“Don’t think we won’t be having a chat, son,” her Dad warned. “You’re lucky I like your dad or this would be an entirely different conversation.”
“Do you think we could have the chat without the rifle in your hand?” I inquired and Jess reached for the hand covering her eyes.
“Dad!” She shouted when he wouldn’t budge.
“We’ll see,” he answered me and gave Jess a light shake. “You will remain like this until he puts pants on.”
“I’ll be right back,” I promised, grateful she hadn’t mentioned she’d already seen me several times without clothes on.
“Sir,” I said politely, and Jess smiled enigmatically.
“Son,” her Dad said grudgingly. Jess tapped the hand still covering her eyes and he reluctantly lowered it.
I took her hand as I told her father, “I only wish to keep her safe and see her happy.” The sincerity in my voice must have convinced him, because her Dad nodded.
“Just don’t be the reason she cries and we’ll be alright,” he threatened and Jess flushed, but I nodded seriously.
“I should have sent you with your mom,” her Dad muttered under his breath and Jess swatted him with her good arm. “Kidding, Bunny,” he grumbled, a smile flickering at the edges of his lips. “You can’t live with your mom because now you’re old enough to be tried as an adult.” Jess blinked at him and he lifted his eyebrows. She shrugged, not denying it and I choked. “Son, you have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
“You may be right, sir, but I also think she’s exactly what I need.” Jess tilted her head, glancing up at me, but her stare froze on the woods. She squinted, then sat up straight, grabbing my hand and pointing with it to the edge of the forest where a woman stood with a little boy in her arms.
My breath caught as I murmured, “Sam?” And as we watched, more women stepped through the trees, lining it, children clinging to their hands.
“The plan,” Jess whispered in satisfaction, smiling at the sight of them.
“Good thing we have empty rooms,” her Dad said, heaving a sigh. “Well, Bunny, maybe one of them will take the housekeeping job.”
***
“Dom,” Trent’s serious voice whispered over the mental link we shared and I paused what I was doing.
“What is it?”
“Caleb.”
I didn’t need any other explanation, following the directions Trent sent me. I found him but this time I was careful not to startle him. Caleb was struggling with his father’s death and his new role as acting Alpha. He wanted revenge for his father’s death, but since the Hanleys hadn’t made any more moves against us the Elders resisted the idea of attacking them.
“Going somewhere?” I asked quietly, sinking down next to him.
“It’s gone,” he replied, not looking at me, a blue backpack on the ground next to him. I didn’t need him to tell me what was gone. His father’s command had died with him. “I can go anywhere I want to now.”
“Anywhere in particular?”
He shrugged, staring sightlessly at the road. “Does it matter? If I’m gone you’ll become Alpha.” He glanced at me. “That’s what they want, you know.”
“No,” I denied and he laughed bitterly.
“Don’t try and sugar coat it. They don’t want a kid who isn’t old enough to mate as their Alpha. They want Dom, the hero.” He pointed to the road. “I could go. See my mom. Visit that Pack to the north. Do anything I want really.”
I stifled my immediate protest that visiting the pack to the north was too dangerous. Caleb had been told to often what he couldn’t do and it was coming back to bite me in the ass. “You could stay. Be Alpha. Destroy the Hanleys.”
His gaze jerked to mine. “No one wants war.”
“Not yet,” I replied, scratching my neck. “Give it time.”
“They don’t want me as Alpha,” he reminded me and I winced.
“Not everybody wanted your dad as Alpha,” I mentioned and he glanced at the ground. “Thing is, Caleb, you can leave, but what are you looking for? Because I can tell you what you’re leaving behind. Family, friends, a Pack.”
He shook his head frantically, muttering, “What if I’m not what you need?” I didn’t get a chance to respond as he continued. “I already know I’m not what they want. My own dad didn’t think I could do it.”
“Then prove him wrong,” I snapped, surprising him. “Your dad was wrong about a lot of things. Things you can change now. We have a motel full of Hanley women who need protecting. Don’t you want to be the change your father refused to be?”
“He was…” Caleb trailed off.
“Your dad,” I finished. “A hard man, an imperfect man, but still your dad and you loved him.” I gripped his shoulder. “Give yourself time to grieve, Caleb, before you make any major decisions.” I squeezed and he glanced at me. “Can you promise me that?”