Jessica had eventually left and even Malachi had hugged her goodbye, another first for me. He wasn’t exactly anti-social but with humans he was different. Adara and Jessica had exchanged phone numbers and they looked like old friends. They had talked about herbs and mixes and I was shocked to learn that Jessica actually knew everything that Adara was learning about.“You were right, again, I do like her.” It was the only apology I’d get from Adara about Jessica and she went upstairs. I carried the dishes back to the scullery and Malachi helped me.“I can’t figure out why you never introduced her to us, she’s great, especially the way she puts you in your place.” Malachi smiled at me, a genuine smile I hadn’t seen in weeks.“Maybe because I’m not ready for a stepmom.”I heard him laughing as he walked up the stairs. ‘Wasn’t that funny,’ I thought to myself and looked at the dishes. There was no way I was doing the dishes right then. I shook my head as the feeling that I was missing som
The man in front of me claimed to be my brother. I could see it in his eyes but I couldn’t believe it. There had to be some sort of mistake somewhere.“Malachi.” He was already behind me, his eyes boring into the older man’s own.“So nice to see you again, Malachi.”“Franklin.” Malachi made no move to invite them in and I stood next to my father, shoulder to shoulder, blocking their entry. I sensed Malachi’s confusion as he looked at the younger man.“Where are your manners? At least invite your father and son in for some refreshments.” I looked at the older man again. I always thought that Malachi’s father was dead; it was an assumption I had made because nobody ever spoke of him.“My son?” Amusement reached Malachi’s eyes.“I present to you Alexander Reyan Miller. His mother was Alexandra Miller.” I saw the instant recognition hit Malachi’s eyes and I knew then that Franklin was telling the truth. This man was my brother, my older brother.“That’s impossible.” Malachi’s words were s
I arrived back at the house with Christian and found Malachi sitting at the kitchen table. Adara was sitting next to him and she gave me an odd look. Even Christian’s sunny disposition didn’t get a smile from Malachi.Malachi seemed a bit pale and I looked at Adara again. She was worried and Christian frowned as he looked up at Malachi. My keys and phone went into the bowl on the counter and I sat down next to Malachi.“He’s just been sitting here since they left.” She glanced at Malachi again who seemed to be in a trance.“Christian, why don’t you go play for a bit? We won’t be training today.” Christian whooped with joy and ran up the stairs.I turned to Malachi and touched his arm. “Dad, are you okay?”Malachi sighed and briefly closed his eyes. “Honestly Kiran, I don’t know what to make of all this.”It took Malachi the better part of an hour to tell me the story of the night he met Alexandra, Georgina’s birthday party and how he had ultimately cheated on my mother. Despite all th
Adara was already in bed when I finished putting Christian to sleep on his mattress on the floor. She smiled sadly as I walked in and closed the door. She turned on her side as I slid into bed next to her.“What did Malachi mean when he said you know why?”My hand cradled her stomach and I thought about it for a few seconds. Malachi was a proud man but nothing that had happened to him was his fault and the one secret that he wasn’t aware I knew would remain safe. I’d never tell anybody that Franklin had raped him as a boy.“Franklin would tie Malachi to a tree, the one I cut down, especially when it snowed. He left him there for hours until Georgina came home and found him, that was before he could heal. His training sessions consisted of Malachi’s hands tied behind his back and Franklin with a baseball bat. Broken arms and ribs, so many times. He was cruel, Adara. He beat Malachi with a whip when he got home late and one night, he tried his best to kill him.”“How can a father do som
“So, this older brother you have. What does he want?” James’ look was serious, our previous jokes forgotten. He was in full Beta mode now and I could sense his need to know everything about this situation.I shrugged in response to James' question. I had no idea what he wanted and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know. Everything I knew about Franklin told me that the situation could become chaotic but I didn’t know Alexander.“I think we’ll find out tonight at dinner.” It was Adara that had spoken and she came to sit down next to me with her own cup of tea.“You do know that he can’t claim the first-born right to the Alpha seat.” I already knew that but I was still glad that James was here. He knew more about wolf laws than I did, although I was trying hard to change that fact.“How so?” Adara asked.“Because he was born a bastard. Only a born Alpha can take over as Alpha. Like Kiran. Born in wedlock I mean,” James answered her and Malachi nodded in agreement. “Malachi never claimed him.
Malachi had refused any of us to lift a finger towards dinner for Franklin and Alexander and instead had gotten take-out Chinese. I wasn’t about to let Adara cook either because she wasn’t gaining enough weight and she was still paler than she should be.Franklin and Alexander’s car stopped in the driveway exactly two minutes before seven and we listened to the car doors close. The doorbell rang promptly at seven and I sighed as I stood up and walked to the front door.‘Showtime,’ I thought to myself and opened the door for them.“Hello, Kiran.” Franklin didn’t bother to greet me and just stepped past me into the house.“Hi Alexander.”“I see Karani just about changed everything in this house.” It was more of a sneer than a statement from Franklin and I ignored it.I led them through to the formal dining area and I had to hide my smile as Franklin looked at all the take-out boxes in the center of the table. They were not important enough to prepare a feast for.“Franklin … Alexander.”
