Page 14

Gabriel POV

Goose turned out to be a well-behaved black lab. The dog was sitting by my feet, staring in the same direction as me, as if he knew that we were both anxiously waiting for his five-year-old owner to arrive.

It was the day after Summer agreed to talk with her mother and aunt about staying at my house. Once I got the go-ahead from Summer’s mom, I made sure all the guests' rooms were prepared, stocked up the fridge, and looked up bikes for Grayson to order online to buy as a present for him. While I was looking at a bright red one with flames, I made myself stop.

I realized I couldn't buy my son's love. I had to earn it. Spoiling him with gifts would make him like me at first, but it wouldn't be a good starting point for the kind of relationship I wanted to have with Grayson. I wanted to be as good a parent as I knew Summer was. Just the look that crossed her face whenever she spoke about Grayson was more than enough to see how much she loved him.

But I had to get to know him in order to have a meaningful relationship with him. Grayson living in my house was a step in the right direction. When I was getting dressed this morning, I found myself carefully picking out my outfit, wanting to make a good first impression on my son. As I was holding two crisp white shirts, I rolled my eyes at myself. Grayson was five. He wouldn't care what I was wearing.

Now, with my fingers tapping a broken rhythm on my leg and Goose sitting at my feet, I waited on my front lawn to officially meet my son for the first time. When a light blue Jeep pulled into my driveway, Goose perked up as if he knew Grayson was in that car, even though he couldn't see him.

The first person to open their door was Summer. My mouth went dry as I took in her tight jeans and white shirt. Her hair was braided back to showcase her beautiful face. I couldn't take my eyes off her as she shut her car door. Just the way she moved captivated me. Her hips swayed in a rhythm that had me mesmerized. She had the posture and grace of a ballerina. For a moment, I was stunned by her classical beauty.

A yell interrupted my ogling.

Grayson shot out of the car, and Goose ran toward him. They met each other in the middle. My son was squealing with joy as Goose licked his round cheeks.

“Goosey! You’re here!” my son cried and hugged his dog close to him, pressing kisses to his dog’s wet nose.

Seeing the pure bliss on Grayson’s face was worth asking one of my contacts, Mason, who lived near the address Summer’s mom had provided me, to drive Goose the ten hours to my compound.

I was a little apprehensive when Mason pulled up in a black truck, wondering if a goose was going to fly out of his truck when he opened the door, but when Grayson’s dog leaped out of the back, I smiled and admired my Mate’s humor.

“How are you here?” Grayson asked Goose. When the dog didn't answer, he looked up at Summer. “How is he here, Mom?”

Summer kneeled down next to our son and scratched behind Goose’s ears.

“Well, sweetheart, there’s someone I’d like you to meet. He was the one who made it possible for Goose to come here, and he’s going to give us a place to stay until Grandpa gets…well, um, while Grandpa is in the hospital,” Summer said, her voice cracking.

Summer had been about to say until her father got better, but changed direction in the end. Was it because she wanted to prepare Grayson if Theodore passed away from his injuries?

She took a deep breath and glanced at me.

My mouth became dry.

This is it.

The moment when I officially met my son. The moment he officially met me. Grayson and I would remember this for the rest of our lives.

Summer’s mom and aunt stayed back near the car to give us our space.

I kneeled down and petted Goose. Now that all three of us were giving him attention, he began to wag his tail and pant with happiness.

“Grayson, this is…” Summer trailed off as my son’s eyes met mine.

Grayson’s eyes were the perfect combination of mine and Summer’s. They were a mix of blue, green, and a little bit of gold to create a color that was entirely his own.

“Sweetheart, this is…” Summer started again, and her eyes cut to mine.

The torn expression on her face made my stomach drop.

“This is Gabriel,” Summer said to our son. “He’s going to let us stay in his house while Grandpa is in the hospital. Goose can stay here, too. Isn’t that great?”

Grayson blushed, buried his face in Summer’s shoulder, and murmured something too low for me to hear.

“Sorry, he isn’t used to meeting new people,” my Mate explained and rubbed Grayson’s back.

I was stunned.

I couldn’t believe Summer just introduced me to our son like that. Like I was a stranger doing them a favor by letting them stay in our house. Like Grayson didn’t have half my DNA.

Like I wasn’t Grayson’s father.

I stood up abruptly and staggered back. My head spun. This was the same dizzying feeling I’d experienced when I smashed through the window headfirst.

Why?

Why wouldn’t she tell Grayson the truth? Wouldn’t it be confusing for our son when he found out that I was his dad?

Check yourself, dude.

My subconscious was right. I did break mine and Summer’s Mating bond before she could tell me she was pregnant. Because of that, she didn’t trust me.

