Man to Man [Wolf Creek Pack 3] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (20 page)

“Can we just go?” Chase snapped. “Alpha Nash is waiting for us.”

Donovan rolled his eyes as he followed Chase and Ben back to their vehicle. He could hear the others walking behind him. A huge relief filled him when he realized that they might be at the end of their dangerous situation.

Donovan was a little surprised when they reached the road after just a few minutes. He hadn’t realized that they were so close. Granted, they were supposed to be walking close to the road, but Donovan hadn’t wanted to get too close. He had no idea who might be driving by.

Donovan was also relieved that his brother had brought an SUV and not a truck.
Oh, his truck.
“They blew up my truck, Chase.” He really liked that truck.

“They who?” Chase asked over his shoulder.

“Vampires, wolf-shifters, assholes.” Donovan shrugged. “Take your pick. Tonight, it seems like they have all been after us.”

“Vampires?”

“Yep.”

“Oh, that’s not good.”

Donovan’s eyes widened. “Ya think?”

“Donovan.”

“Just open the door, Chase. Joey is getting heavy, and I have a bullet wound in my arm.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Chase snapped, reaching out with his hands. “Here, give him to me.”

Joey chose that moment to wake up. He lifted his head, took one look at the hands Chase held out to him, and screamed his head off. Donovan blinked for a moment, his ears ringing, and then cuddled Joey to his chest, murmuring softly to him.

“Ssshhh, it’s okay, Joey. Calm down.”

“Joey?”

“This is Joey,” Donovan said. “Jim is holding Joey’s little sister, Carrie. Unfortunately, they are casualties of this chaos. Their parents were killed trying to save them. Virgil was able to get them to Ethan, who had them when we went to rescue him.”

“Virgil? Ethan?” Chase glanced beyond Donovan. “I’m assuming they are the other two guys with you?”

“Virgil and Ethan are part of our pack, Chase.”

“Then why in the hell have I never met them?”

“Uh…I think I can answer that,” Virgil said as he stepped forward. “I was overseas when the alpha called the mandatory pack meeting, and Ethan was babysitting. I was planning on checking in with Alpha Reece when I got back, but Timmins was waiting for me. You kind of know what happened after that.”

“What were you doing overseas?” Chase asked, looking skeptical.

“I’m afraid I can only discuss that with my alpha.” Virgil crossed his arms over his chest as if daring Chase to poke and prod any further.

Donovan, however, wasn’t in the least bit surprised when his brother nodded his head as if he understood where Virgil was coming from and turned to open the backdoor of the SUV. If Virgil had been overseas doing anything close to what Chase did, then Chase did understand the need for secrecy.

Donovan didn’t even know everything that his brother had done or experienced in the years between when he left home and when he came back. But he did know that they had changed Chase, and not necessarily for the better.

Chase was more closed off than he had been when he was younger. He was harder, and had a dangerous air about him that Donovan could never hope to achieve. Donovan suspected that that was the reason why Chase was having so much trouble with his mates.

Chase climbed into the SUV and set Joey on the seat next to him. He buckled both of them in and then turned to take Carrie as Jim climbed in the other side. Once Jim was buckled in, he took Carrie back and buckled her into the seat next to him. Chase and Ben climbed in the front of the vehicle. Virgil and Ethan climbed into the way back.

“Everyone ready to go?” Chase asked.

“Yeah, but we need to stop at the first store we come to and buy car seats,” Jim said. “It’s not safe for the kids to be riding this way.”

Donovan grinned.

“They are wolf-shifters, Jim,” Chase said. “You do know that, right? They are stronger than human children.”

“They are still children!” Jim snapped. “We could also do to pick up some medical supplies before Donovan bleeds all over everything.”

Donovan didn’t think he was bleeding anymore. His shift should have started the healing process. But he wasn’t about to say that to his mate, not in the mood Jim was in. The guy could be a little scary obsessive sometimes.

“Okay, okay.” Chase held his hands up in surrender. “We’ll stop at the first store that has car seats.”

Jim seemed satisfied with that. He wrapped his arm around Carrie and pulled her into his side and then smiled over at Donovan. Donovan chuckled and did the same with Joey, reaching out to grab Jim’s hand and entwine their fingers together.

“Okay, Chase, take us home.”

* * * *

Donovan lifted his head as they pulled into the driveway of Alpha Nash’s house. He reached over and shook Jim’s shoulder until he started to rouse. “We’re at your father’s house, babe.”

Jim lifted his head from where it had been laying on the headrest and glanced out the window. “Jeez, we’re finally home. I was starting to wonder if we would ever get here.”

“Well, we’re here now. Let’s get the children unbuckled and take them inside. I’m sure your mother has somewhere that we can lay them down while we talk to your father.”

“Yeah.” Jim sounded about as enthused as someone getting a root canal.

Donovan unbuckled Joey from the car seat they had purchased on the way home, Jim doing the same for Carrie. Donovan climbed out of the SUV when Jim did and hurried around to meet him near the front of the vehicle.

Jim looked like he was about to fall apart. Donovan wrapped his hand around the nape of Jim’s neck and pulled him closer until their foreheads rested against each other. “It’ll be okay, babe.”

“I wish I believed that.”

Donovan felt helpless as he watched Jim turn and walk away, heading up the walkway to the front porch. He wished he had something profound to say to Jim that would make him feel better, but he didn’t.

He knew as well as Jim did that they were fighting an uphill battle to keep Joey and Carrie. There would be a lot of pack members that would want to adopt the adorable little siblings. Two gay men didn’t have much hope.

“What’s with him?” Chase asked as he stopped next to Donovan.

“We want to keep the children. They have no parents, and according to Virgil, they don’t have any living relatives either. We’d like to be their family.”

