by Celia Kyle
When they finally emerged from their hiding spot, Rachel cried out and sprinted across the playground. Eric broke free from Gavin and ran to her, hugging her just as tightly around the neck, giving Gavin a strange sparkly feeling behind his eyes. Then he sniffled.
Must be dust in the air. Or maybe pollen.
Whatever the cause, he marveled over the fact this would be his life from that point forward. Unpredictable tears, tantrums, snot, big brown eyes, tight neck hugs, giggles and love. So much love it nearly choked him.
And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Chapter Eight
Floating on air.
Rachel had heard the saying, but she’d never really understood it. Of course, she knew it meant being happy, but when so much of one’s life was spent in abject misery, it was hard to remember what “happy” felt like.
Today, I know.
Big, rough fingers clasped hers as they stood at the back of the gym watching Eric scurry across to accept his rolled-up “diploma.” It was just kindergarten, but for the first time in her life, she felt as if she’d really accomplished something.
She’d been little more than a kid when she’d inherited Eric. She’d barely known how to take care of herself, let alone a baby, but seeing him wave at her and Gavin filled her with a pride she’d never imagined possible.
Gavin squeezed her hand as Eric disappeared behind the curtain on the far side of the stage. If someone had told her a week ago she’d be thrilled to have him there with her for such an important day, she would have laughed. Who could have known her life would have changed so dramatically—and for the better—in such a short space of time?
Without a word, they pushed through the gym’s doors to wait for Eric. The parents had been informed the kids would file out a side door after they received their diplomas, so they joined the rest of the hovering adults waiting for their children.
Behind the large metal door, screams and shouts echoed down a hallway. The sound of laughter and crying reached them all, and the parents exchanged resigned smiles. At that age, every kid ran the gamut of emotions daily. Everyone knew that.
Except Gavin. A low guttural growl emanated from somewhere deep in his chest as kid after kid exploded through the door and into their parents’ arms. It was her turn to squeeze his hand.
“Down boy,” she whispered. “What’s wrong?”
“That could be Eric crying. I think we should go check.”
She didn’t want to discount his feelings, but she couldn’t help smiling at his very fatherly concern.
“It’s not Eric,” she assured him. “I know what his cry sounds like. None of those noises are coming from my kid.”
His worried expression turned deadly serious. “Our kid.”
She couldn’t think of anything to say so she simply watched him. His eyes flashed amber, which she’d already learned was a sign his wolf was near the surface. The muscle in his jaw tightened and flexed when worried about their kid. His stance was tense, almost as if he was ready to launch himself at anyone who dared to come between him and his pup.
He was so different from anyone she’d known in a very long time. Her uncle would have died for Eric, she had no doubt. But Eric was his biological son. That would have been only natural. For Gavin to accept another male’s son so easily and quickly seemed almost too good to be true. In fact, everything about him seemed too good to be true.
Not only was he firmly convinced they were fated mates, he and Eric seemed to have bonded already. He’d handled the boy’s disappearance with a grace she never would have expected from someone so new to caring for children. After they’d crawled out from under the bush, she’d asked Eric why he’d been crying, but all he’d say was that Gavin had helped him and he was fine.
His stubborn commitment to her and Eric was thrilling and frightening and sexy, all at once. As she watched him watch the door Eric would soon barrel through, she wanted to grab the front of his shirt and pull him into a deep, long kiss. Naturally, the same pearl-clutcher who’d scolded them on the playground stood nearby, giving them the stink eye, so Rachel kept it in her pants and satisfied herself with the feel of his calloused palm against her smooth one.
With her life experiences, she wasn’t so naive as to believe Gavin was anything close to as perfect as he seemed. The other shoe would drop at any minute—she was sure. In the meantime, she would enjoy his company and hope her and Eric’s lives from here on out would at least be better than what they had been.
The steady stream of newly minted graduates thinned to a trickle. They ran to the outstretched arms of their families, their adorable white gowns making them look like tiny, little angels. Most still wore their precious mortar boards, probably because they simply didn’t know how their mothers had attached them, not out of a sense of pride.
