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“Wild One?”
“He’s active. Really active and doesn’t like to stay still. The name fits, see…” I pointed to our son who bounced like he was about to leap out of his father's arms but Xander’s reflexes were quick. Instead Rafe bucked, rocking wildly.
“That’s probably his wolf. He wants to play.”
“He’s so young.” I frowned. I had asked questions and done the research. Laz and Zion couldn’t sense Rafe’s wolf yet or tell specifically if he had one but Xander was his father so…
“He won't shift for a while. I feel his wolf and our little pupisa wild one. Aren’t you, Wild One?” I watched as our son cooed and bounced in his father’s arms. It was beautiful. And I felt terrible because Xander had missed so much already. That hadn’t been my fault. He’d shut us out. He ran…because of me. But I still felt bad for what he’d missed over the past months.
“You can feed him then we’ll leave. I need things for him at my place in the city.”
I threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. My heart was racing. “I have things at my place. You can just come see him there.”
“No,” Xander growled from somewhere deep. “He will be with me.” I panicked and his eyes softened a little. “Both of you. With me at my place.”
“But…”
He sighed. “We can’t be together but we will raise him together, as a family.”
My arms locked over my chest and Xander’s eyes lowered, following the motion. His awareness of me made my skin warm. “And what about your mate?”
“I told you…”
My stomach knotted at the thought of him being with another woman. He had before, plenty of times since I had been around, but this time felt different. This woman he’d claimed as his mate.
“I know what you told me but how can you not expect me to worry about her? Are we all going to live there together? One big happy blended family or something.”
Xander offered a challenging grin that had my angry flaring and core tightening. “You can’t handle that?”
It annoyed me how easily he managed to get under my skin. My eyes narrowed and he smiled wider. “I think I just pissed your mother off, Wild One.”
I stormed closer. “You can go to hell. Give me my son.”
When I reached for Rafe, Xander turned away and stepped back. “Ourson and relax all that. Although I have the right, I wouldn’t treat you with disrespect. You are the mother of my child. I don’t agree with how this happened, but I will never dishonor you, Toyin. No one else will either. We’re a family. While we’re at my place it will only be the three of us.”
“And what abouther?”
Xander sighed his frustration, heading to the door as he explained, “She’snotmy mate. I didn’t choose or claim her. That’s some shit she made up in her head.”
I smiled at his back, feeling hopeful, but then asked, “So why did you bring her with you?”
“She doesn’t have anywhere else to go. That’s kind of our thing, Toy. We provide solace and a sense of family to those who don’t have their own. It’s what our parents did and now what we do.”
Jo had been a lone wolf but was also Laz’s mate. There were families within the clan but only a few. The Bennett pack was Laz, his brothers, and a collection of misfits. They were chosen family but still…
“And now that you know about Rafe…”
I followed him out the room and he stopped, turning to me. “What about him? My promise to her wasn’t about you or anyone else. Only her need for a pack family. A safe place to exist.”
“But you slept with her. You had a relationship.”
“You and I are going back to who we were. I slept with other women in the past, Toy. The only difference now is we’re raising our son.”
“Together as a family, cohabiting at your place with your rules while you sleep with other women?”
My heart hurt but he didn’t respond. He only turned to walk away but I didn’t let him go.
“And what about me? Do I have the same rights as you? Am I allowed to sleep with who I want?”
