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“Come here,” he said, weeping.
THIRTY-NINE
OWEN
Owen could barely feel his face, his ribs, and his legs as he fell onto the couch. But none of that mattered anymore. He was declared the alpha of his pack, and he wanted to hold his son.
One eye had begun to bruise over, forcing the lid downward. All he could see through one blurry eye was Reika trembling as they held their bundle of joy.
“Come here,” he pleaded.
His body needed to be looked at, but his heart was swelling with pride. She sat next to him, leaning close with their son in his arms.
Owen hadn’t noticed, but he was crying heavily, nearing the point of sobbing. His hands shook, so he didn’t want to hold their baby just yet. But he was safe in Reika’s arms, and that was all he truly ever wanted.
“He is so beautiful,” Owen said, his voice cracking.
“He is, isn’t he?” Reika replied.
They both sat together, staring down at their sleeping beauty. Owen was awestruck that something so wonderful could be created out of something forbidden. But something had been cast into the cosmos of the universe and decided for them, and he was fully ready to trust it.
He wrapped an arm around Reika and leaned his forehead against hers. They laughed and cried together as their baby boy slept.
Owen saw his father entering the room, still hobbling with Connor by his side. He had a bandage wrapped around his chest and a crutch, along with an eye patch to help heal the bruise.
Reika looked up, concerned for her new father-in-law. “Are you okay, Dernet?” she asked.
The old man smiled with Nina and Connor helping him to the chair across from them. They planted him down gently as he cleared his throat. “My body will heal,” he said, clearly content and satisfied. “It is my spirit that is soaring right now.”
Owen looked into Reika’s eyes. They were bright and cascading with tears. She was gorgeous, his wolf goddess staring back at him.
“I am here to discuss details of the naming ceremony,” Dernet said. “We will get together with the Lovell pack on neutral ground where you will announce to us the name you will bless your little boy with.”
Owen had completely forgotten about the naming tradition. It hadn’t occurred to him that things would work out the way they did, that his father had actually been testing him for the position of alpha the entire time. His mind flooded with joy, distracting him from all the pain his body was in.
“That sounds wonderful,” Reika replied.
Owen met his father’s eyes, and he nodded. A wash of love moved through Owen’s mind, something that told him everything was going to be okay. The love was unconditional, which was something Owen would have for his own son until the end of time. Yes, he had grown up and changed since being with his mate.
“Let’s get you looked at in the infirmary first, Owen,” Nina said.
Reika remained in the guest house while Owen was taken to the healer. Connor lingered with his father, Reika, and the baby, and despite having doubts about him initially, Owen was content to leave him with his mate alone in a room together.
“I’ve got them,” Connor said, nodding.
Owen was examined by the pack doctor, who confirmed he had broken a few ribs and damaged his jaw and left eye. But Owen didn’t care. He had his beloved mate and his son … his family … with him now.
He was bandaged up and given antibiotics that would speed up the healing process. Owen said his goodbyes to his father, holding him for a long moment. It had been forever since he had held his father. It was pure love and nothing more.
“I don’t know how I can ever thank you,” Owen whispered into his father’s ear.
Dernet pulled away, holding his son by the shoulders and shaking him.
“You can thank me by living well,” he said. “Love your woman, your son, protect your pack, and be true. That’s what you can do.”
He kissed his father on the cheek before Owen climbed into the back of the car. He pulled Reika in close as she cuddled their child. The ride to their private cabin was calm and quiet, with Connor driving cautiously through the woods.
When they parked, Owen was surprised to see Connor hop out and help Reika from the back. He helped him, too, by gripping his hand tightly, holding on for a moment longer than was necessary.
