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“I wasn’t trying…”
Trent interrupted, “I know that, he knows that, but damn it, Caleb, for once think about someone other than yourself.” He stopped, yanking me around. “There are people that care about you, love you, who would die for you.” He gestured to the Ghost Pack land. “Proof enough today. The least you could do is acknowledge it.”
I reared back at the accusation in his voice. “I didn’t ask –”
“Stop. Just stop right there.” He shook his head, walking off and leaving me standing there.
An arm hooked around mine, linking us together, and I didn’t bother to glance down, knowing who had joined me. “Am I really a petulant brat?”
Jess sighed, cocking her head as she watched Trent stomp off. “No. Not anymore. You can’t be responsible for how other people react, Caleb. You can only be responsible for your own actions.”
“And coming here was irresponsible,” I concluded and she grimaced. “Go ahead, yell at me.”
“No.” I glanced down at her in surprise. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Caleb. It’s your life and you’re a grown man who has to make his own way.” She smiled ruefully. “Dom just isn’t very good at letting go.” She shook her head, her forehead wrinkling. “I’m not relishing when the kids leave the nest. I’m pretty sure he’s gonna want to build tiny houses for them in the backyard.” I snorted, but didn’t deny her words. It sounded like Dom. “He knows, you know.” Her voice tightened as she squeezed my arm and I sucked in a harsh breath. “He understands why you don’t come back. He doesn’t blame you, but he does miss you.” Her eyes were damp as she looked at me, forcing a smile. “Welcome home, Caleb.” She slipped away, her stride lengthening as she joined Dom, and I watched him adjust his stride to match hers, linking their hands together.
A deep stab of longing hit me, made worse by the fact that now I knew exactly what it felt like to have that sense of connection with my own mate. My steps slowed, the urge to go back strong, but I resisted, needing to respect Dru and Paige’s wishes, at least for now. A cane swept the ground in front of me, halting my steps. “We need to talk,” Gregory declared and I nodded shortly.
“We do,” I agreed, giving him a sideways glance. “Seems there’s a few things about our history that have been left out of the books.”
Gregory’s mouth tightened as he shook his head. “I never agreed with your father’s ruling on that, but he wasn’t one you challenged and lived to tell about it.” My jaw locked at the reminder of the iron fist my father had wielded over the Pack. He’d always had a reason, but rarely bothered to share it. “Don’t,” he exhaled, shaking his head. “Don’t underestimate them.”
An unwilling laugh barked out of me. “She killed me, Gregory. Trust me, I know exactly how powerful they are.” Every one of Gregory’s years showed as his gaze turned inward. “You knew her. Was she always like this?”
“Our acquaintance was many, many years ago.” He sighed. “A lot can happen in the long span of our lives.” His mouth turned down. “People change and as we grow older we make compromises that as youth we never thought we would.”
“Another question,” I paused, waiting for his consent.
He smiled, “I think I owe you a few questions, young Caleb.”
“How similar are they to us?”
His smile disappeared. “Never assume they are like us, Caleb. They’re not. They have abilities we will never have,” he paused, his voice heavy, “And apparently a strong disdain for our kind.”
“A well-earned one,” I admitted, scratching my jaw, the golden bristle itchy after several days without shaving. “Dru told me some of their history. Gran,” I paused and corrected myself, “Mildred was betrayed by her husband and Hanleys killed her daughter. I can’t blame her for her hatred.”
“If only she’d reached out to our Pack, as allies we would have assisted her.”
“Would our Pack have assisted her?” I questioned and Gregory gave me a startled glance. “Father wanted to erase the history of our origins. Perhaps he also wanted to erase those responsible.”
“That’s a strong accusation, Caleb,” Gregory replied cautiously and I laughed bitterly.
“He’s dead, Gregory. He can’t haunt me anymore.” I glanced over at him. “But you know it’s possible.”
Gregory dipped his head in acknowledgement. “With your father, anything was possible.”
“Blood exchange is important to Packs. Is it equally important to them?” I referred to Gran and her granddaughters as them, simply because I didn’t have a name, at least not one I wanted to use because it seemed so impossible to my mind – my apparently ignorant mind I was beginning to learn.
“They place a great deal of importance on their blood, yes, but do they use it like we do? That I don’t know.” Gregory gave me a rueful smile. “Millie was always secretive when it came to her power.” He tilted his head. “Not without good reason it would seem.” He clapped his hand on my shoulder. “Enough for now. We’ll continue this once we’re home.” His stare turned contemplative. “It’s time I told the story of how wolf shifters came to be.”
