A New Beginning

“I’d better get back,” David said after they’d gone by the garden where Sawyer, Liam, and Briar were tending their rows of cabbages. “Brooks’ labor has started, although he said it will be a while. I think all the change in our lives is messing with the omegas’ systems.”

  “I’ve been thinking the same thing,” River said. “Leaving the compound has stressed them out. Go on, then; I’m sure you’re excited.”

  “Terrified’s more like it. I was just wishing we knew where Farrah lived in the city.”

  “Everything will be fine,” River said as they rode toward the stables. “I’d forgotten Farrah’s moved to the city. I wonder if we could find her.”

  “Brooks probably could. He’s been learning all kinds of ways to navigate the Internet.”

  Back at the house, David found Sam gone and Brooks lying on the couch. David sat and rubbed his mate’s feet while they talked. When another painful contraction gripped Brooks, David wished he could take the pain on himself. It would be better than watching his mate go through it. As an alpha, he longed to make everything better and felt so helpless. The thought brought his mind to how, when Jax had been with them, David had worried he was turning into an alpha bitch while Jax was taking over the primary alpha role in their threesome. David couldn’t say now if he had been right or not, but he knew he felt better about his stance in the pack.

  Perhaps Jax had been right and, as painful as their breakup had been, it had been the right thing to do. A human didn’t belong with werewolves. The pain remained, though, and David still felt that phantom feeling that he’d lost a werewolf mate.

  Hours later, Brooks was propped in bed naked, legs spread, groaning in agony. Josiah applied cold, wet towels to the beta’s head, while David tried to soothe Brooks with his touch. Gods, was he a total pervert for finding his mate incredibly sexy laid out to give birth? He wanted to finger the dripping hole that would be the portal into the world for their child. Brooks cried out, and David turned his attention to trying to make the beta more comfortable. Everything he did, however, seemed to have no effect. Tears spilled from Brooks’ eyes as the third contraction in five minutes took hold, visibly tensing the muscles around the beta’s womb.

  “It’ll be over soon,” he crooned, even though he had no fucking idea if it would. Maybe the contractions would continue this way for hours; but Brooks, sweet man that he was, smiled up at David as though the beta thought his alpha’s words law.

  Somehow, David had been proven right. Within the hour, he and Josiah had Brooks crouching over the bed and a squalling, red boy dropped into David’s hands. Even covered in some kind of white gook, David’s son was gorgeous.

  “Hello there, little man,” David said.

  The baby quieted at the alpha’s voice. David smiled, and the baby waved his arms and legs, tiny mouth puckered and eyes a dark, dark blue.

  “Look at him!” David said to Josiah, who smiled as he cleaned the baby up.

  “He’s very handsome.”

  David met Brooks’ eyes, and they smiled at each other in a way that must have looked goofy as hell. But David didn’t care. His baby had been born perfect in every way.

  “Those eyes will turn brown,” Josiah said.

  “You think so? My father, Grant, had blue eyes.”

  “They’re so dark, they look like they’ll change. But I guess they might not.”

  Once Josiah had Brooks comfortable and covered up, David handed the baby to the beta.

  “What are you going to name him?” Josiah asked.

  “I thought after one of your fathers would be nice,” Brooks said to David.

  “Are you sure?” David asked. “We can name him for one of yours.”

  Brooks shook his head. “I would really like to honor you. How about Jarrod-Grant?”

  Tears blurred David’s eyes, and he looked away.

  “That’s a wonderful name,” Josiah said, giving David a moment to compose himself. “I’ll go down and get you something to eat.” The first omega left the room.

  “David?”

  David looked up at his mate, and the tears spilled over.

  “I love you.”

  David leaned in and kissed his mate. “I love you, too.” He kissed the baby. “And you, Jarrod-Grant.”

  The baby peered up at David as though the alpha was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. He probably was, David thought with amusement.

  “Let’s see if he’ll eat,” Brooks said.

  David watched with rapt attention as Brooks brought him to a nipple and the baby began to suck.