“That guy gives me the creeps.” Shoran shuddered as she spoke.“Something’s off with both of them.” Adara voiced her agreement.“I’m going to go check on Malachi.” James nodded as I headed down the hall.James sat down next to Shoran and had to endure the endless baby talk between Adara and Shoran after they moved on from Franklin and Alexander.I walked towards Malachi’s study and opened the door. Everything was in disarray. He had swept everything off his table. He must have been in quite a state because normally he’d chastise me for not knocking.“Dad.”Malachi sat down in his chair behind his desk. “He infuriates me so much.”“He’s a bastard.” My voice was softer because the fury had left him for the moment.“Just leave it,” he said to me as I started to pick things up. I put them on his table and sat down on the other side of his desk.“He really does hate you and me for some reason.” Malachi’s eyes found mine and he nodded solemnly.“What about Alexander? I couldn’t hear any of
Malachi sat behind his desk and looked at the few pens that still remained on the floor. The truth had been staring at him for two days now and it was time to act. Malachi hated betrayal, more than anything else in this world.Karani’s message had never been about Juniper. ‘Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing.’ Her message had been about Mia. Mia was the wolf in sheep’s clothing. Mia was the snake, the one who had planned this and betrayed him from the beginning.Malachi’s fists clenched and unclenched. Anger was bubbling up in him. He had walked right into her trap, with open eyes, even though he’d questioned her motives. He needed answers, answers only Mia could give.Malachi got into his Navigator and drove down the dirt road. He stopped before turning onto Lowell Canyon Drive and let the car idle. He pulled out his phone and dialed Mia’s number, breathing in deeply as he listened to it ring.“Hello ,Malachi.” Her voice was friendly, with no hint of the betrayer she was.“Mia. Are
Adara and Kai were discharged the next morning, and I was eager to take them home. Her healing had kicked in and they were both doing really well. The baby room had been ready for weeks and my sense of duty and responsibility toward them came naturally.Our first night at home was spent in Kai’s room. Adara and I stood by his crib and just watched him as he slept. He was absolutely perfect.“Thank you, Adara. I hope he got the best parts of both of us,” I said.“I’m sure he did,” she said softly.I kissed her and kept my arms around her. She yawned and I nudged her toward the door. She needed sleep more than I did and she sighed with contentment when I pulled her against me after we got into bed.“I’ll always love both of you,” I whispered.The pack had gone overboard with their congratulations and Malachi had instant love in his eyes the first time he held him. I could only imagine how he’d felt the very first time he’d held me.It was a love so instant that it scared you, the fear w
Life was as it should be. Normal and boring. I finished up in the study that Malachi had now handed over to me, but it felt odd to say that it was mine. It was almost midnight as I checked the doors and windows. I did this every night, it still bothered me how Bryan had so easily entered our house, twice.I climbed into bed next to Adara and she automatically moved towards me. I put my hand on her stomach and I felt little bumblebee kick in response. I smiled as I closed my eyes. I must have slept for three hours when something woke me.I sat up in bed and listened. The house was quiet. I got up and ran to the bathroom and vomited into the toilet. My head pounded and I felt dizzy. Something was wrong somewhere. I sat on the bathroom floor and after ten minutes the nausea went away. I splashed water on my face and went back to the bedroom. I was just getting back into bed when Adara sat up, she was in agony.“What is it?” I asked her suddenly.“The baby… it hurts!” She screamed loudly
John looked disapprovingly at me and Malachi was in my head instantaneously. “What the hell did you just do?”He was anxious and nervous. I looked around me, the whole den was quiet, and everybody looked at me because I had killed a man that had tapped out. John walked into the circle.“Kiran! Do you care to explain? He tapped out and still you killed him!” John’s voice was stern as I still stood over Alexander’s body.“Wolf law nine, no claim shall be made on an Alpha’s position without due cause.” Malachi frowned slightly as I spoke to John.“That’s your excuse? An unlawful claim?” John shook his head as I smiled.“Subsection nine point twelve, any unlawful claim proven to be false shall be reverted back to the original pack with immediate effect without the Alpha having to defend his position, should a claim fight be the result, it shall be a fight of dominance.” John started laughing.“Quite right, that law hasn’t been used in many years.” John stated, and looked at me.Bryan look