Overall, they looked pretty tidy, but it was easy to see some had encountered trouble along the path to glory. The occasional tot scampered out of the door with a noticeable limp, having lost a shoe somewhere between the stage and the exit door. A cute little girl came out with only one pig tail, while the other side of her hair flowed freely. And one little boy ran so fast, he showed the world that he’d either lost his pants or forgotten to put them on in the first place. By the time Eric burst out the door, Rachel didn’t feel so badly about his only mishap—a half-zipped graduation gown.
“Sport!” Gavin called, grinning wildly. “Over here!”
Eric’s face lit up like the Times Square Christmas tree and he bounced over, waving his crushed diploma in his fist. He leapt into her arms and hugged her tightly, and then he reached for Gavin. To her great surprise, she didn’t feel the slightest twinge of jealousy, only joy.
“Ready to go, little man?” She tugged and removed the dozen or so bobby pins that kept his mortar board in place. Once the hat was off, he handed her the diploma and used both hands to furiously scratch his scalp.
“Ahh,” he sighed, drawing laughs from Rachel and Gavin, just as he no doubt knew it would.
What a ham!
“We can’t go yet,” he said wriggling to get down. “I have to go clean out my cubby first.”
Gavin frowned as he set Eric on his feet and shot her a puzzled look. “What’s a cubby?”
Eric was already halfway down the hallway, so she just smiled and hurried after the little devil. When they reached Eric’s classroom, she held the door for Gavin. He was so broad and tall he had to turn sideways to fit through the door. Eric was on his knees in front of his little square storage space, pulling out all manner of junk—toy trucks, a packet of sugar-free gum she’d sent with him three months earlier, even a stray sock.
Catching Gavin’s eye, she nodded toward the little space. “A cubby.”
Eric held up a sheet of paper to show them. “This was my very first spelling test. Miss Chapman gave me a plus-plus because I was the only one to spell ‘of’ right.”
“Of?” Gavin asked.
“Uh-huh,” Eric said, nodding dramatically. “All the other kids spelled it with a V.”
“Good job, sport.”
He handed the next paper to Rachel. “These are stickers from the good box because I shared my toys.”
“You rock.” She ruffled his hair.
And so it went. One paper after another, individually and lovingly explained, including the wrapper from the first piece of gum Joey had shared with him. Halfway through the pile, he stopped short and looked at an envelope with his name written in a scrolling cursive Rachel didn’t recognize.
“Is that from one of the teacher’s aides?” Rachel asked.
Eric shrugged. “Dunno. Ooh, maybe it’s a present!”
With the zeal of a kid on Christmas, he tore into the envelope and pulled out a piece of notebook paper. He frowned at all the scribbles on it and then turned the envelope upside down and shook it. When nothing good tumbled out, he thrust the note at Rachel.
“Here. You read it.” Eric had an aptitude for reading book
s, but handwritten notes bored him to tears.
“Okay.” She took the paper and cleared her throat before reading the page. “Eric, please give this note to Rachel.”
Odd. Why didn’t the letter-writer just send it to her directly?
Several blank lines separated the directive and the note meant for her. Gavin drew close behind her and together they read the rest of it silently.
Rachel,
It’s been too long since we last spoke. Let me give you a piece of friendly advice. Stay away from that interfering wolf. Otherwise you might see me sooner than you ever imagined. I know where to find you. I know where to find your boy. This is your only warning.
PG
Rachel could barely hear Eric’s incessant chattering over the thundering of her heart. She turned and locked eyes with Gavin, who looked just as surprised as she felt.
“Joey!” Eric cried, running to greet his friend who’d just walked into the classroom. They fell into deep conversation about the graduation and all their grand plans for the future—most important of which was a visit to the local ice cream shop.
Gavin pulled the paper from her numb fingers and quietly asked, “Who’s PG?”
