Page 33 of Blackmailed

“Who says I’m not?”

Jefferson snorted. “You look like you want to bolt from this place and never come back.”

Mackenzie scratched his cheek. “Full moon.”

“Ah.” Jefferson nodded. “Knot her. Made me feel better.”

Mackenzie choked. “Son of a bitch, you do fit in here.”

Jefferson laughed. “Seriously though, I’m happy for you, Mac. We’re family. Father-in-laws. It’s time you take your life by the horns and finally find your peace.”

“Yeah,” Mackenzie said. “Maybe.”

Once the turkeys were in their designated cookers, Jefferson went in search of Jochi. After the conversation he had with the different members of the Raferty family, it made him think about everything from his place in the family to how daunting a shifter’s life could be. Firsthand accounts were one thing, seeing it in his family, made it more tangible. Nico’s raw emotion rocked Jefferson to his core. There had to be something more they—he could do, but what? Once he retired, he wouldn’t have the backing of the government any longer.

“You’re thinking too hard, bèndàn,” Jochi said, slipping himself into Jefferson’s slide.

“I am,” he agreed. “Being here has opened my eyes tremendously.”

“Oh?” His mate stared up at him with wide, curious green eyes.

“Yes. We should be doing more to help.”

Jochi grinned. “We have been the whole time you have been in Congress.”

Jefferson chuckled. “You’re right. I have been. I want to do more.”

“Volunteer,” Jochi said. “We’re home now. Work at the orphanage. Teach at the school. Do whatever you can to make a difference.”

“What are you going to be doing?” Jefferson buried his nose in the crown of Jochi’s head.

“Taking care of our family of course, and any jobs Jerome might have use of my many talents,” his mate answered.

“You are, are you?” Jefferson growled. “Will you be dressing as a woman for those occasions?”

Jochi gave Jefferson a coy grin. “Maybe.”

All of the blood in Jefferson’s body rushed to his groin. “You’re going to be the death of me one of these days. Do you have any clue what you do to me?”

Jochi shivered and grinned. “The same as you do to me.”

“What?” Nico shouted, gathering Hayden into his arms while also drawing the attention of everyone in the living room. “Are you sure, Danielle? Don’t fuck with us.”

Danielle nodded. “I just checked Hayden because it’s the first day of the full moon. I... I don’t know how I missed this before, but yes. I can’t fix it for this cycle, but maybe in a month or three, everything should be working properly.” She frowned as she rubbed her forehead. “You’ll have to come see me in the clinic. I can take care of it there.”

Hayden sobbed. “That was it this whole time? It wasn’t some magical spell or hallucinogenic blocker?” Tears streamed down her cheeks while she held Asher and Emmeline close to her.

“Well,” Danielle said with a small smile. “It was a blocker, but there was nothing supernatural about it. I won’t sugar coat it, taking it out will hurt and there are complications, but I think if we work together, you’ll be just fine.”

“I told you little wolf, everything would work out.” Nico held his family in his arms as he kissed Hayden’s forehead. “Thank you, Dani. I—we owe you.”

She held up her hand. “All I ask for in return is a happy, healthy, Raferty-Lopez baby.”

Jefferson hugged Jochi tight. “Well, looks like this holiday is looking up after all.”

“Not like it matters, but now we can prove all the shit Holly is trying to pin on us, is bullshit,” Hayden chirped.

“What did they find?” Mackenzie murmured.

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