Page 32
Story: Hunter's Sky
Submission of the only true white stag he’d ever seen.
Chapter Seventeen
Noahshookinhisshame and his misery. He desperately wanted Alex to accept him. He wanted to belong to his pack. There was a need in Noah that Alex filled that he didn’t understand, but he wanted it desperately. Was this what family felt like? He had a similar feeling with Mo, and he knew where the shame came in. He wasn’t just risking random adults now, he was betraying his alpha, and he had no idea what to do about any of it. His dad had proved he had the ability to hurt people he cared about. And Dad was the only one that knew what he was after bringing in a scary man that forced Noah to shift. When he’d seen he was just a deer he’d turned his nose up, and thankful he wasn’t going to be of any use as a shifter, Noah had been happy.
But now he was being forced to do something else instead, but he wouldn’t,couldn’tlet the one he was protecting be hurt, but he didn’t think he could protect him anymore on his own.
They ran. The run was freeing, even if it didn’t bring him the answers he needed. Then Alex’s wolf paused on an outcrop of rock and lifted his face to the heavens, howling.
Peace came over Noah like a blanket. The alpha howl challenged everyone. Alex could protect him and was announcing it to the world. Alex turned to him as if he had spoken out loud and gazed at him as if he knew. It was time he told everyone. Noah returned the gaze as if a great weight had been lifted off him, and he followed Alex through the woods and on to Hunter’s Creek. Alex gathered up their clothes just before the woods ended and handed Noah’s to him, making sure he was dressed before they walked back in on two legs. He realized Helen’s car had gone and knew only the family was there.
Alex paused just before the door. “You’re my pack and you’re safe. Let’s go explain.”
They were all sitting at the kitchen table when Noah followed Alex in, and he paused until Alex took his hand and sat him down next to him. Asher, Riley, Zack, Mo and Victor all saw the move but didn’t say a word. Martin got up and poured coffee and juice.
When everyone was sitting, Alex looked up and met everyone’s gaze. “Noah is pack, and I’m his alpha.”
The announcement was met with various astonished gazes, which Noah wondered about, all except for Martin’s disapproving one. “Alex,” Martin said cautiously. Even Mo hadn’t said a word.
But Alex simply turned to the man and spoke. “I know how old we both are, and this isn’t about that.”
He met Martin’s gaze unflinchingly until Martin nodded once and Noah felt the tension leave the room. Alex glanced at him. “I think it’s time you explained. I trust them all.”
It was time. He had been carrying this for so long. “I have a brother.” Noah whispered. “Well, half-brother.”
Riley frowned. “That’s never come up on your records.”
Noah twisted his hands together. “No.”
“Where is he?” Zack asked very gently.
“At my dad’s. He doesn’t walk or move so good.”
“How do you know he’s your brother?” Mo asked gently.
Noah ducked his head. “Because Pearson told me. Plus,” he looked up and waved at his face and knew everyone understood the eye color. “He’s three years older than me. It was Jacob that told me about shifters, because Pearson had found out when Jacob’s mom shifted when she was hurt.” Noah sighed. “He had these wild parties for his business friends, and she was one of the girls. Apparently, one of the guys slapped her real hard, and she fell and broke her wrist, and she shifted. Pearson ended up keeping her until after Jacob was born, then paid her and she left.”
“How does Jacob know all this?”
“Because our dad told him,” Noah whispered, his voice cracking. “Jacob told me Dad wanted him to see if he was going to shift, but he can’t.”
“Jacob is your half-brother? Pearson’s son?” Alex double checked.
Noah nodded. “But he can’t shift. He’s in a wheelchair. Something happened when he was born, something bad. I don’t know what, because Jacob never knew. My dad keeps him practically locked up.”
“You’re doing really well,” Mo encouraged.
Noah took a breath. “When I first went to live with Dad, he tried to be cool. Threw money around like he cared. Games, phone, clothes. Lasted a month until we got to the questions…the hints that he knew something I didn’t. I didn’t have a clue what he meant. He was asking lame questions about how fast I could run. Did I feel weird in my own body. That sort of thing.”
“But Pearson isn’t a shifter,” Victor said, “so he must have thought you inherited it from your mom.”
“I was too busy wanting to get away to appreciate anything,” Noah said. “I refused to wear the clothes he bought me. Ditched the school he tried to send me to. This went on for months with Pearson gone a lot until he came back for a longer time and two guys came around.” He paused. “They smelled weird to me, but I didn’t know why.”
“Shifters,” Riley said. “It’s instinctual, even if you don’t know the breed of shifter. That only comes with experience.”
Noah swallowed a gulp of juice and really wished he was somewhere else. He could feel his breaths getting shorter. The need to run, which would soon get overpowering. And by “run” he didn’t mean shift, he just meant get the hell out of there.