“Whoa, dude, you? A father?”

Donovan frowned at his brother. “It’s possible.”

“I thought you gave that all up to be with Jim.”

“Why would I give up having children just to be with Jim?” The idea was absurd.

“Duh, because your both men.”

Donovan rolled his eyes. “You’re a fucking idiot.” He stepped away from his brother and walked up the walkway to join Jim. He stepped up next to him just as the door opened. Maryann Nash, Jim’s mother opened the door.

“James.”

“Mom.”

Her eyebrow curved up into an arch. “And just who do you have there?” she asked as she looked at the little girl in Jim’s arms and then to the little boy in Donovan’s arms.

Jim quickly glanced at Donovan. Donovan nodded, hoping to encourage his mate. Jim smiled and turned back to look at his mother. “These are your grandchildren.”

* * * *

“Introducing them to your mother first was a stroke of genius,” Donovan whispered silently to his mate as he watched Maryann make pancakes for the kids. She had Jim pull the old family highchairs out of the attic and was even now talking up a storm as Carrie and Joey sat there watching her in rapt fascination.

“You may think so now, but wait until my father gets a hold of us. You’ll be wishing you were back fighting those vampires.”

“Maybe, but we have Maryann on our side.” Donovan waved his hand toward the woman as she started singing some silly kids’ song. “She’s crazy about them already.”

“That may not have been our smartest move,” Jim said. “If Mom becomes attached to Carrie and Joey, and then they get taken from us, my dad is going to skin us alive for upsetting her.”

“I’m glad you understand that.”

Donovan jumped and swung around. He swallowed hard when he saw Daniel Nash standing behind him, his arms crossed over his chest and a deep frown on his face. Yeah, that wasn’t good. The man looked like he had been chewing on nails.

“Maryann will see to the children,” Daniel said. “I’d like to speak to you in the other room.”

Donovan grabbed Jim’s hand as they started to follow Daniel into the other room. When Jim went to sit down on the couch, Donovan sat down right beside him. He refused to release Jim’s hand even when the man tugged on it. He just tightened his grip. Finally, Jim sighed and stopped tugging.

Daniel sat across from them and pressed his fingertips together. “I understand why you did what you did, but I disagree with the way you did it.”

“Dad, I—”

Daniel held up his hand to stop Jim. “My duty is to the Wolf Creek Pack, the entire pack. And that includes new members, even ones that are still in diapers. No matter my feelings, or your mother’s, I have to make the best choice for them and everyone in the pack.”

Jim’s hand tightened around Donovan’s.
“He’s not going to let us keep them,”
Jim whispered through their bond.
“He’s going to give them to someone else.”

Donovan prayed that Jim was wrong. He knew they were an unusual choice as parents for Joey and Carrie, but he couldn’t think of anyone that wanted them more than him and Jim.

“Part of my responsibility as alpha is ensuring that children that come into our pack are placed with the best parents possible. Now, I’m not saying that either of you would be the wrong choice, however, all options have to be explored. I hope you understand that.”

Donovan cleared his throat to dislodge the lump building there. “We understand that all options have to be explored, but I sincerely believe that Jim and I are the best choice for Joey and Carrie. They know us and feel safe with us.”

“That’s all well and good, but children need more than safety or comfort. They need love and a stable home life. You have to admit that the two of you are far from stable.”

“Jim and I have already discussed that,” Donovan said. “We know we’ll need a larger house, one with a yard and everything. I also wanted to ask you for permission to join your pack, so we could stay here in Wolf Creek and be near Jim’s family. As for money, I have some saved up, and I intend to apply for a position at the sheriff’s office. Jim already has a job.”

“You seem to have given this some thought.”

“We have.”

“Well, as much as I would like to tell you that you can take the children home with my blessing, I’m afraid that I can’t. Until all attempts to locate their family have been run dry, I cannot hand them over to you. After that, any member of the pack that wishes to adopt them has the right to put in their application, including you. A suitable choice will be made from those that apply.”

Donovan felt his heart sink. There were so many other families out there that were better suited for the position than him and Jim. Alpha Nash was right. They didn’t have their shit together enough to come out on the top of that list.

“If you still wish to join the Wolf Creek Pack, Donovan, you have my blessing.”

“I do.”

“Then I welcome you. I will accept your formal pledge at the next pack meeting. Until then”—Daniel leaned forward and held out his hand—“welcome to the Wolf Creek Pack.”

Donovan reached out with his free hand and shook Daniel’s, tilting his head to one side in a show of submission. Once Daniel dropped his hand, he leaned back and glanced at his mate. Jim hadn’t said a word since his father started speaking. Donovan started to grow concerned when Jim just continued to stare at the floor, not saying a thing.

“Jim?”

“I think it’s time that we head home and see to that shoulder of yours,” Jim said as he stood up. He immediately dropped Donovan’s hand and walked toward the kitchen.

Donovan stared after him for a moment. He felt his face flush as he looked back at the alpha. Jim’s departure had been very rude, but Donovan understood exactly what he was doing. He was trying to distance himself from the pain he was feeling.

“Alpha, thank you for accepting me into your pack. I know I speak for both Jim and myself when I say that we would like to put in our application to be the children’s parents. We understand that you have to make the best choice for Joey and Carrie, but I believe that the best choice is us.”

“I wish my son was as understanding as you.” Daniel’s eyes strayed toward the kitchen. They were filled with a touch of remorsefulness. “He doesn’t always understand the duty of an alpha. As much as I wish I could always give my children everything they want, I am responsible for an entire pack, not just my own family.”

“He understands, Alpha. He’s just upset right now. We were both hoping to be able to take the children home with us tonight.”

“Ah.”