"He is innocent!" Clayton argued. "Harland didn't kill that bastard. If he had, there wouldn't have been a body left behind. We all know that."

"But we can't tell the sheriff that," Bryson said. "We can't say that, if Harland was guilty, he would have torn the man to pieces, not used a shotgun."

"Just keep your eyes and ears open," Jed said as he placed his hands on his hips, gazing toward the house with a calculated gleam in his eyes. "Like I said, if things start looking bad, then we'll get him and his family out of here."

"Keep an eye out for Dunham," Bryson added. "That deputy isn't right in the head and he thinks he is going to take over. Says Sparrow ain't fit for the job of sheriff."

"Trying to prove something," Clayton said. "Nothing worse than a deputy gung ho on taking the sheriff's job."

"And he might try to use Harland as his stepping stone." Bryson rubbed his shaven jaw. "Keep an eye on that one."

Chapter Nine.

Harland rubbed his mate's back as he thought about what had just happened to him down at the jail. To Sheriff Sparrow's credit, he had been more than accommodating to Harland. The guy had been cool about everything, and hadn't even locked Harland in a cell. They had hung out by the man's desk as Sparrow questioned him.

It was Deputy Dunham that had rubbed Harland the wrong way. Being a bear shifter, Harland had excellent hearing, and what he'd heard was Dunham talking shit about Sparrow behind the man's back.

"What do you think will happen?" Dresden asked as he curled in closer to Harland. The scent of the man's skin was now so familiar to Harland that it was like a soothing balm to his worried soul. They lay stretched out on the bed, Harland behind his mate, placing light kisses along the man's bare shoulder. He rubbed his hand down Dresden's arm, wondering what their child was going to look like.

Harland hoped the cub had Dresden's gorgeous green eyes.

"You know," Harland said as he moved lower, kissing his mate down his spine, lingering by his shoulder blades. He smiled into his mate's skin. "I would love to spread you out and taste every inch of your body."

Dresden shivered and Harland grinned even wider. He used his fingers to slowly massage Dresden's back until he reached the flare of the man's ass. His fingers danced around the dimples just above Dresden's ass cheeks and Harland felt his cock growing thicker by the second. Oh, how this man drove him insane.

Dresden let go of a small gasp and then a long breath. He lifted his shoulder and then moved his hand behind him, grazing his fingers over Harland's jaw. "It might be too soon," Dresden said and Harland could hear the hesitation and nervousness in the man's voice. "But...I love you. Not the kind of love people say when they're leaving for work in a rush, but"-Dresden shook his head-"The kind that awakens the soul and makes you reach for more. It's the kind that burns deep in my heart and makes me ache for you every second of every day."

Harland ran his tongue over one shoulder blade until his lips trailed up his mate's neck and were touching the soft shell of his ear. "Marry me," Harland whispered.

He could feel his mate stiffen. Harland thought the man was going to say no, was going to reject him. Instead, Dresden turned over, sliding his arms around Harland's neck, a look of disbelief shimmering in his green eyes. "Do you mean that?"

Harland nodded. "I get that same feeling when it comes to you." He nipped the man's chin. "I want you to be Mr. Harland Macy."

Dresden chuckled. "How about Dresden Macy instead?"

"Same difference," Harland pointed out. "But the fact is, you'll be all mine."

"I'm already all yours, sweetness." Dresden wiggled his brows. "You had me at beef jerky."

Harland threw his head back and laughed, remembering how he'd flirted with Dresden the first time he'd laid eyes on the guy. "You remembered."

"I can't resist a guy who asks for my number and then grabs a handful of dried meat."

The smile on Dresden's face was ethereal. Harland was drowning in the stunning grin before he lowered his head and licked his mate across his bottom lip. "So, is that a yes?"

"Sweetheart, I'd marry you in the rain. And in the dark. And on a train. And in a car. And in a tree. I will marry you whenever, you see!"

Harland clucked his tongue. "Baby, I see I'm going to have to wean you off of those Dr. Seuss books. They are for Markey, not you."

Dresden buried his face in Harland's neck. "I know. I just got so nervous that I blurted that out. Can I take it back?"

"Nope, that answer is mine to keep, Sam-I-am."

Dresden smacked his chest. "No making fun of me. I'm not feeling myself lately and being a little wacky seems to be the new norm for me."

Harland turned until he had his naked mate underneath him. "You're perfect. Don't change for anything or anyone." And thank fuck he was naked as well. It made sliding down his mate's body and swallowing the man's cock a hell of a lot easier than wrestling with clothes right now.

His mate hissed before spreading his legs wider and then the man began to pout. "I can't see what you're doing."

