Page 5 of Daddy Wolf’s Secret Baby (Fated To The Wolf #10)

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Josiah

J osiah smiled when he finished texting Zahra. He was glad that he and Jace had connected so well. It had been a little awkward at first, especially since he hadn’t spent a lot of time interacting with pups or kids of any species.

“He’s extremely intelligent, just like his mother. I wonder if he got any of my traits, like stubbornness,” he muttered to himself. “Jace certainly got my looks. He is like a cloned version of me.”

Annoyance flushed through him when he thought about everything he had missed. Josiah hadn’t been there for Jace’s first steps, his first words, and when he started school. If Zahra had been honest with him, he would have been there for that.

He slumped back in the chair and took a swig of beer. A voice in the back of his head reminded him that he had to be honest. He wouldn’t have been happy if Zahra had told him she was pregnant. Of course, he would have stood by her and at least contributed financially to Jace’s care.

How much time would I have spent with him? Would I have asked her to go through the mating ceremony with me? Would she have said “yes” after I told her we couldn’t be together?

Josiah rubbed his forehead and groaned. “Does it really matter? As Zac said, what’s done is done. Mom always says that ‘what ifs’ are dangerous because they keep people locked in the past.”

He sighed heavily. “I can’t believe I’m talking to myself. Maybe I should get a cat or a dog to talk to.”

The evening spent with Jace replayed in Josiah’s mind. It had started like an interview, with each of them asking questions. Jace had asked a lot of standard questions, such as, “What is your favorite thing to do?” He had also asked other, interesting questions, such as, “If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you like to have with you?” A couple of Jace’s questions had made Josiah feel as though he was going through a psychological exam or one of those tests that some employers give before hiring someone.

Gradually, they both relaxed. Josiah hadn’t realized exactly how stressed out and nervous he had been to spend time with a ten-year-old. Now, he was extremely excited to hang out with him tomorrow.

Zahra popped into his mind. Her long, blond hair cascaded down her back and her large, cobalt blue eyes were full of love for Jace. She had added a touch of makeup to her face, but she didn’t need it. Her natural beauty was enough to make any man look twice.

He inhaled deeply and smelled her scent. It had stayed with him throughout the years and every so often, when he was tired or simply relaxing, it would haunt him. Not for the first time, he wondered what would have happened if he hadn’t been such an idiot.

“I guess we had to take the paths we did to get here today,” he muttered, realizing that not only was he quoting his mother again, but he was also talking to himself.

Josiah was on John’s and Isabel’s doorstep precisely at nine. Jace ran out of the house with a large plastic zipper baggie for his clothes, a plastic grocery sack for his shoes, and a huge smile.

Zahra stepped up behind him and smiled.

“I promise to take good care of him. We’re going to have a lot of fun,” Josiah said.

She nodded.

Jace kissed her on the cheek. “Bye, Mom.” He grabbed Josiah’s arm and practically dragged him to the truck.

He showed Josiah the bags after Jace was buckled into his seat. “I didn’t know if you would remember bags for me, and Mom says that I have to always be prepared for everything. I don’t like having to shake the bugs out of my clothes.”

“I did remember bags for you, and your mother is right. I’m not a huge fan of bugs in my clothes, either. The worst is when you go someplace new and there are fire ants in the tree or bush you hide your clothes in and you forgot a bag.”

Jace cocked his head to one side. “What are fire ants?”

“I forgot that you don’t have them in Missouri. They are nasty little creatures that are aggressive. They like to sting people out of sheer meanness and leave itchy blisters. They are bad enough that they can kill small mammals, reptiles, and some ground-nesting birds.”

“I wouldn’t like to find them in my clothes. How did they get to New Mexico?”

“The theory is that they likely came from Brazil and hitched rides on cargo ships that docked in Mobile, Alabama around the 1930s. They didn’t make it to New Mexico until the 1990s.”

“How come you know so much about them?”

“Two things. One is that I’m very much interested in the ecosystem, especially in our area. The other is that, once upon a time, I thought about getting into entomology, especially forensic entomology. I used to watch a show called Bones, where one of the characters used bugs to help solve crimes and such.”

A huge smile lit up Jace’s face and he bounced in his seat. “You should do that. When I grow up, we can work together. I can be a medical examiner who finds out how the person died and you can study the bugs to find out more about the person’s death.”

“That would be fun. I didn’t know you wanted to be a medical examiner.”

“Yep. Just like Ducky on NCIS. ”

“Your mom lets you watch that?”

“Yeah? Why does everyone think that’s so strange?”

