Beta's Baby: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Wolves Hollow Book 2) Read online

  BETA'S BABY

  By

  Natalie Kristen

  WOLVES HOLLOW

  Alpha Next Door (Book 1)

  Beta's Baby (Book 2)

  Copyright © 2017 Natalie Kristen

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the author's written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the author's written permission.

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are used fictitiously or are the products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual locales, events, establishments or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

  About this Book

  Christine Reyes is the proud new owner of The Happy Inn and a single mom to an adorable baby boy. But her peaceful life is shattered when she and her baby are attacked one night...

  The night Scott Lucas saves a beautiful, curvy human and her son from a monster, he realizes that he has found his family.

  But as the Beta of the Sentinels, Scott has enemies hunting him, trying to destroy him and his pack.

  Wolves Hollow is a town of beasts, but the monster that is preying on the humans in the town is a creature that none has seen before.

  With a war brewing between the Sentinels and a powerful rival pack, danger is closing in from all sides.

  Scott and Christine will have to fight tooth and nail for their new family and the future they both long for…

  * * * * *

  CHAPTER ONE

  Christine Reyes patted her baby's back, moving her hand in a soothing, circular motion over the little boy's small, sturdy body. Darren squirmed on her shoulder and let out a loud burp.

  “That's a good boy,” Christine cooed, kissing her son on his chubby cheek.

  Darren gurgled as he tugged on a lock of her hair that had come loose from her ponytail.

  “You're in a good mood today, aren't you,” she said, and gently lowered him into his highchair at the kitchen table.

  She spoke too soon.

  The little boy's good mood evaporated the instant he was out of her arms and in his highchair. Darren began to protest loudly as he twisted this way and that, trying his best to struggle out of his chair.

  “Oh, Darren,” Christine said, clucking her tongue. “Mommy can't carry you all the time. I need to get breakfast ready. Mr Randall will be waking up soon, and he'll want to have his breakfast before he leaves.”

  But Darren didn't care if his shrieks woke the only guest at their inn. Christine had bought The Happy Inn six months ago. The previous owners were retiring and were happy to sell the inn to her at a very cheap price.

  It was the best solution for her and Darren. She was a single mom and she needed to put food on the table, provide a roof over their heads and raise her child. Running her own inn was the best career choice for her. She didn't want to miss a single moment of Darren's childhood. She didn't want a nanny to witness his first steps, hear his first word, watch him transform from a baby to an active little boy while she spent her days in a cubicle in an office. She was a mom, first and foremost. And she wasn't paying anyone to do that job for her.

  Christine had been running The Happy Inn for about half a year now and she was getting the hang of things. Business was slow but she managed to stay afloat. In the first three months, there had been a constant stream of guests to the inn. But now that it was late autumn, the number of visitors was tapering off. The previous owners, Mr and Mrs Nolan, had told her that the inn was usually empty during winter. No one wanted to come to Wolves Hollow in the winter.

  Wolves Hollow was a tiny, remote town that was surrounded by dense forest and rolling hills. It was a quiet, sleepy town and the people in Wolves Hollow tended to keep to themselves and mind their own business. The Happy Inn was situated at the very edge of the town, away from the town center. Only a few houses occupied the outlying parts of the town. A long stretch of open space that was filled with nothing but overgrown grass and weeds separated her from her nearest neighbors.

  Wolves Hollow was breathtakingly beautiful in the spring and summer months. With grassy hills in the background and flowers of all colors dotting the landscape, Wolves Hollow was as pretty as a postcard. There was even a sparkling river running through the town.

  Christine was aware that Wolves Hollow was a shifter town. She had done her research and she knew that there were more than a dozen shifter packs and clans in Wolves Hollow.

  The smaller packs were careful to keep themselves out of the limelight and stay out of the politics and power struggles between the more powerful packs. Mrs Nolan had assured Christine that most of the shifter packs left the humans alone. “As long as you're not a threat to them, they won't bother you,” Mrs Nolan said. “In fact, most of them are quite helpful. We've lived here for thirty years and we never had any trouble from the shifters.”

  It helped, Christine supposed, that the inn was situated away from the busier part of the town, away from the territories claimed by the various packs. The Happy Inn sat by itself on a boring, barren plot of land. It wasn't in anyone's way and only a badly paved road led up to the inn from the main road.

  The Happy Inn was a part of Wolves Hollow, and yet apart from it. It had a quaint, cozy, rustic feel to it and despite being tucked away in a corner of a small town, it remained pretty popular with visitors over the years. The inn had four guest rooms upstairs, and one bedroom with an attached bathroom downstairs. Christine and Darren occupied the bedroom downstairs. It was nearer to the kitchen and it made it easier for Christine to run out to the kitchen to prepare Darren's bottle when he woke up in the middle of the night. He was a growing boy with a rapidly growing appetite.

  So far, things were working out fine for them. Christine just wanted a quiet life for her and her son. She would think of ways to bring in more business and earn enough to provide a comfortable, secure life for her son.

