~Eddie~
I'm not sure how I did that. How the hell did I speak to my son without pulling him into my arms and never letting go? Every fiber in my body has been begging me to do just that. It wasn't just me; my wolf Jett was begging me to do it. He knows his pup even after all this time.
I have Shawna's hand tightly in mine; our mate bond is swirling with our feelings. “Did Sable recognize him?” Shawna's sharp intake of breath gives me the answer I'm looking for.
“Yes, she did. She said that Jett did too.” I nod in agreement. “She said she couldn't feel Dario. Do you think he's still there?”
“I believe he is. He still smells like a high-ranking wolf. Maybe we need to just find where he was buried.” I'm getting ahead of myself. There’s no guarantee this will go past us seeing his place today. I need to reel it in and remain calm.
Aston was right when he said he wasn't far from here. I don't like the look of this neighborhood, though. It's clear that he's barely surviving, and that doesn't sit well with me. The area looks seedy, and the apartment complex looks more than run down.
We park on the street and brace ourselves for being out in this mess. “Keep your distance, but stay alert. If anything seems amiss, mindlink me immediately.”
“Yes, Beta.” My door opens, and I step out of the car. I hold my hand out for Shawna and help her out of the car as well. We turn around to find Aston waiting for us. Walking up to him, we stand around for a minute, looking nervous. This is an awkward situation for all of us.
“S-, uh, As-, uh,” Shawna chuckles nervously, and I rub her back to help soothe her. “What do we call you?”
“I go by ‘A’. A Smith.” I swallow my chuckle. He doesn't know who he is, but some things are coming to him naturally. He turns and leads us to a downstairs apartment with paint peeling off the door.
When he opens the door and walks in, he stands to the side so we can enter. I let Shawna go in first and almost run into her. She's stopped in her tracks, and I feel panic through the bond. I push her a little and stumble the rest of the way in. My eyes land on the room in front of us, and I get her panic.
This isn't an apartment; it's just a room. This is a studio, and that's being generous. There's barely a kitchenette rather than a full kitchen. There are two doors; I can only guess that one is the bathroom and the other is a closet. There's a misshapen Queen-sized mattress against the far wall. The carpet is a dingy brown and is barely hanging on. The walls look like they haven't been painted in years. I will say that the space is neat and tidy. One thing about Aston is he didn't allow the Omegas to wait on him. He didn't hesitate to take care of things himself if need be. “I know it isn't much, but this is where I live.”
“How long have you been here?”
“About two years.”
“Uh, and what do you do?” I know this is eating Shawna alive, and I can hear it in her voice.
“I'm in construction.” Of course, he is. That makes sense for a werewolf living in the human world.
Shawna and I look around the room, not really knowing what to do next. There are no personal touches here: no pictures or decor pieces. This is the place of a lonely man, and the thought of my son living like this makes my heart hurt. “How do you know me?” Shawna and I look at each other. We were conflicted when we discussed this question coming up. We couldn't decide what the best course of action would be. So many things could go wrong, and we don't want to isolate him any further than he's already been. “Please. Sit down and tell me. How do you know me?”
~‘A’~
I can see the turmoil in their eyes as they look at each other. I know this could blow up in my face, but I need to know what this feeling is that I feel when they are near. It feels like there's a familiarity between us, and it hurts because I can't recall it. I can't remember either one of them. The fact that he looks like me is pushing me over the edge.
She sighs and takes a seat on my bed. I know there's nothing here, and they are probably used to way better surroundings, but this is all I have. I couldn't take having this conversation in front of a bunch of strangers.
I watch her pull on the man's hand, and he plops beside her. They look at each other, and that weird eye thing happens again. Their eyes clear up, and they look at us. She clears her throat with a determined look on her face. “I'm Shawna Banks, and this is Eddison Wiley. We…. you….” She sighs and closes her eyes. A tear escapes, and something in me wants to wrap my arms around her. I shake my head, not understanding where this feeling is coming from.
