Winter's End

by Rebecca James

  “Probably because Canaan lives alone. Bruce went back to help.”

  Duncan grunted and strode away, determined to see this new wolf that was at Canaan’s. Snow flurries blew in his face and coated his eyelashes as he walked. When Canaan’s small house came into view, several members of the pack were standing outside in the yard.

  “What’s going on?” Duncan asked Ian and Gabriel. Before either could answer, Duncan spotted Canaan just inside the door and headed that way. When Canaan saw him, his eyes lit up for a brief moment, and Duncan’s heart skipped a beat.

  Duncan was simply horny. It had been too long. That was the only explanation for how he’d reacted to Canaan. He wondered if there was any chance of finding a moment with the beta to relieve his need.

  Canaan was holding a young pup Duncan didn’t recognize.

  “I heard a strange wolf is here,” Duncan said.

  “Hello to you, too, Duncan. Nice to see you.”

  Duncan ignored the beta’s sarcasm and glanced at the little beige and brown pup in Canaan’s arms. “Whose pup is that?”

  “The guy who collapsed at the entrance to the compound. He’s in the back room. It doesn’t look good. Shane says he’s severely malnourished and dehydrated. Nursing the pup has taken everything he had.” Canaan looked down at the ragged little wolf with a soft expression.

  Duncan crossed his arms over his chest and watched with conflicting feelings as the beta gently pet the whelp. On the one hand, Duncan really wished Canaan would pet him like that—on a certain part of his anatomy. On the other, a part of Duncan enjoyed watching the beta being so soft and loving. A door closed down the hall, and seconds later, Grey and Shane appeared, both looking solemn.

  “He didn’t make it,” Grey said, sending the crowd outside into a flurry of chatter as they passed the word along.

  “I didn’t see any signs of disease,” Shane said. “He died of exhaustion and starvation, poor guy. He had some old burns on him. Maybe his pack got destroyed by the humans. Who knows how long he’d been out there. It must have taken everything in him to get here with the pup.”

  Duncan noticed the tears standing in Canaan’s eyes and suddenly wanted to wrap his arms around the beta and comfort him, which was a feeling so foreign to him, it stunned him.

  “Poor little guy,” Canaan said to the pup, holding it closer to his chest. “He’s old enough to eat solid food. I’ll see if he’ll take something.” He turned and walked into the kitchen.

  “We’ll say a few words over the body and burn it tonight,” Grey said.

  “What about the pup?” Duncan asked, watching Canaan moving about in the kitchen, the tiny wolf still snuggled in his arms.

  “We’ll see if we can find out what pack they were from. In the meantime, we can take him to the nursery.”

  “Can I keep him here, Alpha?” Canaan called from the doorway of the kitchen.

  Grey nodded. “Of course. If that’s what you want.”

  “I do,” Canaan said, cuddling the pup in a way that made another weird surge of protectiveness wash over Duncan.

  “I’ll help move the body,” Duncan said gruffly, uncomfortable with the odd emotions he was feeling. Grant nodded and motioned for Milo, who was standing just inside the door, to help. Together, Duncan and Milo wrapped the body in sheets and bound it with rope before carrying it out to the bonfire field. By the time they returned, everyone had cleared out of Canaan’s yard and house except for Justin, who carefully fed small pieces of steak to the pup in Canaan’s lap.

  “Justin, we need to get the children from the nursery,” Milo said to his mate.

  Justin stood and, to Duncan’s surprise, handed him the plate of meat, telling Canaan to send word if he needed help and following his alpha mate out the door.

  Uncertainly, Duncan sat in the chair Justin had vacated and gingerly held out a piece of meat to the pup, who gobbled it up from the alpha’s fingers before licking between them. When the pup had eaten almost all of the beef, Canaan placed him in Duncan’s lap and stood.

  “I’m going to give him a bath.” He went to the kitchen sink and began filling it with water.

  Duncan frowned down at the bundle of matted fur, who grabbed the last piece of meat from the alpha’s fingers.

  “Careful,” Duncan said to the little guy. Due to his less-than-friendly countenance, most pups were afraid of him, but this one just licked Duncan’s fingers and wagged his tail.

  When Canaan had the sink filled with soapy water, Duncan took him over there.

