“Want to learn how to do that?” Sebastian asked.
Toby nodded. He struggled to get his shirt off and Sebastian helped him. Then Sebastian moved him over to another mat and pulled off his own muscle shirt, though he usually wore one for workouts. Rafe was amused that Toby wanted to act as though this was the way to dress for sparring, because Rafe and Edward were shirtless.
Sebastian showed Toby a few moves, but then they heard softer footfalls on the stairs and all looked up to see who was coming down.
Jade. And she was wearing short shorts and a formfitting tank top for exercising. Hell, now Rafe wanted to spar with her. Forget working out with Edward. As if Edward knew what his boss was thinking, he smiled at Rafe. “Want to switch partners?”
“You boys get your sparring in. I’m going to…” She looked around the room and saw three bicycles. “Go bicycling around the world.”
“And then we’re going to the zoo?” Toby asked.
“Another day,” Jade said. “We have the charity ball tonight, so we don’t want to be worn-out for that.”
Rafe smiled. He should just take her out on the yacht to relax for the day. He figured Toby would love it too, but Jade was right. They’d take him one of these days. They still had the wedding too.
* * *
That evening, Toby was so excited about the charity ball that he had dressed well before anyone else had, his bow tie just right, his hair combed, his tux just perfect.
Edward was in charge of security, but they also had more bodyguards hired for the night’s event.
“Ex-marines,” Rafe told Jade. She thought they looked like they could dish out punishment if they needed to—big, burly, frowning—until they saw Toby, and one of them gave him a high five and a smile.
The paparazzi had camped out on the beach and out front earlier today, visiting with one another and watching the comings and goings—the florist, the waitstaff in charge of beverages and food, and an official photographer.
Rafe had been busy but dropped by Toby’s bedroom because he’d missed his mate most of the day. Toby was lying in bed, still dressed in his suit and bow tie, his shoes on the floor. Rafe raised his brows at Jade as she read Toby a story.
“We’re resting,” she said, “so he’s not all worn-out at the ball.”
Rafe remembered her comment about not calling it a nap. “Gotcha. Did you want me to read to him while you get dressed?”
“Sure. I’ll check on you after I’m ready for the party.” She said to Toby, “Remember, it’s a grown-up party, and after you meet everyone, Aidan will take you into the den to just have fun.”
Toby nodded.
Rafe started to read a page from Toby’s book.
“Mommy already read that page.”
“I was just seeing if you remembered it.” Then Rafe began reading the next page, and Toby’s eyes drifted until they snapped shut.
As soon as Rafe stopped talking, Toby opened his eyes again. “Keep reading.”
“I thought you were asleep.”
“I was just resting my eyes.”
“Oh, okay. Rest your eyes and I’ll keep reading.” When Toby’s hand jerked on top of the wolf cub comforter, Rafe stood, waited a minute more, and left the room. He saw Jade headed for him, looking like a million bucks in her red dress and diamond-and-ruby necklace. She’d left her hair down, the way he liked it, and she smiled at him.
“What do you think?”
“If I hadn’t already asked you to mate me, I would be on my knees begging you now.”
She laughed. “So I take it Toby’s asleep.”
“Resting his eyes. Does he usually sleep in a suit?”
“No, but I couldn’t get him to take it off for anything. He was sure he was going to miss all the fun.”
“It’ll be boring for him.”
“He’ll soon find that out.”
“Come on. Let’s get a drink before everyone gets here.”
Before long, the house was filled with guests in all their finery. Jade felt overwhelmed. She and Rafe greeted the guests as if they were a married couple, which for wolves, they were. But Sebastian had also learned there was a wolf judge in Portland, Oregon, and he flew there to authenticate a marriage between Jade and Rafe for the earlier period of time. He also had finagled a birth certificate for Toby from a wolf clinic in Silver Town, Colorado. When wolves needed a favor, they often were helped by their kind, who were happy to do it. Well, Dr. Weber in Silver Town wasn’t happy to be awakened in the middle of the night to do it, but he wouldn’t have denied Sebastian in any event.