Josiah just grinned and pulled into the parking spot at the base of the mountain.

“There is still a little bit of snow on the ground.”

“It’s okay. We had snow in the mountains in Missouri, too.”

They spent a couple of hours loping around on the mountain. Josiah showed Jace the little oasis spot. He couldn’t help but remember that this was the spot where he and Zahra had sex eleven years ago.

“A lot of shifters come here in the spring, summer, and early fall. There are always a ton of wildflowers growing here, and the water is fun to play in. It’s also a good place to take a nap.”

“Mom likes naps sometimes, but I don’t. I always read when she takes one.”

They talked about the kinds of books they liked to read as they walked back to the truck. Josiah took Jace to a diner for some cheeseburgers for lunch. He wasn’t ready for the attention they would likely get if they went to Howlers’.

He was disappointed when it was time to take Jace home.

“I had a lot of fun. Can we go again soon?”

Josiah ruffled Jace’s hair. “Of course.”

Jace waved to him and then disappeared inside the house. Josiah wished he could ask for more time, but he had a meeting to attend.

Zac and Conner were already at the ceremonial hall, along with Matthias, the Alpha for the local bear shifter clan, and Lucious, the Alpha for the local dragon shifter clan. Everyone’s faces were very grim.

“We likely have a problem,” Zac said, without any preamble. “One of the mundane humans in Angel’s Creek has been killed suspiciously. It looks like a vampire attacked the woman. She had been completely drained of blood and had the tell-tale marks on her neck. I talked to the sheriff, who, as you all know, is a bear shifter, and he said that there had been a string of similar murders. The individual or group of vampires have worked their way from Mississippi. There were about thirty suspicious deaths or disappearances in El Paso, Texas, and at least that many in San Antonio.”

“Vampires?” Conner groaned.

“Yes. Although it looked like the local woman had only been killed by one, the sheriff and I both believe that it is a nest of rogue vampires instead of just one. There are too many deaths for it to realistically be only one, although not impossible.”

Josiah’s heart sank and his stomach knotted. That was the last thing they needed here. As a general rule, he liked vampires as much as he liked any other person. Most of them got their food from blood banks or hired mundane humans who would trade blood for money or friendship. There were very few left in the United States who still hunted people.

“Everyone needs to be very vigilant, especially at night, although they will attack during the day,” Matthias said. “As you all know, the majority of the legends about vampires were false. They can cross running water, they can be out in daylight, they can eat garlic, and they can withstand a crucifix. As a matter of fact, I know of at least one vampire family who attends a Christian church.”

“There is one legend that is true, though,” Lucious said. “The only way to kill them is with a wooden stake to their heart or decapitation.”

“They have incredible strength and fighting abilities,” Matthias added. “If you do come across one, be very, very careful.”

One of the wolf shifters grinned. “It’s too bad that Sam and Dean Winchester’s move of injecting the vampires with blood from a dead person doesn’t work.”

When everyone looked at her quizzically, she said, “You know, from the show, Supernatural. Don’t you people watch anything good?”

Everyone chuckled and the meeting broke up.

Zac and Josiah walked outside together. “How’s it going with Jace?”

“He’s amazing. Zahra did a terrific job raising him. He’s smart, polite, and a great pup. We went for a run this morning and had a great time. I’m glad that Zahra is letting us get to know each other.”

“She’s a wonderful mother and will do what’s best for Jace. He wants to know his father, so she’ll let him hang out with you because you’re a good man.”

Josiah nodded. “I want to be a major part of his life. I’m going to turn the spare room into Jace’s room.”

“Good plan. Don’t be afraid to ask Jace and Zahra to help you.” Zac patted Josiah on the back. “Olivia wants to grill tonight, so I need to get going before she sets it on fire again. She can do a million things perfectly, but operating a grill is not one of them.”

They laughed as they went their separate ways.

He went home, made some hamburgers and baked beans, and watched The Expendables II again. His mind wasn’t on the movie, though. He had started thinking about Jace, but then Zahra’s face floated through his mind. She was even more beautiful than she had been when they were kids.

The feeling of their bodies entwined together that warm night often snuck up on him. She was the reason that he hadn’t been able to go through the mating ceremony with Madison. Josiah had loved Madison. She was beautiful, smart, and kind. The problem was that every time he touched her, Zahra’s face would intrude.

Her scent wrapped around him and for a moment the thought that they were fated mates crossed his mind. He quickly pushed it aside.

“There’s no way.”

The problem was that no matter how many times he had told himself the same thing over the years, the possibility lingered in the back of his mind.