Page 70 of Bullied Pregnant Mate

“I’d like that,” I reply, actually meaning it. The deep yearning within me to discover the rest of my family hasn’t gone away, and if Brad’s talk about Decker is true, then both packs could reconcile if my family does.

“If we could meet somewhere, you and Dad, and me and my wife, that would be a start,” I offer.

“Yeah, it would be,” Brad says, smiling. “Dad would be so happy to hear you say that. You’re married?”

“Yeah,” I say simply, still not giving anything away.

“Okay. So, this would have to be outside our territories. How about we meet somewhere down near Ophir? Further uptowards Mt. Sneffels is Kelta’s territory now. We definitely don’t want to go there.”

“I think that’s perfect.”

“How about on the full moon, at zenith?”

“You got it.”

“I’ll be there,” Brad says, slowly slinking back into the shadows. “With Father.”

I watch him go, my senses on alert for any nearby patrols. Once Brad disappears, I turn, go back through the thicket, and run for home.

All I want to do is get back to Alisa, and soak in the comfort I feel in her presence. Tonight rattled me badly. I still don’t know if I want to go into this as a long-lost son, or a malignant spy.

To my surprise, Alisa is still awake when I reach the den.

“I thought you’d be asleep,” I say, coming in and kneeling by the couch. “You didn’t have to wait up for me.”

“I did doze a little,” she admits. “But I was wondering where you went.”

“Okay, well, this is pretty heavy,” I begin, taking a deep breath. “But I saw my brother out there.”

“Oh, Jenks, no,” she says in a hushed voice, her eyes going wide. “Already? What’s he doing here?”

“He says that he and my father just want to get to know me. Apparently, my dad feels all cut up about the affair with my mom and devastated that she hid me from him.”

“Do you believe this?”

“Some of it,” I answer, sighing. “I just don’t know. And there’s something else.”

“Oh, God,” she groans. “What?”

“Bae told me he might want me to go on a spy mission,” I say in a rush. “To Silverton. These guys could give me a way in.”

“Jenks.” Alisa shakes her head, her eyes wide with fear. “This is too much. What the hell are you going to do?”

“My half-brother and I arranged a meeting, and I have to go,” I answer, strength coming into my voice. “It’s the only thing I can do.”

“But… it could be a trap. We have no idea if you can trust them.”

“I know. Believe me, I’m not convinced, either,” I say. “But I have no choice. The best way forward is to meet with them, and go from there.”

Alisa looks down, sighing in resignation. “I could argue with you a bit more,” she says, meeting my eyes again. “But really, you’re right. If we tell Bailey, it could all go to hell. If your brother and father are genuine, they could get killed by our pack. It would be devastating.”

“Or Bae could force me to use them to infiltrate Decker,” I add quietly. “I don’t want to turn my family against me. If there’s any chance I could find out where I come from, I have to take it.”

“I know,” she says, putting her hands on my cheeks. “I know, Jenks.”

She rests her forehead on mine, and we breathe in unison for a few moments, feeling the wonderful dance of magic between us.

“I’ll stand with you,” she whispers. “I will always stand by your side, no matter where you are.”

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