Prologue: It Has Started
(DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOKS ONE & TWO) -Her Shifter Bodyguard / Shifter On Ice-
Sharissa Flemmings paced her living room. Where is he?
She heard squealing tires in the driveway and made her way to the door. Before she reached it, the door flew open.
“Shar!” Dustin shouted when he saw her. “Are you okay?”
She chuckled. “Did you forget what L911 means?”
Dustin looked around the house, found nothing amiss, and searched Shar’s face.
She wobbled over to him and placed her hand to his cheek. “Labor, Mafilio, I’m in labor.”
“Fuck!” Dustin growled as he picked Sharissa up and ran to the car.
Shar tilted her head back and laughed.
Dustin placed his mate in the car and then slammed the door. How could he have forgotten what it meant? Maybe because he’s been working so hard on a case with his brothers. Damn, he needs to spend more time with his mate—especially now that they’ll have a cub to look after.
‘Oh, God!’ He jumped into the car and peeled out of the driveway.
“Dustin, unless you want this cub to come out before we get to the hospital—slow down!”
Dustin took in deep breaths and eased his foot off the accelerator. “I’m sorry, Mafilia.”
She reached out and patted his hand. “It’s okay.”
She screamed when a contraction hit and squeezed the hell out of his arm. Dustin’s cougar growled and pressed his foot back down, but not as hard.
“Screw the speed limit,” he grumbled.
Dustin almost didn’t stop when a siren sounded behind him.
“Fuck!” he yelled, pounding his fist on the steering wheel.
“Oh my God!” Shar cried out, then screamed again. “This cub wants out like yesterday!”
“I know, baby, hang on. We have to deal with the cops first.”
“I told you to slow down,” she growled.
He rolled his eyes, then rolled down his window just as Shar screamed again.
“I’m sorry for speeding, officer, but my fiancée is in labor,” Dustin said, looking at the officer.
The officer looked into the car at Shar and shook his head. “Are you okay, ma’am?”
Shar glared at him. “Do I look okay? I’m in labor. How about we pull a bowling ball out of your dick and see how you feel!”
Dustin grunted. Not the thing to say at this moment.
“Please step out of the car,” the officer said as he stepped back from the door.
“Fuck,” Dustin grumbled. “I would `really like to get my fiancée to the hospital before she drops our kid in the middle of the street.”
“Sir, please step out of the vehicle. I won’t ask again,” the officer said as he pulled out his gun and pointed it at Dustin.
“What the fuck?” Dustin grumbled as he opened the door and stepped out.
“You too, ma’am,” another officer said, opening Shar’s door.
“We know what you are,” the officer on Dustin’s side said.
“Great,” Dustin said. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“We know your kind doesn’t sleep with humans. Where did you get the girl? Did you kidnap her from her family?”
“For fuck’s sake,” Dustin growled.
“Dustin,” Shar said, looking at him.
“It’s okay, Mafilia.”
“So, did you rape her, or is this a gag so you can get away….”
“Look, a friend of mine is a cop, so I know you were doing your job by pulling me over for speeding. But this is going too far.”
“Dustin!” Shar screamed.
“Shit!” the officer yelped, jumping back from Shar.
“My water broke,” Shar whispered.
“Please,” Dustin pleaded. “Let me get her to the hospital.”
“Sorry, but she’s coming with us. She’s human; you’re not. Now get the fuck out of my sight before I arrest you….”
“For what!?” Dustin hollered.
“Let go of me!” Shar screamed.
Dustin turned just in time to watch the officer go flying into the ditch. “Ah, fuck.”
“What the fuck is she?” the officer asked, stepping away from Dustin.
“As I said, she’s my fiancée… well, actually, my mate. And she’s about to give birth….”
“What kind of experiment did you do on her?” the officer asked, pointing his gun at Dustin’s head.
Shar took a deep breath, pulled her phone from her pocket, and then speed-dialed the only person who could help them.
“Hello Sharissa, how is my favorite mama?”
“Tate, we’re in trouble,” she whispered.
“What are you doing over there? Who are you talking to!?” the officer demanded, pointing his gun at Shar.
Tate appeared before her and hung up his phone. “I see.” He smiled. “You don’t want to point that at anyone, do you?” he asked, looking at the officer.
“No, I don’t.” The officer lowered his weapon.
Tate walked over to the officer, took the gun out of his hand, emptied it, and handed it back.
Sharissa screamed, and Dustin and Tate turned to her.
“What’s going on?” Tate asked, concerned.
“Shar’s in labor,” Dustin grumbled as he walked around the car to his mate.
“And what happened here?” Tate asked, pointing around them.
“I was speeding. They pulled me over and started harassing us because I’m a shifter, and she’s not. They said that I must have kidnapped and raped her.”
Tate cursed a few unrecognized words, then turned to the cop. “You will give these fine people an escort to the hospital. Then you will go to work and admit to anyone who will listen that you are a bigot. And you harassed a pregnant woman because she fell in love with a shifter.”
“Of course,” the officer said as he walked back to his cruiser.
“Get in,” Tate said, pointing at Dustin’s car.
“There’s an officer in the ditch. He’d tried to drag Shar to the car, and she tossed him,” Dustin said as he helped Shar into the car.
“Of course, there is.” Tate rolled his eyes. He went to the ditch and found the officer moaning. He knelt in front of the officer and smiled as he looked into the man’s eyes. “You tripped and fell into a ditch. You will go with your partner and turn yourself in right alongside him. Whatever he says he did, you will tell them that you did the same.”
“Of course.” The officer pulled himself to his feet and walked to the cruiser.
“What’s going on?” Dustin asked, walking over to Tate.
Tate sighed. “It seems to be the start of the white witches’ dreams.”
“You mean the war she foresaw is us against the humans?”
“Not all of them. Just ones like them,” Tate said, pointing to the cruiser.
Dustin grunted. “This is bullshit.”
“I Agree, Brother. This is why the Goddesses have gathered the Fated Mates once again.”
Dustin nodded.
“Now, get your mate to the hospital,” Tate said when Shar screamed again.
Dustin ran around the car and jumped in. The cruiser pulled in front of them and escorted them to the hospital.
~🍼~
“It’s a girl!” Dustin hollered as he ran into the waiting room where his family and friends waited.
“Praise the Goddesses!” Amirah Kraftman shrieked as she rushed to her son. “How are they?”
Dustin smiled down at his mother. After raising five boys, she’d hoped for a granddaughter.
“They’re both fine and healthy. You can see them soon.” Dustin kissed his mother on the cheek, then left the room to return to his mate.
~👶~
Sharissa turned her head to the door and smiled at her mate. “Isn’t she perfect?”
Dustin grinned as he walked up to his mate and their beautiful daughter. “Perfect, just like her mother.”
Shar smiled. “She has your nose.”
He chuckled. “Let’s hope that’s all she has from me.”
Shar chuckled. “I love you so much.”
Dustin sighed as he pulled her shoulder against his chest and looked down at their little cub.
“I love you both more than anything. You have given me so much.” Dustin kissed her temple.
“I bet your mom was thrilled.”
“Oh yeah.” He laughed.
“Have you thought of a name?” she asked, smiling down at their little girl.
“I was thinking, Joy. Because that’s what she will bring us.”
Shar chuckled, her eyes alight with love. “It’s perfect.”
