“I will.” I released my hold on him and walked up to the house.

  I meant what I’d said to Chandler: I would protect her. But I also wanted the chance to love her. And how could she ever love me in return if she didn’t really know me? All of me.

  My earlier promise to keep the pack and werewolves from her taunted me. Chandler was probably right about it putting a bigger target on Madison’s back if she knew the truth about shifters. Maybe I was being selfish by wanting to tell her.

  Or was I just afraid to trust her with the truth?

  I jogged up the steps to the house and opened the door, shoving the impossible questions away as I greeted everyone. Today was a celebration. Our pack was growing.

  Madison was glowing sitting beside her brother and Wendy. Those babies were lucky to have her as their aunt, and they didn’t even know it yet.

  After the games were done and the gifts were opened, Naomi and Kaya, a gifted chef and member of our pack, brought out a cake with music notes on it. Wendy smiled, her eyes widening. “It’s gorgeous!”

  Naomi set the cake on the table and caught her son Ben’s hand before he could stick it in the frosting. “Not yet.”

  Her little boy grinned, trying to look angelic. “I wasn’t gonna touch it, Mama. It just looks pretty.”

  “Yeah.” Naomi nodded, unconvinced as she mussed his dark hair. “You don’t fool me.”

  Ben’s twin brother, Bart, was standing by Wendy, his hand pressed against her round belly. Of the twin boys, Bart was older by a few minutes. As the eldest son of the Alpha, he’d take over leadership of this pack one day. No one had told him that yet, but he had always been the thinker of the two with a maturity that seemed inherited.

  He looked up at Wendy. “Auntie Wendy, your babies are going to be strong wolves.”

  My gaze snapped over to Naomi, but she was already running damage control. “You mean strong boys, like you and your brother.”

  Bart seemed to catch her hidden message. The twins were only three, so keeping the fact that most of us were wolves and jaguars one night a month secret was still tough for them to manage.

  Before Bart could alter his assessment, though, Ben blurted out, “But we’re wolves, too, Mama!”

  Naomi looked right at me as she set the cake on the table. Everyone had been careful all day to keep any mentions of werewolves out of conversation. Chandler and Wendy had made the big announcement about the twins, and he’d already told Madison about the gestational diabetes to cover the fact that although Wendy was only four months along, she was enormous. We were doing our best to hide that she was already full-term for a shifter. From my spot across the room, I figured I’d be delivering the babies sometime this week.

  I cleared my throat. “You’re like wolf cubs, for sure. Maybe you can be bears next week.”

  Ben shook his head. “That’s not how it works, Uncle Cole.” Then he turned to Madison with a grin. “You’re a human. Maybe you’ll get to be a wolf like my Mama someday.”

  Okay, I’d just made it worse.

  Madison’s eyebrows shot up and her jaw dropped, but she was still smiling as she replied. “Sometimes I’m a bear if I don’t get my coffee in the morning.”

  Ben, oblivious to all our attempts to divert his observations, walked over to Madison and patted her knee. “You don’t shift into a bear. We’d smell it.”

  Confusion lined her brow, and I got up and offered her my hand. “Can you help me in the kitchen?”

  She took my hand and followed me out of the room. The boys were quickly distracted by cake. Thankfully, Gage’s little guys weren’t here today. Gage was the single dad of our pack, and his twin boys were six months younger than Bart and Ben and even more unwieldy when it came to keeping shifters secret.

  When we got into the kitchen, Madison pointed back at the living room and whispered, with no clue all the shifters in the other room would have no trouble hearing her, “The boys are…imaginative.”

  I nodded slowly, studying her face. “That’s true.” I reached for her hand. “I need some air. Come on.”

  We headed out the French doors to the back patio. When we were outside and far enough from the others so that no one would hear, I stopped and turned to face her. “This was my first baby shower. Are they always so…”

  “Exciting?”

  I laughed. “Is that what it was?”

  “I’ve only been to a few, but games, baby gifts, and cake are pretty on target. Little boys calling themselves wolves and me a ‘human’ are new, though.”