“I…I don’t know. Not for sure, but maybe…”
She didn’t know, not really, but she didn’t want to jump to any conclusions. A very unusual and very faint scent clung to the letter, but she couldn’t be sure.
He grimaced and leaned in close. “Listen, Rachel. I can’t protect you here in Burrman. Either of you. There are too many places for someone to hide and I don’t know a single one. It’s your choice whether to come to Ashwood, but I want you there more than anything. I want both of you with me, beneath my roof, on my land, where I can keep you safe. Will you come?”
Her focus drifted from Gavin, the man whose mere presence soothed and excited her beyond all comprehension, to the happily chattering child who gave her life meaning. Half-dazed, she grabbed Gavin’s hand and squeezed it… hard.
“Yes. And the sooner the better.”
Chapter Nine
“Have they even stepped out of their cabin yet?” Gavin’s brother, Kade, murmured.
Kade leaned back against the pack house’s porch railing, one quizzical eyebrow shooting upward. Mason, the oldest Blackwood brother and the pack alpha, crossed his arms and scowled.
“A few times,” Gavin reminded himself not to sound defensive. “As you can imagine, they’re skittish.”
Since Rachel and Eric had arrived on Blackwood land a few days earlier, they’d been equally antisocial with their old pack mates as with the new pack. They’d holed up in the dumpy, one-room cabin that sat between Gavin’s home and the large communal pack house, barely venturing outside at all, and then only when absolutely necessary.
In addition to frustrating the rest of the pack who wanted to get to know them, Rachel’s reticence drove Gavin’s wolf absolutely insane. Sleep was a distant memory for him, with his mate and pup so close, yet so far away. They should be at home with him, his wolf insisted.
But Rachel had made it clear the day they’d fled Burrman that she wanted to move slowly. Mates or not, she wasn’t about to move into some strange man’s home, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to throw herself—or Eric—headfirst into pack life again.
He couldn’t blame her—no one could—but that didn’t make it any easier to stay away. He’d had to fight tooth and claw to keep his wolf at bay, even though he’d been tempted to shift and sleep on their porch again. But good sense had won out and he’d kept his distance. It was the only way to make her feel comfortable enough to accept him.
In the meantime, he was preparing for the day when she agreed to move in with him and claim him as her mate. When he normally would have been sleeping, he’d painted every room of his home with fresh colors and added a few frilly knickknacks he’d been assured would make her smile. He’d even cleared out his cupboards and stocked the kitchen with foods he knew Rachel and Eric liked.
“Do we know if they’re coming to the welcoming and loyalty ceremony?” Mason asked, crossing to perch next to Kade.
“They’ll be here,” Gavin insisted, praying he was right. “I know it seems strange, but they’ll come around. You just have to give them time.”
Mason grunted. “I can’t wait to get to know her. I’d love to see what kind of woman could make my brother paint his study pink.”
“Yeah, even Barbie would think it’s too much,” Kade teased.
Gavin straightened and leveled a contemptuous look at his brothers. “It’s called Salmon Mist and it’s supposed to have soothing properties. I thought it would be good for her office.” A fit of nerves got to him. “Do you think she’ll hate it?”
Mason pushed off the railing and slapped Gavin on the back. “She’ll love it. Even if she doesn’t, it’s the thought that counts.”
Gavin breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. I just hope Eric likes his new room.”
“What’s not to like?” Kade asked, grinning. “Bunk beds with a reading nook and it’s baseball themed. To tell the truth, I’m envious as hell. Sometimes being a grown-up requires great sacrifice.”
Mason laughed. “As if living in a beautiful home decorated by Ally is such a hardship. My heart bleeds for you, bro.”
Kade grinned and shrugged, not the least bit shy about showing how much he adored his new mate, Ally. “At least she didn’t come with a ready-made family. Not sure I could have done it. Hats off to you, little brother.”