Alex turned to him. “Just tell it to me. No one else is listening.”
Chapter Seventeen
Noahshookinhisshame and his misery. He desperately wanted Alex to accept him. He wanted to belong to his pack. There was a need in Noah that Alex filled that he didn’t understand, but he wanted it desperately. Was this what family felt like? He had a similar feeling with Mo, and he knew where the shame came in. He wasn’t just risking random adults now, he was betraying his alpha, and he had no idea what to do about any of it. His dad had proved he had the ability to hurt people he cared about. And Dad was the only one that knew what he was after bringing in a scary man that forced Noah to shift. When he’d seen he was just a deer he’d turned his nose up, and thankful he wasn’t going to be of any use as a shifter, Noah had been happy.
But now he was being forced to do something else instead, but he wouldn’t,couldn’tlet the one he was protecting be hurt, but he didn’t think he could protect him anymore on his own.
They ran. The run was freeing, even if it didn’t bring him the answers he needed. Then Alex’s wolf paused on an outcrop of rock and lifted his face to the heavens, howling.
Peace came over Noah like a blanket. The alpha howl challenged everyone. Alex could protect him and was announcing it to the world. Alex turned to him as if he had spoken out loud and gazed at him as if he knew. It was time he told everyone. Noah returned the gaze as if a great weight had been lifted off him, and he followed Alex through the woods and on to Hunter’s Creek. Alex gathered up their clothes just before the woods ended and handed Noah’s to him, making sure he was dressed before they walked back in on two legs. He realized Helen’s car had gone and knew only the family was there.
Alex paused just before the door. “You’re my pack and you’re safe. Let’s go explain.”
They were all sitting at the kitchen table when Noah followed Alex in, and he paused until Alex took his hand and sat him down next to him. Asher, Riley, Zack, Mo and Victor all saw the move but didn’t say a word. Martin got up and poured coffee and juice.
When everyone was sitting, Alex looked up and met everyone’s gaze. “Noah is pack, and I’m his alpha.”
The announcement was met with various astonished gazes, which Noah wondered about, all except for Martin’s disapproving one. “Alex,” Martin said cautiously. Even Mo hadn’t said a word.
But Alex simply turned to the man and spoke. “I know how old we both are, and this isn’t about that.”
He met Martin’s gaze unflinchingly until Martin nodded once and Noah felt the tension leave the room. Alex glanced at him. “I think it’s time you explained. I trust them all.”
It was time. He had been carrying this for so long. “I have a brother.” Noah whispered. “Well, half-brother.”
Riley frowned. “That’s never come up on your records.”
Noah twisted his hands together. “No.”
“Where is he?” Zack asked very gently.
“At my dad’s. He doesn’t walk or move so good.”
“How do you know he’s your brother?” Mo asked gently.
Noah ducked his head. “Because Pearson told me. Plus,” he looked up and waved at his face and knew everyone understood the eye color. “He’s three years older than me. It was Jacob that told me about shifters, because Pearson had found out when Jacob’s mom shifted when she was hurt.” Noah sighed. “He had these wild parties for his business friends, and she was one of the girls. Apparently, one of the guys slapped her real hard, and she fell and broke her wrist, and she shifted. Pearson ended up keeping her until after Jacob was born, then paid her and she left.”
“How does Jacob know all this?”
“Because our dad told him,” Noah whispered, his voice cracking. “Jacob told me Dad wanted him to see if he was going to shift, but he can’t.”
“Jacob is your half-brother? Pearson’s son?” Alex double checked.
Noah nodded. “But he can’t shift. He’s in a wheelchair. Something happened when he was born, something bad. I don’t know what, because Jacob never knew. My dad keeps him practically locked up.”
“You’re doing really well,” Mo encouraged.
Noah took a breath. “When I first went to live with Dad, he tried to be cool. Threw money around like he cared. Games, phone, clothes. Lasted a month until we got to the questions…the hints that he knew something I didn’t. I didn’t have a clue what he meant. He was asking lame questions about how fast I could run. Did I feel weird in my own body. That sort of thing.”
“But Pearson isn’t a shifter,” Victor said, “so he must have thought you inherited it from your mom.”
“I was too busy wanting to get away to appreciate anything,” Noah said. “I refused to wear the clothes he bought me. Ditched the school he tried to send me to. This went on for months with Pearson gone a lot until he came back for a longer time and two guys came around.” He paused. “They smelled weird to me, but I didn’t know why.”
“Shifters,” Riley said. “It’s instinctual, even if you don’t know the breed of shifter. That only comes with experience.”
Noah swallowed a gulp of juice and really wished he was somewhere else. He could feel his breaths getting shorter. The need to run, which would soon get overpowering. And by “run” he didn’t mean shift, he just meant get the hell out of there.
Alex turned to him. “Just tell it to me. No one else is listening.”
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