“Start wherever you’d like. It’ll all work out.”
Sean drew in a deep breath. “It started the day I ran from Ryker. He knew I was an Omega, but I have no idea how. Maybe my parents said something? Who knows? The point is, he heard that a chained Omega could be used to control people. Make them feel too blissed-out to fight back. He wanted to use me to take over other packs, help bend them to his will. He also wanted to fuck me, and he made no bones about it. I got scared, and I ran as far and as fast as my four feet would carry me.”
It was a lifetime ago, and Sean knew it, but the memories were still with him. Gareth must have sensed it because he pulled Sean onto his lap and ran fingers through Sean’s hair.
“We can do this another time, if you want. It doesn’t have to come out today.” He stroked Sean’s cheek. “No, it doesn’t ever have to come out. The past doesn’t matter.”
It was a nice thought, but Gareth needed to know.
“No, I’ve got to tell you. The Mother came to me on my first night. It was cold, and I was soaked from the rain. I hid under a bridge, where I fell asleep, curled in a corner. I couldn’t understand why my parents sold me, or why Ryker would think I would help him hurt people. I shifted and ran.”
“Wait. You shifted? I thought that couldn’t happen until you turned eighteen?”
Sean shrugged. “I’ve always been able to shift. I thought everyone could do it, but then found out I was the only one. Maybe it’s something to do with being an Omega. I’m not sure.”
“And that’s how your parents knew to bring you to Ryker.”
“I never even thought about that. You’re probably right. It doesn’t matter anymore, though. So that first night, she came to me. She was beautiful, with a long white dress that looked like it was made of moonlight. She wrapped me in her arms and held me close while I cried. When I had no more tears, she sat with me and told me that, for now, I was unique in all the world. The only living Omega. She warned me that Alphas would covet me and the things I would be able to do. I told her I didn’t want to be an Omega—I just wanted to go home. She kissed my forehead and said she wished it could be so, but that I had a destiny to fulfill. She said my life would be hard, and she wished it didn’t have to be, but she assured me it was necessary. According to her, I was supposed to find a good Alpha. One I would be willing to trust with my life. She said he would be the one who would help me bring the wolves back together. I didn’t understand it for a long time. Not until I met you.”
Warmth surrounded Sean when Gareth pulled him up into a hug.
“I’m made for you, you know.”
“Yeah, I know.” Gareth nuzzled Sean’s hair. “You’re my mate.”
“No, I mean I’m really made for you. When you claimed me, my body changed to respond only to you. When we made love, did you notice how easy it was?”
Gareth nodded. “It was transcendental.”
“Mother changed me so that I would always be ready for you. Good news? We’ll save a ton on lube.” He glanced down at Gareth’s crotch. “And considering things are probably proportional now, it’s a good thing.” Sean sighed. “Still, it would have been nice to have a little control over my life.”
“I’m so sorry for everything you went through. If I had known—”
“You couldn’t. I was never going to tell anyone. I already had Ryker hunting me and sure as hell didn’t need anyone else after me. Then one night, while I was in a town, Kristopher found me. He gave me a savage beating, and I honestly wished I had just died. I ran, but he chased me. I shifted into my wolf and decided that I would never be a human again.”
“Oh God. Sean, I—”
“It’s okay. I finally understood what Mother was trying to tell me. I needed to find that one person—the only one—who was meant for me. See, way back before the battles broke out, wolves used to search their whole lives for the person they were meant to be with. Fated mates, she said. Only a handful ever found them, and those who were able went on to live a life of joy. That’s how I felt when I got to know you.”
“My wolf—I—knew you were special when I first sensed you.” Gareth sighed, deep and sorrowful. “I always believed that wolves were just an animal part of us. It took meeting you to make me realize that we were parts of a whole.”
“She said that’s how it was always meant to be and that we’d lost our way. She needed a champion, a supreme leader, who would stand up for wolves everywhere. That’s where you come in.”
