The Baby Shift- Maryland Read online

  He stabbed the meat purposefully and shot her a glance. “As much as they want. At least once a month. The full moon demands it.”

  “So, it’s a bit like the werewolf myths?” she asked. Beside the table, Star was in a pelt-covered basket, a Shifter baby-seat contraption. The baby always seemed to sleep heavily after drinking Shifter milk. Still, Lisa talked softly.

  “Yes, but Shifters have much more control than modern myths would lead you to believe,” he explained. “Humans love to think that we’re all just losing control every other second. A Shifter transforms only under extreme distress.”

  “Physical or emotional?”

  “Either,” he sniffed. “But, we’re not monsters set off by someone calling us a bad name. It takes a lot. Why are you asking about this anyways?”

  “Just wondering,” she said. She hummed and pushed her own meal, a healthy selection of vegetables and grilled chicken, around on her plate.

  He said nothing, but she caught his handsome skeptical smile from the corner of her eye.

  Lucas

  The baby’s cries woke Lucas from a fitful dream. He went to her before she woke up the rest of the house. In his arms, Star quieted, staring up at him with round eyes. Hard to believe she was human, he considered as he rocked her back and forth. And hard to believe that he, Lucas Thunder, was caring for a young mortal babe in a stranger’s house.

  Stranger wasn’t quite right, he considered. He and Lisa had spent quite a few hours together. Her scent sometimes spiked with fear and interest around him. Granted, he enjoyed. As soon as Star went back to sleep, he placed her gently into the crib and watched over her for some time. Sleep wouldn’t come back so easily to him. He needed to run himself to exhaustion. With quiet steps, he crept through the house and slipped out the sliding back door.

  A waxing moon tonight. He stretched his limbs and shed his clothes. Naked beneath the moonlight, he sighed in relief. He transformed the way he always did. The limbs melting and transforming, the fur growing first from his head and then everywhere else. He shook himself as he flexed in his wolf form. With a contented snort, he took off into the night, running until he forgot his worries.

  The human woman seemed dreamier than usual in the morning. She stared out the window while pouring her coffee. It began to overrun from her mug and onto the floor.

  “Blackwood,” he said in a playful tone. “Your floor says that’s enough coffee.” She broke from her dreamy state.

  “Oh,” she said with a start and set the coffee pot and mug to the side. She went to grab a rag, but he’d already snatched a wet sponge from the sink.

  “Trouble sleeping?” he asked in a teasing voice. He liked smelling her agitation and spikes of fear. “Trouble with the novel?”

  “No, no,” she said, much more subdued than usual. She wasn’t even looking at him as went to pour out a bit of the coffee from her full mug. “Not the novel. Well, not really.”

  “Is it hard writing a book?” he asked as he stood up. He noticed her cheeks flaring red as his tank top rose up, exposing his abs. A wave of pride washed over him as he smirked.

  She sipped her coffee and wiped the counter. “No, not after the first one. Once you know you can write on, you just keep going.”

  He smirked. “I suppose that’s a lot like Shifting.”

  “Really?” she asked with interest. He enjoyed the way her eyes widened. Her makeup was smudged beneath the eye, giving her a wild look, which he liked. They drifted back to the breakfast table. “What’s it like?”

  “As a wolf?” he asked with a lifted brow. She nodded, cupping her hands around her mug.

  “Yes, when you Shift.”

  He leaned back in his seat, soaking in her interest. “It feels like pure power,” he said, voice gruffer than he intended. She gave a visible shiver, wrapping her housecoat tighter around her. Star babbled something in her sleep, turning in her basket. His lips quirked upwards into a half-smile. “Well, I suppose in the beginning, I felt like our dear Star. Clumsy and without much control. But, you learn. You get better.”

  “When was your first time?”

  He smirked. “Are we still discussing Shifting?”

  She rolled her eyes, the wit finally back with her. “Yes, Lucas!”

  “I was fifteen. It’s sort of like supernatural puberty.”

  She smiled. “Sounds awful.”

