Page 22

Kellan

Our little family was growing, but the big world outside was impinging on our peace. The humans still had so many omegas as well as others, even a few of their own, in their clutches, and it seemed that I wasn’t the only one who escaped. But how and why?

We might never know that. As our little girl grew, I knew one thing. I’d lay down my life for my family. Finishing the breakfast dishes, I tried to push the negative thoughts out of my mind. Heaven knew I had plenty of good things to consider, and unless I was part of one of the teams, my job was to provide support. In that spirit, I was not only watching the screens but learning to bake. I never thought it would happen, had warned everyone how bad my results were likely to be, but with some practice, I had begun to turn out some downright edible items. When I was captive, I’d have sold my left foot for a cookie, and any omegas who came to us were likely to have a similar experience.

The timer went off, and I hurried to grab an oven mitt to retrieve my latest experiment. When I opened the oven, the fragrance of warm, melted chocolate filled the kitchen. This was one of my favorite moments in baking. Not that every time was a success, but I was getting there.

“Is that your dad’s caramel brownie recipe?”

I froze, oven door open and pan in my mitted hand. Across the kitchen, my daughter lay in her bouncy seat, and it was all I could do not to race over and grab her, hold her to me before we were both caught up in my hallucination.

“Son?” Hurt colored my alpha father’s tone. “Please don’t be angry with us. We’ve been hunting for you every day sine you disappeared.”

I turned, shaking, afraid of what I would not see. “Pops. How are you here? Where…why? I don’t understand.”

My alpha came in through the other door and scooped up our daughter. “I did it. I hope you’re not angry that I found your den and went to visit the other day. Omega, I know you were sure they wouldn’t want you back, but I thought that on the off chance you were mistaken, they deserved to know you were alive.”

Pops entered the kitchen, Dad right behind him, and the met me halfway across the kitchen. “Son, if you’ll set those down, we’d sure love a hug.”

Tears were streaming down my face, and I allowed Dad to take the mitt and pan from me and place the dessert on the table. “But I disobeyed you, and I deserved what I got.”

“Who would ever say that?” Dad’s bear was visible in his eyes and audible in his growl. “You deserved a safe home and protection. We should have stopped you from going out on your own. When we realized, we went after you, but we were too late. He held out his arms. “If you don’t want to hugs us, we will understand and leave you alone.”

My mind was dong gyrations as I let them both envelop me in one of their warm hugs. These fathers would never have abandoned me. If they had the slightest idea where I was, they’d have moved heaven and earth to find me there. Why had I believed differently?

“They told me you didn’t want me back,” I sobbed. “That after everything that happened, after I disobeyed you, you’ written me off.” All that brainwashing had happened shortly after my capture, done under sleep and food deprivation. “I feel horrible that I believed it.”

“I’m going to kill every one of them if it’s the last thing I do,” Pops said. “How dare they harm you?”

“Maybe don’t set out to do that on your own.” Locke came to join us. “But if you want to help, we can share with you how to become part of our coalition.”

They agreed they would but then the let go of me in favor of their granddaughter. “Her name is Elise,” I told them.

“Give me that little girl,” Dad crooned, taking her from Locke. “She looks just like Kellan when he was little, doesn’t she, Ed?”

“Same eyes, same button nose.” The two of them carried her off to the living room and plopped down on the couch to cuddle and tickle our little girl.

“I think they forgot me already,” I sniffled.

“No way. They cried their eyes out when I told them you were alive, and as soon as the little one goes for her nap, they’re going to have a lot of questions for you, so use the time to decide what you want them to know. I told them only in broadest terms about your experience.”

“They have enough guilt,” I sighed. “I think it’s time to move forward without adding to it. Besides, look at them? Don’t they deserve to be happy?”

“You’re a better man than me, omega. Because if anyone tried to harm Elise, I would never eat or drink or rest until she was home safe.”

“Knowing they tried their best, makes it better. Not okay, but I they were good fathers and if all that cooing and babytalk are any indication, they are going to be rockstar grandfathers. Thank you for giving them the chance I didn’t.”

“Then why don’t we cut some of those brownies. Are they your dad’s recipe?”

“No. I never had time to learn it from him, but don’t tell them. His were kind of dry, anyway.”

Locke helped me plate up the brownies with the caramel sauce drizzled over them and we took a tray of dessert into the living room to share with my fathers who were showing no signs of letting go of Elise.

Sitting here in our living room with our daughter and my dads, and, of course, my fated mate, I couldn’t help but reflect on how things had changed for me. I was surrounded by love, but there were still so many omegas in pain.

My alpha and the team would save them all eventually.

With the Goddess’ blessings.