Homerun Daddy, page 15
part #1 of Timberwood Cove Series
“Bryce…” I tried to think of something to say that would fix this, but when I locked eyes with him again I realized nothing was going to fix how fucked I was because pissed didn’t even begin to describe Bryce.
He was absolutely livid.
16
Bryce
It felt like I’d fallen through a glass mirror and tumbled out on the other side into an alternate reality. Ones in which things of fairy tales were true. Sure, I’d heard the stories about the Timberwood Cove wolves, but I’d never believed any of it. It was just an urban legend.
Now I couldn’t deny what I’d seen. Jaxon had turned into a wolf right here in front of me, and now he was telling me all kinds of crazy things about being mates, being the leader of a pack, about how he thought I could become a shifter too and be healed from my injuries.
I shook my head. None of that made any sense at all. But as the pieces of what he was saying started to come together they formed a new picture, something I never imagined, but was now becoming clear.
I looked down at my stomach, and another wave of shock hit me, accompanied by a flash of dread. This baby was a wolf shifter. I was carrying a wolf pup inside me. The child of the future pack leader. On its own, it was a lot to process, and I could see Jaxon was hoping I’d accept what he was telling me, but just then another image flashed through my mind. A wolf in the middle of the road. Bright green eyes shining in my headlights.
There were times when I’d thought maybe I’d seen a dog out there in the road the night Lorelei died. Not a wolf—because a wolf? That was crazy, right? But now I knew the truth. It had been a wolf, and not of the wild variety. A shifter. Most likely from Jaxon’s pack.
Anger surged through me, warring with the pain of my heart crumbling.
I stood from the bed. “You need to go.” I was surprised at how calm I sounded, though my tone was deathly cold.
“Bryce…” Jaxon took a step toward me, but I threw my hands up.
It was all too much to take in. I didn’t know what to think. What to feel. I needed some space to process.
“Just leave, Jaxon,” I repeated, more forcefully this time.
“No, we need to talk about this.”
I noticed a movement in the corner of my eye, and remembered Liam was still standing here, his eyes now wide and terrified. “Go to your room, Liam.”
My tone left no room for argument, and though it hurt to talk to Liam like that, I needed him safe, away from Jaxon.
When Jaxon and I were alone again, I turned on him. “You should have told me. You should have been honest with me. How could you not have said anything all this time? You should have told me from the very beginning, Jaxon.”
“Bryce, please,” he said, his expression pained. “Let me explain. Please, don’t push me away right now. We need to talk about this.”
“I don’t want to talk to you right now.” My voice vibrated with barely suppressed anger. “You’ve lied to me. You’ve put Liam in danger, having him around dangerous animals and not letting me in on the fact. You’ve put me in danger! Why would I want to hear what you have to say when everything has been a lie from the very beginning?”
“It’s not been a lie,” he said, his eyes full of longing. “I love you, Bryce. Everything I’ve ever said has been the truth.”
“It’s what you didn’t say! That’s the problem. A wolf, Jaxon? A wolf! It was a fucking wolf that caused the death of my sister!” I was shouting by the time I was finished.
I couldn’t help it. The pain of this betrayal fueled my anger. “Go. Now. I don’t want to have anything to do with wolves. Not now. Not ever.”
“Bryce, please.” Jaxon took another step toward me, and I instinctively backed up. He stopped. “Bryce, my pack isn’t dangerous. My wolf isn’t dangerous. Please, don’t send me away now. Let me explain. I love you, more than anything.”
I pointed at the door, my hand shaking with rage. “Get OUT!”
The force of my shout seemed to knock Jaxon back a step. He blinked a couple times, grief cutting across his face. He shook his head, but he didn’t come closer. I couldn’t tell if he thought I was afraid of him or if he was afraid of pushing me too far.
Either way, he finally did as I asked. He swallowed hard and nodded, then began gathering his clothes and yanking them on.
