Page 3 of Daddy Wolf's Secret Baby

“Good,” he said. “We need to talk about last night.”

She grinned and he shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I think it was a huge mistake. You are my best friend’s little sister. I can’t possibly risk my friendship with Zac and my position with the pack. If you and I start dating and something goes wrong, then I will be the one to pay the price.”

A cold, icy fist clenched around her heart, and she bit back her tears. “What if things don’t go wrong? What if they go right?”

Josiah shook his head. “I can’t take that chance.”

Zahra turned and fled. Her entire world was destroyed.

She refused to leave the house for the next couple of days. Finally, her mother walked into her bedroom and sat on Zahra’s bed.

“Talk to me.”

At first, Zahra just stared at her mother. Then, everything came out in a rush. Isabel wrapped her arms around Zahra as she sobbed on her mother’s shoulder.

“I’m so sorry this happened, but you can’t hide from him forever,” Isabel said. “The best thing that you can do is to live your life and let him know that his words can’t control you.”

Zahra nodded and for the next month, she tried to act like normal – at least until she started to feel a little sick. She was tired and couldn’t keep her breakfast down. Zahra went to the pack doctor and nearly passed out when she heard the verdict.

“You’re pregnant. The baby is due in about five months.”

Reeling from complete shock, she drove home. She was shocked when she pulled into the driveway because she didn’tremember a second of the drive. All she could think about was the baby growing inside of her. It was Josiah’s baby.

Her mom was home and as soon as Zahra saw her, she blurted out the news.

“Mom, I’m pregnant.”

Her mom smiled. “A baby is always a blessing. Congratulations. When are you going to tell Josiah?”

“I’m not. He didn’t want to be with me. I’m not going to make him feel trapped and force him into a relationship.”

“What are you going to do? It’s not like you can hide the pregnancy or the baby for long.”

“I guess it’s time that I moved out and started a life on my own. I had planned to go to a university and get a job in accounting. I love numbers and hope someday, I can get a job in forensic accounting. We’ll just tell everyone that I left for that reason. I got accepted into a lot of different schools. I like Lone Pine University in St. Theresa, Missouri. They have a great accounting program there and, according to research, it has the same hometown feel that Angel’s Creek does. I’ll send in the offer acceptance today.”

Isabel looked at Zahra long and hard. “It will be hard to be a single mother in a strange place and going to school.”

“I know, but I can’t stay here. Will you guys help me until I can get on my feet?”

“Of course. You don’t even have to ask.”

Zahra had the same conversation with her father, John, that night. He was livid that Josiah took advantage of her, and it took a while for Zahra to convince him that she was a willing participant and he had made no promises.

The next weekend, Isabel and John made the trip to St. Theresa. They bought her a small, two-bedroom house, with a big fenced-in backyard. The quaint cottage-like home would be perfect for her and the baby.

Life was a whirlwind. Zahra had no intention of living off of her parents’ money, even though they insisted they wanted to support her while she went to college.

Zahra quickly made friends with the older woman next door, named Ruthie, who was also a wolf shifter. Her daughter, Emma, was the manager of a high-end restaurant and was looking for help.

Emma and Zahra became friends quickly. She started working at Lavender Rose Bistro and took two summer courses.

Emma and Ruthie belonged to the Dark Claw Wolf Shifter Pack, and Zahra was quickly welcomed by other pack members, although she never formally joined their pack. The clan doctor helped her throughout her pregnancy.

Her mother, father, Emma, and Ruthie were there for her when Jace was born. He was a perfect ten-pound, six-ounce pup who was twenty-two inches long. He had curly, sandy blond hair and emerald eyes, like his father.

“There’s no denying who his father is,” John said dryly. “I still think you should tell Josiah.”

“Shush, John. Not right now,” Isabel said.

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