Sacrifice of the Heart: M/M Wolf Shifter Mpreg Paranormal Romance (Legacy of the Wolf Book 3) Read online

  “Sacrifice of the Heart”

  M/M Wolf Shifter Mpreg Paranormal Romance

  The Legacy of the Wolf – Volume 3

  Apollo Surge

  © 2019

  Apollo Surge

  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 reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is intended for Adults (ages 18+) only. The contents may be offensive to some readers. It may contain graphic language, explicit sexual content, and adult situations. May contain scenes of unprotected sex. Please do not read this book if you are offended by content as mentioned above or if you are under the age of 18. Please educate yourself on safe sex practices before making potentially life-changing decisions about sex in real life.

  This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner & are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Products or brand names mentioned are trademarks of their respective holders or companies. The cover uses licensed images & are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any person(s) that may be depicted on the cover are simply models.

  Edition v1.00 (2019.08.05)

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  Special thanks to the following volunteer readers who helped with proofreading: RB, JayBee and those who assisted but wished to be anonymous. Thank you so much for your support.

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter One

  Charlie looked down at the small bundle of flesh nestled in his arms. The baby was sleeping peacefully. It was so tiny. Its features were like that of a doll. Thomas had all his life ahead of him, with so much wonder waiting for him that Charlie almost wanted it to happen all at once. He knew that time would move more swiftly than he would like, and that Thomas would grow up far more quickly than he would be comfortable with. So, he told himself to enjoy this moment while it lasted.

  Thomas writhed in Charlie’s arms. Charlie wondered what he was dreaming about, if he even could dream. His life was so new that he had barely experienced anything yet, so what could he be dreaming about? Charlie caressed Thomas’ cheek and kissed him on the head and then leaned back in the bed. The exhaustion was making every part of his body feel leaden.

  Up until it had happened to him, Charlie had always doubted the claims that childbirth was the worst pain imaginable. Even though he hadn’t gone through the full process (he had to have a Caesarean of course since he didn’t have the necessary equipment to go through the natural process), he had to admit that it had wrecked his body. He’d never felt so many aches in places that he didn’t know existed. Even now his hands were trembling, and thankfully his body had flooded itself with hormones to distract him from the pain, but it had left him delirious.

  As it happened, he wondered why anyone would put themselves through it multiple times. But, when Thomas had appeared and Charlie held the baby in his arms for the first time, he knew why. Thomas made it all worthwhile. It was new life, filled with the potential to be anything, and that was the most wonderful thing in the world.

  Charlie was certain that Thomas was going to have an amazing life, purely because the circumstances of his birth had been so unusual. It had also happened so quickly, that to Charlie it was a blur.

  It seemed only yesterday that Charlie had met a surly man at a bar, while on a date with another man. Torn between the two, Charlie had been forced to choose, and he had chosen Will, the father of his child. But Will was no ordinary man, he was a shifter, a werewolf. Will’s supernatural blood, mixing with some apparent, questionable heritage on Charlie’s side, gave Charlie the ability to bear a child. It was all Charlie had wanted throughout his life, but this revelation made him wonder if it was simply his genetics crying out to be used to their fullest potential.

  Either way it didn’t really matter, he was still happy.

  “You are going to be so loved, and so happy,” Charlie said, beaming down at his child. Charlie wondered how much of his other father was going to be in Thomas as well. Only time would tell of course. It was one thing to be in love with a werewolf, another to be a parent to one. It wasn’t only Thomas’ life that would be filled with wonder. Charlie was quite sure that the unexpected and amazing things hadn’t ended yet. With Will, every day was an adventure.

  A few moments later, Will arrived at their new home. He wore a flannel shirt and stood in the doorway, folding his muscular arms across his broad chest. Despite his fatigued state, Charlie felt arousal and love sweep through every fiber of his being when Will entered. Will was the epitome of masculinity, a thick beard sat upon his jaw, and long hair framed the hard lines of his face. His eyes twinkled with happiness and love though, as he gazed adoringly at his family.

  “You look beautiful,” he said, moving into the room where he sat by the side of the bed and took Charlie’s hands in his own.

  “I look a state,” Charlie said. He could well imagine how he looked, paler than usual, tousled hair, his eyes heavy-lidded.

  “I wouldn’t have you any other way. You’re glowing,” Will said.

  “Must be the hormones,” Charlie joked. Will chuckled and leaned down to look at his son, beaming proudly at the life they had created together.

  “I’m looking at him and I still can’t believe that it actually happened,” Will said.

