“Did you recognize any of them?” Nate’s mom asked everyone sitting on the different forest green sofas spread over Karla’s large living area.
“No.” Was the consensus.
“Their scents weren’t familiar at all, Mom,” Ellie said, sipping from her wine and leaning back into the super soft cushions.
“I definitely haven’t seen them before.” Jordan sat sideways on the sofa.
When he arrived at the scene, Nate had already arranged for some of the enforcers to check out the area and make sure that the men who had attacked weren’t around. They weren’t, but by not recognizing their scents, they had no idea who the men were.
Karla leaned into his side, her head resting on the curve of his neck. She’d been quiet for a while now. And had eaten very little.
“All I know is I need to enroll in some of those classes you ladies have been taking.” Kel grunted. “I got my ass handed to me tonight by a mutt.”
Ellie laughed. “Shifter. There’s a difference. We can kick ass.”
“Obviously.” Kel grimaced and moved to a better position on his recliner. “Sign me up for the next boot camp. I’ll gladly take a beating from an instructor if it means I don’t get torn into like a damn toy the next time those guys show up.”
“Kel, I have the perfect instructor for you,” Nate’s mom said.
Uh-oh. Nate knew where she was going. “Mom…”
She gave her best innocent wide-eyed stare. “What? We have great instructors.”
“Cut it out with the matchmaking,” Ellie chastised.
“I never said I was going to match make,” she said, turning toward the kitchen.
They all knew better though. Barbara Wolfe was the ultimate matchmaker and nothing as pesky as free will would ever stop her.
Kel lifted a brow in question. From what he mentioned in their conversation about his past, Nate didn’t think he’d want to get set up any time soon. Kel had already had an ex-girlfriend who dumped him for some other guy.
“Just be careful who she gets to be your instructor. We have a couple of female enforcers. And you will end up mated and married before the summer is over if Mom has her way.”
Kel raised his hands, shaking his head in mock horror. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
“Yeah,” Jordan snorted, “good luck trying to get her to understand that one. The only reason I’m not pregnant yet is because she can’t talk my ovaries into doing her bidding. If she could I’d be in deep shit.”
Everyone laughed at the panic in Jordan’s voice. Nate glanced down at his quiet mate and realized she’d fallen asleep. He carried her to bed, removed her clothes, and covered her with a blanket. When he returned to the living room, only his mother remained.
“Where are Ellie and Jordan?”
She smiled and sat down next to him on the sofa. “They went home. The poor things were feeling tired and said their body aches urged them to shift.”
“And Kel?”
She patted his knee and turned to face him. “He said those painkillers were finally taking effect, and he was going to bed.”
“Do you need me to take you home?”
She laughed. “Like you would leave your mate and child alone after what just happened.” She patted his cheek. “But it’s a lovely offer.”
“I’d take you home if you need, Mom. I’d drive like a bat out of hell, but I’d take you.” He chuckled when she clucked her tongue.
“I’m not trying to die young.”
His mother was too much. “Fine. Ask what you want to know then.”
“What’s going on here? I sense you and Karla aren’t where you should be for a pair ready to welcome some babies into the world.”
Wait, what? “What do you mean babies? I scented the change. Only heard one heartbeat. How did you come up with multiples?”
She sighed. “Son, you are—what do you young people call it? Oh yes, a noob. I know scents. I know babies. You’re having multiples.”
His heart stopped and he swallowed hard. “How many is multiple?”
“Two or three. They’re very in sync, so it’s hard to say. But definitely more than one.”
Holy shit. He wondered if he should tell Karla. She was still getting used to the idea of having him around. If she got any overwhelming news, it could be stressful for her.
“Son?” She laughed. “You look kind of pale.”
“No, I’m okay. This is exciting. Shocking, but exciting.” Finding out he was going to be a father to multiples was definitely something he wasn’t expecting. One thing was for sure; he would do anything to ensure his mate’s safety. That meant he’d work double time to help Caleb get rid of the rogues in the area.