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Fine.Hunter turned away from the ridge and slipped back down into the woods.Hey, Brody. Since I’m eighteen now, I guess that means I can finally get a tattoo from you, right?
Sure does.Brody was on Hunter’s heels, keeping up just fine with the young wolf.Have you been thinking about what you’re going to get?
Everything was changing for Hunter with this birthday. He could make bigger decisions for himself, like getting a tattoo. He was thinking about his future. He had the whole world in front of him.
Max knew he should be happier about it all, but this day was always a bit bittersweet for him. He hung back a little behind the others as he thought about Sarah. It’d been so long since he’d seen her, but her face hadn’t faded in his mind. She had the most beautiful brown eyes, deep and bright, full of light and energy. Her dark blonde hair would shine in the sun, and those killer curves were everything he’d ever wanted back in his twenties. She’d been so excited the day she’d delivered their son. Not only had she finally met the baby she’d been growing for those long months, but they’d also be sharing the same birthday for the rest of their lives.
They’d never gotten to share any more after that first one.
Guilt rested like a heavy burden on Max’s shoulders. It weighed him down on a continuous basis, but it was even worse on a day like today. How could he possibly think about Hunter and the day he came into this world without thinking about Sarah? How could he glance at his son, seeing her features reflected in his handsome young face, and not feel the pain of missing her all over again?
It was all his fault. As they reached the bottom of the steep slope and turned back toward a wider path, Max knew he’d never be able to convince himself otherwise. His parents had both tried, reminding him that the Alpha of the Greystone pack was known for being brutal and ruling with an iron fist. Max couldn’t have done anything to change the outcome, they insisted. But Max knew better. If only he’d slowed down and listened. If only he’d reasoned with her. If only he’d suggested they take their time and come up with the right decisions together. He could wish all he wanted, but it wouldn’t change a thing. She’d been killed, and he’d never seen her again.
The ground leveled out beneath them. Hunter kicked it into high gear, churning up dirt and grass under his paws as he streaked through the forest, and Brody was hot on his tail. After going for so long without finding his mate, Brody had finally found her in Robin. The two were the perfect match, a pair of souls that’d been undoubtedly bonded before either of them had reached this earth.
Someday, Hunter would be lucky enough to find his one true mate as well. It could hit him at any time, coming at him from out of nowhere and turning his wolf into a wild beast. He’d probably freak out a little if it happened while he was young. It was a feeling like nothing else, but Hunter would have his pack around him to help him get through it. Max looked forward to being part of his support system as he found his place in the world.
He slowed as they reached the clearing behind the packhouse. This was the last place he’d seen Sarah, the last place he’d ever feel the draw of a fated mate again. It pulled at him occasionally, tugging on his soul, but he knew his wolf was just holding out hope. It’d be easier if it left him alone. Instead, those little pangs of longing from his inner beast would keep him reaching out with his mind every now and then while in his wolf form. Just in case. Nothing. He would never know his fated love again.
“There he is!” Joan said as she came out the back door carrying a big platter toward a table already groaning with food.
Hunter easily morphed back into his human form without a hitch in his stride and slowed to a walk. “What’s all this?”
“You didn’t think I was just going to let your birthday go by unnoticed, did you?” Joan wrapped her grandson in a tight hug before she stepped back and held him at arm’s length. “By Selene’s blessing, you certainly have grown into a handsome young man.”
“Oh, come on, Grandma.” Hunter slouched to the side, trying to avoid her affections.
“Youcome on!” Joan insisted with a laugh as she mushed his cheeks between her hands. “I can’t believe how lucky I am to have you.”
“You’re embarrassing me.” His entire face was turning red.
“Why should you be embarrassed?” Brody asked as he reached into a cooler for a can of soda. “I mean, it’s just us. And Lilah Fulton.”
“What?” Hunter swiveled his head one way and then another, trying to find her.
Brody bent over at the waist, smacking his hand against his knee. “You’re way too easy, man! It’s just the pack right now. We figured whatever else you were doing with your friends would be happening later tonight.”
“Who is this Lilah Fulton?” Dawn asked as she stepped out the back door with a bowl of potato salad. “Is she someone special? Do I need to meet her? Because you know Auntie Dawn is here to protect you from all those fierce females.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.” Finally released from his grandmother’s grasp, Hunter sat down at one of the tables right across from his uncle, Rex. “Save me from these women!”
“As if I’d even dare.” The Alpha of the Glenwood pack grabbed a chicken leg and put it on his plate. “Now that you’re old enough, I think it’s time I let you in on a little secret. The men are never the ones in charge, Hunter. It’s the women. It’s always the women.”
“That’s not true,” Lori said as she sat down beside her mate. The pack Luna tipped her head to the side as she buttered an ear of corn, smiling. “Well, maybe it is.”
“Sure, it is,” Brody agreed. He’d just taken his baby daughter Evelyn from Robin’s arms. “I mean, I know this little lady is definitely in charge of our lives.”
Max joined the group, hardly realizing exactly when he’d changed back into his human form. He was close to his pack, but today he felt the distance between himself and the rest of the Glenwoods. It was as though he was watching it all on a TV show, some happy, friendly sitcom where everyone teased each other gently but ultimately had each other’s backs. He focused on the smokey aroma of the chicken legs and tried to ground himself back in reality, but things would never just be normal, no matter how hard he pretended.
Hunter had grown up without his mother, and Max knew the strong women of the Glenwood pack were responsible for him turning out as well-balanced as he had. Ironically, those same strong women were the reason the Greystones had forbidden Sarah and Max’s relationship.
Max wasn’t hungry, but he forced himself to eat. He felt Dawn’s eyes on him, and she quirked a brow at him when he looked over. Max gave the slightest shake of his head. She knew how rough today would be for him, but he didn’t need her to make a big deal out of it. What was done was done. There was nothing he could do to fix it. Finding another woman to be with, someone who could warm his bed at night and act as a mom to Hunter, wasn’t in the cards for him. He wouldn’t settle. As the rest of the pack gathered around them, joining in the celebration of Hunter’s big day, Max had to hope they’d be enough for him.
3
“Mom.”
“Hm?” Sarah tasted the tuna salad, noting it needed more lemon juice.
