Hidden Destiny (Redwood Pack) Page 13

  The wolves nodded, and Edward walked away, giving his back to the wolves he’d deemed less than nothing. With the enforcers and his sons, the Alpha wouldn’t have to worry about his safety.

  North looked at Kade and lifted his chin. “Get to Lexi and make sure she’s all right, okay? I’m going to go take care of dad.”

  Kade nodded and loped off in a run, the rest of his brothers following.

  “You want me to get Hannah to Heal him?” Reed asked.

  North looked to where his father had gone. “No, I don’t think he’ll allow that.”

  Reed frowned. “He doesn’t have to take on the pain and scar.”

  “I think he thinks he does.”

  Reed shook his head but went toward his mates. North would go to Lexi and Parker soon. First, though, he needed to care for his father. He went behind the platform, got the first aid kit, and ran.

  He made his way through the forest to where his father sat on a rock, his hand over the wound on his chest.

  “Let me see, Dad.”

  Edward let out a breath and dropped his hands. North winced at the angry wound, but it didn’t look too bad. It was a through-and-through and was closer to his dad’s shoulder than his chest.

  He cleaned it up and made sure it would heal on its own. His father was the Alpha and was stronger than all the others in the Pack, meaning he’d heal quickly, but without Hannah’s help, it would be painful.

  “You don’t have to do this, you know,” North said as he patched his father up. “Hannah could Heal this quickly.”

  “Let her be with her mates, North. I need to do this on my own.”

  “It wasn’t your fault that Patrick went crazy.”

  “Wasn’t it?” Edward asked, his gaze in the distance. “He almost killed your mother because I was too arrogant to deal with the people in my own Pack.”

  North blinked. “You’ve always put the Pack first, Dad. Always. You know everyone’s names, birthdays, and sometimes what they ate for dinner the night before. You take care of this Pack better than any other Alpha I know.”

  Edward let his gaze rest on North’s. “And what has that gotten me? War and fighting within.”

  “Dad…” North had never seen his father look so…defeated. It chilled him to the bone.

  “Ignore me. I think seeing that bullet come after your mother scared me more than I thought.”

  North liked that his father was actually being truthful about this feelings and not hiding them because he thought he had to, but he wasn’t sure what he should do next. “Why don’t you go to Mom?” he suggested.

  “I just needed a second to breathe. Plus, she doesn’t like seeing me bloody. Two hundred years together, and it still hurts her.”

  “She’s your mate, Dad.” There really wasn’t anything more he could say.

  “That she is. Take care of your Lexi, North. I know you don’t have the bond, but you don’t need it to love like you do.”

  North smiled. “I will, Dad. You want me to walk you home?”

  Edward shook his head. “I’m old and wounded, but not dying. I’ll make my way.” The sound of someone stepping on a branch and the scent of warmth and cookies reached them. “Or my mate will be here to get me home.”

  “Damn right, Edward Jamenson.” She walked right up to him, cupped his face, and then kissed him.

  Hard.

  North looked away. “Uh, I’ll just go to Lexi then.”

  “Do that, son. Let me take care of my mate who thinks he can dodge bullets.”

  “I didn’t dodge. I just blocked it from you.”

  North winced. Yeah, that wouldn’t help his cause.

  “Edward Jamenson, you do not step in front of bullets for me.”

  “You’re my mate.”

  “Yes. I am. And as your mate you get to listen to me, Edward Jamenson. Let’s get you home, and I’ll make it all better.”

  The suggestive note in her voice made North run a little quicker away from them. There were some things a son didn’t need to hear or see.

  He hoped that over time he and Lexi would be like his parents. He also knew that if the situation arose, he’d step in front of a bullet for her.

  She was his mate.

  There really wasn’t another answer.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “You’re sure he’s okay?” Parker asked as he squeezed his hands together.

  North held himself back from pulling the kid into his arms and soothing him like he would with one of his nieces or nephews…or if Parker had been his biological son and not just the boy he thought of as his son. They were right in the transition phase of getting to know each other, and most days he had no idea what he was doing, let alone what he thought Parker would want him to do.

  Being a parent was hard.

  He closed his eyes. Oh, yes, that was an elegant thought right there. Lexi would probably laugh at him if he ever told her that.

  So he wouldn’t mention it.

  North cleared his eyes and looked into Parker’s hazel eyes, eyes that looked so much like Lexi’s it was a bit scary.

  “The Alpha is going to be fine, Park,” he finally answered. “He was resting yesterday because my Mom made him, and the Pack knows that if the Alpha female says to rest, you rest. He wasn’t sequestered or anything.”

  Parker furrowed his brow. “What does sequestered mean?”

  “It means hidden away for a awhile,” North explained then finally sat down next to the kid on the couch. They were in North’s home and had been for the night. It had also been Parker’s first night staying over in the guest room, which would one day be his room in truth—a big step for them. Lexi was in the shower, leaving him and Parker alone in the house. It was awkward and a little scary.

  Hopefully that would change soon.

