Page 13 of Her Shifter Babe

Chapter 5

Tommy

STACEY FELL ASLEEP after some time of just resting on my shoulder—clearly exhausted emotionally as well as physically after everything she’d been through—so I eased her gently to down to the mattress and crept downstairs, leaving my very pregnant mate safe and sound in Nancy’s guest suite.

The night I’d met Stacey I had been as drunk as I could be while remaining upright. I’d endured a boring-ass medical conference all day, and partaken in drinks at lunchtime, and again after the lectures had finished.

I’d managed to rustle some dinner up as well as more wine, and then stumbled my way through the lobby towards the elevators, wanting nothing more than to lie down and drink two gallons of water. But it seemed that Fate had other ideas, because I’d literally run into the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen—Stacey. With her gorgeous long blonde hair and bountiful curves, she would’ve made any hot-blooded male’s mouth water.

When she’d grabbed my arm to steady herself in her rush through the lobby, there had been a strange, electric buzz that passed between us. It was enough to knock some of the alcohol out of my system and sober me up a little, but not enough to knock me off my feet.

In my tipsy, blasé state I’d dismissed the feeling initially, and we started chatting. She’d been looking to book a room, and I’d offered her my spare. I’d paid for a full suite, and the physician I’d planned to travel with had canceled on me at the last minute.

She’d seemed on edge but grateful for my offer of hospitality and came up with me to my suite. We’d shared wine and room service and chatted about nothing in particular. I remember being happy that she seemed more comfortable and relaxed, and then she kissed me, pulling me headlong into a vortex of pleasure unlike anything I’d ever known.

Looking back now, I should have realized she was special. But with the alcohol dulling my senses, and the absence of my twin, I’d dismissed any signs that indicated she was meant to be ours. But now, I was sure. The tingle in her touch was decreasing with each moment we were together, but she was meant to be mine. I was certain. The zing was only there to act as a lightning rod, to help a male recognize the bond. It wasn’t supposed to last forever.

But how do I tell David?

And was it really possible that she was somehow my mate and not my twin’s? Did perfect pairs ever marry different women? I didn’t even know if that was possible or a thing. I certainly wasn’t aware of any such instances.

With these questions and many more niggling at my mind, I made my way downstairs to find that most of the family had gone home. Nancy and my cousins, along with my aunt and uncle, however, were still sitting under the pergola enjoying chatter, drinks, and snacks together by the fire pit.

“Tommy!” Nancy called out, waving me over. “Come, sit!”

I fell into one of the outdoor chairs with a groan, my stomach lurching. “Damn. I think I forgot to eat.”

“There’s plenty of leftovers,” Nancy offered, waving her hand at the laden table in front of us. “Help yourself.”

I reached for a platter of sandwiches and pulled it toward me, picking one up that appeared to be filled with chicken salad. “Thanks.”

“So,” Wade said with a grin, “we hear the final perfect pair have found their woman.”

My aunt and uncle sat up straighter in their chairs, their curiosity immediately piqued. “What do you mean?” they asked.

I chewed my sandwich then awkwardly shrugged. “Stacey is mine, I’m pretty sure. But I don’t think she’s David’s mate.”

“How is that possible?” Nancy gasped, glancing over at her in-laws. “Aren’t perfect pairs meant to always share a woman?”

Aunt Tess picked up her glass of wine and held it in thought. “Well... not always. Some of our mountain lion cousins married separate women—” she began.

“But that didn’t even work out!” Uncle Barry interjected. “They ended up finding their real mate later on.”

“True,” Aunt Tess acknowledged, nodding slowly.

I grabbed another sandwich and sat back in my chair. “So, you’re telling me that either Stacey is David’s mate too... or she’s not mine to begin with, and I have to tell her that?”

Both options seemed strange and unpalatable, and my initial feelings were that I didn’t want to deal with either. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about sharing Stacey, but I also didn’t want to have to tell her that all she’d ever be to me was just the biological mother of my child because my real perfect pairs mate was still out there somewhere.

“How did David respond to her?” Nancy said, “I saw him run from the house, so I assume it wasn’t good.”

I chewed thoughtfully before answering. “Ah... no. Not good at all. My brother took one look at Stacey’s pregnant belly and then pretty much headed for the hills.”

“So, he didn’t touch her?” Tanner asked, one brow cocked in question.

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