I was upset that they were arguing, likely because of me, but at the same time it felt strangely surreal. Shaede didn’t get along with people at all, outside of myself and Rebel, he didn’t even talk to anyone, and forget about him getting close to other people physically. He acted as if he’d either forbidden himself from making friends outside of us, or he just hated everyone and I was lucky he cared so much about me and my son.

Which I was happy about, and I did feel lucky, when we first met he tried to kill me after all, so he’d come a long way, but I still found myself wishing he’d open up more to more people than just me. So, the fact he was talking to someone else, even if it was blatant arguing due to mutual dislike, made me feel as if this move would turn out to be a good transition for Shaede.

I was still worried about how it would affect Rebel, and if he’d get along with the Kerry pups, or if they’d end up bullying him just as severely when they found out about his dirty lineage, but I tried to be optimistic about it. The wolves from Kerry Clan had known me since I was born, all I could do was hold on to that last shred of hope that they wouldn’t care about Rebel being conceived outside of my chosen mate.

If I was getting technical, Rebel was a pure-blooded Kerry Clan member, he was the rightful heir to the pack, Malcolm’s son, my son, but revealing that information had the potential to put everyone involved at risk. I’m sure if Rebel and I were banished from the packs we’d be okay, I know for certain Shaede would come with us, he’s already promised to do so if the truth got out and we were banished, but Malcolm… would they punish Malcolm?

Kerry Clan needed an alpha, and Malcolm was Wade’s only son. No, I don’t think Malcolm would be banished, maybe yelled at a lot, but if the blame would fall on anyone, it would be me. Somehow it seemed so terrible, that they would blame me over Malcolm when we both mutually agreed to have sex.

We didn’t know anything would come out of it, I had no idea I could even get pregnant, it still didn’t make sense to me! For the past eight years, I’d been researching the Paige Clan’s werewolf history, but their library had been pathetic and I’d found nothing that could even come close to explaining how Rebel had come to exist.

There was no chapter about a strange werewolf illness that could lead to a male wolf conceiving, no anatomical charts with illustrations of how it even worked, all I knew for sure was giving birth should have killed me. I had no female birthing canal, my stomach had to be cut open, all I remembered from that agonizing night was blinding pain and the overwhelming stench of blood, my blood. I suppose I had Shaede to thank for saving us both, he must have sewn me up lightning fast.

It didn’t matter, though. Maybe dying would have been better. Rebel wouldn’t have to be so terrified of the people around him, terrified of making friends for fear of getting punched in the face, I wouldn’t have to be keeping it a secret from Malcolm, there wouldn’t be any fear of the truth coming out and getting banished.

Yet I couldn’t find it in myself to regret it. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to live the way I wanted, with Malcolm and our son, training Rebel in the alpha ways so he would be prepared to take over his birthright, but I could still see Malcolm every day, hold my son in my arms and watch him grow up, and I was home in the Kerry Clan where I belonged.

I slipped my hand beneath my shirt to feel the ragged scar drawn across my lower abdomen, a soft smile parting my lips before I turned the coffee maker off and carried the pot back over to the counter, pouring coffee into Malcolm’s mug followed by my own.

“Can I have coffee?” Rebel piped up from beside me, and I turned with an arched eyebrow.

“I don’t think so, you can stick with your juice.”

“But I’m an adult!” Rebel argued, and Shaede snorted a little, looking away when Rebel turned to pout at him.

Malcolm was chuckling, and I turned to see he was smiling at Rebel. It had a smile forming onto my face as well, and I clutched the mug with both hands as I brought it up to my lips. That was a much nicer expression than just gaping at Rebel confused, wondering if he was real. Malcolm appeared intrigued and pleased with Rebel.

“Are you bringing him to the family dinner tonight?” Malcolm asked me after Rebel had left the room with Shaede to get shoes so we could go out and start unpacking the truck.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I admitted with a sheepish smile, placing the plates into the sink, “He’s not good around strangers, so he might get scared.”

“You never told him about us?” Malcolm asked, and I laughed.

