"We tried to look for you," Lily said. "I'm sorry … I heard what you said outside. That you think we just let them take you. But we couldn't fight them. I'm sorry we failed to protect you …"
"They tried looking for you," Jackson added. "I know, believe me. They told me everything while I was growing up. But put yourself in her place before you judge. All of a sudden, Mom lost her husband, the clan lost its leader, and she had an infant to take care of." His eyes hardened. "Maybe if you want to blame someone, you should blame me."
"No," Lily cried out. "No, no, Jackson, don't think that. I love you." She looked at Connor. "I love you both. But he's right. I had to step up as Lupa and keep the clan together. I had to be strong for them and for Jackson. We've tried all these years, looking for you. Even hired a detective, and for ten years, he searched for you."
Connor took a deep breath. "You wouldn't have found me," he said in a quiet voice. "No one did. They made sure of that."
"Who?" Lily asked. "Who were those Lone Wolves that took you?"
The tightness in his chest began to loosen, and he somehow found the voice to speak. He told them what he could remember of the early years and, briefly, of the time he spent fighting in The Cage. Lily's face went from shock to horror.
"Jesus," Jackson muttered, rubbing his palms down his face.
"I'm sorry, son," she whispered. “I could never …”
"I'm not telling you this to make you feel guilty." Why was he telling them, then? He wasn't sure, but it was like something inside him broke and it all came spilling out. "The night I got this," he pointed to the scar down his face, "there was a man in the audience. Even from The Cage, I could feel his eyes on me and that he was different. He was a human. My handlers patched me up, and I spent the night in the infirmary. That man, he broke in, despite the fact he could have been ripped apart by the wolves, and got me outta there. He took me far away from that place and brought me to his home in Portland."
"He freed you," Lily said.
"He gave me a family." He offered a small laugh. "A fucked-up family. Sometimes I want to kill them, but they're mine." And he realized he wouldn't have had it any other way. Archie, Killian, Meredith, even that idiot Quinn were his family; not one he was born into, but one they all made together. He could have left anytime. Archie never forced any of them to stay, but he did. They all did.
"I'm sorry for what you went through," Lily said. "I'm glad you found your place in the world and people who love you. But, how did you find us?"
"A man led us here. He was my trainer," Connor said. "Someone had told him I was from the Shenandoah Clan. We looked through the High Council records and found your address."
"We tried to find you. We really did," Lily insisted. "But we didn't know the names of those Lone Wolves. Not their real ones anyway."
"Sounds like they did their best to stay under the radar," Evie said.
"Yes," Connor agreed. "I doubt the owners of an illegal cage fighting operation would keep records or register with the High Council."
Lily wiped the tears from her eyes with her apron. "Oh goodness. This has been quite a morning. You'll stay for lunch, right?"
Before Connor could say anything, Evie put her hands on top of his. "Yes, of course. We'll stay."
"Good. Now, I—" The front door slamming open and the sound of footsteps running interrupted her. Lily and Jackson looked at each other. "What in the world—"
"I'm not here!" a voice cried out from the foyer. "If anyone asks, tell them I'm not here! And I didn't set fire to no field!"
Jackson let out an exasperated sigh. "Excuse me," he said, nodding to Evie and Connor. He disappeared into the hallway, then came back moments later. He shoved a small figure into the kitchen by the ear.
"Oww! Pa, what'd you do that for?" The figure—a young boy who was maybe eight or nine years old—rubbed his ears and looked at Jackson indignantly.
"We have guests, Austin," he said.
Austin, who was the spitting image of Jackson except for the platinum blonde hair, turned to the kitchen table. He looked at Evie curiously, but, when his gaze landed on Connor, his face turned pale. "Holy shitballs! You look just like my Pa!"
"Watch your language, Austin!" Lily admonished. "Or do I have to wash out your mouth with soap again?"
"Aww, Grams, c'mon," Austin whined. "It was an accident! You didn’t expect me not to piss my pants when I saw him, didja?"
"This little troublemaker," Jackson said, pushing Austin closer to them. "Is my son, Austin Forrest. Say hello to your Uncle Connor and Aunt Evie, Austin."
