Page 28 of The Rabbit's Foot
“Whoa, hold on,” Mr. Dawkins said, holding a hand up. “You’re practically my son-in-law. I think Deacon is a lot better.”
“And I’m Nura. We’re happy to have you as a member of our family, Malachi.”
Mal’s head was spinning. Thankfully Alp jumped in.
“I don’t understand. I thought I was supposed to hate wolves?”
Nura’s cheeks flushed. “Most wolves aren’t to be trusted,” she replied. “Your aunt Marie found that out when someone she thought would be her mate stole everything she owned. He was a wolf, and we always rally around family, so we decided wolves couldn’t be trusted.” She fixed Mal with a stare. “But knowing that a wolf is responsible for saving my son? Keeping him safe from… from….”
Her lip wobbled and her tiny face scrunched up. A moment later, Mal found himself with his arms full of a sobbing woman.
“Alpin was such a willful child,” she said. “He was constantly wanting to get out and explore. His brothers and sisters were perfectly happy staying near the warren, but not Alpin. I can’t tell you how many times we had to ground him when we found him in places that we thought were too dangerous.”
Deacon came around and lay his head on Nura’s shoulder, then pulled her close when she turned and sank into his embrace. “We looked everywhere we could think he might have gone. Then the police called and said they found the car. They told us that they thought Alpin went off with some other people, and we couldn’t say it wasn’t true, because he was forever going off with others and getting into mischief. We figured he’d come back in a day or two. But then it turned into weeks, then months, and finally years. Nura believed we’d been horrible parents, and that we’d driven our son away. She—”
“Stop it! Just fucking stop!” Alp shrieked, pulling at his hair. “I wanted desperately to come home. Every night I lay there, wishing I could be with my family. Hell, I even thought about Andrew and his giggle farts. I would have given anything to be there with you.” He threw himself at Mal, who caught him in midjump and pulled him up and to his chest. “I swear to the Maker, I thought I was going to die, but the only thing—theonlything—that kept me going was the chance to see you and tell you how much I love you.”
And just like that, three rabbit shifters came together in hugs and kisses. Mal stepped back, wanting to give them space. Nura looked up, then reached for his hand and pulled him into the hug.
“We owe you everything, Malachi. There’s nothing you can ask for that is too outlandish. We would sell everything we own in order to pay you back for bringing Alpin home to us.” She squeezed Mal’s shoulder. “He couldn’t have chosen a better mate.”
The word still whirled around in Mal’s head. “You owe me nothing,” he replied. “And for the record, the men who were chasing him are dead. I left their bodies in the woods for the scavengers. They were useless in life, but maybe they can provide something with their deaths.”
Nura sniffled. “It’s wrong of me to feel glad that they’re dead, but Maker help me, I am.” She nuzzled Alp’s hair. “My Alpin was willful, but he was the sweetest child. He’d get into mischief, but he would never intentionally hurt anyone. It took him being gone for me to realize how truly special he is.” She drew in a breath. “It’s that, and what he said to me on the phone yesterday, that tells me he’s finally found somewhere to settle down. Maybe raise a family.”
A family? For fuck’s sake, Mal had just found out he was mated, and Nura was already talking about a family?
“Don’t put the cart before the horse, Mom,” Alp said, smiling wide as he was hugged between his parents. “I don’t know that I want kids.”
“Oh, Alpin. We’re bunnies. Kids are a big part of who we are.”
“Yeah, no. I’m not sure about Mal, but after having been one of fourteen kids, I’m happy having it be just me and Mal.”
His mom clucked her tongue. “You’ll see,” she said. “One day, your house will be bursting with children.”
Mal shuddered at the thought.
* * *
The evening was… well, amazing. Alp’s parents told stories of their family, and they were so vivid, Mal could have sworn they were his memories too. He especially liked the ones about Alp when he was a child, and how headstrong he was, and how he nevereverbacked down from a challenge. Like all good things, though, the night had to end.
Alp cried when his parents said they needed to head for home. Apparently a few of his siblings had new litters, and they needed to be there to help out. Alp was bereft, but brightened considerably when Nura suggested they huddle together for the night. When it was time for bed, they shifted and jumped up onto the sofa.
They’d spent the night, in shifted form, snuggled together. Mal stood guard over them, his bunny and the parents who’d seemed to accept him without qualms. No one would get near them without going through Mal first.
His heart melted when Alp pushed deeper into the bunny pile, his nose wriggling. It was plain to see how much it meant to him. This was the man he’d mated. The one he was coming to love. How could he take Alp or Lydia into danger? How could he keep them out of it? Was he really willing to join hearts and souls with Alp, only to go into some lab and probably die?
“I can feel you, you know,” Alp whispered in his ear.
Mal spun, shocked out of his thoughts. “I’m sorry?”
“The link between us goes both ways.” He slid his fingers through Mal’s hair. “I know you’re afraid, so why don’t you save us both a lot of ‘no I’m not, yes you are’ back and forth and tell me what’s going on in that amazingly gorgeous head of yours.”
Mal snorted. Alp was… Maker, he wasn’t shy at all. He reminded Mal of the First’s wife. She was a force of nature. Instead of being the shy, demure First mate, she had no problems with getting in the trenches and sullying her hands. The man who was in charge of the entire Forest Walker pack would take one look at his mate, and he’d melt. When it came to his kids, no father was more nurturing than the First. Mal never saw that in himself. He wasn’t made to settle down, and it was that fear that crept inside him that had caused him to leave.
Now he was responsible for Alp. He wanted him as happy as the First’s wife had been. He needed to ensure Alp would never want for anything. To never doubt he was loved. It sent a thrill through Mal to know that he had the opportunity to make Alp his family, and the two of them would be happy together. Hell, he might even go back to Alp’s warren and meet his kin. Wasn’t that a dynamic shift?
“I’m just thinking.” Mal turned toward Alp and cupped his chin. “You were right.”
