Page 69 of Salvation

God, was she tough, too. Almost as tough as his amazing mate.

“I’m sorry.” She shook her head. “I can’t be sure.”

Todd stepped between her and the others.She’s been through enough.

Ty nodded slowly then looked at the babies. “Bear-cougar cubs, huh? We need to find them a good home.”

Jessica grinned, looking between Todd and Anna. “I think fate already has.”

Todd gulped, looking at the cub who’d fallen into a fitful sleep in his arms. Jessica had tried prying the little guy away from him, but the tiny bear had only snuggled closer to his chest. And though it scared Todd like nothing ever had before — the responsibility, the risks — the choice had been an easy one.

“I don’t think it was fate doing the deciding.” Tina Hawthorne smiled.

He gulped, because what exactly did you say to that? Especially when it was true. Fate had just about shouted into his head that moment he’d first held the cub.

Once again, warrior, I give you my most precious gift. A gift I rarely bestow once, let alone twice. A reward reserved only for the bravest, most loyal heroes. I award you a choice. The chance to steer your own destiny. So choose, and choose well.

He stood perfectly still, though every nerve in his body hummed like a high-tension wire. The first choice, back when he’d lain dying in the animal shelter, had been simpler because it was all about him, and all there was at stake was his body. This time, it was about his heart and about innocent lives that depended on him.

Choose, warrior,fate boomed again.

Fate hadn’t been fucking with him all along. It had offered him a choice, tested him sorely, and then rewarded him with a second choice.

And this time, it was a choice of the heart. Was he ready to risk that, too? To truly live and love and take everything that went along with that?

Then Anna had looked over at him, and the choice was an easy one.

So, yes, he’d made his choice, and Anna had made hers the minute she’d nodded to him in the back of the van.We got this.

“They’re ours,” he said to those gathered in the back of the saloon. Loud and clear, in case fate was wondering if he would change his mind.

As if.

He looked over at Anna. Jesus, she barely knew what she was getting herself into. Was it fair to ask her to decide something so important based on so little? To take such a leap of faith?

Her eyes shone as she looked at him, full of faith and resolve, and she nodded.

“They’re ours,” she whispered, keeping her eyes on his.

So, yeah, it was decided. But boy did he have a hell of a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

The funny thing was, things went pretty smoothly after that. They were so busy getting the hang of taking care of the kids that the shifter part came in little bits, and Sarah and the others helped with that, too. A week passed, and then another, and though little Ben still hadn’t come out of bear form, the fear gradually faded from his eyes, and he was as content as a little cub should be as long as Todd was around.

“Definitely a daddy’s boy.” Anna smiled.

Todd had done a double take when she said that. Daddy. Did she really mean him?

He glanced down at the cub snoozing in his arms and thought about all the diapers he’d changed in the last few days.

Daddy. That did have a nice ring to it.

Fay slept half as much and moved twice as quickly as Ben. She had wispy blond hair and striking, yellow-green eyes that were going to halt dozens of men in their tracks someday. At times, they sparkled with curiosity; at others, with mischief. And even though she was only a tiny little thing, she was already wiggling and turning and doing her damnedest to skip crawling altogether and go right to walking, or better yet, running.

“Gonna have a real firecracker on your hands there, man,” Soren had joked.

When Ty Hawthorne’s old Aunt Jean came over to visit, she’d smiled from ear to ear as she bounced the baby girl on her knee. “A beautiful, healthy little cougar shifter. All energy. All curiosity.”

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