Kyle came up beside me as I was turning a hot pan of nearly-done roast potatoes.
“Mm, that smells incredible,” he said.
“I hope you’ll like it. It’s not chicken soup, but it’s tasty. How’ve you been feeling today?” I asked.
“Great. No longer dizzy, and my appetite is back.”
“Hm, that’s good,” I replied quietly as a wave of sadness washed over me.
“I guess it was just a stomach bug after all,” he said.
I was surprised by how disappointed I felt. It’s not like I’d been counting on Kyle being pregnant, but the possibility of it had made me excited. My wolf had been on high alert for the last few weeks too, in ultra-protective mode over our possible cub, and it had felt good to have that kind of alpha energy pulsing through me. I sighed as I let that feeling go.
Kyle reached over my shoulder and snatched a piping hot piece of potato off the pan. I gasped and spun around to snatch it back, but he was already dashing off across the kitchen, juggling it between his hands and blowing on it.
“Thief!” I cried, and he let out a wicked cackle as he disappeared into the living room. I would have chased him if the timer hadn’t gone off on the oven.
We settled in for dinner together, and Brock practically sucked down an entire plate of roast dinner before Kyle and I had even started on our sides.
“Hungry, huh?” I asked, ruffling his hair.
“Mhm,” he mumbled with a mouthful of potato.
I served him up more meat and vegetables, and as I was reaching to get him another helping of potatoes, Kyle shot me a look and kicked me under the table. I put down the tongs and left Brock with the food on his plate. I figured Kyle knew a hell of a lot more about the dietary needs of his kid than I did. And when I thought about it, I probably wouldn’t want to feel too full when I got big news.
After dinner, I cleared away the plates and Kyle leaned forward and caught Brock’s attention.
“We have something we’d like to talk to you about. It’s pretty big news. Would you like to hear it now?”
I glanced over at Brock as I put the dishes in the sink and saw the serious look on his face.
“Yeah, I want to hear it now.”
“Alright.” Kyle looked at me. I wiped my hands on a dish towel and hurried over to sit by his side. Brock glanced nervously between us.
“Are you two breaking up or something?” he asked quietly.
“No, nothing like that,” Kyle said quickly before looking at me again. I gave him a reassuring smile, and then looked at Brock. It was my first chance to show him how an alpha reacts in a serious situation, and I didn’t want to fuck it up.
“This might sound scary, but I know you can handle it so I’m going to tell it to you straight,” I said.
Brock swallowed nervously, but he sat up and pushed out his chest.
“I know your dad raised you all by himself, right? And you never knew your alpha father?”
“That’s right,” he replied bravely though he began to bite his bottom lip.
“Well, we just found out something about that.” I glanced at Kyle, and then back at Brock. “I’m actually your alpha dad.”
Brock winced. His eyes darted from me to Kyle, and then down at his hands. Kyle reached across the table. “Did you hear what Gavin said, Brocky?”
Brock just nodded a little as his chin started to tremble.
I swallowed down a lump of self-doubt. “I was really happy when I found out I’m your father, Brock.”
He nodded again, still biting his bottom lip.
“Brocky?” Kyle asked quietly. “What’s up?”
Brock looked up with tears in his eyes and a look of confusion on his face. “Why weren’t you at my birthday parties?” he asked in a tiny voice that made my heart break.
“Oh, Brocky. He didn’t know,” Kyle said, rushing to his side. “When I got pregnant with you, we didn’t know Gavin was your dad. We just found out. He would have been at your parties if he’d known.”
“Of course I would have. Brocky, I’m here now, and I want to be in your life.”
Brock stared at us, and then started to sob into Kyle’s embrace. My chest ached with the strength of my wolf’s protective instincts. I desperately wanted to hold my son in my arms. Instead, I stayed put and grit my teeth, giving him and Kyle the space to cry it out.
“Do you want Gavin to be your dad?” Kyle eventually asked. “You don’t have to answer now, but you should think about it.”