Regret for sending Summer away was always with me. It was like a scar on my heart that would never fade away.

But did that horrible mistake mean I’d never get a chance to have a relationship with my son?

With terror, I realized she might never tell Grayson I was his father.

That thought hit me like a physical blow.

I couldn't give up, though. All hope wasn't lost. I would make amends for breaking mine and Summer's bond. I would show her that she could count on me.

Summer straightened with a resolved look on her face. She laid a hand on Grayson’s shoulder and looked back at her aunt and mom.

“Come on, guys!” Summer called. “Gabriel is going to show us around.”

My Mate’s message was clear when her aunt and mother stood by her side. The three women who raised my son were standing in a line with Grayson in front of them. Her mom laid a hand on Summer’s arm, and her aunt took Grayson’s hand.

I was the outsider. I hadn't been there for my son’s first steps. I hadn’t heard his first words. With a jolt, I realized I didn’t even know his middle name.

The only connection I had to Grayson was the blood running through his veins. He was my son, but I wasn’t his parent—not in the way I wanted to be.

I swallowed and tried to flash them a smile, but it came out as more of a grimace.

“Thank you for letting us stay here, Gabriel,” Summer’s aunt said.

“Of course,” I said briskly. “Please, follow me.”

Mechanically, I walked up my front lawn, the three women, one little boy, and a dog named Goose following after me.

“Wow,” Summer whispered.

I looked up at my house.

There was a three-tiered marble fountain happily shooting out water next to the stone walkway that led to my wrought iron double front doors. The outside of my house was made of mostly white stone with wood trimmings.

I led them up the stairs onto the porch. This was my favorite place to think. There were wooden rocking chairs lined up along the wooden surface, rocking gently with the wind. When you sat down, there was a view of the wide front lawn and the tall sugar maple trees that lined my driveway. Most mornings, I came out here with a cup of coffee.

I opened the front doors for them, and Goose shot inside first. Grayson ran after his dog.

Summer groaned.

“We have to catch those two before they destroy everything,” she said.

“Let them,” I said, waving my hand.

I moved to step inside, but I stopped.

I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t go through the motions of being a happy host until I talked with Summer and found out why she didn’t tell Grayson I was his father. We needed to have open communication if I wanted her to trust me again.

I lowered my voice and stepped closer to her.

“Summer, can I speak to you in private? Please?”

She looked at her aunt and mom.

“We will keep an eye on Grayson and Goose,” Mia, Summer’s aunt, promised.

“Fine,” Summer muttered to me. “You can help me get the bags out of the car.”

“I’ll give you a tour after,” I told the other two women and led Summer back off the porch.

I looked at my watch. I had a conference call in ten minutes with Alpha Armstrong from the Tideridge Kingdom. I'd been ignoring my father's texts and calls about the arranged marriage he was setting up with the Alpha King's daughter. I texted him that I wouldn't align myself with a corrupt king. But my father just ignored these messages and continued to update me with news about my “wedding” in two weeks.

I had a plan to protect WaterLock and my compound another way — a way that didn't involve the Alpha King. A way that I didn't have to marry someone else when I would always be in love with Summer Golding.

“How’s your father?” I asked.

Yesterday, after I spoke with Summer about staying at my house, I went to my office in the compound and informed my vice president that I’d be gone for a couple of weeks. Preparing for Axel’s attack was going to take up most of my time. The rest of yesterday I spent working with my VP to get things squared away for my absence. I hadn’t had time to go to the hospital again, but Healer Nia made sure to text me updates.

“He’s the same,” Summer replied and let out a long breath.

We were silent for a moment as we walked past the fountain.

“What exactly do you do at your cybersecurity company?” my Mate asked as we walked across the lawn, back to Mia's car.

Her question threw me. I was flattered that she was curious about my life, but I wanted — needed — to talk about Grayson.

“My company provides technological security for packs in our kingdom—and for Tideridge and Pyregate as well,” I answered. “This protects their cameras, computers, basically any technological device, from being hacked.”

“You always were interested in computers,” Summer mumbled, seemingly to herself. “So, you stay here,” she gestured to my house, “by yourself?”

Was that a hint of jealousy in her voice?

I leaned against the back of the Jeep and crossed my arms.

“Sometimes families who are visiting their loved ones at the hospital need a place to stay, you know, like you and your family—“

I paused.

My throat became tight. I couldn’t finish my sentence. It killed me to know that I couldn’t count Summer and Grayson as my family.

If my Mate had it her way, would she ever consider me her family? Would Grayson never know me as his father?

“We need to talk,” I said.

“I don’t want to talk about us right now, Gabriel.” She sighed and looked away from me.

“I don’t want to talk about our relationship. I want to talk about our son.”