Moon Shifter 02 - Primal Possession

Liam. I want details, not excuses.” She crossed her arms over her chest as she continued to glare at him.
    Why couldn’t there be an easier way to explain this?
“When a human female becomes pregnant by a shifter, she…her body adapts to that of her child. In shifter terms it means we’re mates.”
    “I thought you said I’d have to be your bondmate to…change to be like you. I didn’t think I could just become your mate unless I was a shifter.”
    He nodded again. “Under any other circumstance, a human can’t become a shifter’s mate. Well, technically I guess she can, but her life span would still be that of a human. To be a bondmate, I’d have to take you from behind and sink my canines into your neck as we made love under the full moon. I didn’t even think
this
was possible.” He held out one of the sticks she’d thrown at him.
    For a moment she eyed him curiously. “That’s how the bonding process works? I thought…” She shook her head angrily. “So I’m a shifter now? Does that mean I’ll live as long as you? And will my baby come out as…?”
    Feeling miserable and even guiltier, he nodded. “I swear I never meant to do this to you. Your life span will be substantially longer, like mine, but your—our baby will be born human. I didn’t shift for the first time until I was four and that’s pretty normal for most shifters.”
    When she wrapped her arms around herself, he wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms. Tell her everything would be okay. But he didn’t know how to voice that. He could smell the fear and confusion rolling off her. Maybe she was afraid of what the town would think. Or maybe she was afraid of him. That thought was excruciating. He could deal with anything she threw at him, but not her fear. “I promise that no matter what happens, I’ll make sure you and the baby are taken careof. If you don’t want to live here, that’s fine. I’ll work something out, buy you a place anywhere you want.”
    She stared at him for a moment, then shoved him in the chest. Hard. “I never thought I’d say this, Liam Armstrong, but you’re a Grade A asshole.” Then she spun around and headed for the gate.
    He started to go after her but didn’t know what to say. Or what he’d said wrong. He needed to figure some shit out first. Figure out how they were going to make this work. If she didn’t want to move, would he live with her? Would she live at the ranch? And more important, he desperately needed to figure out how to knock down the walls between them. She was his and this divide between them was his fault.
    The last few days without her had been the worst days of his life. Nothing could have prepared him for the ache that had settled inside him and spread bone deep.
    “You just gonna let her go?” Erin’s soft voice startled him as she sidled up next to him.
    He hadn’t even heard the she-wolf approach, which said a lot for how messed up he was. “She’s angry.”
    “Duh. I don’t blame her either. You’re acting like an idiot.” She shook her head disapprovingly.
    He glared down at her. “What the hell do you know?”
    “I know that December is one of the nicest, strongest humans I’ve ever met. I know that she gave up a lot to be with you. Then when
you
decided that you thought it would be best, you pulled away from her like an idiot. Then, after she’s probably had the worst couple weeks of her life, including her brother being in the hospital and seeing her best friend bloody and standing at death’s door, you barely touch her or console her afterward. Then you kick her out of your life. And now she’s pregnant? Soyou, what, tell her you’ll take care of her or find her someplace to live? Dumb, dumb, dumb.”
    “I
will
take care of her,” he growled. Why the hell was the she-wolf eavesdropping anyway?
    She shook her head again and this time a spark of undeniable annoyance popped off her as she turned away.
    Gritting his teeth, he let her leave and turned back toward December, who was already heading back down the drive. As the weight of Erin’s words sank in, he realized what he had to do.

Chapter 22
    W earing a long-sleeved pink and red striped pajama set, December savored the warmth of the thick flannel material. Curled up on her couch, she took another bite of rocky road ice cream while she waited for Kat to return.
    They’d decided to have a girls’ night complete with ice cream, movies, and wine…. Well, Kat was drinking.