HOT COUGAR'S BABY - 24

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - F O U R - D A N I E L L A

It took another day before the medical staff at The Firm's complex gave them permission to exit its fortified perimeter. Dani had gone Shaun to visit the people they had helped save while they were there, including Carter.

Many were still wild-eyed and separated from others, kept in solitary confinement while their senses got used to being men not test subjects again, and their blood was cleansed. But there were others who could already make sense of the situation and their stories were heartbreaking.

Each story was unique, but similar in a way. They were former or active agents, soldiers and special ops operatives, snatched by The Arcitics and experimented on without care for their personal wishes or desires. It was the werewolves who had fared best, as they were saved only for the promising tests, while other shifters were used for anything that looked and felt like pure poison in their veins, to things that would make men implode from inside out.

Some of them had watched their squads, partners, and friends die during the testing. Many had injuries that could not be healed. Some had capabilities now that could be harnessed as tools to wage war and Dani was sure The Firm would do just that. Strength, speed, agility, all beyond normal shifter capabilities. And more…

But she and Shaun were really interested in only one man. Carter Taylor. The weretiger who had started the whole thing for Shaun, and the reason why she and Shaun had been brought back together. Perhaps even the man who had made Ace admit that he had a semblance of a heart, though that was still under heavy argument.

Carter was mostly unresponsive, though the doctors gave him good hope of coming out of his medically induced coma with flying colors. Yet it broke Dani’s heart to see Shaun look at him with an expression that told her that he wasn’t entirely sure whether to be happy or devastated at the man’s state.

“I’m sorry, Carter,” Shaun whispered, taking his hand and squeezing it while Dani stood behind him. “I shouldn’t have failed you.”

“You didn’t,” Dani hurriedly interjected.

“If I’d been there, this never would have happened.”

“He wanted to be an agent. This would have happened regardless. Maybe not getting plugged full of chemicals, but he would have snuck off and joined the Army or gotten tagged by one of the big covert agencies or something. You got him back, Shaun. That’s all that matters.”

When Carter’s eyes fluttered open a second later, all of what Dani had said seemed to be coming true. Now she’d only have to figure out how to fix herself and Shaun, too.

***

Dani had refused to hear any objections on the matter and the moment she and Shaun were released from the hospital wing, she’d called a cab and stuffed him in it. The drive was tense as one would expect and when they finally pulled up in front of the house, Dani wasn’t sure if it was the best idea she’d ever had or the absolute worst one.

Shaun was dressed in combat fatigues and a black shirt that strained around his bandages, his leather jacket thrown on top of it. He looked devastating, except for the unreadable expression on his face.

Stubborn in her decision to see this through the right way, she took his hand and together they walked up to the door. Before Dani could unlock it, the door was pulled open and Gwynneth, the woman who had so kindly offered to babysit Ro, appeared in the doorway, the little boy in his arms.

“Mommy!” he squealed as Gwynneth handed him over to Dani, whose eyes were already brimming with tears.

But as easily as Roman had welcomed Dani, covering her in wet kisses, he also reached out his hands for Shaun, his matching gray-blue eyes twinkling at the sight of the big shifter. Without waiting for him to agree or disagree, Dani gave Roman to Shaun, a soothing smile on her lips as she pushed into the house.

She was keenly aware of the man taking her baby boy into the kitchen and sitting down at the table as Dani concocted more details of her made-up story of a minor fender bender to Gwynneth that had kept her away from home. Paying the woman for her kindness and her willingness to keep Roman safe and happy while she couldn’t, Dani sent Gwynneth on her way and then tiptoed into the kitchen.

She stopped at the door, marveling at the sight. Roman was sitting on Shaun’s knees, staring up at him and pawing at his face again like he had the first time, as if trying to memorize his features. And Shaun had a look in his eyes that was pure bliss, appreciation, and fierce protection rolled into one. Like he was more than ready to do anything that needed to be done to keep that child safe. Dani had no doubt he did.

“I’m so sorry, Shaun,” she spoke finally, her voice quivering.

He broke his gaze with the boy, looking up with his eyes a bit cloudy, a tiny bit confused.

“About what?” he asked, dazed, the faintest smile on his lips.

“About keeping you from Roman for so long. It wasn’t right of me. I should have known… I did know what a son meant to a shifter, but I thought that it would be unfair on you to thrust a kid into your life with someone you barely knew. I thought it was my decision to make. But it wasn’t. I should have told you.”

“I should have searched for you harder,” he said absently, kissing Ro on the forehead.

“No, I made sure I c—”

“I said, I should have searched for you harder,” Shaun said firmly, looking up at her. “I knew there was something here. I felt it. I think I knew you were my mate the first time I saw you through that damn scope. That was what kept me from pulling the trigger. That was what kept me from going out of my mind because I couldn’t find you after the mission. But I left it at that. I didn’t follow through when it got hard, because I thought this wasn’t for you. This wasn’t for me. That people like us, we couldn’t have this.”

“This?” Dani asked, very aware that she was shaking a bit, clinging to the doorframe like it would keep her upright in the storm of emotions that was blowing through her.

“Happiness,” he said simply, smiling. “Family. A semblance of normalcy.”

Her heart fluttered in her chest like a bird beating its wings against her ribcage. Her breath caught and she couldn’t believe what was happening. Was he really giving her all that she hoped he would one day? And was she brave enough to finally accept?

“Does that mean you… you want to try? Being together, that is?”

“Try?” he asked, his tone incredulous as he stood up, swinging Roman to one hip with the boy giggling at the sudden swing of motion. “Baby, I never try. I either succeed or I do not, and this time I have every intention of seeing this mission through to its fucking fantastic end,” he said with a low, playful growl as he walked over to Dani.

She gasped as his hand snaked around her waist, pulling her close to him, squishing him against him with her hands on his chest. His teeth grazed over his lower lip and it was damn near enough to make her lose her mind, her body shuddering with need.

The whole time at the hospital, they’d avoided talking about what could happen, and indecision and worry had made her a nervous wreck. Dani knew there was a lot of damage to patch up, not only physical. The original points still remained as well. She didn’t know him, he didn’t know her, aside from the things that really mattered. That they were brave. That they would do anything to preserve life. That they were passionate and hot-headed and sometimes completely impossible. That they were perfect for one another.

Their jaguars were more convinced than ever.

Shaun was her mate and she was his. Nothing could tear them apart again, not even themselves.

“I love you,” he said, voicing the same words she thought she’d heard before everything went black back in the lab.

“I love you too,” she echoed, meaning every syllable.

“Good,” he said with a grin.

Their lips met and Dani melted into the kiss, her nails scrabbling at his chest and her body pressing against his. It was exactly how it was supposed to be and the way she’d never truly dreamed it could be. When she came up for air, Ro’s eyes wide with surprise as he looked at his parents, Dani couldn’t help but break into laughter.

“I don’t think I want to stay in Ilocos, though,” she said with a chuckle. “Think I’ve had quite enough of random firefights and hulking wolf-beasts. Do you think we could try this again somewhere on neutral ground?”

She knew the answer before he spoke it.

“Of course,” he said, taking her hand and stalking deeper into the house, clearly looking for the bedroom, Ro already falling asleep against his shoulder. “We’re going to try this on every ground possible.”“That’s not what I meant!” Dani protested with a giggle.

Really though, didn’t she?