“Of course I did, my childhood fuels all the bedtime stories I tell him,” I wiped my hands on my shirt and turned back to Malcolm, nibbling on my bottom lip, “I’ll think about it, and see how he does today. It might be too much excitement for him.”

“Well if you decide against it you could leave him with his mom,” he offered and I gave him a blank stare.

“Who?”

Malcolm’s smile faded, and he looked confused, “His mom. Your chosen mate. Priscilla, right?”

I felt the color drain from my face, “Oh! Oh!” I looked away and rubbed the back of my neck, “Right! Her!”

“Okay, definitely not the reaction I’d been expecting.”

I laughed weakly and shrugged, “Sorry, we don’t actually talk much despite being mates, and she doesn’t live with us,” I frowned a little, “She…. Doesn’t like Rebel, or Shaede. Or me, actually.”

“But she’s your mate,” Malcolm argued, and I squinted at him.

“Did you get along with your chosen mate? You know, the one you rejected?”

“My chosen mate was Dominique,” Malcolm answered, and I gaped at him.

“You rejected Mini? Malcolm!”

“I know, I know, I’m a jackass!” he laid his head onto the counter, sighing, “We still talk, though. Ironically enough the rejection didn’t affect her as much as it did me, and when I was fully recovered from it and we were talking again she admitted she didn’t even want a mate,” he lifted his head and gave me a crooked smile, “Evidently settling down as a housewife and popping out pups just wasn’t her style, so she was grateful to me and my impulsive ass. She’s currently head of security and works with Cliff and Darius alongside the council to train Deltas and Gammas.”

“Holy shit,” I breathed, and his grin got a little more playful.

“I know, right?”

“Lucky you,” I said it without thinking, and Malcolm raised his eyebrow, but I didn’t see anything wrong and continued to place dirty dishes into the sink, finishing my coffee before turning, “Well, I’m getting dressed. You can stick around and wait for me if you want, all I’ll be doing is helping Shaede unpack our stuff.”

“Yea I’ll hang out for a while,” Malcolm decided, standing up, “Want me to wait here or help you get dressed?” I turned to send him a narrow-eyed glare and he held his hands up, “I’m kidding, it was a joke, calm down.”

“Uh-huh. Just stay there and don’t move until I come get you, okay?”

“Whatever you say, daddy.”

I fought away the heavy blush so I could turn back to him with a glare set on my face, folding my arms, “I distinctly remember forbidding you from calling me that.”

“Did you?” Malcolm asked, eyes rolling to stare at the ceiling, “I can’t quite recall.”

“You’re so immature,” I snorted, and he chuckled.

“I’ll always be young at heart.”

“For some reason, I’m fine with that,” I hummed, turning back around to head towards my bedroom, feeling a lot more excited about my situation than I had been when we’d first been reunited.

“Hey,” I looked over my shoulder with my dirty t-shirt hanging on my arms, tensing up thinking it was Malcolm before relaxing when I realized it was just Shaede.

“Hey, what’s up?” I pulled the shirt the rest of the way off and threw it, not caring if Shaede saw the scar on my stomach. He’d seen it before after all.

“I just wanted to make sure you were alright after that,” he assured, looking down the hall with narrow eyes, “He seems a bit…”

“Yea, I know. He’s always been like that, don’t worry,” I chuckled, “As if you’d listen.”

“I wouldn’t,” he agreed, looking back at me, “You’re not going to tell him?”

I frowned and looked down, slipping my fingers over the scar, “No. It might put him in a bad position. It’ll be fine. I already talked to Rebel about it and he agreed not to say anything, he’s so quiet in general he would’ve been to scared in the first place,” I bit my lip, “Keep an eye on him, please? I want him to make friends, but I’m worried something might go wrong. If he keeps coming home bleeding I swear I won’t wait for the full moon to shift into a fucking beast.”

“I agree with you on that.”

I chuckled, “You can’t shift, Shaede.”

He looked puzzled before realization clicked in his eyes and he looked at his hand, like he’d completely forgotten, “Oh. Right. I’d still help in my own way.”

I laughed a little louder, “I know, you always have. Thank you.”

“We’ll be waiting on the porch.”

“I won’t take long here.”