“I don’t understand what that means.” He held his arms out and flexed his fingers. “I know I’ve changed, but—”
“She gave you a tiny bit of her to carry in your heart. She made you bigger, stronger, more able to meet the demands that are expected of you. It will be your job to go out to the packs, to bring them into line.”
“But why me?”
“Because you claimed me. Duh.” Sean chuckled. “Honestly? It’s because of who you are. The strength of your character. The fact that you try to find another way, instead of just forcing change. Mother wants us to come together, under your leadership, and form a more united front. She’s already seen the changes taking place here in Lydon. Deke found his mate and will step up to help him.”
“Lyram found his too.”
“Really? Who?”
“Caleb.”
“I knew I sensed something between them.”
“And now that he’s eighteen, there isn’t anything to keep Lyram from claiming him. Except for the fact Caleb’s still a wolf.”
“Yeah, about that….” Sean scratched his cheek. “He can shift. He did it for me. The problem was, after what Kristopher did to him, Caleb can’t talk. The damage will heal eventually, I think, but right now, he’s shrunk in on himself. Lyram will have to dig deep and help Caleb find himself again.”
“He’ll do it. I know he will.” Gareth put a hand on Sean’s chest. “So this means we’re leaving Lydon, huh?”
“That’s what she wants, but what about you? What’s in your heart?”
WHAT WAS in Gareth’s heart? He wanted to run away, to take Sean and their babies and go far off the grid. To live and love, to grow as a family. To be…. Just to be. But Sean had sacrificed years of his life working to fulfill the Mother’s mission. Could either of them walk away?
“I don’t think it matters what I want.” He peered at Sean. “Does it?”
A soft smile creased Sean’s lips. “Nope. We have a destiny, and it’s up to us to see it through. Besides, I look at our babies and think about what happened to Quinn after I ran. Don’t we owe it to them, and to everyone else who is living under a shitty Alpha, to try to make the world a better place for them? Raising our family, finding the person we’re meant to be with, falling in love.”
It all sounded so poetic, but Sean was right. “Then I suppose there’s no time like the present. I’ll speak with Lyram and let him know what’s happening. Do you think maybe the Mother had something to do with him going from Beta to Alpha? So we wouldn’t be leaving Lydon bereft of a leader?”
“I wouldn’t doubt it.”
“Will we ever see her again?” As much as Gareth wanted to, she kinda scared the crap out of him. After what she did to Kristopher, he made a mental note not to piss her off.
“No, I don’t think so. I mean, maybe. But I believe Lyram earned that on his own. He’s always been there, working hard to make things better for everyone.”
He had, and Gareth felt like a colossal prick for questioning Lyram’s ability to lead. “Where do we start?”
Sean pursed his lips. “I’ve got a list of the Alphas I ran into when I was trying to hide out. The ones who would have gladly turned me over to Ryker if they caught me. Some of them were….” He shuddered. “Let’s just say they were cut from the same cloth as Ryker. People were playthings, feelings weren’t important. Power and wealth were what they craved. Now, I admit they weren’t nearly as bad as Ryker, but they were bad in their own way. Their people needed help, and I
was too afraid to step up. I can’t be that anymore.”
“What could you have done? You were a child, failed by those who were supposed to lead. Me included. Lydon should have been open to all wolves who needed a place. My father, and his, always gave succor to those in need. I thought…. Well, apparently, I thought I knew better than them. I was just as blinded as Ryker, because I wanted Lydon to become a utopia.”
Sean reached up and fisted his hand in Gareth’s shirt. “I never want to hear you say something so stupid again. You made life better where you could, and that’s not easy. And Lydon is utopia, at least as far as I’m concerned. It’ll be nice for the town to have an influx of fresh voices, though.” He tilted his head. “Are you sure you can give this up? I mean, your family founded Lydon.”
