Finding Strength

  Finding Strength

  Jules Tyler

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Also by Jules Tyler

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2018 Jules Tyler

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical review and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Chapter 1

  Tyson White sat, staring at the creek that was running through camp as he scowled. Everyone around here was pairing up, and here he was, still mateless with no hope for possibilities. The only single woman he knew up here was Mama Ally, and there was no way he was sleeping with his best friend’s mother. That had bad idea written all over it. Sure, he cracked jokes most of the time, but he really was lonely deep down. He wanted someone for himself that he could take to nice dinners and bring flowers home to. All of that stupid sappy shit. He wanted it all.

  “Stupid fucking Fates,” Tyson muttered under his breath as he stood and stalked back towards camp.

  Tyson grumbled to himself all the way back. He felt bad, really he did. He knew he should be happy for his friends, especially Stella and Kaylene. They were both pregnant, and that meant new little nieces and nephews for him to play with, and teach dirty jokes to so they could drive their parents nuts. He was looking forward to that, but he honestly thought he would be mated by now with a little one on the way himself. But here he was, still single. Still lonely.

  As he neared the cabins, Tyson noticed a new addition to the vehicles parked out front. A cherry red Mustang was parked outside of Jesse and Liz’s cabin with a tall, deliciously curvy woman with long curly brown hair leaning up against it. Tyson could feel his dick growing hard in his pants as he neared the woman. As she turned around, the first thing Tyson noticed was her eyes. One was blue and the other was gold, and they drew Tyson’s wolf to attention.

  Mine.

  Tyson’s mind ignited with excitement. He finally found her. His one. His intended. Thank the Fates, she did exist!

  “Hi, my name is Jasmine. I’m looking for my brother, Jesse.” The woman smiled, brushing the single streak of white in her hair behind her ear flirtatiously.

  “The name is Tyson, and let me just say you are stunning. I love your eyes,” he said confidently.

  Rounding the corner of the car, Tyson stopped in his tracks as he took in the rest of Jasmine’s appearance. Right in the middle of her gorgeous curves was a tight, round bump. Tyson looked up at the sky and cursed the Fates silently. He found his mate, but she was carrying someone else’s child.

  Chapter 2

  Mate, Jasmine Matthew’s bear murmured reverently in the back of her mind as she drank in the appearance of the stranger in front of her. His tall, lean frame was packed with muscle. His cropped short beard worked nicely in unison with his tousled black hair. His eyes though—those chocolatey brown eyes were holding her own blue and gold ones captive. She watched as he came around the car, and then all of the blood drained from his face once he saw her tight, round stomach. It was hard to miss when someone was looking her dead on, the way he was right now. Moving her hands protectively to her belly, she rubbed her swollen midsection. Sure, he may be her intended, but it didn’t mean she needed to heed the call. She needed to protect her little miracle.

  Suddenly aware of the awkward silence that was drifting between them, Jasmine realized she hadn’t quite heard what the man said to her. “I’m sorry, you’ll have to excuse me. I was in the car for two days straight, and my mind is kind of foggy. Would you mind repeating yourself?”

  “My name is Tyson,” the man said softly, still not removing his eyes from her stomach.

  Narrowing her eyes, Jasmine watched the judgement flit through his. When she spoke, her voice was abrupt. “So do you know my brother?”

  Shaking his head quickly as though he was struggling to rid his mind of cobwebs, Tyson replied, “Oh, yeah, Jesse. I do know him. We’ll probably find him over in the restaurant. His mate runs it and he spends most of his time over there. If you want, I can bring the golf cart over and pick you up. A woman in your... condition shouldn’t be walking too far.”

  “A woman in my condition, huh?” Tone snarky, she raised an eyebrow at Tyson, folding her arms across her chest.

  “I just… I mean,” Tyson stammered, clearly unsure of what he should say next.

  “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you. Just point me in the direction of my brother and his mate, and I’ll be on my merry way.”

  “I didn’t mean to offend you.” Tyson frowned at her. “I just wanted to be helpful.”

  “Well, I’ve been on my own up to this point without any help. I don’t need judgmental strangers offering to help me to clear their conscience,” Jasmine clipped, as she moved to walk around Tyson.

  “I wasn’t being judgmental. I know not everyone’s situations are perfect. I was just taken aback because...well…” Tyson trailed off.

  “Yeah, I get it. I’ve seen that stare a few million times in the last seven and a half months when people find out what kind of situation I’m in.” Jasmine glared at him as she spat the words. She felt a little bad for putting this stranger through the wringer, especially since she knew he was her Intended, but enough was enough. It wasn’t like she chose to wind up pregnant with a child she hadn’t planned, but here she was, and with all of the hormones rushing through her body, she was on the defensive, prepared to fight to protect herself and her child.

