m sure she said, “Bad.””

“Bad.”

“Yeah. It could have been a breath.” She twisted her lips and then said, “It might even have been ‘bad man.’”

“Bad man.” Joanna frowned. “Do you think she was referring to the mayor?”

“No. Why would she?” Samantha shook her head. “I think she was listening to what I was saying and thought the man that attacked the mayor was a bad man. Or she might not have said anything at all. Which is why I kept quiet.”

“But then she spoke again.” Joanna’s mind raced. Who was the man who approached the mayor and what did he mean?

“Yes. That’s when she said, ‘testers.’” Now that Samantha had started talking, it seemed she was ready to blab about it all. “Now, she definitely said that. I’ve been paying particular attention since that first time. Just so that I could prove to myself that I wasn’t crazy.”

“And she said nothing else. Just testers? Nothing before or after it?” Joanna wanted to be absolutely certain she had all the information.

“That’s it.” Samantha nodded.

“And no one else has ever heard her talk?” Joanna asked.

“If they have, no one had ever reported it. And anyway, I am the only person who sees her on a regular basis. The days I’m not here there is a random selection of nurses that cover my shift.” Samantha half-smiled. “I like to think that if Penelope was going to talk to anyone it would be me. We’re friends. Even if it’s a one-way situation.”

“Thanks, Samantha. You’ve been a great help.” Joanna backed away toward the door. “Could you let me back inside, please?”

“Sure.” Samantha walked to the door then hesitated. “You won’t tell anyone about the bad man, will you? I mean I can’t be sure that was what she said.”

“No, that will stay between us. I promise.” Although, she did intend to share the information with Shawn, but he didn’t really count since he would keep the same promise.

“I hope she wakes up.” Samantha’s bottom lip trembled as she punched the security code into the keypad and pulled open the door. “Although, I will miss her.”

“She’s missed out on a lot of her life, though, hasn’t she?” Joanna followed the nurse inside.

“Yes. And the sad thing is she doesn’t have any real family. The only person who comes to visit her is the older lady, the one who looks fierce. Although, someone has started to bring her flowers. Perhaps she had a secret lover who couldn’t bear to see her until now,” Samantha mused as they walked back toward Yvette’s room.

“The roses?” Joanna kept the excitement from her voice.

“Yes. A couple of months ago.” She sighed. “It’s like Sleeping Beauty.”

“The flowers, have you ever actually seen who brings them?” Joanna looked up as they rounded the corner. Shawn was waiting outside of Yvette’s room, his face pale. This had been a tough day for him. For both of them.

“No. They’re just there when I come into work in the morning.” Samantha stopped walking and hugged herself as she searched Joanna’s face for answers.

“And they are not from the older lady?” Joanna asked.

“Oh, maybe they are.” Samantha sounded disappointed at the most plausible answer. “But she doesn’t seem the flower type. And why start bringing them now?”

“Thank you, Samantha.” Joanna handed the nurse a card. “If you think of anything else or Penelope says anything else...” She gave a brief smile. “Or Penelope’s mystery admirer comes to visit. Please, give me a call.”

“I will. No problem.” Samantha walked off looking happier now that she’d shared her secret. Or perhaps she was busy dreaming up secret admirers for Yvette.

Perhaps it’s time we went for a run and let go of some tension, her wolf suggested.

That is the best idea I’ve heard all day.

Chapter Fifteen – Shawn

“Did you get anything new from Samantha?” Shawn asked as they walked across the parking lot to the car.

“I did.” Joanna glanced back at the hospital. “Although, I have no idea if it’s of any use.”

“What did she say?” Shawn asked as they got in the car and he buckled his seatbelt. He couldn’t wait to get away from this place. He needed to process everything that had happened.

Somehow, he needed to learn to live with the prospect that their investigation might lead to him losing Jane.

“She said that a couple of weeks ago Yvette spoke. She said, ‘bad man.’” Joanna inserted the key in the ignition and started the engine.

“Bad man.” Shawn’s face paled and he covered his mouth with his hand. “Do you think someone at the hospital is hurting Yvette?” Bile rose in his throat.

“No.” Joanna shook her head. “No.”

“Then what?”

“Samantha talks to Yvette. I mean, she talks to her about everything going on in her life. Including telling her about a date she went on. It was to a campaign rally hosted by our favorite mayor.” Joanna arched an eyebrow. “What if hearing his name acted like a trigger?”

“That’s what prompted Yvette to wake up?” Shawn asked.

“Yes. Maybe?” Joanna shrugged. “I have no real idea. But it makes some kind of sense.” She leaned forward and rested her forehead on the steering wheel. “I don’t know. We have no real idea about what made her brain start working again. It’s all just guesswork. If only Yvette would wake up and tell us.”

“She might.” Shawn placed his hand on Joanna’s back and rubbed around and around in a circle, trying to soothe Joanna’s anxiety. “I have an idea.”

“What?” His mate turned her head and looked at him, her eyes bright with tears.

“Why don’t we go to the hotel and dump our stuff. We can grab a bite to eat and then go for a run through the forest.” He nodded toward the large wooded area surrounding the hospital. “As long as we are careful, no one will see us.”

“I agree. That sounds like an amazing idea. I need to get out of my head and think this through.” Joanna drove the car out of the parking lot, heading to the hotel they’d booked into before they left Cougar Ridge.

We’re going to run together? Shawn’s cougar asked.

Yeah, we all need some downtime. Shawn grinned to himself as his feline side immediately sat down and began grooming himself. You missed a bit.

Funny, his cougar said as he licked his paw and then rubbed it over his whiskers.

“What’s so funny?” Joanna gave him a sidelong glance as she drove back toward the nearest town, following the instructions on her GPS.

“My cougar is preening himself. He can’t wait to meet you.” He grinned. “And the other side of you.”

“My wolf is equally excited. Even though you are a cat.” She grinned, looking more relaxed already. “They should get along great. Although, my wolf is incredibly competitive and thinks she’ll outrun your cougar easily.”

“Is that a challenge?” Shawn asked. It was good to see his mate happy. She’d been preoccupied with their visit to the hospital to see Yvette since Fiona had first suggested it.

This whole situation must dredge up all the pain and loss surrounding her dad, his cougar commented as he licked his tail, grabbing the twitching end between his paws to keep it still.

Then it’s our duty to take her mind off it all. We can take a break, let go of the tension, and then come back relaxed and refreshed. Shawn knew only too well how pressure could make it impossible to think straight.

“It might be a challenge.” Joanna arched an eyebrow as she turned off the road and parked the car in the hotel parking lot. “Are you up for it?”

“I am.” He nodded as he got out of the car. “But food first.”

“I am starving.” Joanna slammed the car door closed and then paused, her hand resting on top of the car. “Can you imagine what it must be like being in a coma for so long? No food. Not real food.”

“I don’t want to ever find out. And I just hope that Yvette one day wakes up and gets to eat, and drink, and laugh again.” His mouth drooped at the corners. “I’d like to thank her for whatever she did for Jane.”

“Hey.” Joanna came around the car and hooked her arm in his. “All you have to remember is that Jane is safe.”

“But she might not have been. If it wasn’t for Yvette, she might have wound up dead somewhere. Or worse. The more I think about it, the more it seems like the most reasonable explanation is that Jane was going to be sold and Yvette took her to save her.” He raked his hand through his hair. “There has to be something we can do to help Yvette.”

“There is. For now, we go and check in, eat, and then go for that run you promised me. After that, we spend the evening going through the files my boss is sending over. Together we might just be able to figure out what Yvette meant.” Her brows knitted together. “It must mean something,” she murmured to herself rather than to Shawn.

“If it does, we’ll figure it out.” He nodded with conviction. There was a reason the two of them had been brought together now. He was certain of it.

Joanna kissed his cheek and then let go of his arm as she opened the car door and took her overnight bag from the back seat. Shawn retrieved his too and then they walked hand in hand to the hotel reception desk where they were greeted by a young receptionist.

After checking in, they went to their room and freshened up before going down to the hotel restaurant and ordering food. While they ate, they made small talk as if it were an unwritten rule that they wouldn’t talk about Yvette until after their run.

However, they might not talk about the woman lying in the coma, but Shawn could not help thinking about her. What had she seen that night? What did she know that had triggered the brutal attack on her? How had she survived and carried baby Jane to safety?

So many unanswered questions, his cougar said.

And they will remain unanswered until Yvette wakes up. Shawn ate the last piece of his steak and chewed it in silence.

“Do you want dessert?” Joanna asked, her voice pulling him out of his reverie.

“Only you.” He gave her a lopsided grin.

“Then let’s go.” She drank the rest of her soda and stood up. “I want to run until my lungs feel like they are going to burst.”

Shawn chuckled as he left a tip for their server and followed his mate out of the restaurant. “We should drive out of town and then head toward the forest. I’d like to find a secluded spot where there aren’t many hikers.”

“That sounds good.” Joanna looked skyward. “Although, since it looks like rain, we might have the forest mostly to ourselves.” She threw a glance over her shoulder. “Your kitty cat isn’t afraid of a little water, is he?”

“My kitty cat is just fine with water.” He wrinkled his nose. “Your wolf doesn’t smell like a wet dog, does she?”

“And what if she does?” Joanna countered smoothly. “Are you going to pick a fight over it?”

“Oh, no,” he held up his hands in surrender. “No fighting. Cats and dogs can get along.”

“We’ll see.” She laughed playfully and kissed his cheek before running around to the driver’s side of the car and getting in. As Shawn slipped into the seat next to her, the first big spot of rain splattered on the windshield. “I told ya.”

“When we get back, we can snuggle under the covers and shut the world out.” Shawn buckled his seatbelt. “Just for one night.”

“Just for one night. Our night.” Her smile melted his heart and his thigh muscles tightened, while his pants suddenly seemed too small in the groin area. If it weren’t for the mutinous growl of his cougar, who read his thoughts and objected strongly, he’d tell Joanna to turn the car around and go back to the hotel.

Hot chocolate in bed with his mate sounded like a fine idea.

His cougar snarled and raised his paw, his claws extended as he shook his head.

Don’t worry. I think we all need to go for a run first, Shawn assured his cougar.

“Is your wolf giving you a hard time at the idea of us going back to the hotel for hot chocolate?” Shawn asked.

Joanna nodded. “Yeah, she’s going for a run. Otherwise, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Seems as though your wolf and my cougar have a lot in common after all.” He grinned as the last of the houses disappeared behind them and they drove along a winding road that took them deeper into the forest. “Wow. This is an amazing place.”

He ducked his head and looked up at the branches of the trees above their heads. It was early spring, the leaves on the trees were just about to fully erupt and everything looked new, as if the world were waking from the long sleep of winter.

“I like it here.” She flashed him a smile. “Maybe this is better than a nice hotel room.”

In answer to that, a fresh shower of large raindrops splattered across the windshield and Joanna switched the windshield wipers on. They slid across the glass, smearing the raindrops before they cleaned off the dust from the road accumulated on their journey here.

Perhaps the rain would wash away some of his fears just as it washed away the dirt and grime from the windshield.

Let it go for a few hours, his cougar told him. Let’s live in the moment since there is nothing we can do to change the past or the future.

“Is this a good place?” Shawn asked, pointing to a narrow trail that led from the road to a parking area under the trees.

Joanna slowed the car and looked around, her eyes a little unfocused. “I can’t sense anyone nearby, can you?”

“No.” Shawn’s blood pumped through his veins, his excitement rising as Joanna steered the car off the road and down the bumpy trail. She quickly parked the car and got out. Shawn was by her side in a heartbeat, his cougar desperate to be free and running side by side with her wolf.

“Maybe we should go deeper into the forest.” She inclined her head toward a narrow trail leading into the denser trees and grabbed his hand before he had a chance to answer.

Yes, his cougar said. The answer is yes. Lead the way.

She can’t hear you, Shawn told his cougar.

Soon she’ll hear me, his cougar replied. She’ll hear my purr like a happy kitty.

Oh, dear, Shawn said with a laugh. Our relationship is doomed. But he laughed at his cougar, happy to hear him so full of joy.

“This’ll do.” Joanna let go of his hand and shifted before his eyes.

Shawn ran forward a couple of steps and then released his cougar. The long, lithe feline sprang forward, tail swishing as he ran after the nimble wolf.

Joanna’s wolf was a dark gray with white tips on her thick fur. When she turned to look at the cougar following behind, her eyes flashed green, the color of the new leaves on the trees surrounding them.

Shawn’s cougar rushed forward, his strides longer than the wolf’s but he didn’t race in front, he had a feeling the wolf could run faster if she wanted and didn’t want her to prove that by running away from him. He liked her right here by his side.

They followed the trail as it wound through the trees, wolf and cougar together, moving as if they were one. One body, one mind. So attuned to each other that they matched each other’s strides, each breath, it didn’t matter that they were not the same species, canine or feline, none of that mattered as they crested a small rise and looked down on the forest below.

Shawn’s cougar’s whole body thrilled to be in the presence of his mate. Swinging his head around, he brushed his face against her soft fur and inhaled deeply. The scent of the forest, pine and damp dirt, mixed with the musky smell of wolf.

A small, dull rumble started in his chest, growing louder as he nuzzled the wolf. Shawn’s cougar purred loudly as the wolf turned and licked its broad golden-haired head as the late afternoon sun broke through the clouds and shone down on them.

In that moment, Shawn realized how truly blessed he was. If only Yvette could be so blessed. If only she could wake from her coma and find true happiness. The same true happiness she’d unknowingly given Shawn by saving baby Jane from whatever fate she was destined for.

The wolf turned and nipped his shoulder, a wolfish smile on her face before she leaped sideways and sprinted off through the trees. The race was on and Shawn’s cougar was determined to win.

Chapter Sixteen – Joanna

“That was fun.” Joanna’s cheeks flushed pink as excitement threaded through her veins. Running through the forest with Shawn had been exhilarating to her wolf and that thrill had passed on to her human form.

“It was.” Shawn pulled open the hotel lobby door and held it for her.

He’s a gentleman, her wolf was practically drooling over their mate.

You and Shawn’s cougar seemed to get along well, Joanna remarked as she darted into the lobby.

We’re made for each other. Her wolf yawned widely. Now I’m ready for a nap.

As they made their way across the lobby toward the elevator, her phone beeped. “Maybe that’s my boss sending the information I requested.”

“Good timing.” Shawn smiled easily but she sensed he would rather they’d had no distractions for an hour or so.

Joanna sighed. He was probably as hyped up as she was. The thrill of running with his mate through the forest would have ignited a primal need to mate. It certainly had in Joanna.

But the files were important. The whole reason they were here at the hotel was that Yvette needed their help. Fiona needed their help. So too did any other innocent person caught up in whatever criminal activity Yvette had stumbled upon.

It might be way back in the past, her wolf said. You might be hunting ghosts.

It’s not the past when a young woman is still paying the price for what happened to her, Joanna said a little too sharply, her good mood slipping away.

Her wolf huffed but nodded in agreement. Someone should pay. But there is no need to rush into anything. Take your time. Get it right.

When do I not get it right? Joanna asked.

Maybe I should rephrase that, her wolf replied. Don’t get it wrong. Her wolf gave Shawn a sidelong glance. Don’t neglect what is right in front of you, what is real, for a mystery that might take time to unravel.

Joanna sighed once more and put her phone back in her pocket. “It can wait.”

The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside. Shawn turned around to face the lobby and punched the number four. The doors slid closed, leaving them shut off from the world for a few minutes as the elevator jerked and then began to climb to their floor. The floor where their rented room was. With its wonderfully big bed…

“What’s wrong?” Shawn half turned to look at her.

“Nothing.” She forced a smile onto her face. “Why would anything be wrong?” She sidled up to him and pushed her hands under his jacket, her fingertips massaging his toned abs.

“You looked a little distant.” His mouth curled up on one side and she licked her lips before standing on tiptoes and kissing his crooked smile.

Shawn’s arms folded around her and held her close, his lips moving against hers as she leaned into him. Her stomach clenched and her insides were in knots. Knots of desire that only he could unravel. There was a lot to be said for living in the moment.

“I’m right here with you,” she said against his ear.

He let her go as the elevator doors opened and reached for her hand. “I’ll order hot chocolate and whatever else you want. Maybe some food. Then we can go over the files.”

They stopped outside the hotel room and she reached for the keycard in her pocket. “The files can wait.”

“Can they?” Shawn gave her that lopsided smile again. “I don’t mind going through them. If that’s what’s worrying you.”

“I don’t want you to think…” She rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. “I can get a little obsessive with cases.”

He gave a wry smile and turned the handle, opening the door for her. “You should see me when I have a medical mystery to solve.”

“Really?” Joanna followed him into the room and placed her purse on the coffee table.

“Yeah.” His eyes widened and his enthusiasm for his work shone through. “If a patient is sick, it’s like this worm in my head that wriggles and niggles until I can find the answer.” He shrugged. “It’s part of the job.”

“It is.” She gave a short laugh. “O’Malley tells me I don’t have an off button. He might be right.”

“Then we’re perfect for each other.” He pointed to the sofa. “Make yourself comfortable and I’ll order hot chocolate.”

“And some chips. I need snacks.” She went to her luggage and pulled out her tablet, switched it on, and then went to the sofa. “You’re going out?”

Shawn was heading toward the door. “If you want snacks, I’ll head down to the grocery store we passed on the way in. I’ll call Jane while I’m out. That way you can get a head start with the files.”

Joanna dropped her tablet on the soft seat of the gray sofa and went to him. Flinging her arms around his neck, she pressed her body close and kissed his lips. The fire inside her, the one that burned for him and him alone, flared up, its flames licking her insides and she was tempted to tell him to forget the snacks and make love to her.

“I’ll be back soon,” he murmured against her ear as he let her go. “We can work together and when we’re done, we can make use of that tempting bed.”

“Deal.” She pecked his cheek and watched him leave the room. Even when the door closed behind him, she didn’t move, instead, she pushed her senses out and locked onto him as he rode the elevator back down to the hotel lobby.

She never wanted to lose her connection with him. She always wanted to be so close she could feel his presence.

But that would likely lead to a strained relationship. Shawn was right, they both had demanding careers and putting extra pressure on each other would end in disaster.

“Okay. Let’s take a look at these files.” She opened the protective case which covered her tablet and switched on the device. Tapping the screen, she scrolled through to her email and tapped her phone once more to download the file attached to an email from her boss.

Joanna stared impatiently at the little green bar that slowly crept along to one hundred percent. Shuffling in her seat, she got herself comfy and prepared to read the file, confident she would find some clue in the words and images that told the story of Yvette.

The first part of the file focused on the police report concerning the call to emergency services which resulted in Yvette, or Penelope as she was referred to in the report, being taken to hospital. There was no mention of baby Jane. Yvette had been conscious when the paramedics attended the scene but not coherent. Shortly afterward she’d slipped unconscious and according to the police report, she never regained consciousness. There was some information about the person who found Yvette, but Fiona was never named.

Yvette’s case was left open and logged as a possible accident. It had been raining that night and the report insinuated she might just have slipped, fallen and hit her head. There were no witnesses despite the area being canvassed.

Yvette, or Penelope, had been transferred out of the hospital, although the paperwork logging where she was transported to was inaccurate. Presumably, Fiona had lied to keep Yvette safe and cover their tracks. If anyone had gone looking for a woman taken to a local hospital with head injuries, they would not easily find her.

Leafing through the background file on Yvette, it all began to make more sense why no one had filed a missing person’s report. Raised in a foster home, she had left care and made her own way in the world. She’d had no recent communication with her foster parents. In fact, Yvette had moved across the country, putting some distance between her and the people who raised her. That spoke volumes about her relationship with her foster parents. Although, Joanna could not allow herself to jump to conclusions.

According to Fiona, Yvette was a hardworking young woman who had tried to do the right thing. However, that didn’t mean she’d been an easy kid to raise. She might have caused trouble for her foster parents and then decided to make more of her life once she was on her own.

Joanna sighed and brushed her hair back from her face. It would be so much easier if she could simply talk to Yvette.