There was no question Gareth would miss the people, but Sean and their kids, and people like Margaret and Quinn, deserved to live in a world that was without fear. As long as Gareth and Sean were together, they would always have each other. Who did Margaret have? The little girl with the big, trusting eyes who had pleaded with Gareth to save her had no one. Oh, sure, Dr. Frank and Marcella had agreed to take her in, but beyond that, what was left for her?
“Yes. I’ll have you and the kids with me, so I’m taking home wherever I go. I’m still fuzzy on the whole Alpha Supreme thing.”
“Think of it like an arbiter. You go in, you see the conditions the people are living under, and you make changes. It might be as minor as helping to build a new school, or it might be removing the Alpha and putting a better one in his place. The same things you were doing in Lydon, but on a much larger scale.”
“And what if they don’t want to go? What if they refuse?”
“You are empowered by Mother. She’s ordained it, so you’ve the right to use whatever options you deem necessary. Buy them out, banish them, or if need be, kill them. That last one? Try not to do that too often. Be true to who you are and find a better way.”
That led to a question that had plagued Gareth. “Why were you sick? I mean, you’re a wolf and an Omega. Why would Mother allow you to be ill?”
A sigh. “She told me that there would be trials, and one of them was allowing me to get sick. She said that in order for someone to be a true leader, they had to show compassion for others. Ryker killed the sick rather than try to heal them. When he absorbed another pack, he gave them nothing beyond the basics. He—” Sean swallowed hard. “—had no problem turning on them if they displeased him. My parents….”
It hurt Gareth to feel Sean’s pain. He pulled Sean into his arms and held him while he cried over two people who didn’t deserve his sympathy, but still.
“I’m here. Let it out.”
And he did. Heaving sobs for the lost innocence of both Sean and Quinn. The lost lives. The traumas Sean had endured. All of it came tumbling out of him as he told Gareth things that had him wanting to hunt and destroy anyone who’d harmed his mate.
“Always remember, I love you. I will always love you.” He kissed Sean’s hair. “And I won’t ever walk away.”
“Thank you.”
The babies began to fuss simultaneously. Sean sat up and went to the cribs. They took one look at him and settled. A moment later, Dani burst through the door but pulled up short when she saw Sean and Gareth.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were up. I was warming bottles for them, and—”
Sean scrubbed a hand over his eyes and beamed a smile at her. “Thank you so much, Dani. For everything. The room is amazing, and I can see how much you already love the kids.”
“They’re precious.” She sighed. “But you’re going to be taking them with you, aren’t you?”
Sean nodded. “We have to leave. Mother gave us a job to do, and it’s hard to tell her no.”
“When you stood up and Kristopher put the knife to your back, I freaked out. But when her voice came from your mouth? I wanted to drop to my knees right there and say how unworthy I was to be in her presence.”
“Oh, hush. All wolves are meant to be in her presence, but those who strayed from her teachings of love, service to one another, and coming together as a pack? They need to find their way back.” Gareth touched Dani on the shoulder. “You, more than most, would be welcomed by her with open arms. You took a scared Omega and gave him a home without question or concern. You let him into your home and made him a part of your family. How does that not show your worth to her, and to me?”
Her lip wobbled a bit. “Smooth talker.”
“You could come with us, you know. We’d love to have you.”
She gazed at the babies for a moment. “I want to, and you have no idea how bad. But you just brought fifty-seven people into Lydon, and Lyram will need me if he’s going to make them feel at home.” She bit her lip. “You are leaving Lyram in charge, right?”
That wasn’t the right way to say it. “No. I left him in charge when I went away on business. Now I’m turning the pack over to him to guide.” It hurt a bit to think of the future without Lydon. “This will no longer be my home.”
Sean cleared his throat. “Actually, as Alpha Supreme, every pack is yours. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. You’re responsible for every pack throughout the world, and, as such, you have a home wherever you go.” Sean took a deep breath. “And there’s more.”
“Oh, why wouldn’t there be?” Gareth winked. “What’s going on?”
