18. Beatriz

EIGHTEEN

The next few days with Mike at his lakeside oasis were pure bliss. Having been marked, Beatriz healed at a miraculous speed, even for a shifter. Her head no longer throbbed, and all of her strength had returned. It felt strange but extraordinary. Beatriz leaned into it, and for the first time, she let herself be taken care of.

With a lot of intentional effort, of course.

It wasn't something she was used to. She was the caretaker for her nine siblings, helping her mother when it was needed. Very few people prioritized her needs. In fact, there was no one else she could think of beyond her mother who had done just that.

Mike was a natural. It wasn't only because she had been injured, Beatriz found. He made her dinner, he gave her massages, and he made sure she was the first to climax in bed. He was hungry to know more about her, studying her reactions the way a hawk studies its prey. It was intense, but being a shifter herself, Beatriz knew there was no other way.

She was engulfed with admiration and burning with pure want. And because he'd marked her, she could believe his every word.

She had been worried when they first met that finding her mate would only break her heart. She had specific expectations for a partner, even one she was destined for. She wanted a happy home and lots of children, and she feared Mike's work as an enforcer would leave him unable to give her the attention she deserved.

Luckily for her, he had proven time and time again that he was more than capable of doting on her just the way she had always dreamed her mate would.

"I can make dinner tonight, darling," she called.

Mike was already in the kitchen, prepping a stew. The weather had calmed for a few days, the sun a welcome change, but the evenings were often fraught with rain and rolling thunder. Beatriz found them to be exceptionally romantic, hearing the tapping of rain against the glassy waters of the lake while he thoughtfully investigated her body with the delicacy of a jewel hunter.

He shook his head adamantly. That was what he always did when she offered to cook.

"You stay put," he responded, growling slightly. "Do you want more tea?"

She was sitting cozily in the living room, curled up on the L-shaped couch with multiple cushions and soft blankets. Mike had lit a few candles once the storm had begun, casting a gentle glow throughout the snug lakeside estate.

Beatriz smiled to herself, elated by his unshakable resolve to care for her. She held her empty mug in the air, and he came to her, calm, cool, and gorgeous as always.

"You know, I might be a better cook than you," she said, smirking. "But we will never know unless you let me try."

Their fingers touched as he grabbed the mug from her, sending a spark through Beatriz's skin that settled at the base of her spine. That was all it took.

Mike smiled. It made her jubilant to see him so tranquil.

"You have a hard time letting people do this, don"t you?" he teased.

Beatriz recoiled, leaning back against the couch and pulling the blanket up to her chin. She concealed the smile that tickled along the sides of her mouth.

"Don't call me out like that," she whispered beneath the blanket.

Mike chuckled, a low rumbling akin to the thunder overhead. He returned to the kitchen and flicked on the kettle, crossed his arms, and leaned against the threshold.

Beatriz blushed crimson at the sight of his thick arms and those powerful, veiny hands. The ache for him was no longer painful since he'd marked her, but that didn't mean it was obliterated. She was his, and he was hers, and she wanted him in every way more and more each day.

"You are one to talk," Beatriz said, lowering the blanket from her flushed cheeks. "You won't let me cook. I want to take care of you, too, you know."

When the kettle boiled, Mike tended to it, then brought Beatriz a fresh, steaming cup of lavender earl grey. The scent was mouthwatering, as was Mike's musk floating next to her as he joined her on the couch.

"Do go on," he murmured.

Beatriz placed the mug on the coffee table, then swathed her legs around her mate's waist. She pulled him onto her as she lay back on the couch, loving the way his chest pressed against hers.

She kissed him softly. He kissed her back. It was difficult not to grow eager, like trying to calm an already raging fire.

She murmured against his lips as lightning flashed around them, a mystical ambiance surrounding their private little world.

"I think we both struggle to let someone else take care of us. You haven't told me directly, but I have my suspicions."

