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Family Matters: Changes

Joey sat at his desk, a pen dangling between his fingers. He was trying to focus on the book in front of him, but his mind was scattered.

“Hey, Jen?” he called to his twin sister.

She looked up from the book she was reading. “Hm?”

“Do you….” He sighed. He knew Jen wasn’t as emotional as he was. It was stupid of him to keep thinking about this, even two years later.

“Yeah, I do,” she said, her voice dripping with sadness. “All the time.”

He could hear the tears in her voice, and they mirrored his own feelings. “How’d you know what I was thinking?”

The Return: Chapter Twenty One – The Final Chapter

Chapter Twenty-one

When they brought me back to the pack house, the first thing I did was pull Corey to me and bury my face in his neck. His scent washed over me, ripping out the last vestiges of anger, and replacing it with the calm only my mate could give me. I was called before the Council, who wanted to know every detail about what happened, and I told them the truth. That she’d been so hurt and devastated over Adam’s loss, she went off the deep end. They’d agreed with my choice to help her, rather than kill her, and said it was that critical thinking that made me a better Alpha. I told them flat out it was Corey that did that.

Corey contacted Kinsey and told him that the threat was over, and that he and Matt could come home anytime. He said they still needed time away, and would be back when they finished healing. Before Kinsey disconnected, Corey heard Matt’s moan of pleasure. I could feel Corey’s mirth through our bond, and I shared it.

The Return: Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

JONAS

My wolf’s feet thudded on the forest floor, crushing dried leaves beneath them. I ran full out, trying to burn off all this excess energy that was building inside me. This was worse than when Dad took me away the last time. I knew the reason was because Corey and I had finally bonded. His blood was now part of me, just as my cum was part of him. Everything we had been was now everything we were. There was no more Jonas or Corey. It was now and forever ‘we’.

I ran harder, unable to blot out the pain. Was Corey hurting? Could he feel me, even from hundreds of miles away? The only thing I was certain of was there was a Corey sized hole in my heart, and it was consuming me. I’d been stupid when I said he could go without me. We should never be separated, especially not like this. My mind worked overtime, thinking of so many problems that could occur when I wasn’t there to protect him. Yeah, Dad was there, but he wasn’t me.

He hadn’t even been gone a day, and already I was a wreck. I skipped eating, because I couldn’t stomach the thought of food. I dug into the pack information again, but had no clue what I was looking for. This was all so maddening. The only thing I had was the scent I picked up the night Kinsey was shot. Why was it so goddamn familiar to me?

“Hello, Alpha.”

The Return: Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

“It’s a wise precaution,” my father said. “Fort Andres is easily defensible, and I can’t think of anywhere safer for them to keep Corey.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Why is this happening now? It doesn’t make sense.”

Which I kept telling myself. “I don’t know. Maybe they figure they can make me suffer too?”

“Um…”

Jonas looked at me. “What’s on your mind?”

I shook my head. “Never mind. This is all wolf stuff.”

“No,” Dad said, reaching for Corey’s hand. “This is family stuff. Say what you think.”

The Return: Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

The house was quiet with Matt staying overnight at the hospital. Jonas had called four of his wolves to stand guard, simply as a precaution, he said. Matt was grateful. Kinsey was…less than thrilled. He might have made a few threats and said unflattering things to Jonas, who stood there with a big grin on his face until Kinsey ran out of steam and hung up.

While he was talking to Kinsey, I made some phone calls of my own. I wanted to check on DD and Sawyer, the fire chief who Jonas had helped escape the flames. DD said she was getting better, but by her voice I could tell she was still in pain. I called the florist and had him send a chicken soup bouquet, with flowers, a big mug, and several containers of soup. She called me back and thanked me, saying it wasn’t necessary, because I was Alpha Mate, and—I told her to shut up.

I owed her so much. She tried to save a building. Yes, I was wrecked when I first heard, but then DD, Sawyer, and Jonas got hurt, and it made me wonder how important was the shop in the grand scheme of things? The answer was not very. Jonas had been right. The shop could be rebuilt, but death was forever.