“Yes!” Brock wiped furiously at his tears.
“It’s okay to cry,” I told him. “It’s okay for alphas to cry.”
Kyle reached out and motioned for me to join them in their hug. I was over there in flash, wrapping my arms around both of them. I pressed a kiss against Brock’s forehead and his sobs started to slow as he leaned his head against my chest.
“I’m so sorry I wasn’t around. I’m going to make it up to you. I promise I’m here with you from now on,” I told him as I kissed the top of his head over and over again.
My heart beat hard and fast, and I felt tears brimming in my eyes too. Kyle rubbed his hand over my back and his touch made my wolf sigh with relief. It was such a comfort to be so close to my mate and our son.
“Are you why I’m a wolf?” Brock asked as he looked up at me.
I nodded. “That’s right. You’re part of a pack of wolf shifters who live here in Timberwood Cove. You have a huge family who are really excited to meet you.”
Brock’s eyes widened in excitement and he sniffled. He bit down on his lip and I could tell he wanted to ask something.
“What is it? You can ask me anything,” I said.
“It’s just… I don’t think I’m a very good wolf.”
Kyle let out a sigh and looked up at me.
“Why don’t you think you’re a very good wolf, Brocky?” he asked our son.
“I can’t always control him. He’s always there, prowling, and I’m often scared to let him out, but I also want to so badly. And when I shift, he wants to run, but I’ll only shift in my room, and sometimes he gets angry.”
I heard Kyle moan as if he were in pain. I gripped his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“That’s because he’s a young wolf, and you’re a young alpha, but I can show you how to control him.”
“You can?”
I laughed. “Yes. Of course. That’s what alpha dads are for, right?”
“Can you show me right now?” he asked, bouncing excitedly.
I looked at Kyle who gave me a nod and a huge smile.
“Let’s go to the backyard, it’ll be easier out there.”
The moon was waxing and almost full, and my backyard looked silver under its light. The western redcedars and mountain hemlocks danced dramatically in the harsh wind that howled and rushed through the woods. Brock stood in the center of my lawn, bundled up in his hoodie and scarf, looking up at me with his whole attention.
“First lesson. Listen to your wolf. You can trust it,” I told him.
“But what if it wants me to do naughty things?” he asked.
“Naughty? Like what?”
“Sometimes I can feel it wanting me to snatch food or go running after cute omegas at school… Or hurt someone who’s being mean to me.”
I didn’t hesitate. “Listen to your wolf. It’s always right. Those instincts mean you’re hungry, or attracted to someone, or you need to defend yourself. You don’t have to act the way your wolf tells you to act. But you should listen to it. You can trust it.”
Brock nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Okay. Trust my wolf. Okay… I can do that.”
“The best way to control him is to let him out. You were right to shift in your room if you weren’t being supervised, but if you don’t let your wolf run free, he will keep pushing, and you don’t want him to get the upper hand. So, here, with me watching you, you’re safe. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. And I won’t let your wolf d
o anything naughty.”
Brock nodded again. The wind howled through the trees and I heard branches cracking. Brock looked around, like he worried someone else might see him shift.
“It’s okay. You’re safe here,” I said again. “The only people who are here are wolf shifters like us.”
My wolf dug at my chest, wanting to meet Brock’s wolf so badly. I warned him to calm down, not wanting Brock’s wolf to sense how frantic mine was and decide to retreat.
“Ready?” I asked. Brock glanced up at me, and then grinned.
Suddenly, a handsome young wolf stood in front of me with a long snout and bright, curious eyes. I stood back and my heart soared with pride as I admired my son in his wolf form for the first time. His fuzzy fur looked adorable, with light and dark patches of brown mingled with white. He was lit by the moon, and his pink tongue flapped excitedly out of the side of his mouth. He looked past me, back toward the house. I turned and saw Kyle on the back balcony, wrapped up in a blanket, tears of wonder and joy in his eyes.