I stood there like I was carved from stone, my expression carefully blank, my body stiff. I didn’t so much as want to breathe him in, afraid I would second guess myself. But I needed time to process this. Alone.
With one last lingering look, his green eyes sorrowful, Jaxon headed toward the door. Then he turned. “This isn’t over, Bryce. I love you.”
I watched his retreating back, feeling the truth of both statements. He did love me. It should have made me feel better, but it didn’t. This was far from over and I had no idea how to handle it. It couldn’t be over because I was carrying Jaxon’s child. His pup.
I rested my hand on my stomach, trying to make sense of it all. Trying to reconcile my mind to this entirely new viewpoint, this new world I was suddenly living in. I jumped when I heard the front door slam.
Then Liam was running back in my room, tears coursing down his red face.
“How—how could you? How could you…send…him…away?” His words stuttered and broke with the strength of the sobs that wracked his body.
I immediately went to him, wrapping him in my arms, but he pushed back and looked up at me. His hazel eyes were full of hurt and anger. Echoing how I was feeling. Only his was directed at me.
“Liam… I just.” I blew out a breath and raked a hand through my hair. “I’m just trying to make sense of this. Shifters existing. Jaxon being one. All of it.”
“I wanted to move to the homestead. I wanted us to be a family. I wanted to be part of their pack. I feel safe there. They can take care of us. Give us what we need to stay together. And you made him leave,” he said accusingly.
His words cut deep, and my heart ached even more. I didn’t want him to feel like he wasn’t safe with me, but it wasn’t just that. Liam was attached to Jaxon. He adored him and looked up to him, and to be honest, Jaxon was good for Liam. Jaxon had been good for both of us.
But now what? Liam wasn’t wrong. Being with Jaxon would practically ensure Liam’s adoption, which was only a couple of days away. What was I supposed to do without Jaxon? The thought terrified me on a multitude of levels. I couldn’t imagine my life without him, and I wasn’t sure I could succeed with the adoption case on my own.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” I finally responded, trying to be as truthful as the situation allowed. I honestly had no idea what the future held.
Liam gripped my hands, a hopeful gleam purging some of his anger. “Please, Uncle Bryce, don’t give up on him. Jaxon is amazing, and I know you love him. Don’t be afraid of the shifters.”
God, this kid. He desperately wanted me to change my mind and keep Jaxon in our lives.
“I can’t make any promises, Liam.”
His hope veered back to anger, his brows drawing together, then he turned and stormed from the room. I could hear him a few seconds later sobbing into his pillow.
I felt like the biggest piece of shit ever. A total failure. I was completely clueless about what to do, how to find my way through this crazy mess my life had become. I’d hurt Liam, and no doubt I’d hurt Jaxon.
What if by sending Jaxon away I’d set myself up to lose everything that meant the most to me?
Tears pricked my eyes, and my throat stung. I crawled back on my bed and let the tears come, giving into the pain, crying until there was nothing left inside but a resounding ache in an otherwise hollow chest.
17
Jaxon
I barely remembered the drive home.
I don’t want to be with a wolf. Not now, not ever…
Bryce’s words echoed in my mind over and over, drowning out everything except a piercing heartache, my pain and anger amplified by my wolf mourning the loss of its mate.
By the time I burst through my front door, my wolf was clawing to be let free. I strode through the house and out the backdoor, and then with a vicious growl, I unleashed the beast inside me, giving him full control.
And we ran.
I headed deep into the thick forest that backed up to my house at the edge of the pack homestead. I pushed myself until my lungs burned and my muscles protested, and then I pushed myself harder. Anything to try to dull the sound of Bryce’s voice, the look on his face.
I’d caused that look of horror and anguish, all because I’d failed to tell him sooner.
No, not just that…
The little voice in my head kept me from losing myself totally in my wolf. I wanted to escape from the pain. To feel nothing but the crisp evening air on my face, to smell the scent of underbrush and earth mixing with the leaves and wildflowers, to hear the forest creatures and distant water and pounding of my feet as I ran.
