The Baby Shift- Ohio Read online

  The Baby Shift: Ohio

  Shifter Babies Of America 23

  Becca Fanning

  Copyright © 2019 by Becca Fanning

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Also by Becca Fanning

  Chapter 1

  Dirt. Since she could remember, Ashley didn’t mind dirt, unlike her other two older sisters. While the older Davis siblings pranced around in dresses for play fashion shows in the living room, Ashley spent her time gardening with their grandfather in the front yard. She learned how to pick out a plant from a mile away.

  “Poison oak,” she muttered now with a frown as she marked a brief area with neon spray paint. Not the best for the environment, but better to keep the hikers away from this spot. Last week, a group of scouts had accidentally tumbled right into poison ivy. She drew herself up and dusted off her pants.

  It’d only been a week since she’d come to the Sterling National Park. One of Ohio’s hidden spots, it offered forested areas and just enough elevation to be an attractive spot for locals to head to when the bigger parks got overcrowded by tourists. She cracked her neck and admired the silence of the forest. She liked being alone.

  It was better this way. Her heart squeezed. After catching her boyfriend in the arms of his coworker two months ago, she’d decided to leave her old life behind. It was lucky for her that this park had been looking for a new ranger. They had the budget for only one full-time replacement, and she had to live out in a cottage in the woods. Alone and surrounded by nature? She could manage that. She smiled to herself. It made the heartbreak easier…although it did get a bit boring.

  She’d already finished her work for the day, so she headed back to her cabin. Her cozy cottage sat at the bottom of a sloping mountain. Here, the forest became dense and wild. She’d been told by her boss to never venture up towards those woods unless it was an emergency. It was a mistake her last predecessor had made…a man named Carl, she believed.

  She learned Carl had messed with the Shifter clan that lived in the forest and shivered. It wasn’t Shifters that scared her, but rather the unknown. Apparently, Carl was nothing but nosy, and his constant intrusions into the Shifter clan’s area caused too much strife. He narrowly avoided losing his head to an enraged beast one night.

  “They could at least introduce themselves though,” she muttered as she entered her cabin. Wasn’t it rude to wall yourself off from the rest of the world? The world was civilized. They knew Shifters existed. This particular clan was Bear shifters, she knew. Her boss said it was a community of forty holed up there behind a handsome wooden and brick fort. Surely, they could get along.

  Yesterday had been her weekly venture to the nearby town for groceries. She grabbed her Italian coffee press to begin making coffee. There was nothing better than a fresh cup of coffee in the wilderness. Today, she’d make banana bread with walnuts, as her mother used to before she passed away. As she puttered around her kitchen, she began to hum. The sunlight streamed through the windows. She’d scrubbed the glass clean, as Carl had been lazy with his housework.

  She smirked. Maybe he wouldn’t have gotten into so much trouble if he’d spent more time taking care of this little cabin. She prepared the coffee press and turned on the gas stove. A sudden thump rang outside. She jerked her head to the side just in time to see a hulking shadow cast an outline through the front window.

  “Hello?” a deep voice called. Her adrenaline dropped but only by a small amount. She was a woman alone. There was a loaded gun in her safe. She patted the mace in her back pocket with a reassuring air, threw the kitchen towel in her hand over her shoulder and headed for the front door.

  Handsome wasn’t what she was expecting. His smirk hardened as if pleased by her wide eyes. Cocky wasn’t what she wanted either.

  “How can I help you?” she asked with folded arms to the towering man on her porch. He was massive, tall and strong like an oak tree. Handsome like he’d stepped out of a wilderness gear magazine. His broad shoulders bounced as he let out a chuckle. It was dark and deep and full of tantalizing sounds that made her suddenly uncomfortable in the late winter air.

  “Jacob Midnight,” he said with a gruff hand outstretched. She shook it, her own hand feeling entirely too dainty and small in his powerful grip. She spotted a necklace around his powerful throat. An emblem of a bear shimmered in the sunlight. Her eyes widened.

  “You’re from the clan,” she said with a glance up towards the mountain. “I’ve been told to stay away from your area.”

  His smirked grew. She felt a sudden surge of annoyance and attraction. “Good,” he said. “That’s why I came by. We caught a new scent. We wanted to make sure that the same thing that happened with the last one wouldn’t occur again.”

  She drew herself back with cold air. His words had slapped her square in the face. “I assure you that I have no intention to go into your territory.” She stared at him. “However, I do think that it’s important that we be friendly neighbors.”

  “Staying away from each other is friendly,” he said with glittering eyes. “Privacy breeds respect.”

  She snorted. “Whatever you say, Jacob.”

  He raised a brow. “And your name?”

  “Ashley,” she said in a flat tone. “Not that it matters if you’re going to stay inside your area.” He laughed, and she suppressed a shiver.

  “Fair enough,” he said. A sudden movement and sound on his back caught her eye. She glanced behind him. He turned to display a leather baby carrier on his back and a squirming baby. “Ah, that’ll be Phoenix.”