  He laughed. “You’re right, but you get better. And now, I have nearly complete control over it.”

  “Nearly?” She cocked her head to the side, her hair moving with the movement. He caught a delicious scent, her shampoo from the shadow. It smelled of tropical fruits. She blinked. He was taking too long to respond. He cleared his throat.

  “Nobody can control it perfectly,” he explained with a shrug. “Like I told you, it takes a lot.” Her eyes were starting to glaze over again off to her dreamland. “Blackbird, you’re not putting whiskey in that morning coffee?”

  Her eyes snapped back, clearer. She smiled and rubbed an embarrassed hand into her cheeks. “No, I’m fine. Quite sober. Dreaming about my book. I guess you were right.” She shook herself and grabbed her coffee. “I’m off to my office.” He stared at her retreating form, dashing off down the hallway. He turned to regard Star, who was now awake with bright open eyes.

  “She’s lying,” he told her. “I don’t know about what, but we’ll figure it out soon enough.”

  The baby only offered a small giggle. He raised an eyebrow. All the baby books he’d been reading said that wouldn’t be coming for another two months. He strolled over and took Star into his arms, admiring her chocolate brown eyes.

  “Star,” he addressed the baby girl. “You’re legally required to tell me that you’re a supernatural baby. Are you?”

  Star only blinked her wide eyes in response.

  “Two mysterious women in the house,” he mumbled.

  “Are you talking to someone?” Lisa’s call came from down the hall.

  “It’s nothing!” he promised with a chuckle. Nothing at all.

  Lisa

  The silver wolf used to merely stay in Lisa’s dreams, but he was haunting her during the day now. She snatched herself from daydreams about him more and more. Like at this moment. She shivered as she came back to the present, sitting at her office desk. She sighed, long and tired. Another day, another pot of coffee, another day of pushing forward with her plot.

  From her office window, she could see Lucas in the front garden, digging planter beds for a small vegetable garden that he wanted. Shirtless, as always. She bit her lip as she indulged in a look. None of her boyfriends had ever been quite as wild or toned as Lucas. Not that he was her boyfriend, but still, she wasn’t around half-naked men much.

  As if sensing her eyes, Lucas straightened and turned. She ducked down from the window, feeling woefully foolish. The glare from the sun outside probably rendered the windows like a reflection, but still. She buried her face into her hands with a sigh.

  What was wrong with her? Star gave a little cry from her rolling crib in the living room. Lisa peeked out of the window and saw Lucas still working. She went to the living room to comfort Star.

  “Hungry?” she asked the baby. The baby whimpered. Lisa prepared a bottle for Star and fed her. The front door opened down the hall, and Lucas came trotting in, wielding a strange metal box in his hands.

  “I found it in the yard,” he said with a note of caution. “Your parents weren’t secretly into landmines, right?”

  Lisa snorted as she rocked Star. “Not in the least. Let me see.” He set the metal box on the nearby coffee table and her eyes widened. “That’s…that’s a time capsule my parents buried.”

  He dragged his eyes upward. “Like an artifact burial?”

  “Something like that. You can bury it as a way to remember souvenirs.”

  “Do you want to open it?” he asked, his long fingers brushed the box’s edges. A sudden surge of sadness and fear came over her. She shrugged.


  “Sure,” she said softly. “We can see what’s inside.” He seemed not to notice the quiver of her voice as his hands pried open the two heavy metal latches. The box fell open with a faint dust cloud. He coughed and waved his hand.

  “I’ll wipe that up later,” he said about the layer of dust settling on the table and then gently placed the objects next to the box. “Do you want me to hold Star while you look at it?”

  She nodded numbly and passed Star to him, who happily went into his arms to be cradled. Lisa’s fingers went first to the small, knitted doll that her grandmother made her. There were faded baseball cards, a joke book from her older brother, her first writing assignment in high school with a comment in red ink that told her to pursue creative writing. The final object was a vintage picture. A polaroid of her parents. She picked it up with a delicate hand and the tears were gently rolling down her cheeks before she knew they were even coming. How happy and young her parents looked.