“Hey.” Shawn came back into the room and placed a bag filled with food on the coffee table.

“Hey. Oh, that smells delicious.” She accepted a takeout cup of frothy hot chocolate complete with cream, marshmallows, and cinnamon.

“Anything?” Shawn indicated the tablet on her lap as she took a sip of the hot chocolate and wiped away her creamy mustache.

“Not a lot.” She looked down at the file. “There’s no mention of Yvette’s relationship with Gerald Comer. No link at all.” She skimmed through the pages, then looked up suddenly.

“What is it?” Shawn asked.

Joanna held her coffee in two hands and rested the tablet on her lap. “Is Jane a shifter?”

Shawn shook his head. “I don’t think so, I’ve never sensed that part of her.”

“Do you think that’s what the problem might have been?” She was thinking out loud and it was good to have someone to bounce ideas off of.

“That Gerald lined up an adoption for someone who wanted a shifter child and that child turned out to be a non-shifter. Or maybe whoever adopted her decided to return her like an unwanted toy.” Shawn wrinkled his face and then got up and paced the room. “What were they planning on doing to her?”

“I don’t know but whatever it was forced Yvette into action.” She gulped her drink. “That’s why she acted the way she did. Yvette didn’t have the proof she needed but she blew her cover to rescue Jane.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” Shawn agreed.

“It does. Yvette was undercover.” Joanna snapped her fingers. “Then something happens. Something she can’t just sit back and watch. And that’s why she ended up in a coma.”

Shawn sat down on the edge of a chair and put his face in his hands. “I don’t think I want to imagine what would have happened if Yvette hadn’t acted. She gave her life for Jane.”

“And we need to make sure that she gets her life back, or that we at least bring her attackers to justice.” She stared down at her tablet, the words a blurred jumble as tears pricked her eyes. “Testers.” A word came into sharp focus. “Jester’s.” Two similar words.

“You’ve found something.” Shawn rushed to sit down next to her on the sofa and looked at her tablet screen. “It’s the name of a bar.”

“Yes. Yvette helped install the computer system there.” Joanna leaned forward and grabbed the bag of snacks off the coffee table. She always thought better while she was eating, which probably accounted for the extra pounds she carried on her hips. And her stomach.

Joanna closed her hand around a bag of potato chips and tore it open. Dipping in her hand, she took a couple of the salty chips before offering them to Shawn. “Thanks.” With furrowed brows, he skim-read the information on her tablet while crunching chips.

“It’s the best lead we’ve got.” Joanna sighed heavily. “I need to go and check it out.”

“We need to go and check it out.” Shawn lifted his head and locked eyes with her. “I know you can take care of yourself but look at what happened to Yvette.” His voice cracked with emotion. “I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”

“I know.” She looked down at her tablet. “Let me just go through the rest of the file. I want to make sure I haven’t missed anything.”

“Good idea.” He picked up the bag of snacks and rummaged through. “Don’t tell Jane I’m eating so much junk food,” he said as he ripped open the wrapper of a candy bar.

“Your secret is safe with me.” Joanna stopped reading for a moment and leaned over, pressing her lips to his cheek. “And so is your heart.”

His face cracked into a goofy smile. But he was still one hot doctor.

And we haven’t even seen him in his white coat yet, her wolf added dreamily.

“I wish we could just relax and enjoy being mates. I wish there were no mystery to solve, no crime to answer to.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders. “But seeing you in action. Not letting this go…” His eyes misted with tears. “It makes me realize how much I love you and how much I can’t wait for you to be Jane’s mom.”

“You know that if we keep going with this there is a chance…” She couldn’t say the words.

“Jane deserves the truth.” He took a bite of his candy bar and chewed thoughtfully, and she crunched her chips. “And if Jane’s biological mom is out there, surely she deserves to know her daughter is alive.”

“She might not want to know.” Joanna winced. “That came out kind of wrong.”

“No, I get it.” Shawn nodded. “If we do figure out who she is. If we do ever find her…the situation would have to be handled delicately.”

“Come on.” She crumpled up the potato chip bag and finished drinking her hot chocolate, which was now lukewarm. “Let’s take our junk food and grab some coffee. It might be a long night.”

“A stakeout?” Shawn’s eyes widened as Joanna nodded. “If I would’ve known, I would’ve grabbed some donuts, too.”

“My waistline thanks you for not getting donuts.” She grabbed her backpack and rummaged through for a sweater that had somehow managed to get shoved to the bottom. Shrugging it on, she grabbed her jacket and purse. “Come on, rookie. Let’s go play cops.”

As they left the hotel room, Joanna’s only hope was that things would not get too serious tonight and Shawn would not get hurt.

And that we catch the bad guys, her wolf chimed in.

I’d settle for proof that the mayor is involved, and we can bring him to justice.

Justice for Yvette and Jane, her wolf snarled, ready to fight for what’s right.

Chapter Seventeen – Shawn

“That’s the place?” Shawn leaned forward and looked out of the window at the sign that read Jester’s. The bar looked like any normal bar. The parking lot was half-filled with cars and trucks and the occasional motorbike with people coming and going in a slow but steady stream. “It doesn’t look unusual.”

“Most unusual places don’t look unusual,” Joanna told him. “It’s not like they advertise that they’re unusual. You know?”

“Really? I was expecting a sign and everything.” He gave her a wry smile and she rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“Amateur.” She leaned across and kissed his cheek. “But I’ll make you into a pro.”

“Great. What better way to spend an evening with my mate?” He chuckled as she leaned back and looked at him. “That was a joke. I don’t mind being here at all. Chasing down bad guys is a good thing to do with my mate.”

“It does have its rewards,” she confirmed as she turned her attention back to the bar. “Okay, we sit and watch for a while. Try to get a feel for the ebb and flow of people. Spot if there’s anything unusual about the ebb and flow.”

“Like what?” Shawn asked as he passed her a candy bar.

“Thanks.” She unwrapped it and took a bite. “Like whether there are more males than females.”

“Wouldn’t there be?” Shawn asked as he ate his second candy bar of the evening and washed it down with caffeine. His patients had better not find out about his unhealthy snacking.

“Yes. Probably. Although, it can depend on the area, the type of bar it is. The day of the week.” She shrugged. “There are so many variables.”

“So what have you seen so far?” Shawn asked, wanting a peek into the inner workings of his mate’s mind.

“More single men are going inside than I would expect.” Her eyes narrowed as she watched a young single male open the door leading into the bar. “They might just be here to meet friends.” Her eyes went out of focus. “Shifter.”

“So the bar is frequented by shifters. That’s not unusual.” He pushed his senses outward trying to follow the man who had just entered the bar. It was all a jumble, bodies pressed against bodies, both shifter and human.

“It’s unusual for this area.” She looked around. “We’re on the outskirts of a large town but it’s not a shifter town like Bear Creek or your Cougar Ridge.”

“So the shifter-to-human ratio is skewed.” Shawn nodded. “Why?”

She turned to look at him, but he sensed she still had part of her attention fixed on the interior of the bar. “Maybe they are drawn here for some reason and that reason is the link between what happened to Yvette and the babies.”

“This doesn’t look like the kind of place where they would sell babies.” Shawn looked past Joanna toward the rear of the bar. “But there is a pregnant woman over there. Make that two coincidences.”

“Okay. Now it got interesting.” She took a couple of pictures on her phone and then placed her hand on the door handle. “Time to go and ask a few questions.”

“Together?” Shawn asked as he popped the door open.

“No, I’m going around the back to speak to the pregnant lady and you are going to go in the front door.” She got out of the car and he followed.

“And what am I doing going in the front door?” he asked.

“You are a single male. Go figure out what those guys are doing.” She shut her car door and walked toward the pregnant woman who was hanging out with a friend and drinking from what looked like a beer bottle. He was certain one of them was smoking. The doctor in him wanted to go over there and lecture her on keeping her unborn baby healthy by giving up alcohol and nicotine.

We have more important things to worry about, his cougar told him.

Shawn waited for Joanna to get halfway across the parking lot before he headed toward the bar. He didn’t take a direct route. Instead, he circled around the other parked cars and strode to the bar from a different direction.

If anyone was watching they would think it strange, but at least they might not link him to Joanna.

I’m being paranoid, he told his cougar.

No harm in that. His cougar swung his large head right and left, surveying the area around them. I don’t like this one bit.

Me neither. But we need to figure out what happened. If we don’t, we’ll be haunted by what happened to Yvette. We’ll always be afraid that someone will show up on the doorstep and claim Jane as theirs. And above all, we owe it to Jane to find out who her parents are. If that’s possible. His cougar was right.

Then let’s do this. Shawn straightened his back, rolled his shoulders, and pushed open the door leading into the bar.

Taking a step through the doorway, he paused, scanning the bar with his human and shifter senses. There seemed little out of place or unusual going on inside. People were sitting at tables or standing in small groups talking and drinking.

No lonely males drinking alone, his cougar commented.

Perhaps they’ve all met up with their buddies. Shawn walked slowly to the bar. “Beer, please.”

The bartender, a woman of around thirty with curly blonde hair which fell across her face as she nodded and fetched a glass, gave him a cursory look. “Drinking alone?”

“Yeah.” He gave her a fleeting smile. As she placed his beer on the solid wood bar, he handed her some cash before taking a sip of his drink. “Keep the change.”

“Thanks.” She eyed him once more before shooting a glance toward the other bartender who was laughing with a group of five women. There was a whole lot of flirting going on but the bartender, an older man in his fifties, switched his gaze to Shawn.

Pretending not to notice, Shawn glanced toward the door as it swung open and another single male entered the bar.

Bear, his cougar announced.

I got that. Shawn dragged his gaze away, not wanting to stare as the guy approached the bar.

“What can I get you?” The female bartender approached the bear shifter.

“I was looking for some company. And a beer,” he added nervously. He looked over his shoulder and scanned the room before turning his attention back to the bartender.

The bartender’s mouth twitched up at one corner as she stared at the guy for a second or two longer, as if trying to assess him. Then she looked over her shoulder and called, “Wayne.” She inclined her head toward the guy sitting at the bar and then sauntered off without another word.

Whatever this guy wants, the lady doesn’t approve, his cougar said.

She does not. Shawn sipped his beer and kept his eyes down as Wayne approached. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself. But he sure did want to hear what was said. Unfortunately, Wayne inclined his head toward the far end of the bar. The guy took a deep breath and did as Wayne asked, weaving his way through the people surrounding the bar until he reached the farthest end.

Wayne leaned forward with his elbows on the bar and spoke quietly to the other guy. Despite Shawn pushing his senses to the limit, he could not hear what was being said over the general noise of the bar.

Damn it. He abandoned staring at his beer, and instead of watching Wayne and the guy with his peripheral vision, he looked directly at them. Wayne was indicating a door to the side of the bar. The guy was nodding, his hand over his pocket as if he were reaching for something. Wayne said something sharply to him and his hand dropped to his side.

The guy had planned to pay for something, and Wayne had told him not here. His cougar’s observations were probably correct.

But what? Shawn asked. What is through that door?

His head jerked up and his nostrils flared as his attention was pulled away from the interaction between Wayne and the guy. As he swung his head around to look toward the door leading into the bar, his eyes locked with the female bartender’s. She’d been watching him.

“Hey there.” Joanna breezed into the bar, planted a kiss on his cheek, and sat down on the stool next to him.

“There you are.” He slipped his arm around his mate’s shoulders. “What do you want to drink?”

“I’ll have a gin and tonic, please.” She smiled at the female bartender as she approached and then looked around the room. “Shall we go find a table?”

“Sure.” He glanced at the bartender. “Gin and tonic, please.”

As the bartender went through the motions of fixing the drink, Shawn glanced toward Wayne who was now alone. The guy he’d been talking to must have gone through the door. But why? What was behind there?

“There’s a table.” Joanna grabbed a hold of his arm after he’d paid for the drink and they left the bar, heading for a table at the back.

“What did you find out?” Shawn whispered quietly in her ear as they sat down and snuggled together as if they could not keep their hands off each other. It wasn’t exactly difficult to make everyone around them believe they were kissing and saying sweet nothings. The scent of his mate intoxicated him more than the alcohol in his glass.

“Nothing,” Joanna whispered in his ear, although there was nothing sweet about her tone. Her frustration was obvious. “The pregnant lady is the girlfriend of the chef who runs the kitchen. She’s just here visiting him.”

Shawn jerked his head back. “And you believe her?” Her fingers dug into his arm and she took a deep breath that shuddered through her body. Shawn’s concern grew and he placed his hand over hers, squeezing it lightly. “Do you?”

Joanna glanced toward the bar before she turned back to him. “Yes.” She shook her head. “I was hoping this place would give us the answers we need. That we’d make the connection between Yvette and Gerald Comer here.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” She forced a smile onto her face and took a sip of her gin.

He nodded toward the door by the bar. “Something is going on here, though. The guy who came in after me said he was looking for some company.”

“Is this a brothel?” Joanna asked. “Maybe it’s a baby farm.”

“A what?” Shawn’s large feline wanted to leap out and hurt someone. He wanted to tear the place down until there was nothing left.

“That might be it. Shifters come here looking for sex. The women here end up pregnant and the babies get sold.” Joanna’s jaw tightened and she shot a savage look toward Wayne at the bar. “This is what Yvette figured out. She put the pieces together and that’s why she got hurt.”

“Wayne, the guy at the bar, seems to be in charge.” Shawn looked at the bartender who was serving drinks like everything was normal.

“Let’s go ask him some questions.” She arched an eyebrow.

“Okay.” Shawn watched as another guy walked into the bar and was directed toward Wayne. He got up from the table and rolled his shoulders before flexing his hands.

“We’re not looking for a fight here.” Joanna placed her hand on his shoulder. “We need to stay calm. It’s much easier to get information out of someone if you don’t have your fist in their face.”

“Thanks for the tip.” He grinned at her despite the rising anger inside him that threatened to boil over. “Maybe you should do the talking.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” She headed toward the bar looking confident and in control. A sudden surge of pride hit him in the solar plexus. Joanna was quite a woman.

Our woman, his cougar said with equal pride.

Shawn followed Joanna to the bar. As they walked past tables filled with people drinking and talking, he watched for anything unusual. Anyone unusual. Everything seemed normal. If it wasn’t for the single guys entering the bar and being shown through the door to the side, Shawn wouldn’t have guessed there was anything unusual.

“Hi there.” Joanna reached the bar and leaned her elbows on the smooth wood.

“Hi, what can I get you?” the female bartender asked, her eyes fixed on Joanna for a couple of seconds before sliding sideways to look at Shawn.

“I was looking for some company.” Joanna tilted her head on one side.

The bartender gave a short laugh. “Are you?” She nodded toward Shawn. “I thought you had some company.”

“We both know what I mean.” Joanna fixed the bartender with a hard stare. “So?”

“So what?” The bartender shrugged and walked away.

“Hey.” Joanna’s sharp tone brought the woman back to her. “I can show you my badge if you want. Although, I’m not sure you want all of your customers to know there’s a cop here.”

The bartender’s eyes narrowed, and she glanced nervously at Wayne before coming back toward them. “There’s nothing illegal going on here.”

“Isn’t there?” Joanna asked as the door opened and another single male walked in. He approached the bar, heading straight for Wayne. “So he isn’t going to get shown through that door?”

The bartender sighed. “What do you want?”

“I want you to tell me exactly what is going on. I want you to tell me how many women there are behind that door.”

“None,” the bartender said quickly. “It’s males only.”

That’s why she doesn’t approve, his cougar’s confusion was evident.

Shawn was equally confused. “The women are upstairs?”

“What women?” the bartender snorted. “Males only. It’s Wayne’s rule.” She looked at her fellow bartender who was opening the door for his next client.

“I don’t understand?” Shawn asked and received a look from Joanna that told him to be cautious.

“What do you think is going on here?” The bartender took a step back. “And maybe I’d better see that badge after all.”

“The men, they come here and pay to have sex…” Joanna’s words were cut off by a shocked look from the bartender.

“No.” Her forehead creased. “That’s not what happens here.”

“So what does?” Joanna pressed.

“There’s a fight ring. Shifters come here to fight each other in the confines of a ring.” Her jaw tightened and she shot an angry look toward Wayne. “It’s boys only because none of them have the guts to fight a woman in case they get beaten.”

“Oh.” Shawn’s eyes widened.

“What did you think this was…” It was the bartender’s turn to look surprised. “You heard the rumors about this place.”

“We did.” Joanna nodded. “And you are telling me they are unfounded?”

“I have no idea. I’ve only worked here for a couple of months. But I have heard that the place used to be more of a hotel. The bar area was closed. Wayne renovated it when he took the place on.” She looked up as Wayne came toward them. “You should go.”

“What was this place before?” Joanna asked quickly. “Anything you can tell me would help.”

“I heard the rooms above the bar were used as a hostel for pregnant women.” She held her hands up. “That is all I know.”

“What happened? Did the place get shut down or did they move somewhere else?” Joanna asked. At last, they were getting somewhere.

“They moved to a hotel or something. That’s what Wayne was told.” She glanced sideways. “You should go. Wayne wouldn’t like me talking to you if he knew you were a cop.”

“Thanks for your help.” Joanna smiled and nodded before she pushed herself away from the bar and headed for the door.

“A dead end.” Shawn’s disappointment sat heavily on his shoulders. He’d hoped they would find some answers here.

“Looks like.” She sighed. “I can check when the bar was reopened. That will give us a time window. Then we can look for any hotels that might have had a change of ownership about that time. I can check through Ostabell’s files. Something might jump out at us.”

“We’ll get to the bottom of this,” Shawn promised as they hurried across the parking lot to Joanna’s car.

“I know.” She looked back at the building. The sign with the word Jester’s on it swung in the breeze. “She must have been here. Or at least knew what went on here.”

“Yvette?” Shawn asked.

“Yes. Jane might have been born here. Or her mom might have lived here while she was pregnant.” Joanna unlocked the car and got into the driver’s seat.

“If only Yvette could tell us.” Shawn got into the car. “My second option is to set a certain dragon shifter on Gerald Comer. She could make him talk.”

“I bet she could,” Joanna mused. “Unfortunately, anything he said could not be used in court and I do not want the bastard to get away with this.”

“You have a point. Although, there would be some satisfaction in watching him cower beneath a dragon.” Shawn sighed heavily. “Let’s go back to the hotel. We’ll just have to keep searching for information until we find something.”

There was no way they could leave this alone. They had to find out exactly what happened that night. If not, it would haunt them forever. Shawn could not allow that.

Chapter Eighteen – Joanna

They drove back to the hotel in silence. There was little to say. Each of them lost in their own thoughts.

“You just drove past the hotel.” Shawn’s voice broke through Joanna’s thoughts and she jerked her head up and looked in the rearview mirror.

“Damn it.” Joanna drove further along the road, took a side street, and circled back around.

“We are both tired. We should get something to eat and a good night’s sleep before we do anything else.” He glanced at her with concern and her heart ached for him. Her body had its own kind of reaction and her cheeks flushed pink as she quelled her longing for him.

“I’m too wired to sleep.” Her eyelids dropped in disagreement as she parked the car and they exited the vehicle.

“I can think of a few ways to get you to relax.” Shawn flashed her his come-to-bed eyes.

“I might take you up on that offer.” She reached for her phone as it rang and answered it in a heartbeat. “Hello.”

Joanna tilted her head to one side and walked around in a small circle as she listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. “Hi, this is Samantha. We spoke earlier today.”

“Hey, Samantha.” She arched an eyebrow at Shawn as he leaned forward, listening in to the call.

“Hi, Detective.” Samantha’s voice was breathy. She sounded scared.

“What can I do for you?” Joanna asked.

“With everything that happened today, I left my purse at the hospital after my shift,” Samantha began. “I was going out to dinner with a friend, so I needed to come and get it since my wallet was in it.”

“Is everything all right at the hospital?” Joanna’s heart galloped along at breakneck speed as she waited for Samantha to answer. “Did Penelope say anything else?”

