Coming Back Home

by Megan Linden

  “How about you tell me what you think I should know and, if I need more, I’ll ask,” Jack said, crossing his arms and resting with his elbows on his knees.

  Connor rubbed his hand over his chest. It wasn’t as though he wanted to talk about it, but he knew better than to just shove it away and pretend it wasn’t an issue. “Rosa’s mother doesn’t want anything to do with her. Some of the legal stuff is still on hold, but she basically relinquished all her rights and everything before I even thought about asking for them.”

  Jack frowned. “That’s extensive.”

  “I thought so, too.” Connor shrugged. He’d been surprised then, not to mention angry, but he’d made his peace with it. Things had been easier for him in the long run. “The decision was hers, but it was her family who insisted on all the paperwork. Maybe they thought I’d go for their money, or they just didn’t want a werewolf in the family.”

  Jack’s frown deepened and Connor’s heart grew a size as he realized Jack had gone from uneasy jealousy to fierce protectiveness toward Rosa. Connor wanted to bask in it. He wanted to pull Jack close and never let him go.

  He realized that sharing the story wasn’t only important for Jack’s sake, after all. He needed this, too. Jack’s reactions could tell him more than any promises ever could.

  “I slept with her once, then I didn’t see or talk to her for months. I don’t even remember giving her my number, but I must have, since she called me up almost nine months later to the dot. She informed me I had a daughter and told me that I could either come down and take the baby away or she was going to give her up for adoption.” Connor’s heart hurt at the mere thought. “I was in Florida and she was in Texas, but I caught the first flight out and arrived at the hospital the next day. Even then, she wouldn’t talk to me without her lawyer present.”

  “Why didn’t she contact you before?”

  Connor shrugged. “I think she didn’t realize I was Rosa’s father. She’d been single back when we’d first met, but she was engaged when I came to the hospital, so maybe she met someone right after? Maybe she thought he was the father until the after-birth tests showed Rosa was a werewolf? I don’t know.” He rubbed his hands over his thighs. “She could’ve also known all along and planned on surprising me so I wouldn’t lawyer up.”

  “That’s awful.” Jack shook his head and glanced at him before looking back at Rosa. “I don’t know which one is worse.”

  Connor nodded. It was almost unheard of for a werewolf to give up their baby. It just didn’t happen. Their instincts to protect and care for their young were too strong. And most packs welcomed babies with open arms, so even lone wolves who gave birth had a safe passage and the protection of the pack they’d turned to. If needed, the whole pack helped to raise and take care of a child. That was why Connor had finally stopped fighting his instincts and headed back home. And that was why the Alpha had asked about Rosa’s mother when they’d first met—if she’d been a werewolf, her pack would have been likely to come after Connor and Rosa. These days, most of the werewolf conflicts were familial disputes.

  Jack leaned forward to rest his elbows on his thighs, his gaze still on Rosa. “What did you do before you came back?”

  “Panic, mostly,” Connor said dryly. He was used to brushing over those months with jokes and sarcasm, but he knew Jack deserved better, so he cleared his throat and went on, serious this time. “One day I was a free agent, the next I had an infant daughter who depended on me for everything. I stayed in Texas for some time. It took me a while, but then I asked the local pack for help.”

  “Why didn’t you just—?”

  “At first, I was bound by legal issues and, I don’t know, maybe I was waiting for Rosa’s mother to change her mind?” He hung his head. “Then I was…I was scared and afraid to come home, Jack,” Connor admitted quietly.

  “My mother wouldn’t have turned you away. The pack wouldn’t have turned you away. They would have helped you. Going to a different pack…” Jack drifted off, shaking his head.

  “Going to a different pack made me homesick in a way I had never been before,” Connor admitted. “I didn’t want to come back here just because I had to. I was afraid I would resent it.” Resent Rosa. He couldn’t even say it out loud. “I needed to be sure I was doing this for the right reasons.”