  Darren's whimpers became louder and very soon, he was screaming and bawling his head off. He squirmed in his highchair and raised his arms to her, begging to be picked up.

  Christine put the kettle on the stove and hurried to her son. She lifted him from his chair and he stopped crying at once. “Sweetie, I can't carry you and cook at the same time. And I really need to prepare breakfast for Mr Randall...”

  “That's all right,” a deep voice said from the kitchen door. “Don't worry about it. I can pour my own cereal and milk.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Christine spun round. “Oh, Mr Randall! I didn't hear you come down. Sorry if we woke you...”

  “I was already awake. I wanted to get up nice and early, and be on my way. I'm hoping to reach my daughter's place before evening. It's a long drive, and I can't wait to meet my latest grandchild!” Mr Randall chuckled.

  “You need energy for the drive. I'll prepare a hearty breakfast for you,” Christine said firmly. “I can whip it up in a jiffy. I just need Darren to behave,” she said, wagging a finger sternly at her son.

  “I can hold him,” Randall offered. “Don't worry. I can handle him. I have seven grandchildren.”

  “Darren doesn't let str
angers hold him,” Christine said uncertainly.

  Randall clucked his tongue and held out his hands to Darren. To Christine's surprise, Darren cooed and dove happily into Randall's arms.

  As Christine poured Randall his coffee and went to fry the sausages and bacon, she watched the elderly gentleman jiggle Darren on his knee as he sat at the kitchen table. Randall engaged Darren in baby talk, and the two of them started having a nonsensical, animated conversation that was punctuated with squeals and giggles. When Randall finished singing a funny nursery rhyme, Darren clapped and laughed delightedly.

  Christine placed a large plate of sausages, bacon, toast and eggs in front of Randall and smiled. “You're a wonderful grandfather,” she said, wiping her hands on her apron. She took Darren from Randall so that the gentleman could eat his breakfast in peace.

  “Aren't you joining me?” Randall asked when she moved away from the table.

  “Well...”

  “You need to eat,” Randall nagged. He got up and poured her a cup of coffee.

  “Oh, oh, let me do that,” Christine spluttered. “Please, you're the guest.”

  “No trouble at all,” Randall said with a wave. “Now, put the boy in his chair. He can learn to sit quietly for a while.”

  Before she could protest, Randall went and got a plate for her. “I can't finish all this food by myself. You have to help me,” Randall insisted. “You cooked so much food, Christine! I'm just an old man, not an army. Come on. We'll share.” He divided the food between the two plates and gestured for her to take a seat at the kitchen table.

  “Please. I'll be driving alone for the next five hours. It'd be nice to have someone to chat with over breakfast.” Randall sighed softly. “I miss having someone sit at the breakfast table with me. It's been three years since my wife died, and I miss her every single day.” Christine saw him touch the wedding ring on his finger. It was a very unique gold ring with a small ruby embedded in it. Randall saw Christine staring at his ring and held out his hand to show it to her. “My wife's name was Ruby,” he explained with a small smile.

  Christine put Darren in his highchair and miraculously, the boy didn't make a fuss. He amused himself with his stuffed purple elephant and prattled happily to himself.

  Christine sat down and ate with her guest in companionable silence. “My dad would have been a wonderful grandfather, like you,” she mused.

  Randall looked at her with kind, understanding eyes. “You must miss him a lot.”

  “Yes. He's...my only family.”

  “You don't have anyone else?”

  “I haven't spoken to my stepmom since my dad died. We've never been close. And frankly, I don't think she ever thought of me as family,” Christine answered. She didn't feel any bitterness towards her stepmom. In fact, she felt nothing at all towards the woman. She was just a stranger to her.

  After a pause, Randall hazarded, “What about...the boy's father?”

  “Darren doesn't have a father,” Christine answered flatly. She blew out a breath and went on, “When he found out I was pregnant, he broke up with me and told me he didn't want anything to do with the baby.

  Randall looked pained. “Heartless,” the old man muttered, shaking his head.

  “Oh, he gave me a check though. His family was rich and reputable, and he was going to marry the daughter of one of his father's business associates. So he paid me to disappear with my baby.” Christine gave a short laugh. “I cashed the check. Why shouldn't I? And I bought the inn with the money.”

  “Good for you,” Randall said. When Christine fell silent, Randall changed the topic and started telling Christine about his grandchildren and their antics. They chatted for a bit more before Randall glanced at his watch and stood up.

  “I'll go upstairs and pack up,” he said, pushing back from the table. “I have to be on my way, or I'll never make it before dark.”

  Christine cleared away the plates and lifted Darren from his highchair. It was time for his nap.

  She hummed softly as she lowered Darren into his cot in her room. She'd enjoyed breakfast with Mr Randall, and she was sorry to see him go. She had a feeling that Mr Randall was her last guest for the year.

  Closing her bedroom door quietly, Christine looked around the inn and sighed. She could hear Mr Randall moving about as he packed his things upstairs.