  “Go ahead and put him in,” Canaan directed. Duncan gently lowered the pup into the warm water. The whelp immediately started yipping and tried to climb up Duncan’s chest.

  “Hold onto him, and I’ll soap him up,” Canaan said, getting a good lather going in the pup’s matted fur. “Most pups love water, but judging by how dirty this one is, he probably hasn’t been exposed to it much.” The pup whimpered and tried to use Duncan’s abs as a ladder, but the alpha held him still. He hadn’t noticed before how much dirt and debris had been stuck in the little wolf’s fur.

  “You’re going to look and feel so nice when I’m finished,” Canaan promised the pup in a soothing tone as he continued scrubbing.

  The pup squeaked, and suddenly Duncan no longer held a bundle of fur, but a baby boy.

  “Whoa.” Duncan struggled not to drop the slippery baby in the sudsy water.

  “Oh, well that makes things easier. Thanks, little boy.” Canaan pulled the plug and used the spray nozzle to rinse off the baby. Grabbing a towel from the counter, he took the wiggling child from Duncan’s arms. The baby stuck his hand in his mouth and chewed his fingers. He looked to be a few months old and healthy.

  “Aren’t you a handsome little guy?” Canaan cooed to the baby. “I wonder what your name is?”

  “You could call him Trouble,” Duncan suggested.

  Canaan rolled his eyes. “There’s nothing troublesome about him.” He kissed the baby, and again, Duncan’s heart executed a weird little flip in his chest. When Canaan got the boy dried off, he handed him to Duncan again.

  “I’m going to get a warm blanket.”

  The baby looked up at Duncan with big, hazel eyes and laughed. Duncan’s eyes widened.

  “What are you giggling about? I’ll have you know, kid, I’m a scary alpha.” He looked up to see Canaan in the doorway, a strange look on his face, before a knock on the door had the beta tossing the blanket to Duncan before going to answer it. He returned carrying a bag.

  “Justin and Milo dropped off some clothes their boys have outgrown. And some diapers.” He made a bed of towels on the kitchen table and indicated for Duncan to put the baby down on them.

  “What about Joey?” Canaan asked, taking a cloth diaper from the bag.

  “Who?”

  “The baby. I think I’ll call him Joey.”

  Duncan watched as Canaan deftly pinned the diaper into place.

  “Where’d you learn to do that?” he asked.

  “I had a kid, remember? And I helped Justin with all of his pups when we were mated to Stone.”

  A growl rose unbidden from Duncan’s throat. He had forgotten that Canaan had belonged to another alpha.

  “What is wrong with you? You’re going to scare him.” Canaan nudged Duncan away. He’d become awfully bossy. Joey laughed and kicked his legs before rolling over and attempting to scramble off the table, but Canaan caught him and pulled a shirt over his head, then wrestled him into a pair of pants.

  “There. You feel better now, Joey, don’t you?”

  The baby reached for Canaan, who picked him up and blew raspberries into his pudgy neck.

  “You really want to keep him here?” Duncan asked skeptically. “Wouldn’t it be easier to let the nursery deal with him?”

  “He’s all alone. I want him here.” Canaan turned away. “I’ll have to get a crib from storage, though.”

  “I’ll get one for you,” Duncan said, glad to have something to do othe
r than gawk at Canaan and the baby. The bright smile the beta gave him had Duncan quickly walking out the door. What in the hell had gotten into him lately that just a smile from Canaan made him all weird?

  While he was pulling a crib out of the big storehouse where the pack kept extra furniture and supplies, Duncan decided he might as well get a highchair and a rocker as well. He lifted all three items into a cart and pulled them back to Canaan’s house.

  “Look what Duncan’s brought for you, Joey!” The little boy kicked his legs excitedly in Canaan’s arms. “A bed and a highchair, and, oh! A rocker!” Canaan met Duncan’s eyes. “Good thinking.”

  “I have my moments,” Duncan muttered, carrying the highchair into the house and setting it in the kitchen. “Where do you want the crib and rocker?”

  “I cleaned out the spare room.”

  Moments later, as Duncan set up the crib, he wondered why the approval and gratitude in Canaan’s eyes made him feel so damned proud of himself.