I didn’t tell James or Adara about what had transpired in the kitchen in the late hours of that night. I wasn’t even sure that I believed it myself. Could it really be possible to get our pack status back?Malachi had also kept quiet and nine days later we received the summons to gather our pack at the den. John had informed Malachi that The Council would be present at this claim and that he would take charge of it himself.This time Adara and Shoran and Christian went to the den with us. Our whole pack gathered with us there and I was nervous. I hadn’t told her yet that I would be the one to fight Alexander and become Alpha of our pack. I didn’t think anybody besides us four in the kitchen that night knew.We stood in the den as Bryan brought in Alexander. He wasn’t pleased at being brought in by The Council. John Whitcombe and the other members were seated behind a table pretty much in the same way they had when we had been accused of murder. The difference this time was that we wer
Malachi had returned to work and there was a new energy around him. He smiled more until I had to sit him down one evening and have a talk with him. Adara had read Christian his story and they had both fallen asleep in his bed. I had carried her to our room when I went to check on Christian.Now I sat in the kitchen and waited for Malachi to return. It was eleven pm when his car finally drove into the garage. He walked into the kitchen and looked at me and I nodded at the chair next to me.He sat down and started laughing. “Why does this seem so familiar?” I laughed as well as it brought back memories.“I want to talk to you about drafting a will for me.”“Yes, it’s a good idea to make sure everyone is cared for should something happen to you.”We’ve had too many run ins and one day my luck would eventually run out and I wanted everything to stay in the family. I wanted to ensure that the children especially were looked after.“We should do it as soon as the baby is born.”“Thanks, Da
Jessica was good for his soul. Malachi found that he really liked her, all of her. She didn’t block anything from him and she was brutally honest. They spent as much time together as they could and after two months Malachi realized that they were a couple.“You do realize that technically we’re a couple.”They were laying in her bed one afternoon as Malachi played with her hair. Jessica laughed and turned her head to look at him.“Dude, we’ve been a couple since that day in your office.”She made him laugh and she made him feel good about himself without asking anything of him in return. She was just there, and he started laughing as he realized that he was in love with her.“We should tell Kiran.” Malachi sat upright in bed and checked his phone. It had been on silent the whole afternoon.“Why? Do we need his permission?” Jessica licked her lower lip and Malachi smiled.“No.”Jessica pushed him back down on the bed and bit his earlobe. “You are way too serious, Malachi.”“Why hide it
Malachi and Jessica held hands all the way back to Seward and she directed him to her house. He stopped the Navigator in front of the house and Jessica turned towards him. Malachi wanted to kiss her, undress her and touch every inch of her skin.“I like you, Malachi, but there is one more thing I have to tell you.” Jessica swallowed nervously.“It can’t be that bad.” Her nerves had him on edge. She didn’t come across as someone fearing anything but he knew whatever she had to tell him, it was important and likely to change things between them.“I slept with Kiran.” She watched Malachi’s face intently for some sort of reaction.“Okay…”“We were seventeen, he had just broken up with Sarah. We were both wasted and it just happened.”Malachi looked at her, listening; it was the truth he heard. Jessica’s mind was so open and she hid nothing from him, certain things were off limits, he could sense it and he didn’t delve deeper than what she was ready to tell him, but what she did show him w
Malachi smiled as he walked out of his office and found Jessica leaning against the front of the Navigator, looking care-free and young. She was young and he wasn’t so young anymore. She was also beautiful, intriguing and intelligent. She was still too young for him.“Took you long enough.” Jessica removed her sunglasses and smiled.“You are something else.” Malachi unlocked the doors and Jessica climbed into the passenger seat.“You can take me to dinner or a late lunch or whatever you want to call it.” She made herself comfortable in the seat and put her safety belt on. Malachi felt at ease, calm and happy. That emotion shocked him a little because he never thought he’d feel that again.Malachi could only smile as he drove out of the parking lot and headed towards the highway, heading out of Seward and in the general direction of Sterling.“Where are we going, handsome?” Malachi laughed as Jessica winked at him.“You know, I’m much too old for you.” Malachi glanced at her. She was d
Malachi sat in his office and thought of the events that had happened the last two weeks. He still couldn’t believe that they had escaped unscathed. If George Haynes had been a different Alpha, he and Kiran would both be dead.Malachi wiped a hand over his face. He had wanted to die that night; he’d wanted to die ever since Karani had died. She had been the other half of his soul and he saw no reason to go on without her.Even though he was an outcast now he knew that their pack would always remain intact no matter what status they had. He didn’t want to die anymore and he didn’t want to be Alpha either. He only regretted that Kiran would suffer the same consequences. He would’ve made a terrific Alpha.“Sorry Malachi.” Tim Oakes had been on his phone, leaving Malachi alone with his thoughts.“No problem. We can finalize the contract next week and you’ll be the proud new owner of the beach front cabins.”“Thank you. I really appreciate all the hard work you’ve put in.”Malachi and Tim