Page 8 of Baby and the Beast

Jesse gulped. “My only other option is a shelter but not with him. Too many questions, and shifter babies are naturally hardier even if they might not ultimately shift.” Jesse sighed. “Dumb thing to say, huh? I can’t take him outside in this cold, and if he gets taken from me, what if suddenly someday he shifts at school?”

“Stay here,” Seth repeated. “I don’t see any other choice, and I’m certainly not going to tell anyone. What I will do is kick up a stink about them not doing their due diligence about the cancelation. Say I have family staying with me and that I needsomething urgently. I don’t even have to mention where I stayed last night.”

“You’d do that?” Jesse asked hopefully.

Seth smiled and dropped a kiss on top of Maddox’s head, sorely tempted to touch Jesse. “Stay here. Keep that fire toasty. I won’t be able to call you, and if I have to wait for a tow truck, it could be hours.”

Seth picked his jacket off the floor and put his boots on. Giving Jesse a confident smile, he braved the snow once more.

It took three phone calls and even threatening legal action before Seth realized what he had promised Jesse just wasn’t going to happen. The rental company insisted Matty, posing as him, had given them all the correct email and credit card information, including his home address. All their security protocols had been covered, and they hadn’t even charged him a cancelation fee.

He didn’t bother making the other calls after that, just waited for the tow truck and the arrival of the rental car. At the last moment, he’d even asked them to include an infant seat just in case. He transferred the food he had into the rental, but it was just basics. Bread, milk, and cheese. He was starving, and the protein bars looked about as unappetizing as the shakes.

Seth stood completely still as he got out of the car at the cabin.I am a dumbass.A complete and total idiot. What was hedoing? He could be home. Hell, all three of them could be home. At least until Jesse got on his feet.

If Jesse agreed…but then Jesse might not have any choice. He didn’t see how he had any choice, but Seth didn’t like Jesse beingbacked into a corner. The door was locked, but Jesse opened it after a moment. He was holding Maddox, who was fussing. “I was just getting him a bottle.” Seth wanted to reach out for him, but seeing as how his arms were full already, he would be better getting the milk ready. Seth dumped everything on the floor and wiped his hands with the sterilizing wipes, then made the bottle.

Once Jesse and Maddox were sitting, Seth quickly heated the soup—at least they had two mugs—and made the sandwiches. The only knife he had was the penknife, but he managed. Seth waited while Maddox was fed. “I spoke to the rental company, and it’s a no go on getting this place.”

Jesse nodded fatalistically like he’d been expecting it.

“I think the best solution is for the two of you to come home with me.”

Baby and the Bear

Chapter Four

Jesse stared at Seth, quite convinced he was hearing things. “What do you mean?”

“I mean—” Seth smiled, clearly warming up to his idea. “—I live in a small town, not quite three hours away near the border with South Carolina. I have my own house. The guest bedroom even has its own bathroom, but more importantly, you would be safe. I’m off work all this week, but as I said, it’s highly likely that I will accept the package they are offering and not go back.”

Jesse was struggling to find words. This stranger had been completely unfazed with Jesse giving birth after seeing him shift from a black bear, and he was now offering them somewhere to stay?

“I was planning on renting it out when I remortgage to pay for the cabins, repairing and living in at least one of them while it was happening.” He frowned as if something just occurred to him. “You need a babysitter while you go out and do bear stuff.”

“Bear stuff,” Jessie repeated faintly.

Seth nodded like it made perfect sense to him. “Do you drive? There’s a lot of woodland around, but if you’re worried, you could always take the car and drive somewhere so you can…” Seth gestured at Jesse. “Change, or whatever.”

“Are you for real?” Jesse burst out, unable to help himself.

Seth chuckled. “Don’t you think it should be me asking you that question?” He frowned as he looked Jesse up and down. “You’ve been on your own for hours. I’m sorry I took so long.”

Jesse just shook his head. “I didn’t think guys like you existed.”

“Bossy ones?” Seth tried to smile but looked genuinely worried.

“Babies are loud and messy, and a great deal of work,” Jesse said bluntly.

“I know. You won’t believe the number of times I put Carrie in the car in her baby seat and just drove around so Rachel could get some sleep.”

“And we’re strangers,” Jesse carried on, not quite sure what he was objecting to.

Seth arched an eyebrow. “I know friends that aren’t as close as we were last night.” Jesse flushed, but Seth carried on. “According to my ex, I’m uptight, interfering, and tend to stifle people. I’m also a safe space for you to crash, not that I expect you to just take my word for it.” Seth looked chagrined. “I don’t come with references.”

“Maybe I need interfering right about now.” Jesse sagged, the fight going out of him. “I don’t know what I was thinking. If I were female, I could have gone and gotten medical help and just admitted I was homeless, but he’s got no papers. Nothing to prove he’s mine, and he’s clearly newborn. It would set alarm bells off wherever I went.”

“Well, I don’t know what you’d do about that,” Seth admitted honestly. “You don’t have anything?”

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