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  She went on, but her words muted in Pierce’s ears as he watched her lips move and her eyes spark. When Viviane got heated, her skin glistened and her eyes sparkled. Her head movements were so animated that a few of her thick curls escaped her hair tie and fell down her neck over the mark he’d made to claim her. Pierce’s mouth watered.

  She’d stopped talking and was staring at him. Pierce realized she’d paused in her diatribe for him to respond. He grasped for something intelligent to say. “Wouldn’t it be unhealthy for them to be cooped up in those pens all night and day?”

  “They would still go out and graze while on the bag feed,” Viviane said. “But it wouldn’t be necessary for nutrition. Just for exercise.”

  Pierce envied the sheep. He’d like for his roaming to be a pastime and not a necessity. Viviane stood next to him as they looked out at the darkening landscape. Her slender shoulder brushed his. Neither pulled away. They stood silently with only that point of contact between them.

  “You don’t have to go herding with my mother,” she said, tugging at her bottom lip. “You can leave any time.”

  “I promised.” Pierce scratched at his heart.

  “You always keep your promises?” She let go of one side of her lip and grabbed the other.

  His hand moved from his heart to scratch at the back of his neck. “I only make the ones I can keep. Why don’t you come with us? You’ve been cooped up on the train, and before that you were stifled in the city.”

  Viviane released her bottom lip and placed both hands over her belly. “I can’t.” She dropped her hands when she caught him staring. “It’s time to start shearing the sheep. It was my job before I left for school. There aren’t enough hands to get it done. I wasn’t here last season. They need my help.”

  A truck rolled up, gravel spewing along the driveway. The alpha wolf from the other day hopped out along with a few other men of the same coloring. The alpha came up to the gate and looked Pierce up and down.

  “You’re still alive?” Jesus growled.

  Pierce felt Viviane tense beside him. He leaned casually against the post. He knew wolves like this. They puffed up their chests to hide their inadequacies. Pierce put on a grin to show this wolf he was no threat to his manhood.

  “Gloria insisted I stay,” Pierce said.

  The young alpha narrowed his eyes. His jaw ticked. Pierce heard it grinding.

  “What are you doing here, Jesus?” Viviane asked.

  “We’re here to shear the sheep.” His eyes never left Pierce.

  “Since when?” Viviane demanded.

  Now Jesus turned to Viviane. His eyes weren’t full of desire. They threw an accusatory dagger her way. “We’ve been helping out with the shearing since the Veracruz Ranch has been short-handed. Too many wolves deserting their families for city life.”

  Viviane recoiled at his words. Pierce reached out and pulled her into his side. He wasn’t sure if it was to protect her from Jesus, or the other way around.

  “You should let your city pup here get his pretty hands dirty.”

  “Of course I’m helping,” said Pierce. “What exactly is shearing?” He whispered to Viviane once the young alpha turned his back.

  “Shaving the sheep.”

  “Oh.” He looked at the herd corralled in the fence. “Contrary to current appearances, I can handle a pair of razors.” He rubbed at the day’s growth on his chin.

  Viviane looked doubtful. “I don’t think you should do this. You could stress the sheep, ruin the wool, or hurt yourself.”

  “If he’s going to be part of this family, he’s going to have to learn to pull his own weight.” They both turned to Gloria coming into the pen.

  “I’m willing to try,” said Pierce. He turned to Viviane. “If you’ll help me?”

  Viviane’s eyes widened. So did her mother’s. Even the sheep went silent and stared at him.

  “You’re asking for help?” said Viviane.

  Pierce looked around at the stunned faces. “Is that the wrong thing to do when you don’t know what you’re doing?”

  “Most men pretend they know what they’re doing,” Gloria said. “And then mess everything up.”

  “I’m not most men. And I don’t want to hurt the sheep or the family business.”

  Pierce extended his hand. Viviane looked at it like it was a strange thing. He almost took it back. But then she placed her fingers lightly in his palm. They walked into the pen of wooly sheep.

