Page 9 of Baby and the Beast

“I have. I mean, I’ve got a license and social security number. I just don’t have anything for him, and I have ten days to come up with an idea.” In ten days, he had to register Maddox’s birth.

Seth nodded. “I guess that would be problematic.”

“There’s a group,” Jesse admitted reluctantly.

“A group?” Seth clarified.

Jesse nodded. “It’s maybe an urban legend, but there’s supposed to be a way of getting help. Shifters that are in trouble, not just bears.”

Seth gaped. “As in more than bears? Are we talkingwerewolveshere?”

Jesse smiled. “Wolf shifters. Bear shifters. Mountain lions, Panthers. I think tiger shifters are extinct in the US.”

Astonishment seemed to keep Seth quiet for a beat. “You’re serious?”

Jesse nodded. “Grandad told me.”

“No, I mean—” But then Seth flushed when he realized Jesse meant the help group, not that there were different kinds of shifters. “And you have what, a phone number?”

“I wish. No, nothing that simple.”

“Then how are you supposed to contact these people, if they exist.”

Jesse rubbed his still-tired eyes. “A bar, but Grandad didn’t know which one. He just said it was near these mountains and had a clue in the name.” Jesse sighed. “Do you know how many bars there are around here? I even went to one called the Ugly Dog. But up to the last four weeks I had to spend nearly all my time shifted because of my belly. Which is why I’ve been mainly eating as a bear.”

“Steaks?” Seth teased.

Jesse huffed. “Berries and fruit. Bears don’t eat large mammals usually.”

Seth seemed to study him for a moment. “Then let’s go back to my house. We can regroup, get a good night’s sleep, and eat something decent. I don’t care how capable you are, you just had a baby, and all you should be concentrating on right now is him.” Seth nudged him gently. “Let me worry about the rest, huh?”

Obviously, it didn’t take long to pack. Jesse fed Maddox again in the hope that he would sleep until they got to Seth’s, which Seth said was a good idea. It wasn’t snowing, but it looked like it was going to. “I’d rather be back and safe before it starts again.” Seth glanced at the sky, which looked full of snow.

Jesse woke when Seth pulled into his driveway a little after nine. Maddox was still asleep. “I’m usually really organized and would never think about leaving the house without turning the heat down and emptying the fridge, but I’m glad I was spontaneous yesterday.”

Jesse yawned again. “Sorry.”

Seth smiled. “You needed your rest. Let’s get inside.” Seth passed Jesse the keys and grabbed all the bags while Jesse got Maddox inside. Maddox was starting to stir as Jesse shrugged out of Seth’s snow-proof jacket. Seth dumped everything except the changing things and headed for the stairs. “I’ll show you where you two can sleep, then I’m going to make a bottle.” Jesse followed Seth into a bedroom which was small but cozy.

“Rachel used it for a while after Caroline was born before she finally got on her feet and moved into her own place. There’s even a changing mat in the closet and some unopened wipes that I kept just in case Rachel needed them when Carrie came to visit.”

Seth turned when Jesse didn’t answer after showing him the bathroom. Jesse, still holding Maddox in one arm, wasn’t sure he could talk and hold in the sob that was threatening to break free.

“Hey, what’s the problem?” Seth said gently and took Maddox off Jesse as he had started fussing.

“Because you’ve done more for me in one day than half my family has in twenty years,” Jesse whispered and brushed a hand across his face. It had been so hard not fitting in, and every day it had just gotten harder.

Seth carefully peeled Maddox out of his jacket. “How about Maddox and I go see to his bottle and give you five minutes?” Seth squeezed Jesse’s hand gently, settled Maddox against his chest like a pro, and walked out of the room. “Hot chocolate, coffee, tea?” he called out.

Jesse sniffed. “Hot chocolate please.” He owed this man so much, but at the moment he owed him to at least get his shit together and come downstairs.

Maddox was sucking like a champ when he came down. Seth nodded to the microwave, and Jesse poured the milk into two mugs and mixed the hot chocolate. Seth had also opened a large pack of chocolate cookies. Jesse smiled, and Seth grinned. “I worked out quickly that the easiest way of hiding anything from Matty was to keep it with the cleaning things.”

Jesse grinned. “You sound like my brother Aldred.” Then he stopped because he wasn’t convinced he wasn’t going to cry again.

“Did you have a big family?” Seth asked, cradling Maddox against his shoulder and patting his back gently.

Jesse nodded and clutched his mug for both warmth and comfort. “There are seven of us.”

---