  There were no more bookings, and if all the rooms in The Happy Inn were going to remain empty and unoccupied for the next few months, she would just have to tighten her purse strings.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Scott Lucas fidgeted as he sat on the examining table. “I told you, it's just a scratch. A teeny, tiny little scratch.” He pressed his thumb and forefinger together for emphasis.

  “If you say so,” Peter answered smoothly and continued stitching up the wound on Scott's forehead. “And stop scowling. Unless you want me to sew these wrinkles onto your forehead. Where they'll stay permanently.”

  Scott took a deep breath and bit his tongue. Peter was the pack medic and he was a calm, capable doctor, but Scott didn't want to argue with anyone who was pushing a needle in and out of his skin. The needle flashed dangerously close to his right eye.

  And because Scott was a stubborn, bullheaded masochist, he had refused any anesthetic drugs or painkillers.

  When Peter finally stepped away and went to the sink, Scott jumped off the table and grabbed his jacket. “Can I go now?”

  The doctor didn't even turn around. Nancy and Flo, his two nurses, shook their heads at him as they cleared away the blood-soaked gauze and bandages. “Go,” Peter said. “And send the next one in.”

  “Thanks, Peter,” Scott said. Peter's bedside manner left much to be desired, but Scott actually liked and respected the grouchy, no-nonsense pack medic.

  “You're welcome, Beta,” the medic replied.

  Scott stepped out of the examining room and tapped Ari on the shoulder. “You're next.” He paused and asked softly, “How are you doing?”

  Ari must have seen the worry in his eyes. “I'm fine, Beta.” His youngest lieutenant mock-saluted him with her good hand.

  Her other arm was twisted at an impossible angle, with some skin and strips of flesh hanging from her elbow. It had to hurt like a bitch, but Ari was tough, one of the toughest wolves in their pack. Ari was the youngest lieutenant in the pack, but the girl had earned her stripes and proven herself. In fact, the young she-wolf worked and fought harder than anyone else. She felt she had more to prove simply because she was the Alpha's baby sister.

  “You fought well today,” Scott told her.

  Ari winced. “I fought as well as every other Sentinel,” she said stiffly.

  Scott shook his head. The girl didn't like being singled out for praise. Even though Ari had been promoted on her own merits, she didn't want anyone to think that she had been given any privilege or special treatment. She had earned her rank, just like everyone else.

  “Go on in then.” Scott jerked his head towards the door. “Break a leg. I mean, arm.”

  “Ha. Ha. Ha.” Ari glared at him. “Very funny, Scott.”

  Scott heard Ari call out a cheerful greeting to Peter as she entered the room. He chuckled. The girl had a smart mouth, but she was a good lieutenant.

  Scott glanced around the room. Only those who were more seriously injured were waiting for their turn outside the examining room. The rest of the Sentinels were taking care of their injuries themselves. The living area was crowded with pack members who were helping one another slap band-aids over their wounds and making jokes at each other's expense.

  The Sentinels had just fought off the Duskfall pack. The Duskfall wolves had attacked suddenly, hoping to catch the Sentinels off guard.

  They wanted part of the Sentinels' territory, but the Sentinels would never give up what belonged to them without a fight.

  Scott saw his Alpha, Grayson Edge, among his wolves. Grayson was speaking quietly to a group of new lieutenants. These new lieutenants had been promoted f
rom within the ranks of the Red Razor pack, a pack that Grayson had taken over after defeating their old Alpha. The Red Razor wolves were now part of the Sentinels, and many of them had proven their worth. They had fought alongside the Sentinels, and they had shown loyalty to their new packmates.

  Scott glanced towards the back of the house. The kitchen was noisy and crowded. The she-wolves were cooking up a storm, preparing to feed the whole pack. The pack needed food, lots of food, and the she-wolves were making sure everyone had more than enough to eat. They needed protein to help their bodies heal quickly. They were wolf shifters, and they healed fast. But at this critical time, they needed to get their strength back as quickly as possible. They were wounded but they couldn't afford to be weakened.

  Scott knew that the enemy would choose to strike when they were down.

  Beside the Duskfall pack, there were other packs, watching, waiting, plotting to take them down. The Sentinels had allies, but allies could turn into enemies in a heartbeat.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Scott moved through the house, talking to his pack members and giving them claps on the back. This house used to be Hayley's home, but now that Hayley was mated to their Alpha, she was living in Grayson's large, double-story house next door. At Hayley's insistence, her house had been redesigned and rebuilt to serve as the Sentinels' headquarters. There was a fully equipped medical room, a large kitchen and dining area, sleeping and resting quarters for the pack, and even a games room and play area for the kids.

  Scott was about to make his way to the kitchen when he heard Grayson's voice.

  “Scott, can I have a word with you?”

  Scott turned around and met his Alpha's grave eyes. He nodded and followed Grayson into one of the meeting rooms.

  Grayson closed the door and took his seat at the head of the conference table. Scott sat down and waited. He had worked and fought alongside his Alpha for a long time, and they understood each other pretty well. Scott sensed that what Grayson was about to say had nothing to do with the battle with the Duskfall pack. There was something else weighing on Grayson's mind.