Doggone Daddy
Page 18
“And Greer? How does he feel about that?”
Jaxon quirked an eyebrow. “That’s a great question.”
I watched them dance together, thinking I might have an idea of how Greer felt if the way he was looking at Keifer was any indication.
We danced the night away, had cake and a toast, and finally, the full moon was at its peak. The blue moon.
“You ready to run?” Jason asked when some of the pack started to make their way outside to shift, as was tradition at a claiming ceremony.
“Do you even have to ask?”
We went to check on Silas, who was staying back with Keifer and some of the other omegas and their kids, and then headed outside.
Nerves had my stomach jumping, but I’d prepared for this. Jason had talked me through it, and I’d talked to Kyle as well, wanting to know what to expect, and even though I was nervous, I was literally bouncing on my toes and raring to go.
Jason and I moved to the edge of the pack who had gathered near the tree line, Jaxon at the head of them. We kept back a bit, and they gave us our space, knowing this was a monumental moment. Jaxon shifted, followed by the other shifters. Jason gave me a tender kiss then nodded at me in encouragement.
“You’ve got this.” Then he shifted. No matter how many times I’d witnessed it, it still left me in awe to watch my mate transform into his wolf. He came up to me and nuzzled my hand with his head. I ran my fingers through his soft fur, dark and thick just like his hair in his human form.
My turn. The pack was waiting.
I did as Jason had instructed, and focused inward, reaching out and opening myself to my wolf. I had gotten the hang of that part. Of connecting with this new part of me. It wasn’t so much the wolf was a new entity, but more like an expansion of my consciousness, an extension of who I was. I allowed myself to give over control to the wolf inside of me, letting go of that last bit of separation I’d held onto, until now.
And just like that, like stepping through a doorway, my consciousness expanded, unfurling within me. My wolf and I merged, and then my wolf broke free. A rush of sensations flooded me, my senses heightened in crazy new ways. I looked around and saw my mate standing there, gazing at me, his warm eyes beautiful as they shone with love. I whined, and he came up and licked at my muzzle. Though we were equals in all things, I was still an omega to his alpha and I lay down and exposed my belly to him. I thought I heard him chuff in laughter, but he stood over me, and then gently nipped at my neck. I shot to my feet and yapped then pranced in delighted acceptance of this new form.
A howl split the warm night air. Jaxon. The pack responded with their own howls that reached up into the clear skies, lit by the glow of the moon. I felt my own howl rip from my throat, instinctively responding to my pack alpha. Then I felt a nudge from my mate, his mind reaching out to mine, his intentions as clear as if he’d spoken the words.
Now we run.
Instinct took over, and I took off by his side, my new form seeming to know what to do without me having to direct it. As if I’d been meant for this. As if I were finally complete, finally whole.
Fate had stepped in and placed me in Jason’s life because this had always been my destiny, even when I wasn’t aware of it. I could feel that as certainly as I could feel Jason’s love as we ran side by side deep into the rolling hills of Timberwood Cove.
Somewhere on the side of the mountain that lay to the north of the homestead, those running with the pack came to a stop. Heavy brush and brambles surrounded us, and I slid closer to Jason. There was a strange scent in the hair, something sharp and acidy. I noticed Jaxon look over to Linc and Gavin, and the three of them pushed through the scrub and disappeared.
I sat, my tongue lolling out the side of my mouth. Being able to run with my mate, to feel the connection I’d often felt in human form increase a hundred-fold was more incredible than I’d ever imagined. I could sense his emotions, and I knew he was just as happy as I was, his love for me seeming to seep right into my soul.
He’d stayed by my side the entire time and had nudged me when I began to fall behind. I kept getting distracted by the scent of rabbits and deer and other creatures I hadn’t been able to identify. Like the one that surrounded us now.
