Page 17 of Daddy Wolf’s Secret Baby (Fated To The Wolf #10)

16

Josiah

“ I haven’t done a sleepover since I was a little boy, about Jace’s age,” Josiah said.

She grinned. “Here’s your chance to recapture your childhood.”

“Aren’t I a little young to be going through my second childhood?”

“I don’t think that anyone has put an age limit on it. Besides, you’re just having a sleepover. You aren’t buying a sportscar and having an affair with your much younger secretary.”

“You’re confused, Darlin’. That’s a midlife crisis and that happens before the second childhood.”

They both giggled at the nonsensical conversation they were having. It had been a long time since Josiah had felt relaxed enough to be silly.

After they changed the sheets and cleaned themselves up, they slid between the silky sheets. Josiah reached for Zahra and pulled her close to him. She laid her head on his chest, with her long, blond hair flowing over his arm.

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Josiah said.

He felt her stiffen up in his arms.

“You know, all conversations that start with those words or something similar aren’t automatically bad.”

“They aren’t?”

“No. Remember the last time I said it, I asked you to go to the gala with me.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that.”

“I want to talk about us.” He paused. “Over the last eleven years, I’ve thought of you often and always wondered what would have happened if I hadn’t been a jackass. I care about you a lot, as a woman, not just as the mother of my son. I would like to see where this relationship goes, although I think we should take it slow, not only for our sakes but also for Jace’s.”

“That sounds nice.”

“Nice?”

She giggled. “Yep. Nice.”

“I don’t think we should tell Jace that we are seeing each other. He might get his hopes up, and I don’t want to hurt him.”

Zahra sat up on one elbow and looked at him. “I agree, although he’ll figure it out. He’s very observant and very intelligent. I don’t know how much he knows about romantic relationships, because he’s ten, but kids at school talk a lot.”

“If he has questions or comments, I’m sure we’ll hear them. He doesn’t seem to be a kid who holds back his thoughts or feelings.”

“Nope. He isn’t.”

They talked for a few more minutes and Josiah realized that Zahra had fallen asleep with her head on his chest when she didn’t reply to one of his questions. He hated to disturb her, but his arm was starting to fall asleep.

Gently, he tried to move her without waking her. He moved away from her, putting her head on a pillow, and pulled his arm out. She muttered something unintelligible and curled up against him. He listened to her even breathing for a few minutes and then fell asleep holding her.

Josiah woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee and bacon. He pulled on his boxers and tux pants, since he didn’t have anything else to wear, and followed his nose.

“You’re just in time. I was about to go wake you up. I have onions, green peppers, jalapenos, cheese, and bacon for omelets. What would you like in yours?”

“Yes, please.”

She grinned and turned back to the stove.

“I’ve tried making omelets before. I always end up with scrambled eggs.”

“You just have to flick your wrist right when you turn them. The right pan and a large egg turner help, too. Can you pour the orange juice?”

This is a very cozy scene. I could get used to this.

The thought startled him.

“The glasses are in the cabinet to the right of the sink.”

“I was just thinking that I can’t remember the last time I had a homecooked breakfast that I cooked myself. I think it was when I was eighteen and moved out of Mom and Dad’s house.”

“You never went back to have breakfast with them?”

“Lord, no. Have you ever tasted my mother’s cooking? She has a lot of talents in many areas, including real estate and anything to do with numbers. However, she manages to burn the eggs when she tries to boil them.”

“Oof.”

“Yeah. I’ve invited them over to my house for breakfast, though. Dad always seems grateful.”

“Why doesn’t he cook?”

“He wants to. Trust me. But Mom is a bit old-fashioned in that area and says that the kitchen is women’s domain.”

“You should know that you are welcome to cook in my kitchen anytime you want to.”

They picked up Jace and took him to the park. He talked a million miles an hour about how awesome his cousins were and how much fun he had. Jace thought it was hysterical when the babies got excited and then toys would pop up out of thin air.

“I guess they have a ton of toys,” Zahra said.

“No. They donate them all to kids who don’t have them, to the children’s hospital, and other places.”

They played catch and then a few other kids showed up and they got a soccer game going. Jace threw himself into the game.

