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“Is that when he tried to leave?” I asked, my heart aching for the vampire.
“Exactly,” Jaxon said. “They wouldn’t let him go. They imprisoned him and used him for experimentation, trying to find new ways to torture our kind for information.” His eyes were filled with a haunted sorrow that echoed through the decades. “That’s where I met him. When I was captured.”
My chest tightened, tears pricking the back of my eyes—not just at hearing about the cruelty of those hunters, but hearing my father and Dean’s experiences, which made it all the more real and painful. “You two have been through hell,” I remarked.
“Dean’s like a brother to me,” Jaxon said solemnly. “We’ve had each other’s backs through the darkest of times. It’s why I trust him with my life.”
I reached over and squeezed his hand. “I’m glad you found each other.” I tried to focus on the strength they’d forged through all that suffering.
“Sometimes, even in the darkest places, we find the light we need.” Jaxon leaned back in the booth. “We’re living proof of that.”
Our food was brought to the table—pancakes and bacon with maple syrup. It amused me that we’d both ordered the same thing, and I noticed Jaxon grinning as he looked at the plates.
“You should see what Ridge tries to make me eat,” I confided.
Jaxon cocked an eyebrow, and I marveled at the similarities between us, which were more than just a love of good breakfast food. His high cheekbones matched my own, and though he was graying, our hair was the same light brown with tawny highlights.
“I assume it’s not bacon?” Jaxon picked up a piece of the salty goodness off his plate and bit into the crispy slice.
“Oh, no, he drinks his breakfast. He mixes all these ‘healthy’ things like oats, fruits, even vegetables some mornings. And powders.” My nose wrinkled in disgust. “He has this gadget to mix it all up. I call it magic because whatever he’s put in, it comes out the same color. His healthy food obsession is just weird. It’s his one flaw.”
Jaxon shook his head in sympathy. “A shifter should never choose rabbit food over bacon. Never.”
“Right!” Even though it was still strange to have my birth father around, the initial awkwardness between us was dissipating. We were getting more comfortable with each other’s presence, and that, in itself, was a surreal experience.
We ate together in companionable silence, and when I was more or less stuffed, I laid my fork on the plate and leaned back.
“Jaxon,” I said tentatively. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about…well, about my mother and you.” I hesitated, biting mylip. As much as I wanted to know about their relationship, I feared what I might learn. My love for my mother was unwavering, and I didn’t want anything to tarnish the image I held of her.
Jaxon’s eyes searched mine. Sensing my indecision, he offered an alternative. “Why don’t you ask me how Dean and I escaped from the hunters instead?”
Grateful for the change in topic, I nodded. “How did you two manage to get away?”
Jaxon leaned back in his chair, his voice taking on a storyteller’s quality as he recounted the story. “We didn’t escape on our own,” he said. “Heather, your mother, was the one who freed us.”
I leaned forward, completely engrossed in his words. It seemed like my mother was full of surprises, and from the way Jaxon spoke of her, he’d cared deeply for her.
“It was a night just like any other,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Dean and I were locked up in those cells, beaten and broken. We’d almost given up hope when your mother appeared. She’d infiltrated the hunters’ base, determined to save us.”
I tried to imagine my sweet, gentle mother doing something so dangerous.
“Using her cunning and intelligence, she managed to outwit the guards and get us out of there,” Jaxon said. “We were weak and disoriented, but she didn’t hesitate to help us. She risked her life for ours.”
“Sounds like her,” I said. Even after her death, she continued to amaze me.
“Your mother was an incredible woman, Tori,” Jaxon said softly, his eyes meeting mine once more. “She had a heart full of love and compassion. I’ll always be grateful to her for what she did for us.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed it down. “Thank you for telling me that,” I said. “I’m so proud to be her daughter.”
“Your mother would be proud of you, too,” he said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Just like I am.”
“Thank you.” I forced a smile as I pushed aside the overwhelming emotions. “For everything you’ve done for me and Ridge. Calling in that favor with the witch? I can’t tell you how much it means to us.”
His eyes softened. “You don’t need to thank me, Tori. It’s what family does for each other. From now on, whenever you need help, just know I’ll be there.”
“Thank you.”
Jaxon looked at me with such sincerity that it almost took my breath away. “If I’d known you existed, I never would have left,” he said. “I had no idea Heather was pregnant. I’m so proud to know that you’re my daughter. You’re amazing. And I’m so grateful for you.”
