Lone Wolf Pack 03 - Expecting His Alpha's Child (3 page)

Technically speaking, it would have been worse if they'd gotten the call a week ago, when Gavin had still been heavily pregnant, but Finn didn't bother saying it. Jessie's pregnancy could still be an issue, but Jessie was a stranger and didn't have to spend a lot of time with Gavin's brothers. Besides, it would be shitty for them to even discuss the timing when it wasn't something that could be helped.

"I promised the man I'd travel there to make some arrangements, speak to the children and maybe to his mother too."

Saul nodded jerkily. "That's a good idea. I'll talk to Gavin soon, once he feels better. But in the meantime, Finn... Thanks for this, for handling it in my stead, I mean. I don't think I could have left his side now, not even for something so serious."

"Don't worry about it," Finn said. "I want to go."

And unsurprisingly, he found he actually meant it. He suspected he'd only learn why once he finally met Parker Knight.

Parker didn't know what to expect from his meeting with Finn Simmons. He wanted to pace, and probably would have if not for the presence of the two boys. From their place at the table, Kyle stared at him, while Jack just played with his soggy cereal and analyzed his bowl like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

Parker wanted to say everything would be all right, but he didn't know that for a fact. If anything, the conversation the day before had made the children more anxious, their one anchor in the world—their elusive older brother—in danger of being taken away.

But Parker had assumed a responsibility when he'd agreed to care for the boys for a few days, and he couldn't just let them wallow in their distress. He walked to Kyle's side and patted his shoulder. "Gavin's brother-in-law will be here any moment now," he said. "He'll tell us more about Gavin's condition and when you can see him."

Kyle scowled fiercely. "I wanted to talk to him. Mom said we could."

"And you will, Kyle, I promise," Parker said. "Just be a little patient. Things aren't always as easy as we'd like. I do think Mr. Simmons was honest with regard to your brother's injury, which means that you'll get to see him very soon. That's a comforting thought, isn't it?"

Jack finally looked up from his cereal, his big eyes teary. Much to Parker's surprise, the boy launched himself at Parker and hugged him—insofar as he could, at least, taking into account the height difference. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Parker just knelt by his side and hugged him back. "Shh... Don't be afraid. I'm here for you."

Kyle soon joined in the embrace, although he was still scowling, like he was resentful of himself for succumbing to it. It was so easy for Parker to see himself in the two boys, the way he'd been during the perpetual leaps from foster house to foster house and all throughout his long stay at the orphanage. More than once, he had wept just as Jack did now, and he'd put up a mask of hostility when it had become obvious that tears just made him vulnerable. But that was in the past, and Parker wanted to teach these kids to smile again.

They were still hugging when Parker heard a car pull in. Parker pressed a kiss to Jack's forehead and ruffled Kyle's hair. "Okay, that's probably him," he said as he got up. "Finish your breakfast while I go greet him."

The two boys complied, returning to their seats at the table. Parker gave them one more look and mentally reassured himself that they'd stay out of trouble even if he wasn't physically present. He was truly reluctant to leave them alone—especially since he'd gotten ever more attached to them—but it couldn't be helped.

The doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of his visitor. Parker turned on his heel and rushed to his hallway. He opened the door, only to freeze when he found himself facing the hottest man he'd seen in his entire life.

His guest's elegant business suit did nothing to disguise his muscular build, and Parker had the urge to peel off the layers of clothing and find the tanned skin underneath. He wanted to bury his fingers in the man's close-cropped, black hair and press his mouth to those full lips that seemed to be made for kissing. He wanted to drop to his knees and shove the man's pants off, to see if he was just as big all over.

But of course, he did neither of these things. Instead, he took refuge behind his wall of professionalism and offered his hand to his guest. "Mr. Simmons? I'm Parker Knight. Welcome."

Piercing gray eyes studied Parker from head to toe, and Parker felt that gaze like a physical caress. "Finn Simmons," the man replied as he took Parker up on his offer. When their hands touched, electricity sparked between them, and Parker couldn't help a shudder. Finn's nostrils flared, and Parker had the strange impression that his eyes were glowing with a slight golden sheen. He blinked, and the odd phenomenon disappeared. Finn smiled. "Thank you for being so accommodating with all of this."

