Page 58 of Curvy Nanny for the Cougar
I take her hand and press it over my heart.
“You are my fated mate, Pretty Girl. The one the universe designed just for me.”
“Y-you’re not serious,” she whispers, her voice wobbling. Her eyes are glassy with unshed tears, full of disbelief and hurt. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am,” I say quietly, willing her to believe me.
To feel what I feel.
But she shakes her head, stepping back.
“That’s not funny. You think I’m a joke? Is this—is this how you let me down easy? Is this your idea of rejection? A damn fairy tale?”
The pain in her voice guts me.
“No. No, Tamare,” I say, fast and fierce. “It’s not like that. I want you. Only you. I’ve wanted you since the second you looked at me like I was more than just some grumpy lawyer dad. This isn’t a rejection—it’s the total fucking opposite. It’s everything. You. Are. Everything.”
Her lips part, a thousand thoughts storming behind those luminous hazel eyes, but before either of us can speak again—CRASH.
A yowl splits the air, deep and unearthly, echoing from down the hall.
“Alex,” we both say at the same time, and we’re running before the sound finishes reverberating through the condo.
My heart’s pounding as I skid to a stop outside my son’s door.
“It’s sooner than I thought,” I murmur, my voice thick with emotion. “I was hoping we’d be at Keeton’s cabin when this happened—he’s my cousin.”
Tamare grips my arm, panic written across her face. “What’s happening? Is he okay?”
I take a breath. My hand is already on the doorknob. “He’s going to be fine. He’s strong. But this is his first shift.”
“Shift? You mean?—”
“He’s becoming what he is. Like me. Like our ancestors.” My throat tightens. “But you need to stay back, Pretty Girl. Please. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Her eyes widen, and I can see she wants to argue—wants to be brave—but there’s real fear there.
And she trusts me enough to take a step back, even if her arms are trembling and her fists are clenched.
I meet her eyes for a beat longer, then push open the door.
What I see damn near breaks my heart.
My little boy. He’s growing up so fast.
And right now, his little body is experiencing something magical, but unfortunately, it’s also painful.
Alex whimpers again, curling tighter on the edge of the mattress, his body taut with pain and confusion.
His bones are beginning to shimmer beneath his skin, the first flickers of fur threatening to surface.
This is it. My boy is shifting.
“It’s okay, Alex,” I whisper, brushing a hand down his back as the magic pulses under my palm. “Just breathe through it. Let it happen. I’ve got you.”
He pants through his teeth, a low growl beginning to rise from his chest—his Cougar’s voice.
The wild part of him is stirring now, and I can feel it thrumming in the air between us.
