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  Danielle nodded. “I just checked Hayden because it’s the first day of the full moon. I... I don’t know how I missed this before, but yes. I can’t fix it for this cycle, but maybe in a month or three, everything should be working properly.” She frowned as she rubbed her forehead. “You’ll have to come see me in the clinic. I can take care of it there.”

  Hayden sobbed. “That was it this whole time? It wasn’t some magical spell or hallucinogenic blocker?” Tears streamed down her cheeks while she held Asher and Emmeline close to her.

  “Well,” Danielle said with a small smile. “It was a blocker, but there was nothing supernatural about it. I won’t sugar coat it, taking it out will hurt and there are complications, but I think if we work together, you’ll be just fine.”

  “I told you little wolf, everything would work out.” Nico held his family in his arms as he kissed Hayden’s forehead. “Thank you, Dani. I—we owe you.”

  She held up her hand. “All I ask for in return is a happy, healthy, Raferty-Lopez baby.”

  Jefferson hugged Jochi tight. “Well, looks like this holiday is looking up after all.”

  “Not like it matters, but now we can prove all the shit Holly is trying to pin on us, is bullshit,” Hayden chirped.

  “What did they find?” Mackenzie murmured.

  “IUD,” Royce said. “Danielle has no idea how long it’s been there.”

  “Probably since one of the early kidnappings, I would assume,” Mackenzie said.

  Royce nodded. “Are there bar codes or serial numbers on those types of things?”

  Danielle faced him. “I would assume so. We’ll find out after this full moon cycle. I can have it to Kalkin by Monday.”

  “The sooner the better,” Hayden said. “I’m going to nail her ass.”

  Mackenzie chuckled. “There she is.”

  “If you need any help,” Jefferson said. “I have a person. He’s dependable, and I trust him.”

  Kalkin nodded. “He’s one of our sources, too. Should be here in a bit.”

  “Who is it?” Hayden asked.

  “His name is Adrian Kirkpatrick.”

  Royce gasped. “The kid from Boston.”

  “What?” Mackenzie leaned in.

  “I know him,” Royce said. “We all do. He helped lead us to Holly.”

  “I’ll be damned,” Mackenzie mumbled.

  Aurora came up beside Mackenzie. “Sounds like we should be celebrating?”

  ****

  “So, you guys just walked in the door on your father and his mate?” Rapier laughed. “Fuck, this family.”

  Charisma scowled. “It wasn’t like I was prepared for it.”

  “To her defense, I wasn’t sure if it was possible to, you know,” Jefferson stumbled. His cheeks were beet-red and Jochi appeared contrite by his side. “Knot my mate.”

  “And you,” Rapier turned his attention to Mackenzie. “You, old fart. You went and ended up getting a mate since I kicked your ass off the site.”

  Mackenzie flipped him off. “I could still take your feline ass any day of the week.”

  “Pervert,” Rapier said, placing his hand to his chest. “My ass only belongs to my loving kitten. Right?”

  “Yes, Daddy,” Jasmine answered.

  Rapier growled. “Bad kitten, getting me all kinds of hard while in front of our friends and family.”

  Kalkin snorted. “Stop being a modest fucker—”

  “Language,” Keeley chided.

  Mackenzie glanced at Aurora who was grinning like a fool. He relaxed. Everyone was in rare form. He hoped they didn’t scare her off, but watching her, he could see she was enjoying herself. “Aren’t we all a little old for the language talk?”

  Keeley waggled her finger at him. “Mackenzie Raferty, there are still babies in this family.”

  “We know, you’re carrying one right now,” Mackenzie quipped.

  Keeley’s mouth fell open. “Kalkin Raferty, you asshole! W—”

  “Language,” Mackenzie and Rapier said at the same time.

  “I’ll deal with both of you later.” Keeley turned her ire on her mate. “We were going to wait until we figured out what was happening to Hayden.”

  Kalkin gave her a blank look. “I’m sorry?”

  “No, you’re not,” Keeley snapped.

  “Well, if it’s all the same,” Hayden said. “We’re okay. We have our two beautiful children, and now that we know what the issue is, we’re good.”

  “Fine,” Melody said, standing. “Rashid and I are expecting, too.”