  “It’s a miracle alright,” Charlie admitted, letting his head fall against the pillow. He allowed his eyes to close as well, although he wasn’t going to give in to his tiredness yet. The sun was still streaming in through the small gap in the curtains. It was mid-afternoon, and Charlie wanted to get back to a normal sleeping schedule as soon as possible.

  “It’s good to be out of Dr. Furz’s office as well. This place is really starting to feel like home now.”

  “Do you miss the city?”

  “Not one bit, but it’s still close enough to get to if we need it. He really is something, isn’t he?” Will said, smiling widely. Charlie wasn’t sure he had ever seen Will so happy, and it filled him with love to know that the man he was sharing his life with wanted exactly the same things as him. It made things a lot simpler than they could have been otherwise, and there he was thinking that a relationship with a werewolf was going to be complicated.

  “Our little Thomas,” Will said, his voice catc
hing in his throat. Charlie opened his eyes.

  “Are you alright?”

  Will nodded. “It’s just, you know, I guess I’m a little sad that Thomas is never going to meet his grandfather. He would have been honored to know that we named our child after him. It’s strange really, I never got along with my father, not like I should have, but when I looked down at our child I felt closer to him. I think I understand him better now, I only wish I had the chance.”

  Charlie reached out his hand and squeezed Will’s.

  “I know it wasn’t easy for you to stay with us,” Charlie said.

  “You’re my family. My place is here,” Will said, but even Charlie could tell that he was lying to himself. They hadn’t really spoken about what had happened in Will’s home since Thomas had been born. Charlie was still haunted by what had happened.

  At the time, it felt as though their lives were finally starting to sort themselves out. Will had proved his parents wrong and was returning from exile, ready to take his place as the leader of the community, but it hadn’t been that simple. Brandon, Will’s childhood companion (and although Will hadn’t said anything explicitly Charlie was sure that there had been more to their relationship, as such hostility could only be born from passion), had returned and declared that he was making a move for leadership. He challenged Will’s father, who Brandon held responsible for the death of his own father, and had killed Thomas. Will and Charlie had fled, mostly to keep Charlie safe, and Charlie was aware that it had always bothered Will that he hadn’t taken vengeance.

  Will had been about to go and do just that, when Charlie had begged him to stay. Brandon was vicious, and Charlie didn’t want to have to raise Thomas alone. Perhaps it was selfish of him, but the three of them had been through enough that they deserved to live their own lives. However, he wasn’t sure Will could let go so easily.

  “Do you think we’re ready to resume our old lives yet?” Charlie asked, changing the subject.

  “I believe we are. I’m surprised we managed to keep it quiet for so long. I thought for sure someone was going to find out, but I guess we were lucky.”

  “We’re owed some luck. I’m looking forward to seeing my friends again. I’m just glad Lisa was around, otherwise I would have gone crazy. How’s she working out for you by the way?”

  “She’s doing great, better than I could have imagined. I don’t think my affairs have ever been in such good order. She’s diligent, professional, thorough; everything I’d want in an assistant.”

  “I’m glad,” Charlie said. Lisa was his best friend, and since the birth of her child she had been languishing. The father wasn’t in the picture and Lisa couldn’t afford a place of her own so she had been living with her parents, which had been a very cramped household, especially since Lisa wasn’t working. She’d been dealing with a lot, and had broken down one night after getting drunk. Charlie had been so consumed with his own problems that he had neglected those of his best friend. He’d felt absolutely horrible for it, but hoped he had made it up to her by arranging for her to take this job with Will.

  Things had certainly started to settle down recently with the birth of their child, and Charlie hoped that it would be smooth sailing for the foreseeable future.

  “You should get some rest,” Will said. Charlie protested, but he found he was unable to open his eyes. He settled into the comfort of the bed and was vaguely aware of Will taking Thomas from his arms. Charlie felt empty without Thomas, but he didn’t put up a fight. Instead, he gave into the sweet surrender of sleep. His dreams were pleasant, and his heart was filled with love.

  Chapter Two

  Will chuckled as he heard Charlie snore softly. Will held the baby in his arms and placed Thomas carefully in the crib, which stood next to the bed. Will looked down at his son and was filled with a sense of awe. This was a life that had been born from his own blood. Thomas carried within him the legacy of the wolves, although it was a legacy that had been tarnished by Brandon.

  Anger coiled within Will as he thought of his childhood friend, a man he had once considered his blood brother. Brandon had taken his father away, his legacy, and Will had been unable to stop him. That was the worst of it really. Will told himself that there was nothing else he could have done, but it was hard for a proud man like him to admit defeat, even though he had done it for the sake of his family.