Parker gestured Finn into the house and Finn stepped inside, brushing slightly against him. Parker bit his lip to suppress a whimper. What the fuck was wrong with him? He refused to turn into a walking hard-on just because a hot guy had turned up on his doorstep.

He cleared his throat as he closed the door. "I appreciate you making the trip here," he said. "The kids are quite frightened and disheartened."

Finn faced Parker, his expression now completely serious. "What exactly happened?" he whispered, having probably guessed the boys were in the house.

"The boys' mother... Alicia Cook. She divorced her husband a few years ago, on account of him being abusive of her and threatening the children's welfare. She even got a restraining order against him." Parker sighed, since the story never got easier to tell. "But that was only the beginning of the problem. As soon as the guy took off, creditors started coming out of the woodwork. Overnight, she was saddled with debts not only from her second ex, but from her first one too."

"Gavin's father," Finn guessed, and Parker nodded.

"It became very hard for her to handle both the expenses of day-to-day life, and pay the debts. Social Services became involved, but I could tell she was trying very hard to give her children a decent life, so I've been helping her out, more or less unofficially."

Finn smiled, and the sensual twist of lips made Parker's body heat up. "That is very nice of you," he said.

Parker shrugged. "It was the least I could do. But anyway, I'm not family, and right now, that's what the children need."

Finn stole a look toward the kitchen, and Parker distantly wondered how the man had even known the kids were there. "All right," he finally said. "Gavin's doctor advised against him being under too much stress over the next couple of days. Still, I need to drop by to talk to Gavin's mother too. She'll probably want to know what's going on."

Parker had anticipated that since Finn had mentioned Gavin's injury. "I've already talked it over with some friends I have at the hospital. It shouldn't be too hard to arrange it. In the meantime, come meet the boys."

Parker guided Finn into the kitchen, where the boys were still waiting. He had to wonder whether they'd overheard the conversation or not, given that they were looking anywhere except at Parker. Swallowing around the knot in his throat, Parker gestured to the two boys. "Mr. Simmons, meet Kyle and Jack. Kyle, Jackie, this is Finn Simmons."

The boys finally directed their attention to Parker and Finn. "Hi there," Finn said. "Remember me? We spoke on the phone."

"I remember," Jack said, his eyes still a little red from crying. "Are you Gavin's friend?"

"I'm his brother-in-law," Finn replied. "Do you know what that means?"

Kyle frowned a little. "That our brother is married and you're the brother of his wife."

"Pretty much," Finn confirmed. "Except Gavin doesn't have a wife. He has a husband."

Thankfully, Parker didn't have to explain to the boys that sometimes, two men could love each other the way a man and a woman did. Jack made a sound of realization. "Oh! Like our neighbor Lisa. She has two dads!"

"Yes, exactly like Lisa," Finn agreed, sounding relieved. "And you know what else? Gavin and my brother have a baby boy. So when you move in with them, it'll be just like having another younger brother."

"I love babies," Jack said with a wide smile. "They're very cute."

Finn chuckled and walked closer to the table, nodding. "Yes, they are."

Kyle seemed a little less inclined to be open to his new family. Perhaps he'd hoped he'd only have to get accustomed to Gavin. "I already have a younger brother," he muttered.

"Well, he's actually your nephew," Finn rushed to explain. "So you can be his uncle."

Kyle nodded, this time in satisfaction. "That's better. Yes, an uncle." His expression sobered. "So does that mean our brother will be fine?"

"Yes, of course," Finn replied. "It was just an unfortunate injury that happened very recently. That's why he couldn't come see you himself. But he'll be meeting us there in a few days."

Jack's face fell. "A few days?" he repeated in obvious distress.

Finn sighed heavily. "To be perfectly honest, my brother hasn't told him about you yet. We're worried that he'll be so eager to see you that he'll get sick again, and we don't want that. I know it's hard, but think of it this way. You'll have plenty of time to be with your brother."

Parker feared that Finn's words would just make this worse. They didn't need the reminder that their separation from their mother would take a while. To his surprise, the boys took it well—or as well as could be expected. "We understand," Kyle said. "Mom said that our brother is a really good man. She said that he'd help us, and it was her fault he never came to see us."

