Lone Wolf Pack 06 - A Future for His Werewolf Warrior (3 page)

Despite this, it was the baby, Shannon, who broke the awkward silence that followed. He flailed a bit in his birth father's arms, reaching for Mathias with tiny hands.

Gavin rocked his son, trying to coax him out of his decision. When it didn't work, Gavin walked to Mathias's side and gently offered the baby to him. “He wants you to hold him, and I think you'll find he can be very stubborn.”

It was surprising that Gavin would do that, but Mathias couldn't possibly refuse. With a great deal of care, he took the tiny child in his arms. Almost immediately, he was invaded by a strange energy, one so intense it floored him.

The feeling was familiar, stirring the very same sensation he'd had when he'd first stepped into the house. No wonder he'd felt that way from the moment he'd come here. The tendrils of Shannon's power were wrapped around every inch of this place, and right now, they were reaching out to Mathias.

The magic reminded Mathias a bit of his grandmother, since it emanated the same welcoming warmth.
“It's going to be okay,”
Shannon seemed to be saying.
“You're not alone anymore.”

Maybe Shannon was just a baby, but the purity of his affection soothed the sting of the less than enthusiastic welcome from the others. “You should have mentioned he had magic,” he drawled.

“To be honest, we don't know much about it,” Saul admitted. “Like Jessie, Shannon is a hybrid, and we've found that he has some sort of empathic ability. But we're not exactly sure how it works beyond the fact that he seems able to project emotions too.”

“He's quite remarkable,” Mathias said. “I suspect that by the time he grows up, he might rival a Sidhe in power.”

Gavin's eyes widened, a hint of distress in his gaze. Immediately, Shannon zeroed in on his birth father. Mathias handed the child back to Gavin, who took a deep breath and slowly calmed down.

“It's been a bit of a roller coaster,” Dean explained. “Even we, as werewolves, have been poorly prepared for some things that were thrown at us.”

Mathias could understand that. “Well, I will help in any way I can. I made a mistake at the Gathering. I can admit that, just as freely as I admit I'm not completely over Will. But you can count on me to assist you with this, and anything you might need.”

Shannon nuzzled into Gavin's chest, and Mathias decided it was time for him to leave the Lone Wolf Pack. “I'll come back tomorrow,” he promised. “With your permission, I could look over Shannon, as well as Parker.”

“Yes,” Finn said almost too quickly. “We'd appreciate that a lot.”

They each said their goodbyes, and this time, the words were clearly warmer and more welcoming than before. However, Will was the one to lead Mathias out. As they reached Mathias's car, Will leaned against the hood and stared up at the sky. Mathias waited, letting Will gather his thoughts. He was not disappointed.

When Will faced him again, his familiar, beautiful eyes seemed shadowed by confusion and hurt. "I think I wronged you, Mathias. I genuinely thought I was doing the right thing when I left, but I hurt you. In a way... I can't really say I'd do things differently if I could go back, but I'm still sorry for the pain I put you through."

"It's not your fault," Mathias said automatically. "I can't deny I regret it ever got to it, but you did the right thing for yourself and for Jessie. I missed both of you so much... It's my only excuse for what I did at the Gathering. You were already in pain and I just made you suffer more, and I can't forgive myself for that."

Will's fingers twitched, like he wanted to reach out to Mathias, but refrained at the last moment. "In the end, you did help us, and you saved Mathias from execution. I haven't forgotten that. But... It's also not easy for me to erase the mental image of you attacking him. I want to say 'water under the bridge', but I can't, not yet."

"I understand. I'll be patient. I hope to at least gain your friendship again."

Mathias retrieved a bag from the car with the barest of the necessities, and left everything else in Will's care. Will still seemed taken aback by Mathias's decision to sleep in the wild, but he didn't push Mathias to stay.  As he headed into the forest, Mathias's heart felt paradoxically lighter, and more burdened.

He'd made a promise to Jessie and he had every intention of keeping it. Then why did this feeling of melancholy linger? Why did it pull him away from Will? What else was there here in Willow Cove?

Mathias rubbed his chest, but the ache refused to go away. Maybe the emotional roller coaster of the day had affected him more than expected.

