The Swan Who Flew After a Wolf (9 page)

visitors,” the guard said with a straight face. “Go back.”

Out of all the possible obstacles he’d thought of, Paris had never

imagined this would be one of them. Silly of him, and more so in the

context of the disturbances going on in the shifter world.

His mother’s arrogant ways wouldn’t help them here. She was no

longer Alpha bitch, and she didn’t hold any sway over these people.

“Please.” Paris gave the men a desperate look. “It’s very important.

We have no one to turn to.”

“If you have a petition, you have to go to the elder,” another guard

replied. “Alpha Wade is only responsible for his own pack.”

“That’s just it,” Paris replied. “Our problem has something to do

with a member of your pack. Just let us talk to him, or if not, to

whoever is in charge.”

The men shared a look. “Wait here,” one said at last.

Another guard retrieved a phone and stepped away from the gates.

He dialed a number and became engaged in a conversation, although

Paris couldn’t make out the words. When at last the guy came back,

he scrutinized Paris with unreadable eyes. “Come on inside. Someone

will pick you up.”

The gates opened, allowing Paris and his mother to pass. For a

few more minutes, the two of them waited there in awkward silence.

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Scarlet Hyacinth

Paris didn’t even know what they were waiting for since the taciturn

guards refused to tell them anything beyond what had already been

said.

At last, a car pulled in, and two young werewolves, one male and

the other female, left the vehicle. They looked alike, so Paris surmised

they must be siblings. His mother seemed delighted at this new

development.

“Oh, this is a good thing. Those are two of the Alpha’s pups.

Melanie and Jace, I believe.”

Paris took in the information, for once grateful for his mother’s

presence. As an Alpha female, she had gone to many pack functions,

parties to which he hadn’t been invited. Hell, Paris barely even

remembered the elder werewolf since he’d only seen Kevin Wade

once, as a young boy.

Now that he was in the middle of it all, though, Paris was starting

to remember what his mother had mentioned in passing. Other than

these two pups, Soren Wade had a third child, Derek. What Paris

found most remarkable was that the Alpha had mated another man,

and a squirrel-shifter at that. More than once, Paris’s mother had

expressed her disdain regarding this choice, but Paris found it

promising.

Oblivious to Paris’s thoughts, Melanie and Jace approached,

neutral smiles gracing their faces. “Welcome,” the female werewolf

said. “I’m Melanie Wade, and this is my brother, Jace. The guards tell

us you were adamant on seeing our father. I’m afraid he’s away right

now.”

“It’s really important,” Paris said again. “Is there someone else we

can talk to?”

“Our dad,” Jace suggested. “Come with us. The Alpha mansion is

a good distance away.”

“Thank you so much,” Paris offered before his mother could say

anything. He could tell she wasn’t very pleased with the idea of

talking to the squirrel-shifter. But this was their best chance, and Paris

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59

hoped his mother would control her arrogance and use her head for a

change. The gates were locked behind them now, and Paris didn’t

think the two of them could break out even if he made use of his

considerable escaping skills.

The two young werewolves gestured them into the car. Jace got

behind the wheel, while Melanie took shotgun. The back seat seemed

reserved for Paris and his mother, so the two of them didn’t delay in

complying with the silent instructions.

As the drive started, so did a brief interrogation. “So, what exactly

do you want to discuss with our parents?” Melanie asked.

“Well, it’s about a member of his pack,” Paris’s mother replied.

She sighed for effect. “It’s a very old story, and probably one few

people remember at this time.”

It was quite obvious that the duo wouldn’t allow them to pass just

like that, so it came as no surprise to Paris when his mother added. “It

concerns Paris’s parentage. His father lives here, and I think it’s time

for them to meet.”

“Oh.” The one word coming from Melanie spoke volumes of her

surprise. “Can you tell us who it is?”

“Once we’re there,” Paris said. He had no desire to hear the

details of his conception twice since the entire tale still pissed him off.

“If you doubt our reasons, you can have someone accompany us

inside.”

“You must understand that we are being extra careful, what with

everything that’s been going on,” Jace explained. “There’s no telling

if our enemies won’t try to take advantage of my father’s absence to

sneak in here.”

“I assure you this is nothing like that.” Paris’s mother shuddered.

“I hate magical creatures.”

That phrase seemed to be on the no-no list, as Paris saw both

werewolves tense. “Well, if you expect to live here in the near future,

you’ll have to get used to them,” Melanie said bitingly.

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Paris counted to ten in his head. Really, his mother knew better

than to say stuff like that. For crying out loud, Elder Wade’s youngest

had just mated a magical creature, and a close friend of the family,

Corbin Mckenna, had taken the Sidhe prince as his spouse.

“She didn’t mean all magical creatures, just the bad ones,” he said

lamely.

The two werewolves didn’t seem convinced, and their questions

stopped there, as did their attempt toward hospitality. Paris struggled

to remain calm, telling himself that if these people decided to refuse

them, he and his mother could just go to the elder. Of course, he knew

his father—or rather, the man he had called a father for all his life—

would probably be waiting. Perhaps they could just run away, find

someplace secluded where no one would ever find them. Antarctica

sounded nice this time of year.

Paris dared to steal another look at Jace. The werewolf was very

handsome, and Paris found his long-neglected libido responding to

the man’s proximity. He forced down the lust, leashing his beast. The

last thing he needed was to drool over the Alpha’s son. This pack

might accept and be used to people of Paris’s sexual orientation, but

Paris wasn’t willing to take the chance.