  Diego and DJ stood in opposite corners at work. Reams of wool fell at their feet. The three wolves from the Guerrero pack plugged in their shears and took seats in a different corner. Viviane stopped in her tracks as she eyed the men at work.

  “Since when do we use electric shears?” she said.

  “Since last season,” said Jesus. “The first time we came over to help out. I showed your mother that it’s faster and more efficient. And she agreed.”

  Viviane’s eyes turned to her mother. Gloria shrugged and hitched herself up onto the fence to oversee.

  Pierce tried not to cringe as Viviane’s nails dug into his palm. He could practically see the steam coming out of her ears. They went into the farthest corner. Viviane put a pair of shears in his hands.

  “Grab that ewe,” she said.

  Pierce did as he was told. Surprisingly, the sheep didn’t offer much resistance as he corralled it over to the corner where Viviane stood.

  “Tip her over and onto her back,” she said.

  Pierce heard her words, but was he imagining the huskiness in her voice?

  “Get her between your knees,” Viviane said. “Legs up in the air, belly exposed.”

  Pierce shifted his hips. His jeans were getting more and more uncomfortable. A dirty joke was on the tip of his lips but he held his tongue. He kept his mouth shut and followed her instructions.

  “Start with her belly. If you make any mistakes there, it’s fine. The wool there is dirty and has no value. This will be your practice run.”

  Pierce clicked on the shears and began to shave the sheep. Viviane came behind him. Her breasts brushed against his bicep.

  “Use long blows to shear her,” she said. “That’s it. Go all the way down to her flank area. Right down to her crotch.”

  Now he knew she had to be pulling his leg. If he didn’t have what amounted to a weapon in his hands and a wriggling mammal between his thighs, his erection would be out of control. But keeping his attention on the sheep’s legs and keeping the razor steady took too many brain cells to maintain his erection. But the battle raged.

  Soon his concentration waned. He’d never focused on something for so long. He was about to hand the shears over to Viviane to finish the job. But before he could turn around, she leaned into him. Her hair spilled over his shoulder and he caught a whiff of that heady smell of earth and wind and Viviane. It sent a shock of adrenalin through him.

  “You’re doing great.” There was surprise in Viviane’s voice. “Now turn her over your knee and get her hind leg and tail.”

  Pierce did so with Viviane over his shoulder watching his every move. Her tone made it easy to follow her guidance. He finished shearing the wool off the sheep’s back. The fleece came off in one long roll. He felt a sense of accomplishment as he looked at the naked sheep. He looked over his shoulder to see Viviane smiling at him.

  “You did it,” she said.

  “No, we did it.”

  They stayed locked in each other’s gaze. Until Pierce was shoved away. His ass and then his head impacted the hay, wool, and muck on the ground.

  “What the hell did you do to her?” Jesus growled.

  Pierce shot to his feet. He landed chest to chest with the young alpha. “What’s your problem?”

  Viviane sprang between the two, canines bared at Jesus. But this was one battle Pierce would not let her fight for him. He pulled her behind him. Jesus’ accusing finger followed her, aiming low.

  “You’re with cub,” Jesus said. “Don’t deny it. I
can smell it.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  A second ago, Viviane’s lips had pulled back from her teeth as she’d growled at the big oaf. Now her lips trembled and slid down to hide her exposed canines. All eyes shifted from the men to Viviane at Jesus’ accusation.

  Jesus could never keep a secret. As cubs, he’d always been the one to break when they got caught doing something they shouldn’t have been. Everyone knew not to tell him anything private because secrets stuck to him like rain on glass. And now he’d revealed Viviane’s most intimate truth.

  She knew she’d have to tell her family about her condition soon enough. She just hadn’t planned on doing it today. Or tomorrow. Maybe in a month when it was no longer possible to hide her pregnancy. But today? No.

  She needed time. She needed to re-acclimatize herself back into this way of life. She needed to find where she now fit in her homestead. Things had changed so much in the time she’d been away, and not one change had been brought by her. Once everyone found out about the baby things would definitely never be the same again.