The fresh air, the scent of wet leaves and the whisper of the wind helped, but only to a certain extent. Mathias's more beast-like instincts tugged at his insides, guiding him, nudging him forward. He stumbled onto a small cave of sorts, dug into heavy rock by time and the elements. Once he checked it didn't have any animal occupants, Mathias deemed it safe enough. He threw up a few wards that would warn other creatures from approaching and left his bag there. As quickly as possible, he slid out of his clothes and let the shift flow over him.

After all these years, the change came naturally to him, as effortless as taking a breath or twitching his fingers. Back when he'd been a child, he'd struggled a lot, because his magic rebelled against it, confused by the fundamental differences between man and beast.

With a great deal of training, he'd achieved a balance. It had cost him, and a part of him was still buried—but Mathias didn't want to think about that now. He reached for that same equilibrium in an attempt to soothe his wounded, confused heart. In seconds, he was on four paws, his awareness of the world around him shifting at the same time his flesh did.

In this form, everything always seemed so vibrant, so alive, so alluring. As a man, Mathias found peace in the forest. As a wolf, he sought freedom.

Following that impulse, Mathias shot out of the warded cave. He started to run, allowing his wolf and his magic to lead the way. He had no idea where he was going, but for once, he was happy to embrace it.

For the better part of his life, Ward had woken up to the sound of traffic, messengers yelling and various alarm clocks. He'd actually been looking forward to the unavoidable change that would happen once he moved to Willow Cove, but he'd forgotten a very simple thing. To turn his cell phone off.

The shrill sound of his ring tone startled him from his trance of exhaustion. He woke up so suddenly he rolled off the couch and fell onto the floor with a thud. Groaning, he rubbed his sore back and blinked in confusion.

Oh right. He'd worked his ass off the night before. He hadn't actually managed to clean the entire house, of course, but he'd made good progress—well, until he'd finally collapsed on the couch.

His phone rang again, reminding him what had woken him. With a disgruntled sigh, Ward reached for the device, wishing he'd simply shut the stupid thing down, or better yet, left it in New York.

He was not surprised to see the caller was his sister's best friend. In a way, it frustrated him, but he couldn't quite bring himself to push away one of the few people who didn't give him the cold shoulder. At a point in his life, she'd been the closest thing to family he'd had—another sister, in a way. Already dreading the conversation, Ward nonetheless accepted the call.

"Ward!" Vera said before he could even greet her. "Oh, thank God. I thought you'd done something stupid after the wedding."

Ward rolled his eyes, although in his heart, he knew he'd been in a pretty bad head space when he'd last seen Vera. "Like what? I'm not about to off myself for Peter, Vera. You know that."

The too-long pause at the other end of the connection made him gape. "Come on, Vera. Give me some credit."

"Sorry," she replied sheepishly. "It's not that. You just disappeared before the reception could end. Teresa is pissed."

"Yes, well, I don't particularly care, I'm afraid. She shouldn't have married my fucking boyfriend if she wanted us to be besties."

Vera sighed. "Ward. Don't be like that. Peter just isn't... Like you. You can't blame him for that."

Ward bit the inside of his cheek so hard it bled. Yeah, right. Peter had definitely enjoyed the two years he'd spent fucking Ward. Of course, Ward had been the stupid one to accept the secrecy, even if everything inside him rebelled at returning to the closet for anyone. He should have listened to his gut, but his treacherous heart had wanted to believe Peter's assurances and his charming smiles.

He realized Vera was still talking and he hadn't heard anything of the past few phrases she'd said. It was probably not too much of a waste, since it seemed obvious she wouldn't empathize with his plight. "You should let it go," she was saying. "Peter and Teresa are happy. You can't begrudge them for it forever."

"Actually, yes, I can," Ward snapped back. "Did you call just to try to dictate my emotions or do you actually have something interesting to say?"

Vera finally stopped her little rehearsed speech. "Where are you, Ward? I went by your place and your neighbor said he saw you leave. We're all worried."

"I'm just taking a holiday," Ward answered vaguely. "No need to be concerned. Letting it go, like you said."

