Page 14 of Daddy Wolf's Secret Baby

“I’ll let him know.”

Zahra didn’t know whether she was pleased that Jace was so independent or sad that he didn’t need her during this crazy time.

He talked Isabel and John into watchingGremlinswith him, although he spent more time talking about Josiah than he did watching the movie.

She texted Josiah.Jace wants some one-on-one time with you.

Most excellent. Does he shift?

Yes.

Zahra didn’t have to wait long for Josiah’s reply, and she could almost feel his excitement from clear across the town.

Can I pick him up after breakfast tomorrow, take him to the mountain, and shift?

Zahra looked over at Jace as he yelled at Billy not to feed them and told his grandparents that the guy who voiced Stripe was the same man who voiced Scooby Doo.

He was such a grown-up little boy, but a little boy nonetheless.

I think he would love that. Is nine okay?

Her phone buzzed a minute later.It’s great. I’ll pick him up then. Thanks, and good night.

Zahra sat back in the chair and sighed. She was glad that Josiah and Jace would have a good relationship. She suspected that the two of them would quickly form a very close bond.

She sighed quietly. This change was something that would be hard for her to get used to. In the past, it had always been her, Jace, Emma, and Ruthie. Now, she would have to share him with his father and the rest of the pack.

4

Josiah

Josiah 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.

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