Shifter Romance: Werewolf Shifter Romance: Problem Child (Wolf Shifter Romance Baby Romance Shapeshifter Romance) (Alpha Romance Short Stories Romance Shifter Romance) (12 page)

The road trip this weekend was much shorter and quieter than our last one. Chris and I hardly talked on our way to the game, or during it. He asked what was wrong, and I told him that I was feeling sick, which wasn’t a total lie. My nerves in combination with my pregnancy weren't exactly treating my body right. I couldn’t wait for the game to be over so that could talk to Dominik, but at the same time, I was hoping the game would never end so that I wouldn’t have to tell him about it ever.

The game ended a little over an hour later. Chris brought me back to the locker rooms to see Dominik after the game. This time, he left me alone with Dominik. I guess that Dominik didn’t know I was coming, and he was shocked to see me standing outside of the locker room door. Yet, he still seemed happy to see me. “Ah, Kiana, I never thought that I would see you again. What brings you back here? Couldn’t stop thinking about me?”

“Something like that,” I muttered. “I wanted to see you again.”

“You wanted to spend another night with me? I don’t usually stay with the same woman more than once, but I’m sure I could make an exception for you.” I could have figured that this is how Dominik would act when I came to see him. Surely, all he could think that I wanted from him was a booty call. I don’t know how I could ever think that he would be able to take this talk seriously.

“I’d like to spend another evening with you, but I’m not sure about another night,” I replied.

“Maybe I’ll be able to change your mind on that later. Wait here, we can leave as soon as I get dressed.” I wasn’t exactly wearing anything fancy enough for a date with Dominik, but I didn’t really have many other options to see Dominik. I had to get the talk out sooner than later. I had no idea when I would have the chance to see Dominik again. I’m not sure that I even want a relationship with Dominik, but he should, at least, know that we’re going to have a child together.

A few minutes later Dominik stepped out of the locker room again, ready to go on our date, he looked sexy today, wearing the same outfit that he did on our first date. I wondered if he was used to taking home girls after each game. The thought disgusted me, but it also helped to relax me. I wasn’t going to talk to him about starting a family together. I was going to conduct myself in a business-like manner. I wanted him to know that he could help to support us if he wanted to, but he wanted to stay out of the picture, then that would be fine with me too. I just wanted a clear answer so that I would know what to do with myself and the life growing inside of me.

Chris went back home after the game, leaving me alone with Dominik. We went to a restaurant that was similar to the last one we went to. We sat at another hidden table. I got the feeling that Dominik rarely got a second date. “So, what made you want to see me again? Couldn’t stop thinking of our last night together? I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t gone over it a few times in my head by now.” Dominik started the conversation with anything but class.

“I have thought over the last night we spent together, but I’ve mostly been thinking about the timing of it all.” I wanted to get my speech out, but Dominik interrupted me.

“Oh, did you have a boyfriend when we got together? I thought you mentioned something about wanting to be single or are you just a naughty little liar?”

“I’m anything but a liar,” I said through clenched teeth. “I need to talk to you about something important, so if you could stop interrupting me I would really appreciate it.”

“Go on then,” he said, still with a smirk on his face, “but I’ve already told you that I’m not a relationship man, not even for a woman as sexy as you.”

“I don’t need a relationship; I can handle this on my own. I just thought that you would want to know that you’re about to be a father.” I felt like the whole restaurant had gone quiet after I spoke; Dominik was speechless, at least.

His face went from shock to annoyance quickly. “Prove it.”

“How am I supposed to prove it? I’m only about a month pregnant.” I stared at him bitterly.

“Many women have lied to me about having my children before. I know for a fact that you can have a paternity test done before the kid’s born. Take this,” he spit out his gum and wrapped it in a napkin. “Use this DNA and get back to me in a couple of months. If the kid really is mine, then we’ll talk about it. If it’s not, then you and your real boyfriend can take care of the thing.” This wasn’t anything like I had expected when I came here. I would never have thought that he would get this hostile.

“Fine,” I snatched the napkin from his hand. “I’m not really hungry anymore.” I got up from my seat and started to leave. “I’ll have the results sent to you later.” I left, wondering why I had ever bothered to tell him. It’s not like he was going to help out with the baby. I wasn’t going to marry him. I guess that doing the right thing just tends to blow up in my face sometimes.

A few months have passed since my last encounter with Dominik. Sometimes I picture him as this great animal in bed, and other times I can only picture his smug smirk after giving me his chewed up gum. I’m now in the middle of my second trimester. I’ve taken the DNA test, and today the results came in the mail. They said they would send one to Dominik as well. I wasn’t shocked to see that Dominik was the father when I opened the envelope. I just wondered how he was going to take all of this.

A few days later I got a package in the mail with an envelope attached. I opened the mail to find that Dominik had gotten his letter. Apparently, he had already worked out some things with his lawyers. I would be getting $1000 a month in child support, but I wasn’t to expect him around the baby at all. The only hand-written part of the letter just said, “I guess you aren’t a naughty liar after all.” The package that he sent was a crib. I spent the rest of the day reading contracts and signing paperwork to get my child support. It was less than fun, but at least now I knew that I wouldn’t suffer financially through this thing. I wasn’t upset that Dominik didn’t want to be with me, but I was pretty disappointed that he didn’t want to be with his child.

As the months went by I kept receiving gifts from Dominik for the baby. My stomach started getting bigger and I finally had to break the news to Chris and my mother. Chris was upset that he let his little sister get knocked up just for a good interview, and my mother was petrified that I would be having this baby without being married, let alone without having the father around at all. I knew that I would be able to handle this on my own, but it was nice to hear that my family was willing to help out.