For a time, Toby stood in front of Rafe and Jade, pressing up against both of them, holding her free hand as he smiled at all the compliments everyone was giving him. “Adorable.” “Cute.” “Darling.”
He was, but Jade was amused at how shy he could be when so many people were eager to meet him.
She perked up a bit when Rafe introduced children’s specialty clothes shop owners and some intimate apparel store owners too. At least five of the children’s store owners wanted to use Toby in their ads—probably to butter Rafe up. It didn’t hurt to be friends with a billionaire. Toby had that cuteness built in and he was great around a camera, so it wasn’t hard to see why they would be interested in using him to model their clothes. She would have to make sure they scheduled photos during the new moon, or she might have to wait to turn Toby.
The whole time Rafe was introducing Jade and Toby, he said, “And this is my wife, Jade, and our son, Toby.”
She wasn’t sure if she could get used to this lifestyle. Rafe, his staff, his brother, and Derek—who was eager to meet her and said he couldn’t believe Rafe had let her go the first time—all helped to collaborate their story.
“Never again,” Rafe said, giving Jade a squeeze.
“Don’t blame you, old man. If it had been me, I would have moved heaven and earth to get her back.” Derek crouched down to speak to Toby. “Just call me Uncle Derek, Toby. I’m your dad’s best friend in the whole wide world.”
Toby grinned at him, then looked up at Rafe as if waiting to see if Derek was telling the truth or just teasing him.
Rafe smiled down at Toby. “He is. He tells me that all the time.”
Jade thought Derek looked like daddy material as he shook Toby’s hand.
Then Derek kissed Jade’s cheek. “If Rafe ever gets out of hand, just let me know.” He shook Rafe’s hand and slapped his shoulder. “Hell of a great family you’ve got, Rafe.”
And she knew he meant it. Rafe couldn’t have looked prouder of his ready-made family.
Aidan finally interceded and took Toby’s hand and said, “Come on, Toby. Let’s get something to eat.”
“A hot dog?”
Aidan laughed. “Don’t think hot dogs are on the menu. Let’s see if there’s something else you’d like to eat. And then we can watch some cartoons.”
Jade smiled at Aidan. “Thanks.”
“My pleasure, truly.” And she realized he wanted to get out of the limelight himself for a while.
She was enjoying herself for the time being.
She got so many orders for designer clothes—both for kids and for intimate apparel—that she was stunned. Whoever would have thought that getting to know Rafe would lead to this? She would have to hire someone to help her make the creations. But what was great was she could now afford to do so.
Rafe had finally left her side to let her visit without him hovering over her like a protective wolf, and she was making the rounds, everyone oohing and aahing over her necklace and her gown. And asking her a million questions. Mostly, how did she and Rafe meet?
Thankfully, she and Rafe had decided to stick close to the truth. She’d been swimming, and a wave had carried her crashing into him. It had been love at first sight. Of course, that was supposed to be the first time they had met before Toby came on the scene. And she had crashed into him here, so some of it was the truth—just with time and place adjusted a bit.
“Ohmigod,” one woman said. With her boobs big and her spandex gown small, she looked squashed into the gown, but not all the way. “How did you ever manage to snag one of our most affluent bachelors, dearest?”
Jade smiled. She’d been a wolf, dearest. “Sometimes it’s just fate. Luck. And a whole lot of love.”
“No wonder he wouldn’t date anyone seriously,” another thinner woman said, her hazel eyes considering Jade’s gown and necklace again. Jade was glad Rafe had bought them for her now. Not that she had felt the need to show off to other women, but so it looked like he really did love her. “But who would ever have guessed he had a sweet little wife already, and a son too. And that his wife would run out on one of the wealthiest men in the area.”
“Well, it doesn’t really matter now, does it?” a petite woman said, her mouth smiling, her blue eyes sharing the expression. “You’ve lost out and will have to go after some other extremely eligible bachelor—like Derek maybe.”
“I swear he’s cut from the same cloth. If I didn’t know it was otherwise, I’d think he was Rafe’s brother.”