“I'm just going to jump right in. We know you as Aston Wiley. You're our son.” I gasp, and I feel like I can't take another breath. It literally feels like I'm suffocating. This would explain why he and I look so much alike. It doesn't explain where they have been and how I ended up in this situation.
I start to feel lightheaded with the lack of oxygen coming into my body. My head is buzzing, and I'm finding it hard to make out any noises other than my beating heart. The last thing I remember is Shawna running over to me before the darkness takes over.
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I open my eyes, blinking several times. My eyes focus on the big, ugly yellow stain on my ceiling. I have no idea where it's from. I remember how many times I've laid here, staring at that very stain since I moved here.
I feel a presence on both sides of me. I look to my left and see Eddison sitting there, and Shawna is on my right. I move to sit up, and a damp cloth drops from my forehead. “What happened?”
“I think we overwhelmed you with the news. Are you okay?” Shawna places a hand on my forehead. I touch her hand and remove it.
“So, you are my parents? Where have you been all this time? How did I end up here?” Shawna drops her head, and Eddison moves closer.
“We don't have a lot of answers to your questions, but we can tell you what we do know. The last time we saw you, you were on your way out to an ice cream date.”
“I had a girlfriend?”
“Uh, you were working on it. Anyway, you never made it to her house. You were snatched on the way and we couldn't find you.” I was kidnapped? That's not at all what I thought they would say.
“How long have I been away?” Shawna whimpers and wraps her arms around me. Eddison looks away. I touch his arm, causing him to look at me again. “How long?” He sighs and closes his eyes.
“You've been gone for four years since you were 18.”
~Shawna~The color seemed to drain from Aston's face. I can only imagine what a shock this is to him. He truly has no idea what his past life was like or about where he came from. He will even have to be introduced to the werewolf world, and that's why we spoke to Blake before coming back. Aston coming into the pack will be akin to bringing a human into the fold. It's a risky situation, and we need to be prepared for every eventuality.Eddison timidly placed his hand on Aston's arm, trying to calm him in light of this news. I can't imagine what's going through his mind, and as his mother, I wish I could make this all go away. He's going to need me and his father as he navigates his new life. There's no guarantee that he will even remember who he was, but we had to try. “What now?” I look at Eddie, and he nods at me.“We were hoping you would come with us. There are things we need to tell you about us, about yourself. We know this situation is crazy for you and that you don't know us,
I scoot my chair back, trying to come up with the best way to bolt from the room. “I can show you.” I turn to Eddison and watch him stand up behind his chair. He starts to strip his clothes, and I'm ready to fight. I just got pulled into some type of sex games. What a fucking idiot I am!Before I can get up and run, Eddison changes on the spot. One minute, a man is standing there, and the next is a giant, dark gray wolf staring at me. When I say huge, I cannot stress just how big it is. If I had to guess, I'd say that it stands at 6 or 7 feet tall. What wolf has anyone ever seen that was that damn tall?The crazy thing is my body isn't going through the typical fight or flight response. I'm actually pretty calm. There's a pull in me that is pushing me to get closer. This is the craziest thing, but I can't fight it. I stand up and slowly walk toward the massive wolf. I reach my hand out and watch the wolf slowly lower his head.I let my hand touch the top of his head, and I'm pleasantl
~King~“What's on the agenda today?” I lean back in the chair across from my father's desk. I cross my legs, letting my right ankle rest on my left knee. My dad will be stepping down soon, and when he does, he will pass the pack over to me. Katarina will be my Luna, and I can't wait for all of that to be the case.His office door opens, and Dominic walks into the room. He walks over to me, nodding to my dad before sitting in the seat next to me. Dominic will be taking over as the Beta when I get in place. We are both excited to carry this pack.“I wanted to give you two a heads-up.” The look on my dad's face tells me that whatever he wants to say to me is extremely serious. I'm starting to get nervous. I sit up straighter, letting my feet hit the floor. I feel Dominic shift next to me, but I keep my focus on my dad. I swallow, trying to keep my breaths even. “Eddison and Shawna have found him; they found Aston.” I'm on my feet before I can even register to move.“Where is he?! I have