It is now nine months after my first date with Dominik, and things couldn’t have gone by more slowly. All the while I was alone in my apartment, craving strange foods and watching my stomach get larger. Finally, the day came when I went into labor and had to call my brother instead of the father of my child. I tried to control my breathing as I went into the hospital. I asked for all of the medication that the doctors could legally give me, but I still would have killed for more.

Giving birth was the most painful thing that I have ever experienced, but after seeing my son, I knew that I would have done it again if I had to. The nurses told me that he was an average sized baby, but to me, he looked huge. He had my curly hair and dark skin, but his facial features looked almost like a miniature of Dominik’s. I hated to think of Dominik right now, but I knew he was going to be important to our son. I was about to pick up the phone when he walked through the door.

Needless to say, I was shocked to see him. “What are you doing here?” I asked. I could hear myself sounding like I was ready for a fight even though I was close to exhaustion.

“Chris called me; he told me the baby was born. What’s his name?” Dominik sounded like he genuinely cared, but maybe it was just the medication getting to me.

“Jordan Douglas,” I said. I wasn’t about to name the baby after him if that’s what he had been thinking.

“Jordan Douglas...” he said. It was like he was trying to figure it out as if it were a puzzle instead of a child’s name. “It sounds like a strong name. He will be a brave young man one day.”

“Yeah, sure,” I casually ignored his praise. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t want to be involved with us.”

“I thought that I didn’t want to be involved either. I’ve had eight months to think over this, though, and I think that I’ve changed my mind. I saw him out there with all of the other babies, and as I soon as I saw him I knew that I needed to be there for him and, uh, you too.” He scratched the back of his head. “What I’m trying to say is, I want to be here for the two of you. I can’t promise a marriage or anything, but I want to watch my son grow up, if that’s okay with you, that is.”

“Let me think about it,” I said. I lay back down to sleep. I was out within minutes.

I woke up the next morning to see Dominik still in my room. He was holding Jordan in his arms while feeding him a bottle. My first instinct was to yell at him, to tell him to stop touching my baby, but there was just something about the view that made me change my mind. He looked so...parental, holding Jordan. It was like Dominik was meant to be a father but never got the chance. “You can stay,” I mumbled sleepily to Dominik, “But I can’t promise a marriage.” I fell back asleep quickly after, feeling like I had made a hasty decision, but the right one.

“Happy birthday!” my family yelled after the cake was cut. My little Jordan was already a year old. I had no idea that a year could go by so quickly until now. A lot has changed in the last year. Being a mother comes with its own set of challenges that I’ve never thought about before. In the past year, I have had a child, fed him, changed him, and loved him with all my heart. I’ve also started to love someone else with all of my heart too.

I didn’t expect Dominik to keep up on his promise to be there for us, but I guess that a noble hockey player could never go back on his word even if he tried. Dominik has been here for us every step of the way, at least, when he wasn’t on tour for his hockey games. We grew closer in these past months, and I can’t help but think that we could have been something more.

    While our main priority has been to take care of our son together, we’ve also gotten closer with each other. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t drawn in by his charms more than once. Sure, we have hooked up a few times in the last year, but we’re not just “hooking up” either. A deep relationship has grown between us. I would never have thought that I would have needed to have a baby with a man to finally have feelings for him...to fall in love with him.

Dominik and I have been going on dates, but we haven’t told our families. Personally, I just don’t want to get my mother’s hopes up. Dominik once told me that he wasn’t the marrying type. I didn't mind this since I knew now that he was a great father. He loved Jordan and he loved me, and I didn’t need a huge ceremony to prove it, not that I wouldn’t like one someday.

After Jordan’s party was over Dominik and I shuffled my family out of my apartment. Our small son had been covered in new toys and clothes all morning. Most of the clothes were too big, and many of the toys were bigger than him. I hated how my mother spoiled him, but I should have figured that she would. My family was so hectic sometimes it was just nice to be alone with Dominik and our son for once.

Jordan was so tuckered out from the party that he was ready for a nap. I put him in his crib and met Dominik in the kitchen to put away the leftover food. When I walked into the kitchen I didn’t see him putting away the potato salad like I had asked, but instead, he was in the doorway, one knee on the ground, with a ring in his hand. I was so shocked that I dropped the empty cups I was holding, which made an echoing ring when they hit the floor.

“Dominik...” I was shocked. I would never have expected for this to happen. “Is this really happening?”

“It is,” he said. He grabbed my hand. “Never, in a million years, would I have thought that I would end up getting a girl pregnant. Well, actually I figured that might happen sooner or later. What I never figured was that I would fall in love with this girl. Kiana, I’m done with being a player with women.  All I want to be a player at is hockey, and the only woman I want to be with is you. I want us to be a family--a real family. What I’m trying to say is, will you marry me?”

I couldn’t help but squeal when he finally asked. “Yes!” I jumped into his arms, pushing us both on the tile floor. “I’d love to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“That’s funny,” he joked. “I thought you were trying out a single life.”

“I know,” I played along. “I guess I’m not very good at keeping the men away from me.”

Dominik picked me up and brought me to the bedroom. I guess I was really bad at staying single. I was filled with bliss at the idea of being with Dominik for the rest of my life. I guess we weren’t such cold-hearted people after all.

*****

THE END

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Copyright 2015 by Ella Frost - All rights reserved.

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