  “Fuck, that’s hot,” David said without thinking.

  Brooks laughed. “I’m glad you find me attractive when I’m dripping milk.”

  “I always find you attractive.” David kissed Brooks again, this time slipping his tongue into the beta’s mouth. At that moment, he was so happy. So fucking in love.

  * * * *

  A week passed with David completely wrapped up in his son. River asked his second a few times about Jax, but David hadn’t heard from the human.

  “We’re running out of time,” River said.

  “He has to find out exactly who’s involved if we’re going to stop this,” David reminded his friend. “And you’ve told Mark—you’ve done your part. Let them take care of it.”

  River didn’t seem reassured.

  That night as Leo, Liam, Briar, Nate, and Josiah played cards at the dining room table and David, Brooks, Sam, and Sawyer sat watching a movie, a distant howl from one of the betas alerted the pack just before they heard a car pull up the driveway.

  “It’s Jax,” Sid said as he was passing through with a glass of water.

  Brooks and David exchanged looks, and David handed Jarrod-Grant to his mate before stepping out on the front porch to meet Jax as he walked up the stairs.

  The old, familiar warmth spread through David at the sight of his ex-lover. Jax wore his long dreads tied back, and a black, V-neck T-shirt clung to his muscular torso. Dark blue jeans hugged the human in all the right places, and his bare feet were encased in black Vans.

  “We’ve been wondering about you,” David managed to say.

  Jax smiled wistfully. “Kane told me the baby came.”

  David couldn’t help the way he swelled with pride. “Yes. Jarrod-Grant, after my fathers. He’s so beautiful, Jax.”

  “May I see him?”

  David hesitated. He wasn’t sure why—of course Jax would want to see the baby. The overly protective feelings David had experienced were gone, but he still didn’t invite Jax inside. He realized that that might be it. If Jax had truly left them, David didn’t want him inside the pack house.

  “I’ll get Brooks to come out here. It’s nice out.”

  If Jax thought anything of it, he didn’t say, and David stuck his head in the front door and asked Brooks to come out.

  The second alpha was unprepared for the way his heart hurt when Jax looked at Brooks and then their child. The moment seemed too natural. Too good.

  “He’s a looker,” Jax said with a grin. “Can I hold him?” He looked at David, who nodded, and Brooks passed the baby over.

  “What a big boy you are!” Jax said, rocking Jarrod-Grant back and forth in his arms, bicep muscles bulging below short, black sleeves. David’s heart filled to bursting, and one look at Brooks told him his mate was similarly affected. David wrapped an arm around the beta and forced himself to be calm while Jax talked to the baby.

  After a few minutes, Jax passed Jarrod-Grant back to Brooks. “How are you feeling?” he asked Brooks.

  “I’m great,” Brooks said with a warm smile. “Really glad not to look like a whale anymore.”

  “He was always beautiful,” David said, and Brooks blushed.

  “I’m sure he was. I’m a little sorry to have missed it.”

  For one quick moment, hope burst forth in David’s heart, only to crash a moment later.

  Jax looked at his feet before pulling a piece of paper from his pants
pocket. “I got the list of the people involved.” He unfolded the paper and held it out to David. “Twelve names.”

  “How did you finally get it?” David asked, not sure he wanted to know.

  Several seconds ticked by before Jax met David’s eyes. “I finally won Blake’s full trust.”

  I’ll bet you did, David thought as something inside him broke. He handed the list back to Jax. “Has Mark seen it?”

  Jax nodded. “He’s calling a meeting in the morning, and those men and women will be dealt with. There aren’t any laws yet to protect you, although we’re working on it. Those on the list won’t be working at the Congress anymore, of course, and measures will be taken to protect Spartan Point Pack.”

  “But that’s not enough,” Brooks protested. “What’s to keep these people from doing it later, on their own?”

  “It’s all that can be done for now,” Jax said. “Mark’s going to have someone watching them.”

  David shook his head. “A slap on the wrist isn’t going to stop them from wiping us out. And what about you? Once Blake learns you made a fool of him…”

  “That’ll be taken care of.”