The young boy staggered forward. He eyed them suspiciously, but then held out his hand. "Nice to meet ya, sir. Ma'am." He gave Evie a sweet smile.
"Aw, he's so cute," Evie said, as he took the boy's hand. Austin shook it vigorously, then jumped into her arms for a hug. "He's … uh, quite friendly."
Connor scowled when the young boy pressed his face against Evie's chest. It seemed like an innocent move, but Jackson’s deep sigh told him otherwise.
"Hey now, Cassanova," Jackson scolded, pulling Austin off Evie. "How about saying hi to your Uncle Connor?"
The boy stepped toward Connor, his eyes growing wide. Connor let out a loud growl, and the young boy squeaked and then turned tail, running out of the kitchen.
"Connor!" Evie admonished. "Why did you do that?"
"Little pervert deserved it," Connor grumbled.
Jackson laughed. "He sure did. Maybe I should call you when I need to discipline him. God knows he needs an ass whooping now and then."
"Let's get ready for lunch, shall we?" Lily said. "You all wash your hands and clean up."
"I'll help you," Evie offered.
The two men went to the sink to wash their hands as Evie and Lily set the table. Jackson called Austin back from upstairs where he was hiding in his room. When everyone was in the kitchen, they all sat down for lunch.
"This is delicious, Lily," Evie said as she bit into some chicken. "The best fried chicken I've ever had. And these biscuits are phenomenal."
"Thank you," Lily said.
"Grams makes the best food," Austin said through a mouthful of mashed potatoes. "If you're my Aunt Evie, are you Uncle Connor's girlfriend? Wife?"
"Austin," Jackson warned.
"Oh, the mouth of babes," Lily laughed, then looked at Evie, a hopeful glint in her eyes. "Well, are you? Because I'd love another grandchild. A girl, maybe?"
Evie blushed furiously.
"Momma," Jackson said with a tight laugh. "Sorry," he said to Evie apologetically. " She's a bit nosy."
"Well, I can hope, can’t I?" Lily said. "And she's so pretty too! You'd make such beautiful babies."
"Please forgive my Momma," Jackson said. "She's baby-obsessed right now."
"Hey, I thought I was your favorite grandkid," Austin pouted.
"Aw, you will always be special to me, Austin," Lily soothed, ruffling his hair. "But wouldn't you like a little cousin?"
"No, because babies are stupid," he retorted, his nose wrinkling.
Evie snorted. "I don’t think you have to worry about that." She avoided Connor's eyes, but her cheeks turned about ten shades of crimson.
Connor didn't know why, but her words sent a strange pang across his chest. They had both avoided the question of what Evie was to him, even to her parents, but maybe soon they'd have to face it. He didn't know the answer himself; all he knew was Evie was his.
"So, did you drive all the way here from Portland?" Lily asked.
"No, New York," Evie supplied. "Connor and his siblings moved to New York to work for Creed Security. I work as their part-time assistant."
"Is that how you met?" Lily asked.
"Er ..." Evie turned red again. "Kind of."
"Wait ... Creed Security? As in the Creed Dragon?" Jackson asked.
"Holy fu—dge nuggets," Austin exclaimed as a piece of chicken fell from his mouth. "You work for the dragon?"
"You know about him?" Connor as
ked.
Jackson nodded. "We're not totally isolated out here. The High Council keeps all Alphas up to date with news, and I read up once in a while. There was that big thing with some bad people in Norway, right?"
Connor nodded. "We were there."
"And you saw the dragon?" Austin blurted through a mouthful of mashed potatoes.
"Sure did."
"What was he like? Is he really a hundred stories high? Can he breathe fire and lava?"
"Austin," Lily warned. "Don't talk with your mouth full. And stop pestering Uncle Connor with questions."
"It's no bother," Connor said, taking a swig of his iced tea. "I've only seen him once. We were fighting the mages, and then I saw something gold flying above us. He must have been a hundred feet tall and his wingspan maybe twice that."
"And then what happened?" Austin asked, completely transfixed.
Connor continued the story of the battle in Norway, and Austin was even more impressed (and a little less scared) by his Uncle.
