Page 22 of Mismatched Mates (Special Bear Protectors)
Three months later
The front door burst open with a bang that rattled the windows, and in tumbled my boys, a whirlwind of muddy sneakers and breathless excitement.
"Mom! Mom! You won't believe what we did today!" Lance's voice cracked with enthusiasm as he bounced on his toes, his hair sticking up in all directions.
Brandon, not to be outdone, chimed in, "It was epic! We climbed trees and?—"
"—found this really cool rock formation!" Lance finished, their words tumbling over each.“It was so much fun! Like, so much fun.”
I glanced from the twins to Grant’s face. The guarded wolf I'd first met was still there, but he'd softened around the edges. His smiles came easier, his posture more relaxed. And the way he was with my boys... it was everything I'd ever wanted for them. “How far did y’all go?”
“We went so far,” Brandon said. “Grant said we’re the fastest nine-year-olds he’s ever seen.”
“I thought that was your coach?”
“It was both of them,” Lance said. “And we got to ride on his back through the forest!"
My eyebrows shot up, and I glanced at Grant, who was leaning against the doorframe with a quiet smile that was equal parts sheepish and proud. We’d graduated to him taking the boys out without me.
Brandon, usually the quieter of the two, chimed in. "It was awesome, Mom! He was so fast, like a rocket!"
“I can see my father’s face now—if he knew I was giving rides to bears on my back,” Grant mused, his wiggling eyebrows saying everything his words didn’t.
"Alright, you little wolf riders," I said, putting on my best mock-serious tone. "Time to clean up. Those nails are looking more bear than human right now."
The boys groaned in unison, but the excitement was still bubbling over as they trudged towards the stairs. "Can we go again tomorrow?" Lance called over his shoulder.
"We'll see," I replied, knowing full well that 'we'll see' was parent code for 'probably not, but I don't want to deal with the argument right now.'
Grant leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. “They had fun,” he said quietly. “Showed them some wolf-pack places and told them to keep it on the down low.”
“They’ll tell all their bear friends within the week.”
“I know, but I’d gotten permission to show them, so it’s fine.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled. “They’re good kids.”
I leaned in and kissed him. It was meant to be a quick peck, a silent thank you, but it lingered. When we finally pulled apart, I saw a question in his eyes.
"What was that for?" he asked softly.
I shrugged, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious. "For being here. For them. For... stepping up where Jason never did."
So much had happened in the three months we’d officially been together, but at the same time it felt languid, and easy.
“I know how it feels to be on the outside looking in, never quite enough,” he’d told me once. “I never want to make them feel like that.”
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. “I thought maybe fajitas for dinner,” I said, turning back to where I’d been chopping onions and yellow peppers. “And maybe a movie?”
“No work?” he teased.
“I’ve signed off for the day.” Another new thing, something I was trying to keep to.
Grant came behind me, catching my hips, and he had just pressed a kiss to my ear when there was a knock at the door. Another knock followed, louder and more insistent.
“I’ve got it,” I said, wiping my hands on a tea towel. “Can you finish off dinner prep?”
“Of course.” He took the knife from me as I hurried out to the front door, wondering if Jason had come to yell at me, or if Mom was heading over unexpectedly for dinner.
But when I opened it, Heather was standing in the doorway. Her signature blonde hair with pink ends was a dull, faded mess, dark roots peeking through. Her eyes, usually sparkling with mischief, were red-rimmed and hollow.
“Jane,” she said, her voice breaking on a sob. “I’m so sorry—I tried calling but your phone was off, and I—” She drew in a shuddering breath. “I need help and I have nowhere else to go.”
Thank you for reading Jane and Grant’s story! Find out what happens when Heather returns to Pine River and comes face-to-face with a ghost from her past, the ever-dutiful Konrad Elston, who once held her heart—and shattered it, in the Guardian Wolves Trilogy .
An accident turned him into a shifter but fate made him an alpha billionaire…. now it’s up to his sons to protect the dynasty and the small town they call home.