Page 238 of The Alpha's Second Chance Mate

“Sorry. Dad, this is Cole Garrett. I told you about him.” Langston gestured at me.

“You have.” The man held his hand out.

Unsure what to do, but knowing I didnotwant to offend him, I shook his hand, and it was like having my hand wrapped in steel bands. The man was even stronger than he looked.

“Cole, this is my father, Archer Meadows. Alpha of the Des Moines pack, and director of the shifter branch of Homeland Security.”

My jaw dropped, and I glanced from Langston to his father. “Are you shitting me?”

Langston chuckled. “Told you I had big shoes to fill.”

Archer hugged Ashton and Avery. “I’m glad you two are safe. I’ll be honest, when I found out what was going on, I made some calls, but—” his lip curled back in a snarl “—the wheels in Washington go too slowly, even for someone like me. I came as soon as I was authorized, but I knew my boy would do me proud.”

“It’s fine, Archer,” Avery said, hugging him again. “We’re safe.”

“I’m so happy you’re all right,” he said, rubbing her back.

“Hey there, old man,” Zayde said, slapping Archer on the back.

Archer grinned at him. “Careful who you call old, Zayde. I’ll have to show you how good an old man can kick ass.”

Archer turned to me, releasing my mate and son, and pointed at my chest. “You, sir, are relieved of duty. My team will take care of everything here. I suppose you and these two have a bit ofcatching up and relaxing to do,” he said, nodding to Ashton and Avery.

“That would be amazing,” I admitted.

“Take my car,” Archer said. “Give my driver your address, and he’ll get you home in bed.”

Smiling gratefully, I walked toward the car with my left arm around Ashton’s shoulders and my right around Avery’s waist. Before I climbed in, I saw Farrah helping an EMT get Dallas’s gurney into the back of an ambulance. She scrambled inside as the doors were closed. Good. I didn’t want him to be alone.

Before getting into the SUV, I gave the battleground one last look, still wondering where the girl had gone. My brain only had so much processing power at the moment, and I wanted all of it focused on my family.

I sat in the middle, between Avery and Ashton. As silly as it might look, I wanted to be close to both of them, and it was the best way to accomplish that. Ashton and Avery seemed fine with that, and before we’d even made it down the driveway, all three of us fell asleep, my mate and my son’s heads on my chest.

EPILOGUE

AVERY

Aweek after the events of that awful night, things had gotten more or less back to normal. Ashton had mostly put it all behind him. I truly envied the way kids could push through and forget. He would have memories and flashbacks of it all, sure, but all in all, he seemed mostly fine.

I wasn’t, of course.

Even though he was nearly sixteen, I’d become a helicopter mom again like I had when he’d been a toddler. Whenever he was out of my sight for too long, I got anxious. It was getting better, but it would take time. For his part, he didn’t act like he cared.

“Mom, I can make my own sandwich,” he said as I pulled his plate away and set about finishing his lunch.

“I know, but I want to help. Go sit down. Do you want some chips and a candy bar from the pantry?”

Chuckling, he raised his hands in defeat. “Sure. Why not?” He walked over to the kitchen table.

“Are you gonna make me a sandwich, too?” Cole asked with a grin.

I glanced at him, one eyebrow quirked. “Your hands aren’t broken. Plus, you didn’t have to spend all that time living with a psycho.”

“Fair enough.”

“But yes, I’ll make you one,” I conceded.

Ashton cleared his throat. “So, summer is almost over. Should we look at getting me registered for school?”

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