Lisa Kessler - Moonlight

Adam took his father’s hand. “Stay with me, Dad. Jason will be here in a minute. We’ll get you all fixed up.”

The older man’s lashes fluttered and finally opened. There was no denying the resemblance.

“Introduce me,” he whispered. “I want to meet your…mate.”

For a moment Adam’s expression softened. He took my hand, laced his fingers with mine. “This is Lana.” His voice trembled when he looked at me. I could see his pain and his fear for his father, but he cleared his throat and pushed his emotions back when he looked back down at him. “Lana, this is Malcolm, my father and my Alpha.”

My eyes brimmed with tears as Malcolm placed his palm over our joined hands. His mouth curved into a warm smile and his eyes moved between our faces. “Welcome to the Pack, Lana…” His breath wheezed. He winced, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, his gaze locked on mine. “I accept you as my son’s mate.”

Adam’s eyes shone in the moonlight, his jaw slack. “But you told me—”

“I was a fool.” He fought to swallow and catch his breath. He glanced at me, and I swore his green eyes sparkled. He stared up at his son. “She’s pregnant, Adam. You didn’t tell me.”

Shock and disbelief shot through me. “You told me you have to bite a woman and convert her before you can have a baby.”

Adam nodded and looked back down at his father. “It’s impossible. I didn’t bite her, Dad.”

He coughed and moaned. “I don’t know how, but she is. Concentrate on her scent.” He pulled in another shallow breath through his nose. “Beyond the jaguar. There’s more. There’s almost your scent mixed with hers.” He nodded to himself. “She’s definitely carrying your child.”

I’m sure my face must’ve looked as shocked as I felt on the inside, my heart racing out of control. I was about to tell them I felt fine—I was pretty sure I’d know if I was pregnant. I wasn’t sick or tired. But before I could say anything, another naked man rushed to kneel beside Malcolm.

He glanced over at me. “Can you give me some room?”

I nodded and got up. Until then I hadn’t even noticed that Malcolm was nude too, but none of it mattered.

Adam watched the man’s every move. He carefully lifted the sock I’d been using for a compress and inspected the wound. Malcolm groaned and hissed as his Packmate explored the wound with his finger.

When he leaned back, he replaced the compress. “The bullet grazed your liver. I’m going to need to do surgery right away.”

Malcolm shook his head, his face glistening with sweat. “No. Just patch me up here.”

The doctor looked up at Adam. “He’s bleeding internally. We’ve got to get him to a hospital.”

“Too risky to the Pack,” Malcolm rasped. “The needs of the Pack come first.”

Adam squeezed his father’s shoulder and looked at the doctor. “Jason, talk to him. He has to understand.”

Jason stared at his patient. “I can’t do surgery here even if I wanted to, Malcolm. I don’t have any of my equipment and not enough light. I can fix this, and you’ll be fine. We just need a hospital.”

Adam got up, his jaw tight and eyes stern. I noticed the black wolf with the injured leg was limping back to the Pack. Aren whimpered and nuzzled his father, nudging his shoulder with his long snout. I looked back at the trees and wondered if Sasha was still alive out there or if the wolf had remembered she was the one who shot him and took his revenge while she was tranquilized.

I reminded myself again that she had been about to trade me to Nero like a prize cow. She was also planning on shooting Adam.

Adam stared into each wolf’s eyes as they gathered closer around and spoke slowly. “The run is over. Malcolm needs a hospital. Go shift and meet back at the ranch.”

He turned around and knelt down beside Jason. “Let’s get him to the truck.”

“No!” Malcolm bellowed. It was most definitely a command.

The wolves halted and returned to their fallen Alpha.

With my enhanced night vision, I could see the pain in Malcolm’s eyes. He held his hand up to Adam. “Sit me up, boy. I need to say something to my Pack.”

“You need a hospital.”

Malcolm’s silver brow furrowed. “Do as I say, Adam.”

I shot a glare at Jason. Why wasn’t he backing me up? I sighed when he looked away, attending to Malcolm’s exit wound. I was on my own. I turned to my father. I knew it would dishonor him to disobey his wishes in front of the entire Pack, but I couldn’t let him die.

As if he could hear my thoughts, he whispered. “Let me go, son. My life has been full. Let the Pack remember me the way I choose, giving my life under the full moon to save my grandchildren. Please, Adam.”

I gnawed at the inside of my cheek, fighting to keep from scooping him up off the ground and running him to the hospital on foot. “Dad, please don’t do this. You don’t have to die. Not now.”

He moved his head, trying to see past me. “Where is your mate?”

Lana knelt down beside me. “I’m here.”

Malcolm took her hand. While the Pack watched, he brought my hand to hers and joined them together. I could feel tremors racing through my father’s fingers when he covered our hands in his. Then he looked over at the Pack.

“Lana is now Adam’s mate. She is a member of our Pack. Together we are family. In her womb is our future. Protect her.” He closed his eyes tight and his hands slid free of ours.

“No,” I growled, as I pulled his broad shoulders onto my lap. Shoulders that used to carry me when my Mom was still alive. “We need you. You have to fight.”

His eyes opened and tears clouded my vision. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly as he whispered, “Where’s Aren?”

My brother, already changed into his human form, limped forward. Lana held out her hand to help steady him as he sat down at our father’s side. When Aren took her hand and accepted her help, something inside of me started to crumble.

Of course he would accept her now. Our father had given his blessing, and I was about to become Alpha.

Aren’s eyes met mine, and I knew in that instant that he believed in me. I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t even want it. Not yet.

“Aren,” our father whispered. He reached up to clasp Aren’s cheek, the pad of his thumb sliding over my brother’s skin, leaving a trail of blood behind. “You have made me a very proud father.”

Aren took a deep breath, but his face remained stoic. “I love you, Dad.”

Malcolm started to smile, looking from Aren’s face to mine. “I love you, too. Both of you.” He focused on Aren again. “Watch over your brother and his mate. I know she’s not what any of us expected, but…” His eyes met mine. “I trust Adam’s judgment.”

My heart pounded in my chest. I wasn’t ready to be the Alpha. I still needed my father.

I looked over at Lana, watching her fingers smooth back Malcolm’s silver hair from his forehead. She didn’t look like she even realized she was doing it, but she cared for others more than herself. She was going to be an amazing mother to our children. God… Our children . We were going to have a family.

I was going to be a father.

But I wanted my father to live to see it. I needed my father.

“I will always be with you, Adam,” he whispered.

I smiled as a tear escaped the corner of my eye. “How do you do that?”

His eyes sparkled. “What?” He knew exactly what I was asking.

“How do you know what we’re thinking?”

“You’ll soon find out. Being Alpha comes from your heart and soul, son, not an instruction manual.”