At last, the car reached their destination, a large mansion that

simply oozed power. After passing another set of gates, they parked.

Melanie and Jace left the car first and nodded at Paris and his mother

to follow. As Paris entered the house, a sense of trepidation hit him.

What would he find in there? How would his real father be like?

Would the man hate Paris and his mother?

He was still musing over those dilemmas when they reached a

large, luxurious office. A handsome, auburn-haired man waited at the

desk. Paris surmised this must be Daniel, Soren’s mate.

“Hello,” the squirrel-shifter greeted them. “I’m Daniel Wade. I

understand you wanted to discuss something with my mate. You can

say whatever’s on your mind to me.”

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61

The words weren’t spoken arrogantly, but rather, in a matter-of-

fact tone. Paris instantly liked Daniel. The squirrel seemed to exude a

sense of warmth and home that Paris had never truly found anywhere.

Paris glanced at his mother and nodded. He knew she wasn’t

happy with these circumstances, but personally, he already felt

comfortable with Daniel, and he thought that the squirrel might

understand their predicament.

“Oh, we’ve met,” Daniel said as he saw Paris’s mother. “Mrs.

Aria Marrow, right? You’re Alpha Marrow’s mate.”

Melanie and Jace looked shocked and uncomfortable, probably at

not having recognized Paris’s mother from the very beginning. Then

again, it might be simply because of the conclusions they’d drawn

from what little she had told them. They stayed out of the

conversation, but watched the exchange with avid, curious eyes.

“I used to be,” Paris’s mother said tensely. “Not anymore.”

“Did something happen?” Daniel asked, his voice concerned.

“You know you can go to the elder with any problem you may have.”

“No.” She shook her head. “Hal would expect that, and he’s

already after me and Paris. Here’s the thing, Mr. Wade. Before I was

mated, I did something reckless. I went out, like one last night of

freedom, with the girls. We went to this bar, and there was this

handsome guy brooding there. We talked, and one thing led to

another…Next thing, I know, I’m pregnant with a child not fathered

by my future mate.”

Paris’s mother sighed. “I admit what I did next might not have

been the best thing. But what choice did I have? I was afraid. So I

pretended Paris was Hal’s son. Hal isn’t my true mate, so we never

had the mind link that allowed him to see into my thoughts. So no one

suspected anything, at least I didn’t think so. I believe, in his heart,

Hal always knew, because he never treated Paris like he would a son.

He was different with our other kids.”

There was undeniable pain in her voice now. She loved his

brothers, and in a way, Paris cared about them, too, even if they’d

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only ever been mean to him. At the same time, he was well aware that

if things had been different, Paris’s mother would have stayed behind

with the pack and abandoned him to his fate. He suspected she wished

she had aborted him when she had the chance. But he couldn’t explain

that to Daniel, so he remained silent.

“At any rate,” she continued, “Hal knows for sure now. I think he

feared what people would say if it came out, but he doesn’t seem to

care anymore. But the worst thing is that…Before we left, he tried to

kill both me and Paris. That’s why we’re afraid to go to the elder. Hal

would be waiting.”

“I see,” Daniel replied. There was no judgment in his warm eyes,

just concern and understanding. “And I take it you’ve come here to

find Paris’s real father.”

At this, Paris finally intervened. He couldn’t help but be just a

little excited at the thought of meeting the man who had sired him.

“Yes. His name is Anson. Anson Wright. Could you take us to him?”

Daniel’s complexion went pasty, and Paris didn’t think that was a

good sign. “What is it, Mr. Wade?” he inquired. “Is something

wrong?”

“Well…Err…It’s just that Sonny is busy now. With his mate.”

“Mate?” Paris’s mother repeated. “But that can’t be. He’s

supposed to be my mate.”

Paris gave his mother a shocked look. That was bullshit, and

something she had never once mentioned to him. If she wanted to

play the role of the victim, that was just fine, but getting between two

people who loved each other was an entirely different matter.

At this point, Paris knew his mother quite well, and he could

easily see through her lies. She didn’t want a mate. All she wanted

was a reason to justify why she’d held onto a lie for twenty years, to

be accepted and considered a powerful werewolf female again. Anson

Wright might not be an Alpha, but he had an important enough

position, which would do in current circumstances. And while Paris

could understand her motives, they didn’t justify separating mates.

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63

Vowing to discuss this with her soon, Paris decided to address the

first matter at hand. His mother had told him Anson wasn’t mated, but

that was obviously not true. Paris didn’t think Daniel would lie since

the squirrel had no reason to.

“I thought he didn’t have a mate,” he said, confused.

“It’s a recent thing.” Daniel rubbed his eyes in a gesture that

conveyed tiredness. “We haven’t exactly advertised it, so to speak.”

There was an undertone to Daniel’s words, and, as expected,

Paris’s mother immediately caught onto it. “Any specific reason for

that?”

“Mostly due to the warlock problems,” Daniel replied evasively.

“We’ve had other priorities. At any rate, it looks like you’ll be staying

for a while.” He turned toward his adoptive kids. “Mel, would you

mind getting them settled in? Get them whatever you need. Jace,

contact the doctor. We’ll need to schedule a DNA test.”

“A test?” The tone of Paris’s mother was so shrill that he winced.