A few minutes later, Jaxon, Linc and Gavin emerged from the brush they’d entered, their fur covered in thorns and…soot. Jaxon growled low in his throat, and a couple of the alphas in the pack stood up straight. Within seconds they’d all shifted, including Jason. I was about to shift back to human form as well, when Jason put a hand on my head, distractedly running his fingers through my fur as Jaxon started talking.
“This is a newly burned patch,” Jaxon said. “And it’s the closest to our homestead than we’ve seen so far. They’re definitely getting bolder, and I don’t think the two that were apprehended after Trevor was attacked were acting alone.”
Jaxon looked at me then, and Jason knelt beside me and wrapped his arms around my neck.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. The pack won’t let anything happen to you.”
That’s when I realized what the scent was that lay thick and heavy in the air. Smoke and burned timber, and…dragons.
I whimpered, suddenly remembering the two men who had come into Pampered Paws and tried to rob me. Jason quickly shifted back to his wolf form, and then he softly rubbed his face over mine, comforting me in ways he probably knew words wouldn’t. I leaned against him, relishing in his warmth, his security. When he turned and headed back down the mountain toward home, I followed, concerned now. Our children had been left with Keifer and a few omegas. Greer and a few elders were there, but would they be able to defend the homestead against dragons?
As Jason began to run, I easily kept up, fear, whether unfounded or not, spurring me on. I heard the other wolves close behind us, most of them with children of their own at the homestead. We came within sight of Jaxon and Bryce’s house, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. It still didn’t slow us down though, and as a pack we thundered to the Lodge, only to see a few stragglers from the party, some still drinking and eating, and a few others dancing.
Keifer was casually sitting on one of the lawn chairs with Silas in his arms, and without thinking about it I shifted into my human form and strode up to him.
“Everything alright?” I asked as I glanced around.
“Yes, of course. Why? Is everything alright with you?”
I nodded, not wanting to worry him. “We didn’t run far, and I wanted to get back to this little bub as fast as I could.”
“He’s all yours,” Keifer said as he transferred my tiny son back into my arms.
“Thanks, I appreciate it.” I gave Silas a kiss on top of his red hair, still marveling that this little bundle belonged to me. Jason came up then, and I stared into his eyes. He looked calm, unruffled, and it was only then did I really relax.
“We’ve checked the perimeter. No breaches.”
“Breaches?” Keifer looked concerned, and Jason quickly shook his head.
“Nothing to worry about.” The smile he gave Keifer would have convinced me if I hadn’t known the truth.
Dragons were out there, and by the sound of things, they were preparing for a fight.
Get ready for Timberwood Cove book 5, Silver Daddy!
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Chapter 1 Preview – Silver Daddy
Greer
I heard the rumble of feet on the grass before I heard the squeals.
“Grandpa!” My grandchildren yelled and screamed as they ran across the common ground of the homestead, their fancy outfits shining bright in the August sunlight. Little Lori was three years old and doing a good job of trying to keep up with her big brother, Liam, who clasped her hand tightly.
I grinned and shifted into my wolf form then tackled Liam to the ground as he came close. At eleven, he sometimes pretended he was getting too old for this kind of rough play now, but I heard the sincere happiness in his laughter as I barreled into him. However grown-up h
e claimed to be, that laugh had a lot in common with his sister’s riotous giggles. Hopefully someday soon he’d realize there was no age limit on messing around and enjoying yourself.
I flopped onto my side and trapped him underneath me, dropping my head into Lori’s waiting, gentle hands as though nothing unusual was going on.
“Grandpa, up!” Lori said, still giggling.
I nuzzled into her hands, still pretending not to notice Liam struggling beneath me. As she tried to push my body up with her tiny, ineffectual hands, I glanced behind me and “noticed” her brother lying there, then finally rolled off him and shifted back into my human form.
“Oh, hey, Liam. Didn’t see you there.”
“Yeah right, Grandpa!”
I grinned, and then ruffled a hand through Liam’s hair. “Are you guys having a good time today? Beautiful weather for Jason and Trevor’s claiming ceremony, huh?”
