Page 48 of Bred By the Beast

This gave him pause.

“Help us?”

Now he noticed what was on the table. Papers with numbered directions, drawings of plants, and a few leaves and herbs from the forest.

“You remember what I told you about the baby shifting before birth?” Alder asked.

Wilder only nodded once.

“I found a way to counter the danger. A recipe with ingredients easily found in your own forest.”

“Why are you deciding to tell me this now? Why should I trust you?”

“Because he’s in love with a human, too,” Poppy said.

“She’s lying,” Alder snapped. “I was researching, nothing more.”

He didn’t like his mate being so close to the volatile bear shifter. Wilder helped her off the stool and led her to the sofa. Once she was sitting comfortably, he put his hand on her stomach, finally allowing himself to communicate with his child. He’d been avoiding the connection all this time because of his fear for Poppy’s safety.

He instantly felt the child, its love, innocence, and strength. It was a boy. He knew right away. Wilder would have a son to teach and pass down all his knowledge.

Then he remembered Alder was in his home, and he shouldn’t trust anything he said. A man didn’t go from devoting his entire life to shifter purity to researching and helping mixed couples. It didn’t make sense, and could be a trick to kill their child. He remembered when Alder said he’d be back if he bred his human. And now he was in his living room.

“And this concoction, how did you discover it?”

“I found other shifters who’d taken human mates. This recipe will sedate the child enough to keep it from shifting in the womb. I thought this was what you wanted. Last time we met, it’s all you spoke of.”

This meant Poppy would be safe. Their child wouldn’t be able to kill her before or during the birth. That burden and worry had taken over his life for months, and if this was true it would be a huge weight off his shoulders.

“How can I trust you?”

“If I wanted to kill her, I’d already have done so. You weren’t here to protect her, after all,” Alder said.

Wilder growled, the urge to shift overwhelming him.

“It could be poison.”

“It’s not,” Poppy said. “He told me all the plants I’d need.”

“And you just gave it to us out of the kindness of your heart? There must be a catch. What do you want?” Wilder asked.

“No catch.”

“He just had some questions about getting a human female to like him,” Poppy said. “That’s it.”

Alder ran a hand down his face.

“Did you already strike out with every bear in the forest?” Wilder asked.

“I’m leaving now. You have what you wanted.”

He watched as the other bear head to his front door. Maybe they wouldn’t have to be enemies forever.

Once alone, he locked the door and got to his knees in front of Poppy.

“I’m sorry I took so long,” he said. “I was feeling sorry for myself. Worried I could lose you.”

“You should have said something. We’re supposed to be a team.” She ran her fingers through his hair, and he rested his head on her lap. He loved his woman more than life itself.