“No,” Samantha replied hurriedly. “Sorry.”

“Did something else happen?”

“Yes…” She paused. “I thought you might want to know that the guy is here.”

“The guy?” Joanna asked.

“Yeah, the one I told you about. The flowers. He’s here right now.” Samantha spoke in a hushed voice. “I saw the back of his head when I walked past the room. He’s sitting next to the bed holding her hand. I didn’t get a look at his face.”

“Okay. We’ll be right over.” Joanna jerked her head toward the car and Shawn nodded and got back in the passenger seat. “Listen, Samantha. I would appreciate it if you could keep him there. I’d really like to speak to him.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she agreed.

“But you have to promise me that you won’t put yourself in danger. Okay? Any trouble, anything that makes you uncomfortable, I want you to get yourself out of there.” Joanna waited as Samantha fell silent, her breath heavy down the phone.

“Okay. I’ll do what I can.” With that, the call ended, and Joanna dashed around the front of the car. Yanking the door open, she got inside and started the engine. In seconds they were heading back toward the hospital.

“Do we have any idea who he might be?” Shawn asked.

“No, there was nothing in her file. No boyfriends. No brothers or sisters.” Joanna sighed as she drove within the speed limits but pushed the car as fast as she dared.

“Do you think someone else at the hospital might have alerted him to us being there today?” Shawn’s thoughts mirrored Joanna’s. She was scared their visit had triggered a response from whoever had put Yvette in the hospital. That the same person who had put Yvette in a coma had known where she was all along and had been keeping tabs on her.

“I don’t know.” She took a sharp left and nudged the car to go faster. “But if they are involved, I’m going to squeeze every drop of information from him.”

“I just hope he doesn’t leave before we get there.”

“If he does, I’ll get an image off the security cameras and send it to facial recognition. We can also trace his car. If he drove there.” She nodded. “It’s a start. More than we had five minutes ago.”

“But is it enough?” Shawn asked. “Are we just chasing our tails on this?”

“Most of my job consists of chasing my tail,” Joanna informed him. “You chase your tail, shake things up, tear down the lies until the truth is exposed. None of it is pretty. Some of it is gut instinct, but mainly it’s hard work, asking the same questions until you can piece together the answers.”

“You make it sound like fun.” Shawn’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her. “You love your job.”

“Yes, despite everything, I love my job. I love helping people.” She fell silent for a moment. “It’s like… It’s like I know that if I’m doing the job then it’s going to be done properly.” She gave a short laugh. “That’s not to sound conceited.”

“Of course not.” He grinned. “I feel the same way about being a doctor. I like to know my patients are in the right hands and that means my hands.” He held them up to prove his point.

“You do have special hands.” She gave him a lopsided smile. “There’s a little bit of magic in those fingertips.”

He wriggled his fingers. “Only for you.”

“Okay, here we are.” Joanna’s mood sobered as she steered the car into the parking lot and switched off the engine. As she got out of the car, she scanned the area for people then took a mental note of the six or seven parked cars. One of them might belong to the person visiting Yvette. If that person made a run for it, a car registration gave them a good chance of locating them.

“Ready?” Shawn asked as he got out of the car and joined her.

“Yes, let’s move.” She took his hand and they jogged across the parking lot, slowing just before they got to the entrance. “I’m surprised the receptionist on duty let anyone in at this time of night.”

“Maybe the guy bribed her?” Shawn suggested.

“Maybe.” Joanna placed her hand on the door. It was locked. She tapped the glass to gain the attention of the receptionist who frowned as she got out of her chair and came across to the door.

“Can I help you?” the receptionist asked. “We’re closed up for the night. Visiting hours are between 10:00 am and 4:00 p.m.”

“We realize that.” Joanna reached in her pocket and took out her badge. “I’d like you to let us in. We have reason to believe there is a person on the premises who can assist us with information on a crime committed some years ago.”

The receptionist looked at Joanna’s badge closely before saying, “I’ll let you in but there is no one here other than the security team and nurses.”

“Thanks. We’d like to take a proper look around.” Joanna put her badge away, her expression grim as she glanced sideways at Shawn. “Unless she’s a very good liar, the guy with Yvette did not come in through this door.”

“So where?” Shawn asked as the receptionist walked back to her desk and pressed a button. The door clicked and Joanna pushed the door open for them both to enter.

“When I spoke to Samantha, I went out through a door with a security keypad. What if our guy has the code?” She took a couple of paces toward the receptionist. “Thank you. Please stay here.”

The receptionist nodded, her face pale, confirming Joanna’s theory that the woman had no idea there was anyone in the hospital who shouldn’t be there. Hoping there was nothing sinister in the guy’s clandestine visit to Yvette, she led Shawn along the corridor toward Yvette’s room.

“Do we have a plan?” Shawn asked as they reached the door.

“Samantha.” Joanna veered to the left of the corridor and hurried to the end. “Stay here,” she told Shawn as she passed Yvette’s door.

Shawn nodded and positioned himself to the right side of the corridor so that he would not be seen if anyone exited Yvette’s room. At least not until they were out of the hospital room and heading down the corridor. At that point, Shawn would jump on them and beat them to the floor.

Joanna liked her mate’s style. He thought on his feet with good sound logic.

No wonder he makes such a good doctor, her wolf grinned…wolfishly.

“Samantha. Is he still in there?” Joanna asked quickly as she reached the nurse.

“Yes. At least I haven’t seen him come out. I haven’t checked on them because I didn’t want him to see me and run.” She put her hand over her mouth and her eyes widened in horror. “But what if he’s in there hurting Penelope?”

The nurse took a couple of steps forward, ready to move Joanna out of the way if necessary. However, Joanna put her hands on Samantha’s shoulders and pushed her back a couple of steps.

“I’ve got it from here. I need you to stay out of harm’s way in case we need you to help Penelope after we’ve challenged the guy.” Joanna cast a glance over her shoulder at Shawn.

“Okay.” Samantha nodded, her face pale as she swallowed down her nervousness. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Joanna let her hands drop to her sides and then she backed away from Samantha. “Stay there. No matter what.” She spoke the words as an order, not a request and Samantha nodded in response.

“Ready?” Shawn asked as Joanna approached.

“Yes. I’ll go in first and you follow. But I want you to wait in the doorway. Let me handle the guy. Okay?” Joanna gave her sternest look at Shawn who nodded in agreement. She didn’t tell him she wanted him out of her way so she could keep him safe. Joanna didn’t know if her mate’s ego could take it.

Joanna stepped forward, placed her hand on the door, and looked through the small window to check the room. Samantha was right, a male was sitting by the side of Yvette’s bed. With a quick look over her shoulder to check that Shawn had her back, as if she had any doubts, Joanna pushed the door open and went inside.

The man stood up abruptly and tipped his chair over. Joanna approached the bed, her eyes on Yvette for a moment before she fixed her stare on the unknown male. The relief was instant. Yvette was fine.

“Hello. I’m Detective Joanna Hargreaves. I’d like to ask you a few questions.” She placed her feet hip-width apart but relaxed her shoulders in the hope she looked nonthreatening.

I would like to threaten him, her wolf answered suspiciously. Who comes to visit a woman who has been in a coma for years in the dead of night?

The guy looked at Joanna and then at Shawn. Was he assessing them? Perhaps trying to figure out if he could get out of the room and run away.

“I’m Lance Highmore.” He stuck out his hand. “And I promise I am not here to hurt anyone.”

Joanna hesitated before she shook the guy’s hand. His grip was firm but not overbearing. “So why are you here?” Her forehead creased. Hadn’t she heard the name Lance Highmore before?

“I like to come and check on…Penelope.” He glanced back toward the bed. “I come and talk to her most nights.” Lance looked at Joanna once more, his eyes misted with tears. “I stupidly think if she hears my voice, she might one day wake up. One day soon.”

“There’s nothing stupid about that.” Joanna indicated the chair next to the side of the bed. “Sit, please. I’d like to ask you some questions if you don’t mind.”

“Questions?” Lance asked, his eyes flickering to the doorway where Samantha hovered. Watching what was happening. Not exactly what Joanna had in mind when she told the nurse to stay back.

“Samantha. Thanks for alerting us.” Joanna went to the door and smiled gratefully at the nurse. “We can take it from here.”

Samantha didn’t move. “Should I check on Penelope?”

“No, I think she’s fine.” Joanna nodded and then closed the door. With a deep breath, she crossed the room, flashing a smile at Shawn. “Will you go check that she’s all right?”

“Sure.” Shawn took one last look at Lance before he left the room.

“Okay, Lance. It’s just you and me. Let’s talk.” She took her phone out of her pocket and placed it down on the bed next to Yvette. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to record our conversation.”

“Oh.” He looked dubious but nodded. “Okay. Although I’d rather my name was kept confidential.”

“Confidential?” Joanna asked.

“Yes.” Lance placed his hand over Yvette’s. There seemed to be a connection between them. Or had Lance formed a creepy attachment to the sleeping Yvette? “I have my reasons.”

“Okay. You’ve been visiting Penelope for a few weeks.”

“I have. I worked a couple of security shifts here.” He glanced at Yvette, his expression filled with longing. “As soon as I saw her I…”

“I think I get it.” Joanna stared hard at Lance. She didn’t think he was a shifter. Yet his behavior reminded her of a man who had just found his mate.

“What do you want to know? I’ll tell you anything if you think it might help Penelope wake up. I heard that she’d spoken a few words. That’s good, right?” Lance asked hopefully.

“It is good. And since you have been visiting Penelope, I’d like you to tell me if she has said anything or if she’s made any movement. No matter how small.” Joanna watched Lance closely as he gazed on Yvette.

He’s in love with her, Joanna’s wolf said quietly.

He is. Joanna pressed play on her phone. Would Lance give them any new leads or was this just another wasted journey?

Chapter Nineteen – Shawn

“Did Lance say anything that might be helpful?” Shawn asked as he and Joanna sat drinking coffee from the vending machine. Lance had left the building after talking to Joanna. However, Joanna had insisted on staying by Yvette’s bedside for a while longer. She said it helped her think. To Shawn, it looked almost as if his mate was trying to establish a mental link with the woman in a coma.

“No.” She rubbed her eyes and shook her head. Joanna looked as if she might fall asleep where she sat. It was time they went back to the hotel and got some rest. “I don’t think it’s going to be helpful. He said Yvette’s fingers twitched the first time he came into her room. But that’s all.”

“Why did he come into the room?” Shawn tried not to sound worried or suspicious. However, Yvette was vulnerable in her comatose state.

“The first shift he worked here, when he was doing his rounds, he got to Yvette’s door and looked in. He said something compelled him to open the door and come inside. His second shift he sat by the bed. When her fingers twitched, he held her hand. He was smitten.” Joanna shrugged. “You know how it is.”

“He’s not a shifter. Is he?” Shawn took a swig of the coffee. It wasn’t awful but he’d drunk better from a vending machine. He swished the brown liquid around in the cup, his eyes fixed on it as if he might find a clue in its murky depths.

“No. But maybe Yvette is. Fiona never said but it would make sense.” Joanna leaned back in the hard plastic chair and stared at Yvette, her eyes out of focus for a moment. “But I can’t sense her. Can you?”

“No.” He pushed his senses out toward Yvette. “Maybe that part of her is hidden. When she comes out of her coma, her other side might wake up.”

“Possibly.”

Shawn nodded sagely. “The mating bond works no matter what.”

Joanna reached out and placed her hand on his arm. Wordlessly, she inclined her head toward the bed, her eyes trying to communicate a message. “She moved,” Joanna mouthed when Shawn frowned in response.

He stood up, his eyes fixed on the young woman lying in the bed. “I wonder when it happened?”

“When what happened?” Joanna’s frown deepened.

“When Lance first knew he loved Joanna.” He stared down at Yvette’s hands waiting for her fingers to move. “Is that what caused the spark in her brain that made her speak to Samantha?”

“Her eyelids,” Joanna hissed.

Shawn moved toward the head of the bed. “Yvette. Can you hear me?”

He watched intently. For a moment nothing happened and then slowly her eyelids moved as if her eyes were circling around and around beneath them.

“Shall I call for a doctor?” Joanna asked.

“I am a doctor,” Shawn said in reply.

“You know what I mean. We should call one of Yvette’s doctors.” Joanna could not hide her own excitement.

“Not yet.” Shawn took his eyes off Yvette for a second. “This is nothing new. Samantha said that she’d seen movement once or twice before. This doesn’t mean Yvette is about to wake up.”

“Oh.” Joanna’s disappointment was plain but there was no use allowing his mate to believe she was about to witness a miracle.

“I’m not saying it won’t happen.” He caught his breath as Yvette’s eyes flickered open only to clamp shut. “Dim the lights.”

Joanna crossed the room and flicked the switch, knocking out the main light in the room. Only the two lamps by the side of the bed lit the room, casting long shadows across the floor. “How is she?”

“She’s coming in and out of some state of consciousness.” Shawn fixed his shifter senses on the patient lying in the bed. Each time Yvette’s eyes started flickering, it was as if a door was opening and he could see her, sense her. Then she’d slip away.

“Yvette.” Joanna placed her hand on the young woman’s arm and shook her gently. “Is it okay if I talk to her and touch her?”

“Sure. We should let her know we’re here for her. And that she’s safe.” Shawn placed his hand on Yvette’s cheek. “She’s not feverish. I’m certain she’s fighting to break free of her coma.”

“This is scary.” Joanna’s brow furrowed as she looked at Yvette’s face.

“For her, too.” Shawn sat down next to Yvette and took hold of her hand. “We’re here for you, Yvette. Just like you were there for the little baby you rescued. Do you remember her?”

Joanna and Shawn watched Yvette’s face closely, neither of them wanting to miss a single flicker of her eyes or movement of her mouth. “Baby.” It was the faintest of whispers.

“Did you hear that?” Joanna’s excitement grew and she inched closer. Shawn shot her a smile before he turned back to Yvette.

“I’ve taken care of her. I’ve raised her. And I want to thank you for saving her and letting me have the opportunity to love her.” He stroked his thumb across the back of Yvette’s hand.

“Her fingers moved.” Joanna pointed at Yvette’s hand as if Shawn couldn’t feel her fingers tickle his.

“She’s smart. So smart. And funny. Every morning I wake up knowing how blessed I am.” He gave a short laugh. “That’s not to say it’s always been easy. She’s a strong character. She has her own mind and her own opinions. One day she’s going to be a force to be reckoned with. And that’s all thanks to you.”

Yvette’s eyes flickered open and stared up at the ceiling. “Baby. Had to save baby,” she croaked.

“You did save her.” Shawn swallowed down the lump of emotion in his throat and focused on Yvette. “Do you remember that day?”

Yvette’s bottom lip trembled, and she mouthed, “Yes.”

“Can you tell us what happened?” Joanna asked gently. “Anything that might tell us who did this to you?”

“The baby.” A tear rolled down Yvette’s cheek and the monitor registering her vital signs sparked into life as her heart rate shot up.

“The baby’s safe, Yvette. You saved her,” Shawn said gently.

“He was…” Yvette’s forehead wrinkled. “Hurt her.”

“Who tried to hurt her, Yvette?” Joanna asked. “Can you give us a name? Any clue that you can remember?”

“Bad.” She closed her eyes briefly before fighting to open them again.

“You went to the club. Jester’s. That’s where the mothers were.” Joanna’s eyes darkened as she focused on Yvette and the story she was trying to tell.

“Yes,” Yvette whispered.

“And then what happened?” Joanna pressed her lips together.

“Angry.”

“Who was angry?” Joanna asked.

“People… They changed their mind.” Yvette’s breathing quickened.

“Did you see the parents?” Joanna asked.

“No.” Yvette turned her head and winced. “Save baby.”

“Who were you with?” Joanna asked.

“I…” Yvette closed her eyes.

“We need to call the doctor.” Shawn stood up and pressed the emergency button by the side of the bed.

“Just a few more questions.” Joanna looked up at Shawn. Her shoulders slumped forward as he shook his head. “I’m sorry. Yvette’s health is the most important thing. I just want a breakthrough. I should know better not to push it.”

Joanna got up as the sound of footsteps came toward them along the corridor, Shawn reached for her hand. “We can come back as soon as the doctors give Yvette a health check. We don’t want to push too hard too fast. She’s fragile.”

Joanna nodded. “I know.” She turned back to Yvette. “Thank you.”

Yvette’s eyes slid shut but she reached out and took hold of Shawn’s hand. “Baby.”

“When you’re strong enough, I’ll bring her to see you.” He locked eyes with Joanna who bit down on her bottom lip, her eyes misted with tears as she realized the truth in Yvette’s words.

Yvette has no idea how long she’s been in a coma, does she? his cougar asked.

No, I don’t think she does, Shawn replied. She has no idea that Jane is not a baby anymore. That the world outside this room has changed and moved on without her.

Sadness mixed with anger bubbled inside Shawn. This young woman who had tried so hard to protect innocent lives had paid a high price for her good deeds. Justice had to be done.

As the doctor entered the room with Samantha by his side, Shawn and Joanna slipped out of the room and waited in the corridor for news on Yvette’s health.

“I should call Trent,” Joanna said. “I want to keep him in the loop in case Yvette needs police protection.” She didn’t need to explain herself further. Yvette had been no threat while she was in a coma but that had changed the moment she opened her eyes and spoke.

“I’ll call Fiona.” Shawn noted the time as he pulled out his phone and added, “Maybe it can wait until morning.”

Joanna nodded. “A couple of hours won’t make that much difference.”

“I hope not.” Shawn grinned as nervous energy filled him, and his hands shook a little. “I’d hate to get on the wrong side of her.” He ran his hand through his hair and paced the corridor as his cougar snarled in his head.

I need to do something now, his cougar ground.

There’s nothing we can do other than protect Yvette until the police arrive. We still don’t have enough information to go after Gerald. Shawn went over all the new information they had gained from Yvette. There was little to go on. If Yvette had named the couple who had given up the baby that might have been a start.

However, without a clear memory and proof to back it up, they had nothing at all to go after Gerald with. No proof he was involved in what happened to Yvette. They didn’t even know if Comer was the bad man.

There must be something, his cougar hissed.

We’ll find something. We need to be patient. Neither side of Shawn possessed such patience right now.

“My boss is sending someone over.” Joanna went to Yvette’s door and peered inside. “She’s still awake. They’re propping her up and she’s drinking.” She turned to look at Shawn. “Can you imagine not eating or drinking for all of those years?”

“Not when my stomach is growling with hunger.” He rubbed his hand over his stomach. “When we get out of here, I think we should have breakfast and plan our next move.”

Joanna sighed. “I don’t know what our next move is yet.”

“My fists could be very persuasive.” Shawn ground his right fist into the palm of his left hand.

“Unfortunately, that is the kind of behavior that would help Gerald Comer. Beating information out of suspects is frowned upon these days.” Her mouth curled up at one corner. “But I’d join you in ripping someone’s head off in a heartbeat if I thought it would help.”

“So, at present the only thing I can think of is infiltrating Gerald Comer’s business or personal life.” Shawn looked up as the door opened and the doctor stepped out of Yvette’s room. “Would Trent put someone undercover?”

“It’s a no-go until we get some poof. The hearsay of a woman who has spent so long in a coma just won’t be enough,” Joanna murmured as they walked back along the corridor to meet him. “Hello, Doctor, what can you tell us?”

“Very little at this point.” He pressed his lips together as he looked from Shawn to Joanna and back again. “May I ask what you are both doing here so late at night?”

“We wanted to see Penelope one last time before we left town,” Joanna omitted any information about Lance. “We got lucky when she opened her eyes.”

“You did.” The doctor’s expression softened a little. “What did you say to her? Something must have triggered this.”

“We were just telling her about the world outside. The feel of the sun on your back. The breeze in your face.” Shawn lied smoothly.

You are getting good at lying, his cougar complimented him.

“When will we be able to question her?” Joanna asked.