"That's so cool," Austin said. "One day, I'm gonna be Alpha and I'm gonna fight battles like that! And maybe I can even fight for the Creed Dragon, too!"
"Hopefully that's not for a long time," Lily said with a resigned sigh. "So, Evie, Connor, you're not going to drive all the way back to New York today, are you?"
"We weren't planning on a long trip," Connor said.
"But we could stay the night, couldn’t we, Connor?" Evie asked with a hopeful look.
"We didn't make reservations for a hotel."
"Nonsense," Lily said. "You'll stay here. We've got six bedrooms and only three of them occupied."
"We'll stay," Evie declared. "What?" She looked at Connor. "I don't have a job to go back to, and your brothers owe you a vacation."
The two women and Austin looked at him as if daring him to say no. He grumbled, then looked at Jackson. "If it's okay with the Alpha."
His twin chuckled. "Even if I wanted to say no, I'm outnumbered. You're welcome to stay."
"It's settled," Evie said, clapping her hands. "Thank you for your hospitality, Alpha, Lupa. We would love to stay."
Chapter Twenty
News of Connor's return had spread to the members of the Shenandoah Clan. Evie was surprised when they all turned up the next day. Yes, the entire clan showed up on their doorstep. And to welcome their lost son, they all decided an impromptu barbecue was in order.
Evie watched the men set up tables and chairs as she helped the women prepare the sides. She was surprised because she thought most clans were small, but the Shenandoah clan, along with its human members, had to have been at least a hundred strong.
"How do you manage so many Lycans?" Evie asked Jackson. "New York is the biggest clan on record, and there are only about two hundred fifty Lycans registered."
"We like to keep to ourselves," Jackson said. "We do the bare minimum with the High Council. Enough to keep ‘em happy and away from us. Most of the Lycans around here, they couldn't live in the cities or in big communities with humans. Their wolves are too difficult. Probably because we've been living in isolation for too long. We would cause too much trouble if we lived among a large human population." He nodded to the wide, rolling hills of the valley. "But, here, they have lots of space to roam. They can even work on the farm. Hard work helps keep them steady and distracted, plus they can shift safely if they need to."
Evie bit her lip. Jackson's words stuck in her mind. Maybe that's why Connor hated New York so much. It was in his DNA to hate the crowds and the smell and the feeling of being cooped up.
"So, are you Connor's mate?" Jackson asked out of the blue.
“I …” What was she to him? “I’m not sure.”
“Well, shit. He better make you his or someone else might want to snatch you up.” He gave her a wink and a flirtatious smile, which made her chuckle. It was strange how the two men looked so much alike, yet so completely different. On Jackson, that smile seemed to fit, yet, if Connor attempted to flirt like that, it would only be awkward. Awkward and completely adorable.
“I’m joking,” Jackson said. “But it must be nice. To have someone to care for.”
“What about Austin’s mom?” Evie saw Jackson’s face fall for a second before he put up a cool mask. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t an appropriate question.”
“No, it’s fine.” He shrugged. “We’re not together anymore. She took off when he was a baby. Said she couldn’t hack being a mom.” He straightened his shoulders. “Well, I gotta go take Dolly to the store and grab some meat. We’ve got to feed a hundred hungry people, so I’m gonna load ‘er up with ribs and burgers.”
“Dolly?”
He jerked his thumb to the Black Dodge Ram, which he had driven to the backyard to bring the tables over. “My truck.”
“You named your truck Dolly?” Evie asked with a giggled. “After Dolly Parton?”
“Yeah. What’s so funny?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
***
One night at the Shenandoah Clan farm turned into a few days. Evie and Connor called his siblings back in New York to tell them the news. Needless to say, they were happy to let him have a few days off.
"Oh my God!" Meredith exclaimed over video chat as she waved to Lily and Jackson. They were outside on the back porch, crowded around Evie’s phone. "Twins? This is so cool!"
“Two of you?” Quinn said, his face filling the screen as he yanked the phone from Meredith. “There’s two of your ugly mugs in this world? Tragedy!”
