Epilogue - River Part 2

“Thanks.” Leo smiled and pulled me past him into the club.

I’ve been in this place with Leo since they moved out here. It has a very different vibe with all the house lights on and not filled with people and music. We scanned the room, and other than staff reading for opening, we only saw one person sitting at a booth. Their back was to us, but I guess that has to be him.

I furrowed my brow as we walked closer, and I couldn’t pick up the scent of a werewolf off the guy. I know that Leo isn’t a hybrid like Sage and me. They don’t have any of the unique markings associated with hybrids. So maybe we have the wrong guy after all. “Ahem. Are you Darby?” Leo jumped right in, tapping the guy on the shoulder.

They stepped back as the big guy lumbered out of the booth to greet us. He’s got a build like most werewolves I’ve met. And as I looked at his face, I saw a lot of Leo, especially their eyes. If this is Darby, how is that possible? Maybe he can hide his scent?

“Holy shit… you look just like mon mere.” Darby blinked. “Well, not the hair color. Though she’d probably pick a color like that if she were to dye it.”

“I…Hi. I’m Leo Carlisle. This is my mate, River Carlisle.” Leo nervously greeted them, offering their hand.

“Very nice to meet ya both. Though I suppose our meeting is a bit late and weird. Please take a seat, cher. I’m sure ya have plenty ya want to ask, and I got some questions of my own.” Darby smiled, gesturing us to the booth. He’s got a very cajun accent, so I guess Leo is from Louisiana.

“Thanks. How much did David tell you?” I asked, guiding Leo into the booth. The whole time Leo and Darby kept their eyes on each other. It was like they were studying their faces looking for every similarity that made them family.

“He told me a bit. Something about how I might have a kid in his pack.” Darby shrugged, getting back into the booth to sit across from us. “Suppose I better introduce myself properly. I’m Léonel Darby.”

Wait, his name is Leo too? Now that’s a sign of the universe, if there ever was one.

“What ya want to know? I don’t know what all your mere told you.” He frowned, folding his hands on the table.

“How? I mean, how is any of this possible? I mean, I know how conception works. But I mean, the way Silvermane is, the idea she stepped out on her mate sounds impossible. Yet I’m sitting here looking at a guy who is the source of much of my looks.” Leo questioned.

“Mate.” Léonel scoffed. “Theodore Hanley was a piece of fuck trash and never was her mate. Bastard took what was mine and what I got out of it? A broken heart, near-death experience, a life without my wolf or pack, and a drinking problem.”

“Whoa… that was a lot that you just word vomited. Can you back the truck up and maybe explain a little more?” I asked, wrapping an arm around Leo.

“I used to be a pack guard. I was to my pack, les Ombres Sanctifiées, what your David is to Bloodmoon. I was in Silverman a little over seventeen years ago with my Alpha and Luna. That’s when I met my mate June. She was a pretty little thing. She was a bit shy until I got her in private. I wanted to mark her on the spot and bring her home with me.” He sighed.

“But after our first night together, I’m about to mark her, and she tells me to stop. That she can’t be marked yet, she tells me her pack has traditions and needed to talk with her folks before taking that step.” He shrugged.

“I was raised as a respectful man. I would force myself on anybody. So I agreed for her to talk to them. But before I could hear their opinions, I had to go. My Alpha and theirs had not hit off, and they demanded we go. I told Jane I’d be back for her no matter what.” He frowned.

“But you never came back?” Leo frowned, sounding a bit hurt. They’re jumping to a conclusion, but I can get it. Their mom had a chance to be with her mate and leave Silvermane. Why wouldn’t she take it?

“Before I could get permission from my Alpha to return, I ended up in our pack hospital with pain so bad I thought my insiders were getting ripped out to be my outsides.” His expression turned dark.

“While fighting for my life, for my wolf, I could hear the doctors talking, telling my parents that my mate was stepping out. And when my wolf stopped talking to me, when I stopped being able to see him, I crashed. I was in a coma for months.” He clenched his hands together so tight his knuckles were turning white.

“I woke up by the spiteful love of the Goddess.” He scoffed. “To find I wasn’t a werewolf anymore. I’m a second-generation werewolf in the Darby line, and now I was basically human. Without my wolf, I couldn’t keep my role in the pack, and I didn’t want to stay among them, so I left. I went back to Silvermane. I wanted answers from Jane. I found her on Theodore’s arm with his mark on her neck and a baby in a stroller.”

“Oh, my goddess….” Leo gasped and covered their mouth with both hands, tears in their eyes. “But you never confronted them?”

“I was too angry and without my wolf, I would have ended up dead if I fought Theodore. Maybe I should’ve at least then I’d have been with my wolf. So I did the only thing I could. I drowned myself in liquor.” He frowned.

“That’s when Auðr. He’s a vampire and leads our band of supernatural misfits. It turns out he’s also my great great uncle that died way back. So he took pity on me and gave me a pack and a purpose with this band.” He sighed.

“And now I get a call through a few channels that I’ve got a kid who went through hell because they’re mine. I’m sorry for all that ya had to suffer living with them. If I’d stopped to consider that, ya could’ve been mine.” He shook his head.

“It’s okay. You were brokenhearted because of her and lost your wolf. Seeing them together made it worse, so of course, you’d assume I was his.” Leo assured him, reaching out to place their hand over his. “I can forgive you, father. It wasn’t your fault. We both suffered because of them but got this chance to know each other because we are free of them.”

“You’re right.” He nodded, smiling. “And I’d like to know you and your mate better. I’ll be in town for a bit for the festival. Auðr does love a gay pride festival. Between plenty of willing victims, he’s often got this pick of male company. Getting to know you will be a good distraction from having to watch my two times great uncle getting more tail than me.”

Leo and I both chuckled. “I would like that. However, I have to ask one thing. Can you accept me? I mean, as I am?” Leo frowned.

“What ya mean, cher? Ya look perfect from here. I’ll have to call my parents. They’ll be over the moon to know they have another grandbaby. All the Darbys back home will be thrilled to know I got a kid.” He smiled.

“Leo, I think he’s aware you’re non-binary. He’s only called you things like child and kid or cher this whole time.” I pointed out with a smile realizing their real dad was accepting.

“Yes, of course, I knew that. David told me. He’s very protective of you, Leo. I love that you have my name and that it was your choice. I always wanted to name Leo. And I promise no one in the Darby family or my old pack would ever think twice or give you a second of grief for being nonbinary. You’re kin, and they will love you exactly as you are.” He promised, squeezing Leo’s hand.

This was probably the best outcome we could’ve asked for. Leo has a family. They have a blood family that cares and accepts them. After our talk with him, I knew Leo was looking forward to taking a trip to Louisiana to meet the rest of the Darby werewolves. That night, finding out the truth about their family was only the tip of the surprise iceberg.

When Sage showed up with their mate, things got really crazy. But I can’t tell you about that. That’s for Sage to tell you themselves. I can tell you that for Leo and me, life only improved. The added love and support of the Darby wolves created a great environment for Leo to blossom.

It also made for one wild wedding when we married on New Year’s after Leo turned eighteen. And created a more extensive support system for when we started having babies. Don’t worry. We didn’t start popping them out too early.

Our twins, Edaline and Echo, were born the year after little Jenny, and we moved into the old Shelton family home. And two years after the twins, we welcomed baby number three, Juniper. And we couldn’t be happier with our family of five. I bet Dillon Shelton was rolling over in his grave to have us in his family home.