~Katarina~“Mmm.” I turn my head toward the warmth next to me. I snuggle my head, but it isn't on anything soft. It's on a hard surface, but it smells so good. I blink my eyes open and am looking at a red polo shirt. I let my eyes travel up and am met by the soft brown eyes of King.“Hey, baby. How are you feeling?” I close my eyes again and let out a sigh.“What happened?”“You were in the garden with Tatiana, and you passed out. She told you some news.” My eyes pop open, and I turn my head to look at King. There's nothing but love and kindness in his eyes.“She told me that Aston is back.” King nods, and my heart clenches.“How do you feel about that?”“I don't know. I mean, I liked him in school. I liked him a lot, and the day he disappeared, we were supposed to go out.”“You were friends too, right?” I feel a smile grow on my face at the memories of Aston and me when we were younger.“We were. I loved our friendship.”“My dad told us that he's back, but he doesn't remember anythin
~King~I know what Dad said, but I just can't help myself. I've known Aston all our lives, and his being gone made everything feel off. I just need to lay eyes on him myself, and I think I'll be okay.I take a deep breath and knock on the door of the Beta house. I've wanted to come to see Aston since Dad told me he was back, and even more so after talking to Katarina. I don't really know what to expect, so I'm nervous.The seconds tick by with no response, which already adds to my anxiety. The door finally moves, not opening completely. Shawna peeks her head out of the door. When she sees that it's me, she quickly steps outside and pulls the door almost closed behind her. “Alp-” I quickly shake my head at her. I don't need any ridiculous formalities right now; we're family. Shawna nods and smiles. “King, how are you?”“I…I'm anxious, if I'm being honest. I know he needs rest and whatnot, but I'm aching to see him. I never thought I'd see him again, you know?” Shawna sighs and steps aw
~‘A’~There are hushed whispers as I open my eyes and look around. I'm in his room, but I don't feel uncomfortable. I hear a door open and close, along with footsteps coming up the stairs. A light knock on my door causes me to shift in bed. “Come in.” The door opens, and Shawna steps in the doorway.“How'd you sleep?” I sigh and stretch, sitting up in the bed.“I slept okay actually. I feel pretty good.” She smiles and nods.“Well, Eddison went into work today so it's just us.” I should have figured they had jobs. I can't keep them from that, even though I walked away from my job.“I'm sorry to keep you from working. You can leave me if you must.” Shawna smiles and walks over to the bed. She silently asks if she can sit, and I nod slightly. Shawna moves to sit at the edge of my bed.“Don't worry about me. My job is more flexible than most. Besides, there's nowhere else I want to be right now. I want to help you find yourself again, if possible.” Shawna takes a deep breath and lets it
~Katarina~It's been almost a week since Aston has been back at the pack, and it's been a bit awkward. The problem isn't because he's been weird with people. To be honest, not too many people have seen him. He's been keeping to his parents and the houseI have caught a glimpse of him once or twice, but it was always really quick. I haven't had a chance to talk to him or anything. King and I have discussed him, but it has always been in the context of being worried for him. King has been beyond eager to see him again, while I'm not sure how to feel.When I was in school, I always dreamed that Aston would be my fated mate. It was a dream that I had, and I really wanted it to come true. Aston was more than a friend to me; I would have been ecstatic if he had become mine.Of course, by the time I turned 18, he had been gone for two years. I guess that's why I'm nervous. What if I run into him and realize he's my fated mate? How do King and I handle that? Would we still be together? If Ast
~Katarina~I can honestly say that I've never really understood the true meaning of awkward until this moment... right now. Aston and I walk through the woods, and neither of us says a word. To be honest, I have no idea what to say to him.I don't want to say too much and stress him out. I also want to be able to talk to him and learn about this new Aston. Four years is a long time, and a lot can change. I'm sure I'm not the same Katarina that he knew before.We find ourselves in a clearing that has tree stumps that you can sit on. Aston takes a seat on one of the stumps, and I can't help but laugh. I quickly cover my mouth in a feeble attempt to silence my laugh. Aston looks at me with a frown on his face. "Did I do something wrong?” I clear my throat and quickly have a seat on a stump next to him,"No, no, it isn't anything like that.” He looks at me with questions in his eyes, and it takes me back to when we were growing up. He has no idea how familiar this is, and it tugs at my he
