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Again, Rapier stepped onto the deck, Isaac tucked behind him, trembling. “She calm?”

“Yes, Daddy. I’m calm!” She rolled her eyes before her gaze landed on the boy—his son, or rather their son, now.

“I didn’t ask you, princess. I asked them.” Rapier took the boy’s hand, pulling him out from around his back.

“She’s calm enough.” The tension seeped from her body, and she relaxed against Christoph.Thank God.“Who is this?” She knelt in front of Isaac. “Hello, I’m Bell.”

“Isaac,” the boy whispered.

Rapier sat in one of the outdoor chairs. “You ready to tell her everything now?”

“Yes,” Christoph stated.

“Did you get some pizza, Isaac?” Bell tilted her head.

“No. I wanted my dad.” He went straight to Christoph, who picked him up.

“He has a reason to be here,” Rapier said, glancing at Bell. “Listen to your mate. I’m going to eat. We’ll save you a slice, Isaac.”

Finally, a sense of relief filled Christoph, and, without any reservation, he told Bell and Jackson everything. About the day before he left home. He told them about Laney’s blackmail. About his parents and Aislinn’s. He told them about his Pride and what helping his son would do to him. “You should also know, I’m not sure what’s happened to Keandra, but I have my suspicions.” And then, the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders and he found peace.

“So, are you saying Isaac is our son now?” Bell stared at the boy in Christoph’s arms.

“Yes. But he is going to go to Jasmine for now. I can’t protect him and deal with my father. Nor can we take care of him while we’re in school,” he said, rubbing his son’s back. For the second time, his boy had fallen asleep. It made Christoph wonder how little sleep he’d gotten while with his parents.

“My mom will take excellent care of him. We can go home every break and if need be, I am sure my parents can bring him here.” Bell placed her hand on his. “Christoph, you understand what happened to you, right? It’s not your fault. It was never your fault.”

He swallowed hard. “I know. There are days still where I wonder if I could have fought it off better.”

Jackson snorted. “There’s no way. Your father forced you. It wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t do it on purpose to create this kind of situation. From what we know about your father, he seems like a conniving person.”

True. “You’ve got a point.”

“What do you need for him?” Bell’s gaze fell on the sleeping boy. “Clothes, food, a place to stay. I don’t think he can spend another night at the fraternity with me. People will get suspicious.”

“Then he’ll stay here. You can too,” Bell whispered. “Both of you can. We’ll make sure he has everything he needs.”

“Bell—I—”

“You don’t have to say anything, Christoph,” she murmured. “I understand. I wish you would have told us sooner, but we’ll do all of this together now, because that’s what family does.”

Warmth filled his chest. Family. Something he’d craved his whole life. “I love you, Bell. Same for you, Jackson. Thank you.”

8

Preparingfor Aislinn’s escape proved to take longer than they expected. However, the plan was almost set. Of course, it also meant sending Isaac away as well, something Bell realized hurt more than she’d expected it to.The bond between mother and child is always the strongest...Her mother’s words drifted through her mind and now Bell understood. Her protective instincts ran high when she was around the boy, letting him go, even though he’d be with her parents, tore a piece of her soul away. Which was crazy because they’d be home for all the breaks and holidays. It wasn’t like she or Christoph or even Jackson wouldn’t see Isaac ever again.

They would. No matter what happened after tonight, their family would never be torn apart. Yet, a piece of her feared the retribution she and her mates might face when Christoph’s father and Aislinn’s father found out the truth, something they were prepared to share after both were on their way to Window Rock. Aislinn’s father was the Osaka Alpha, which meant power and money. The man might never stop looking for his daughter. If she was ever found, Bell could only imagine the despicable things the man would do to his daughter. She shivered at the thought. She knew men like the Osaka Alpha. They thrived off of fear. Aislinn would pay for all of their missteps, so nothing could go wrong.

“Hey Blondie, are you stuck in that beautiful head of yours, still?” Jackson teased as he opened the door to his home.

“Sorry. I was thinking way too hard.” Bell stepped inside Jackson’s home and glanced around. The place had been built like a giant birdcage. High, rounded ceilings framed with windows—not a stitch of solid wall surrounded her.A gilded cage. The thought struck her as not only poignant but also beautiful too. At night, she could lie on the floor and watch the stars—if she ever wanted to. To the right sat a staircase leading to a giant bed built into an even larger bookcase against one of the few solid walls in the house. It reminded her of a Victorian library of sorts, with its ornate carvings and cupboards with wrought iron lattice-work doors. A wooden dragon sat on an orb overlooking the occupants in the bed below, perhaps a bit of curiosity in his or her eyes.

She let out a wistful sigh, stepping deeper into his home. After Christoph explained the situation with Aislinn, she concluded some shifters were assholes and they created kids like Laney. Or they abused good, happy-natured, or she should say would-be happy-natured kids, and crushed their spirits. For a moment, she wondered how Christoph and Jackson had turned out to be such strong Alpha men, with good moral compasses.

“I think we all are,” Christoph stated, joining her. “So much has happened in such a short amount of time.”

“There’d be something wrong with all of us, if we weren’t in two places at once,” Jackson added. “But, for tonight, we promised to shut everything off and allow nature to take its course.”