  “So he’s really okay?” Parker asked. The kid looked so scared that North was afraid he’d have to take him to the Alpha’s house right then and there, even though North’s mom might hurt him since she’d told the entire family to give them space.

  North let out a breath and wrapped his arm around Parker’s shoulders. The kid stiffened for a moment then sank into him. North’s wolf nudged along his skin, savoring the feel, as if Parker was theirs and comforting was their duty.

  North squeezed Parker closer for a bit then let him loose, not wanting to frighten him. “My dad’s fine, Parker. I promise.”

  “But he was shot,” Parker said, eyes wide. “How can you be all right when you’re shot?”

  North swallowed hard, remembering his father’s pallor and the defeat on his face when they’d been alone. The war was wearing on Edward, but the Alpha would never acknowledge that.

  His father was stronger than all of them.

  “He’s a wolf, Parker. The Alpha at that. You know we can heal faster than humans and can live through most wounds when others couldn’t make it. My dad’s really strong, bud. Really strong.” North let out a breath, trying not to think about how things could have been so much different if the bullet had been a couple inches to the left. “He’s healing and will be back to top form probably today knowing him. When Mom lets us, we can go over and check on him. Will that make you feel better?”

  Parker nodded, his head rustling against North’s arm. “Yeah. I know I’m being a baby, but I want to make sure he’s okay, you know?”

  “You’re not being a baby. Get that out of your head. You’re a dominant wolf—or at least will be when you get older—who wants to make sure his Alpha is okay. All that means is that your wolf is strong and the person that holds that wolf is even stronger. You care for others. That’s not a bad thing.” North paused. “Plus, in a way, my dad’s your family too.”

  Parker turned toward him on the couch, his eyes narrowed. “Because you and my mom are mates? You already said I can call Cailin, Aunt Cailin.” He grinned. “And I think she likes that.”

  North chuckled. “Yeah, she would.” Though if she was called that through her connection
with Logan, it would be a whole other matter. “And yeah, you’re my family, Parker. I know we haven’t made anything formal, but your mom and I? We’re the forever kind of mates.” At least he hoped they had a forever to look forward to, but that was another talk for another day.

  A light shone in Parker’s eyes, but he still frowned. Oh hell, had North not said the right thing? Was this too soon? Where the hell was Lexi? She could handle this way better than him, though at this point a monkey with a banana could handle this better than him.

  “So…you’re not leaving? We’re not leaving?”

  North couldn’t speak, his throat too clogged with emotion. Parker had never had a home, not really. He’d been on the run his entire life, and now people were telling him the Redwoods was his home. How was he supposed to believe that? How was he supposed to trust in that?

  How was North going to make sure Parker knew there was no backing out of this—that they were family, no matter what happened with the mating bond and the war around them?

  “Parker honey, this is our home,” Lexi said from the doorway, her hair wet and her eyes filled with tears.

  North had been so involved in his conversation with Parker he hadn’t noticed the shower turning off or Lexi padding into the living room area. With all that had happened with the revolt and other wolves, he needed to keep alert if he was going to protect his family.

  He sucked in a breath.

  Yes, Parker and Lexi were his family and it was time they made it official.

  “But, Mom, what if we have to leave again because someone’s found us? How can this be our home if we have to leave?”

  North closed his eyes, at a loss for words.

  “Oh, baby.” Lexi’s voice broke as she came to the couch and sat on the other side of Parker. She wrapped her arm around him and leaned closer so she and Parker were essentially leaning on North.

  North moved so he was now holding the both of them. His wolf nudged him, needing to have their scents on him and vice versa. This was his family now, and he had to make sure everyone knew that.

  “Parker, we’re not going anywhere.” Lexi let out a shaky breath. “We’re here to stay. I know we haven’t done that before, and things are a little crazy right now, but we’re not leaving.”

  “How can you be sure? We always leave when they find us,” Parker whispered.

  “You didn’t have us behind you, Park,” North interjected. “We’re not going to let the others hurt you. No matter what happens, know that we’re here for you. We Jamensons stick together.”

  “But I’m not a Jamenson,” Parker whispered.

  Lexi met his gaze over Parker’s head and smiled. “No, we’re not Jamensons in name, but…”

  “But you’re my family, Park. We just talked about that. Your mom and I are mates, meaning we’re going to be together for a long da— time.” He felt the blush creep up his neck. He’d have to work on not cursing he supposed. “You and your mom are a package deal.”

  “So why are we still staying at our place and only visit over here?”

  He felt Lexi stiffen, and he grinned. Well, it looked like the waiting period was over. “Do you want to stay with me? I didn’t want to move too fast for either of you, but I’d be…honored if you and your mother would move in with me.”

  “Maybe this is something you and I should talk about privately,” Lexi said tightly.

  Parker looked up at his mother. “But shouldn’t I have a say too?”

  She ran a hand through her son’s hair, and North chewed on his lip. Maybe putting that out there like that hadn’t been the best idea. What did he know though? He’d never done this before, and his brothers hadn’t been in this situation before either.

  Kids were complicated.