  Jack’s agitation seemed to lessen, but he wasn’t completely convinced, which was fine. Connor got it. Jack had been as close to his pack as a person could be without being in charge, and he didn’t fully understand that others lived in various levels of closeness to the pack. Even after having spent years with Connor, who’d stayed on the outskirts at best, Jack had still tried to pull him in closer, back before Connor had left.

  “Are you sure now?” Jack asked after a pause.

  Connor nodded. “Yeah. I’d felt the pull for months, then I realized I was only working against myself. I wanted to be here. I didn’t expect the warm welcome, and, as you know, I didn’t get one from my father, but I’m here to stay. I still don’t know what I’m going to do most of the time, but it’s…it’s better.”

  Regardless of all that had been going on since he’d passed the town lines, it was still good to be home. Even breathing came a bit more easily around here. And now, when Jack was next to him and there was a chance Connor wouldn’t have to do everything alone, coming back to Harrington Hills seemed like the best decision he had made since he’d left that hospital with Rosa in his arms.

  Chapter Eleven

  Alpha Tribunals weren’t a common thing in Harrington Hills, but they still happened every once in a while. It was a custom that dated back to the times where werewolves had rarely used the public courts for anything less than a felony. Its purpose was to hold a hearing in front of the Alpha and let her—or him—decide the outcome. Both sides could still go to public court afterward, if they wanted to challenge the verdict, but they had to act according to the Alpha’s word until she was overruled by the court.

  Jack had been to one tribunal when he had been a kid, but he’d gotten bored quickly, since the issue had been a land dispute between the adult children of a recently deceased pack member. This time, on a bright Monday morning, he was sitting right behind Connor, offering support.

  It was still hard for him to believe that Connor’s father would throw him out of the house. Perhaps it shouldn’t be—Jack’s own biological father must have done much worse to Mom B to make her run away while she had been pregnant—but he realized that he was sometimes naïve when it came to members of the Harrington Pack, believing them to be decent and honest, while some of them weren’t like that, just like anywhere else.

  They still had ten minutes before the tribunal was due to start and Jack looked around. Tamara from the center was sitting right next to him, and they were both ready to take care of Rosa when needed, since Connor had to be present at the entire tribunal and it could take the whole day. It shouldn’t. Mom A had predicted it would last an hour—or maybe two—but in theory, it could be dragged out.

  Taylor and Kevin were there on Connor’s side, too, at the back of the room. Jack hadn’t expected that, since Taylor, just like their mothers, wasn’t happy he had made up with Connor and spent all his free time with him now. Then he realized he’d been unfair to his brother. Just like their moms, he’d always do what was right when the time came. And having the future Alpha of the pack in Jack’s corner sent a message to the rest of the community, even if Taylor wouldn’t speak a word to anyone about it.

  On the other side of the room, Connor’s father was talking with two of his friends, chatting as if they were at the bar. Jack wondered if he hadn’t come with a lawyer because he was so full of himself or because he knew he was going to lose, no matter what.

  There were a few more people in the room, probably just there out of curiosity. And the desire for some fresh gossip, Jack thought, noticing Mr. and Mrs. Maiden. These two couldn’t live without something to talk about.

  Connor turned to
him and Jack forgot about watching the crowd. He leaned closer.

  “You all right?” Jack asked quietly.

  “I want this to be over already.”

  Jack resisted the urge to reach out and squeeze Connor’s shoulder. “What? You don’t like the center’s accommodations?” he tried for a joke and it got him a small smile.

  “There are definitely things I really appreciate about the center,” Connor said, looking straight at Jack, making him lower his gaze to hide his smile.

  They had been straddling the line between flirting and something more, while at the same time, in some unspoken agreement, they were also heading straight toward a settled-down relationship. Jack knew that when they finally took the plunge, there’d be no dates or casual anything. He didn’t want to go through all that, because Connor had Rosa to think about and he wasn’t about to jeopardize her for a fling—that, Jack was sure of. The three of them were constantly together now and sometimes Jack wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull Connor to him, but he always stopped himself. They had time. They were in this for the long haul.

