Brom didn’t know what Jaryn had felt, but he had experienced enough of Jaryn’s premonitions to heed them when they happened. If Jaryn said something was wrong with the cubs, Brom believed him.
Strangely enough, Jaryn’s premonitions seemed to be tied to people he cared about. Brom wasn’t sure what that meant. He was just glad that Jaryn cared about him and the cubs. It had saved Brom’s butt on more than one occasion.
He ran as fast as he could, his breath coming and going in rapid gulps. Reaching the edge of the hotel, Brom came to a sudden stop and pressed himself against the side of the building before peering around the edge.
He didn’t know what he might be heading into. While Jaryn had premonitions, he wasn’t always good at pinpointing when they would happen or what exactly would happen. He just knew something would happen.
The front of the hotel seemed clear of people. Brom watched for a moment, waiting to see if anyone appeared. When no one did, he started to go around the corner until a hand on his back stopped him.
Brom turned, his heart pounding even after he found Jaryn standing behind him. “Damn, Jaryn, you’re going to give me a heart attack.”
“Let me go in first,” Jaryn said.
Brom shook his head. There was no way he would let Jaryn walk into a potentially dangerous situation.
“Brom, I smell like I always have. No one will pay me any mind.”
Jaryn had a point even if Brom didn’t want to admit it. Jaryn’s scent hadn’t changed. Brom’s had. Jaryn was also a member of their pack. No one would think anything of him walking into the hotel and going to check on the cubs. He was always checking on the cubs.
If they smelled cum on him, they would just attribute it to him being a horny young man. As long as Brom didn’t claim him, no one would know what he and Jaryn did in the woods except them.
“Okay, go check on the cubs.” Brom finally agreed. “I’ll be waiting right here. If everything is okay, open the curtains to their room, and I’ll come up. If I don’t see those curtains move in ten minutes, I’m coming in.”
Jaryn nodded. He took a deep breath and smoothed his shirt down over his abdomen before walking casually around the corner and down the walkway to the hotel doors. Brom watched until Jaryn walked inside then stepped back into the shadows. He looked up and watched the upstairs windows where his cubs slept. The wait was agonizing.
Chapter 5
Jaryn tried to act casual as he walked through the lobby of the hotel his pack stayed in. That was nearly impossible considering how fast his heart beat in his chest and how much his palms sweated.
He just knew that any moment one of their pack members would jump out and accuse him of something. It wasn’t like he did something bad. He was just walking through the hotel. He had done that a lot in the days they had been at Vourdala Island. He just never did it with this much fear pulsing through him.
Jaryn made his way to the stairs leading to the second floor, a small sigh of relief breaking free when no one stopped him. He tried not to hurry as he went up them, but everything in him said that the cubs’ lives were in imminent danger.
The hallway seemed clear when Jaryn reached the second floor. He paused for just a minute to listen but couldn’t hear anything out of place. He couldn’t smell anything out of place, either.
Jaryn hoped his luck stuck with him as he walked down the hallway to the cubs’ room. He paused outside of the door next door and leaned his ear against it, listening for sounds from inside. If Marla was in residence, things could get ugly.
Hearing nothing, Jaryn walked to the next door. He turned the knob slowly and opened the door. There didn’t seem to be anyone inside beyond the two cubs sleeping in their portable cribs. Jaryn walked in and closed the door behind him.
He walked over and peered into each crib, smiling at the sleeping cubs. Brom made beautiful babies. Jaryn felt overjoyed that Brom trusted him enough to be one of their main caretakers. He loved the two little boys like they were his own.
Jaryn tucked a blanket up closer around one and then bent over to give him a small kiss on the head. He stepped over and repeated the gesture with the other cub. Both boys, Cailan, barely three years old, and Iain, just a baby of six months, were perfect in Jaryn’s eyes.
Satisfied that the cubs were okay, Jaryn walked over to the window to open the curtains. He needed to let Brom know all was clear. Just as he reached for the edge of the curtain, the door swung open.
