since he’d saved her from the attack, she felt the tug of mating. Travis was hers.
He pressed his forehead to hers. “What’s wrong?”
She let out a soft laugh and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “My tiger’s claimed you.”
He kissed her on the nose. “And what about the human?”
“I think I could live with you.”
She froze at the admission. Reality crashed around her. She had found her mate and was pregnant, and had a sick four-year-old in the adjacent bedroom. Her heart sped up as worry assailed her.
Travis cradled her face in his warm hands, forcing her to look into his gold-brown gaze. “Stop.” He kissed her lips before continuing. “We will find out what is making Josie sick and fix it. I have to believe that, and I need you to as well. As for our mating, we can take all the time you need.”
The wave of anxiety washed away almost as fast as it started. “How did you know?”
A lazy smile lifted his lips. “You’re a pregnant female. I think it’s a rule to worry about everything. Plus your hormones and emotions are going all over the place.”
A muffled sob stilled the both of them.
Travis drew his eyebrows together in worry. Shay kissed him and said, “Go get her. She can sleep with us tonight.”
His eyes lit up as if the man and the wolf were happy with her offer. “Thank you.” He rushed off the bed and quickly dressed in a pair of sweats. He returned to her and gave her a brief kiss before going to get Josie.
She stood, walked to her dresser to pull out a pair of female boxers, and put them on, along with Travis’s shirt, before crawling under the covers. Her pulse thumped in her veins a little faster. She was going to be a mother, and she hadn’t a clue how to do it.
Chapter 12
Shay opened her eyes to a green-eyed little girl smiling at her. She returned the smile and tucked a stray curl behind Josie’s ear. Relief flooded Shay at the cooler temperature of her skin. “Morning, beautiful. Your fever’s gone. How do you feel?”
“My bones hurt.”
Out of reflex and the sudden possessiveness that wrapped around her, Shay ran a hand down Josie’s arm, gentle massaging it along the way. Shay wasn’t sure if it was possible for bones to be in pain, but muscle and joint discomfort could make children think it was their bones. “What do you mean?”
She lifted her little shoulder in a half shrug. “My legs and arms hurt a little.”
That didn’t sound good. If Josie were ill due to a cold or the shifter’s version of the flu, then Shay would dismiss it as a side effect from the fever. The fact that Travis and Dani had detected some kind of poison in Josie’s blood made Shay worry even more. With her heart hammering in her chest, she got out of bed and dressed.
God, she hoped it was a sign that whatever made the sweet girl sick was working its way out of her system.
Coming to stand at the side of the bed, Shay held out her hand. Instead of taking Shay’s hand, Josie stood on the bed and hopped into her arms.
“Come on, squirt, let’s see what your daddy’s making for breakfast.” Some of the worry left Shay as she carried Josie to the kitchen where she sat her on countertop next to Travis. Despite the complaints of achy bones, as the little girl described, Josie seemed to be in good spirits.
At least she wasn’t running a fever anymore.
Travis leaned into Shay as he ruffled Josie’s bed-head hair then pressed a kiss to each of their foreheads before returning his attention to the omelets on the stove.
“You look better, munchkin,” Travis said with a relieved, tender smile.
Josie wrinkled her nose. Shay guessed it was at the munchkin reference. Her heart bloomed at the playfulness in Travis’s tone. He might be a dominant male, but he was also a compassionate and loving father to the little girl who was obliviously the center of his world.
“I feel better,” Josie said at once.
Travis lifted a brow at Shay. She frowned, knowing
He pressed his forehead to hers. “What’s wrong?”
She let out a soft laugh and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “My tiger’s claimed you.”
He kissed her on the nose. “And what about the human?”
“I think I could live with you.”
She froze at the admission. Reality crashed around her. She had found her mate and was pregnant, and had a sick four-year-old in the adjacent bedroom. Her heart sped up as worry assailed her.
Travis cradled her face in his warm hands, forcing her to look into his gold-brown gaze. “Stop.” He kissed her lips before continuing. “We will find out what is making Josie sick and fix it. I have to believe that, and I need you to as well. As for our mating, we can take all the time you need.”
The wave of anxiety washed away almost as fast as it started. “How did you know?”
A lazy smile lifted his lips. “You’re a pregnant female. I think it’s a rule to worry about everything. Plus your hormones and emotions are going all over the place.”
A muffled sob stilled the both of them.
Travis drew his eyebrows together in worry. Shay kissed him and said, “Go get her. She can sleep with us tonight.”
His eyes lit up as if the man and the wolf were happy with her offer. “Thank you.” He rushed off the bed and quickly dressed in a pair of sweats. He returned to her and gave her a brief kiss before going to get Josie.
She stood, walked to her dresser to pull out a pair of female boxers, and put them on, along with Travis’s shirt, before crawling under the covers. Her pulse thumped in her veins a little faster. She was going to be a mother, and she hadn’t a clue how to do it.
Chapter 12
Shay opened her eyes to a green-eyed little girl smiling at her. She returned the smile and tucked a stray curl behind Josie’s ear. Relief flooded Shay at the cooler temperature of her skin. “Morning, beautiful. Your fever’s gone. How do you feel?”
“My bones hurt.”
Out of reflex and the sudden possessiveness that wrapped around her, Shay ran a hand down Josie’s arm, gentle massaging it along the way. Shay wasn’t sure if it was possible for bones to be in pain, but muscle and joint discomfort could make children think it was their bones. “What do you mean?”
She lifted her little shoulder in a half shrug. “My legs and arms hurt a little.”
That didn’t sound good. If Josie were ill due to a cold or the shifter’s version of the flu, then Shay would dismiss it as a side effect from the fever. The fact that Travis and Dani had detected some kind of poison in Josie’s blood made Shay worry even more. With her heart hammering in her chest, she got out of bed and dressed.
God, she hoped it was a sign that whatever made the sweet girl sick was working its way out of her system.
Coming to stand at the side of the bed, Shay held out her hand. Instead of taking Shay’s hand, Josie stood on the bed and hopped into her arms.
“Come on, squirt, let’s see what your daddy’s making for breakfast.” Some of the worry left Shay as she carried Josie to the kitchen where she sat her on countertop next to Travis. Despite the complaints of achy bones, as the little girl described, Josie seemed to be in good spirits.
At least she wasn’t running a fever anymore.
Travis leaned into Shay as he ruffled Josie’s bed-head hair then pressed a kiss to each of their foreheads before returning his attention to the omelets on the stove.
“You look better, munchkin,” Travis said with a relieved, tender smile.
Josie wrinkled her nose. Shay guessed it was at the munchkin reference. Her heart bloomed at the playfulness in Travis’s tone. He might be a dominant male, but he was also a compassionate and loving father to the little girl who was obliviously the center of his world.
“I feel better,” Josie said at once.
Travis lifted a brow at Shay. She frowned, knowing
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