Page 48

Wyatt

Three Years Later

T he evening air carries the scent of pine and wood-smoke as I rock slowly on the porch swing, Naomi nestled against my chest. My hands rest on the gentle swell of her belly, feeling the occasional flutter of movement beneath my palms.

Another miracle I never thought I'd experience.

The pack compound stretches before us, bathed in the golden light of sunset. Wolves move about their evening routines, some heading to night shifts, others gathering for meals, a few young ones still playing in the central clearing.

Our pack.

It still feels strange sometimes. Like I'm living someone else's life.

A letter from the council sits on the table beside us, official confirmation that Brad's sentence has been made permanent. Exile to the far northern territories, and stripped of rank and name, after serving three years in the council's prison. The final chapter of that story is finally closed for good.

"Jamie says they'll be here next week," Naomi murmurs, glancing at her phone. "Dean's grumbling about the trip, but he wouldn't miss Jamie's niece or nephew's arrival for anything."

I smile, thinking of the solid alliance we've built with Dean's pack, a connection that's benefited both our territories. A blue symbol painted on our pack hall door marks us as allies, respected and protected.

"What are you thinking about?" Naomi asks, her voice soft with contentment.

I press a kiss to the top of her head. "How different things were three years ago."

She hums in agreement, covering my hands with her own, where they rest on her bump. "Remember how terrified everyone was when we first arrived?"

"Can you blame them? I'd just beaten their alpha into submission and claimed his place."

And they thought I was planning on opening the doors here to my supposed army of feral rogues.

"I think it was your charming personality that scared them, not the fighting." She teases.

Before I can respond, shouting draws our attention to the path below our porch. Two teenage boys are roughhousing, shoving each other dangerously close to Sarah's meticulously tended flower beds.

"Hey!" I call out, my voice carrying easily across the distance. "Take it to the training grounds before you destroy something."

The boys freeze instantly, heads snapping toward us. Recognition and a healthy dose of respect flash across their faces.

"Sorry, Alpha," the taller one says, straightening his posture. He’s from a family of wolves who moved here after years of ill-treatment by an alpha who never got over an old perceived slight. They’ve settled in immediately and it’s so good to see the boys flourish.

"Won't happen again," adds the other, both of them offering slight bows of deference before scurrying off toward the training area.

Naomi chuckles against my chest. "Still got it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I let out a low rumble, the one I know she loves, and flex the muscles beneath her palm, still madly in love and trying to impress her at all times.

"That look," she says. "The one that makes grown wolves nervous, and teenagers remember their manners."

I roll my eyes but can't help the small smile tugging at my lips. It's a far cry from the way people used to look at me: with fear, disgust, and with suspicion. Now there's respect. Trust.

Belonging.

The sound of small feet racing up the porch steps interrupts my thoughts. The front door bangs open, and a small figure barrels through, racing around the corner of the house, dark hair wild and untamed, laughter spilling from his tiny body.

"Daddy!" James shrieks with delight, throwing himself at my legs with the fearless abandon of a two-year-old who knows he'll always be caught.

I scoop him up with one arm, settling him on my knee. "What are you doing out here, pup? I thought you were helping Aunt Maddie with dinner."

"Ran away," he announces proudly, bouncing on my leg.

"I can see that," I say dryly, smoothing down his unruly hair, so much like mine, but with Naomi's warm, brown eyes. "Did you at least say excuse me first?"

He considers this seriously, then shakes his head. "Forgot."

Naomi laughs, reaching out to wipe a smudge of dirt from his cheek. "You're going to be in trouble when Aunt Maddie catches up."

As if summoned by her name, Maddie appears around the corner, slightly out of breath. "There you are, you little monster!"

James giggles, ducking his head against my chest.

Maddie stops at the foot of the porch steps, hands on her hips. "Sorry. He bolted the second I turned my back."

"It's fine." I assure her. "He just wanted to see what we were up to."

"Well, dinner's almost ready," she says. "And someone needs a bath before he eats." She gives James a pointed look that has him burrowing further against me.

"We'll be there in a bit," Naomi promises.

Maddie nods and heads back to the house, where she's been staying since arriving for an extended visit last week. Her work minding the pups keeps her busy at Dean's pack, but she never misses important family events.

Like the arrival of her second niece or nephew.

"No bath," James declares, lower lip jutting out in a stubborn pout that reminds me so much of his mother that I have to fight a smile.

"Yes, bath." I counter, tapping his nose lightly. "You smell like you've been rolling in the dirt all day."

"That’s because I have." He admits without shame.

Naomi shifts against me, one hand pressing against her lower back. It's subtle, but I catch it immediately. Her body is sore. She needs to rest.

"You should go rest before dinner," I tell her, concern flickering through me. "I'll get this one cleaned up."

She opens her mouth to protest, then seems to think better of it. "Maybe just for a few minutes."

I help her to her feet, steadying her with a hand at her waist. "Take as long as you need. We'll be fine."

She smiles, leaning up to kiss me softly. "I know you will."

I watch her make her way inside, moving more slowly now that she's in her third trimester. My wolf stirs protectively at the sight, never quite able to shake the instinct to guard her, even here, in the heart of our territory.

"Come on, trouble," I say, standing with James still in my arms. "Bath time."

"No!" He squeals, but he's laughing as I carry him toward the door.

"Yes." I insist, pretending to growl as I nuzzle up against his neck. "Or the big bad wolf will eat you up."

He dissolves into giggles, small hands pushing at my face. "Okay. Bath, bath!"

"That's what I thought," I murmur, victorious.

Inside, I pass Naomi in the hallway, already settling onto the couch with her feet up. I bend down for one more kiss, unable to stop myself from lingering to deepen it into more than just a casual peck.

"I can scarcely believe any of this is real sometimes," I tell her quietly.

Her expression softens, understanding in her eyes. She cups my cheek in her palm. "It's real. All of it. And you deserve every bit."

I lean into her touch for a moment, grounding myself in the feel of her skin against mine, in the scent of our home and our family around us.

"Daddy! Bath!" James demands, squirming in my arms.

"Duty calls," I say ruefully.

Naomi laughs, shooing us toward the bathroom. "Go. I'll be here when you're done."

As I carry our son down the hallway, listening to him chatter about his day, and the frog he found, and how Aunt Maddie let him stir the sauce, I feel a deep contentment settle in my chest.

Three years ago, I was a rogue with nothing but a reputation for violence.

Now, I'm an alpha with a pack that respects me. A mate who loves me. A son who looks at me like I hang the moon, and another child on the way.

A family. A home. Everything I never thought I deserved, but somehow, found anyway.

And I'll spend the rest of my life making sure I'm worthy of all of it.