  With the crib set up, Canaan handed Duncan little Joey and put a clean sheet on the mattress.

  “I think he’s sleepy. Will you rock him? I’m so glad you found the chair. No one would know you’ve never been a father.”

  A little bemused at how easy it felt to do as Canaan suggested, Duncan lowered himself into the chair, held the baby against his chest, and rocked back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Joey curled one tiny hand into Duncan’s beard and sucked the thumb of his other hand, eyes getting heavier and heavier with every motion of the chair until his grip loosened and his thumb slipped from his lips.

  When Duncan finally looked up, Canaan had left the room. Carefully, the alpha laid Joey in the crib, covering him with the blanket.

  He found Canaan in the kitchen tossing a salad, a plate of mutton on the table.

  “You hungry?” Canaan asked, glancing at Duncan.

  “Starved,” Duncan said.

  The whole scene—feeding, bathing, and putting the baby to bed before joining Canaan for a meal—was so domestic and out of character for Duncan, the alpha knew he should feel off kilter. But he didn’t. Instead, a wave of contentment washed over him.

  “You’re good with him,” Canaan said, setting the salad on the table before taking a seat across from Duncan.

  “You sound surprised,” Duncan said.

  Canaan’s brows rose. “I am. I’ve never seen you even look at a baby.”

  Duncan shrugged and took a bite of meat. He didn’t know what to say. Finally, he muttered, “This is good. Thanks.”

  Canaan smiled another one of those bright smiles that made Duncan’s heart stutter. “You’re welcome.”

  “You been avoiding me?” Duncan asked after a few minutes. When Canaan didn’t say anything right away, Duncan continued, “I wondered if maybe you’d decided to end our agreement.”

  “I would have told you if that was the case,” Canaan said.

  “So it isn’t the case?” Duncan pinned Canaan with a look. He wanted—no, needed—to know now.

  Slowly, Canaan shook his head. He licked salad dressing from his lips, and just like that, Duncan was hard.

  “I haven’t seen you in a week,” Duncan said hoarsely, noticing Canaan’s hand trembled as the beta set down his fork.

  “Yeah…” Canaan’s eyes were pinned to Duncan’s lips.

  And then they were both on their feet and pressed together, mouths sucking and biting at each other. Duncan’s hand squeezed the sweet ass cheeks he’d been missing, wishing the material between him and Canaan’s skin would magically disappear, and Canaan whimpered and sighed against the alpha’s lips.

  Pulling away, Duncan ducked and slung the beta over his shoulder. In half a dozen strides, he was tossing Canaan onto the bed.

  They both stripped off their shirts, and then Duncan claimed Canaan’s mouth again, hands working to get the beta’s jeans open and off. He didn’t get his own pants farther than his thighs before he’d sunk balls-deep inside Canaan, loving the shaking breath that left the beta when he did so.

  “It’s been so long,” Canaan said.

  “Too long.” Duncan began to thrust, hard, and within minutes they were knotted together.

  As the two lay panting, skin to skin, Duncan realized they had just had the most vanilla sex they’d had since they’d met.

  And it had been amazing.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Roanan

  The exercises were helping. Emory couldn’t see it, but Roanan could. The noises the omega made when trying to use his voice were stronger and smoother to the ear than they had been to begin with. He no longer rasped, and he didn’t require the lemon tea at night anymore to soothe his aching throat. All those were signs of improvement, but Roanan supposed Emory was impatient to be able to form words. That was the next step.

  As they lay together in bed, Emory’s head resting on Roanan’s chest, Roanan pointed out these improvements.

  “You’ll be talking soon. I know it.”

  His omega sighed and squeezed Roanan in a hug.

  Roanan ran his hand down the smooth skin of Emory’s back. “I wouldn’t lie to you. You’re getting better, slowly but surely.” He kissed the top of Emory’s head and closed his eyes, listening to Emory’s breathing even out in sleep.

  “Dad?”

  Roanan’s eyes snapped open. How long had it been since he’d drifted off? Emory had rolled over to face the other wall.

  Squinting into the darkness, Roanan got out of bed and padded into the hall. “Is something wrong?” he asked Josh when he found him waiting there.

  “No, not really. I’m sorry I woke you. I just wanted to see if you were awake to talk.”