But that little voice wouldn’t let me have that peace. Not when there was more behind Bryce’s ultimatum. He was afraid of me. He’d made it clear he wanted nothing to do with wolves. That was the worst part; thinking he might be unable to love me for who I was at my core—a shifter.
I don’t want to be with a wolf. Not now, not ever…
My wolf howled in protest, the sound echoing through the night, rising up above the trees and into the blackness of the sky. The idea of not being with my mate was unacceptable.
There had to be a way I could sort this out. Something. Somehow. I wouldn’t let this be the end. I’d told him as much, and I meant it. Resolve welled up in my chest, not alleviating my torment, but at least I no longer felt as if my world was coming to an end.
I had to get him to change his mind about everything, to understand I was still the same man he fell in love with, that he didn’t have to be afraid of my wolf. That we belonged together.
My wolf howled again, longing for his mate.
I’ll fix this, I vowed. No matter what it takes.
I continued to run through the forest, my plan falling into place. By the time I got back to my house over an hour later, there was only one missing piece, and I knew just the person to talk to about it.
I stood in my father’s office just past the crack of dawn. I’d barely been able to wait until morning to request the meeting with him, and he’d shown up right away.
“What’s going on, Jaxon?” he asked as came into the office. His hair was still rumpled, and he’d thrown on an old t-shirt and jeans, like he’d jumped straight of bed to come right over and meet me.
A smile tipped my lips. My dad was someone you could count on to come to your aid at the drop of a hat, no matter the time of day. It’s part of what made him such a great leader.
I realized it was something I saw in myself too. Being with Bryce really had shown me I had what it took to take care of other people too. Suddenly, I was struck with a thought. Ever since Bryce had come into my life I’d had him to focus on, to take care of. Not once had I felt myself slipping into my old self-deprecating thought patterns. I used to replay my failures nearly daily. I’d told myself for so long I didn’t have what it takes to be a champion ball player, to find my mate, to lead the pack.
On my run last night when I’d refused to accept defeat, I also realized I’d let go of the fear of failing others. I didn’t know exactly when it happened, but certainly over the course of the last three months I’d found who I was meant to be. And I was ready to fulfill my promise as an alpha to my mate—and as a leader to my pack.
I stepped toward my father now, confidence mounting. “Dad. I’m ready to take over as pack leader.”
He blinked only for a second before a wide grin spread across his face. “I knew you’d figure it out soon enough, son. I just wish you hadn’t chosen six in the morning to tell me about it.”
I nodded. “That’s because that’s not all I need to talk to you about.”
“Let me get some coffee then,” he said with nod of his own. “You want some?”
“Yeah, that’d be great.” I claimed a chair in the sitting area then leaned forward to steeple my fingers together.
“You look like you’re already the pack leader, son,” Dad said, as he came back over and handed me a mug of coffee.
“Well, then let’s get right down to business.”
If he looked surprised at my commanding tone, he didn’t show it, unless the grin counted. Standing there in his casual clothes with his hair rumpled, that youthful grin on his face, my dad almost looked like he could be my older brother. He bore the weight of leading a pack well, and definitely didn’t look like someone who was old enough to retire.
“I told you about the accident Bryce was involved in, that he said he saw a wolf in the middle of the road and swerved to avoid it. Well, I need to know if it could have been anyone from the Timberwood Cove pack.” That was the first step.
He shook his head slowly. “I don’t see how it could be. You know for sure it was a shifter?”
“I told Bryce the truth last night.” I quickly gave my dad the short version of the story, bringing him up to speed with what happened and Bryce’s reaction, including the part about him more or less blaming the wolf for his sister’s death. “I just have to be sure it wasn’t one of ours.”
“Absolutely,” my dad said. “But I can tell you that if it had been anyone from our pack, we’d know. They would have reported causing an accident like that.”