Brock let out a happy yelp and I spun around to find him bouncing back and forth on the lawn. I chuckled, and shifted into my wolf.
My nose was full of the scent of my kin, his smell both strange and familiar. If I hadn’t already known him in human form, my wolf would have instantly known who he was, and in both recognition and delight, I lifted my muzzle and howled. Brock immediately joined me, his voice coming out broken and jagged at first, as if he had never howled in his wolf form before, but by the time we reached a crescendo, he was able to hold a strong note. I barked happily and bounded forward to play with him. I nipped gently at his forelegs and he sprung back before dashing forward and biting at my haunches. He bit down a little too firmly, and I let him know with a short yelp and a soft growl. He cowered and lowered his head in apology. I dashed forward and licked at his face before I bounced back and encouraged him to keep playing with me.
The wind dropped, and I heard the sound of canine paws sprinting along the forest floor heading toward us. I smelled them before they appeared; our closest pack members. Jaxon broke through the tree-line and bounded straight over to us. Right on his heels was Nicole, Linc and Cole, with Liam sprinting up behind them.
Brock looked at them with cautious eyes as they encircled him. Each one slowly approached and sniffed him over as he sniffed them back. When Cole’s wolf came near, Brock let out an excited bark and bounded forward. Cole jumped back in a fake-out and then dashed forward and tackled Brock to the ground. Brock let out a playful yelp, and then Liam was on him in an instant. Brock’s larger wolf knocked them both off without a problem, and he reared up on his back legs before pouncing and roughhousing with his new friends. He again landed a bite that was a little too hard, but Cole didn’t make a big deal about it, he just bit back.
Nicole came up beside me and rested her cheek against my shoulder. I let out a happy sigh and lovingly licked her face. It felt incredible that our pack was growing…
I looked over my shoulder and found Kyle still watching, with equal measure of adoration and amazement on his face.
Something inside me opened, flowering in my chest. Kyle was my fated mate, the one meant for me, but he was so much more than that. He was kind and generous, loving and incredibly sexy. He’d already made me want to be a better man, and he’d given me the opportunity to have a family of my own. He was a great father to Brock, and I knew he’d be a great father to more pups. My heart surged at the idea, and I knew then, with all the clarity of my wolf’s instincts, that I wanted him as my chosen mate. I wanted to claim him. And I didn’t want to wait.
10
Kyle
Watching Brock romping with Gavin and the pack of other wolves in the yard felt shockingly normal. I brought the blanket closer around my shoulders as the wind whipped through the yard, and I admired how beautiful all of their coats looked under the moonlight.
Suddenly, Gavin’s wolf turned and stared at me with an intensity I’d never seen in my life. I swallowed nervously and brought a hand up to my heart. I felt something there, tugging me forward. I desperately wanted to be with him.
I raced down the stairs and by the time I made it to the backyard, everyone had shifted into their human forms. I felt disoriented, like what I’d just seen was a dream.
“Dad!” Brock cried as he raced forward and threw his arms around my waist. “Did you see that? Did you see how I was a wolf?”
“I did!” I laughed as I walked with him toward Gavin and the others. “You looked amazing. Much bigger than when you did it as a little pup.” I wished I’d had the opportunity to see him shift more often, but Brock had always been too scared to shift in front of me again, so it was good he felt comfortable now. In such a short time, Gavin had already given Brock so much confidence. I couldn’t help but be grateful for that.
“Duh. I’m older now. And it’s so cool not to be the only one!”
As I stopped in front of Gavin he held my gaze, and then he held my hands. I had an inkling something serious was about to happen.
“This is Nicole,” he said, as his sister stepped forward. She looked like the absolute feminine form of Gavin. Where he had brawn, she was slight and slim, but they shared the same plump lips and angled facial features.
“I have been dying to meet you,” she said as she pulled me into a tight hug. “Sorry we couldn’t meet earlier, it seems my brother was keeping you all to himself.”