The doctor held up his hands as if to push her away. “Oh, that is not going to be possible for a while. We need to build her strength and check what damage remains in her brain.”

“Is she coherent?” Joanna asked.

We know she’s coherent, Shawn’s cougar stated.

She is covering our tracks. If everyone thinks Yvette hasn’t spoken to us, it would make her less of a target. Shawn looked around as a couple of other nurses walked along the corridor and entered Yvette’s room. She’s vulnerable.

Perhaps we should have told her to talk to no one but us about that night, his cougar suggested.

You’re right, Shawn agreed. But there was nothing they could do about it now. They were not getting back in her room tonight.

But neither was anyone else who might wish Yvette harm. A police guard would be here soon. As soon as Yvette was strong enough, Shawn would suggest Yvette was moved somewhere private where they could help her convalesce and build her strength. Somewhere she would be safe.

Perhaps, somewhere like Cougar Ridge.

Chapter Twenty – Joanna

Shawn looked dead on his feet by the time they reached their hotel room and rolled into bed. He’d insisted he was fine, and a doctor was used to going without sleep for long periods. However, as his mate, her concern for him was overwhelming.

And so is his concern for us, her wolf reminded her.

Which was an unusual experience in itself. Joanna was an independent woman who answered to no one. She regularly volunteered to work all the unsociable hours that family people tended to avoid. She’d even been on duty for Christmas and New Year last year.

All that would change now that she had Shawn in her life. She had become a family person.

“Are you okay?” Shawn touched her arm and she jerked awake.

“Yeah, I was daydreaming.” She sighed. “Or maybe I was hallucinating. I’m so tired. All I know is there was a Christmas tree.”

Shawn chuckled. “Let’s sleep. Yvette is safe. We can pick this all up in the morning.”

“Agreed.” She pulled the bedcovers over her head and snuggled up to her mate. “Sleep. Food. Then we can talk.”

Her eyelids drooped and she inhaled his scent as she drifted off to sleep. Her whole body relaxed, molding around Shawn’s as he held her close through the rest of the night and into the early hours of the next morning.

Joanna’s dream was filled with fleeting images. She caught hold of snapshots of them. Most centered around her running, chasing down something that eluded her no matter how hard she tried to catch it.

Shawn was there. Sometimes by her side and sometimes he was the thing she chased. None of it made sense. As was the way of dreams.

“Someone’s here.” Her eyes opened as she spoke, and she pushed away from Shawn and swung her legs over the side of the bed as someone knocked at the hotel room door again.

Shawn groggily stumbled out of bed and was at her side as she reached for the doorknob.

“Who is it?” Shawn croaked before clearing his voice.

“It’s me.” Joanna and Shawn exchanged a surprised glance before she opened the door to Fiona.

“We must stop meeting like this,” Shawn said as he invited the dragon shifter in.

“I heard Yvette woke up and flew here while I still had the night on my side.” She shot Shawn a reproachful look. “I am disappointed I heard the news from someone else.”

“We didn’t want to wake you in the middle of the night since there isn’t much we can do,” Joanna jumped to Shawn’s defense. As she always would.

“You spoke to Yvette?” Fiona asked as she entered the hotel room and gave the interior a cursory glance. Whether it met her approval or not was hard to say. Despite all her years as a cop, all the hours she’d spent questioning suspects and honing her intuition, Joanna found Fiona almost unreadable.

“We spoke to her briefly,” Joanna admitted. “Although, after being in a coma for so long, she’s not exactly chatty.”

“No.” Fiona looked around. “May I sit?”

“Sure.” Shawn stepped forward and cleared his jacket off the back of one of the chairs. “We came in late last night…well, early this morning and just dumped everything.”

“As I see.” Fiona sat down on the chair and looked at the others expectantly.

“I need coffee.” Joanna crossed the room to where the courtesy coffee and tea making facilities were begging to be used. Her mouth was parched and her mind foggy. Too foggy to take on a pissed-off dragon shifter.

We couldn’t take her on even if our veins flowed with caffeine, her wolf reminded her with a yawn.

Want to bet? Joanna asked. Okay, maybe not physically, but mentally.

Hmm, her wolf answered and left it at that.

“Coffee, tea?” Joanna asked Fiona and Shawn, who had slumped down on the sofa and was now yawning widely.

“Yes, please.” Shawn shot her a tired smile as he rubbed his eyes.

“Coffee, please. Three sugars.” Fiona leaned back in the chair as if she owned the room. She was confident in her own skin and in control. As Joanna poured the coffees and passed them around, her annoyance at being woken early in the morning by a cranky dragon turned to admiration.

If we’re going to get this done, we need Fiona to work with us, Joanna told her wolf.

She will, her wolf replied. She wants justice done. And she’s willing to fight for it.

“The doctor will call as soon as Yvette is well enough to talk to us.” Joanna slumped down on the sofa next to Shawn. “We have no idea when that will be. They have a barrage of tests they need to perform, and they won’t bombard Yvette with them all at once.”

“Did you get anything out of her at all?” Fiona asked.

“No. It was mostly jumbled up.” Joanna shook her head thoughtfully. “We did meet Lance, though.”

“Lance?” Fiona turned her head slightly to the side, her eyes a little out of focus.

“Yes. He’s been visiting Yvette for a couple of weeks. He brings her flowers. And he’s in love with her.” Joanna pressed her lips together as she tried to figure out how to proceed. “Is Yvette a shifter?”

Direct has always been the best route, her wolf grinned.

“Lance has been visiting Yvette?” Fiona asked in surprise. “And has a crush on her?”

“Yes. We think he’s her mate and that’s what triggered Yvette’s recovery.” Joanna’s eyes narrowed. “She is a shifter, isn’t she?”

“Yes.” Fiona fell silent.

“Okay. That might have been useful information to share. But it doesn’t help us piece together what happened that night.” Joanna sipped her hot coffee and stared at the hotel room carpet.

“Why don’t we go over what you’ve found out?” Fiona suggested. “You have actually found something out, haven’t you?”

“Yes, we have.” Joanna kept her temper in check, reminding herself that Fiona was not goading them, she was simply being…Fiona.

“Tell me.” Fiona sat down, her attention laser-focused on Joanna and Shawn.

This must be how it feels if you are a dragon’s next meal, her wolf said drily.

I hope we never find out for real, Joanna answered.

“Okay. We went to the hospital and spoke to Yvette’s nurse, Samantha. She said that Yvette had spoken a couple of times. She thought Yvette said ‘testers.’ Joanna then came up with the theory that she actually meant Jester’s.”

“Which is a bar.” Joanna tapped her phone screen and brought up an image of the bar on Google. “We visited the bar last night. There we noted that a disproportionate amount of single men were entering the bar.”

“I went inside while Joanna questioned a pregnant woman who was around the back of the bar.” Shawn reached out and took hold of Joanna’s hand, instantly she felt calmer and more confident. With Shawn by her side, she was invincible.

“However, it all turned out to be nothing to do with this investigation. Although, one of the bartenders did say she’d heard the bar was once used to house pregnant women. They moved on. I’m going to check the dates, but I’m convinced we’ll find that the pregnant women were moved on at about the time Yvette was attacked.” Joanna let this fact sink in. The dragon shifter did not look happy.

That is actual smoke, isn’t it? Her wolf stared at the dragon shifter seated across the room from them.

It sure is. Joanna glanced at the ceiling. “Smoke alarms.”

Fiona let out a long, hot breath and the temperature in the room rose by several degrees. “They left and covered their tracks?”

“We assume so.” Shawn’s forehead creased. “But we’ll find them. There must be a trail.”

“Do you have anything that links Gerald Comer to this?” Fiona asked.

“No. Not yet.” Joanna ran her hand through her hair. She needed a shower and to sleep for a day. Her mind was racing but she was tired, and her thoughts were not crisp and clear. She needed crisp and clear if she was going to piece this together. “But if there is proof, we will find it. I promise. Perhaps I can persuade my boss to send in someone undercover.”

“Yes, send in someone undercover.” The tone of Fiona’s voice changed. She had an idea. Joanna suspected one she would not like.

“Yes.” Joanna waited for Fiona to tell them her own idea.

“What if I went undercover?” Fiona’s suggestion was not what Joanna had expected.

“Undercover at the mayor’s office?” Shawn asked.

“No. What if we flip this on its head.” Her eyes glowed amber as she leaned forward. “What if I approach Gerald Comer and ask him about adopting a shifter child?”

“A shifter child.” Joanna looked sideways at Shawn. “That’s risky.”

“Why? I can tell him I heard about his service.” She ground her teeth together as she spoke. “I can prove to him that I’m a dragon shifter.” She puffed smoke out of her mouth. A dragon was more closely tied to their human form than any other shifter she’d met.

“That’s even riskier.” Shawn didn’t like the idea. “Why don’t you let me do it?”

“No.” Fiona shook her head sharply. “We need to keep you out of it. You need to protect Jane. Sending you to the hospital to talk to Yvette is as close as I want you to this.”

“Fiona is right.” Joanna placed the flat of her hands together as if she were praying. “I also think that Gerald would be more likely to open up about this to a shifter who is secretive and rare. It’s like trading one secret for another.”

“It’s too risky.” Shawn bristled, the whites of his knuckles showing as he held his coffee cup. “You’ll be exposing dragon shifters everywhere. It might put your family and Kelos’s family at risk.”

“I am aware of that,” Fiona snapped. “But what about all the shifter children that are at risk already?”

“Fiona has a point.” Joanna got up. She needed more coffee.

“What if Gerald isn’t our man?” Shawn asked. “You would not be trading a secret for a secret. And if he’s corrupt then you are putting dragon shifters in danger.”

Fiona sighed. “You’re right.”

“Okay. We find proof,” Joanna said. “If we do, we go ahead with Fiona’s plan…with my boss’s blessing, of course. If he says it’s too risky then we don’t do it.”

“Agreed.” Shawn glanced sideways at Fiona. “Agreed?”

“Oh, I suppose.” She pressed her lips together and Joanna was glad she couldn’t read minds. Fiona was probably imagining how satisfying it would be to roast someone alive.

Gerald. She would picture Gerald, her wolf assured her. She knows what you and Shawn are saying makes sense.

“I know you are used to doing things your own way but sometimes you have to take a step back and think things through.” Joanna fixed Fiona with a look that challenged her to argue. The dragon shifter did not.

“I should go and let you two get some sleep.” She got up from her chair and placed her coffee cup down on the table. “I’m going to visit Yvette.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Joanna asked.

“Yes. I just need to know she’s okay.” She strode toward the door. “Yvette is in danger and I’m afraid that a police officer outside the door of her hospital room might not be enough to keep her safe.”

“We’ll talk later.” Joanna followed Fiona to the door and closed it behind her as she exited the room.

“Alone at last.” Shawn reached out his hand to Joanna and she went to him. Sliding down onto the sofa beside her mate, she leaned her head on his shoulder. “I should start combing through Gerald’s business activities to see if I can link him to any other potential location where they might hold the pregnant women.”

“After you’ve slept.” He stroked her cheek and her eyes drooped. Shawn was right. No amount of caffeine would help her function properly until she’d had a few hours’ sleep.

And she needed to function properly. To bring down the shifter baby business she would need to be on top of her game.

Chapter Twenty-One – Shawn

“Did you sleep at all?” Shawn asked as he stretched, attempting to shake off the last remnants of sleep.

“Yes.” Joanna leaned over and kissed his cheek before resuming her intense study of her tablet screen. She was propped up on a pillow looking through more documents, her forehead creased with concentration.

“Did you sleep enough?” Shawn studied his mate’s face. She was beautiful, she always would be to him but the lines around her eyes and mouth were a little deeper this morning and her features were pinched.

“Yes, Doctor.” She cast him a sideways glance. “I can sleep long enough when those women and their babies are safe. I’d hate for anyone else to get hurt in the way Yvette was. No one should ever go through what she has been through.”

“You need to take care of yourself if you want to help them,” Shawn persisted. “If you don’t stay healthy then you won’t be there for them.”

She gave a short laugh. “Are you insinuating that I’m not healthy?”

“No, but as your concerned mate, I want to make sure you don’t get sick and stress can cause a lot of damage to the body.” He sat up and adjusted the pillow behind his back. “Let’s eat some breakfast and then I can help you.”

Joanna sighed and tilted her head back, resting against the headboard of the bed. “I know you’re right but it’s hard to switch off when you’re in the middle of a case.”

“I know. I understand. Which is why I’m here.” He took the tablet off her lap and nodded toward the bathroom. “Go take a shower. Then we’ll go and grab some breakfast. I’ll check in with the hospital and Fiona and you can call your boss. Then we make a plan of action.”

“You speak too much sense.” She kissed his mouth, slid out of bed and padded across the carpeted floor to the adjoining bathroom, leaving Shawn staring after her. A small smile crept over his face. She was his. Forever.

Tapping the screen of the tablet, he took a quick look at what Joanna had been looking at. More to keep his mind off joining her in the shower than because he thought he’d be of any use. He stared at the screen for a full couple of minutes before the words came into focus and the image of his mate in the shower faded.

Joanna had been searching through the files she had on Ostabell. He’d gone to jail for money laundering along with murder. Shawn sighed as he noted how much information had been gathered about Ostabell. Joanna was then cross-referencing everything with the files on Gerald Comer. This was not going to be a quick search.

There must be a link between Gerald and this Ostabell guy, his cougar said.

It’s a long shot. What are the chances of Gerald being openly linked to Ostabell? Surely, they would make sure there was no way to connect them. Shawn noticed another tab open and clicked on it. Now he saw what had sparked Joanna’s curiosity.

Norton Spader, a property developer, was pictured with his newly adopted son in a post on social media. Further down the page, he was photographed at a fundraiser, shaking hands with none other than Gerald Comer who was tagged in the post. Shawn scrolled back up the page. There was a slew of comments below congratulating Norton Spader on the adoption. He peered closer to the image. Was this one of the shifter children? Could they use Norton Spader as leverage?

“You’re not messing up my investigation, are you?” Joanna asked as she came out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her head. Her slender neck just begged to be kissed but Shawn reminded himself that the work they were doing was more important.

He pushed down his desire for her. This was not the time. Even though his body reacted as if it was the time all the time. He was addicted to her scent, to the touch of her skin under his fingertips. He coughed and shook off the primal need that gripped him when his mate was near.

“No, I was looking at the photo of Norton Spader. Do you think Comer and Ostabell were involved in supplying his child?” Shawn handed the tablet back to Joanna.

“I can’t say for sure, but the guy has been involved in some dodgy dealings. I might be wrong, but I figured it was worth looking into.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down at the photo. “I just hope all the shifter babies that have been adopted are in happy homes.”

“Me, too.” Shawn closed his eyes and Jane’s face came into focus. “I just worry about how many children there are like Jane. Children that might have been abandoned or worse because they weren’t wanted. Taking on the responsibility of a child is both mentally and physically tiring. I’m sure some of the people who circumvent the usual adoption procedures aren’t prepared.”

“They probably think it’s all sweet-smelling cuddles,” Joanna added. “Not realizing babies are more sleepless nights and dirty diapers for the first few months.”

“And you’re not put off?” Shawn asked hopefully.

“Compared to some of the people I’ve interviewed and arrested, they are sweet-smelling.” She sighed and looked down at the image.

“It terrifies me,” Shawn said. “Anyone could buy one of these children if they had the money.”

“We can’t dwell on that,” Joanna told him. “We have to focus on what we can do and right now the only thing we can do is gather enough information to shut down the whole operation.”

“What can I do to help?” Shawn asked.

“You can go through some of the files, too.” She smiled brightly. “Or you could go out for breakfast.”

“I’ll go for breakfast first and then I’ll help.” He looked at his watch. “Although, I’m going to have to head home today.” He glanced at Joanna who was scrolling through the documents on her tablet. “If you need to stay, I can make my own way home.”

“There’s little I can do here until we’re permitted to interview Yvette. The investigation into a new building to house the pregnant women is something I can do anywhere. Plus, I need to get back to work. Trent made it clear this investigation would have to go forward on our own time until we have some new evidence.” She placed her index finger on the screen and scrolled through to the next document. Her breath caught in her throat and she leaned closer, before turning the tablet around for Shawn to look at.

“I don’t see the connection.” He sat back down on the bed and looked over Joanna’s shoulder as she worked.

“This is a lease agreement for a hotel, signed by a subsidiary owned by Gerald Comer. The lease was signed around the same time Wayne took over Jester’s. Coincidence?” Joanna minimized the screen and opened a new window. “Let’s search Google and see what we can find out about the hotel.”

“Anything?” Shawn asked impatiently.

“It’s a small hotel.” She tapped the screen. “These are the rooms.” She zoomed in on the images of the hotel rooms. They were clean and functional. “Not exactly upscale but ideal for housing the women.”

“Maybe we should book a room,” Shawn suggested.

“Maybe we should.” Joanna checked for availability. “No vacancies.”

“Can you dig around into the background of the company that owns it?” Shawn asked.

“Not from here. But I’ll hand the information to my boss. He can get someone to delve deep into the company. We can’t jump to conclusions. We can’t risk alerting Gerald Comer or anyone else involved that we are looking into this. If we do, they’ll close down the operation and move elsewhere.” Joanna took out her frustration by worrying at her bottom lip, her cheeks flushed pink from her hot shower, and her rising anger.

“Just because we want Gerald to be guilty does not make him guilty.” Shawn spent his life trying not to be prejudiced. When a patient walked through his door, he never allowed himself to jump to conclusions about what might be making them sick based on their lifestyle. He was always thorough and ran all the tests until he found proof.

Exactly as Joanna did in her work.

“Yes. We need to proceed with caution. I don’t have a warrant to search the premises, but we can at least drive past the building and take a look.” She grabbed her phone. “I need to call in and keep Trent up to date.”

“I’ll go shower while you talk to your boss.” He left Joanna talking on the phone and went to the bathroom. After taking a critical look at himself in the mirror, he switched on the shower and stepped under the hot water. After shampooing his hair and washing his body, he allowed the water to cascade over him, washing off the soap and washing away his tiredness.

By the time he’d towel-dried himself and dressed in clean clothes, he was ready to face the day side by side with his mate.

“I’ll go for breakfast,” he said as he left the bathroom.

“We can grab some to go.” Joanna was dressed, she’d brushed her hair and was now packing her overnight bag. “There’s nothing more for us to do here.”

“What about interviewing Yvette?” Shawn asked.

“I can drive back when…if we have to interview her.” Joanna looked down at her phone. “My boss has agreed with Fiona’s plan. We’re going the honey-trap route.”

Honey trap? his cougar asked hopefully, licking his lips.

“He’s okay with Fiona pretending to be a shifter in need of a baby?” Shawn didn’t like the idea, but Fiona could take care of herself and it certainly would speed things up. If they could link Gerald to the trade in babies, the whole operation would come crashing down.

“Fiona called my boss and outlined her plan.” Joanna’s jaw clenched. “I don’t know if I like the idea of her going behind my back, but it got the job done.”

“Even before we link Gerald to the hotel?” Shawn asked.

“Yeah. My boss is convinced that Gerald is the person behind the corruption we saw with Ostabell. He’s willing to put his career on the line to bring him down.” Joanna shoved her hairbrush in her bag.

“Are you okay?” Shawn asked, sensing his mate’s mood had changed.

“I don’t want Trent to risk his career. He’s one of the good guys.” Her voice hitched and she dropped her bag on the bed and went to him. Shawn wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her close. “I want this over. I want us to be together and for me to be able to get to know Jane.”

“Then let’s get back to Cougar Ridge. We don’t have to wait for this to be over for you to get to know my daughter.” He nuzzled her neck as he held her close. “And when this is over, we’ll go on vacation or something, just the three of us.”

“Are you still worried that Jane’s real mom might claim her?” Joanna asked.

Shawn shook his head. “No. The circumstances around her birth make me think her mom never wanted her, but if she does, we’ll work our way through it.” He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “I just hope that Jane’s mom got away from Gerald. That she isn’t caught up in some baby farm.”