  I chuckled, shaking my head. “They’re wild animals most of the time so…” I sobered, searching her eyes. “Is everything okay? You said something scared you when I picked you up today.”

  She shrugged, breaking eye contact as she stared at the Red Rock mountains in the distance. “It had to be my imagination, but I swore I saw a flash of light and heard a woman ask for help.” She snuck a peek over at me. “Maybe I had heatstroke.”

  I wasn’t laughing. We had a pack member who had survived experimental procedures at the hands of the now-defunct Nero Organization that had left him with psychic abilities I still wasn’t sure of. “Maybe. Tell me about it.”

  Crossing her arms, she sighed. “The voice came from the southeast. The only place I know in that direction is Serenity Farms, but it’s miles away from where I was running. There’s no way I heard something from all the way over there.”

  I wanted to comfort her, or give her support, but her body language closed me out. “Maybe not physically. Did you hear the voice with your ears? Could it have been inside your mind?”

  “I already told you I probably imagined it.” She let out an exasperated sigh, dropping her hands to her sides. “You don’t need to point out it that was all in my head.”

  Shit.

  “That’s not what I’m saying.” I waited for her to look at me before I went on. “I mean someone could have reached out to you…psychically.”

  “Like telepathy?” Her eyes widened, and she laughed. Only it didn’t sound like she was amused. “Okay, that’s even more out there than me thinking I saw a light from the ranch when it was miles away.”

  “Is it?” I searched her eyes. Could she really be this rigid in her beliefs? Even if I told her about werewolves, she probably wouldn’t believe it until I shifted right in front of her.

  “You really believe that?” she asked.

  “I can’t do it, but do I believe it’s possible?” I shrugged. “Yeah. I think it could be.”

  “Wow. Okay.” She chewed on that for a few seconds.

  I couldn’t help the feeling she was judging me. If she couldn’t even entertain that psychic abilities like telepathy could exist, would she ever be able to accept that I had a wolf’s instincts, heightened senses, and one night a month, I physically changed into an animal?

  Finally, she broke the silence. “Even if someone was capable of mental telepathy, why me? I don’t know where they are or who they are, and I can’t reply. It’s much more likely I had heatstroke and imagined it.”

  “It wasn’t hot enough for heatstroke.” I didn’t mean for the dismissive edge to creep into my voice, but it was too late now. “Think outside the box for a second. What if your instinct about it coming from the ranch is right?”

  There could be more danger there than I thought.

  She raised her eyebrows. “That’s pretty far outside the box.”

  “Never mind.” I broke eye contact, shaking my head as I scanned the Red Rocks in the distance. The more we talked about this, the more I worried that she wouldn’t believe me about my true nature even if I told her.

  And it hurt.

  Her warm hand slid into mine. “What’s wrong?”

  Her voice, combined with her touch, pulled on the one-sided mate bond. My wolf appreciated the comfort she offered, but here I was, growing more certain she’d never accept that same wolf.

  “Something’s not right, and you’re standing here trying to talk yourself out of it.” I withdrew my hand and glanced her way. “You suspected your boss might be spying on you somehow, and now you heard someone calling for help from the direction of the ranch. We might not know how it’s possible, but I think it’s rational to recognize you could be in danger.”

  Her eyes flashed with that passion I’d seen the first time we met at the ranch. “It’s a big leap from being spied on to being in danger.”

  “Why would Deidra Harlow be recording us at the barn?”

  She placed her hand on her hip, studying my face. “I don’t know. Maybe she doesn’t want us telling people about the breeding programs or something. Unless there’s something else I should know?” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re asking me to believe in mystical abilities and my brother has been acting weird ever since I got here. What am I missing?”

  I clasped the back of my neck, wishing I could rub out the mounting dread. “I’m probably way off base, but when I hear someone call for help, I try to figure out how to give it to them, not stand back and wonder if they really need it.” I dropped my hand to my side and sighed. “When Deidra gave you the tour of the main house, did you notice anything out of place? Any people who shouldn’t have been there or weapons?”