The swell of Dresden's stomach blocked the guy's view. Harland had the perfect solution. He moved off the bed and grabbed the full-length mirror hanging on the back of his closet door. He pulled the nightstand to the side of the bed and then propped the mirror against it. "Better?"

"Now I feel naughty." Dresden grinned as a blush spread across his face and neck.

"Oh, we can definitely do kinky." Harland moved the mirror forward and reached into the nightstand drawer, pulling out the bottle of lube, a vibrator, and some warming lotion. "This we can do."

Dresden gave a low growl. "I said no making fun of me."

"Sorry." Harland chuckled. "Couldn't help myself." He tossed the items on the bed before settling the mirror back against the stand. "Now where was I?"

"Kinky," Dresden said as his eyes wandered down to the toy Harland planned on using.

"Right." Harland winked at his mate. "Spread 'em, baby."

And Dresden did. Harland crawled back on the bed, lubed the vibrator, and circled the pointed head around his mate's balls before going increasingly lower. Dresden's green eyes rolled to the back of his head as his fingers curled into the sheets.

Harland eased the tip of the vibrator into Dresden's ass, watching as his mate swiveled his hips, his lips parting. "Look at what I'm doing to you."

Dresden turned his head, his eyes slowly opening. Harland was momentarily mesmerized by the gleam of raw lust that shimmered in their depths, making Dresden's eyes shine. He maneuvered the vibrator farther before lowering himself and taking his mate's cock into his mouth.

As Harland took the man's shaft deeper, Dresden groaned, making all sorts of sexy, soft sounds. Harland pressed his tongue against Dresden's dick, licking his way up until only the head remained, and then swallowed Dresden back down.

"I'm-" That was the only word Dresden spoke that made any sense. After that, his mate started making sounds that were incomprehensible, tossing in mewls and groans in between.

The scent of Dresden thrummed through Harland's veins, rioting through his system, making his own cock hard and demanding. Harland still couldn't believe that he'd asked Dresden to marry him. For shifters, being mates already meant that they were bound together for life, but the question had slipped from him before Harland even knew what he was doing.

That said, Dresden was human and what human didn't want a ring on his or her finger when a family was involved? And why not get married? Harland would give Dresden the moon and the stars if it kept that happy smile on the man's face.

"God, your tongue is dangerous." Dresden jerked his hips, shoving his cock deeper into Harland's throat. "Make me come."

The request was a whimper, a whine of desperation. Dresden's muscles tensed and then an oath sizzled from his lips as he jerked hard. Harland shoved the vibrator deep into the man's ass and Dresden was soon crying out his release. His cum shot down Harland's throat as Harland fucked his mate with the toy.

"Harland!" Dresden exclaimed. "Yes, Harland!"

With swift movements, Harland had the toy pulled free and his cock buried deep inside his mate's ass. He could still feel Dresden's hole pulsing with the man's climax as he grabbed his mate's legs and parted them further, driving his erection deep.

The build was quick for Harland. Feeling his mate's heat wrapped around his cock had his body tightening, every bone and muscle in him growing tense. The raging lust was beating at him, demanding a hard, fierce ride. Dresden was tossing beneath him, his hips bucking, driving Harland harder into the soft flesh of his mate's ass.

Harland's head fell back as a violent shudder wracked his body. His skin tingled as the pressure in his balls increased. Dresden became damp with perspiration as Harland continued to thrust deep into the tight depths of his mate's body. He could feel the white-hot fingers of fire moving down his spine now.

Harland was close.

Pleasure wrapped around his head as tiny flames of electricity spread over Harland. He jerked, pistoning into the man's ass before he gritted his teeth and shouted out his climax, his senses destroyed.

Dresden was panting, his eyes closed, his lips slightly parted as he pulled in ragged breaths of air. Harland knelt there for a moment, sweat covering him as his limbs shook.

And then he eased out of his mate and went to the bathroom to get a cloth to clean Dresden. Once he was finished, Harland tossed the cloth aside before curling around his mate.

This was what Harland had been searching for his entire life, this serenity, this peaceful calm when holding Dresden in his arms. He wasn't sure who was accusing him of murder, but Harland was going to fight to keep this, his mate, his family, and a future he'd never thought possible.

Two weeks after Harland had been pulled in for questioning, Dresden was on the couch in the living room, reading his son a book when a severe cramp had him breathing hard.

Markey said something that Dresden couldn't understand. The book fell from Dresden's hand and he grabbed his stomach. Dresden was panting heavily, his jaw clenched tight. "Markey, can you go get Harland?"