“Byooful,” Lori agreed.
Liam drew his knees up, glancing around with squinted eyes. “Uh-huh.”
I knew that look. Whether he said it out loud or not, I was pretty sure there were thoughts of baseballs flying around inside his head. He was still only young, after all. Being able to knock a ball around probably sounded like a heck of a lot more fun than a claiming ceremony.
There’d probably be a handful of adults there who’d agree with him.
“So,” I said. “Where’s your dad, huh?”
I followed the direction of Liam’s nod, leaving my hand palm-up on the grass to let Lori pile daisies and wildflowers in my hand. Sure enough, there was my son Jaxon, caught up and laughing with a bunch of people. His mate, Bryce, was right by his side. They’d had their own claiming ceremony a few years ago, and they were still tied at the hip at most gatherings. Today was probably filled with happy memories for them, even though Jaxon was busy.
I caught my son’s eye, and we traded knowing grins. I’d done all I could to prepare him for stepping up as lead pack alpha, but nothing really prepared him for the mass of demands it put on his time, especially in social situations. By the time he and Bryce finally managed to make their way over to me, hands raised to shield their eyes against the August sun, he had a playful grin on his face.
“Sure you don’t wanna take the alpha responsibilities back for a day?” he asked playfully. “I could do with stretching out in the sun with the kids.”
“Forget it,” I said. “I’ll do my part socializing, but as for the rest of it… You’re on your own now.”
Jaxon laughed, and I was struck again by the mental image of that poor, abandoned pup I’d held in my arms all those years ago, and adopted. I’d always hoped he would grow up to be happy like this, but seeing it was… Well, it was its own kind of magic.
“Daddy!” Lori cried and ran straight into Jaxon’s arms. I beamed as my son scooped her up and gave her a big smooch on her chubby cheeks. Watching him have his own biological children with his mate had given me mixed feelings—I was proud and happy for him to experience a joy I’d never had. And for the same reason, I was jealous. It was a little surprising to experience both feelings at once, especially at my age.
“Speaking of being on your own,” said Jaxon as he balanced Lori on his hip. “What are you doing sitting all the way out here by yourself, Dad?”
“Well first of all, I’m not by myself. The kids and I actually hatched a plan to gather these flowers up. Didn’t we, kiddo?” I asked Lori.
She waved a forlorn-looking daisy at Jaxon and Bryce. Where the rest of us saw a trampled weed, she clearly saw something of great natural beauty. I hoped she never lost that sense of love and wonder for nature.
“Yeah,” said Jaxon. “And these two kids are the best company you could ask for, but don’t think we didn’t spot you sitting alone over here when we arrived. This is supposed to be a party, old man.”
“Old man, is it?”
Bryce laughed, squeezing his alpha’s hand. “See? You gave him a little bit of responsibility and it’s gone right to his head.”
I smirked. “I made a terrible mistake when I handed the pack to him, huh?”
“Anyway,” said Jaxon, folding his arms. “Don’t change the subject. There are, at a rough estimate, about sixteen single omegas attending this claiming ceremony today.”
“Not this again,” I said, shaking my head at Liam. “Doesn’t your daddy ever stop?”
“Nuh,” he said, and promptly deposited a handful of grass into my hand. “Grandpa, you should just bite somebody, okay?”
I gave Jaxon an accusing look. “This is emotional blackmail.”
He held up his free hand in an innocent gesture. “Listen, it has nothing to do with me. Maybe your grandson has just noticed, wisely and correctly, that you’d probably be happier with some gorgeous omega sunning themselves beside you.”
“Jaxon, I’m fine. There is plenty in my life to keep me busy.”
I didn’t like to admit it, but he did kind of have a point. When I was lead alpha, there had been a lot to occupy me. As Jaxon was just finding out, you couldn’t cross an open space as without one task or another falling into your lap.
Now? Well. My days did feel a little…sparse.