  “No.” She started to frown when the door opened behind us. Chandler and Wendy came out holding hands.

  He kept his distance from me while Wendy wrapped me in a tight hug and whispered, “Chandler told me you found your mate. Congratulations.”

  “Little early for that,” I murmured and stepped back. “Are you guys heading home?”

  “Yeah.” She nodded with questions in her eyes, but thankfully Chandler must’ve told her Madison had no idea about being my mate. In fact, Chandler hoped she’d never find out.

  I forced a smile. “Get some rest while you can.”

  “Will do.” She turned to Madison and embraced her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

  Madison chuckled, shooting a look at her brother. “At least someone is.”

  Chandler gave Madison a quick squeeze. “I love you, sis. Be careful, okay?”

  “I love you, too.” She glanced at her very pregnant sister-in-law and then back at Chandler. “Take good care of Wendy.”

  Chandler and Wendy disappeared back inside the house, and Madison rubbed her hands up her arms. “I should probably get back to my place. I’ve got plenty of boxes to unpack.”

  I wasn’t ready to take her home, but I needed to regroup. How could I keep her safe when she didn’t believe she might be in danger?

  We made our way through the house saying our goodbyes to all the pack members. By the time we got out the front door, my phone buzzed. I took it out of my pocket and frowned at the text from Chandler.

  Wendy’s water broke.

  Aw shit.

  CHAPTER 10

  Madison

  The color drained from Cole’s face as he stared at his phone. He sent a text reply and pocketed his cell. “I have to get to my clinic right away. I’m going to see if Asher can take you home.”

  Asher? I’d just met him. He was Naomi’s husband and this was their house, but beyond that, he was a stranger.

  “I don’t mind tagging along to the clinic.” My tone brightened. “Maybe I can be your assistant again.”

  “That’s not a good idea this time.” He turned to go back inside, and I caught his hand.

  “Wait.” When he met my eyes, I recognized the calm, cool doctor I’d seen while he was treating the mare with colic. I sighed. “Is this about the telepathy stuff? Why are you shutting me out?”

  “I don’t have time to explain right now, but I promise I will, okay? You’ll be safe with Asher.”

  And there was that word again. Safe. Was there some kind of crime spree in this mystical desert town that I wasn’t aware of? Cole and my brother acted like I could be on someone’s hit list and needed a bodyguard.

  I followed him inside. He was already asking Asher to take me home. I stopped beside Cole and interrupted. “I’m just going to get a Lyft home. It’s no big deal.” I eyed Cole. “I didn’t realize I’d be this much trouble.” I focused on Asher. “Thanks for the wonderful shower. You’ve got such a beautiful home.” I glanced at Cole. “Hope the emergency goes well.”

  Without waiting for a reply, I made a beeline for the front door and got outside before anyone could interrupt me with another round of goodbyes. I barely remembered all their names anyway, and for some reason, my emotions were in hyperdrive. I kept replaying my conversation with Cole out back. Why was he so insistent that what I’d heard during my run might be real?

  I pressed the Lyft app and groaned. The closest car was forty minutes away. The door opened behind me, and I tensed.

  “I’m sorry.” Cole’s gruff voice made my traitorous heart race.

  I didn’t turn around. “No problem.”

  “Actually, it’s a huge problem.” He came up beside me. “Maybe we can talk about it in the truck?”

  “You made it pretty clear I’m not welcome.” I crossed my arms, fighting the urge to touch him. “Why would I get in the truck with you?”

  He jogged down the steps ahead of me as he answered. “Because your brother is going to be a dad tonight.”

  It took a second for his words to sink in. I raced after him and jumped in the passenger side of his vet truck, my heart racing. It was too soon for the babies to be born. “Wendy’s in labor? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “That’s what we need to talk about.”