  “My parents,” she whispered and brushed away the tears. “They died in a car accident two years ago.”

  His lips set into a firm line. If she looked hard enough, there was empathy teeming beneath those golden eyes. “My mother passed when I was young,” he replied and put a hesitant hand on her shoulder, cradling Star in his other arm. Lisa’s skin broke out into goosebumps from the contact, but he was warm. Warmer than she’d ever felt. She almost melted into the heat and comfort.

  “It’s hard,” she admitted. “But, it gets better.”

  “You’re right,” he said. She laughed suddenly, thinking of the wolf in the forest.

  “It’s funny,” she told him. “I haven’t been thinking about them much. I’ve fallen in love with this silver wolf around the house. That’s all I can think about. In my own parent’s summer house. Isn’t that funny?”

  His eyes widened, flashed with some emotion that she couldn’t quite pin down. “Funny,” he said. “But, perhaps your feelings for the wolf are a good omen.”

  She blinked away the last of the tears. “You think?”

  “Yes,” he said firmly and then glanced towards Star. “Some of the strangest things seem to be good omens, I think.”

  Her cheeks reddened. “Do you…do you think that you might know who the wolf is?” she asked. Waves of embarrassment washed over her, but she pushed forward.

  “It could be an actual wolf,” he reminded her. The corner of his mouth quirked upwards. She wiped her cheek with the edge of her sleeve.

  “You’re right,” she admitted. “I’ve put him in my story.”

  He perked up and crossed his arms in a swift movement. ”You think it’s a him?”

  “Yes,” she said with a funny shrug. “I can’t explain why. I feel like it must be a him.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “I’ll ask around next time I’m up with the Clan.” A funny look came over his face. He gave her a crooked grin. “How would you feel about having a party?”

  “A party?” she asked with a raised eyebrow, letting out a small chuckle. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, not a party, but…we can hire one of the local women from my village to watch after Star for tonight. I’ll grill you some steak and potatoes. We can drink whiskey. It’s what we do if someone in our pack is feeling down.”

  “You think I’m feeling down?” she asked pointedly.

  “You did just cry, Blackbird.”

  She shrugged. He was right. “That’s fair. Okay,” she said with a small smile. “Let’s have a small party of two.”

  He winked. “Like a date.” The wink sent absolute shivers up and down her back. A date with Lucas. She smiled.

  “I’ll make a dessert,” she promised and then sighed. “But, first I have to take a crack at the book today. Then we can celebrate.”

  He grinned. “I’ll bring Star to the Clan. I’m sure they’ll be happy to have a human baby to dote upon with Shifter milk.”

  Lucas

  “A party of two to grieve,” Bella, the midwife of his clan said with a sneaky air when Lucas arrived with Star. “Yes, by all means, we’ll take care of the child tonight.” Bella’s sly smile seemed permanent. He shot her a look.

  “No funny business with the mortal woman, I promise,” he assured her. The plump older woman crossed her arms.

  “I’d advise you to take the special whiskey I have for such occasions,” she told him, gesturing to a few dark bottles on her shelf. He picked one up, examining it with interest.

  “I didn’t realize you had special whiskey,” he said. Her smile turned mysterious and vague.

  “Just a few special infusions to assist those dealing with emotional struggles.”

  He’d briefly mentioned the situation with Lisa. “Maybe this will help her. I’m sure it’s hard to be in that house full of memories.”

  Bella smiled coyly. “Perhaps it will help you both.”

  He shook his head as he retreated from the clan’s gates. All of the women in his Clan seemed more magical and mysterious than ever. He didn’t remember there being quite so much mystery when he was a boy. With the infused-whiskey and a couple of choice potatoes from the local Shifter crop, he returned home. He could hear Lisa tapping away madly on her computer.

  “Going well?” He asked as he popped his head in her office. She nodded, a pencil in her mouth, and her hair piled atop her head. A punch of arousal hit him. Gods, she looked good when she was working. He cleared his throat and muttered something before leaving. Starting dinner would help him steady his mind. His eyes landed on the whiskey that Bella had given him. Perhaps he’d try it before serving it tonight. Who knew what kind of flavor it had?

