Page 5 of Dragon’s Midlife Secret Baby (Shifter Nation: Enchanted Over Forty #1)

“Oh, there you are, Chelsea. I just heard!” Kristy wrapped her arms tightly around Chelsea and squeezed. “How are you not an absolute mess right now?”

“Thank you so much for your support,” Chelsea cracked at her sister, though she offered her a half smile. “I’m using every bit of strength I have to keep it together, honestly—along with this tea Erin made me. Herbalist or not, that girl knows how to make a great tea.”

“Guess I’ll settle for chamomile.” Kristy fetched a mug from the cabinet and reached for the kettle, which was still warm. “Mom said he’s staying here?”

“Yeah.” Chelsea closed her eyes and wrapped her fingers around the mug, trying to focus on its warmth, but all she could think about was Beck.

Sitting on the other side of the kitchen table, Kristy played with her tea ball while waiting for it to brew. “Are you okay with that?”

“Yes.” The answer came quickly, telling her just how true it was. Now that she knew Beck was still alive, Chelsea would’ve gone crazy if he’d left again and she had to go back to wondering where he was. “I’m not going to say it isn’t strange. Not just having him here, but knowing he’s still alive.”

One of Kristy’s slim eyebrows tweaked a bit. “What’s the plan, then? Are you two going to pick up where you left off?”

“It’s not that simple, is it?” Chelsea absently stirred her tea. It really was delicious, and she knew it was keeping her nerves from being completely shot, but everything that’d happened felt too big for even the best herbalist in Salem to fix.

Kristy produced a small deck of tarot cards from her pocket. She shuffled them through her fingers with as much ease as a stage magician or a casino dealer, though her power with them had nothing to do with hiding the ace of spades up her sleeve. She quirked her eyebrow again.

Chelsea knew what she was asking. Kristy would never pull cards without asking. She nodded.

“Let’s see, then.” Kristy’s nimble fingers put the deck back to order, smoothing the sides. She turned over the first card and laid it on the table. “Ah. The devil. Something is holding you back.”

The image was of a man and a woman, naked except for the chains that bound them together. For a moment, it made Chelsea think of her connection with Beck. The large devil behind the lovers, however, was the one who grasped the chain and kept it in control.

“Something is holding you back,” Kristy said softly. “I suppose that card isn’t really a surprise, is it?”

“No. What else have you got?”

Kristy flipped the next card. It depicted a large wheel with various symbols inscribed on it. Surrounding the wheel were various winged, golden creatures. “The Wheel of Fortune.”

“Lovely.” Chelsea drained the rest of her tea.

“It’s not that bad,” Kristy said. “Necessarily.”

“I know there’s always room for interpretation, but I’ve also grown up with you.

I know that two out of two cards being in the major arcana is big, and neither of them is showing me messages I want to hear right now.

” After rinsing her mug and putting it in the dishwasher, she gripped the side of the sink.

“I need a card that’s going to tell me what to do from here, how to proceed, how to put my life back on a track I’d abandoned. ”

“You know as well as I do that the cards aren’t going to tell you what to do.” Her sister’s nails tapped the top of the deck. “You know I never stop at just two cards. Want to see the third one?”

“No.” Chelsea pushed back from the counter. “I’m just going to go to bed and look at this with fresh eyes in the morning.”

“Are you sure?” Kristy called in a singsong voice. “It’s got wands on it!”

Chelsea had made it through the kitchen doorway. She turned and poked her head back into the kitchen. “Shut up. And goodnight.”

Leaving Kristy’s giggles behind, Chelsea made her way through the quiet house.

The covenstead was a comfort to her in her times of need, and she hoped it was for Beck as well.

Whatever he’d been through, he needed time to heal.

She could feel his presence as she passed the door to the guest room, the room where he was staying.

Right here. In the very same house. It was just so hard to fathom.

Her wolf whispered to her. She turned and knocked softly on the door. Thinking of what he’d revealed about being imprisoned, she called out, “It’s Chelsea.”

The door opened. Beck was now wearing a pair of athletic shorts and a T-shirt.

Chelsea knew they were from the stash of extra clothing the coven always kept around in case someone needed their help, so the garments were nothing special, yet she noticed the way they fit his body.