Jaryn jerked around, blocking the window with his body. When he tried to speak, his voice wavered. “Marla.”
Marla huffed and stormed into the room. “Have you seen Brom? He’s supposed to be escorting me to a cocktail party given by one of the wolf packs, and he’s late.”
“He was out walking earlier,” Jaryn said. If he said no, Marla would know he lied. He’d hugged Brom. He would have some small scent of the man on him. “Would you like me to go find him?”
Just then, one of the cubs started to whimper. Marla cringed, her face wrinkling in disgust. It was no secret in their pack that Marla didn’t like cubs. She liked the prestige that came with being married to the alpha’s son, but she didn’t like the parental responsibilities that came with providing Brom with cubs.
“No, I’ll find him,” Marla said. She waved her hand over at the crying baby. “Can you deal with that? I’m going to be late as it is. Oh, and pack a small bag for them. I might want them to join us at the party. They are the grandcubs of the alpha, after all.”
Jaryn smiled. “I’d be happy to.”
“You would.” Marla frowned. “I swear you should have been born a woman, Jaryn. There’s not a masculine bone in your body. I swear the only reason I keep you around is to keep the other nannies off my husband.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Jaryn held his breath as Marla swept from the room, her perfume clinging to the room for several moments after she was gone. He walked over and gently patted the baby until he quieted down and went back to sleep. It took but a moment.
Too bad Marla didn’t have that skill, Jaryn thought as he walked over to the door to close it. He grabbed the doorknob and started to push the door closed when he heard voices coming from down the hallway.
Jaryn peered through the small crack between the door and the wall. He couldn’t see anyone, but he could hear voices. They didn’t seem to get any closer, but they sure got louder. Jaryn realized it was Marla and Brom’s father, Angus.
“Have you seen Brom?” Angus asked. “I need to speak to him.”
Jaryn could hear the anger in his alpha’s voice. It sent a chill of apprehension down his spine. An angry Angus wasn’t a good thing. People tended to get hurt even if they weren’t who had made the man angry.
“He’s out walking or something just as stupid,” Marla replied. “He was supposed to be here to take me to a cocktail party being given by one of the other packs, but he’s not back yet.”
Jaryn could picture her waving her hand in the air as she said the word ‘stupid.’ The woman didn’t seem to realize that she was the stupid one. She had the perfect family, and she always tried to get more, more money, more men, and more attention.
“If you see him, you tell him I want to talk to him immediately. He has some explaining to do concerning his behavior this evening.”
Oh shit!
“Why?” Marla asked. “What’s he done this time?”
“None of your damn business, woman,” Angus snapped.
Jaryn covered his mouth to keep his laughter behind his lips as he pictured the look of indignation he felt sure covered Marla’s face. She hated the fact that Angus treated her like a second-class citizen.
“Don’t be like that, Angus,” Marla crooned. Jaryn almost gagged. “We could go back to your room and discuss it.”
“I thought you had a cocktail party to attend?”
“I can go later,” Marla replied. “You’re more important than any old cocktail party.”
Jaryn held his breath as
silence reigned in the hallway. Curiosity eating at him, he cracked the door open just a bit more and peered around the edge. Jaryn wasn’t surprised in the least to see Marla and Angus kissing. He’d suspected for some time that they were having an affair but had never been able to prove it. Now he knew.
When Angus lifted his head, Jaryn quickly jerked his head back into the room. He closed the door until just a sliver of light from the hallway remained, listening to what Marla and Angus said and hoping to learn something, anything.
“Go to my room and wait for me there,” Angus said. “I’m going to go check on my grandcubs.”
“I just checked on them,” Marla replied. “They’re both sound asleep right now, and I’d rather not wake them before the party.”
Thank you, Marla, Jaryn thought as he heard their footsteps walk away. He waited until he couldn’t hear their footsteps then peered out the doorway and down the hallway just in time to see Angus’s door close.