  David’s heart dropped to his stomach. He didn’t like the sound of that. “What do you mean, it’ll be taken care of?”

  Jax didn’t meet David’s gaze. “Mark’s found a way to make it look like it didn’t come from me. My name will be the thirteenth on that list.”

  David stared at Jax. “You’re going to continue this game.”

  “It’s the best way, David. The only way I can protect all of you.”

  Brooks bowed his head, face buried in the baby’s dark hair, and turned his back.

  “You don’t have to do this,” David said. “You’ll be living a lie. You’ll lose your job and the respect of everyone at the Congress.”

  Jax moved until he stood very close to David. “You don’t know what’s at stake here. Have you given a thought to that stuff Davis gave you and Brooks before he kidnapped you? It kept you from shifting.”

  David opened his mouth to say of course he remembered, but Jax grabbed him by the arms and interrupted. Brooks had turned around and was listening intently.

  “How did they make this stuff, huh? Think about it. How would those men get hold of something that only an integral knowledge of werewolf physiology could create? There’s more to this than there appears, David. You can’t change my mind.”

  Jax stepped back. “I have to go. You can keep the list.”

  Turning, Jax walked down the stairs.

  David glanced at Brooks and followed Jax. “Jax! Wait.”

  Jax turned around, hand on the car door. “Please don’t make this any harder than it already is.”

  David’s chest constricted. “I’m worried about you. Reconsider. We’ll find another way to figure this out. Maybe Angela can help.”

  Jax shook his head, eyes the color of concrete after rain and just as unyielding. “This isn’t a game. These people want to purify the earth of werewolves. Blake’s spoken of another faction in Europe. I’ve been in touch with Thomas about this—he and Mark are the only two in on my involvement.”

  David clenched his teeth, jaw muscle throbbing. Jax was working with his ex-boyfriend, former president of the Congress, Thomas King.

  “I’m the only one in a position to stay on the inside track and find out what’s going on,” Jax said, taking David’s hand and looking into the alpha’s eyes. “But I want you to understand. To know, no matter what you hear, what the truth is. You know me. The real me.”

  Jax’s face wavered as David’s eyes filled.

  “Don’t.” Jax said, wiping the wetness from David’s lashes with his thumbs.

  Gods, it felt so good to have Jax touching him again.

  “Eventually they’ll figure out it’s you leaking information,” David said hoarsely. “And that serum they gave us…you’re right. Some dangerous people have to be involved.”

  “Blake carries a lot of weight in the group. I’ve begun to suspect his father is one of those at the top. I’ll have to make sure Blake is too invested in me to do anything against me.”

  David pushed away from Jax, anger rising in his chest. “So, you’re basically going to give yourself over to the guy on a silver platter. Sleep with him, listen to his filthy propaganda against us, and essentially paint a target on your back for those psychos?”

  “I have to do this. For you, Brooks, and the baby.”

  “Oh, no, don’t lay this on us. We’re not asking this of you!”

  Jax scowled. “You stubborn, impossible man.” Jax pulled David forward and kissed him hard.

  Something inside David ignited. Clinging, he sucked at Jax’s mouth, licking and biting, taking every bit of the human into himself that he could. When Jax finally pulled back, panting and mouth red, he roughly shoved David away and climbed into the car.

  The alpha stood, numb and staring, long after Jax drove out of sight.

  Epilogue

  Josiah stood watching the water spray over the array of vegetables growing in the garden. It had been a long, hot summer with very little rain, and he’d run a long hose from the house in order to give the vegetable patch a good, long drink.

  Rather than help with the small watering cans Josiah had given them, Sadie and Sophie made mud pies. Josiah would have to spray them down before taking them inside for a bath. On the other side of the huge garden patch, Jimmy blew raspberries, spit dripping from his mouth down his shirt. He sat in a shaded stroller in front of Sam, where the omega knelt on the ground picking tomatoes.

  “Da, Mary Ellen wants to come over and see our horses,” Sadie said.