  “Don’t be ridiculous.” Gloria stormed up to them, shoving Jesus aside. “She wouldn’t dare.”

  Gloria stared her down. Viviane felt like she was five-years-old and had been caught playing in her mother’s closet without permission.

  “You’re not with cub.” Her mother glanced down at Viviane’s torso. “Are you?”

  Viviane had never shied away from a question she knew the answer to. But her jaw locked. Of their own accord, her hands went to her belly. She felt the slightest tremor just behind her belly button. Then she felt Pierce’s large paw at the small of her back.

  She leaned into him. It was becoming an easy, familiar thing to do. She jerked away from him and steeled her spine. His support was only temporary. She’d have to do this on her own.

  “Yes, I am. I’m pregnant.”

  A growl tore through her mother. Gloria planted her legs wide and bared her teeth. She took a deep inhale into her flaring nostrils and held it.

  A chill ran through Viviane. She angled her belly into Pierce’s side. Her mother had a temper, but Viviane didn’t think she’d hurt her. Her breath caught in her chest as she waited for her mother to release that breath, some words, a fist?

  “How could you do this to me?” Gloria wailed, ringing her hands between herself and her daughter.

  Viviane stared at her mother’s hands. She was utterly perplexed. She left the sphere of Pierce’s strength and rounded on her mother. “Do this to you? What have I done to you? I’m the one who’s pregnant.”

  “Exactly.” Gloria pointed a steady finger at Viviane’s belly. “And once that cub is out of your belly,” her mother pointed a claw in Viviane’s face, “I’ll be a grandmother.”

  Viviane rolled her eyes into the back of her head to be sure she was awake and in the face of reality. “Really, mama?”

  “Do I look old enough to be a grandmother to you?” Gloria tugged at the loose waistband of her fitted jeans. “Did you even think to ask my permission before you did this?”

  “No, mama.” Viviane rubbed her fingers at her temple; a monster headache was on its way. “When I was taking my clothes off, preparing to have sex, I did not think about you.”

  Gloria gave her daughter a glassy stare.

  Viviane met it, shard for shard.

  “If I may?” Pierce’s hand slid around Viviane’s waist and gave her a gentle tug back into his embrace. “The greatest thing an alpha can leave behind is their progeny. This cub will carry on your legacy. An entirely new generation to learn the ways of the farm and carry on your traditions.”

  Gloria turned her sharp daggers onto Pierce. Pierce smiled congenially at her. Slowly, Gloria’s face thawed. Then her face transformed. “My baby girl is having a baby.”

  Gloria snatched Viviane out of Pierce’s light embrace and brought her into her arms. Viviane was so exhausted that she came willingly. It had been a long time since she’d been in this space. Her mother smelled of hay and wind and… something new. Something spicy that Viviane couldn’t quite name.

  Viviane had to turn her face away from it because it disagreed with her stomach. When she looked up, her eyes met with Jesus’ dark glare. She could hear the big, bad wolf grinding his molars. Viviane let her inner seven-year-old rear her pretty, little head. She stuck her tongue out at Jesus.

  Gloria pulled away. “We’re going to have a traditional birth. In the lake, out under the Full Moon, with your pack surrounding you. Just as the Goddess intended.”

  “Mama,” Viviane whined.

  “It’s settled.” Gloria turned away from Viviane and faced the men assembled. “Okay everyone, back to work.”

  Everyone moved into action except for Jesus. Gloria stared him down. The young alpha blinked after only two seconds. He switched his stare to Pierce for another three seconds. Then he took a step back towards his work area.

  “The two of you can take the night off,” Gloria said.

  “I’m fine, mama. We can work.”

  “I will not have my grandcub anywhere near sharp objects or flailing hooves.”

  Gloria walked over to Pierce. She looked him up and down as though she were seeing him for the first time. Pierce stood still under her perusal. The only thing that moved was his hazel eyes. They caught Viviane’s in a question mark.

  Gloria raised her hands up to his face. He had the decency to flinch when caught between the two missives.

