Page 15 of Shifter Mates for the Single Mom

“Yeah, but they didn’t know that. And that was probably good, because there were way more of them than there were of us. But none of them wanted any part of me once they put a few bullet holes through me and watched them close up.”

“So, they ran away?”

“Once I chased them enough, yeah. See, shifters can jump pretty high and far, and with the claws, we’re good at climbing.” He glanced at me, brows drawing slightly together as he looked at my face. “So, I went right up the cliff at the side of the canyon after them.”

“And Dad? What did Dad do?”

Tried not to pee himself, from his version of this. But Nathan tactfully left that out. “He covered me! Took a lot of shots to make ‘em run faster. But afterward, he wanted to know why I didn’t tell him.”

“Why didn’t you?” Aidan tilted his head.

“Back then, shifters couldn’t serve in the military. I mean, there were no treaties saying that, but it was policy in the US. I’d already been in for years by keeping my secret. It would be another two before they changed the law.”

“So, Dad wasn’t mad once you told him why?” Aidan wiggled a little next to me.

“He understood once I said so, yeah.” Nathan glanced at me. His eyes twinkled. “Pretty soon we were laughing over it.”

“Did you get in trouble when you got back though? For being a We–a Wolf shifter?”

“Nah, your dad never said what he’d seen, and my bosses never tested me or anything. I kept quiet until the law was changed, then came out and got switched to Special Division.” He opened the beer in his hand and took a swallow.

“What’s Special Division?”

I was almost done with the basket of laundry. Somehow, doing such a boring domestic chore was soothing. It was so normal when nothing else was.

“Special Division is where the military puts its shifters. A bunch of us wanted to serve, especially once things opened up to us. But only a few normal humans like your dad can serve next to us without getting hurt.”

“Did all you guys go do military stuff?” Aidan looked outside the window to where Bela was climbing down the ladder just beyond. He grinned and waved at us.

I waved back. Damn, thinking about it, they’re all pretty cute. If “cute” was really the right word for a bunch of highly trained soldier-bodyguards who turned into giant Wolves and could shrug off bullet wounds like an eighties action hero.

“Yeah. Three of us did it for America. Bela used to work for the same kind of outfit in Russia.”

Bela opened the door and stuck his head in. “Hey, I thought you were going in for beer, Boss? What gives?” He was grinning teasingly, as though he knew damn well what was going on.

“Got caught up telling Aidan one of his dad’s old war stories,” Nathan replied, getting up and dusting off the thighs of his jeans. “Grab some beers. I’ll be out in a minute.”

“How come you guys drink beer all day?” Aidan chirped.

Bela burst out laughing. “Because we can! We can’t get all the way drunk on beer. Besides, it’s a soft drink.”

“Oh.” Aidan looked at me. “Can I have a beer then?”

Bela snickered and Nathan gave him a Look.

“No,” I said gently. “It’s not good for kids.”

“But he said––”

“He’s Russian, kiddo,” Nathan said while Bela pressed his lips together to keep from bursting out laughing. “They’re a little different.”

Aidan just blinked at us. “I don’t get it.”

“You probably wouldn’t like beer, anyway. Not until you grow up and your tastes do, too.” Nathan smiled down at my son. “Don’t worry about it for now.”

“Okay. Can I watch you guys work?”

“Get dressed first, sweetie,” I instructed, handing him a stack of fresh clothes. “I’ll come out with you for a while.”

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