Jan Delima - Celtic Moon

“Just tell your father the truth,” Sophie said.

“Um, well, I know you have a huge house that looks like a stone fort and a lot of people live there. You watch out for everyone in your town like they’re your responsibility. I have an uncle named Luc. And an aunt named Elen who’s a doctor. They were nice to Mom when she lived here.”

The last was said as if everyone else was unkind to Sophie. How many other lies had she told?

“Do you know how your mother and I met?”

Joshua nodded. “You rented her the lake house. She worked as a wildlife biologist on a research team from the University of Maine and was trying to reintroduce caribou back into the Katahdin region. You guys ended up spending the summer together until Mom found out she was pregnant with me. She quit her job and moved in with you.”

The accounting was too guarded for Dylan’s satisfaction. “Did she tell you about her time in Rhuddin Hall? And please don’t moderate.”

“I’m not.” Joshua’s defense of his mother was immediate. “You were always worried about her and kept people around her. She was very sad because you wouldn’t let her call Grandma. She found out my grandfather died from an obituary in a newspaper. You wouldn’t let her go to the funeral. You guys had a really big fight over it.” He paused, his eyes shifting to the backseat.

“Go on,” Sophie urged.

“Mom didn’t understand why you were so weird about her leaving. Then one night you showed her why.” He didn’t give specifics but his voice indicated he knew them. “Just before you”—he cleared his throat—“ changed , you told her she could leave after I was born, but without me. So she left before I was born.”

Although biased, the accounting was fairly accurate. Dylan had expected worse. However, there was an odd tone to his son’s voice. “What are you not telling me?”

“Nothing,” Joshua hedged. “I don’t know. I just don’t think you knew Mom that well or you’d never have made that offer. That’s all.”

That’s all.

Dylan gripped the steering wheel, trying hard to keep the anger from his voice. It seemed Sophie had omitted an important piece of information that their son deserved to know. “My words and actions may seem unfair to you, but I had my reasons. Your mother and I were wedded that summer she spent at the lake house. When she moved into my house we were husband and wife.”

Sophie hissed from the backseat, no longer ignoring his presence. “I don’t believe that wedding was entirely legal.”

He met her glare in the rearview mirror, deciding with some satisfaction that he preferred her anger to indifference. “Do your oaths mean nothing, wife ? Because I assure you I don’t make vows unless I mean to keep them.”

“We were never in a church,” she ground out, a forced calm in front of their son. “As far as I’m concerned, that ceremony was just a romantic gesture in the woods. There was no minister present, or a priest, or a justice of the peace, for that matter. And I know we never signed any papers—”

“We were in my church. And I don’t need a clergyman or a clerk to validate my vows. And documents are useless items easily destroyed and irrelevant.”

And you are my mate, his wolf growled silently, flexing its teeth along Dylan’s spine. An unbreakable bond. Your human vows are insignificant in comparison.

Her jaw hung open, rendering her momentarily speechless. Joshua remained quiet in the passenger seat, although a slight grin tugged at his lips.

“Don’t even think about it.” Sophie found her voice and its warning tone was aimed directly at their son.

“Awww . . . Come on, Mom.” He looked over his shoulder, his eyes aglow with potential trouble. “Grandma should know.”

“Grandma won’t recognize anything not blessed by a minister.”

Dylan stowed that information away for later use and addressed another issue about his son’s account that bothered him. “I had valid reasons for wanting your mother to separate from her old life, even her family. It was for her protection, and theirs, and for the people I’m responsible for. Now that you’re here, you’ll learn the whole of it.”

And you’ll understand my side.

Sophie cleared her throat. “I only recently gave Joshua the full details about”—her voice faltered—“the last time I saw you. I told him two weeks ago, when I could no longer delude myself that he wasn’t experiencing similar traits.”

Dylan grew annoyed with the evasive wordplay. “You know I can change into a wolf?”

Joshua nodded. “Yeah, Mom wanted me to know just in case I inherited the same . . . um, talent.”

“And were you surprised to hear of such a thing?”

“Not really.” He rolled his eyes toward the backseat. “But, if you haven’t noticed, Mom’s more than a little freaked-out about it.”

Not really.

Curious now, Dylan pulled over to the side of the road and opened the passenger-side window. “What do you hear in the forest, Joshua?”

He nodded with understanding and accepted the challenge. “There’s a bird making a nest a few yards away.” He pointed to a grove of young cedars. “Two deer are foraging for food over there.” He closed his eyes, concentrating on the sounds. “A man and a woman are whispering a short distance up this road.” He opened his eyes and gave a confident smile. “They just stopped.”

Dylan forced himself to stay calm. The man and woman he referred to were guards, Ceri and Gabriel, and they were more than a short distance away. “How long have your senses been . . . heightened ?”

“I don’t know,” Joshua said. “Always, I guess. I’ve always known I’ve been different from other kids, stronger . But in the last three weeks I’ve felt . . . more .” He shot a sidelong glance toward his mother. “I feel things I haven’t before.”

“Like what?” Dylan’s heart slammed against his chest. “What do you feel?”

“Life.” Joshua’s voice dropped to a low growl not entirely human. “Power.”

Dylan hissed, sensing the whispers of energy dance along his skin, called not by him but by his son.

Sweet Mother. Was it possible?

Did he dare allow himself to hope for such a thing?

“What is that?” Sophie asked, her voice anxious.

“A gift,” Dylan whispered. “An unbelievable gift. Do you know what that power can do, Joshua?”

He blinked slowly. “I think so.”

I think so. Not tested then, not fully.

“You’ll learn.” Dylan reached over, unable to contain his joy, grabbing his son by the shoulder to give a reassuring squeeze. “I’ll teach you.”

“When?” he asked, eager.

“Soon.”

“Is Joshua going to be okay?” Sophie demanded, leaning forward, inches from his face.

He turned to her, a brush of movement before she jumped back. He ground his teeth against her fleeting scent. “As long as he stays with me, everything will be fine.”

“And how long will that take?” Suspicion and fear laced her voice.

Dylan evaded her question with one of his own. “Did anything change in Joshua’s life three weeks ago?”

She frowned then. “No. Nothing changed.” Her eyes turned toward their son, shrewd and assessing. “Unless I’m not aware of it.”

“No, nothing,” Joshua confirmed. “At least, I don’t think so. I like where we live now. It’s been nice not moving around so much.”

“Ah,” Dylan said.

“What?” Sophie’s voice turned frantic.

“Joshua’s wolf might have remained dormant because his environment was constantly changing . . . unsteady .”