I didn’t doubt it. Dad trusted his pack implicitly, and for good reason. They looked up to him and trusted him too. It was something I intended to do as well.
“Okay,” I said. “If we’re certain, then I need you to call an emergency initiation ceremony and make me the pack leader tonight.”
“Whoa, hang on.” He laughed, holding his hands up. “What’s the rush? I mean, I know you’re ready…”
“I have to fix things with Bryce. As soon as possible, and the only way to do that is to prove to him that wolves aren’t dangerous, which is what he thinks. He needs to see how our pack is—that we’re like family, and he can trust us. I want him to see us as a united front, to see he doesn’t have anything to fear. That we’ll all welcome him in as part of the pack.”
He gave me a sympathetic smile and reached out to squeeze my shoulder. It wasn’t pity, though. He just wanted me to know he was there for me. “You know the whole pack will stand behind you in whatever you need. You have something in mind, don’t you?”
My father knew me so well. “Yes. And that’s why I need to go through with this initiation tonight. Liam’s adoption hearing is tomorrow morning. I want to be there for him, the pack standing beside me. I want us to all speak on Bryce’s behalf and prove to the judge that Bryce and Liam will be well taken care of, no matter what. That we’re like family. More than that I want to show Bryce it will all be okay.”
“You’re going to make a fine mate, Jaxon,” Dad said, then he stood and clapped his hands together. “I’ll get on it right and let the pack know there’s an emergency gathering.”
“I’ll help,” I said, diving right in and working alongside my father.
We stood under the auspiciously full moon at eleven o’clock that night. The air was heavy, thick with the summer rain that had fallen that afternoon. The smell of damp earth mingled with floral hints on the cool breeze.
The entire pack was here, from the elders to children—except those who were too young to go on a pack run. I stood on the wide circular platform near the edge of the pond. A light mist rose from the surface, warmed from the summer sun and cooled by the crisp night air. My gaze traced the ragged perimeter of the centuries-old stone, worn from being exposed to the elements for who knew how long. This is where every pack leader of the Timberwood Cove pack had been initiated for as far back as our history went.
And now I was standing here. In front of the pack that would be mine in a matter of moments. The pack gathered in a semi-circle around the platform, the elders in the front. To my side was my father. The alpha of the pack I’d grown up in. The man who’d raised me to be who I’d become.
He smiled at me, pride radiating from him. We were dressed pretty informally since the emergency ceremony was so last-minute. Normally, there would be a huge celebration, a party where the entire pack could get together after the traditional pack run that followed the initiation. There were usually a lot of traditions and ceremonies to adhere to, but we didn’t have time to prepare for all of it, and I didn’t particularly have the patience right now. I just wanted to simply step into my role. We couldn’t completely ignore all tradition, though.
“Wolves of the Timberwood Cove pack, we thank you tonight for being part of this momentous occasion.”
I arched my eyebrow at my father. Really? But my father loved tradition. It showed how much he cared for me that he would circumvent the normal ceremony so I could be there with my pack for Bryce by morning.
His eyes crinkled around the edges, then he stepped forward and gave a short but inspiring speech about his faith in me, their new alpha. He stepped back and turned to face me. I’d never felt more blessed to have him look at me the way he did—full of confidence and love. Then he lifted his hand.
In his fingers he held the ring that signified the position of pack alpha. Yellow gold etched with black formed a wide band that encased a large circular stone. Moonstone.
“I believe this is yours now,” he said. The pack was silent as he handed it to me, the significance of the moment signaling the transfer of leadership.
Then it was on my finger. My chest swelled with pride, and I stepped forward, holding my fist to my heart.
“Timberwood Cove wolves,” I said, my voice strong and steady, like that of a leader. “I’m honored and humbled to be your alpha. I swear I will fulfill my duties to you—my family, my packmates—with everything I have in me. It’s a privilege to be your leader.”
