Page 41 of Bred By the Beast

“Not shifters. Half-breed freaks diluting our race. You’re allowing humans to take us over on an existential level, to end us completely.”

Wilder crossed his arms. “You’re unmated, so you wouldn’t understand. If the mating call brought you a human, you’d be busy fucking her right now.”

Alder laughed. “That would never happen.”

He wasn’t sure he’d be able to talk any sense into the other bear shifter. His views were extreme and rooted deep. Wilder needed answers.

“And if it did, what would happen? Do you even know? Can shifters and humans breed safely?”

Alder smirked, enjoying his discomfort.

“Is it growing within her now?”

“Answer my question,” Wilder said.

The other man clasped his hands behind his back and paced the area slowly. “How was your adolescence? Uneventful?” He scoffed. “Imagine that for your own children. Maybe worse as they’ll have human weakness from their mother.”

Wilder shook his head. “Stop bullshitting with me. Do you know of other mixed matings or not?”

“All I know is that your choices go directly against my beliefs. We’re shifters, protecters of the land. A unique, endangered species forced to live in the shadows due to humankind. You’ll have us fade into oblivion.”

“Fuck this,” Wilder said. “You’re of no use to me.” He was going to shift and return to Poppy. As much as he wanted answers he couldn’t get from his own kin, it wasn’t going to happen with Alder.

“Wait,” Alder said. “Just pray your child is born in human form, otherwise your mate won’t survive the birth.”

Then he shifted and bound into the forest before Wilder could ask the million follow-up questions in his mind. How could he ensure the baby would be in human form at the time of birth? He was born as a cub but his parents were purebred shifters. He had no clue if their child would be born in skin or fur. He couldn’t lose his mate, couldn’t live without his Poppy.

“Don’t come near my land again,” he called out after the bear. “Next time I won’t be so forgiving.”

Was Alder crazy enough to kill his child if it were born alive? Would Wilder have to be on guard of their little piece of paradise forever?

He hadn’t told Poppy she was with child yet. If she couldn’t stay pregnant safely, he didn’t want her to get excited. Wilder wished he had more information, more security that she’d survive the pregnancy.

He returned to the house. Poppy was around the back watering the garden. She looked adorable in the simple floral dress she’d made herself from old fabric in the house. He watched her for a while, as he often did. She fascinated him. Her passion. Her gentleness. She’d make an excellent mother, and if their cub acted up and she couldn’t handle it, they’d have a father who’d set them straight.

Wilder remembered how she’d offered him her camera. It was symbolic showing she chose him over everything else, even her passion. He could never take that away from her. He wanted her to take her photos, to capture nature and beauty behind her lens.

“I know you’re there,” she said without turning around. Her tone was playful.

“I have a beautiful view.”

She snorted. “I’m getting fatter every day being here. I think it’s your honey.”

“You look perfect. All I can think about is fucking you.”

This time she turned her head around. “You’re impossible.”

“It’s true.”

She stood up, dusting her hands off on her dress. Her blonde hair was loose and tousled. She looked like an angel.

“I watered the vegetables, pulled the weeds, fed the dogs, and I checked on the bees, but I can only do so much there without getting bitten.”

He got out of his crouch, rising to his full height. “Let’s see if the honey is ready.”

They both walked over to the hives, the sun shining and birds singing, and Wilder carefully pulled out one frame ripe and dripping with honey. His bear roared within him at the sight.

“Wow, it’s so beautiful and dark. Too bad we couldn’t sell it,” she said.