Joanna screwed her face up in distaste. “Me, too.”

“Let’s go home.” He kissed her cheek and then lifted his head, sensing someone approaching.

“Fiona.” Joanna groaned. “I forgot to mention she called while you were in the shower. We have to give Fiona a ride home.”

Shawn laughed. “This will be an interesting journey.”

“You have a strange definition of interesting.” Joanna went to the door and opened it before Fiona had a chance to knock. “Come in. We’re just packing.”

“Good. I was going to hang on here and then fly home later. But I’ve already spoken to the doctors at the hospital, so I figured it made sense for us to make our plans on the drive back to Cougar Ridge.” She put her hands on her hips and scanned the room. “I thought you would be packed by now.”

Shawn chuckled as he fetched his backpack from the bathroom and collected all his stuff. “We’re stopping for breakfast on the way.”

“Good, I’ve worked up quite an appetite.” Fiona waited by the door while they finished packing and then the three shifters left the hotel, heading for breakfast.

Shawn would have grabbed breakfast to go so that he could drive back to Jane and hold her safe in his arms. He settled for calling Joey and checking in on them.

“Is she okay?” Joanna asked as he joined them at the table where their food had already arrived.

He sat down in front of a plate of bacon and eggs with a side of fluffy pancakes smothered in maple syrup.

“Yeah. Joey is taking Jane hiking this afternoon so there’s no rush.” He picked up his fork and dug into his food.

“I’m sure she misses you,” Joanna assured him.

“I hope so.” Shawn smiled as he ate. “I know I miss her.”

“You’ll be back soon enough,” Fiona told him. “And one day if ever you decide to tell Jane about her past, you can tell her that you brought the man to justice who hurt the woman who saved her.”

“You’re that confident Gerald is our man?” Joanna asked.

“Oh, yes.” She looked into the distance, her eyes unfocused. “I can feel it in my bones. And my bones are very old and seldom wrong.”

Chapter Twenty-Two – Joanna

“I can’t believe Yvette’s mate just walked into her life.” Fiona sighed as she looked out of the window. The mountains surrounding Bear Creek filled the windshield, they were only a fifteen-minute drive away from Cougar Ridge.

“It does sound like something out of a fairy tale.” Joanna shot Shawn a sidelong glance and he smiled. A small smile that turned up the corners of his lips. Lips she so wanted to kiss.

Imagine lying in a hospital bed for years and years, and then your mate just walks in and stirs you from a coma. Her wolf rested her head on her paws. There is nothing romantic about it. The whole situation is just sad.

“It’s more like something out of a nightmare,” Fiona continued. She’d been going over the same conversation for most of the journey. Each time they switched to another subject, she would come back to Yvette and Lance being mates. “If only he’d walked into her life a few years ago.”

“Are you sure you want to go through with the undercover operation? Exposing your true self to Gerald Comer might not be a good idea.” Shawn steered the conversation away from Yvette. He wanted to voice his concerns while Fiona couldn’t just up and fly away. Or singe his eyebrows with her dragon fire.

Or give us a tongue lashing, his cougar said drily. Fiona doesn’t have to be in dragon form to be formidable.

True, Shawn replied. I just want to make sure she knows all the risks. His fears that Fiona might be putting herself and the other dragon in danger hadn’t waned. Fiona, however, was not budging on her commitment to bring Gerald Comer to justice and break the ring of corruption that had led to Yvette’s coma.

“Yes.” Fiona’s blunt reply was met with a steely stare. “I can handle the man.”

“I’m just concerned that we are going in there with no real evidence that he is connected to this other than the fact that Yvette suspected him. We don’t even know the details surrounding her relationship with Gerald. Or what proof she might have.” Joanna wasn’t happy about going into this operation so unprepared.

“Lance is going to talk to Yvette as soon as he can. He’s probably the best person for the job. She might open up to him. Plus, there’s no pressure. She’ll feel safe with him.” Fiona held up her hand to silence Joanna’s objections before she uttered a word. “I know she should be interviewed by the police, but we don’t have the luxury of time on this. If Gerald finds out she’s alive and well…”

“We have to work with what we’ve got,” Shawn attempted to smooth things over as Joanna took the turn toward Bear Creek. They would all be happy when this journey was over, and they could get out of the car. It had been a long drive and they were all tired and overwrought.

“I have every confidence in the police and their ability to unearth the proof we need,” Fiona said. “But if we need to, I will go as far as agreeing to buy a baby just so we have irrefutable proof.”

Joanna’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “Just hearing those words gives me the shivers.” Her resolve strengthened. “I’ll support you in any way I can, Fiona. Above and beyond my job description.”

“Now, that is a dangerous offer to a dragon,” Shawn told her.

“I trust Fiona.” Joanna looked at the dragon shifter in the rearview mirror.

Is she tearing up? her wolf asked as Fiona wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

Maybe. This is important to her. Joanna switched her attention back to the road ahead. “Where do you live, Fiona?”

“Oh, if you pull over just up ahead, I’ll walk the rest of the way.” She sighed. “I need to clear my head and figure out what I’m going to say to Harlan.”

“Harlan is your mate?” Fiona asked.

“He is and he’s worried about me. And I don’t think he’ll be happy that I’m doing this. But he’ll understand.” Her voice took on a dreamy quality. “He always does.” She sighed again. “All those years lying in that bed waiting for her mate.”

“At least they’re together now.” Shawn reached over and placed his hand over Joanna’s. “Better late than never.”

After dropping Fiona off, Joanna drove back to Cougar Ridge. Shawn’s house was empty and a quick call to Joey told them that he and Jane were hiking through the foothills in search of rabbits. They wouldn’t be back for a couple of hours but there was food in the fridge.

“A couple of hours.” Shawn slipped his arms around Joanna and pulled her close.

She leaned against him and tilted her chin, placing a kiss on his cheek. “I should get some work done. I’d like to figure out some kind of connection, no matter how tenuous between Gerald and these women. Then tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep, I plan to drive to the hotel and take a look around.”

“Tomorrow can wait. Your doctor recommends that you eat and relax first. Then you’ll be ready to face whatever comes our way.” He went to the fridge and pulled open the door. “There is a casserole.” He inhaled deeply. “Smells good.”

“I think I’m too stressed to eat.” Joanna leaned back against the counter and rubbed her hands over her face.

“Then let’s take care of my second suggestion first.” Shawn closed the fridge and came toward her.

“Are those your come-to-bed eyes?” Joanna asked, the heat rising in her body despite her intention to work.

“This is my come-to-bed body.” He unbuttoned his shirt and stripped it off his shoulders, leaving it draped over the back of a chair.

Joanna giggled despite herself. “Whatever did I do without you?”

“I don’t know. And luckily, you will never have to figure it out since I am never going anywhere.” Shawn curled his arm around her and pulled her close.

“I like the sound of that.” Joanna wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his. There was no denying her need for him and maybe being close to Shawn was what she needed to take her mind off work.

He’s our inspiration, her wolf said happily.

He’s our everything. A brief image of Lance sitting by the side of Yvette’s bed slipped into her mind. His devotion to Yvette was inspiring. He would be there every step of the way during her long road to recovery.

We owe it to them to find out who hurt her. Joanna’s wolf was right.

Maybe I should get to work now. Joanna eased herself away from Shawn, but he tightened his grip around her waist and held her close.

“Let go of work. Just for a few minutes. Let your brain switch off and go with the primal need to make love to your mate.” He was deadly serious, his eyes dark with desire as he looked into her eyes.

“If that’s what the doctor orders.” She cupped his cheek with her hand and kissed his lips.

Shawn groaned as she grazed his naked chest with her fingernails. Leaning down, he scooped her up into his arms and held her close as he left the kitchen and carried her upstairs. “Just in case Joey and Jane come back early.”

“Yeah, never want Jane to walk in on us having sex.” Joanna needed to get used to having a child around. “I’ll make a mental note never to swear in the house either.”

“You’re a woman who likes to cuss?” Shawn asked as he leaned down and placed her on the bed.

“Only when absolutely necessary.” She slipped her hand around the nape of his neck and pulled him down onto the bed. “Like when a case goes wrong, and someone gets away with a crime.”

“I can understand those circumstances,” he murmured as he kissed her neck.

“I try not to let things get personal but when my team has worked so hard and gathered the evidence…it’s tough.” She arched her back as he nipped the sensitive skin of her neck and cupped her breast with his right hand and rubbed his thumb over her nipple. “Damn, I want to get naked with you.”

She didn’t want her clothes to be a barrier between them. Joanna needed to feel his skin against her skin, to lie with him naked and caress his body. When she lay with Shawn, the connection between them went deeper than the physical act of sex. When he touched her, it was as if he touched her soul.

But she’d settle for him touching her body. He slid his hand under her sweater and pulled her bra cup down, before tweaking her nipple between his thumb and fingers. Her inner muscles clenched, and her stomach contracted as a small sigh escaped her lips.

Joanna wanted him inside her.

Unbuckling his belt, she undid his pants and pushed them down over his hips. Shawn hooked his thumb through the belt loops and wriggled out of them. Then he turned his attention to her clothing. Tugging the hem of her sweater, he pulled it up over her head and cast it aside as if she would never need it again.

Her shirt and bra soon joined her sweater somewhere on the floor, leaving only her black pants. Shawn knelt next to her, his fingers no match for the buttons. Gently easing her pants down over her curvy thighs, he leaned forward and kissed her soft exposed skin, blazing a trail down her inner thighs, lingering over her knees, his fingers stroking the sensitive skin as he leisurely undressed her.

Joanna threaded her fingers through his hair, tugging roughly as he licked her calf while his fingers stroked her feet as he finally pulled her pants free. She’d always been ticklish on her feet, but this was no time for laughter. This was no time for pulling away from her mate and telling him to stop.

Shawn kissed his way back up her legs, lingering between her thighs to lick her intimately. Joanna eased her legs apart and arched her back, offering herself to him. She’d give him every part of her. Anything he asked as long as he didn’t stop.

One finger, then two, slipped inside her, his thumb brushing over her mound as he moved in and out. Her orgasm came fast and hard, she couldn’t fight it, she didn’t want to fight it. Her breathing grew rapid and her heart thundered in her chest as he used his fingers to bring her to the edge of pleasure and keep her there until she was utterly spent.

“Wow.” She kissed his mouth as he slid up the bed and rested his head on the pillow.

He grinned. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a wow before.”

“Good, that means you’ve been saving the good stuff for me.” She stroked his cheek, her eyes locked with his. “I know it’s soon after we met…”

“But you love me?” he asked hopefully.

“I do.” Her eyes misted with tears. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I don’t care where in the world we live. As long as we’re together.”

He rested his head on his elbow and studied her face. “Where did that come from?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess it’s a thing we have to talk about, but you and Jane have your lives here and I’m willing to fit in with that.”

“There are other hospitals.” He stroked her soft belly and tendrils of desire unfurled with each touch of his fingertips.

“I want children, Shawn.” A bolt of uncertainty hit her like lightning. “Or is that something you don’t want? You have Jane…”

He leaned forward and kissed her lips before murmuring, “I want to make babies with you. I want to raise babies with you.”

“Then I’ll ask for a transfer. When this is over, I’ll find a desk job. One where I can still do some real good. Not just push paper around.” She sighed contentedly. “I want to live a long and happy life with you and our children.”

“Is that my cue to make babies with you?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes, it is.” Joanna placed her hands on his hips and guided him as he nestled between her thighs. He rested his weight on one elbow as he slipped his fingers inside her, moving them in and out, making certain she was ready for him before he entered her.

She didn’t think there would ever be a time when she wasn’t ready for her mate. Making love to him was incredible. His tender touch, the feel of his lips on hers, each gentle caress was like a single moment of bliss. In his arms, she could escape the world.

In his arms, she didn’t want to escape the world. He grounded her.

Shawn flexed his hips forward and thrust into her. She gasped, her inner muscles tightening around him as he moved deeper and deeper, filling her, stretching her. Joanna cupped his face in her hands and kissed his lips, tasting him, savoring him, while her fingers probed every inch of his flesh, seeking out the most sensitive zones of his body.

He sighed when she ran her fingertips across his chest, gasped when her nails dug into his back as she urged him on. His muscles tensed as her hands caressed his toned butt and thighs. Each action caused a response. Each response was interpreted by her brain as causing pleasure or pain.

There is nothing wrong with a little pain. She gasped as Shawn rolled his tongue over her taut nipple and grazed his teeth over the sensitive flesh as if to prove this very point.

Excitement filled her and her need for release bloomed, bright and urgent in her mind. Joanna arched her back, pushing down with each thrust of Shawn’s hips. Matching him stroke for stroke as they raced together to their release.

Time fell away, it was as if they were stuck in a moment. A moment filled with pleasure. A moment they shared as mates.

Then she came, her inner muscles contracting around Shawn’s hard length. He exploded inside her, his hot seed filling her as he jerked into her. A low moan escaped his lips and his fingers gripped the bed covers as he cried out.

Joanna urged him on. She grazed his earlobe with her teeth before sucking the soft flesh into her mouth. Shawn tensed and bit down on his lower lip as she nipped the flesh before he slipped his hand under her and held her firmly in place while he ground his hips around and around, stretching her as he filled her with his essence.

Finally, he slumped forward. Her mate was spent, his orgasm fading.

Unlike their love.

Joanna contented herself with this absolute fact as they lay in each other’s arms until their breathing returned to normal and hunger called them back down to the kitchen.

Chapter Twenty-Three – Shawn

If only they had cleared up the whole mess surrounding Yvette and Jane, Shawn would be the happiest man alive.

He had a mate whom he adored.

And love, his cougar added.

And love, Shawn agreed. And a daughter he was so incredibly proud of and whom he loved so much it hurt inside.

And our mate wants to have lots and lots of babies with us, his cougar reminded him.

As if I could forget. And then there was the casserole. It was tasty and delicious, made even more so as he shared it with his mate.

His cougar chuckled. So easily pleased. A plate of food and you’re anyone’s.

No, I’ll only ever belong to my mate. Shawn watched Joanna as she ate her food.

“You’re staring.” Joanna looked up through her eyelashes as she ate.

“I like watching you.” He grinned as she shook her head. “Sorry, I can’t help myself.”

“I guess I’ll let you off since I know that feeling.” She lifted her head and looked at him. “Do you think this will wear off?” She waved her fork back and forth between them. “Or do you think we’ll be like lovelorn fools for the rest of our lives?”

“I think it’ll wear off. Or we’ll just get used to it.” He shrugged and ate another forkful of food before adding, “I honestly could live like this for the rest of my life.”

“It wouldn’t be too bad,” she conceded. “But we both have jobs. Jobs where people depend on us. How do we cope with this need to be together?”

“It’s that strong for you?” he asked innocently.

“Oh, funny. If we’re going to be like that then I should marry Joey for his casserole.” She looked up and turned to face the door.

“Maybe you can tell him that now.” Shawn widened his eyes in challenge as he got up from the kitchen table and went to the front door. As he opened it, Jane and Joey were walking up the driveway to the house. “Hey there. Good hike?”

“It sure was,” Joey replied.

“I got to ride on Joey’s back.” Jane entered the house and tore off her coat and boots, her eyes flashed with excitement as she entered the kitchen. “Did you get me a gift?”

Shawn followed Jane into the kitchen and caught sight of Joanna’s expression. “Yes, we did.”

“We did?” Joanna asked in surprise.

“We did.” Shawn winked at his mate as he went to the backpacks they’d dropped on the floor when they first arrived home. They were still in the same place, forgotten as the two mates had gone upstairs to make love. “Here.”

“What is it?” Jane asked as she accepted the brown paper bag from her dad.

“You have to open it and see.” He lifted her into his arms and rested his back against the counter. Jane was getting bigger every day, but she would always be his little girl.

“Okay.” Jane carefully opened the brown bag and peered inside. Sliding her hand in, she pulled out a fridge magnet of a wolf in the snow. “I love it!”

“Can I see?” Joanna asked.

“Sure.” Jane wriggled out of Shawn’s arms and crossed the kitchen to Joanna. “See. I like wolves.”

“I like wolves, too,” Joanna told Shawn’s daughter.

“Joanna is a wolf shifter,” Shawn came to join them. “I saw her for the first time while we were away and then I saw this in one of the local stores and it reminded me of her.”

“You look like this?” Jane couldn’t hide her excitement.

“Wow, you’re on a roll,” Joey said. “Your daughter prefers my cooking and company and your mate’s other side.”

“But she loves me best, don’t you, sweetheart?” Did he really sound that pathetic?

“I do.” Jane launched herself at Shawn and wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her back into his arms. “You make the best macaroni and cheese. You tell the best bedtime stories.”

“Hey, I thought you liked my story last night,” Joey complained.

“I did. But Dad does the voices better.” She giggled and covered her mouth at Joey’s mock shock.

“I’m back at number one.” Shawn nodded toward Joey.

“Okay.” Joey held his hands up. “I concede defeat.”

“You’re so funny.” Jane giggled at Joey.

“If only I could find my mate and make her laugh,” Joey replied. Then he clapped his hands together. “Okay, if you’re all good here, I should get going. I’m thinking of visiting the animal rescue center and getting myself a dog or a cat. You know, a little furry friend who will love me in my sad lonely days.”

“A dog!” Jane’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I always wanted a puppy.”

“Now who is your favorite?” Joey asked as he backed out of the kitchen.

“Please, can I come with you when you go to the animal rescue center?” Jane asked.

“That is not my decision,” Joey replied, casting an apologetic look Shawn’s way. He’d opened up a whole can of worms and he knew it.

Unintentionally, Shawn’s cougar reminded him.

I know. And Jane has been asking for a pet for a long time.

A cat, though, his cougar insisted. No dogs. Don’t we have a no-dog rule?

We probably had a no-wolf rule, too, but that’s gone now, Shawn laughed at his cougar’s expression.

Life was good and he intended for it to stay that way. The shadow of Jane’s real mother being located still followed him, but he wasn’t going to let that spoil his life with Jane and Joanna.

“We’ll all sit down and talk about it,” Shawn said.

“We will?” Jane asked.

“Yes, this will have to be a family vote.” He reached for Joanna’s hand. “If that’s okay with you?”

“Sure, although I’ve always thought about getting a dog but never had the time. Police detective work means odd hours and never knowing when you might be late home. But between the three of us, we could organize a schedule to feed and walk a dog.”

“I’m outnumbered,” Shawn was ready to concede defeat. It would be nice for them to all have a pet to care for. It would help them bond as a family.

“You’d better make sure you get a male dog,” Joey advised, “or you will be well and truly outnumbered.”

“Boys against girls,” Jane said.

“You do not stand a chance,” Joanna told him.

“She’s right,” Joey laughed. “You do not stand a chance.”

“You know what’s funny?” Shawn asked as he slipped his arm around his mate and his daughter.

“You don’t care one bit.” Joey’s expression faltered and his cheeks flushed pink and Shawn swore his bottom lip trembled before he laughed and turned away. “I envy you.” He headed toward the front door.

Shawn passed Jane to Joanna. “I’ll just see him out.”

Joanna nodded, her eyes misted with tears. She’d seen it, too. Probably because she’d experienced the same kind of disappointment and longing herself before they’d met. As an older shifter, they’d both witnessed their friends and family meeting their mates. They’d smiled, said they were happy, and they were. No denying it. Each and every time Shawn had witnessed mates meeting and falling in love, he’d been filled with happiness. But with that happiness came a sense of longing, deep and wide, that could never be filled by anything other than their mate.

“Are you okay?” Shawn asked as they reached the front door.

“Yeah, sure. Just tired. Being a parent even for a couple of days is tiring.” He grinned, his earlier sadness gone.

Or well hidden, his cougar said.

“Thanks for helping me out.” A small smile twitched at the corner of his lips. “I’m sorry I didn’t buy you a fridge magnet, too.”

Joey laughed, a proper, found-it-funny laugh. “I am disappointed.”

“You hide it well.” Shawn fixed his friend with a knowing look. “It’ll happen for you, Joey.”

