Stay-at-Home Wolf: Domestic Daddies, #1

By Xya Olsen

His fated mate's raising another shifter's child, but that won't keep him from claiming what's his...

 

Loyal believes he'll never have a family of his own. Why? He's a lone, infertile wolf shifter. When a unique client answers his ad for Loyal Housekeeping—Loyal's one-man cleaning service—that belief's put to the test.

 

Simon Sterling is looking to hire Loyal for a simple job: live in his house for two weeks, and tend to his daughter Marlene, and the housework. If Simon's business venture is successful, Loyal will have more cash than he knows what to do with…

 

But more than money, Loyal wants Simon. He knows they're destined to be together. With a guarded heart, a two-year-old underfoot, and a business on the verge of success, the last thing on Simon's mind is love... Not one to give up easily, Loyal's determined to change his mind.

 

For the next two weeks, they'll be stuck together. With nowhere to hide, they cannot escape the heat burning between them.

 

Loyal will do anything to prove he's the right man to take care of Simon and Marlene forever... Even if it means getting his hands dirty with the housework.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xya Olsen
• Release date: Jul 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393680192

Xya Olsen

Xya Olsen is a MM author who writes wholesome paranormal harem romance. Her stories are filled to the brim with love and magic and features fated mates, harem, mpreg, and of course, lots of strong heroes yearning for their happily ever afters. To sign up for Xya Olsen’s newsletter for release updates, go to https://www.xyaolsen.com/newsletter

Book preview

LOYAL

THE PHONE CALL THAT CHANGED LOYAL’S LIFE HAPPENED ON A HUMID SUMMER MORNING. A quarter past nine, to be precise; one hour after his clunky, old air conditioner screeched its final mechanical words.

The Florida heat had only just ramped up, and without a cloud in the sky, Monday was looking like a sweltering, sweat-your-ass-off kind of day. Loyal was not amused.

He took up residence on a wicker chair in the backyard and sat beneath the shade of a bi-colored umbrella as he waited for Ash—his mechanic-inclined friend—to pull up in the driveway and fix the atrocity that was his broken air conditioner.

The gentle, salty breeze that rolled off the waves behind his bungalow did little to soothe the raging heat. Transforming into his beastly, wolfish form would do little to help him, either, considering his fur would only absorb the humidity like a hairy sponge.

Loyal cursed under his breath.

It was just his luck that the metal fan would kick the bucket in the middle of June—right when temperatures were posed to reach record highs. While it wasn’t the unit’s first boxing match with mechanical death, its inopportune timing felt like cruel and unusual punishment to Loyal.

The wolf shifter’s relationship with technology could only be described as horribly one-sided. Despite having no qualms with the electronics in his life, he found they often malfunctioned around him, anyway. Over time, he grew accustomed to it. Expected it, even.

But this was a new low blow.

What had he done to anger the mechanical gods, he wondered? Loyal squinted at the air conditioner off to the side as he considered his sins, taking in its lifeless, pitying state.

You picked a horrible time to do this, he muttered to it as if the machine would talk back. If only it could hear him and respond. Maybe then he could convince it to stop breaking down on him. Just you wait. Your day of reckoning will come.

He imagined another unit taking its place; one that would never break, no matter how long he owned it. A sigh escaped his lips. Like that would ever happen.

He turned his attention out to sea. As he watched the waves ebb and flow over the milky-white sandy beach, he let out a silent prayer to the universe to step in and change his situation.

Just then, he heard the crunch of the gravel driveway as Ash’s car arrived at the scene.

Thank you, he thought, sending his gratitude out into the universe.

Loyal pushed to his feet and walked around the side of the house to the front yard. Ash waved from the driver’s seat. He hopped out of a white truck with a wrench logo printed on both sides. Large, bold text read The Mobile Mechanic.

He wrapped around to the rear and let down the hatch before dragging one of his toolboxes out from the bed of the truck.

His hair—purposely dyed gray to make a statement—stood out like a sore thumb between the bright pink thorny bougainvilleas that grew alongside the driveway. On a sweltering day like today, Ash had it tied back into a ponytail that showed off the boniness of his jawline, and the definition of his clavicles. Wearing little more than a white sleeveless tank top and dark beer can shorts, he fit right in with half of the neighborhood.

Loyal sauntered out to greet him. Thanks for coming out so early.

Sure thing, Ash replied as he closed the hatch. You know I can’t leave a friend hanging in this kind of heat.

Loyal retrieved his wallet and clapped a few bills into Ash’s open hand. Appreciate it, as always.

Ash shoved the money back towards Loyal and winked. Just come by my place and clean up a bit, yeah? You know it makes Jaxon jealous every time you show up in that uniform of yours.

The shifter quirked an eyebrow but said nothing as he returned the cash and wallet to his pocket. "I thought you said he didn’t like my truck."

Loyal side-eyed the vehicle as he said it. His black truck had a white decal stamped on both sides that read LOYAL CLEANING.

The advertisement text had been blown up to take up most of the space on the truck. Since it served as the operating base of his one-man cleaning business, Loyal purposely designed the logo to be as eye-catching as possible.

The bigger, the better; or so he figured.

And since the only place on Ash’s lot to park was out front, parallel to the street, Jaxon got a good look of it whenever he peered beyond the four walls of his hedge-lined, white picket fence.

Ash chuckled to himself and flashed a glorious yet guilty smile Loyal’s way. I think it’s the name of your business he doesn’t like. Seeing the word ‘loyal’ reminds him of how unfaithful he really was. And still is. Having you come over dressed up is just the icing on the cake. He always was insecure about our friendship.

Gee, thanks.

Take the compliment, love. Ash clapped him on the back. But Wednesday’s become his new date night, and I can’t wait to see his face when you pull up—so come by then, okay?

Loyal turned his gaze skyward. You’re sure he’ll be home?

Ash snorted. He started working from home, so it should be fine.

He frowned and squinted at the mechanic beside him. "You know, for someone trying to move on you sure do talk to him a lot."

I can’t help it, Ash said, hands on his hips. The guy lives across the street and keeps putting letters in my mailbox. But no matter how much he begs, I’m not going back. I’m a prize and now, he’ll have to wallow in his loss with his new boy toy.

Hmm... Sounds rough.

"It is rough—and that is why you should learn from my mistakes, Loyal. Never lie in bed with a neighbor. You’ll be reminded of it every day until you die... or move. Speaking of moving, notice any houses for sale around here...?"

Loyal glanced around the quiet neighborhood dotted with houses inhabited by elderly couples and shuddered. "Thanks for the tip, but I’m not interested in anyone... especially my neighbors."

Ash laughed and snorted at his comment. Maybe you haven’t found that special person yet, but they’re out there somewhere.

Tell me about it, he thought.

Loyal shrugged. He didn’t know what to say, so he turned his gaze towards the blooming flowers of the bougainvillea trees and sighed.

Telling Ash he wasn’t interested in anyone wasn’t a complete lie—but he knew his mechanically inclined friend wouldn’t buy it, anyway.

Love had always been on Loyal’s mind—and once upon a time, he desperately pined for the mate and family he’d spent most of his life dreaming about.

But after finding out he could never have children of his own, he pushed that desire so far away, that sometimes, only the presence of his wolf reminded him of it.

He longed for his fated mate. His lifelong