Beck was leaner now, but he’d retained the strong physique she’d admired so much when they’d first met.

“Chelsea.” He let out a breath through his nostrils.

Had she disturbed him? Or did she make him nervous? “I didn’t mean to bother you. I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable and didn’t need anything.”

“Jace gave me plenty of clothing, and everything a person could need is in this room, except…” He trailed off and fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. “Could I talk to you for a minute?”

“Of course.” When he stepped back and held the door wide, she walked in. Avoiding the bed, she moved over to the pair of armchairs near the window. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve gone through hell and suddenly found myself in heaven.

” Beck took the seat across from her. It was supposed to be a cozy, conversational furniture arrangement, yet Chelsea felt so far away from him.

It was strange to have him there in the same house, yet not with her.

There were hints of the old Beck she’d known, but he wasn’t really the same man.

He leaned forward slightly in his chair, staying tense instead of relaxing. “I want to apologize to you. I know I did out there, when everyone else was around us, but I really want you to know how sorry I am. I can tell I caused a lot of stress for you.”

“Well, I…” The last thing she wanted was for him to feel bad about finally coming back, but he was right.

“Beck, I’ve had to be really strong for a long time.

I was suddenly a single mom at thirty-eight, so I didn’t see any choice but to be strong.

When you showed up like that, I just suddenly couldn’t handle it anymore.

It was like all the courage I’d built up around me crumbled away. ”

He pressed his lips together and nodded.

“It’s not fair that you should have to go through that.

I’ve been thinking about how long I’ve been gone.

Time didn’t really mean much to me. I still don’t really know how to think about it, but just considering Corbin’s age…

” Beck cut himself off and cursed under his breath.

“Damn it, what I’m trying to say is that if you’ve moved on, if you thought I was dead and brought another man into your life, I don’t want you to feel any obligation to me. ”

Chelsea let out a small noise as her stomach clutched. “It’s not like that.” So he didn’t know. Of all the things he’d forgotten, one of them was exactly what they had together.

“Okay.” He studied the carpet for a minute before he raised his eyes again.

“There’s a lot I don’t know. I’m confused about everything, and I’m surprised I still know how to eat with a fork.

But as we were sitting out there and trying to figure it all out, one thing stood out to me.

I know—and I don’t know how I know—that I never meant to leave you. ”

Now that tight feeling in her stomach moved up into her chest. Instinctively, she reached across the small space between them and took his hand.

“I want to believe that. I have to because I know what the hypnosis revealed. I guess it’s just still a little hard to accept after going so long without any answers. ”

“It’s true.” His gaze was level and solid now as he looked at her. The uncertainty, hesitation, and even fear she’d seen before was gone. “We’re mates, aren’t we, Chelsea?”

His words hit her like a thunderbolt. Her lungs stopped and her cheeks flushed.

The wolf within her howled with pleasure and an animal instinct she couldn’t explain.

She’d wanted to give him some space because it seemed like the right thing to do, but she knew they belonged together.

The fact that he knew, too, nearly made her sob with relief.

“Yes,” she gasped, tears fighting to come out with her words. “We knew it almost right away.”

His fingers tightened around hers, and the entirety of the world fell away except for his eyes. “Chelsea, I want you to know that hasn’t changed. I know everything is weird right now, and I don’t know exactly how we’re going to fit into each other’s lives, but I know we still belong together.”

“Beck,” she sobbed. The tightness in her chest released as tears rushed out over her cheeks. This was so good to hear, but it was also so hard. “I know you’re in there somewhere, the man that I fell in love with. I just want to find you again.”

“Come here.” He stood up and brought her along with him, pulling her into his embrace. His arms wrapped tightly around her.

She basked in his warmth and his familiarity as she cried into his shoulder. “I missed you so much.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Beck pulled back, but only enough that he could lift her head. He kissed her forehead, his lips warm and gentle. Then he pressed them to her cheeks, kissing away her tears. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Instinctively, she lifted her chin, and their lips met.

Her tears slowed as she finally kissed her mate once again.

Chelsea knew that things weren’t the same, that something was standing between them and holding them back, as Kristy’s tarot card had indicated.

But she also knew that there was no doubt as to what she felt for this man.