“The fridge magnet?” The humor slipped from his face. “I don’t know. Sometimes I think I’m destined to be lonely my whole life.”

“I don’t think anyone is destined to be lonely. And I certainly don’t think you are.” He patted Joey on the arm, feeling lame that there was nothing he could do to help him out. “You’re a good man and a good friend. And one day you’ll make a great mate. And a great father.”

“Yeah, thanks.” He raised his hand. “I should get going. I have an empty house to get back to.”

“I thought you were getting a dog?” Shawn called after him. “Or was that for my benefit so I’d have to get one for Jane?”

“You know me too well.” Joey laughed as he walked across the street to his truck. “Go back inside, Shawn. They’re waiting for you.”

Shawn waved as Joey yanked the truck door open and got inside. His heart ached for his friend. Shawn wanted Joey to feel the same way he felt for Joanna. He wanted him to know what it was really like to be a father. He was so good with Jane there was no question he would make a wonderful father.

“You can’t fix people’s lives for them,” Joanna said as he entered the kitchen.

“I know.” He gave a short laugh.

“Dad’s good at fixing people,” Jane insisted as she sat down at the table with a glass of milk and a couple of cookies.

“I can fix people’s bodies most of the time,” Shawn said. “But I can’t magic a mate up for Joey. I can’t give him a child to raise.”

“Why not?” Jane asked.

“That’s not how these things work,” Shawn explained gently.

“But I was given to you.” Jane dipped her cookie in her glass of milk and ate it thoughtfully. “Why can’t we get a baby for Joey?”

“Because…” Shawn looked at Joanna for help.

“You being adopted by your dad was special,” Joanna said gently. “Like a shooting star, it was unpredictable magic.”

“Like shifters and their mates?” Jane asked.

“Yes, just like your dad and I are mates and fate brought us together…” Joanna looked at Shawn as if checking that it was okay to carry on.

“You and I were fated to be together, too,” Shawn finished with a grateful nod at Joanna. He hadn’t thought about explaining it like that, but it made perfect sense to Jane.

As long as no one comes along and contradicts that, his cougar said, the fear that Jane might one day be taken from them obviously still on the feline’s mind.

If that happens, we’ll deal with it. We’ll find a way of explaining it, Shawn said.

“And now we’re a family.” Jane put her second cookie back on her plate and got up from her seat. “I like that.”

“We were always a family,” Shawn told her.

“I know, but with Joanna around, we can do fun stuff. You know, the girlie stuff you say you like doing but don’t really.” Jane spoke with the innocence of a child, not to wound him.

She’s just saying it like it is, his cougar said. No matter how hard you try to look happy, you do not like having your nails painted.

Shawn curled his fingers into his palms as he recalled the bright red nail polish Jane had painted on his nails.

And the mascara, his cougar reminded him.

Shawn had gone to the hospital the next day with black eyes. That stuff does not come off easily.

“I can see you’re having some uncomfortable memories there,” Joanna smothered a smile. “Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll get you some coffee? Or maybe you need something stronger.”

“No, coffee is just fine.” He hugged Jane. “You know I might not have enjoyed the makeovers and such, but I did enjoy spending time with you. I always enjoy spending time with you.”

“I know.” Jane took him by the hand and led him back to the table where they sat down next to each other. “Am I going to have a baby brother or sister?” She dunked her cookie in the milk and chewed on it while Shawn opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish.

“We might. We’d like to have a baby,” Joanna answered as she passed a steaming mug of fresh coffee to Shawn. “Wishing you’d gone for something stronger now?”

“Starting to,” he answered.

“I’d like a brother or sister. Or both. Sandra Davis has two brothers and two sisters. She complains about them all the time.” Jane chewed the last of her cookie thoughtfully. “I think she loves them all really.”

“Brothers and sisters like to argue. It’s a way of exploring how we feel.” Joanna sat down at the table and looked at Shawn and Jane, who were both staring at her. “What? It’s a fact. We explore our emotions in the safety of our families, we push boundaries…”

“No pushing boundaries.” Shawn wagged his finger.

“I promise not to.” Jane cracked a grin. “Not until I’m eleven at least.”

“Eleven.” Shawn nodded. “I’ll enjoy my quiet life while I can.”

Although, he suspected there was going to be little quiet in his life for the foreseeable future. Not with a wedding to plan and then hopefully a baby or two.

If we’re going to plan a wedding, we need a ring, his cougar told him.

Indeed, we do. Buying an engagement ring had just jumped to the top of his to-do list.

He wanted the world to know Joanna was his mate. That she was his and nothing would ever come between them.

Chapter Twenty-Four – Joanna

“You’re not going alone.” Shawn stood with his hands on his hips looking all protective and overbearing.

And incredibly sexy.

Joanna didn’t have time for sexy. “I have to go to work today. I’m going to check out the hotel on the way.”

“On the way?” Shawn held his hands out, palms face up, while his forehead creased in frustration. “It adds at least an extra hour on to your journey.”

“That’s why I’m leaving now.” Joanna kept her voice low. She didn’t want to wake Jane. Especially not to the sound of her dad arguing with his mate. In Jane’s world, two mates would always love each other and never disagree.

That’s kind of what we expected, too, her wolf told her.

Not helpful, Joanna replied.

“Joanna, please.” Shawn was hard to deny. But she couldn’t tell him she would stay home and stay safe.

“This is my job.” She went to him and placed her hand on his arm. With a gentle squeeze, she said, “I know what I’m doing. I just want to take a look at who is coming and going. Okay?”

Shawn’s jaw tightened as he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her mouth. Joanna leaned into him, her body pressed against his. Heat flared inside her as tendrils of desire unfurled. It would be so easy to stay. So very easy to decide to keep Shawn happy and not cause him worry and stress.

“I’ll stay safe.” Joanna took a step back, tearing away from her mate. “I’ll call you after. So you know I’m okay.”

Shawn inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Her mouth curled up at one corner. “For caring?”

He gave a short laugh. “Something like that.”

She went to him and kissed his cheek. “I love that you care. I really do. It gives me the warm fuzzies.”

“But you are a grown woman. A professional who knows how to take care of herself.” Shawn tapped his head. “My cougar just gave me a good talking to.”

“Good for him.” She grinned. “I know how you feel. I’d like to wrap you up and keep you safe. But that’s not healthy. That’s not life. If we never put ourselves out there, if we never take risks, we never grow.”

“But we would grow old.” Shawn arched an eyebrow, a smile on his kissable lips. She needed to get out of there now before she caved. Not to Shawn’s fears for her safety, but to her own desire for her mate.

“I will see you later.” She grabbed her overnight bag and turned on her heel, heading toward the door.

As she reached for the handle, Shawn dashed forward, his footsteps light, his arms strong as they folded around her and held her close. She looked up at him and he slipped his hand up her body, his fingertips caressing her neck before he cupped her chin in his palm. “I love you.” His lips found hers and with a searing kiss, he made sure she knew exactly why she had to stay safe. Why she had to come home to him.

“I love you, too.” She turned around and curled her hands around the nape of his neck. “It’s all going to take some getting used to. We’ve gone from being single, independent people to suddenly having another person to care for and worry about. It’s not happened slowly. Love hasn’t crept up on us like in a normal relationship.”

“I’m not complaining.” He kissed her lips before reaching behind her and opening the front door. “Go. Before I lose the strength to let you leave.”

“I’ll call you.” She stepped backward out of the house, taking one long last look at him before she turned around and walked down the driveway. With a final wave as she reached the street, she headed for her car which was parked on the street. Her hand shook as she unlocked it and got inside. Placing her hands on the steering wheel, she gripped it tight, the whites of her knuckles showing as she forced herself to breathe.

That was harder than I expected, she told her wolf.

We miss being with him. It will get easier. Her wolf lifted her head and howled a sad lament.

That makes me feel much better. Joanna inserted the car key in the ignition and switched the engine on. She needed to put some distance between her and Shawn. She needed to focus.

She needed to find the hotel Gerald Comer was using as a base for the women carrying the babies he planned to sell. It was a gamble driving so far out of her way to check out the hotel Comer had taken a lease out on. For all she knew, it was perfectly legitimate. But she couldn’t ignore it. The idea that vulnerable women were giving up their children just so the mayor could make a quick buck was like a worm in her head, burrowing deeper and deeper.

Yvette’s face, pale and frail, swam before her eyes. The woman had a mate. But she wasn’t in any condition to enjoy taking romantic walks with Lance or even going to dinner in a restaurant. Her recovery would be long and hard.

But she has Lance by her side. He’ll help her every step of the way, her wolf said.

I know. But being with Shawn. Laughing with him, making love to him, making breakfast with him. All the things we take for granted. Yvette will have to fight to get those back. All because of one man’s greed.

She pushed her foot down on the accelerator and left Cougar Ridge behind. As her car ate up the miles, she switched her focus to her mate and their plans for the future. She’d have to start looking for a new job soon. She wanted to be close to him and Jane, not a long commute away.

A glance in the rearview mirror made her wolf pine for the mountains surrounding Cougar Ridge. They would be happy there. She knew it in her heart.

Joanna drove into the large town where the hotel was situated on the north side. The area was rundown, not the kind of place that attracted tourists. It was ideal for a lowkey place to house pregnant women until they had their babies.

The kind of area where no one asks questions. Her wolf snarled.

I have some questions I’d like to ask. Joanna parked her car down a side road and got out. The air here smelled stale and she longed to be back in the clean fresh air of Cougar Ridge. The town was a wonderful place for a shifter.

The kind of place to raise children, her wolf added.

Definitely. Joanna locked her car and turned toward the hotel. There were few people on the streets, which made her presence more conspicuous. She couldn’t take a good look around without causing suspicion.

Crossing the street, she walked along the sidewalk on the opposite side to the hotel. As she drew level with it, she stopped and put her hand in her pocket and drew out her phone. Pretending to take a call, she walked back and forth a few paces with her head down as if she were looking at the ground.

Using her shifter senses, she listened and watched for any comings and goings. It was all quiet. Too quiet. Joanna lifted her head and scanned the front of the hotel. It was rundown, in need of a fresh coat of paint. The sign above the hotel read Palace eights since the H in heights had fallen off and was nowhere to be seen. Everything about the hotel screamed unloved.

She’d loitered long enough. Shoving her phone back in her pocket, she strolled along the street, using her senses to keep tabs on anyone who might come and go from the building as she walked.

This is going to be a wasted journey unless we get inside, her wolf warned.

We can’t go inside. Not even to the foyer. If we do, we might raise suspicions. And we don’t want to do that. Not if Fiona is going forward with her plan to meet Gerald Comer at his fundraiser in a couple of days. We don’t want this place closed down and the women moved to a new location.

We don’t know if this is the location, her wolf reminded her.

Joanna ground her teeth together and looked around. There was a coffee shop up ahead. She could grab a cup of coffee and something to eat and walk back to her car where she could hang around for an hour or so. She’d be late for her shift, but Trent wouldn’t mind too much.

He might if this is a bust, her wolf replied. There might be other leads to follow.

I have a hunch we’re in the right place, Joanna replied. Why else would Gerald Comer lease a hotel that obviously needs some TLC? No one is going to stay here so it’s just hemorrhaging money.

Unless he uses it for another means of income. Her wolf nodded sagely as if she’d just come up with the same idea Joanna had gotten yesterday.

You really don’t pay attention to me, do you? Joanna asked.

Sorry, I’ve been too caught up in dreaming about our mate, she replied.

Joanna bought her coffee and a bagel and walked back toward the car, only this time she kept to the same side of the street the hotel was on. As she closed in on the hotel, she pushed her senses to their limit and scanned the building for any people.

Tilting her head, she picked up the presence of fifteen people. Some were grouped together on the ground floor, while others were spread out through the upper floors.

Don’t do it, her wolf warned as Joanna stepped closer to the hotel.

I’ll go inside and ask for directions, Joanna replied. All very innocent. Nothing to raise concern.

With a deep, steadying breath, she stepped onto the first concrete step leading toward the hotel. But before she could go any further, a commotion broke out inside the foyer.

“You need to leave,” a male voice said firmly.

“Not until I’ve seen my sister,” a young female voice replied. The female’s tone was not so firm, it wavered with emotion.

“She doesn’t want to see you.” This voice belonged to an older female.

“Let me see her and she can tell me to my face.” The young female’s challenge was met with the sound of a scuffle. “Don’t touch me!”

“You’re trespassing,” the male said abruptly.

Joanna stepped back onto the sidewalk and kept walking. She didn’t want to be seen getting involved in this. Even though she did want to know what it was concerning. The young woman might just have the answers Joanna needed.

As she passed the hotel steps, Joanna could sense the three people involved in the argument exiting the main door of the hotel. The young woman was being escorted down the steps by the guy who walked next to her menacingly.

I could leap on him and knock him to the ground, her wolf said fiercely.

He’s a shifter, too, Joanna replied. We don’t want to end up in a brawl on the sidewalk in full view of other people.

Her wolf wasn’t happy with her reply, but she didn’t act, instead, she snarled angrily and scraped the ground with her forefeet.

“I’m going to the police!” the young woman yelled from the sidewalk as the man and the woman went back up the steps and blocked the doorway.

“And say what?” the guy asked.

“That you are keeping my sister in there against her will!” the young woman yelled.

“Whatever. Your sister made her choice. She’s been living here rent-free. We’ve been feeding her. We took care of her when she had nowhere else to go.” The guy sneered. “Where were you then?”

The young woman stared at him, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to argue back. Instead, she simply turned around and walked toward Joanna.

She is not in a good mood, her wolf warned as the young woman stormed toward them.

Good, she’s more likely to tell us all about what’s happening with her sister if she’s in a bad mood. Joanna stepped to one side as the young woman came striding toward her. As she walked, she took a long breath and when she let it out, she erupted into a strangled sob.

“Are you okay?” Joanna asked with concern as the young woman drew level.

“Yes,” came the answer.

Joanna pushed her senses out behind her. The couple from the hotel had gone back inside. Joanna was willing to take a chance and talk to the only positive lead she had. “Is your sister okay?”

“My sister?” The young woman swung her head around and fixed Joanna with a tearful stare. “What do you know about my sister?”

“Only that you were arguing with the people in the hotel.” A sympathetic smile spread across her face. “I’m not prying but you seem upset.”

The young woman shrugged. “My sister is inside the hotel and they won’t let me see her.”

“So they’re holding her captive against her will?” Joanna asked in disbelief. “Why don’t you call the police?”

“Because I don’t exactly know what’s going on with my sister.” The young woman looked over her shoulder reproachfully. “She went there of her own free will.”

“Why?” Joanna asked bluntly. “Sorry. I just wondered why anyone would want to stay in that place. It looks like a dump.”

“It is,” the young woman confirmed.

“So why? For a job?” Joanna asked, trying to find a way in, a way to get the woman before her to open up.

“Not for a job,” she answered. “But, yes, for money.”

“I don’t understand,” Joanna replied.

“My sister is pregnant, and this guy said he could help her out.” The woman’s eyes misted with tears. “My sister has no money and she thought we’d disown her because she doesn’t know who the father of her child is.” She took a long, shuddering breath. “Someone introduced her to this guy who said he could arrange for a nice family to raise the baby.”

“An adoption?” Joanna asked. “Have the adoptive parents been thoroughly vetted and gone through the correct process?”

She was fishing for information. Maybe she would get lucky. Maybe not. But it was worth a shot. If this young woman and her sister needed help, Joanna would be more than happy to step in and help them deal with the people at the hotel.

Especially if it meant taking down Gerald Comer, too.

If there’s a connection, her wolf reminded her.

“I don’t think this is a normal adoption,” the woman replied. She paused and looked back toward the hotel. “She was offered a room in that dump, plus they feed her, and she’ll also get a payment once the adoption is complete.” She curled her bottom lip. “For her trouble.”

“Her trouble?” Joanna asked with wide eyes. “You mean for having the baby?”

“Yes.” She took a deep breath. “I spoke to Gilly a week ago. We met at a café in town. I finally managed to convince her that we’ll be there for her as a family. That if she chose to keep the baby, we would all support her.”

“And she said she wanted to keep it?” Joanna asked.

“Not then. But she called me a couple of days later to ask me to come by and pick her up.” The young woman hugged herself and shook her head. “I haven’t seen her since. They won’t let me in, and her phone is dead.”

“Why not call the police?” Joanna asked. “I’m sure they will understand. Your sister is vulnerable, and it sounds as if these people are bullying her.”

Her eyes brimmed with tears. “I don’t want to get her into trouble. What if they just take her baby anyway because they think she’s an unfit mother?”

“Okay.” Joanna guided the young woman toward her car. “Give me your details and Gilly’s details and I’ll see what I can do. What’s your name?”

“Are you a cop?” The woman’s expression switched to suspicious.

“I am. But don’t worry. I don’t want to see a vulnerable woman get into any trouble. I want to protect her. Just like you do.” Joanna opened her car door and reached inside. As she grabbed a piece of paper and pen, her phone rang. “Here, you write down your details while I take this call.”

“Okay.” She didn’t look convinced, but she accepted the paper and pen. “My name is Clara.”

“Hi, Trent.” Joanna took a couple of steps away from the car.

“Where are you?” Trent asked.

“I’m at the hotel. I have a witness,” she said quietly. “Her sister is in there.”

“Babies?” Trent asked.

“Yep.” Joanna glanced toward her car. She half expected the young woman to make a run for it, but instead, she was scribbling down her details.

“I just spoke to Fiona. Lance has managed to talk to Yvette. She confirms that Gerald was the person responsible for the attack on her. The details are sketchy, but from what she said, she was at dinner with Gerald when he got a phone call. He left the restaurant abruptly saying it was because of work. She followed. There was an altercation, a couple didn’t want their baby. They were demanding their money back, saying they had made a mistake.”

“Oh, goodness.” Joanna felt sick to her stomach.

“Yvette got upset at this point, so we don’t know exactly what happened. But it’s enough.” Trent sounded tired.

“So we’re good to go with Fiona?” Joanna whispered down the phone.

“That’s what I wanted you to know. She won’t wait for the fundraiser, she’s on her way to his office now.” Trent’s words were like a punch in the gut.

“I’m on my way now.” Things were about to escalate. As soon as she had the details from the young woman, Joanna would be on the road, heading for a confrontation and hopeful arrest of a man who traded in babies.

We will nail him, her wolf promised.

Damn right we will.

Chapter Twenty-Five – Shawn

“You didn’t have to come with me.” Fiona side-eyed Shawn as he drove along the highway toward the city.

“Someone has to keep you safe.” Shawn rubbed his hand over his forehead and inhaled deeply. “Does Harlan know what you plan to do?” The question had been burning in his brain since he’d heard the news that Fiona planned to visit Gerald Comer at his office.

“Harlan is looking after our son.” Fiona ground her back molars together.

“That’s a no then.” Shawn shook his head. “I’m going to get on the wrong side of a dragon shifter no matter what I do.”

“I’m doing this for them,” Fiona insisted. “For my daughters, too. And for all the children who cannot protect themselves.”

“And what if this goes wrong?” Shawn asked. “What if you expose dragon shifters as being real to a man who likes to exploit those around him? A man who we already know doesn’t think twice about hurting other people.”

“It’s not going to happen,” Fiona said quietly.

“You can’t be sure.” Shawn didn’t want to argue with Fiona, but he also didn’t want to see her or her family hurt.

“I appreciate your concern. I’ve assessed the risks and I’m going ahead with the plan.”

“The original plan was to confront Gerald at one of his rallies.” Shawn checked the road signs, they were nearly at their destination. He flexed his fingers, his hands sweaty where they gripped the steering wheel too tightly.

“Plans change.” She turned her head and stared out of the window. The conversation was over.

She’s old enough to know what she’s doing, his cougar reminded him.

Age is not a barrier to making mistakes, Shawn replied.

However, there was little he could do to stop Fiona. He’d made his fears known and now it was time for him to be supportive and protect her if she needed him to.