  I buckled my seat belt, puzzled by his answer. Whatever Cole wanted to discuss, he didn’t look happy. Maybe the tense lines on his face were due to the twins being so premature. He wasn’t a human doctor, but he must’ve understood the risk for babies born this early.

  He drove through the gates and onto the narrow road, the ranch shrinking behind us as we got farther away. My phone remained silent. I stared at it and frowned. “Why did Chandler tell you and not me?”

  He tightened his grip on the wheel. “Because I’m delivering the babies.”

  “What?” My jaw dropped as I struggled to grasp the situation. “You’re an animal vet. Why are you delivering my brother’s premature twins?”

  He didn’t so much as peek in my direction. “They’re not premature, and your brother and Wendy can’t go to a hospital. They’re meeting us at my clinic. I’m the closest thing to a doctor we’re going to get.”

  I had to be dreaming. This couldn’t be real. “I don’t understand. Chandler has health insurance, and Wendy inherited a fortune. There’s no reason they can’t afford a hospital stay.”

  “No doctors.” Cole finally glanced my way. Pain shadowed his hazel eyes. “You’re not going to believe me if I tell you everything anyway, and I swore to your brother you wouldn’t hear any of it from me, so let’s just leave it at that for now.”

  “No.” I wanted to shake him, but I also didn’t want us to fly off the road at eighty miles per hour, so I resisted the urge. “Either tell me what’s going on or let me out of the truck.”

  I hated that I was trapped in a moving vehicle. I’d never yearned to walk out and slam a door more than I did right now.

  “We’re in the middle of nowhere.” He didn’t take his eyes off the road.

  “I don’t care where we are.” My phone buzzed, interrupting my meltdown. Chandler’s name lit up the screen. I accepted the call. “Chandler! Cole told me the babies are on their way. Is Wendy all right?”

  “She’s doing amazing.” He didn’t sound worried about the high-risk birth.

  I frowned. “Shouldn’t she be in a hospital with a NICU unit? She’s not even five months along yet.”

  Cole took the phone from my hand, speaking into it like a walkie-talkie. “Madison is coming with me to the clinic. We’ll be there in ten minutes. How far apart are the contractions?”

  “About five minutes.” There was a long pause. “You probably have time to take her home first.”

  Cole met my eyes and replied, “I’m not lying to her anymore.”

  He ended the call and handed me my phone. Heat blossomed on my cheeks and rage smoldered in my belly. “What the fuck was that? And what do you mean about lying to me?”

  Chandler’s name came up on my screen again, but Cole caught my hand before I could answer. “Don’t.”

  “I’m not going to ignore my brother’s call while his wife’s in labor.”

  He released my hand. “Your choice.”

  I glared at Cole, wondering what I ever saw in him. “Sorry, Chandler.”

  “Tell Cole to take you home, okay? I’ll explain everything later.”

  “Why wouldn’t you want me there?” I frowned. “I can wait outside. What if something happens?”

  “I’m protecting you, okay?” His tone was clipped and firm. “Trust me. You’re better off going home. Wendy’s going to be fine.”

  I hung up and set my phone on the seat. My chest hurt.

  He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “He wants me to take you home so I don’t tell you what I am.”

  I rolled my eyes, way past my fill of mansplaining. “You’re a veterinarian, not an obstetrician.”

  He chuckled, but the smile never reached his eyes. “True.” He glanced at me and back to the road. “You know how pissed you are right now?”

  “Super pissed at you and my brother.”

  He nodded without looking at me. “Ready to be even more pissed and maybe a little afraid.”

  Afraid? Of what? Chandler’s comment about protecting me echoed through my mind.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Why would I be scared of you?”

  He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. “I hope you won’t be, but judging how you reacted to the idea that maybe someone could reach you with telepathy, I’m guessing my news might tempt you to jump out of my truck.”

  He had to be joking, but a muscle jumped in his cheek, and when he stole a look at me, regret shone in his eyes. Instinctively, I reached over to squeeze his leg. The urge to comfort him made no sense, but the desire to ease his pain came from a primal part of me that I’d never realized existed.