“Both of our children are Omegas. When Mother said they were the next generation of wolves, she was serious. When they find love, they will usher in a fresh start for everyone.”
“So our son will be able to get pregnant? That should make the Sex Ed talk fun.”
Sean and Dani chuckled. “Only if his mate is a man. If he finds a woman, she will still bear the children.”
There were so many questions Gareth wanted to ask, but the most important one came out. “What changes did Mother make to me?”
Sean held up a hand and ticked off with each finger. “Stronger. Faster. Bigger. Longer life. More resilient. And your wolf will be the largest anyone has ever seen. Think the size of a rhino. She did that so you would always prevail in a fight. Anyone who tries to take you on will find themselves regretting that choice very quickly.”
“I love how you know all this.”
He shrugged. “I was her vessel”—he reached up and rubbed a hand over his shoulder—“and a part of her is always going to be with me. I can answer specific questions, but beyond that, we’re going to have to find our own path. That’s what she wants. You to remake wolf society in your image.”
“So no pressure, right?”
“You did it with Lydon. You made it a place anyone would be happy to be a member. Now you need to do it with all the packs under your care.”
The task was daunting, but Gareth wouldn’t buckle under. He could—would—do this. And as long as Sean and the kids were at his side, he would come out better for it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
THREE DAYS later, Sean and Gareth were packed and ready to go. Everyone had helped them get things together in the new jet-black armored Escalade Lyram had gotten from somewhere. The fact that it wasn’t there when they went to bed and it sat in the drive the next morning proved they were doing the right thing by leaving the pack in Lyram’s hands.
Dani leaned over and stroked a hand over their son’s face as she cooed. She turned her attention to Sean. “Are you sure you have everything? Diapers, formula, their binkies?”
Sean had confided in Gareth about how he loved the way Dani fussed. She wanted everything perfect, and he appreciated that.
“You packed it, so I know we’re good.” He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m going to miss you. You are what every child should have for a mother—kind, sweet, and patient to a fault.” He paused a breath, likely trying to come up with the right way to say what he had to. “Give Caleb time. What Kristopher did to him was traumatic. He’s got a lot to process.”
Sh
e sneered. “That’s all those bastards did: hurt, maim, kill. Every time I think about Caleb, I see what Mother did to Kristopher, and I don’t feel the least bit bad for him.” She sighed. “Lyram’s been spending a lot of time with Caleb.” She placed a kiss on their daughter’s cheek. “Are you ever going to give them names? I hate calling them Boy and Girl Blackthorn.”
Sean looked to Gareth, who gave a nod.
“After Lyram finally finished our wedding, we went back to the room and talked about names. We’ve decided on Ethan Caleb and Adira Daniella.”
Dani froze, her eyes misty. “I’m sorry, what?”
“The names we gave them mean ‘strength,’ which they’re both going to need in the future as Omegas. They’re going to have to step up and show the world what it means. Everyone seems to have forgotten, so we’ll have to show them. Their middle names are for the two people who mean the most in the world to me. The ones who gave me a home and reminded me that family wasn’t a dirty word.” Sean leaned in close. “Is that okay?”
Her eyes crinkled in the corner a moment before she burst into tears and threw herself into Sean’s arms.
“It’s perfectly fine. I’ve come to love you like you were my son. I’m proud of you in so many ways.” She sniffled. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“Hey, it’s not like we’re not coming back.” Gareth rubbed her back. “You’re still our family, remember? We’ll be here whenever you need us.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just emotional.” She straightened. “Before you go, I do need one more thing from you both. Grab the babies and come with me.”
“And you couldn’t tell us this before we were all packed and ready?” Sean kidded.
Dani scowled. “I’m sorry if my mind isn’t working all that well. There are so many changes happening, I’m….” She sighed. “I’m having trouble keeping up with everything.”
“Hey.” Sean leaned in and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “We’re teasing. Come on, we’ll follow you.”
The Night Wolf Page 21
