Page 21 of Daddy Wolf’s Secret Baby (Fated To The Wolf #10)

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Josiah

H e rolled to one side and Zahra rolled to the other.

“That was intense,” she said.

“It was. Did you like it?”

She grinned mischievously at him. “You did alright. I think you need to practice some more.”

“Oh really? And when do you propose that to happen?”

She laughed, raised her eyebrows, and pretended to inspect her fingernails. “At our next earliest convenience. You can get in touch with my secretary who will make you an appointment.”

A surge of warmth and contentment flooded him. He loved seeing her smile, joking around, and relaxed.

“I’ll help you change the sheets if you want,” he offered.

“That’s very gallant of you. I’ve been washing my sheets a lot lately.”

“I don’t think that’s my fault.”

She nodded and smirked. “I assure you, Sir, it very much is your fault. Before you started hanging around, I washed my sheets on Saturdays. Now, it’s every other day.”

“Are you complaining? I could avoid your bedroom.”

“No. I really don’t want you making a mess on my floor or couch.”

He grinned. “You didn’t say anything about the chair, kitchen table, cabinet, or washing machine, especially when it’s on the spin cycle. The car and that place by the river are also options.”

“You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”

Josiah motioned at her body. “Look at what I have to work with. I’ve come up with all kinds of places, positions, and scenarios.”

“Really?”

“Yep. I’m looking forward to trying out all of them.”

Zahra rolled off the bed and started pulling the sheets off. “Do you think about anything besides sex?”

He tapped his chin and stared at the ceiling as though he was pondering her question. “I think about food, hanging out with Jace, and washing my truck.”

Laughing, they quickly stuffed the dirty sheets into the hamper. Once the bed was made and they cleaned up, he started searching for his clothes.

“You may as well stay the night. Jace knows that we’re hanging out a lot.”

“I don’t want him to get his hopes up in case…”

“In case you get a sports car and a secretary?” she asked.

He smiled and dropped his pants back where he found them.

They snuggled together in bed, with her head tucked perfectly under his chin and her back pressed against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and she sighed contentedly.

“I love you,” she whispered as she fell asleep.

He smiled. “I love you, too.”

Josiah meant it. He did love her, but there was still something holding him back from asking her if she would be his forever mate.

The sun shining through the windows woke him up the next morning. He reached for Zahra and realized her side of the bed was cold. He listened intently and heard voices coming from the kitchen.

He checked his watch and was shocked to see that it was after eight. Josiah never slept that late. His nose told him that breakfast was ready, and his stomach informed him that it needed to be fed.

Jumping out of bed, he raced around the bedroom looking for his clothes. Somehow his boxers ended up under the bed. Quickly dressing, he strolled into the kitchen. Jace was sitting at the table, reading a book, and eating some biscuits and gravy.

He looked up from his book long enough to say, “Hi, Dad.”

Josiah and Zahra exchanged amused glances.

He sat at the table and helped himself to a couple of homemade biscuits, homemade sausage gravy, and scrambled eggs. “Whatcha reading?”

Jace showed him the cover of the book.

“ I Survived the Molasses Flood, 1919?”

Nodding, Jace put the book down. “In 1919, there was a huge container of molasses. Everyone said that something needed to be done about it, but no one listened. Then, on January 15, the storage tank collapsed and almost three million gallons of molasses flooded the streets. Twenty-one people were killed and more than a hundred fifty people were hurt. A lot of damage was done to the area.”

Josiah groaned. “Great. A brand new thing to have nightmares about. It’s not enough that I have nightmares about clowns with balloon animals and giant scorpions and cockroaches, but now, when I’m running from them, I’m going to get stuck up to my belly button in molasses.”

Jace laughed. “I don’t like clowns, either. Once, at a birthday party, one got in my face and he had really stinky breath.”

“I guess that’s enough to make anyone not like them.”

Josiah helped Zahra clean up after breakfast and they headed to the mountain to shift and lope around. Normally, he would have loved being up there with his girl and son, but he was anxious. He was constantly on the lookout for vampires, hunters, or both. Zahra was hypervigilant as well, her head continually swinging around, her head cocking at every unusual sound. Even Jace was on alert.