“He’s competitive.”

Zahra nodded. “He gets that from me. If someone else is better and they beat me, then I lose gracefully. But I’ll fight all the way to the end, even if I’m behind.”

“That’s a good trait to have.”

He put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder as they watched their son race up and down the field. Josiah was never one to sit still for long, and he was amazed that he was content to simply sit on the bench and watch.

Zahra made dinner while he and Jace played video games. The boy was just as fierce with those as he was playing soccer. He was an easy-going kid but took every competition seriously.

When Josiah said something about it, Jace said, “Mom always says that if you aren’t going to do your absolute best, then don’t bother showing up.”

All too soon the evening ended and Josiah went home. For the first time ever, he noted that the house felt empty. When he went to bed that night, he wished that Zahra was lying next to him.

The next morning started off with a meeting.

“Julian, a dragon shifter, caught a vampire late last night,” Zac announced to the small group of wolf shifters in the conference room. “The vampire, whose name was Dreven, was out hunting alone. He had been stalking a man walking home from work when Julian spotted him, just as Dreven was about to pounce. Julian verified that Dreven was a vamp and not just a mugger before taking him to Lucious.”

“I’m assuming that Lucious questioned him,” Conner said.

Zac nodded. “He refused to say anything except for his name. No matter how hard Lucious questioned him, he wouldn’t say how many were in the nest or where they were.”

“Is there anything left of him to question?” Josiah asked, already knowing the answer.

Zac shook his head. “At this time his ashes are scattered all over the mountain.”

Josiah groaned. “We really need to find their nest.”

Sighing heavily, Zac said, “I know, but it could be anywhere. There are hundreds of caves in the mountains. There are tons of abandoned houses and barns in the area. As you know, people from the bear and dragon clans have been searching as have our own people. We’ve got the entire area gridded out, so we aren’t overlapping our searches and no place is overlooked. So far, there’s nothing. They aren’t leaving any clues behind.”

“I guess we’ll just keep looking. Eventually, we’ll find them,” Conner said.

Josiah snorted. “Or, they’ll keep killing a ton of people here until they move on.”

“Aren’t you just a little ray of sunshine this morning,” Yasmin said.

“That’s me.”

“We’re not the only ones looking for them. There are hunters in the area, too. So far, we haven’t run into the hunters, but Lucious said his people spotted them.”

Conner grinned grimly. “This might be a first, but I wish them the best of luck.”

They spent the rest of the day scouring the area and Josiah was exhausted and frustrated by the time the sun went down. He was trying to figure out what to do for food when his phone rang.

“Hi, Dad. Mom wanted me to call and ask if you want to come over. She’s making tacos.”

“What time?”

“As soon as you can get here.”

“Let me go home and wash up. I’ll be there in forty-five minutes.”

As he hung up the phone, he thought, I’m going to have to start pitching in for the grocery bill. Not only should I be giving her money to help with Jace, but I eat there a lot.

He was surprised that it just now occurred to him that he should be helping to support Jace financially. She never asked him for a dime, and he knew she never would. Even if she needed it, she would be too proud.

They had almost finished eating when Jace put down his taco and looked at his parents. “Some of the kids at school said that there are vampires in the area who are attacking people.”

Josiah wasn’t about to lie to him. “There are some rogue vampires around Angel’s Creek.”

“I know a little about them from books and movies. Dracula was made up and Vlad the Impaler just had a really messed up childhood. None of them turn into bats unless they are bat shifters, too, and he had never heard of that.”

Josiah laughed. “Wow. Just wow.”

Jace looked at his dad and tilted his head. “What? I know how to read.”

Zahra and Josiah laughed.

“Tell me about the vampires in this area. I know that vampires are real because one of my friends in St. Theresa was a vampire. He only drank blood of animals and he never killed them, or he drank blood from a blood bank.”

“Just like with every group of people, there are a few bad apples. There is a nest of vampires in the area who have been attacking people and draining them of their blood, killing them. We’re telling everyone to not go out alone at night or to the mountain anytime, and to be vigilant.”

Jace puffed up his chest. “I’m not afraid. I know that the wolf pack will protect me. That’s what families do.”