  Roanan followed Josh into the living room, and they sat down on the couch. Josh had his blanket from his bed and wrapped it around himself like a cocoon, resting his head on the back of the couch.

  “I’ve been thinking about something,” he said.

  “What?”

  “Would you consider letting me go to Cascade City next week when Milo takes Christopher and X? I really want to see what it’s like.”

  Roanan frowned. “I don’t know about that. You’re an omega.”

  “Does that mean I never get to go anywhere? If I wait until I’m mated, I’ll never get to do anything.”

  “That’s not true. Your mate would go with you wherever you wanted to go. Right now what makes you vulnerable is that you don’t have a mate. And your heat…it could start at any time. Do you want to be in a strange place when it does?” When Josh didn’t say anything, Roanan asked, “What is it that’s really bothering you?”

  Josh looked away. “I just want to know what it’s like outside this compound.”

  Roanan supposed that was understandable.

  Josh glanced at him. “Please, Dad?”

  “You can go if I take you,” Roanan said. “We’ll make a family trip of it before Emory gets too big. Lake and Landon will love it. How does that sound?”

  Josh grinned. “Really? We could really do that?”

  “I don’t see why not.”

  Josh threw his arms around his father. “Thank you, Dad!”

  “You’re welcome.” Roanan patted his son’s back. “Now can we go back to bed?”

  “Sure. But, when are we going to go? It’ll have to be soon. Em’s getting huge.”

  Roanan chuckled. “Maybe don’t say that in front of him. We’ll talk about when over breakfast, okay? Get to bed.”

  Josh scurried off, and Roanan yawned and made his way back to his bedroom and climbed into bed. He snuggled up to his mate, and Emory shivered when Roanan touched his chilled feet to the omega’s calves.

  “Sorry.” Roanan kissed Emory’s cheek and moved his feet. “I was talking to Josh in the living room.”

  Emory looked at the clock before rolling over and looking at Roanan questioningly.

  “Josh wants to go to Cascade City. What would you say about taking a family trip?”

  Emory indicat
ed he was okay with the idea, and Roanan pulled him closer, tucking Emory’s head under his chin. “It’ll have to be soon, before you get too uncomfortable with the baby. We could offer to take X and Christopher instead of Milo doing it.” He kissed Emory’s head. “We’ll talk about it with the kids tomorrow.” Emory nodded, and a moment later the omega was asleep again.

  Roanan stared into the dark. He remembered being young and wanting to experience things outside the pack. His father had taken him and Ian to Cascade City, and they’d had a great time. He was glad Josh had brought up the idea.

  ****

  Milo looked relieved at Roanan’s offer to make the trip in his stead.

  “I think Justin’s carrying,” he confided. “We’ve tried not to let it happen, but…well.”

  “I get it.” Roanan grinned, then something occurred to him. “You think I shouldn’t be taking Emory since he’s carrying?”

  “Oh, no. I’m sure it’s fine. I’m saying I hate to leave Justin with five kids when he’s pregnant.”

  That made sense, but Roanan couldn’t stop questioning himself. He couldn’t disappoint Josh by canceling the trip, and Lake and Landon had been excited about going when he’d told them. Emory could stay at the omega den while Roanan and the boys went, but Roanan really wanted his new mate with him. And it would be an ideal opportunity for Emory to bond further with the boys.

  As Roanan left Milo’s, a call stopped him.

  “Roanan!” Grey walked onto the path from a side trail. “Hi. I was going to visit you later today.”

  “Something I can do for you?” Roanan asked.

  “I had a meeting with some of the local pack leaders yesterday over at Marshall’s Peak. I took the opportunity to ask them if they knew anything about the beta and the baby who showed up here, and also of Emory’s pack.” Grey leaned against the trunk of an old oak, arms crossed over his chest.

  “Had they heard of Emory’s pack?” Roanan asked.

  “They said there were two Lakepoint packs they knew of but only one that had been burned to the ground. Chet—the Echo Valley pack alpha—said some survivors joined a pack in Tellico Plains.”

  “That’s pretty far from here,” Roanan said. “But Emory’s going to be pleased to know there were survivors. Thank you for making the inquiries. What about the beta and the baby?”