  And besides, it was Connor’s turn to make all the moves.

  Before Jack could say anything now, the door opened and the Alpha came in, followed by two customary Alpha Counselors. Roy Cocker and William Soreno were both pack lawyers and active community leaders, and—if the gossip were to be believed—they had been sleeping together for over a year now with neither of them willing to move forward to solidify the relationship.

  The trio took the seats behind the table, facing the rest of the room, and the room quieted. Jack noticed with satisfaction that Connor’s father’s friends backed off immediately and straightened in their chairs.

  “I, Jolene Harrington, the Alpha of Harrington Pack, welcome all of you to this Alpha Tribunal.” Jack’s mom went on about the general rules, then she moved to the reason for the meeting. “Exactly a week ago, Connor Warsen asked for an Alpha Tribunal to be held to resolve his dispute with his father, Leonard Warsen, regarding the right to stay at the family house. I state that both men are present here today and we may proceed. I’ve reviewed all the documents you brought to me, as well as the records that were stored with the family lawyer, Jacqueline Thomas.”

  At that, Connor’s father sat up straighter. Jack tilted his head, wondering what the problem was. Didn’t he know the lawyer kept copies? Did he have something to hide? Interesting.

  “But first, both sides will have the opportunity to speak up on their behalf. Everything that’s said has to be truthful to the best of your knowledge and, by speaking before me, you acknowledge that and the consequences you may face if you are found to be lying or hiding the truth.”

  As Mom A was listing the consequences that ranged from a formal reprimand to being removed from every pack’s honor and right, Jack stared at Connor’s back. You’re not alone anymore, he repeated in his head. We’ve got your back.

  “Now, it’s your time to speak. Mr. Connor Warsen, since you were the one to ask for the tribunal, you have the right to speak first.”

  Jack watched him stand and wished he could see Connor’s face.

  “Thank you, Alpha. I acknowledge that I have to be truthful in my speech and that I’m aware of the consequences if it’s proven I am lying.” Connor closed his hands at his back. “I asked for the tribunal because my father, Leonard Warsen, ordered me to move out of our family house. When I reminded him that I have the same rights to the house, stated so in my mother’s will, he told me that he didn’t care and that if I didn’t leave with my daughter, he’d throw our things away.”

  Jack felt anger building in him. He glanced at Connor’s father. What kind of a man would do that to his own son and granddaughter?

  “He had previously given me a different ultimatum. When I came back to Harrington Hills, he informed me that I was allowed to stay at the house for only three weeks. I thought he wasn’t serious, that he was just angry at me for leaving town. I was wrong.” Connor took a deep breath. “I didn’t want to bring this to your attention, but my father didn’t give me a choice. I’m not asking to stay at the house permanently, since I don’t want my daughter to grow up there. This was supposed to be a temporary solution from the start, until I gain access to the rest of my inheritance in a few months.” He glanced to the side before turning to the Alpha and the councilors again. “But my father wasn’t willing to listen. He showed ill will and unwillingness to cooperate. I hope this tribunal can bring an end to this and allow me to share what’s rightfully mine. Thank you.”

  Connor took his seat and immediately reached out to Rosa’s carrier to brush his fingers over her chest. Jack wondered who he was trying to reassure—her or himself.

  “Very well. Thank you, Mr. Warsen.” Alpha turned to Connor’s father. “Mr. Leonard Warsen, it is your turn to speak.”

  For a moment, it seemed as if the man wasn’t going to do anything, but he finally got up to his feet.

  “Alpha, I acknowledge that I have to be truthful in my speech and that I’m aware of the consequences if it’s proven I am lying.” He recited the exact same words Connor had, but his tone was much less respectful. He was bordering on crossing the line and Jack could feel the tension in the room rising. “I also acknowledge that with your connection to my son, I don’t have much chance here.” He turned and looked straight at Jack. “I guess it pays off to sleep—”

  “You better watch your mouth.” Connor was suddenly out of his seat and stood right in front of his father. “You watch your mouth or I’ll make you.”