  He cracked open the bottle and was greeted with the smell of warm spices. He poured himself a small glass of it. In one of the old closets, he’d found a stack of jazz CDs of various artists. He put one of the CDs into the small stereo in the kitchen. A soft jazzy tune began to play. He sipped the whiskey. His tastebuds tingled wildly. It was good. Better than good, really. They’d have to be careful.

  He quickly whipped up the marinade for the steaks he’d gotten from the Clan’s stock. While they waited for their turn in the fridge, he turned his attention to the vegetables. With a chef’s hand that he’d picked up from weekly duties in the Clan kitchen, he began slicing the vegetables. First the onions, which he began caramelizing in a large cast-iron stove on the old fire-based stove. Once the onions began their slow sizzle, he went back to the chopping board. He made quick work of the carrots and potatoes, the latter a Clan specialty. With a mixture of the herbs from the kitchen pantry, he was satisfied finally and began to roast the rest of the vegetables.

  “It smells amazing,” Lisa said as she drifted into the room. She’d showered, her delicious shampoo teasing him with its scent. Out of her housecoat, she’d changed into some tight black jeans and a tank top with an open flannel shirt. Adorable, he thought. Gods, she was attractive. Her face wore little makeup, but a tad heavier than he usually saw it. The darkness around her eyes made her eyes as sharp as his.

  “Whiskey?” he asked, gesturing with the bottle in his hand. She nodded with a small smile, pushing one of the empty clean glasses on the countertop towards him. “Ice?” She nodded. He plucked two ice cubes from the freezer and placed them in the glass. The ice cracked with a solid sound as he poured the whiskey over them. “It’s a special blend and it’s damn good,” he told her. “From the midwife. She’s watching Star tonight.”

  “Kind of her,” she said and accepted the glass gratefully. He watched with delight as she took a sip and her face transformed. “it’s different.”

  “Bad different?” he asked teasingly.

  She shook her head. “I don’t think different is bad, Thunder.”

  Ah, so she was teasing him with his own last name. Served him right, he supposed. He was always playfully calling her Blackbird. She tucked a strand of her wavy hair behind her ear. He never noticed the delicious line of her jaw, how it was sharp and soft in all the right place
s. Her body was deliciously different than the Shifter women he grew up with. There was a wildness in Blackbird. His lips quirked upwards. Would he ever be able to bring it out? He wondered.

  “What?” she asked. He must’ve been staring. He gestured to her glass.

  “Do you like it?”

  She nodded. “Very much. The spices are interesting. It’s an acquired taste.”

  He smirked. “Like a human woman falling in love with a mysterious wolf that she sees occasionally?”

  “Rude,” she muttered impishly, but the glittering amusement in her eyes told a different story. She took another generous sip. “I’m ready for those steaks, especially if your vegetables smell this good.”

  “The grill outside is warming up. It’s almost ready.” He paused. “I must warn you that I nearly eat mine raw.”

  She shrugged. “I like medium-rare myself. I won’t judge.”

  A tantalizing shiver ran through him as he watched her lick her lips. He didn’t know if he was going to make it through dinner without pouncing on the poor human woman. “Can you tell me about your novel?”

  She raised a brow. “I didn’t realize you were interested in literature.”

  “I found a few of your books in my borrowed bedroom,” he admitted with a hint of guilt on his face. “I read them all.”

  “All?” Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. “That’s seven!”

  He laughed. “I had to do something while I waited for Star to go to bed besides pushups.” Her eyes darted to his naked arms in his fitted short-sleeve shirt. He thought she might be blushing. He thought maybe he could sense the spike of interest in her scent. His head swarmed with delicious thoughts. It was the whiskey, he told himself. He’d make sure to ration it throughout their night.

  But, she was already reaching to top off her glass. He swallowed a hard lump in his throat as he watched her tanktop slip to reveal a bit of cleavage.