Normally, Quinn's insults would have rankled him, but this time he let out a chuckle. "Wait ‘till you see this. Austin, c'mere!" he called. "Come say hi to your Uncle Quinn and Aunt Meredith."
Austin trudged forward and peered at the screen. “Hi.”
"Shut the front door!" Meredith squealed. "He's like a mini-you! So adorable! I wanna squeeze him and kiss his little cheeks!"
Connor gave her a wry smile. “We’ll see about that.” Austin definitely deserved the label troublemaker. The little shit couldn’t seem to not get himself in trouble. Just yesterday, his principal called Jackson in for another meeting about his son’s behavior. Something about trying to set the football field on fire. Austin wasn’t even old enough to be in the high school where said football field was located.
“You’re multiplying! Someone call the CDC!” Quinn said from off camera. “Ow, Selena, quit it!”
“We’ll have to come visit,” Meredith said. “Maybe Daric and I can pop in sometime.”
"We'll be back in a few days," Connor said.
"Take your time, get to know your family," Meredith said. "We'll take care of things here."
"I appreciate it," Connor said. He said goodbye to them, then hung up.
“Nice family,” Jackson said.
“Most of the time,” he replied.
"I'll get dinner started," Lily said. "Pot roast and mashed potatoes tonight." She waved goodbye to them and disappeared into the house.
“I’m going to go and help Lily with dinner,” Evie said. “Want to come with me, Austin?”
"Sure, Aunt Evie." The boy took Evie's hand, and they walked back into the house.
Connor turned to Jackson. With the barbecue the other day and with Jackson being busy around the farm, Connor hadn’t had time alone with his twin until now. “Did you want to show me some more of the farm?”
“Sure, let’s go.”
Jackson led him off the porch and to the back of the house. They began to stroll across the field, past the small fishing pond and the barn. Jackson explained it was a working farm, and they kept horses, livestock, chickens, and even some alpacas (for their high-quality wool). They also grew vegetables, hay, and grain. The farm was completely self-sustaining and off the grid, using a combination of solar and wind energy for power. Most everyone in the clan pitched in, whether it was working with the livestock, harvesting grains and eggs, spinning wool, or selling produce at the market.
“We’re not rich,” Jack
son explained. “But we do all right.”
“Cowboy Lycans,” Connor commented.
“There are lots of different Lycans all over the world,” Jackson said. “Why not cowboys?”
"I didn’t mean anything by that, it’s just that I've never had the chance to see other clans." The silence that followed was deafening. Connor looked at his twin, the similar face still so jarring to him. His eyes, however, filled with an emotion he couldn't quite peg. "Jackson." He placed a hand on the other man's shoulders.
There was more silence until Jackson opened his mouth. "I often wonder what it would have been like."
“What?”
“If it were me.”
Connor knew exactly what he was saying. “No. Don’t think that.”
“But it could have been.”
"Jackson, listen to me." He tugged at his brother so they were face to face. "Yes, it could have been you. But it wasn't. And now that's all and done. And we're all here. I wouldn't have it any other way."
“You could have been Alpha.”
"But I'm not." He ran his hands through his hair. "I could never do this. Take care of everyone. Of Lily and Austin. And run this farm. And I don't want to. I'm not here to take it away from you."
“Then why are you here?”
The question, as well as the look in Jackson's eyes, jolted him. Like he knew what he was hiding. "Fine. I'll tell you." Jackson was his brother. His twin. He could trust him. So, he told him the rest of the story and the stuff he had left out. Told him about the red-haired man.
When he finished his story, Jackson kicked a rock and let out a curse. “Shit. Well, we’ll do what we can to help you. I’m sure Momma still has the records from the detective. In fact, I’m pretty sure he still lives in town. We can talk to him tomorrow.”
"Thank you," Connor said. "That means a lot." He didn't have much hope at this point. It sounded like the Lone Wolves who took him had covered their tracks well. Heck, even Archie couldn't track them down. But he would take what he could get.
Jackson flashed him a smile. “So, I do have one more thing I wanted to show you. Something you’ll really thank me for.”
“What?”
All for Connor: The Lone Wolf Defenders Book 3 Page 17