“Close enough,” Jade said. She was about to move off to check on her son and Aidan, when Toby raced out of the den and headed into the path of men and women socializing. “Excuse me,” she hurriedly said and rushed after Toby.
He’d yanked off his bow tie and was tugging at his suit jacket when Jade caught up to him, scooped him up, and hurried him to the bedroom.
“Hot, Mommy. Hot.” Toby was still trying to unbutton his jacket.
Aidan was right behind her. “He started complaining he was hot. He didn’t feel feverish to me. Then he tore out of the den before I could get to my feet.”
Jade was reminded of when Toby took off all his clothes to run through the house to go swimming. “Let Rafe know I’m taking Toby to his room and getting him into his pj’s.”
“All right. I’ll be right back to check on Toby.”
“Okay, thanks, Aidan.” As soon as she entered Toby’s room, she shut the door behind them.
“Weird. Feel weird. Hot, Mommy.”
“What did you eat?” She worried he had eaten something that he was allergic to and he had hives. Strawberries could do that to him. She set him down on the floor and hurried to unbutton his jacket. He was moving around so much that she could barely unbutton it. “Toby, hold still, honey. I’ll get it off faster.”
“Hot,” he whined. He was still trying to move around, trying to kick off his shoes. One of them came off, and then the other.
She got his jacket off and was trying to get his pants zipper down when Rafe rushed into the room with Aidan.
“Sebastian and Derek are filling in for us. What’s wrong?” Rafe asked, crouching down beside Toby and Jade.
“He’s hot, he says. But there’s no flush to his cheeks and his skin feels normal to the touch,” Jade said.
“Something he’s eaten?” Rafe looked at Aidan.
“Nothing we haven’t usually eaten. And he’s been fine before this. I’ll get my medical bag. Be right back.” Aidan left the room, shutting the door behind him.
“Toby, are you hurting, feeling achy? Do your arms and legs hurt? Your stomach? Are you itchy?” It was so hard to learn what was wrong from a child this young when he didn’t know himself.
“Mommy, hurry,” he said trying to unbutton his own shirt, but she began working on it while Rafe pulled off his pants and socks.
“No rash, skin appears to be normal color,” Rafe said, still sounding worried.
And then Toby’s whole body blurred before their eyes.
Rafe and Jade stared in disbelief as Toby shifted into a wolf pup.
Chapter 16
“What the…” Rafe said, then curbed swearing in front of the boy. They hadn’t turned him. Not yet. How could he shift like that without having been turned?
Toby’s coloration was similar to his mother’s, his mask blond, the fur framing his face more brown than red, and his belly just as blond. A lighter brown saddle covered his back, his ears framed in black, and the tip of his tail sported black guard hairs just like his mom’s.
Rafe looked at Jade, but she appeared to be in just as much shock. She quickly removed Toby’s shirt, and Rafe tugged off his underpants as Aidan came into the room and stopped dead in his tracks, medical bag in hand.
“Close the door,” Jade and Rafe said, their voices forceful but hushed.
Shutting the door, Aidan looked as dumbfounded as they did. “What happened?”
“We have no idea,” Jade said. “And we won’t be able to ask Toby until he shifts back.”
Toby was sitting on the floor watching them, panting.
Jade tried anyway though. “Did someone bite you?”
Toby barked.
“This won’t help,” Jade said. “I have to know who did this to him.”
“Someone in your pack?” Rafe asked. “The timing would be right for him to turn now if he’d been bitten that long ago. It can take hours, days—just depends on the individual, like with anything.”
“Maybe. Not an adult though, because they would know Kenneth was trying to sell Toby to a human family.”
“A child then?”
Jade collapsed on the edge of Toby’s bed. “It might be a little girl. She’s three and a half and spoiled rotten. No one was supposed to have shifted around Toby. But if her mother shifted and Pammie left her sight and ran into Toby, she might have been in wolf form and bitten him. She was always bossing him around, partly because she’s older, and partly because she’s alpha. But so is Toby, and he wouldn’t let her push him around.”
That made sense.
“What do we do now?” Aidan asked.