His eyes wanderedto her face, curious.

"You aren't wrong. I am very used to taking care of everyone. Other than my parents, of course."

Beatriz nodded, then glided a hand down the armor of his chest, past his pelvis, and settled between his legs. She wasn't surprised to find that he was already hard as steel.

She groaned as she began to lightly stroke his shaft. Mike bit his lip and sat up slightly, giving her space to explore his length.

"Then let me take care of you," she whispered in a sultry tone. "We can take turns. Right now, it's my turn."

He remained speechless as she stroked him faster over the barrier of his sweatpants. Then he swallowed, words falling out of his mouth like wispy feathers in the air.

"What about dinner?" he mumbled.

"Dinner can wait," Beatriz growled. "I'm taking care of you now."

The following evening,the rain had finally cleared. The temperature was tepid, but the sun's brilliance made up for it. Mike invited Karla, Nate, and the triplets over for a BBQ to surprise her and change up her daily routine.

Much to Beatriz"s surprise, the babies were thrilled to see her. It had only been a few days since the attack, but the way they rushed into the kitchen to her was like she had been gone for years.

"Bea!" Michael called out.

"Bea, Bea!" Matthew said.

"You are here!" Madison said with a cackle, rather eloquently.

Beatriz was moved by their affection. They wrapped their arms around her legs and started to tug at the sundress she wore. Karla laughed as she and Nate brought in a case of beer and supplies for dinner.

"Hello, hello!" Beatriz said, giggling with delight. "I missed you so much, my loves!"

"All right, all right, give Auntie Bea some space," Karla said, rounding up the kids. "She hurt herself, so we don't want to be rough, right?"

After getting reacquainted again with lighthearted chatter, Mike and Nate went outside to start grilling. Beatriz stayed inside with the triplets and Karla, sitting with her legs folded on the floor, playing with the babies like not a day had passed.

Karla sat on the couch with a glass of wine in hand. She was smirking.

"You know you're off the clock, right?" she jested.

Beatriz snickered, admiring the toy fire truck that Matthew had just handed her. They were growing fast and didn't need constant attention, but Beatriz didn't realize how much she'd missed being around them. It gave her purpose.

"God, I just missed them, Karla," she said, smiling ear-to-ear. "I really can't wait to get back to work. I mean that."

Karla evaded the confession, which gave Beatriz pause. When the kids were out of earshot, rolling a ball back and forth in the kitchen, Beatriz leaned forward, lowering her voice.

"I don't want to put the babies in danger. I hope you know that. I know there's still a lot to figure out with the whole drug thing."

Karla regarded her and sighed.

"Of course, I know that, Beatriz. I don't doubt they are beyond safe with you. But it makes me worry, frankly, when I'm around them because of my … disposition."

Beatriz understood what she was referring to. Karla hadn't been able to shift into her wolf yet. It was something that happened with shifters for a reason that had yet to be understood.

Beatriz rose from the floor, smoothed out her dress, and sat next to Karla. She hated to see her so crestfallen.

"Karla, I hope you know you can still protect the kids, no matter what. Have you ever thought about doing a self-defense course? I know Ellie has done it with Mike."

The sad look on her face faded, and she gazed up at Beatriz. They had grown close since the Wolfe family employed her. She didn't feel like a worker as much as she felt like a sister.

Karla touched her shoulder, and Beatriz kissed her hand. She was glad to see those blue eyes light up again.

"You"re right. It's something I should look into."

Beatriz agreed, and the kids ran up to them again, requesting their attention.

It was nice for the shifter nanny to have her mind taken from the turmoil of the drug issues and indulge in family time. Her heart glowed at the sight of Mike laughing with his friend and coworker, as well as the way he tended to the children.

It made her all warm and fuzzy inside. Beatriz had always wanted a family, a big family, but it wasn't until meeting her mate that the urge had grown from a whimper into a beckoning howl.

She desperately wanted to have children with Mike.