Jack's lower lip trembled as he added, "She was crying. We thought... We thought that maybe we could call him, so that Mom could see him again. But... then..."

Jack burst into tears and almost instantly, Finn rushed to his side and picked him up in his arms. "I know, Jackie. I know it hurts. Let it out. It's okay. We're here for you."

As Finn comforted Jack, Parker focused on Kyle. The older boy shuffled closer to him, discreetly, like he couldn't quite bring himself to hug Parker even if he craved the physical attention. Parker caressed Kyle's hair and finally dared to say, "Everything is going to be all right, Kyle. Your mother will be fine. You'll see."

For some reason, with Finn here, Parker himself could actually believe it.

****

The next day

At early noon, the park teemed with parents, children and their assorted canine companions. The dogs added a particularly awkward element, many of them seeming drawn to him and dancing around him in a clear show of excitement. Werewolves and regular canines had a tricky relationship. As a rule, they shied away, detecting the more dangerous predator, but this time around, they seemed aware of his enthusiasm at having found his mate, and responding to it.

Finn would have been put out, but the dogs distracted the kids from their glum demeanor. They laughed whenever another one showed up, and it was a good thing to see them smile a little in spite of their less than ideal situation.

By Finn's side, Parker chuckled. "You're really good with animals. And children."

Finn's own wolf did a small happy dance around him, but he struggled to rein his beast in so that he wouldn't act like a complete maniac. "I try," he said. "I grew up in a very tight-knit community, but I do understand what the boys are going through."

He and Parker sat down while Kyle and Jack played around them. Finn's nostrils were invaded by Parker's addictive scent, and it was almost physically painful to not touch him. Moon be blessed, who'd have guessed that he'd find his mate under these circumstances?

"I understand too," Parker said after a small pause. "In a way. That's why I want to help them."

He looked away, staring at the children with a distant expression. Finn took advantage of his distraction to greedily drink in his mate's gorgeous features. There was probably something fundamentally wrong about him being so aroused at such a time, but he couldn't help himself. He never would have thought he'd be jealous of the weather, but when the wind ruffled Parker's auburn locks, that was how he felt. He ached to map every inch of Parker's slender body with his fingers, gaze into Parker's eyes as he sank his dick into the other man's body.

A tired-looking dog owner manifested by their side, snapping Finn out of his trance. The man managed to pry his pet from Finn's proximity. It probably wouldn't have left, but Finn nodded slightly in its direction, willing it to go on. Just like that, the dog complied with its master and departed.

The children weren't too disappointed, likely because two other animals were already heading toward Finn. Finn made a mental note to leave the park before things got too creepy, but decided to give the kids a while longer. They needed the distraction, and the fresh air. Heck, Finn needed it too. They'd spent the morning visiting with the kids' mother, and seeing Alicia Cook lying there, weak and bruised, but struggling to put up a brave face, had stirred unpleasant memories in Finn's mind.

Parker's hand landed on his, like he could tell Finn was upset too. Finn stared at their entwined fingers for a few moments and said, "This whole thing just reminds me of things I'd rather not dwell on. I guess you can never really let go of the death of a parent."

Parker released a sound of distress. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

Finn shrugged. "It was a long time ago. Don't let it bother you." The last thing he wanted was for Parker to pity him. He hoped for far different emotions from Parker, and he didn't want to stir past wounds either. The present was already a too heavy burden to bear. "The important thing is that Mrs. Cook will be all right. Meanwhile, I called my brother this morning. Gavin was resting at the time, but Saul said he'd tell Gavin the truth when he woke up. We should be able to meet up with them tomorrow."

"That sounds fine," Parker replied, his voice soft and quiet. "I've already notified my superiors of it that I'll be out of town for a few days."

A cold chill swept over Finn's spine. He'd simply assumed he had all the time in the world to woo his mate once the immediate problem was solved, but what if Parker refused to relocate? Parker was human, and even if he seemed attracted to Finn, he might simply decide to leave after the children were in Gavin's care. In fact, that seemed exactly what Parker had in mind.