  Jack stood up to intercede, but suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder, pushing him down, and Taylor stepped between Connor and his father.

  “Let’s not forget where we are,” Taylor said in what Kevin called his Alpha voice. “Both of you. Personal attacks have no place at this tribunal.”

  Connor stepped back and turned to face the council. “I apologize, Alpha.”

  “Please, take a seat, Mr. Warsen. I remind you that any physical attack from either side would end this tribunal and would push it back in time. I assume the other Mr. Warsen is well aware of that fact.”

  In short, don’t let yourself be provoked, because he’s doing it on purpose. Jack loved his mom so much right then.

  “Mr. Warsen, I will remind you that personal attacks on the Alpha during the proceedings are punishable, as well. Now, continue, if you want to actually contribute anything to the case.”

  Connor’s father appeared like she’d offered him the most disgusting meal he’d ever seen. “I told him he had to leave the house because I didn’t want to live with him or his child. He’d left his family house behind, so he can’t just come back and move in whenever he pleases.”

  “Did you threaten to throw his things away if he didn’t comply?” the Alpha asked when it looked like he wasn’t going to go on.

  “I might have implied that when I was overcome with impatience. I hadn’t actually thrown anything out.”

  “I see. Do you have anything else to add?”

  Connor’s father hesitated before shaking his head. “No, I don’t…Alpha.”

  When he sat down, Jack took a deep breath and tried to relax. What an asshole.

  Mom A opened a folder she’d brought with her.

  “I have before me the documents Mr. Connor Warsen gave me, clearly stating that, indeed, half the family estate belongs to him, along with a substantial sum of money that was in Mrs. Warsen’s account at the time of her passing. This isn’t up for debate. He could, if he chose, go back to the house and your threats, Mr. Warsen”—she glanced at Connor’s father—“could be reported to the sheriff’s department. However,” she added, because it seemed like the man wanted to say something, “during the review of all the documents I received from the family’s lawyer, it was brought to my attention that the family estate isn’t only the family house. Since young Mr. Warsen hadn’t mentioned that, I assume he had no idea this other property existed in his family’s po
ssession. Is that right, Mr. Warsen?”

  Connor shook his head. “I was not aware of any other property, Alpha.”

  “I will not state here the full extent of the family fortune, but I will propose a joint meeting—a private one—with myself, the lawyer and the two of you, to go over splitting up the remaining inheritance.”

  “You can’t do that!” Connor’s father protested, but the Alpha sent him a sharp look.

  “I can. You may not agree to such a meeting, but then I will advise young Mr. Warsen to take the case to court where he’d be, most likely, able to win even more than his half, since there’s proof of you purposefully hiding information from him.”

  When she was met with silence this time, she continued.

  “Very well. For the purpose of this dispute, I will disclose that there’s another house, here in Harrington Hills, that’s part of the estate. Although smaller than the family house, it is situated closer to the center of the town.” She addressed Connor. “It belonged to your mother’s family.”

  “I know which house you speak of, but I didn’t know it was still ours,” Connor said. “I thought it had been sold a long time ago.”

  “It hadn’t. So, this is my proposal. Since there’s obvious conflict between the two of you and, as you stated, you have no wish to stay at the family house permanently, no matter what, perhaps it would be better to simply split the two properties between the two of you right now. You could each take the ownership of one house. The rest of the funds would be, of course, split as well.”

  “I would be willing to do that, Alpha,” Connor said quickly.

  Warsen Senior appeared ready to kill somebody, but he finally nodded. “I don’t want to move out of the main house. He can have the other one, if he wants it.”

  The tension in the room seemed to break and Jack’s shoulders sagged with relief. All things considered, it had turned out even better than they’d hoped, since Connor and Rosa didn’t have to live with the asshole any longer.