“Wouldn’t it be nice, though?” Bryce asked. “Just to have some more happiness in your day to day life, right? Nobody’s saying you’re some dejected old fart.”
“For the record, that is exactly what I’m saying,” Jaxon said.
I threw my head back in a barking laugh. “Is that so? Well, I’m inclined to agree. For starters, I’m not sure I can even detect pheromones any more. And just because I’m not falling apart at the seams doesn’t mean I’m still in my claiming prime, you know.”
“Excuses,” Jaxon muttered.
“That may be,” I said. “But that’s reason one. And reason two is, as you well know, I’ve got enough happy memories with Coral for one guy to deal with.”
Jaxon’s smile softened a little. Playful as our relationship was, he wouldn’t pick on me about my wife who had passed away in childbirth before I’d adopted Jaxon, but I could see he wasn’t ready to cede the point, either.
“There are always second chances. You know she’d want that for you,” he said softly.
“Course. You’re right. She would. She was wonderful.” I took a few seconds to feel the sun and wind on my face, and to remember exactly how true that was. It had been long enough now since I’d lost her that I could sometimes do that without sadness accompanying it, and with Jaxon, Bryce and the kids close by me, now was one of those times. “She was a brilliant woman, and I don’t see how anybody else I run into could ever make me feel like that. So, that’s just how it is.”
“Maybe we can compromise, and say you won’t rule it out,” said Bryce.
I smiled at my son and his mate. Just like the memory of Coral warmed me, so too did seeing them together. They were such a perfect team. I’d never admit it, but they were right. It would be nice to have that kind of companionship again. I just didn’t see it happening any time soon.
Or ever. Lightning doesn’t strike twice.
I flattened out my fingers to give Liam more room to add to the now sizable pile of flowers on my hand. “Sure. I won’t rule it out. Hell, I could meet somebody at the ceremony today. Like you said, there are plenty of omegas. But would I lay money on it?”
I shook my head.
Jaxon grunted. “Nobody is asking you to gamble. Just to keep your nose up for interesting scents. So, come walk to the ceremony with us? It’s almost time anyway, I guess.”
I kept the gift of Liam’s flowers until I was sure he wasn’t looking, and then returned them to the grass where they belonged. As Jaxon, Bryce and the kids started heading off to the ceremony, I instinctively took one of the wildflowers back from the pile. It was a big, perfect daisy with pink bleeding into its petals, and it had a big, bright honey-yellow center. I tucked its long stem through the buttonhole of my shirt, and then set off to keep up with my family.
Out of nowhere I felt someone lace an arm through mine, and a familiar scent bombarded me. It sure wasn’t my fated mate, but it was something more real, a good friend.
“Gavin,” I said without looking at him as we walked together, step by step.
“Greer.”
“How are you on this wonderful day?” I asked him.
“In love with this weather,” he said, turning his face to the sun. “How are you? Another couple coming together. Another human joining the pack. You must be proud.”
I grunted and nodded. “It’s good to see the future of the pack moving forward with such strong pairings.” I let out a deep sigh and gave Gavin a slight glance. “Actually, I was wondering whether Jaxon and Bryce were remembering their own claiming day, and yours was only about eighteen months ago. And, well, I was also remembering mine.”
“A strong memory, I’m sure,” Gavin said kindly.
I chuckled as we came close to the edge of the crowd who were gathering around Wolf Lodge, the large common building at the center of our homestead. We slowed and stopped, just far enough away that we were out of earshot.
“To be honest, the memory has faded to a glossy, rosy picture that was probably half-true and half-dreamed. I couldn’t tell you which was which. Had the sun really been so comfortable on my back or had I begun to itch under the collar? And could I really see her beautiful face so clearly as I held her hands or was the sunlight shining in my eyes and obscuring her a little from my view?”
Gavin simply nodded and listened, like a good friend does. I looked over his shoulder, and my gaze brushed over happy couples and little cubs winding in and out of adults’ legs, making fun and trouble in equal measures.