She’s a dragon shifter, I doubt she’ll need our protection, his cougar replied. But if she does, we’ll be there for her.

“This is the building.” Shawn pulled off the street and drove into a large parking lot. The building itself was modern, all glass and metal. The sort of building that was meant to impress clients and make them feel the businesses contained were professional and trustworthy.

“Okay.” Fiona opened the car door and got out. “I’m ready.”

“You’re just going to walk in there?” Shawn asked.

“Yes.” She looked at him over the roof of the car. “I can be very persuasive.”

“Don’t I know it.” Shawn grinned at her and she gave him a small conspiratorial smile.

“I don’t think you would have accepted a child off anyone else, would you?” Fiona winked and ducked her head as she slammed the car door shut and straightened the long black raincoat she wore over a blue blouse and a black skirt. With her purse hooked over her arm, she looked like a wealthy businesswoman.

Shawn locked the car. “I’ll walk you to the building.” However, before they took another step, his cell phone rang. Taking it from his pocket, he checked the caller. His heart hammered in his chest, as it did every time he thought of his mate. “Joanna. Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” she said.

“Where are you?” The hairs on Shawn’s neck stood on end and he scanned the parking lot.

“Can’t you sense me?” Joanna asked. “And I thought we had a strong connection.”

She’s here, his cougar said.

How could we not have noticed? Shawn’s eyes fixed on a black car parked on the other side of the parking lot. There she is.

“We should talk before Fiona goes in.” Joanna opened her car door and got out. “It’ll just take a couple of minutes. We need to make sure Fiona is safe.”

“Fiona, we need to go and talk to Joanna.” Shawn inclined his head toward his mate and Fiona shielded her eyes as she looked in the direction of the car before nodding her head. “We’re coming over.”

“They’re not going to talk me out of this,” Fiona said brusquely.

“I think we all realize we’re past that stage,” Shawn assured her.

“I don’t know. That police detective, Trent. I bet he thinks he has a silver tongue and can talk me out of it.” Fiona tilted her chin up and strode confidently across the parking lot.

“Trent wants Gerald to pay for his crimes. We all do.” Shawn stopped walking and turned to face Fiona. “If you are going to do this, we all have your back.”

“You say the sweetest things.” Fiona walked around Shawn and kept moving toward the car. Shawn followed, hoping this would turn out okay.

More than okay, his cougar said. We need to crush Gerald into the ground and stomp on his ashes. Then we can finally move on with our lives and marry our mate.

Shawn chuckled to himself. You make it sound as if we have been dating Joanna for months. We have only just met. We haven’t exactly been waiting around for long.

It’s an eternity to me, his cougar replied. We should be buying engagement rings and arranging our wedding. Not trying to trap a rat.

Point taken, Shawn said solemnly.

“Fiona. I’m Trent. Good to meet you at last.” Joanna’s boss leaned over from the front seat and offered Fiona his hand.

“Good to meet you. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to meet us here.” Fiona gave a brief smile as she shook his hand.

“Our pleasure.” He glanced at Joanna. “We should get down to business. Nothing looks quite so suspicious as four adults sitting in a car in a parking lot.”

Shawn got into the car next to Fiona. “Hi, I’m Shawn.”

“Hi, Shawn.” Trent grinned. “I would like to say Joanna has told me all about you, but I’d be lying.”

Joanna’s forehead creased and she gave a fleeting apologetic glance toward Shawn. “Only because we have been caught up in trying to figure out this case.”

“It’s okay,” Shawn began. “I know you’re ashamed of me.”

Joanna looked horrified, while Fiona chuckled to herself. “We all know that is not true.”

“And if a dragon shifter likes you, then you are all right with me,” Trent said. “Maybe we should go out for a drink when this is all over. I can fill you in on Joanna’s past. I sure have some stories to tell.”

“Oh, no!” Joanna held up her hand to her boss. “When we first met, Shawn and I agreed that our pasts will stay in the past. Right?” She shot Shawn a pleading look.

“I am intrigued,” Shawn replied. “But I did agree, and I am not about to break a promise to my mate.”

“I’ll just have to talk to myself within earshot of you,” Trent replied then clapped his hands. “Time to get down to business.”

Joanna reached for a small earpiece that she passed to Fiona. “Wear this. And put these in your purse.” She handed Fiona a car key. “You can slip them both in your purse, and no one will realize we are recording what you say.”

“You’ll be able to hear me?” Fiona asked.

“Yes,” Joanna acknowledged. “If you get in trouble or need our assistance at all, just say the word, ‘broccoli.’”

“Broccoli. That’s not an easy word to work into a sentence,” Fiona replied as she put the key and the phone into her purse.

“Exactly. It’s not a word you would use in this situation and so you won’t say it by mistake.” Joanna fixed Fiona with a stare. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” Fiona nodded and reached for the door. “Car keys?” She reached out her hand to Shawn.

“What?” Shawn asked.

“I plan to ask Gerald Comer to take me to the babies now. I would like to drive there rather than get in a car with him.” She stretched her hand toward him. “I need your car keys.”

“I…” Shawn shoved his hand in his pocket and pulled out the keys.

“We’ll follow behind you,” Trent said. “Just keep us informed.”

“Will do.” Fiona turned around and walked off, leaving Shawn perplexed.

“Did you know she was going to do that?” He hoped the dragon shifter took care of his car.

She could just buy us a new one if it gets wrecked since she has all that treasure, his cougar reassured him.

“No,” Trent said. “But I’m not surprised. She has a mind of her own.”

“I just hope it doesn’t get her, or all of us, in trouble.” Joanna leaned back in her seat as Trent switched on a small box next to the dashboard. “Let’s listen in.”

“Didn’t you test it before she left?” Shawn asked in surprise.

“Yes.” He tapped the side of his head. “I had an earpiece in. But I figured it would be a good idea for us all to listen in on this.”

“I don’t like her going up there on her own.” Shawn ducked his head and looked at the building in front of them. The sun reflected off the glass, he wished he could see inside and know Fiona was safe.

“She’ll be fine. All she’s got to do is wave her checkbook around and Gerald will be putty in her hands.” Trent’s dislike for the mayor was obvious.

“Do you think he’ll leave with Fiona now and go to the children?” Shawn asked. “Just because she waves a check at him doesn’t mean she’s good for it. He might be suspicious.”

“I’m sure she’s thought it through,” Joanna replied. “Don’t you?” She half turned and looked at him over the back of the seat. “This is a woman who kept Yvette hidden safely away for years and who chose the right man to raise a child.”

“She doesn’t leave things to chance.” Shawn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Which means she must have a plan. One we might not like.”

“We might be about to hear it.” Trent sat up as Fiona’s voice came from the transmitter.

“I’ve come to see Gerald Comer, please.” Fiona exuded authority and there was a long pause accompanied by the tapping of a keyboard before the receptionist answered.

Shawn felt a little sorry for the receptionist. Her voice wavered as she replied, “I’m sorry. I don’t think you have an appointment.”

“He’ll want to see me.”

“He’s busy all day today.” The receptionist wasn’t firm enough. Fiona would eat her for breakfast.

“Why don’t you go and ask him? Tell him I have a large donation for his campaign. But I’ll only hand it over if I can meet him face to face.”

“I…” The receptionist was obviously unsure what to do under the circumstances. Shawn could imagine her internal debate. On one hand, she wasn’t supposed to disturb her boss, on the other, an intimidating woman who didn’t want to take no for an answer was offering money for the mayor’s campaign.

And no one turned down free money without a very good reason.

“Go,” Fiona commanded. Shawn could imagine the dragon shifter shooing the receptionist.

“I should…” There was the sound of a chair moving and then the sound of heels walking along a corridor.

Two pairs, his cougar said.

Fiona is following her. She is not taking no for an answer.

Have you ever known Fiona take no for an answer? His cougar had a point.

Shawn stared at the receiver, along with Trent and Joanna who sat in silence, anticipating the conversation between Fiona and Gerald. If she got through the door.

There was a chance this could all come crashing down around them. Gerald might simply tell Fiona he was too busy to see her today and that she should make an appointment.

A knock on wood. “Sorry to disturb you, Mayor.”

“Come in, Tina,” a male voice answered.

“I have a…woman to see you.” A pause. “Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

“That’s because I didn’t give it.” Fiona was in total command of the events unfolding. For now. Would the mayor let her in?

“I’m sorry. I’m very busy.” The mayor’s voice was closer to Fiona now.

Has he gotten out of his chair or has Fiona crossed the room to his desk? his cougar mused.

“If I could have a couple of seconds of your time, you’ll see that I’m not here to waste your time.” Fiona held her ground.

“A couple of seconds.” The mayor was very close now, his voice clear for the audio. “That’s not long to persuade me not to call security.”

“That’s all I need,” Fiona answered.

“I tell you what,” the mayor began. “You have until I walk back to my desk and call for security to convince me not to.”

“Deal. But we need to be alone.”

“Alone.” A brief laugh. “Is this where you accuse me of sexual misconduct once my receptionist has gone?”

“Oh, please,” Fiona said with exaggeration. “As if.”

“Then if you aren’t here for my charms, why are you here?” Gerald’s words might be light and bordering on flirty, but his tone was deadly serious. “Your time starts now.”

“You have a supply of shifter children. Babies, I believe, and I want one. In exchange, I’ll give you this.”

Gerald gave a low whistle.

The three people in the car all looked at each other. None of them had any idea what this was.

“Did she say anything on the drive here?” Joanna asked Shawn.

He shook his head. “Not a word. I figured she was going to write Gerald a check for his campaign.”

“Damn it!” Trent cursed under his breath. “This could blow the whole thing. What the hell is she offering him?”

“Is it real?” Gerald asked.

“Of course it’s real,” Fiona answered. “Do you think I’d come here with a fake diamond?”

“A diamond?” Trent asked. “Where did she… Her treasure.” He shook his head. “I keep forgetting she is a dragon with a whole heap of treasure at her disposal.”

“She must want to nail him badly,” Joanna said. “From what I gather about dragon shifters, at least about Kelos, they hate parting with any of it. It’s like cutting off a limb to them.”

“She loves children more,” Shawn murmured.

No doubt about it, his cougar agreed.

The question they both had was how far would the dragon shifter go to stop Mayor Gerald Comer?

Chapter Twenty-Six – Joanna

Joanna held her breath, waiting for Gerald Comer’s response to Fiona’s request for a child. Would he abandon caution when presented with a diamond?

It would be untraceable, her wolf said. The mayor is bound to know someone who would buy it no questions asked.

“Where did you get it from?” Gerald’s voice was laced with excitement. He was going to take Fiona’s bait.

“My treasure.”

“Treasure?” Gerald asked in surprise.

“Yes. I’m a dragon shifter. Can’t you sense me? Can’t you taste me on your tongue?” Fiona purred hypnotically.

A long pause. “I can.” Another pause. “May I?”

“Examine the diamond? Of course.” Fiona must have handed over the diamond and a long silence dragged out as the three people in the car waited for Gerald to make a decision.

“And you want a child?” Gerald finally asked. “Why do you think I can help you with this?”

“I’m not here to play games,” Fiona’s bored tone was evident. “It’s simple. I have something you want, and you have something I want. I’ve lived a very long time in this world and I’ve never met my mate. I crave a child. It’s like a thing inside me that is eating me alive.”

“Convincing,” Trent said.

“She always is,” Shawn replied.

“Okay.” Gerald nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“That isn’t good enough,” Fiona answered. “I want a child now. I want you to walk out of this office and go get me one. In return, you get the diamond and we never see each other again. I’ll just disappear.”

“Now?” Gerald croaked before clearing his throat.

“Now.” She sighed. “The diamond, please.”

“Here.” Gerald paused. “Okay. Now.”

“Let’s go.” Fiona kept her voice level.

“I have to make a phone call.”

“I’ll wait.” Fiona was playing hardball, not letting Gerald gain control of the situation.

Footsteps as Gerald returned to his desk and the chair creaked as he sat down. “Hello.”

They could not hear the other side of Gerald’s conversation.

“I’m on my way over. We have a small change of plans. I want the baby ready to go.” A long pause. “Yes, now.”

The call ended and the chair creaked once more as Gerald got up and crossed the room to Fiona. The doorknob turned. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. You can follow me in my car. I’ll take you to the baby now.”

There was a long silence punctuated by footsteps, the elevator, and then a door opening.

“There they are.” Shawn slid down in his seat, not wanting the mayor to see him.

“Relax,” Joanna told him. “Nothing says guilty like a person cowering in the back of a car.” She smiled to herself as Shawn rolled his shoulders and sat up straight. “Better.”

“So what now? We just follow them?” Shawn stared at Fiona and Gerald.

“We do. Once they are in their cars and heading for the exit, we follow along.” Trent sat still, his hand hovering over the ignition. “I just hope that this doesn’t backfire on us.”

“Fiona seems to have it under control,” Joanna replied as the dragon shifter walked across the parking lot with Gerald.

“Which is your car?” Fiona asked as they walked.

“The black Mercedes,” Gerald answered.

“Oh, that one.” Fiona kept walking with Gerald even though Shawn’s car was in the other direction.

“What is she doing?” Trent asked no one in particular.

Gerald reached his car and opened the driver’s door and slipped into the driver’s seat. “Is your car close by?”

“Yes, it’s over there.” Fiona pulled open the passenger door. “Just in case I lose you in traffic, where are we going?”

“There’s a place, a couple of towns over.” He paused. “Don’t worry. I won’t lose you.”

“Great” Fiona shut the car door and walked away, heading back across the parking lot to Shawn’s car.

As they listened, the sound of an engine starting and a radio filtered through the transmitter.

“What did she do?” Shawn asked.

“She slipped the phone into Gerald’s car.” Joanna couldn’t help but be impressed. This would give them eyes and ears on Gerald as he drove to the hotel, or wherever else he planned to hand over the baby.

“She doesn’t trust him,” Trent said quietly. He started the engine as Fiona got into Shawn’s car. “And I don’t blame her one bit. That diamond is too much of an attraction to a man like Gerald, but he might not hand over a child in return.”

“Instead, he might hurt Fiona.” Joanna swallowed down her anxiety and kept her cool. This was no time to let personal feelings get in the way of what they had to do.

“She also told him there was more where it came from.” Shawn’s hands gripped the front seats, the whites of his knuckles showing as Trent backed out of their parking space and drove out of the parking lot, tailing Fiona, who was tailing Gerald.

“Hi, Rex.” Gerald’s voice came through the transmitter.

“Yeah. I’m getting the baby now,” a gruff male voice replied.

“Okay. Take the baby to the kitchen. I’ll meet you there.” Gerald paused as the car took a right turn and headed out of town. “I also want you to get together a group of guys. Five or six. I want you to capture the woman I’m bringing with me.”

“Capture?” Rex asked.

“Yeah, that’s all you need to know,” Gerald answered. “Just be ready.”

“What about the baby? It might get hurt,” Rex asked.

“It’s bait. This woman is dangerous, but she won’t do anything if the baby is there, I’m sure of it.” Gerald turned onto the highway. “Just do it and be ready.”

“There isn’t much time to get my best people here,” Rex warned Gerald.

“It doesn’t matter. Just do what you can.”

The call ended and Joanna grabbed her phone as Gerald said, “I’m gonna get your treasure, old dragon. And there ain’t nothing you can do about it. I’ll make sure of that. In fact, a dragonhide might look good hanging on my wall.”

Joanna’s face paled. “We need to update Fiona on the risk. Do you want me to call for backup, too?”

“Backup might expose Fiona,” Shawn said. “If they find out she’s a dragon shifter.”

“We also don’t know where they are going,” Trent replied. “They might not go to the hotel.”

“I have an idea,” Joanna said. “Why don’t we get Fiona to stall? The three of us can go in and take care of the guys inside. Then she can come in with Comer and we can take him down.”

“I thought we were taking him into custody?” Trent asked.

“That’s what I meant.” Joanna also had a plan on how they could convince Gerald that Fiona wasn’t a dragon shifter after all. She tapped the phone screen and hoped Fiona would pick up. “You have handsfree, right?” she asked Shawn as the phone rang and rang.

“I do.” He chewed the inside of his cheek as they waited for Fiona to answer.

“Yes?” They were all grateful to hear her voice even though she sounded about ready to chew someone’s head off.

“Gerald is double-crossing you,” Joanna said quickly.

“Of course he is,” came the snappy reply. “I wouldn’t have expected anything less.”

“Fiona, you need to be careful. Gerald wants to get his hands on your treasure.” Joanna’s fear that Fiona was not taking this seriously enough grew.

“I thought he might.” Fiona huffed. “Listen, I want to take this guy down. And I wanted to make it too tempting for him to ignore me. I realize it’s a gamble, I really do, but I’ve met men like Gerald Comer before and I know how to handle him. And I knew I had backup.”

“It’s risky. For all of us,” Joanna replied. She hated the idea of Shawn never making it home to Jane. She also hated the idea of anything happening to any of them. She couldn’t live without Shawn and he would never be happy if anything happened to Joanna.

“It was risky for Yvette. But she took that risk. Alone.” Fiona’s voice cracked with emotion, her usual hard exterior splintering as she drove toward her fate. “I have to do this for her. I need to know she is safe and that will only ever happen if Gerald is behind bars. Now, you can either help me or stand aside.”

“You have a family of your own,” Shawn said over Joanna’s shoulder. “What happens to them if something happens to you?”

“Nothing is going to happen to me,” Fiona said firmly. “I am not going to let a man like Gerald Comer ruin anyone else’s life. Including my own.”

“Okay.” There was no point in arguing with Fiona. “We’re with you.”

“So, what is the plan?” Fiona asked. “I assume you have a plan.”

“That’s why I called,” Joanna said with infinite patience. “We’re going to need to work together on this.”

“What do you need me to do?” Fiona asked.

Joanna quickly explained how they were going to take out the men inside so that only Gerald was left standing. “There’s more,” Joanna added.

“Is there?” Fiona asked.

“I’ve come up with an idea. One that will mean Gerald won’t believe in dragons.” Joanna only hoped her crazy plan would work. “You would need to be in the right position and the timing would have to be perfect.” She explained her plan to Fiona.

“I like your idea. And I think between us we can pull it off.” Fiona let out a long breath. “Thank you for being here with me. Now, let’s take this bastard down.”

“Language,” Shawn said but Fiona had already ended the call.

“Are we ready?” Trent asked, eyeing his traveling companions critically.

“We are,” Joanna replied and took hold of Shawn’s hand. “Side by side.”

“We’re in this together.” Shawn smiled at her, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. He was scared. She could read it in his expression. This was not what he did. Shawn was a doctor, a man who saved lives, and yet here they were about to go into battle.

A small fight is not a battle, her wolf told her.

It is a battle, Joanna replied. One that will seal the fate of people like Clara’s sister, Gilly, and all the other women caught up in this.

We will win, her wolf told her firmly. We are strong.

Joanna simply hoped they were strong enough.

Chapter Twenty-Seven – Shawn

His cougar had never really fought before. Not for his life. Not for the life of his mate and other people who were depending on him.

“We need to move,” Joanna said as Trent stopped along the road from the hotel and they got out, running toward the back entrance that led into the kitchen. Or so they hoped.

Joanna had been here yesterday and gotten a good look around, but they were all acting with the belief things would work out for them rather than any hard scientific fact.

Shawn liked facts. Being a doctor was all about tests and results made by machines that didn’t act on instinct.

“Are you all right?” Trent asked Shawn. “You could always wait in the car.”

“No, I’m fine. I have your backs. Or your fronts, whatever you need.” Shawn gave a short laugh and ran his tongue across his teeth as his lips stuck to them. “I’m nervous.”

I’m not, his cougar replied. I’ll fight with teeth and claws until the bad guys are crawling on the ground begging for mercy.

“I’m nervous, too,” Joanna said before Shawn had a chance to answer his cougar. “It’s a good thing, believe me.”

“It’s what keeps you alive,” Trent agreed as they went around the back of the hotel. “It’s what stops you from believing you are invincible.”

