Page 185 of Broken Bonds

“Let me tell you Alizée’s idea…”

Ten minutes later, he’s nodding. “I like that. We also cannot do anything until all the refugees safely arrive and the other nests, covens, and fae colonies have prepared. It’ll be at least two weeks before that’s complete. We’ll wait until then to formulate the strike against Sterling, but I like the idea of baiting him. He’ll absolutely lose his shit. It’ll force him into fatal errors in judgment.”

“I would like to exfil Mal’s mother, if possible.”

Dad shakes his head. “I wouldn’t count on it. I suspect Mal’s right that she’s terrified to leave. We can try, but we can’t risk personnel or resources if she doesn’t want to leave. Then again, if Alizée told Mal she’ll be here, I guess it makes it worth trying.”

It’s just after dawn, and all of us are yawning. “We should go,” Pops says.

I walk them to the door and they both hug me. Dad heads to the SUV while Pops hangs back.

“You’ve got this,” Pops says.

“I can’t help feeling like I’m…like I’m a failure.”

Pops scowls. “Why?”

I gesture at…

Well, everything. “Because I don’t have a handle on any of this shit!”

He snorts, which progresses to chuckles, then full-on laughter so hard he has to lean against the wall. When he finally collects himself, he meets my gaze dead-on.

“Jax, let me tell you a secret, son. No matter how old you get, you will always want an ‘adultier adult.’ And guess what else? We all do. None of us has this figured out. We’re all bullshitting our way through life. Some people are better at hiding it than others, that’s all. There’s not a damned thing wrong with you or how you run this pack, and you’re going to be an amazing father. Maybe I don’t say this enough, but I’m really proud of you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Absolutely. Besides, you know what a damned control freak I am. If I didn’t have confidence in you, I’d still be pack Alpha. You of all people should realize that.”

Chapter Seventy-Two

Mal

Fairy Godmother

Alizée’s words constantly swirl through my mind like static interference on a radio station that I can’t clear no matter how hard I try dialing it in.

Her prediction that Mom will be here before the baby arrives, and before we’re married.

Along with that, I think about Jax’s promise, although I know damned well that, ultimately, it is something beyond his control.

I attempt to tune out all of this mental noise while Todd helps with the refugees, taking turns as a sentry and transporting supplies, including housing some of their cattle in one of our pastures and assisting the familiars in handling the…

Well, whatever it is they do to bleed them.

I’m not squeamish, and I’m glad we can help, but I’ll pass on that, thank you very much.

It also feels odd to think of it as “our” pasture, but I’ve given up trying to say “Todd’s” anything, because he immediately corrects me and says “ours.” Like it’s a reflex he can’t control.

Gotta admit, it also feels pretty damned good.

I had a private talk with Dr. Williams over the phone one day while I was up at the house and Todd was down at the barn. I couldn’t bring myself to go there in person. For starters, it was embarrassing enough—to me, anyway—to ask the questions, much less have Todd sitting there intently listening to every word.

With my anatomical questions answered—it’s similar to how women give birth, except omega males obviously do it through the rear exit—and now with more knowledge about what to expect, I try to focus on enjoying this time as much as I can. With my frame, she estimates I won’t start showing until somewhere in month three. Omegas, males and females, are different from humans in that we have heats instead of periods. Even omega females don’t have periods. I asked for the tl;dr version of the explanation, and she said it’s due to how our hormones and bodies work. The origins aren’t certain, but most likely can be traced back to a shifter race in the distant past. She also said not to be surprised, or panic, if I’m…

Well, frequently slick. That with my first heat out of the way it will happen during my pregnancy and during my heats. Not as much between them, but I might find myself needing far less lube, if you get my drift.

I guess that’s convenient.