  Jasmine moved to spin on her heel, heading to the driver’s side door, when she felt the world shift on its axis and she began to fall. Tyson rushed to her and braced his arms underneath her armpits to keep her upright. The dizzy spells had gotten worse in the last couple of weeks, which was one of the reasons that she came up here looking for Jesse. She didn’t have the heart to call home to her mother and beg for help. She’d always been the irresponsible, promiscuous twin, whereas her sister, Jennifer, was the image of perfection and propriety. She didn’t want to give her mother the satisfaction of knowing that she messed up, even if it wasn’t entirely her fault.

  Tyson guided her backwards towards the steps of Jesse’s cabin and nestled her down on them before moving around to the front of her to give her a once over. “Are you okay?”

  Jasmine leaned back on the palms of her hands and looked up at the sky, taking long, slow breaths before looking at Tyson. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just hormones from the baby. I probably just need to eat or something.”

  “Well, if you’ll stop being stubborn, I’ll go get you the golf cart and drive you over to the restaurant. It’s just about dinner time, and Liz always has something delicious planned.”

  “As much as I don’t want to admit defeat, a ride over to the restaurant would be much appreciated. But Tyson?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Don’t tell anyone about this, okay?”

  “About what? The baby?” Tyson asked, canting his head in confusion.

>   “No, my little dizzy spell just now. I don’t like having to ask for help as it is, but if Jesse finds out about the dizzy spells, he’s going to get all weird about it. And I don’t feel like explaining it to him,” Jasmine explained.

  She watched Tyson nod in acknowledgement before turning to walk towards the large building on the far side of the campground. The baby in her middle gave a gentle kick, and she rubbed her hand tenderly over the spot. “Well, Little Bear, looks like we’ve bitten off more than we can chew coming up here. Don’t you worry though. Mama is going to take good care of you, and your Uncle Jesse is going to help keep you safe.”

  Chapter 3

  Tyson and Jasmine rode in silence to the restaurant. Tyson kept ghosting looks to his right, trying to memorize every inch of Jasmine. Their situation was an odd one for sure, and he was completely confused. He had an image in his mind of how it would be when he finally found his mate. Call him a hopeless romantic, but he always imagined that when they finally found each other, there would be this instant connection between the two of them, and they would embrace like long lost lovers. But here he sat, next to the woman the Fates intended for him, and not only was she pregnant, she actually seemed like she wasn’t drawn to him at all.

  He’d watched as each of his friends found their mates, and he remembered that there were these invisible magnets, pulling them toward each other. The need was always there—even with Kaylene and Landon. They fought to stay apart when Kaylene first arrived, but now they were expecting their first child together. It was all so incredibly confusing. He’d have to call his parents later and see what they had to say about the bond.

  Pulling up in front of the restaurant, Tyson eased the cart to a stop and turned towards Jasmine, who seemed like she was lost in her own thoughts while rubbing her baby bump absentmindedly.

  “Are you ready to see your brother?” Tyson asked, finally breaking the silence between the two of them.

  Jasmine nodded before looking over at Tyson. “I’m not ready for him to see me like this, but what better time than the present?”

  “Sound logic for sure,” Tyson agreed before running his hands nervously through his hair.

  Moving to get out of the cart, he caught Kaylene and Landon in his peripheral vision and turned to face them. Casting a glance over his shoulder, he watched as Jasmine meandered into the restaurant and opted to give her a moment.

  “Who was that?” Kaylene asked, looking to Tyson as though he may be able to provide some clarity.

  “Jesse’s sister, Jasmine. She’s, uh, up here looking for Jesse.” Tyson stumbled over his words, trying to figure out the best way to explain her situation.

  “Where is her mate?” Landon growled protectively next to Kaylene as they came to a stop in front of Tyson.

  Tyson felt himself fidgeting as he struggled for words he didn’t have. He wasn’t sure how it was possible that Jasmine was pregnant when she was his Intended Mate. They’d all heard stories about Jesse’s sisters, the twins, over the years but never had they met them. Now Tyson was wishing he would’ve had Jesse bring them around so that maybe Jasmine could’ve avoided her current situation. And maybe be carrying his pups, instead. She was stunning and would make beautiful babies with him… But both he and his wolf were trying to sort out how they felt about their mate having someone else’s baby in her.

  “Earth to Tyson,” Kaylene said, snapping her fingers in front of Tyson’s face.

  “Sorry, Kaylene. I’m struggling right now. Maybe you can help shed some light on the situation,” Tyson said thoughtfully as he leaned back against the golf cart.

  “Probably, depends on what you need to know.” Kaylene eyed him with suspicion as she spoke.

  “Have you ever heard of shifters being able to get pregnant outside of matehood?” Tyson asked, stuffing his hands down into his pockets to hide his hands as they clenched into tight fists.

  “I’ve heard about a few very rare cases, but never worked with a client who’s in that position. Why?”

  Tyson shot a nervous glance at Landon before looking back to Kaylene. “I… Well… She… Jasmine is… Well…”

  “She’s his mate,” Landon said matter-of-factly. “But I guarantee that the whelp she’s carrying isn’t Tyson’s. So he’s trying to figure out how that’s possible.”