“Thanks.” Shawn ran his hand through his hair and inhaled the scent of his mate as she sidled up beside him. His courage rocketed. With Joanna by his side, he would take them all down. He needed to protect her and keep her alive. For both their sakes and for Jane.

“Fiona is around the front keeping Gerald busy, but not for long.” Joanna looked over her shoulder toward the front of the hotel. They could all hear the conversation between Fiona and Gerald.

“Is she really calling him out and asking him if this is a setup?” Trent asked.

“She is.” Shawn chuckled. “Come on. Let’s do this.”

Trent nodded and they ran together into the backyard of the hotel. Trent went first, running up the steps to the back door which led into the kitchen. He turned the handle and the door swung open, revealing five men, and one woman, who was holding a baby.

“Baby,” Trent said to Shawn and he dashed forward, his arms open to take the baby from the woman.

“Let’s do this nice and quietly,” Shawn said to the woman as she backed away, the baby pressed tightly against her body.

“I’ll hurt her,” the woman threatened.

“Do you really want to do that?” Shawn asked as the room behind him exploded in a tornado of fur and fangs.

The woman’s eyes went wide but she didn’t relinquish her grip on the baby. “I’m going to leave with her, and you are going to let me.”

“That is not going to happen,” Shawn replied.

“She’s my baby and I can do what I want.” The woman challenged him with her words but her nervousness as Joanna’s wolf snarled and took out one of the men drew a gasp from her lips.

“The baby is staying here. She needs a medical examination.” Shawn tilted his head to one side as he assessed the woman. “Why don’t you give her to me and leave?”

“No.” She shook her head and tightened her arms around the baby.

Snarls and hisses mingled with groans as two men and a wolf lay on the ground injured. For a moment Shawn’s heart stalled. Was that Joanna’s wolf? But then he saw her, a magnificent creature snarling and snapping at another of the men in the kitchen.

Shawn switched his attention back to the woman and baby. They were running out of time, Fiona and Gerald would be here any moment, he had to get the baby.

“Mimi? Is that baby Mimi?” A woman appeared in the open kitchen doorway. She fit the description of the young woman Joanna had spoken to yesterday. “It is. That’s the dress I bought for her.”

She ran forward but the woman holding the baby backed away, heading toward the door leading into the hotel.

“Give me the baby.” Shawn slid his hands around the small child and eased her toward him, but the woman was not letting go.

Not until the young woman, Clara, pulled her fist back and smacked it into the other woman’s face.

A shocked expression crossed the woman’s face and for a moment she stood still, dazed, her eyes unseeing. Then she fell backward, her arms flailing as she slipped to the floor. Shawn tightened his grip on the baby and cradled her close. She was safe at last.

Shawn held the small baby who had been rescued from an uncertain future. As he looked down at her tiny hands and her gentle face, his heart ached. It was as if he was looking at Jane all those years ago.

“Take the baby.” He handed her to Clara before he turned his attention to the ongoing fight in the kitchen. Two men were left standing. They had armed themselves with knives and were brandishing them at the snarling wolves.

Trent is a wolf, too. I never would have guessed. He looked more of the bear type, his cougar said.

Time for us to act. Shawn shifted into his cougar and leaped through the air. More agile and stealthy than the two wolves, he lashed out as he sailed past the first guy with a knife and sent the metal blade spinning across the kitchen floor to land under one of the stainless-steel cabinets.

Trent immediately took out the guy, his sharp claws raking down the guy’s legs and bringing him to his knees before Trent lashed out with a large paw and knocked him unconscious.

One to go. His cougar looked up. Gerald and Fiona were coming this way. Shawn swung his head around and snarled at Joanna. She had to go. If this plan was going to work completely, she had to hide before Gerald entered the room.

Joanna’s wolf nodded and ran forward, dodging past the unconscious men on the floor before leaving the kitchen through a side door.

We just need to take out this last guy. His cougar assessed the situation and moved to stand side by side with Trent. This needed to be resolved quickly, but Shawn’s cougar had lost the element of surprise. He wouldn’t catch the guy unawares.

Trent jumped onto the countertop, snarling as he approached the man with the knife. Shawn sidestepped and approached from the guy’s left. He could not take both of them out at once, but the sharp knife could inflict a mortal wound on either of them.

Shawn lifted his paw and patted the guy’s foot. He lunged forward and Shawn dodged back out of the way. Before the guy had a chance to act, Trent’s wolf disappeared, the next instant, Trent reappeared in his human form and swung his fist at the guy’s head.

Bringing the knife up, he lunged at Trent’s midriff. Shawn saw his chance and cat-leaped onto the guy’s back, bringing him crashing down to the floor.

Trent jumped off the counter and landed lightly, before drawing his fist back and knocking the guy out.

“We need to go.” Trent ran for the door, ushering Clara and the baby out.

“What about my sister?” Clara asked.

“We’ll make sure she’s safe.” Trent put his arm around them both, shielding Clara and the baby as they left the hotel.

Shawn’s cougar crouched behind the counter, hidden from Gerald and Fiona as they entered the kitchen through the hotel. He wasn’t going anywhere while Joanna and Fiona were still in danger.

“What the hell happened here?” Gerald asked as they entered the kitchen.

“Where is the baby you promised me?” Fiona spat as she stood in the doorway. Shawn sensed that she hadn’t entered the kitchen. Perhaps Joanna’s crazy plan might work.

“Baby?” Gerald asked incredulously as he leaned down and checked the pulse of one of his men.

“Yes, the baby. The one I said I would pay you for. Or have you forgotten?” Fiona asked tartly.

She is certainly trying to goad him into action, his cougar said.

Let’s hope it works, Shawn replied as they held their breath and waited for Gerald’s next move.

The mayor straightened up. “Are you responsible for this?”

“Yes, I can be in two places at once,” Fiona replied caustically. “I thought a man like you would run a secure operation. I was wrong. This place is a dump and your men are incompetent.” She backed away from Comer.

“Give me the diamond.” Gerald’s tone was nasty, threatening, and demanding as he thrust out his hand.

“No. You don’t have the baby I wanted. So no diamond.”

“But I’ve got something,” Gerald said quietly. “I have your secret. Dragon shifter. I’m sure there are plenty of people who would pay a high price to hunt you.”

Fiona laughed. “You really fell for that, didn’t you?”

“Don’t think you can walk away. I know what you are. I saw your eyes glow, I saw the smoke…” Gerald’s threatening tone made Shawn’s blood boil. He wanted to leap out and scratch the mayor’s eyes out.

“Smoke and mirrors,” Fiona said as Trent entered the kitchen behind Gerald. “We set you up and you fell for it, you greedy little man.”

Gerald glanced over his shoulder at Trent. “I know what you are. Where else would you get a diamond that big? It’s priceless.”

“This piece of glass?” Fiona held up the diamond and then dropped it on the floor where it shattered into a million pieces. “And I’m not a dragon. I’m a wolf.”

Shawn crept forward and looked around the counter. Fiona’s eyes glowed amber as she stepped backward through the doorway. Slowly she began to fade, and the air filled with static electricity.

Shawn’s cougar held his breath as Joanna’s wolf appeared and leaped forward, knocking Gerald to the ground. He cried out in fear as drool dripped from the wolf’s fangs onto his face.

“Now, now, there’s a good wolfy.” Trent stepped forward and batted the wolf away.

While Gerald’s attention was fixed on the wolf, Fiona returned to the world in human form and slipped out of view.

As Trent read Gerald his rights, Shawn’s cougar slinked out of the hotel, into the backyard where Joanna’s wolf joined him. They shifted behind the shelter of the wall along the side of the street, unseen from prying eyes.

“I need to go and help Trent arrest them all,” Joanna said. “Backup is on its way.”

“I’ll wait here for you,” Shawn assured her.

“I’ll be as quick as I can.” She kissed his cheek and went back inside.

“We did it.” Fiona had gone out the front entrance of the hotel and circled around the back.

“Remind me never to underestimate you,” Shawn told her.

“I am a formidable force. So I’m told.” She grinned. “It was kind of fun. Especially when I switched places with Joanna. He really did believe I was the wolf.”

“I think crushing the diamond probably made him believe you weren’t a dragon shifter. What kind of dragon are you if you destroy your own treasure?” Shawn asked.

“A sleight of hand,” Fiona replied. She took the large diamond out of her purse and showed it to Shawn. “Perfect.”

“So it’s true. Dragon shifters really don’t like parting with their treasure.” Shawn slipped his arm around Fiona’s shoulders. “I’m glad you are safe, Fiona.”

“Thanks, Shawn.” She put the diamond back in her purse and then drew out a small box. “And you’re right, I do not like parting with my treasure. Unless it’s for a very special reason.” She took hold of Shawn’s hand and placed the box in it. “Such as an engagement.”

“An engagement,” Shawn replied. “I thought you were already married.”

“You know what I mean.” Fiona punched him lightly on the arm.

“You don’t have to do this. You’ve done enough for me already,” Shawn told her. “You already gave me the greatest gift when you gave me Jane.”

“This is just a thank you from me to you. For raising a wonderful daughter and helping me with this.” She nodded toward the hotel. “Yvette has been on my conscience ever since that night. This has given me closure.”

“It’s beautiful,” Shawn said as he opened the box to reveal a diamond-encrusted ring. “I’d say it’s too much, but nothing is too much for Joanna.”

“Then give it to her the first chance you get,” Fiona advised.

“I will.” He grinned. “I just hope she says yes.”

“How can she refuse?” Fiona asked. “Joanna is the perfect mate for you and the perfect mother for Jane.”

“Unless Yvette helps us find Jane’s biological mom.” The specter of losing Jane still haunted him.

Fiona shook her head. “Lance asked her.” She placed a hand on Shawn’s arm. “Yvette has no idea who Jane’s mom is. Or was. She doesn’t have a clue as to who the people were who handed Jane back to Gerald. Sure, she might remember something else, but I don’t think you have to worry about losing Jane.” Fiona leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “She is your daughter, Shawn. She always has been, and she always will be. You two were meant to be together just like you and Joanna are meant to be together.”

“Fate.” Shawn gave a low laugh. “I think you might be right.”

“Of course I am.” Fiona winked at him, her eyes a deep amber. “And no one argues with an old dragon shifter.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight – Joanna

“Oh, dinner smells wonderful.” Joanna entered the kitchen, her damp hair hanging around her shoulders. She’d had a leisurely shower where she’d washed the stresses of the day away. Now she was dressed in sweatpants and a loose T-shirt and was ready to eat. “I am starving.”

Jane looked at Shawn, her cheeks flushed with excitement. Something was going on.

“Before we eat,” Shawn began, “There is something we would like to ask you.”

“There is?” Joanna brushed a damp tendril of hair away from her face. “Is it something I’m going to like?”

Maybe they are going to give us a key to the house, her wolf suggested. Or maybe it’s that vacation we talked about. Her wolf stretched out leisurely, happy after a day consisting of fighting and seeing Gerald Comer finally arrested.

“Yes. You’re going to like it,” Jane assured her. A smile spread across her lips and she reached her hand up and took hold of Shawn’s hand.

“Did you make brownies?” Joanna asked. She inhaled deeply. “I don’t smell them.”

“No, it’s not brownies. Or cookies.” Jane couldn’t contain her happiness.

“Your dad got you a dog?” Joanna arched an eyebrow at Shawn. “If he did, that was some fast work since I’ve only been in the shower for ten minutes.”

“Twenty at least.” Shawn chuckled as he reached in his pocket.

“I was in the bathroom for twenty minutes but not in the shower for that long,” Joanna insisted, still unsure of what was going on between father and daughter.

Jane pulled on her dad’s hand to get his attention. Cupping her hand to her mouth, she said, “Are you going to ask her?”

“I am.” Shawn looked nervous as he stepped closer to Joanna, although he still held onto Jane’s hand.

Joanna’s mouth went dry and she swallowed down her nerves as it suddenly hit her what was happening. Surely, it was too soon? Where had Shawn gotten a ring from? Her forehead creased. She must have gotten it wrong. She was jumping to conclusions.

Breathe, her wolf advised. And enjoy the moment.

That’s easy for you to say, Joanna answered.

“Joanna.” Shawn dropped to one knee while Jane covered her mouth with her hand and giggled nervously. “Would you do me the honor…”

“Do us…” Jane prompted her dad.

“Would you do us the honor of being my wife…” He looked sideways at Jane.

“And my mom?” Jane broke into a smile bright enough to eclipse the sun.

“Yes.” There was no hesitation, no need for thought.

“Yay!” Jane let go of Shawn’s hand and leaped into Joanna’s arms. “Can I be your bridesmaid?”

“Of course,” Joanna answered. “We can go dress shopping together. If you’d like to.”

“Yes, please.” Jane hugged Joanna so tightly she nearly choked her.

“Do I get a hug, too?” Shawn asked.

“Always.” Joanna wrapped her free arm around Shawn and held him close.

This was about as perfect as life could get. She was about to become part of a new family. One that would grow, with any luck, when she and Shawn had a child of their own.

As the three of them stood in the kitchen hugging each other, it was a new beginning for them all.

Joanna could not wait to see what the future held. She was ready to put her past behind her and strike out anew with the man of her dreams and a child she loved by her side.

Epilogue

“What if she doesn’t like me?” Jane asked.

“Why would she not like you?” Shawn asked as he helped Jane into her new dress. This was a special occasion and Jane was incredibly nervous.

It’s not every day you get to meet the woman who saved your life, his cougar said.

I know, but how could anyone not like Jane? Shawn wished there was something he could say to chase away his daughter’s fears.

“I don’t know. The last time she saw me I was a tiny baby.” Jane twirled from side to side as she looked at her pretty dress in the mirror. “What if she likes babies more?”

“Yvette will love you just the way you are. She can’t wait to meet you.” Shawn grabbed a hairbrush off Jane’s nightstand and dragged it through her hair before braiding it.

“You are an expert,” Joanna came into Jane’s bedroom and sat down on the bed, a small gift-wrapped box in her hand.

“What do you have there?” Shawn asked, his eyes straying from the box to the ring on his mate’s finger. He could not wait to marry Joanna and make her his wife. It was like a dream come true.

“I have a gift for Jane.” Joanna held out the box to Shawn’s daughter. Her eyes widened in excitement as she reached out for it.

“Thank you.” Jane’s hand shook a little as she accepted the gift. “Can I open it now?”

“Sure.” Joanna watched as Jane carefully pulled on the bow and untied the shiny ribbon before peeling off the red foil gift wrap to reveal a box. Opening the lid, she inhaled deeply, and her eyes lit up. “It’s beautiful.”

“Wow.” Shawn loved the heart pendant Joanna had chosen for Jane. “Shall we put it on? I think it’ll look amazing with your dress and your braids.”

“Yes, please.” Jane turned around and looked in the mirror as Shawn carefully took the pendant from the box and placed it carefully around Jane’s neck.

“I love it.” Jane looked at herself in the mirror for a long minute or two before she slid off her seat and went to Joanna. “Thank you so much.” She flung her arms around Joanna’s neck and hugged her.

“You are most welcome.” Joanna dropped a kiss on Jane’s head. “Yvette will be so proud of the young lady you have become.”

“Do you think so?” Jane pulled back and wrinkled her nose.

“I know so.” Joanna looked up and turned to the window. “They’re here. Let’s go and meet them.”

Jane ran from the room, her feet carrying her down the stairs and to the front door. Joanna got up from the bed and headed for the door, but Shawn caught hold of her hand and drew her into his arms. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Joanna asked. “I didn’t buy you a gift.”

“No, but you gave me the best gift ever.” He kissed her lips and murmured, “You.”

“The gift that keeps on giving. The gift you can never return.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body close to his. “I love you so much. I love being part of your life and Jane’s life.”

“And we love you.” He inhaled her scent. “You made us complete.”

Joanna sighed. “I want you to hold me forever, but we should go downstairs. This is a special day for Yvette and Jane.”

“It is.” He brushed his lips across hers and then took hold of her hand, leading her downstairs.

“Can I open the door?” Jane shuffled her feet as she stood by the front door.

“Sure.” Shawn held back, nervous about this first meeting between Jane and Yvette. Not that he would let Jane see his anxiety. But he was worried it might be overwhelming for both of them.

With a deep breath, Jane smoothed out her dress, shook her braids back from her shoulders and placed her hand over her heart locket as if it was a talisman that would keep her safe. Then she opened the front door.

Yvette was in a wheelchair, her legs still not strong enough to support her. Behind her stood Lance, his expression one of concern, too.

Yvette smiled nervously as she saw Jane for the first time since that fateful night. “Hi, Jane. I love your dress.”

“Thanks.” Jane hopped from foot to foot, then took a step forward and then another. Yvette opened her arms and they embraced, the connection between them would always be there.

“This makes it all worthwhile,” Yvette sobbed as she hugged the girl she’d saved.

She was right. It was worthwhile. As Shawn held his mate in his arms and watched the daughter he’d been blessed with, he knew he would not change anything. This was where they were supposed to be.

This is not the end of the story, his cougar said. This is just the beginning.

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READING ORDER FOR

Bear Creek Clan and Bear Bluff Clan

Complete Box Set

Or available individually
suggested reading order

(each can be read as a standalone
but why not start at the beginning and get to know all of the characters?)

Rescued by the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book One)

Finding Her Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Two)

Tamed by the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Three)

Snowbound With The Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Four)

Biker Bear Billionaire (Bear Creek Clan Book Five)

Bound To Her Bear (Bear Bluff Clan Book One)

Doctor Bear (Bear Bluff Clan Book Two)

Stranded With Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book Three)

A Bride for the Bear (Bear Creek Clan Book Six)

Home Or Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book Four)

Fated To Her Bear (Bear Bluff Book Five)

Lonely Bear (Bear Bluff Book Six)

Wolf Valley Raiders

Complete Box Set Out Now!

Or available individually
suggested reading order

Redeem the Wolf

To Catch A Wolf

Reclaim the Wolf

Awakening the Alpha

Biker Bears

Forbidden Bear

Secret Bear

Christmas Bear Brothers

Complete Box Set Now Available

Or available individually
suggested reading order

Santa Paws

Christmas Catastrophe

Bear Humbug

Fated and Mated

Love at First Site

Her Scars To Bear

Her Choice To Bear

Her Russian Bear

Who’s the Daddy?

Complete Box Set Available

Or available individually
suggested reading order

One Bear and a Baby

Her Bear and a Baby

Second Chance Bear and a Baby

Baby Protector Bear

Return to Bear Bluff

Complete Box Set Available

Or available individually
suggested reading order

The Bear is Back in Town

His Bear’s Necessity

Black Bear Down

Who Bears Wins

When Bears Collide

Wish Upon A Bear

Cowboy Brother Bears

Complete Box Set Available

Cowboy Bear Blues

Cowboy Bear’s Mate

Cowboy Bear’s Fate

Return to Bear Creek

Daddy Bear

Mountain Bear

Honey Bear

Forever Bear

Storm Bear

Silverback Dragon

P.I. Bear

Doctor Daddy Bear

Bad Boy Bear

Silverback Bear

Ranger Bear

Christmas Bear

Hero Bear

Undercover Eagle

Single Daddy Dragon

Secret Baby Bear

Silverback Wolf

Awakened Dragon

Treasure Bear

Silverback History Bear

River Run Wolf

Silverbacks and Second Chances

Cursed Bear

Lucky Bear

Fated Bear

Song Bear

Blind Date Bear

Christmas Bears

Sleighed

Claused

Wrapped

Shifters Prime Sleeping Lions

Complete Box Set Now Available

Living a Lion

Freeing a Lion

Fighting a Lion

Sci-Fi Romance

The Princess and her Alien Rogue

The Princess and her Bounty Hunter

Chosen by the Karal

Complete Box Set

Or available individually

Deceit

Love

Power

Hunger

Devotion

Warriors of Karal

Stranded

Found

Taken

Hunted

Allies

The Dualis

(Mate of the Cave Bear)

Found (Book One)

Lost (Book Two)

Return (Book Three)

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