“I’d always felt the same,” Gavin said. “But when it comes right down to it, fate doesn’t care what you think your future will look like. I know Eric is technically Rachel’s cousin, but as far as I’m concerned, he’s our son—and I couldn’t be happier about it. It’s weird, I know, but we all just…fit.”
His brothers exchanged sappy glances and said, “Awww!” in unison.
Mason shook his head and draped an arm over Gavin’s shoulders. “I have to tell you, that’s the cheesiest thing I’ve heard all day. And I have a pregnant mate who can’t seem to stop watching Hallmark movies.”
Before Gavin could formulate a snappy comeback, a dark red SUV bounced up the gravel road and came to a stop well short of the pack house. Mason and Kade stayed on the porch as Gavin bounded down the steps, grinning from ear to ear.
Rachel gave him a weak smile in return and watched as he helped Eric from his booster seat in record time. He could smell her hesitation to leave the relative safety of the car, so he opened her door gently and bent so they’d be at eye level.
“I swear on my life, no harm will come to you or Eric.” He held out his hand.
She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, glancing at the men on the porch and then at his hand. Finally, she slipped her hand into his and hopped down. Grabbing Eric’s hand and wrapping an arm around Rachel’s waist, Gavin sighed in happiness to have his family all in one place.
Each step closer to the porch only increased Rachel’s trembling, and her bitter fear of the alpha infuriated his wolf. The beast was willing to fight anything and anyone to protect their mate, but getting irrationally angry wouldn’t help the situation, and it certainly wouldn’t calm her down. He took a deep breath and told his wolf to put a plug in it.
At the base of the steps, Rachel pulled away from Gavin and gathered Eric to her. Or rather behind her. She kept her gaze on the ground, but a muscle in her jaw worked overtime. As ready as he’d been to protect her a moment earlier, he could tell she was ready to shift in a split second to keep Eric safe.
Mason frowned at the scene. As a kind and fair alpha, he no doubt didn’t like that one of the newest members of his pack was so completely terrified of him. Gavin opened his mouth to urge her up the steps, but Mason gave him a look and he clapped his mouth shut. Instead of remaining so far above them, Mason came down to them and turned a megawatt smile on Rachel.
“Rachel, Eric, it’s so nice to finally meet you both,” he said, his tone light and easy. “We’
re all excited you decided to join us and take your oath. You’ll be the last of the River—” He broke off, cleared his throat, and started again. “You’ll be the last of the Fields wolves to go through the ceremony.”
Rachel nodded, still refusing to meet his gaze. Eric clutched at her legs, not daring to peek at the big alpha standing before them. That must have frustrated Mason, but he kept his cool admirably.
“It’ll be good to have another omega in our midst. I’m sure you know our omega, Mathilda, is getting on in years, and she’s thrilled her load will be lightened. Don’t be surprised if she strong-arms you into having tea with her very soon.”
At this news, Rachel finally glanced up at Mason. Kade trotted down the steps to join them and leaned one cocky elbow on Gavin’s shoulder.
“I should warn you, though,” he said with an equally cocky grin, “Mathilda likes a little bourbon in her tea.”
Gavin chuckled, wanting to keep the light banter going in hopes it would relax his mate. “Actually, it’s usually more bourbon than tea, if you want to know the truth.”
Mason shrugged. “Okay, she can be a little…”
“Crotchety?” Kade suggested.
“Cantankerous?” Gavin offered.
“Testy?”
“Prickly?”
“Ornery?”
Mason only allowed a few more colorful adjectives before he interrupted the not-so-witty repartee.
“I was going to say, set in her ways. But she’s one of the best omegas I’ve ever met. For example, she knows that, as an omega, the rest of us can be profoundly affected by her moods, so she’s very careful in the way she reacts to situations. No sense getting others worked up over nothing. Don’t you agree?”
Mason’s smile never faltered, but his gaze drifted down to where Eric hid behind Rachel. The pointed comment wasn’t lost on her and, after a moment’s thought, she took a deep breath in and held it. When she released it slowly, the fog of tension that had settled on the group lifted.