  The room exploded in cheers and congratulations as Rashid kissed her. Jochi placed his hand on Jefferson's thigh and squeezed it while he dabbed at his eyes with the other. Jefferson missed this. He'd been caught up in the day to day bullshit surrounding D.C. and being a senator, he hadn’t paused to also live his life. He could count on both hands how many times he'd been home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, which was piss poor on his part. Of course, after Susanne died, he chalked it up to heartache and depression. His girls came out to see him, sure, but it wasn’t the same for any of them. Now, he couldn’t see himself missing another one.

  “I can’t thank you enough, Danielle,” Melody said. “You were so dedicated to helping us.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said. “I’m happy it worked out for you.”

  “Have you told Shelby?” Hayden asked.

  Melody nodded. “We did this morning.”

  “Well, shit, we’re going to be a regular menagerie here,” Christoph piped up. “Between our cub and yours,” he motioned to Keeley and Melody, “we’ll have our hands full.”

  Aurora stood then. “I-I have something to tell you as well.” She glanced down at Mackenzie. “I’m scared, though.”

  “No shit,” Kalkin grumbled, cutting his gaze to Mackenzie. “We can smell it on you. What, did Mac knock you up and you’re afraid to tell him?”

  She shook her head. “No. Not even close. Er, well, maybe, but it’s not...you know.” She blew out a breath. “I’m messing this up.”

  “Wait,” Royce said. “So, you did knot her? Good job, Dad.”

  Mackenzie snarled. “Give her a second.”

  “You see, Abby...” Aurora swallowed hard. “She’s not my daughter. She’s my niece.”

  Kalkin frowned. “Where’s her mother?”

  Mackenzie took Aurora’s hand then and squeezed it. "She died, Kal. After she gave birth to Abby." He turned his attention to Danielle. “Cat’s out of the bag. Abby and Aurora’s sister had the same thing—”

  “PFO or Patent Foramen Ovale,” Aurora said. “My sister had a massive stroke within five hours of delivering Abby.”

  “And what about the father?” Kalkin hedged. “Is what you told us true about him?”

  “To a degree, yes,” Aurora replied. “He knocked up my sister, didn’t want anything to do with Abby, and signed over his rights, making it easier to become Abby’s guardian. However, when he found out about her condition, I guess in case something happened to her, he came snooping around. So, it made it easier to leave when the doctor said she needed warm, dry conditions to lead a happy, healthy life.”

  “Do you think he’ll come around here?”

  Aurora shook her head. “No. I think he saw a way to make a quick buck with a sick kid. If he wanted to be her father, he wouldn’t have dropped my sister like she was someone else’s trash.”

  “So noted. Anything else?” Kalkin narrowed his eyes.

  “Mackenziewasmyfirst,” she mumbled, sitting.

  “Whoa now!” Kalkin laughed. “You old, mangy wolf. I knew you couldn’t keep your hands off of her.”

  Keeley elbowed him. "Shut up. Can't you see she's embarrassed enough? Don't make it worse for her."

  “I’m not.” Kalkin turned to his mate. “Mackenzie has been keeping secrets.”

  “If we’re done with all the yammering, how about some of the apple cake Aurora made? I have been craving it since it came out of the oven,” Mac
kenzie said.

  “Wait,” Tate stated. “Is that some kind of code for getting laid? Because I’m down for some ‘apple cake,’ too.”

  Lorenzo laughed. “He’s a little anxious about tonight, you’ll have to forgive him.”

  Kalkin barked out a laugh. “All those in favor of apple cake say aye.”

  ****

  By the time they cleaned off the table, put the leftovers—or what could be considered leftovers—away, and did the dishes, the moon was beginning to rise. Already Jefferson’s skin tingled. It was like a million sparks of electricity snapped across his flesh, awakening the nerve endings below the surface. It was different than what he’d felt while on his run earlier in the morning. This stirring was a different type of need.

  “I think it’s going to work,” Kalkin murmured as they stepped outside after he'd returned from dropping the teens at the community center. “How do you feel?”

  “Like I’ve touched a live wire,” Jefferson said. “Everything is more acute too. Smell. Taste. Sight. My body tingles too.”

  “Good,” Kalkin replied. “As the Alpha, I can help you through this, but I also think you should try on your own. You’re not a child attempting his first shift.”

  “Right,” Jefferson agreed. “So, what do I do?”