  “Yes, you do. I guess we should talk about this, huh?”

  “That seems prudent,” Parker said deadpan.

  North threw his head back and laughed. “Where did you learn to say that?”

  Parker turned and grinned at him. “I heard Aunt Mel say that to Uncle Kade. Uncle Kade said that he loved when his mate talked all smart like that.”

  That sounded like his brother and his mate for sure.

  “If we’re done talking vocabulary—prudent, by the way, is a great word, honey—can we talk about our plans then? Since we decided to have this conversation all together, let’s get it done.”

  North wasn’t sure if Lexi was mad or scared about the way this had come about—he was guessing both—but he wasn’t going to let her run away from it.

  “I’d say that we should make it official. Why should we alternate between houses when you can just stay here?”

  “But this is going a little fast, don’t you think?” Lexi asked.

  North shrugged. “We’re wolves. Everything moves a little fast for us.”

  “And I can stay here too? With you and Mom?” Parker asked.

  North ran a hand through Parker’s hair. “I’d like that a lot. I have the guest room we can make into yours.”

  “But what if you have guests?”

  North grinned. “Then it looks like I’ll have to build on. I had always planned on doing it anyway when I found my mate and made a family. I don’t really want to move to a bigger place since the clinic is attached, but we can make it work.”

  “And Kade and Jasper would help build it, right? I think that’s what they do.”

  “Yep. It helps having contractors and architects in the family. Though I do know how to do a lot of it myself. Once we have time, we can build on.” There were a few more important things to worry about first, but he’d be damned if he let go of his future to dwell on them.

  Parker turned toward Lexi. “Can we move in, Mom? I want to know we can stay. Plus, I think Uncle Logan is getting all growly with Aunt Cailin and needs space.”

  Out of the mouth of babes.

  “Come on, Lex. We don’t want Logan to get all growly.”

  Lexi narrowed her eyes. “Seriously? You’re gonna try that on me?”

  Parker leaned into North, leaving him grinning. “See? Parker wants to stay. I want you to stay. No, I need you to stay. We can figure out everything as we go, but I think it’s time we take this next step. Plus, you’ll be closer so I can protect you.”

  His wolf growled happily at that.

  Lexi rolled her eyes but he could see the sheer joy on her face. “Okay, if that’s what my boys want, we’ll move in.”

  Her boys.

  Yeah, he liked the sound of that.

  Parker leapt off the couch and whooped. “This is so cool. I can’t wait to tell Aunt Cailin.” He paused. “What about Uncle Logan though? I don’t want him to be lonely.” The kid snapped his fingers and grinned. “I know! I’ll tell Aunt Cailin that she needs to watch out for him so he isn’t so lonely.” The kid threw his arms around Lexi then North then pulled away. “I’m going to go call Aunt Cailin.” He whooped again and ran to the kitchen, presumably to get the phone.

  North’s body was shaking as he tried to hold back his laughter.

  “Oh God, poor Logan.”

  “Hey,” North said, affronted. “Poor Logan? What about poor Cailin?”

  “Those two don’t have a chance in hell with Parker playing matchmaker,” Lexi teased.

  “So…” North began but stopped, not knowing what to say.

  “So…” Lexi repeated. “Looks like we’re living together, which was what we sort of were doing anyway since we haven’t spent a night apart since we’ve been sleeping together so I guess this works. I just don’t want to move too fast and hurt Parker. You think this is a good idea, really? What if we’re doing the wrong thing? What if—”

  North crushed his mouth to hers, effectively shutting her up. He pulled away then ran his thumb over her cheek.

  “Stop worrying. We’ll make this work.”

  She sucked in her lips. “If you say so.”

  “I do say so.”

  There was a knock on the door, and North inhaled, scenting
Logan’s presence on the other side. Well, it looked as though they were breaking the news of their new living situation sooner rather than later.

  “I’ll get it,” Parker called as he ran past them. It seemed the kid was already making this place his home. That suited North just fine.

  Logan casually walked into the room, his brow raised. “Looks like you guys have settled things.”

  “And why do you say that?” Lexi asked.

  “You guys look more relaxed, and Parker just answered the door like it was his own home.”

  “It is his home now,” North said, and Logan grinned.

  “About time. Now I get to make the old place my bachelor pad.”

  “I wouldn’t do that, Uncle Logan. I already talked to Aunt Cailin, and she promised me she’d take care of you.” Parker’s face scrunched up and looked away so he couldn’t see his uncle’s face go pale. North held back a laugh at the sight. “Though it took forever for her to say yes to that. I don’t know if she likes you. You’ll have to fix that though, okay? Because we’re all family.”

  North watched Logan as he swallowed hard and gave a small nod. “I’ll work on that, buddy. In fact, let’s go get started on that now. I was going to ask if you wanted to work with me on a project for Mel and Pat. You wanna come? We’ll stop by Cailin’s on the way.”

  Parker’s face brightened. “Okay. Let me get my shoes.” He froze mid-step. “Oh, can I go, Mom?”

  “Sure, have fun, baby.”