  “Well, we all know how babies are made, Tyson. I’d have to do a little more research into it to be able to figure exactly how someone like Jasmine would end up in her situation, but I’m sure I can get answers,” Kaylene said as Tyson watched the cogs begin to turn in her mind.

  “Does she know she’s yours?” Landon lifted his chin in the direction of the restaurant as he asked the question.

  Tyson rubbed his hand over his head. “I think so.”

  “You think so?” Landon furrowed his brow, clearly confused by Tyson’s lack of information.

  “We haven’t exactly acknowledged out loud that we’re mates. It’s like she doesn’t care or doesn’t want to heed the call,” Tyson replied, scrubbing his hands over his face.

  “Wow,” Kaylene murmured. “This is all really messy.”

  “Yeah, I’m aware.” Tyson hooked his hands over his hips, staring at the ground in thought.

  “You need to fix this,” Landon said firmly.

  “Down there, Daddy Cat. I’m going to figure out how to get things sorted with my mate. Maybe she just needs a little time. You worry about yours and that little chicklet you’ve got growing in there,” Tyson said, gesturing towards Kaylene’s currently flat stomach.

  “Watch yourself, Pup. I may have better control of my animal now that Kaylene is back where she belongs at my side, but I won’t hesitate to put you in your place,” Landon growled low, placing a hand over Kaylene’s belly as his eyes flashed their glowing blue.

  “Landon, he’s not doing anything wrong.” Kaylene laughed as she covered his hand with her own. “He’s just saying to give him some time. What this girl probably needs right now is a friend, Tyson. So be the best damn friend you can be for now. When she’s ready to embrace the Fates, you’ll know.”

  “I’m not sure the Fates knew what they were doing with this pairing,” Tyson admitted as they all turned to walk inside the restaurant.

  “The Fates always have a plan, Tyson. Never forget that,” Landon said wisely.

  Tyson had to admit Landon was probably right. But for now, he needed to sort out his own emotions about the situation at hand before he could try and figure out what the hell the Fates were thinking.

  Chapter 4

  “Who did this to you?” Jesse demanded for the third time in the five minutes since Jasmine walked through the door of the restaurant.

  “I don’t know,” Jasmine repeated herself impatiently.

  “Where is your mate?” Jesse peered around her as though someone might be hiding outside that she was trying to protect.

  As Jasmine started to speak again, Tyson and two others walked through the door of the restaurant, distracting Jesse and herself for a moment.

  Mate.

  “I don’t have a mate, Jesse. We’ll discuss this later. I only came up here because I need your help and your protection,” Jasmine said, choking on the emotion that was getting thick in her throat.

  She wasn’t normally a crier, but pregnancy hormones did strange things to a woman. Right now, all Jasmine wanted was a bottle of wine, a bag of Snickers candy bars, and a fuzzy blanket. She looked over at Tyson, trying to ignore the hurt that flashed across his face from her remark about not having a mate. They both knew that was anything but the truth, but she didn’t want to acknowledge the elephant in the room right now. Her unborn cub’s life was more important than whatever sick plan the Fates had in mind.

  “Have you had a midwife look you over yet?” Liz asked cheerfully as she walked through the kitchen door with a steaming pan of baked chicken breasts and potatoes.

  Jasmine turned her attention to her brother’s mate. “No. I’ve been... busy.”
/>
  “Jasmine!” Jesse snarled in frustration.

  “Jesse, you leave her be.” Liz glared at him.

  Jasmine had been able to chat with Liz online a handful of times since Jesse met her, and always liked her. It was nice to watch her grow from the timid little creature she was when they first met to the outspoken, sassy woman she was now. Being mated to a pushy grizzly bear could make all the difference for people like her.

  “You’re in luck,” Tyson piped up as he sat down at the table next to the strangers he walked in with. “Kaylene is the best midwife in the business. I bet she could give you a once over and make sure everything is okay in there.”

  “It’s true. My mate’s helped bring many young shifters into the world, including a dragon child,” the tall man with long hair said, every word infused with the pride he clearly felt.

  “Wow, a dragon baby?” Jasmine marveled as she moved closer to the table that they were seated at.

  Kaylene nodded shyly. “Yeah. That was definitely a special pregnancy.”

  “My name is Jasmine,” Jasmine said, sticking her hand out to shake Kaylene’s.

  Kaylene took her hand and shook it. “I’m Kaylene, and this is my mate, Landon. Why don’t you have a seat, and we can have some dinner? Then when we’re done, we’ll head over to the cabin clinic I have set up and I can look you over.”

  “What would that entail?” Jasmine asked as she sat in the seat across from Kaylene, covering her belly with a protective hand.

  “Nothing invasive. Mostly I just want to check your vitals and the baby’s heartbeat. If you want, we can do an ultrasound, so you can see your baby. I know it usually helps all new moms relax when they know their babies are safe and sound, inside of the womb,” Kaylene replied with a kind smile before lifting her water glass to drink.