Page 42 of Two Wrong Turns

I just had to find the others first.

Lenny was in on my secret, as much as a four-year-old could be. He knew to yell out “surprise” when the time was right. Though I did have to agree to a game in order to get his compliance.

Ambling through the woods, I sent up thanks for my mother- and father-in-law for living close by. Mom has been curious lately. The looks she’s been giving me tell me I don’t have time to keep this secret. One more family dinner where I skip out on a drink, and I’m busted.

Thank goodness tonight will be the last night of hiding it.

“Where oh where are my bears?” I whisper softly.

With their shifter hearing, I’m positive they can hear me. A second of quiet passes before I hear it. Laughter.

It’s muffled, like someone is holding a hand over their mouth to hide their location.

Grinning like crazy, I rush in the direction I suspect my son to be. As I’m jogging, I feel a tug in the bond letting me know I’m getting too close.

Usually, I’d let my mate drag out the game. He’d tease me or poke at our connection while I pretended not to know where Lenny was.

But today is different.

I’m too keyed up. There’s too much excitement thrumming inside me that I’ve had to keep at bay.

I drop my walls a tiny bit to let a glimpse of it through. Nolan returns the emotions with confusion from his end. Laughing, I keep moving in the direction I suspect my cub to be.

“Hmmm. Little Lenny, cute and fluffy. Where could he be? Is here,” I paused for dramatic effect before leaping around a tree, “here!”

There was nothing on the other side. I did earn another giggle though.

This time, I heard the sound coming from my right. Taking off in that direction, I repeated the hunt process by jumping behind trees and looking under fallen logs. Our backyard is a mess of wilderness that’s only become a second home to the shifters I live with.

I spot a shock of dark brown fur and immediately know I’ve caught my target. Finally! My energy levels are sinking. Growing a cub is not easy business.

“Found you!” I said as I popped up behind what I expected to be Lenny. Instead, I found a puppy with a fake bear onesie on its body.

My jaw dropped as I took in the creature. How did he get here? And where the heck was my kid?

That’s when the forest came alive with voices. People jumped out from different hiding places.

“Surprise, Barrett!”

I squealed, jumping into the air as I took in the familiar faces. Half the town had to be here.

“What are you all doing here? And how in the world did you get up here? I didn’t hear anyone in the drive.”

Nolan moved from the back of the crowd to come forward. “They snuck through the woods. There are a dozen ATVs about two miles south of here. I snuck them in with Lenny while you were putting the baby to bed.

“Sneaky Papa,” Lenny said around a laugh.

I turned to look at him, only to find him in my father-in-law’s arms. The smile he wore made the ire I felt drain away. Still, I wiggled a finger at him just to tease.

“Sneaky Papa? Sneaky cub is more like it. You traitor!”

The people around us laughed, reminding me we weren’t alone. It also reminded me I had no idea why they were here.

“Not that I don’t mind a party, but what is everyone doing here? I’m still confused.”

“It’s our anniversary,” my mate replied. “We met five years ago today. I had to celebrate it, even if it’s not as big as a mating anniversary or birthday.”

Tears filled my eyes at how sweet he was. I rushed into his arms. When I wrapped myself around him, I dropped my walls and whispered, “Surprise, Papa.”

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