“BlackPaw Pack! I’m so glad to see you have survived and are supporting each other. You have done what a pack is meant to do. The traitors you had among you have been dealt with as have the poisonous Alpha family that was in charge for decades. You are free of the lies and need someone more honorable to be in charge. That being said, let me welcome your new ranked members to the stage so they can say their vows and take their rightful places.”“I, Aston Wiley, promise to protect and serve the BlackPaw Pack as Alpha. I promise to…”“I, Katarina Harris, promise to protect and serve the BlackPaw Pack as Luna. I promise to…”*Six Months Later*~Aston~It’s been six months since we’ve been sworn in as the ranked members of this pack in a ceremony that took place two weeks after the end of King. I took over as Alpha, with Katarina as my Luna. We made Dominic Beta, and Deacon agreed to be our Gamma. Before you get upset about Dominic, just hear me out.I’ve known Dominic all my life, and he w
~Aston~I blink, feeling like I’m losing my mind. That has to be the case because there’s no way this is real. I close my eyes and silently count to three before opening them again. Nothing has changed, and absolutely nothing is moving.I reach out to the wolf in front of me, but there’s no movement at all. I feel like I could tip the wolf over, and there’d be no stopping it from falling. I am miffed right now because this is something that should only exist in our wildest imagination. “ASTON!” I turn to find Katarina running toward me.Katarina’s hands are on my face, igniting sparks along my skin and shivers up and down my spine. “Did you do this?” I gesture to the frozen wolves around us.“Uh, yeah, I think so. I don’t know what it is or how.” I look around again while shaking my head. Damn! My girl has some nice ass powers. I think I’m a bit jealous, if I’m being honest. I thought my powers were cool, but now I see they were nothing.“How long do you think it lasts?” Katarina shak
~Katarina~Aston wastes no time running out of his room after being called out by King. I don’t want him to go, but I know this has to happen. I run after him, not wanting my mate to have to confront him on his own.King is standing outside, and Tatiana isn’t that far behind him. I have no idea who let that bitch out of the cells, but heads are going to roll. Aston rushes out in the field, stopping a few feet in front of King. I notice some wolves are coming out of the shadows, but it has me on edge. Some seem to be moving to the side where I’m standing close by Aston, and others are standing on the side that houses King and Tatiana. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, but we have a serious loyalty issue. It looks like some pack members are still loyal to King, and that’s probably how he’s made it into the pack the last two times. It may even be how Tatiana is free right now.Speaking of Tatiana, her eyes haven’t left me since I got out here. She looks like she’s ready to
~Aston~I know this will get me some crazy looks, but I was so turned on when I watched Katarina end Chandra. I know how sick that sounds, but I can’t help it, and I refuse to lie. She was poised and confident and I was definitely responding to that.There wasn’t much to do once Chandra was dead. Topaz let us know that they found her lab and were going to raid it. I figured there would be no answers for me there, and Topaz promised to let us know if she found anything useful.She brought us back to packlands, and we are walking hand in hand to the packhouse. I want a nice hot shower, to talk with my dad, and time with my mate. It feels like we’ve been on the go for a while now without stopping. I know it’s due to all of the emotional upheaval we’ve been dealing with, but it’s still a lot.We walk into the dining room to have all eyes on us as we step through the door. Katarina snuggles against me, and I guide her to our table. Mom and Dad are already there and snuggled up together as