  Her heart softened as she glanced at the squirming infant, a gorgeous baby with big brown eyes that were staring at Ashley with some curiosity. She hated herself for being so soft when it came to children, something that she’d always wanted with her ex-boyfriend.

  “I’ll stay away from your area,” Ashley told him. He nodded, the infuriating smirk gone.

  “Thank you.” He glanced towards the sun. “We should be going.” She watched him leave while the sparkling-eyed babe on his back watched Ashley. His hulking form disappeared into the forest.

  Interesting, she thought to herself. Well, the lovely father and daughter pair wouldn’t be around much, she guessed. A shame. He was handsome. Her mind kicked that thought away. He had a baby! Surely, he had some lovely bear-like wife at home. She flushed as she went over her coffee to switch the stove off before it burnt.

  The goosebumps never seemed to leave her.

  Chapter 2

  “Gorgeous, right?” Jacob asked Phoenix with a grin as they left. His baby babbled nonsensically in reply. He chuckled. “She reminds me of your mother. Feisty.” His chest burned painfully. It’d been nearly a year since his wife had passed away, his faithful mate. She’d contracted a disease shortly after Phoenix was born. The clan had all come together to mourn her passing and take care of Phoenix.

  Still, he kicked himself for finding that human woman attractive. How his wife would’ve teased him if she could see him now, harassing a cute human woman about not wandering into their territory. But, their clan was strict and the last ranger…was it Charles? He couldn’t remember. One of the younger boys had accidentally shifte
d one night and nearly tore about the old ranger. He snorted. It wasn’t exactly their fault. They’d warned him to stay put.

  That’s why he’d come by to visit her. Ashley. He tried to push her pretty face away from his mind. She’d been brewing coffee. He’d smelled it. It didn’t seem like a bad idea now. Phoenix let out a wailing cry as they approached the clan’s handsome fort. He smirked. Coffee wasn’t a bad idea now.

  “How’s the fresh meat?” Ken, one of his long-time friends and one of the clan’s ruling members, asked as Jacob came in. “Phoenix doesn’t sound too happy.”

  “She’s peed herself, that’s why,” Jacob replied with a laugh. “They’ve got a little human woman as the new ranger. She was smart-mouthed, but I don’t think she’ll give us any trouble.”

  Ken raised an eyebrow. “Cute?”

  Jacob rolled his eyes as he took the carrier off his back and held Phoenix in his arms. “No time to talk, I’ve got to change a diaper.” Ken sent him a sneaky smile as Jacob retreated into his cozy lodge. He changed Phoenix quickly and wrapped her in a new tunic. The women of the clan had been too kind to him without his wife, often taking turns helping him with the laundry. Everything in their clan was split equally between genders, but they knew that his mate’s passing had been hard. Often Shifters invited other clans to visit in order to make mate matches. Ken had already asked if he’d be interested in hosting an exchange party to meet any eligible women from nearby clans. Jacob had firmly turned him down.

  It wasn’t that he was opposed to meeting another woman. Only that it was too soon. Right? He sighed as he wrapped Phoenix into his arms. She let out a happy laugh. Ken mentioned that it would be better for Phoenix to have a mother. Of course, Jacob knew that. He wished for it. But, he was still mourning his love for his old mate.

  “She would want you to be happy,” Ken kept telling him. Easy for him to say. Ken had met his mate, Amanda, when they were only children, and they’d been together since their teenage years. Jacob couldn’t imagine another woman in his life yet. Not that he didn’t wish for fun between the sheets. There were bars on the outskirts of the park that he could go to for that. He hadn’t…yet.

  What was it about Ashley that had caught his eye? She was a petite brunette. Average, strong build. Wavy hair piled on her head. There’d been dirt streaked just beneath her eyes. She was a hard worker. He’d felt the rough pads of her hands during their handshake. It was easy as a Shifter to know if you could trust a human. You could smell it on them. And Ashley…he could smell that she was honest, but she was closed off. Not like that other ranger had been; he was too involved in other’s business. It was as if she’d cut herself off from others. He frowned. What would a young human woman want to do in these woods anyways?

  The next day, he told Ken that he was going to volunteer to check the territory parameters. Ken smirked.

  “Going to see the ranger again?”

  Jacob rolled his eyes. “If I happen to, perhaps.”

  “Amanda and I will watch Phoenix,” Ken said with a huge grin on his face. He couldn’t seem to contain himself, and Amanda came out of their hut with Phoenix in her arms to swat at her husband’s arm.

  “Leave Jacob alone,” she chided. “Let him actually do some work around here.”

  “Unlike some people,” Jacob called out with a grin as Ken put on a fake pout.

  “I work hard,” Ken protested as Jacob left. Before he went out of the gate, he heard Amanda laugh and say to her husband, “You work hard at running your mouth!”

  Jacob missed the banter between a couple like that. He missed the feeling of someone in his arms, the feeling of soft skin beneath his strong hands. He pushed those wanting thoughts away as he plunged into the forest. It was easier to run in his bear form, but he only saved those nights for when he needed to hunt, to keep his skills fresh and when they were training the younger Shifters. Eventually, his own daughter would be organizing her own hunt nights and meeting someone to make her mate.