“We can’t all stay in here during the function,” Rafe said. “Word would get out that Toby’s ill, and then tons of questions would be asked.”
“I’ll stay with him,” Jade said, “and I’ll talk to him about what he is and what we are. I don’t want to shift until later when the guests are gone. But right now I’m sure he’s confused and he needs me.”
“I’ll check in on you in a little bit,” Rafe said, pulling Jade into his arms and giving her a kiss.
“I can spell you for a while,” Aidan said, “to show it’s nothing life-threatening.”
She nodded.
“Our cover story?” Rafe asked Jade.
“He just was overwhelmed and needed to go to his room for a while. He’s tired. Which he is. Anyone who’s raised a child knows this.”
“All right.” Rafe went over to Toby and lifted him in his arms and gave him a hug and a kiss on the top of his head. Toby licked his cheek and Rafe smiled. “We’re going to have so much fun playing chase later. I’ll check on you in a little while.” Then he handed Toby to Jade and she took him to his bed.
“So sorry,” Jade said to Rafe, settling onto the bed next to Toby. He rested his head on her waist and closed his eyes. She began running her hand over his head.
“We’re just having to deal with it a little sooner rather than later. No problem, Jade. I love you both. Be back in a while. The sooner we learn how to live with it and he does, the better,” Rafe said.
“We don’t need the wedding since we’re already married,” she said, not wanting him to feel obligated when they could have issues with Toby.
“We’re renewing our vows. I’ll just tell Sebastian to set it up for the time of the new moon. And we can go shopping for a wedding dress too. After the new moon passes, we’re going on an extended honeymoon, away from civilization where Toby can be himself and we can too. Of course, Edward will come along as his nanny and bodyguard.”
“I’m coming too,” Aidan said.
Rafe glanced back at him.
Aidan shrugged. “You’re on a honeymoon. You’ll need to do honeymoon-related stuff.” He grinned. “Edward and I will keep Junior busy. He won’t even miss you. So where are we going?”
“Rampart Mountain, a place smack-dab in the middle of Bob Marshall
Wilderness Complex in Montana. It means we’ll have about five days of hiking, seeing grizzly bears and mountain goats, and crossing white limestone and red sandstone streams. Great for the lack of people. Toby can shift at will the whole way there. We’ll fly in the private jet to Montana, so no problem with him shifting en route.”
“Hell, that’s only about fifty miles as the crow flies from Flathead Lake, where part of a SEAL wolf team live with their pack. I took blood samples from them,” Aidan said.
“Have they got any kids?” Rafe asked.
“A few. Some around Toby’s age.”
“Okay, good. We can check in with them and see if we can arrange a play date. Toby needs to play with some kids around his age—as a wolf,” Rafe said.
“I’m all for it. I’ll contact the pack leaders Paul and Lori Cunningham and make the arrangements,” Aidan said.
“Sounds good to me.” Rafe glanced at Jade. “All right with you, honey?”
“Yeah,” she said, worried. She wanted more than anything to stay with her son through this, but she also wanted to keep up the charade that everything was normal.
“I’ll watch him in a little while,” Aidan said as if he could read her mind. “I’ll play with him if he wakes.”
An hour later, Aidan was back. Toby was still a wolf and sleeping on his side. “Come on,” Aidan said quietly to her. “You go rejoin Rafe for a while. I’ll make sure Toby’s fine.”
“Ohh,” Jade said, trying to get off the bed without disturbing Toby. Aidan gave her a hand.
“I hope I don’t look wrinkled.”
“You look beautiful, Jade. Every bachelor male out there wonders how Rafe got so lucky.”
She smiled at Aidan. “Thanks.”
“Rafe’s on the patio, waiting for you.”
“Thanks.” She straightened and headed out of the bedroom before she changed her mind. But she knew this was her new life. The social gatherings. Keeping their wolf secrets. Teaching Toby to be one of them.
She had to wade through scores of people, everyone asking her the same question, “Is Toby all right?” And she had to give them all the same answer. “He was overwhelmed with all the people. He’s conked out in bed. Aidan’s watching him in case he wakes and gets scared.”