~Topaz~I didn’t know what to do while I waited to talk to Eddie. I walked the perimeter of the pack, making sure our wards were in place. I tweaked everything, making sure to keep the pack accessible for the proper individuals.I look at the time as my nerves set in. I’m scared, I can’t lie. I don’t know how this talk is going to go, and that scares me. I know that if I don’t give it a try, I will regret it for the rest of my life.I’ve tried to rehearse the words in my mind, but I changed them a bit each time. I really don’t know what to say, and I don’t know what he’s going to say. I know what I’m attempting to do, and I know that most will view it as the worst thing I can do. I get that, really I do. I just can’t help my heart right now. I have to know for sure that it’s really over between us.A sound behind me shakes me out of my thoughts. There’s a giggle that is filled with nothing but love and happiness. Something is telling me not to look at the scene behind me, but I’m comp
~Eddie~I follow Shawna home, letting the events of the day swirl around in my head. So much has happened in a short amount of time. The entire situation is crazy to me, but it’s also heartbreaking. I had no idea my best friend was capable of such evilness and selfishness. If it hadn’t been for him, my family wouldn’t have gone through the pain that they suffered. I don’t know if I could ever make it up to them, but I’m sure as shit going to try.Sparks on my cheek break me from my thoughts, and I look at my surroundings. We are standing in the middle of our bedroom, and I didn’t even realize we had walked this far. Shawna is standing in front of me, looking worried. “I’m fine, love. I’m just a bit lost in thought.”“You’re fine?! You’re not fine, Eddie. You’ve gone through something traumatic at the hands of someone you trusted.” I suck in a breath, not wanting my emotions to overwhelm me. “I know you, and I know what your thinking. It wasn’t your fault. You had no idea that Blake wa
~Eddie~We all make our way into the packhouse and my office. So much has gone on since I stepped foot on packlands; it’s hard to wrap my head around everything. Besides needing to talk to the kids, I want to put my hands on my mate.Her scent hits me before I can see her face. A blur comes at me, and my body hits the floor. Sloppy kisses break out all over my face and neck, but pain also erupts in my stomach at the same time. “Goddess! I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again!” I manage to roll my emotional mate on her side, and I secure her to my body. I take deep breaths, trying to ignore the pain I feel. “Eddie?! What is it? What’s wrong?” I close my eyes and focus on my breathing. There’s no need to worry anyone right now.“Dad? Is something wrong?” I open my eyes to Aston standing over us. There’s worry in his gaze, but I’m able to give him a stiff smile. He reaches his hand out, and I grab it, allowing him to help me up. Shawna is by my side, holding onto my arm. I walk over to the
~Katarina~I turn to see Tatiana glaring at me. I'm overwhelmed right now with everything: seeing that Aston is truly alive and okay, almost being snatched by King, and feeling the loss of my Alpha and Luna. With all of this, there's no fucking way that I'm going to deal with this bitch. I’m sorry, Hope, but I’m sick of this!I’m with you. This isn’t the same Titi we’ve been friends with all these years. Even if Hope hadn’t agreed, I’d be doing this anyway. It just feels better that we are on the same page.I balance on my feet and meet Tatiana head-on. Tatiana stops right in front of me, but I don’t move a muscle. “You always ruin everything! I fucking hate you!” All I can say is that the anger has accumulated, and it's come to a boiling point. My fist connects with her throat, causing her to bend over, sputtering and coughing.I crouch down in a fighting stance as I watch her try to suck in air. “Bring it bitch! It’s time to end this shit!” It doesn’t take long before Tatiana mirror
~King~The moment I saw my father kill Aston, I knew this was the time to get what was mine. I took off and shifted into Conan, letting him take over and take us back home. I don’t know what Dad’s plan is, but I plan to make moves before he can mess me up.It was beyond easy to get on to packlands. I already knew the routes and patrol groups. Some people are still loyal to my family and me, so letting me in wasn’t a huge issue.I have to say, Katarina made it easy for me. Conan caught her scent, though it pissed him off that it was mixed with that loser’s. We watched her pace back and forth for a while before I decided to go in.I shifted to my human form and put a pair of shorts on my body. I kept myself quiet and snuck up behind her. I grabbed her arm and turned her body toward me. The shock written all over her face didn’t deter me in the slightest. “King?!” I pull her body close to mine, making sure there’s no room between us. “Wh…what are you doing here?”“Seriously?” I look down