His son scooted off the couch and hurried into the kitchen. Once Markey was out of sight, Dresden let go of a low, pain-filled cry. He knew the bears had excellent hearing. What he hadn't expected was for all four men to race into the room from every direction imaginable. Even Renee was hurrying in from the kitchen, Markey hot on her heels.

Harland knelt by the couch, brushing his hand over Dresden's hair. "You still have two weeks."

Dresden gritted his teeth. "Tell that to the baby. He just might listen."

"I'll call the doctor," Jed said before leaving the room.

"I'll grab him some pillows," Bryson said before running upstairs.

"I'll just stand here and freak out," Clayton said as he paced back and forth. Markey fell in behind his uncle-a title all the men of the house insisted on. The two would have been comical had Dresden not been in a world of pain.

Bryson raced back into the room with some pillows and a bottle of rubbing alcohol. Dresden was not going to ask what that alcohol was for. When Jed walked back in with a potholder, Dresden was ready to run. He eyed Jed before the guy tossed the potholder aside, shrugging.

"You'll have to carry him upstairs," Renee said. "He needs a bed to birth the cub in. That couch isn't big enough."

Dresden was trying his best not to pass out as Harland slid his hands under Dresden's body and then lifted him from the couch.

"Put me down," Dresden begged. The pain had intensified as soon as he was lifted into the air.

"In one second," Harland said before hurrying up the stairs. They passed Bryson in the hallway. The man turned on his heel and hurried behind them with an armful of pillows.

Renee quickly prepped the bed with a thick birthing blanket. Harland had explained to him what it was for when Dresden had seen it arrive a week ago. It was lined at the bottom with absorbent material so the fluids wouldn't ruin the bed.

Harland laid Dresden down before Bryson began stacking the pillows behind his head. Dresden was only vaguely aware of what was happening around him. He just wanted the pain to end.

He saw Bryson leave the room and then heard Renee instruct Harland to strip Dresden down. If this had been any other circumstance, Dresden would have been mortified to have Renee see him naked. But then again, if this had been any other circumstance, she wouldn't be seeing him naked.

"Get him as comfortable as possible," she said to Harland.

Dresden wasn't sure how that was going to happen considering the fact that it felt as if a bowling ball was being slammed into his gut. There wasn't a position in the world that would ease that sort of pain.

"Doc is on his way," Jed said from the doorway. His eyes landed on Dresden and then he nodded. "I'll go keep the kid entertained."

"Pussy!" Dresden shouted.

Jed once again nodded. "I'll own that title right now."

Dresden soon forgot about Jed as another wave of pain gripped him. His fingers curled into the bed as he arched his back, crying out. What the hell had he been thinking? He was never getting pregnant again. If Harland even thought about knocking him up, Dresden was going to slice the man's balls from his body.

Harland hurried into the bathroom and came back with a wet towel, pressing it over Dresden's forehead.

"The doctor is here," someone announced from farther down the hallway. Knowing the doctor had arrived only scared Dresden more. That meant that this was really happening. Fuck. He was about to give birth. Suddenly, the reality of the situation hit Dresden hard.

He was about to have a baby.

A baby.

This shouldn't even be possible, but it was. The pain felt real as hell, which only proved that this moment wasn't a hallucination.

Dresden was about to give birth.

Clayton glanced up toward the ceiling, wondering if Dresden was going to be okay. From the shouts and whimpering he could hear all the way downstairs, he wasn't too sure.

"Dad," Markey said as he wandered through the downstairs. "Dad."

Clayton watched as the toddler went from room to room, searching for Dresden while calling out his daddy's name. The kid did that often, even when Dresden was in the next room.

"He's kinda busy right now," Clayton said as he grabbed Markey up and hoisted the small boy onto his shoulders. Before he could ask what game the little cub wanted to play, there was a knock on the door. Clayton set the cub on his feet before he eased over to the window and peeked out to see the sheriff's car in the driveway.

Talk about piss-poor timing.

He hurried away from the window and took Markey into the kitchen where he handed the toddler off to Jed. "Sheriff Sparrow is here."

"Shit," Jed murmured under his breath before taking Markey from Clayton. "We can't let him inside. If he hears Dresden, there's no telling what could happen."

Clayton fully agreed. There was no way Sparrow wouldn't hear all that commotion upstairs.

He wasn't sure why the sheriff was here, but he needed to get rid of the stud muffin. He could think of a few ways to keep the guy occupied, but Clayton was pretty sure the sheriff wasn't gay. He'd never looked twice at Clayton when he flirted with the guy.

The sheriff was a hard man to figure out.

"I'll get rid of him," Clayton said before slipping out the back door. He hurried down the back porch and then slowed his steps when he reached the side of the house, making it seem like he was coming from the stable.