Quickly closing the door, Jaryn raced over and grabbed the baby bag. He packed it with as much baby clothes, diapers, and other baby paraphernalia that he might need. He then reached for another bag and packed it with toddler items. He put the bags on the floor beside the cribs and picked up a small front carrier, pulling it on and belting it around his waist. Grabbing the baby, he placed him inside the carrier, trying his best not to wake the infant.
Jaryn heaved a sigh of relief when Iain didn’t wake up but only cuddled in closer to his chest. He took a minute to catch his breath and let his heart rate slow down. The adrenaline and fear running through him right then could have sent a man to the moon.
Jaryn wrapped a blanket around Cailan and picked him up out of his crib. The toddler fussed for a moment until he got a whiff of Jaryn’s scent then settled right down as he always did. The boy was used to Jaryn handling him.
With one last look around the room for anything he might have forgotten, Jaryn picked up the two baby bags and swung them over his shoulder. He cradled Cailan to one side of his body and Iain to the other in the front pack. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Jaryn walked over to the door.
He cracked it open again, peering out. Finding the hallway empty, Jaryn stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He walked quickly down the hallway toward the stairs, pausing briefly outside of Angus’s door to listen. The only thing he could hear was the occasional moan or groan.
Jaryn shook his head and started walking again. He wondered if Brom actually knew about the affair his wife was having with his father. He doubted it. While Brom didn’t love Marla by any means, they were married.
Jaryn just reached the bottom of the stairs when Brom walked into the lobby. Jaryn glanced around to see who else might be in the area. A couple of pack members milled about and some shifters from other packs. Other than that, the place was clear.
Still, they needed to play it safe. Jaryn glanced back at Brom and gave him a small shake of his head then plastered a wide smile on his face. He waited until Brom walked up to him then handed him one of the baby bags and Cailan.
“Brom, I’m glad I ran into you,” he said rather loudly. “Marla wanted me to get the cubs ready for some cocktail party you’re supposed to be attending. Apparently, she wants to show them off to the alpha’s wife or something. Could you help me?”
Brom looked confused but nodded anyway. “Yes, of course.”
“Marla’s upstairs talking with your father,” Jaryn said, seeing the dawning of the situation in Brom’s eyes. “They should be along in a little while. I thought I’d get a head start since these two weigh a ton and a half.”
“Good choice.” Brom chuckled.
Jaryn watched Brom cradle his older son to his chest and hook the baby bag over his shoulder. He gave the man a long look before starting towards the main doors. Fear pounded the blood through his body as more pack members walked in. He prayed they could get out before they got caught.
“Oh, Brom, your father wanted to talk to you about something,” Jaryn said absently. “I heard him tell Marla and thought I’d pass the message along.”
“Well, let’s get these two over to the cocktail party first, and then I’ll see what my father wants,” Brom replied. “I don’t want them out in the night air any longer than they have to be. You wouldn’t mind watching them while I come back and talk with my father, would you?”
“No, of course not,” Jaryn replied as he stepped through the main doors. “You know I love watching the cubs.”
Once he was outside, Jaryn looked around and then hurried to the side of the building. He hugged the baby in his arms to his chest as Brom joined him. Brom opened his mouth to talk. Jaryn shook his head and gestured towards the woods they had come through before.
Brom nodded and led the way. Jaryn followed, having no doubt where they were headed. Besides the fact that it was the home of the ruling alpha of Vourdala Island, the compound was also where Daniel stayed.
When they reached the edge of the woods where they stood before, Brom stopped and turned to look at Jaryn. “Talk and it had better be good. A lot of shit is going to come down on our heads for this.”
“Marla asked me to keep an eye on the cubs while she went to the cocktail party.”
“Uh uh, you can do better than that, Jaryn.”
Jaryn heaved a sigh. “Marla came into the room before I could signal you. She sounded pretty pissed off that you were late taking her to some cocktail party. I told her that you were out taking a walk.”
“That doesn’t explain why you snuck the cubs out of the hotel, Jaryn.”
