Page 3 of Wolf's Midlife Baby

It was then that she realized she was coughing that water up onto the grass. Grass! With sturdy earth beneath it! She dug her fingers into it, wanting to be sure it was real. She had that taste she’d been looking for earlier, but she wouldn’t be writing about it.

“Easy, there.” That voice was still there, though it’d felt like a figment of her imagination. “You’re going to be okay.”

She squinted up into the sunshine, but her eyes refused to focus. “What happened?”

“Your tube flipped, and you hit your head on a tree limb,” the gentle voice explained. “You’ve got quite a bump, but I think you’re going to be okay.”

“Really?” Because she sure didn’t feel okay. Her bear was bursting inside her. It was surging beneath her skin all of a sudden, raging and railing even though she was now on dry land and no longer in that awful water.

“Yeah, I think so.”

The sunlight behind him had been like a beacon from the clouds, but the clouds shifted and his face came into focus. Her bear went wild again as she took in his dark blue eyes, killer cheekbones, and square jaw. His wet hair dripped down onto his brow. He looked handsome, but it was his expression that got her the most. He was looking right into her eyes with genuine care and concern.

And there she was, lying in her wet swimsuit for the world to see. Maybe she should’ve gone for that bikini wax after all.

2

Pierce’s lips tingled where they’d touched hers. He’d just been giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, an exercise he’d been well trained in as a firefighter. Normally, it didn’t mean anything other than saving someone’s life and didn’t make his wolf go berserk. It didn’t make his skin have a hard time deciding whether it was cold from the river water he’d just thrown himself into or warm from the sunshine on his back. It definitely didn’t make him excited to be kneeling over a woman who had bits of weeds and dirt stuck in her hair and had just coughed up half the Willamette.

But this wasn’t just any woman who’d almost drowned. She was a shifter, that much he’d been able to tell right away. His inner beast had been able to sense it in her, though she wasn’t like him.

She was also his mate.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, trying to force himself out of this odd state of mind. There was a procedure for everything. Any pains or other symptoms she might be having would let him know what he needed to do next.

“Like I almost drowned in the river,” she responded grumpily.

He smiled. If she had enough energy to be cranky, she was probably going to be okay. “That’s accurate.”

“Is she all right?”

“Should I call 9-1-1?”

I am 9-1-1, Pierce thought as he looked up. He and his family hadn’t been the only ones who’d come out to enjoy a nice day at Skinner Butte Park, and the commotion of the rescue had brought some onlookers. “She’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” A woman was holding out her cell phone. “I can call an ambulance.”

His muscles tensed, knowing just what that would mean. “No, really. It’s all right. I’m with the fire department, and I’ve got this handled. You can all go back to whatever you were doing before.”

“Did you see that?” the woman with the cell phone asked her friend. “He just ran right into the river and pulled her out, carrying her in his arms! I wish I’d gotten it on video. It was like something out of a movie.”

“Oh, great,” the woman beneath Pierce mumbled. She wiggled around a bit, covering her body with her arms.

“Hang on.” Clearly, she didn’t want the audience any more than he did. He got to his feet, walked about ten yards away, and plucked a picnic blanket off the ground. He picked a few bits of grass off it before kneeling beside her and putting his hand under her shoulder. “Let’s get you sitting up. This won’t be so interesting, then.”

“Thank you,” she said as he draped it around her shoulders. She clasped the corners together, hunkered beneath it, and then squinted in confusion. “Where did you even get this?”

“It’s mine. I left it here with my lunch while I was fishing with my dad and brother,” he explained. As he did, he began to wonder just how far fate would go when it wanted to. They could’ve picked almost any spot to set up, and it just so happened to be right there.

“I’m sorry.” She pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. “Of all the things you could’ve pulled out of the river, I’m sure you didn’t plan to find me. Thank you, though.”

“Not a problem.” Damn. Even wet and dirty, she was beautiful. She was funny even when she’d almost drowned. There was no doubt that Pierce’s wolf was having a thorough reaction to her. Now that he thought about it, actually, it had already started to go nuts even before he’d glanced over and seen her flailing in the water. She might not think so, but she certainly looked like the catch of a lifetime to him. “Any time.”

She made a coughing sound that was probably a bit of a laugh. “Don’t worry. I won’t be going anywhere near inner tubes again. Ever. For the rest of my life.”

The sound of splashing made Pierce look up before he could reply. A man was hurriedly walking out of the water, dragging his kayak behind him. He abandoned it on dry ground as he jogged over. Concern was etched all over his face. Unlike the other onlookers, he didn’t hesitate to come immediately over. “Is she okay?”

Shit. Who was this guy? His wolf lashed out inside him, suddenly possessive and protective, though he didn’t even know this woman’s name. “I believe so. Do you know her?”

---