Page 76 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

Henry

Epilogue: 11 years later.

“Nana! I’m home!”

Henry bounded through the door, dropping his bag of herbs and books on the table by the door as he hurried through to the kitchen. His Papa was sitting at the table with his laptop in front of him and one eyebrow arched at Henry.

“Uh, hey, Papa. I thought you had school today.”

“I did. When you weren’t home by three when you said you’d be, your Nana got worried and called me.”

Henry groaned and went over to the table. He plopped down in the seat next to Sam and dropped his head on Sam’s shoulder. “Sorry. Did she call Dad, too?”

“What do you think?”

Henry groaned.

“Henry, I know you’re twenty-one now and don’t want to be treated like a child, but you led us to believe you understood the need for extra precautions where you are concerned.”

Goddess, Henry hated disappointing his dads more than anything on the planet. “I’m sorry.”

“What if you’d had a vision when you were out? Nana called the library where you were supposed to be and you weren’t there.”

It had been stupid, really. Henry’s energy had been really off lately, an itch beneath his skin that he couldn’t seem to scratch. Even his magic was being weird, whispering about secrets and hinting about it being almost time.

Almost time for what? His visions were being just as elusive, flashes of things he couldn’t quite see, shadows in the corner of his eye that vanished when he turned to see what had moved.

“I’m sorry, Papa. Honestly. I’ve just been so antsy lately. I can’t sit still. Something is in the air.”

Sam wrapped an arm over Henry’s shoulders and held him close. “I know. We’ll be ready. I’m worried about you, though. The visions have been so bad lately, and it’s taking you longer to recover.”

Henry turned his arm over to reveal the strange circle that had appeared on his skin that night so long ago. He ran his finger over it, drawing his Papa’s attention to it as well.

“It’s almost time,” Henry said quietly.

“I know,” Sam replied. “I just wish we knew what it meant. Your Uncle Meshaq could only find out so much. Stupid prophecies.”

Henry and Sam shared a smile as the back door opened and his alpha dad walked into the room, still wearing the white doctor’s coat he wore whether treating patients of the animal or supernatural variety. He gave Henry a disappointed look.

“I’m sorry,” Henry said.

“You owe your Nana the apology,” Vaughn replied. “You scared her.”

“I’ll go see her in a few minutes.”

“Yes, you will.”

Vaughn walked over and stood behind them, wrapping his arms around them both. He nuzzled Sam’s hair then Henry’s. “Love you.”

“Love you, too,” Henry said.

His dads shared a look, one filled with love. He’d only just begun to understand that his dads hadn’t been together when they first rescued them. It seemed crazy to him to think about it now. He didn’t remember a lot from those days, though. Most of it was a blur of before. Once his dads had saved him and his siblings, they taught them all what family and pack meant.

“Did you at least do something fun?” Vaughn asked. He rounded the table and took a seat across from them. “I mean, if you’re going to rebel, rebel well, am I right?”

“Don’t encourage him!” Sam pretended to be horrified, but Henry knew better.

“I went to get a couple books and some herbs. Keziah’s friend Rowan told me about these herbs that help with tense muscles. I wanted to make Grandpa a new heating pad for his back but have it with better herbs this time so the smell doesn’t bother him.”