Page 19 of Omega Haunting (Starscale Mates #8)
Marsin
Part of me wanted to toss Astral over my shoulder and tuck Baby Raylin under my arm and not stop flying until I was back at my house. There I could lock them both in the nesting room and keep all madmen with guns away from them. Only that wasn’t written in the stars. I knew it before I even brought up the subject of moving to Astral. Our pup was too young, and he wanted his family’s support too much.
Teddy had been shot twice but by the time Baby Raylin was a week older his only complaint was that the second bullet nicked the line of his tattoo, and he’d have to wait a few months until the skin smoothed out before he could get it touched up. I spent most of that week under our bed with Astral and Baby Raylin. Part of me wanted to roar ‘told you so’ over and over but couldn’t find any joy in it. I was too relieved that neither of them were hurt. Astral tried to apologize a couple of times but I wouldn’t hear of it. Seeing the best in an elderly man who obviously needed help wasn’t anything he needed to apologize for. Him being alive was enough for me. Winning the argument tasted bitter when the outcome was Dern was now in a care home for older wolves and not taking visitors.
Since he had no children living nearby and Astral wasn’t ready to shift back into his human form, somehow Teddy and I had taken up the mantel of ensuring he had what he needed at the home. Doctor Leem said the old asshole perked up when he mentioned that Teddy’s friend Sigmore Nightshade was coming to visit. That day he insisted on seeing me.
“What?” I asked, stalking into the room a nurse in banana yellow scrubs had pointed out to me.
“I need to see that spirit seer, okay?” Dern said as if he hadn’t waved a gun in my face and shot my nephew a week before. “I need him to hear my story. It’s important. It’s important for him. I know I say everything I do is selfish and it is. I’m a selfish, selfish wolf and I’ve never claimed to be anything else. I would’ve shot you. Not in the head or anything. Probably in the foot to make a point. I had to make the rest of them know I was serious. I had to do it to make everything else happen. I lied to Astral. I’m gonna go soon. You know that. Your friend I shot knows that too. Everyone does, huh? That’s why I’m here and not rotting behind bars but I can’t go off with Ormund until I finish some stuff up for him. He’s not making me do anything. I think he’s about ready to toss his hands up and tell me to come on home but I’m not ready to give up. I made him a promise.”
“I’ll see if he wants to talk to you.”
“Tell him about Ormund, okay? Tell him about Ormund and make sure he knows I’m not crazy. Tell him to invite Teddy along too. It’ll be fun.”
“I’m not so sure Teddy wants to see you,” I arched a brow at him.
“That’ll change before you know it. So much is gonna change and I’m the selfish wolf who’s going to hurry it along. Now, go on home to your mate and pup. You’re gonna have twenty more of them before the century is out. I’m sorry I had to drag you and Astral into this but I think a little bit of chaos is a fair trade for meeting Astral, huh?”
“I guess it’ll have to be,” I nodded. “You did make me think I was crazy, though.”
“It was just an omega haunting,” Dern laughed.
That was my cue to leave. I wasn’t sure what changes he thought he’d bring around next and I wasn’t sure I cared. All I wanted was to be back under the bed with my mate and our baby. He could keep his chaos and his magic to himself for the rest of his life for all I cared.
READ ON to meet Teddy’s true-mate, find out what the heck is going on with Dern, and what the next big series might hold for the Hemlock Mpreg Universe.
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