Chapter 41

Rachel

Long minutes passed and we just held each other. Wolf and I were beside ourselves. The awkward tension was gone. Kyp loved us. And we were going to be married! I was already making a mental list. And then reality started to settle back in. The wedding would have to wait. At least long enough for my parents to come to terms with their daughter marrying so young. I didn’t think they’d object at all to my choice, just the timing. Also, Victor Atwood had to be dealt with.

I pulled back just far enough that I could see his face, though I was still cozied up on his lap.

“How did you find out that Victor is your dad?” Some of the light left his face, but not all of it, so I knew he was processing and not in the outright denial stage. What a shock he must have been through!

“When we were patrolling last night, I smelled something. Familiar, but unknown. I followed it. Thankfully my scent is unique enough that it’s not quickly recognized as a werewolf. Victor rose up barely three yards in front of me and shifted back. I saw his face. It’s him. He’s…he’s my father. A guy picked him up in a truck and called him Victor. Mom has one picture of her and Tor from that trip when she got pregnant with me. It’s Victor. He’s older, broader, more powerful, but it’s him. The second I saw it, I felt it, too. All the way down to my claws. Wolf knew it, too. It’s why his scent was familiar. It’s got similar undertones to my own. I was far enough away I couldn’t call the others. I was too messed up to try to explain to them anyway. I am sorry I left you hanging in the wind last night. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said, trying to understand how horrible that must have been. His thumb moved over my hip.

“Me, too,” he whispered back.

****

I knew I needed to be a part of the next round of meetings. Kyp needed me. He needed a Beta, and someone totally in his corner. His fears weren’t unfounded. I wasn’t sure what the other wolves would think once they learned that Kyp was Victor Atwood’s son. I shuddered. What a crappy way to find out who your dad was.

I drove us back to the house, trying not to steal too many glances at Kyp’s bare abs. My face heated as I tried to block out the accidental view I’d had when I’d first found him at the lake. I’d assumed he wouldn’t have clothes on since he’d gone out as a wolf, which is why I brought the pants. But I kind of thought he’d still be a wolf…not fully human and fully unclothed.

“How do you think we could use this to our advantage?” Kyp broke the silence.

My lip found its way between my teeth and I chewed it a second before speaking. “Victor is smart. He’s sneaky. We’ve never been able to catch him, and more than once he’s tried to trap us or ambush us. He operates on a completely different level than our packs do. Normal werewolf laws don’t seem to apply to him. He throws them all out the window and only does as he pleases. He’s insanely dangerous and he has a freaky mind control thing none of us understands. But you’re his son. If he never knew you existed, I don’t know. He might want to meet you. Maybe we could set up a meeting where we finally have the upper hand.”

Sneaking a glance, I could see his brain churning behind his eyebrows slung low over his eyes.

“Or I could go to him.”

“What? No! That’s not what I meant at all.”

“Think about it. I’m his long-lost son. He knows nothing about me. Logically, I would go to him. Ask to join his pack.”

“Kyp. Do you hear yourself?”

“Yeah. I do. I don’t want anything to do with Victor, but I want his threat to end. And if I have to go in as bait to do it, then so be it.”

I tasted blood and released my lip.