Léopold cursed his weakness and shoved the thought as far away as he could. Like a well-worn shoe, his cool demeanor had been comfortable. As such, he refused to give up his bachelor ways. A stop at Tristan’s club in Philadelphia and a quick romp with the twins would refresh his attitude, he thought. Imprudent, sophomoric thoughts of romance and companionship were for others, not him.
Another gust lashed at Léopold. He shoved the vials into the small backpack, zipped it up and threw it over his shoulder. A wail in the distance caught his attention. Damn humans. Damn wolves. They expected another foot of snow tonight, and he couldn’t imagine anything but animals traipsing through the forest. Who the hell would be caught dead in the middle of the night in Yellowstone?
Merde. Léopold grunted and pushed himself up onto the tamped down path. West Thumb Geyser Basin, visited often by tourists in winter, should have been desolate at night. With bubbling hot springs and gurgling mud on either side of the trail, he trod carefully toward the noise, and sniffed. Aside from the sulphuric odor, he could make out the faint smell of a human.
“I should have sent the wolf,” he grumbled. Unsure of what lay ahead, he knew it wasn’t going to be good.
As he approached a small clearing, he caught a glimpse of the outline of a person in the snow. He took a deep breath, vacillating between materializing and actually helping. It was none of his business. He could disappear like he hadn’t seen a thing. The scene between the Alpha and his mate played like a movie through his head and he sighed. It must’ve made him soft because he was leaning toward helping. Damn, fucking wolves. He growled, realizing that his conscience and curiosity would not let him leave. Resigned, he’d check on the situation and then get the hell out of there.
Léopold’s feet crunched through the snow, approaching the noise. He caught sight of the body which wasn’t moving except for an isolated twitch. The familiar scents of both humans and wolf hit his nostrils…and blood.
“Identify yourself,” he demanded. A strange gurgle responded. The small body was wrapped in a blanket, and he grew concerned as he barely heard a heartbeat. There was no way he was siring another human or wolf. Perhaps he’d take them to safety, but no more would he do.
“Do you hear me? Are you hybrid? What are you doing out here?” Léopold really didn’t want to touch the blanket. He stared up into the constellations and blew out a breath, contemplating his next move. Whatever was underneath the blanket was barely breathing. It was dying. Perhaps he should just leave?
Another gurgle caught his attention. In all his centuries, he’d nearly forgotten the sound. Unsuccessfully, he tried to shake off the painful memories that flared to life. Gurgle. No, it didn’t make sense. He fell to his knees and feverishly began pulling at the fabric, revealing the head. The cold dead eyes of a woman bored into him. Why would she bring a…? Gurgle. He continued to unwrap the blanket until he saw the source of the sound. A small face peered up at him. Horrified, his suspicion was correct. A baby.
“What the hell?” Léopold heard the sound of barking wolves in the distance and hurried to collect the small child in his arms. “Mon bébé. Who would do this to you?”
He made the sign of the cross over the dead body, tugging the blanket out from under it. Quickly, he swaddled the infant. As the danger grew closer, Léopold cursed. Decision made, he cradled the baby into his jacket, and disappeared into the night.
About the Author
Kym Grosso is the author of the erotic paranormal romance series, The Immortals of New Orleans. The series currently includes Kade’s Dark Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 1), Luca’s Magic Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 2), Tristan’s Lyceum Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 3) and Logan’s Acadian Wolves (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 4).
In addition to romance, Kym has written and published several articles about autism, and is passionate about autism advocacy. She writes articles on PsychologyToday.com and AutismInRealLife.com. She also is a contributing essay author in Chicken Soup for the Souclass="underline" Raising Kids on the Spectrum.
Kym lives with her husband, two children, dog, cat and guinea pig. Her hobbies include autism advocacy, reading, tennis, zumba, traveling and spending time with her husband and children. New Orleans, with its rich culture, history and unique cuisine, is one of her favorite places to visit. Also, she loves traveling just about anywhere that has a beach or snow-covered mountains. On any given night, when not writing her own books, Kym can be found reading her Kindle, which is filled with hundreds of romances.
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