“So greedy of him!” I liked her already.
“Oh god, that voice,” she said as pulled back and fake-swooned. “I listen to your show all the time, but your voice is even better in real life! Oh, and this is my son Cole, Gavin’s nephew.”
“Does that mean we’re cousins?” Brock asked Cole, who smiled and nodded enthusiastically.
“Cool!” Brock said, looking up at me. I smiled down at him and ruffled his hair.
“And this is Jaxon, our pack alpha, and his son Liam,” Gavin said, urging me to meet their leader.
“Nice to meet you,” I said pleasantly, shaking everyone’s hand. Liam smiled at me, and I instantly knew he would be a calming influence on Brock.
When I turned back to face Gavin, my breath caught in my lungs. He was down on one knee and looking up at me with a surprising seriousness. He reached out and took my hands in his as he wet his lips. His hands were soothingly warm, and I melted under his touch.
“Kyle… I want you to join us,” he said. “You’re the father of my child, and you are the most beautiful man I’ve ever met, and I’ve met… Never mind. But you… You are the love of my life. I told you I wanted to show you what it means to be fated mates. So, Kyle Shannon, will you let me claim you so you can mine forever?”
A harsh wind blew so hard it almost knocked me over, and I suddenly remembered I needed to breathe. I dragged in a deep breath and looked at the faces of the pack surrounding me. I’d literally just met them, but there was no denying they already felt like family…
I closed my eyes and shook my head to clear my thoughts; and felt Gavin’s grip tighten.
“That wasn’t a no,” I told him as my eyes shot open. Relief washed over his face, followed by a slight frown.
“Is it a…yes?” he asked hopefully.
“Please say yes, Dad!”
My heart was pounding so hard I could barely hear the gale that whipped through the trees. This was insane. This was insane!
“Can I call my best friend before I answer?”
I was an idiot. I should have just said yes the moment Gavin had asked because the second I’d hesitated I could tell I’d seriously hurt his feelings, not to mention disappointing Brock. But I’d been too overwhelmed to think straight.
Gavin had graciously nodded, given me a soft kiss and told me he would still be Brock’s father whatever I decided. Brock had sulked, and it had taken Gavin’s assurances that nothing would change between them to drag a smile out of him. We’d headed back to Gavin’s house, and while Gavin and Brock went to play video g
ames, I sat in Gavin’s bedroom with the door closed.
My hands trembled slightly as I dialed Trevor’s number, already knowing what he was going to say, but needing to hear it. After all, he’d been my best friend for years and had helped me so much with Brock, not to mention we’d sworn a blood oath to be at each other’s weddings. So one way or another, Trevor needed to know what was going on.
“Gavin just asked me to…kind of marry him,” I said the second Trevor answered.
“Oh my god! When’s the wedding? I need to get my suit cleaned! Was it romantic? Oh this is going to be so good for Brock.”
“Look, I haven’t said yes, I wanted to ask you—”
“What? Kyle! Say yes! Obviously! What the hell are you thinking? Say yes! Go and tell him right now.”
I laughed and ran a hand over my face. That was the exact response I was expecting from him but… “Don’t you think it’s too soon?”
“No! Why? Do you?”
“Well, I’ve only known him—”
“Do you love him?”
“I—”
“Have you ever felt this way about anyone else ever before?”
“No, but that’s—”
“Can you imagine your life feeling fulfilled without him in it?” Trevor asked, his voice softening now as he realized he was asking me questions he wanted to answer for himself one day.
I felt my throat closing, and it took me a few seconds to respond. “No, I can’t.” Being in love with Gavin wasn’t my issue. I think I fell in love with him almost as soon as I saw him again. Why else would I have agreed to go out to dinner with him? Why else would I have allowed him into my life? What worried me was that final step…
“So?”
“He wants me to become a wolf shifter. To give me a claiming bite.”
“You’re his fated mate, of course he wants to claim you. It’s only natural. Is that why you didn’t say yes?”
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