Luckily, they didn’t run into anyone and headed back to Zahra’s house after they got some exercise. Jace still had some energy to burn so they went out back and played basketball.

Jace had just made a basket when the hair on the back of Josiah’s neck stood up. He felt as though someone was watching them.

“Go inside,” Josiah said.

He walked around the house and peered up and down the alley behind the house, but he didn’t see anything. Not sure whether the person had fled or had been watching from a tree, house, or other place, he sighed heavily and went inside.

Zahra raised her eyebrows at him. Josiah simply shook his head.

Jace, who was lying on the couch with his book, asked, “Did you find him?”

“Nope.”

The boy nodded and went back to his book.

Josiah followed Zahra into the kitchen. “He doesn’t get rattled easily, does he?”

“Nope. I’m glad about that.”

He helped Zahra make dinner, they all played a game after, and then he read to Jace when it was time for bed.

Zahra walked him to the door.

He hugged her and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Call if anything weird happens.”

“Scout’s honor.”

“Were you ever a scout?”

Zahra shook her head. “Nope, but the sentiment still stands.”

Grinning, he left. On the way home, he reviewed the day in his mind. It was like a normal family day, except that I’m going home at the end of it. Do I want more days like it? Hell, yeah, I do.

Shaking his head, he laughed at himself. “If someone had told me two months ago that all of this would be happening, I’d have called them crazy.”

The next afternoon, Zac and Josiah went to Howlers’ for lunch. Matthias and Lucious joined them.

“A couple of the dragons were out patrolling and caught sight of the hunters. One of them thinks they were spotted and that the hunter simply waved and went back to what they were doing,” Lucious said.

Zac put down his drink. “What were they doing?”

“They appeared to be checking for caves. So, either these hunters don’t care about shifters or they have adopted the idea that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. They would know that we’re hunting the rogue vampires, too.”

Matthias sighed. “Let’s just hope that when we find the vamps and destroy them, the hunters will consider it a job done and be on their way.”

Zac lifted his glass. “Here’s hoping.”

Everyone clinked glasses. They talked about strategies for finding the vampires, including using bait, which they would only do as a last resort.

Later that afternoon, Josiah went back out on the mountain, hoping to find the vampires hiding in a cave. He could watch it until backup arrived and they could take out the nest. All of the caves big enough for a nest were empty.

He was on his way back to the shifting tree when he heard someone rustling behind him. Josiah smelled him, just as the vampire attacked.

Teeth gnashed together as the vampire tried to sink his fangs into Josiah’s neck. Josiah twisted and latched onto the vampire’s arm. The vampire screamed as Josiah ripped the flesh and spit it out. He launched again at the vampire.

The vampire clamped down on the scruff of Josiah’s neck. Enraged, Josiah flung him off and ripped at his throat. Shifting quickly, Josiah picked up a tree branch and put it through the vampire’s heart.

“I hope pine will do as well as ash or any of those other types of wood.”

Josiah stared at him for a minute to make sure that he didn’t move. Hoping that he was dead for good, Josiah dragged him off into the bushes, shifted, and made his way back down the mountain. As soon as he reached the tree, he shifted, dressed, and ran to his truck.

“Zac. I found one of them. I’ve been bitten, but I don’t know how bad. There’s a little bit of blood.”

“I’ll meet you at the base. I’ll call Conner.”

Beth actually beat Zac to Josiah. She looked at the back of his neck and touched him.

“There’s no poison or anything here. He just scraped you. It’s all taken care of. Not even a red mark.”

He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, My Friend. You are an amazing woman.”

She wiggled her fingers. “Keep the compliments coming.”

Zac pulled in next to her truck and she sighed. “I guess they’ll have to wait. I’d better get back home before the kiddoes make Taryn pull her hair out.”

Matthias skidded to a stop and jumped out and a giant green dragon landed beside him.

“Show us.”

Josiah led the way back to where he hid the body, hoping that it was still there. It was.

“I’ve seen him before,” Matthias said. “He was in Howlers’ the other night. Unfortunately, I don’t remember any of the people he was with.”

“One good thing came out of this. If Travis’ numbers are right, then we are down one vampire and only have six to go,” Zac said.