  “Good boy.” She patted his cheeks as though he were one of the dogs and had done a trick for her. But then her left fingers took his chin in hand and squeezed. “But if you ever think to run off on my daughter or cheat on her, I will remove your testicles with a dull, hand shear, fry it up, and eat it for dinner with a glass of wine.” Gloria patted his cheek and gave him a curt nod.

  Pierce gulped. Viviane knew that was as much a nod of approval that he’d ever get. With her mother in such a rare mood, Viviane decided to take a chance.

  “If you don’t want me in the fields, perhaps I can help in some other area of the farm. I’ve been meaning to talk with you about the feed-”

  But her mother turned her back and waved her words away. “Go and rest. The first moon phase of a pregnancy is always the most difficult.”

  Gloria shooed them out of the pen. Viviane sighed, knowing that was the end to the conversation. Instead of heading to the house, she headed to the barn where they kept the sick sheep.

  There were only four in quarantine this evening. Viviane went over to the shelves where she spied the unopened bag of feed she’d sent home months earlier. At least it was on the shelf and not in the garbage.

  She reached up to the shelf, but strong, brown hands came over her head to lift the bag down. She turned and was caged inside of Pierce’s thick arms.

  He wasn’t looking at her. His attention was on the bag of feed she’d reached for. For a moment, she allowed herself to pretend that this was her true mate.

  She liked the feeling of being trapped inside his arms. A thick dusting of dark stubble covered his square chin. She wondered if the hairs on his chin were as soft as the curls on his head. It wouldn’t be hard to find out. All it would take was a tilt of her head and nip of her lips.

  Pierce’s gaze caught hers. They sparked with warmth. But after a moment longer his eyes narrowed.

  Her thoughts had to be written over her face. If not, then he was certain to scent her desire. He was close enough, and she was horny enough. The pheromones were fogging her brain.

  “Is this your special blend?” he asked.

  “What?” she gasped, completely mortified.

  “The feed.” He brought the bag down between them.

  “Oh. Yes. It’s mixed with aloe and calendula to give the wool luster. There’s also rosemary and ginger to promote strength and healing. And a lot of other things that would probably bore you.” She stopped her tirade of words and gulped in a breath of fresh air. When had it become hot in here?<
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  “I’m not bored,” he said. “It fascinates me how you’re excited about science and farming and feed. I’ve never been excited about anything.”

  With his big, strong hands, he tore the top open. He brought the bag to his chest and peered into it. He allowed a few grains to sift through one hand. With his gaze focused on the contents of the bag, Viviane was able to watch his curious gaze.

  She decided she didn’t believe him. She couldn’t imagine that a man with so much love of life didn’t have a single passion. That a man with such a huge smile, and constant mischievous gleam in his eye, and the patience to listen and learn, and take instruction, didn’t care deeply about anything.

  His gaze flicked up to her without warning. Once again, her heart did the electric shock thud. On the other hand, maybe it was good he didn’t have a singular focus. Because when Pierce Alcede did offer up all of his attention, it felt like you were standing in the full beam of the midmorning sun.

  “I don’t want you lifting anything this heavy from now on, Vivi.”

  Viviane’s eyelids lowered to half-mast, shading herself from his stern gaze. “You’re not the boss of me.”

  The words were instinct. There was adrenalin still rushing through her veins from Jesus yanking her out of the knocked-up closet. Her fingers were still unclenching after facing off against her mother. There was also the discomfort from failing to fit back into the inner workings of her home.

  “No, I’m not your boss.” Pierce’s eyes were gentle, like the sun setting on the still waters of a lake. “I’m with you, not against you. We’re partners in this crime. You should let me carry some of the load. At least for as long as I’m here.”

  Let someone else carry the load? What a novel idea.

  “I’m sorry I’ve brought you into all this crazy,” she said as he carried the bag over to the first stall. “You can run away screaming at any time. I wouldn’t let my mother harm you. At worst, the authorities would stop her. Probably.”

  He chuckled. He didn’t answer her directive. He held the bag out to her.