  “We’ll talk to Daddy about it later,” Josiah said. He knew this day would come. The girls wanted to bring their friends to the pack house, and even working at the Congress, some parents might not be happy to allow their children on the compound. Had Josiah set his babies up for heartbreak by insisting they go to the daycare?

  Josiah didn’t look forward to having that particular talk with River.

  He sprayed the rest of the garden and headed back to the house, filthy children in tow. Passing the omega den, Josiah couldn’t help thinking of Nick. Austin had never returned, so Josiah could only hope he’d found the omega and his baby and taken them someplace relatively safe. Max had returned to harangue River about his son, and the pack alpha had driven him away after showing they were not hiding Brett or Nick on the premises.

  Mike was courting one of the omegas at the refuge. In an unprecedented move, Sid had left the pack and taken an apartment in the city with someone he’d met at nursing school. Both Josiah and River had visited him, trying to talk the beta into coming back, but Sid was adamant there was nothing there for him. His mate was dead, he didn’t want another, and he was fascinated by the human world. He did say they should call him if they ever had a medical problem they thought he could help with. He also swore he would continue to study all he could find on the werewolves.

  Mark had been to the pack house for dinner the week before and had spent a good deal of the time staring at Jaime. Later, when Josiah was able to get a moment alone with his friend, Mark refused to discuss Beth or Jaime, so Josiah asked about Jax.

  “We let him go like we did everyone else who had been on that list, and I haven’t seen him since; but he sends me regular reports, and so far we’ve been able to stop several plans to attack packs in the valley.”

  “Do you think the group will be onto him soon?”

  “Jax has foreseen that and taken the necessary steps,” Mark said.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “He’s asked Blake to marry him.”

  A gasp from outside sent Josiah to the open window. Brooks was on the porch swing in the gathering dusk with Jarrod-Grant in his lap.

  “I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop,” the beta said. “I just got Jarrod-Grant to sleep and didn’t want to wake him up.” He bit his lip. “I can’t believe Jax would go
this far to keep all of us safe.”

  “He’s an extraordinary man,” Josiah said. “I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

  “Don’t tell David unless you have to,” Brooks said.

  “I won’t.” When Josiah turned around, Mark had stood and was stretching. “Leaving so soon?”

  “I need to get home. But first, I want to talk to Jaime. Is he in the omega den?”

  Josiah wanted to ask Mark if talking to Jaime was really a good idea, but something told him to leave it alone. Perhaps Mark needed to set things straight with the omega.

  He walked Mark to the door. “He should be.”

  “I’ll go see. Goodnight. Thanks for the great meal.” Mark patted Josiah on the shoulder before heading down the stairs to the yard.

  Josiah watched him walk toward the omega den before turning to Brooks. “Are you okay?”

  Brooks smiled. “Yeah. Things are good. I’m not asking you to lie to David, but he’s in a really good place these days, and I don’t want to set him back.”

  Josiah had noticed the second alpha seemed inordinately happy lately. Sitting beside Brooks on the swing, the first omega looked down at the sleeping baby in the beta’s arms. Josiah could see both David and Brooks in the boy’s features. Just as he’d suspected, Jarrod-Grant’s eyes had turned brown. He had David’s high forehead, but Brooks’ luscious lips and long eyelashes. As a shifter, the boy’s growth was accelerated during his formative years, and at almost four months, Jarrod-Grant was crawling and standing.

  Josiah leaned back in the swing and looked out at the darkening yard. A horse whinnied from inside the stables and one of the new cows mooed. A three-quarter moon shown high overhead. Josiah looked forward to the next moon run when he planned to shift and take off toward the hills, his alpha mate by his side. He couldn’t help wishing he could take his girls with him, but there was always someone willing to stay behind if Josiah wanted to run.

  Lately, the first omega had been wondering if he would have more children. As an omega, he should have many in his lifetime, but the fact he was half-human always muddied the waters. If he did have more, would they be werewolves or human? Male or female? Would Josiah inadvertently populate the pack with human children? And if so, how would that affect pack dynamics?