"A holiday. With whom?"

Seriously? Was that what she meant by 'doing something stupid'? Just what crap had Peter been feeding her? Typical that the man would take his heart, then the faith everyone else had in him.

Well, Ward refused to continue this conversation. "Look, Vera. I just need a break from New York. The rest is none of your business. Have fun sorting the wedding gifts."

Vera spluttered, but Ward didn't give her time to come up with a reply. He ended the call, feeling more exhausted than before. Why was it that even here, he couldn't escape the pain of the rejection and the betrayal?

Suddenly, the walls of the house seemed to be closing in around him. Ward shot to his feet and stumbled outside, heaving deep breaths of air and studiously trying not to think. It was easier said than done. Years of his life wasted, down the drain, turned into a source of shame and regret. Useless. He was useless, a toy whose owner had lost interest in. Peter hadn't exactly put it that way, but his words had hurt even more.

"It was never meant to be more than a fuck. It's not my fault that you made it into a whirlwind romance."

Maybe Peter was right. Maybe Ward had romanticized something that should have never gotten past their first date. But he hadn't built up that whirlwind on his own, and he hadn't forced Peter to tell him all the 'I love you's.' He hadn't asked to have his life crushed when the man he'd planned to marry decided he was actually straight, and married his sister instead.

Ward couldn't think. He just knew he needed to get out of here. On shaky legs, he made his way to his car. As he slid inside, he shoved his key in the ignition. His hands trembled slightly, but he ignored it. With far more difficulty than would have been warranted, he started the vehicle and drove off. He wanted to escape the sound of Peter's voice. He'd thought the warmth of his grandfather's old home would be enough. Obviously, it wasn't.

He didn't know how long he kept going, but he probably would have driven for much longer had the unluckiest thing possible not happened. He couldn't have said how it occurred. It was pretty early still, and he didn't expect traffic anywhere near the house. Suddenly, just when he was about to veer off to head into Willow Cove—perhaps he could find a distraction there, he thought—a wolf popped in his path.

Ward distantly remembered reading somewhere that Wisconsin held a growing population of wolves, and this hour was probably right around the time the beasts liked to come out and play. That didn't mean he was any less surprised. He pressed the breaks as soon as he saw the animal. The tires squealed and the car skidded, but despite Ward's attempt to avoid hitting the magnificent creature, he still heard a dull thud and a pained yelp.

Ward cursed under his breath. He should have known better than to drive when so distracted. Now, he might have killed an innocent animal—just because he'd been stupid and he'd let the damn phone call work him into unwarranted panic.

Hating himself wouldn't help. He stumbled out of the car, a bit more shaky on his legs than he'd realized. His desire to help the creature he'd hurt gave him a measure of control, so he went around the vehicle, only to see the wolf getting up, limping slightly, but looking otherwise pretty unharmed.

Ward liked wolves. He liked animals in general, and his love for them stemmed perhaps from the time he'd spent here when he'd been younger. There was something simply beautiful about wolves, though, something he hadn't quite managed to pinpoint.

He'd painted countless portraits of wolves in the wild—sometimes howling, other times playing with their young. It was hard to get genuine imagery, since he couldn't simply walk into their habitat and pull out his sketchbook or his easel. A handful of times, he'd lucked out and hired professionals who could guide him through reserves.

But he had never seen a wild wolf so up close. Since he'd deemed the beast injured, Ward hadn't been careful in his approach, and if he'd taken a few more steps, they'd practically be side by side.

Naturally, he didn't. Contrary to what Vera might believe, he was not suicidal. He was also very much aware that wolves were not cuddly pets, and that abrupt motions could earn him an unfortunate death in the claws and canines of the admittedly magnificent beast.

The wolf watched with golden eyes that glowed in the dim light of the early morning. It took a step forward, slowly, almost tentatively. It almost seemed curious, and Ward could only hope that curiosity wasn't about how Ward tasted.

He scanned his brain for anything he remembered on dealing with such a situation, but he came out blank. Those deep gold eyes hypnotized him. Was this how a deer felt before it was felled by a predator? If so, Ward almost envied it. And what a strange thought to have at this particular moment.