  But as much as he could tell himself that, he was still a wolf, and wolves fought for the pack. Inner conflict raged within him as he stopped himself from running away to fight Brandon. He’d made a promise to Charlie and Thomas, and he was going to keep it.

  It was just a pity that now he actually felt closer to his father than he had ever felt before he was unable to talk to the man. Their relationship had been fractious for as long as Will could remember, but now that Will was a father, he felt he understood his own father better, and wished that he could share this with him. But that opportunity had been taken away by Brandon.

  Will stepped out of the room and went to the lounge. He stepped to the window and looked out at the world, which was bathed in glorious, radiant sun. The wolf community was hidden in a secluded part of the forest, far away from where any prying eyes of the outside world could find, but for Will it may as well have been in another universe. When he had been exiled, he had promised to return, this time he had left of his own volition, but it felt even worse. His mother was still there, his people were there, and he could do nothing.

  He would never share this with Charlie of course. Will didn’t want to make Charlie feel guilty, but it would always be a stain on Will’s soul that he hadn’t done his duty to his father or his pack. Wolves were supposed to care for one another, but now he was alone, severed from the pack.

  It wasn’t even himself he felt sorry for the most, it was Thomas. Will wondered what kind of man his son was going to see him as. The last thing he wanted was for them to have the same kind of relationship that Will had with his own father. He wanted to avoid making the same mistakes, but he was aware that history had a way of repeating itself.

  He was also concerned with the lessons he was going to teach Thomas, and that one day he would have to tell Thomas all about this, and that when it came down to it, Will hadn’t been able to do what was necessary.

  He understood why Charlie didn’t want him going back there to face Brandon. Somehow Brandon had tapped into a vast reserve of energy and summoned strength that only the wolves of legend had been able to muster. Brandon managed to call upon the primal force without losing himself. Keeping balance between the human and wolf parts of his soul while drawing on such an impressive amount of power was quite a feat, and Will would have to do the same if he hoped to defeat Brandon, but such a thing was fraught with risk. The balance between souls was a delicate thing. Teetering one way or the other could make someone lose a part of themselves.

  Will had heard many stories of wolves who had spent too long in the human world and lost the ability to transform, and of men who had spent too much time as wolves and gradually became nothing more than beasts who could only act on instinct, losing all sense of identity and purpose. Facing Brandon meant risking that balance, and Will couldn’t afford to lose himself to the wolf, not now that he had a son.

  Making the decision didn’t mean it was easy to live with it though. It gnawed at Will, and the nagging voice told him that if he didn’t do this he might as well turn his back on the wolfish part of himself anyway. He tried to ignore this voice and made himself busy with other things, but it was always there, nestled in the back of his mind like an uncomfortable itch.

  In time, his cell rang. It was Lisa. When Charlie had first suggested that Will take her on as his assistant, Will had doubted if it was a good idea. It seemed as though Charlie was just trying to do a favor for his irresponsible friend, but of course Will couldn’t resist. He assumed he would think up some excuse sooner or later to get rid of her when she proved herself unsuitable, but as it turned out Lisa had been a godsend,
and was so good at her job in fact that Will had given her a raise.

  “How are you doing Lisa?”

  “I’m fine, how are Charlie and Thomas?”

  “Oh they’re great, they’re just sleeping at the moment. You should come over tonight. I’m sure that Charlie would love to see you.”

  “I will, but are you able to come down to the office? There are a couple of things I think you should sign. It’s nothing too major, just a couple of accounts that we need to decide if we’re going to keep on or not. They’re quite big ones, so I didn’t feel comfortable making the choice myself,” Lisa said. Will smiled. Charlie had been agog when he realized just how much money Will had. It hadn’t ever meant that much to Will as he had been concerned with other things. The investments that had been made in his name over the years simply enabled him to live a good life. Wealth didn’t make him any better or worse than anyone else, but he often forgot how much it meant to people who hadn’t experienced that kind of affluence before. Lisa’s reaction had been much the same as Charlie’s when she had been let into his accounts so that she could manage the various investments in his portfolio. Her mouth had been agape, and her eyes were dazzled by the long string of numbers presented before her.

  “I’ll be right down,” Will said, chuckling softly. He went back into the bedroom and felt guilty, for he didn’t want to disturb Charlie’s rest. The birth had taken a toll on his body and mind. Will took hold of Charlie’s shoulder and shook him awake. Charlie yawned.

  “Is it time to get up already? I thought I just fell asleep,” he said, and then immediately glanced over towards Thomas.

  “You’ve been asleep for about an hour. I’m sorry to wake you before you’re ready but Lisa called. She needs me at the office. I invited her around later, I hope that’s alright.”