“Your father showed up looking for you.” Jaryn raked a hand through his hair, desperation filling him. “He knows, Brom. I don’t know how he knows, but he does. I had to get the cubs out of there before something happened.”
“Fuck!” Brom exclaimed, quickly made shushing noises as Cailan whimpered. Once the toddler settled down, he looked back up to Jaryn. “Did he say anything else?”
Jaryn bit his lip and glanced away.
“What, Jaryn? Tell me!”
“He was too busy kissing Marla,” Jaryn replied as he looked back at Brom. There really was no good way to tell a man that his wife was being unfaithful to him and with his father at that. Jaryn wished he hadn’t been the one to do it.
“That’s it? He was just kissing Marla?”
Jaryn’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Well, no, they went back to his room together at Marla’s request. Your father wanted to check on the cubs, but Marla told him they were sleeping.” He reached over and laid his hand on Brom’s arm. “I’m sorry, Brom. I wish I didn’t have to tell you about that.”
Brom shook his head. “I could care less about Marla sleeping with my father. I’ve known about that for months.”
“You knew?” Jaryn asked in shock.
“Of course I knew. I could smell my father all over her. I’m just grateful it didn’t start until after the cubs were born. At least I know that they’re mine. As far as I’m concerned, my father can have the conniving little bitch.”
“Brom!”
“The only thing Marla ever wanted from me is my position in the pack. My father handpicked her to marry me, and I suspect if my mother had been dead at the time, Marla would have married him instead of me.”
Jaryn knew Brom didn’t like his wife much. He hadn’t realized that he despised her. That made him feel a little less sad that he was essentially interfering in Brom’s marriage to Marla.
“So, what are we going to do?”
Brom turned and glanced at the alpha compound behind him. “We’re going to try our best to sneak into an alpha’s compound without getting caught. If we get caught, Jaryn, we’re screwed.”
Jaryn nodded. He kind of figured that. What he couldn’t figure out was how they were supposed to sneak into a building filled with werewolves with two babies and not get caught. If they pulled this off, they both should audition for jobs as magicians.
“Okay, let’s do this.�
�
Brom turned back, nodding. “Stay close to me, Jaryn, no matter what. We can’t be separated. From here on out, it’s just you and me and the cubs.”
“And Daniel.”
Brom smiled. “And Daniel.” He turned to face the house. “If he’ll have us.”
Jaryn had no doubt that once Daniel learned the truth about everything, he’d be all over Brom like white on rice. Brom had told him hundreds of stories of what things had been like before Daniel left. Brom seemed to remember those times with great fondness.
Jaryn hoped that they could all make new memories together, but that remained to be seen. First, Brom had to get them in the door with Daniel, and then he needed to explain about Jaryn and the cubs.
He followed Brom to a high brick wall. They walked along the edge until they came to a small stream that seemed to run under the wall. Jaryn didn’t like the way Brom looked at the water. He liked even less when Brom handed Cailan and the baby bag to him.
“What are you doing?” Jaryn asked, afraid he already knew.
“I’m going to swim under that edge there,” Brom said as he pointed to where the wall hung over the water. He started to pull his shirt over his head. “You’re going to hand me the cubs and the bags, then swim under yourself.”
“Oh, this is absolutely ridiculous.” Jaryn swung around and started marching toward the front gate. He heard Brom quietly calling his name but chose to ignore the man. They should be able to walk right through the front gate, not sneak in like thieves in the night.
Over the last several days, Jaryn had spent enough time with Sasha and Ryland and a few of the other omegas to know the alpha of Vourdala Pack was a reasonable man. If they were in trouble, he’d help. All they had to do was ask.
Jaryn walked right through the main gate and up to the front door, knocking. A moment later, the door was opened by an older-looking woman Jaryn remembered as Mary, the housekeeper.
“Hello, Mary, I was wondering if Sasha was available. I brought the cubs to meet him.”
Unspoken Desires Page 5