  Jacob started with the other side of the mountain, hoping that by the time he looped around to the side near the ranger’s station that he might miss Ashley. Or run into her. He wasn’t sure. He frowned as he watched a nearby pack of deer scamper away from him as he approached on foot. He wasn’t usually this loud, but perhaps he wasn’t being careful with his footsteps while deep in thought.

  His mind wandered on feverishly as he walked. He stopped at a nearby creek to grab some water. A bird flitted by, happily chirping as it went. He smiled. It wasn’t all bad in the forest. How he relished the smell of earth and the sounds of the forest. The first two hours passed by without incidence. He found a few beer cans, likely from local teenagers, but not much. It was still off-season for their area. As he rounded the mountain, he came near the ranger’s station. He tried to settle the excitement jumping in his body. The beast inside him pawed at his hesitance. He shook his head as he approached. Perhaps she wasn’t here…

  Those faint hopes were dashed as he saw the brunette emerge from around the corner, toting a bag of soil. She was wearing a visor to shade her face from the sun and didn’t see him until she turned.

  “Mr. Shifter,” she called pleasantly. “Are you wandering outside of your area?” He found her smile infectious, but he tried to clear his throat nonchalantly.

  “Cleaning up some beer cans from local teenagers in our area,” he said and lifted his garbage bag as evidence.

  Her eyes softened. “Sorry about that. We can put up more signs to hopefully keep them out as we enter high-season.”

  He shrugged. “When have teenagers ever paid attention to signs?”

  She laughed as she set down the bag of soil and brushed off her dirty gloves. “Fair enough, Jacob. Where’s your little Phoenix today?”

  “With our clan,” he explained and then felt suddenly awkward in her delightful human garden. She’d somehow managed to transform the old ranger station into something out of a human storybook.

  “With her mother?” she ventured.

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Actually, it’s complicated…” Her cheeks turned red.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said suddenly. “I didn’t mean to…if you’re separated or…”

  “Phoenix’s mother passed away about a year ago,” he explained. “Don’t worry.” Her eyes widened.

  “What a kind neighbor I am,” she muttered. “I’m as bad as Carl!”

  Ah, Carl, that was the old guy’s name. He smiled. “Not quite, he was always lurking around the fort despite the presence of bears. Don’t worry about it.” His watch buzzed. It was time to return from his rounds to help with the evening meal. A thought caught in his mind. “The clan has a special evening meal once a week. Would you like to come next week?” The question was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. “I was thinking it might be better that we introduce you this way, so they don’t think that you’re another Carl.”

  She cocked her head to the side and smiled, a bit embarrassed. “That sounds nice.”

  Chapter 3

  It was slow work getting the trails ready by herself for the oncoming spring, which would bring hikers and happy families out of their defrosting homes. She didn’t mind it. As she plugged away, she listened to an audiobook. It was a romance novel that her sister had recommended. A woman’s torrid romance with a wolf Shifter. She snickered. If only her sister knew that Ashley had been chatting with a handsome Shifter herself!

  With a dead wife. She grimaced as she brushed more debris to the side. The fallen leaves had to be swept aside on every trail. Perhaps it was better if she kept her distance from Jacob. Yet, she hadn’t minded his visit yesterday. He was helping clean up the forest with his clan. She frowned. Although his invitation was kind, she was nervous. Shifter clans were notoriously closed off from humans. What could she make to bring to their meal?

  She thought about it all afternoon while listening to her book, getting lost in between ideas for recipes and her book. As she approached her cabi
n, she caught sight of two dejected looking teens retreating from the mountain.

  “Hey,” she called out to them. “You know that area is off limits, right?”

  “Now we do,” complained one with a scowl. “That big jerk threatened to kick our asses if we came back into the forest.” He jerked a thumb behind him, and she squinted, making out a familiar form in flannel down the path. She sighed.

  “The trail down that way is open,” she told them. As they left, she marched her way towards Jacob, who was frowning.

  “Are you having fun scaring the local youngsters?” she asked with her hands on her hips. He crossed his arms defiantly.

  “They were smoking in our territory.”

  “Well, they are teenagers,” she said with a shrug. “But, you don’t have to threaten them.”

  “They could’ve started a fire.”

  “Yes, but you’re a supernatural adult,” she reminded him. “I don’t like snot-nosed brats as much as the next person, but I don’t threaten to deck them.”

  “I strongly suggested they move elsewhere and that they were in Shifter territory,” he replied in a rising strong voice.

  “That’s fine,” she muttered. “But, keep the violence to a minimum.” Who did he think he was? She eyed his powerful muscles, wondering how powerful they might feel. Her eyes flicked back to his gorgeous broad face.

  “My clan is important,” he said.

  “Everyone is important!” she reminded him and turned on her heel in a huff. She didn’t bother turning around to say anything else. A bit of guilt settled in as she put away her tools for the day and came back into her cabin. Jacob only cared about keeping his territory safe, but it still wasn’t an excuse…Then again, those teens could’ve started a fire. She groaned and put some tea on to boil. Still, if those kids told their parents, then it was her that would get into trouble.