  “Picture in your mind your wolf, when you see him, coax him forward. It’s like letting a pet out to go to the bathroom in the morning. Once you step aside, the wolf will come out.”

  “Will the wolf only come out on the full moon?”

  Kalkin shook his head. “No. I think once you get the hang of it, you’ll shift whenever it feels right.”

  “Makes sense to me.”

  “You’ll have to get naked though,” Kalkin said, pointing to a bench off to the side. “You can put your clothes over there, so they don’t get trampled on.”

  “Wait,” Jefferson said. “Everyone gets naked?”

  "Shifters and some mates. Not all. It's a choice here, Winters. You do what makes you feel comfortable. Plus, we don't stare at each other's junk. Shifters don't have the same hang-ups about being naked as humans do."

  Well, when in Rome. “I understand.”

  “Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, we need to prep for our run before I head to work.” Kalkin patted him on the shoulder then skirted through the crowd of shifters exiting the house to join them.

  Jochi came up beside him wearing the red silk robe Jefferson coveted. His mate smelled of wild heat and frost a uniqueness all his own. There was also a flash of unadulterated lust in his emerald green eyes. His mate didn’t say a word as he began to unbutton Jefferson’s shirt while Kalkin explained how the runs worked.

  “What are you doing?” Jefferson murmured.

  “Getting you ready,” Jochi replied. “Your wolf is very close to the surface.”

  “Yeah...I think so too,” Jefferson agreed. “Will it hurt?”

  Jochi shook his head. “It’s not how horror movies portray it. It’s more of a warmth from the center of your chest that when it expands outward, it causes your bones to realign and reshape your body. Before you can even say anything, you're on all fours."

  “Oh.”

  "The energy flowing through all of us will help encourage your wolf to come out as well. If you'd like, I can stay like I am and help you through it," Jochi offered.

  Jefferson jumped on it. “I think I’d like that.”

  “Perfect.” Jochi took Jefferson’s hand. “It’s beginning. If you don’t want to ruin your pants, you should remove them now.”

  He jerked. “Right, of course.”

  Once Jefferson was naked the only thought he had before everything in front of him erupted in a giant ball of white, was taking Jochi to the ground and mounting him. He’d been about to say as much when a surge of white-hot energy flowed through him. Like Kalkin told him, the hulking beast within him stepped forward, pushing past Jefferson. The blue-eyed devil gave him a smirk of satisfaction at the same moment his world tilted on its axis.

  He was falling for what seemed like forever then his hands...no paws touched the cool desert ground and his eye level changed to that of at least four feet off the ground. Jochi appeared in front of him. The smell of his mate drove Jefferson insane. He wanted him there and now, be damned with everything else.

  “Not in front of the kids, asshole,” Kalkin said, stepping in front of Jefferson. “Put your dick away.”

  Jefferson glanced between his front legs and whined. How did a shifter put their dick away? Jochi, instead of helping him, giggled. Kalkin sighed and shook his head. “You have to relax, Winters. I know this is different for you. It’ll take some getting used to. For now, we’ll run it out of you.”

  Jochi joined him a few moments later. His snow leopard stroked his side, rubbing his scent into Jefferson’s fur then tangled his tail around Jefferson’s front legs. He yipped at his mate. As he gathered more of his control. Jefferson couldn't believe how different everything appeared as a wolf. His eyesight was clearer than what it'd been even minutes before. His sense of smell was also off the charts and having his mate beside him, left his mouth-watering to taste him. Jochi bumped his head to Jefferson's then took off at a good clip out the back gate.

  Jefferson gave chase as he let out a howl of excitement.

  Finally, he was free.

  Chapter Nine

  Five days later...

  All that worrying for nothing.

  Both Charisma and Penelope were a hundred percent human. Danielle and Kalkin both agreed, somewhere in Jefferson’s lineage there’d been a shifter, but since no one had mated to another wolf—in his case—the genetic coding was watered down, causing the wolf became dormant.

  With Penelope mating a coyote, the chances of her and Saber having a child who could shift into a wolf and a coyote doubled. For now, Danielle promised to monitor little Lynx to see how his genetic coding would mature and mutate as he aged. When they had more children, she’d watch over them as well. Charisma, on the other hand, would have children who were a hundred percent wolf like their father. While Mikey would always be their tiger-wolf.

  Also, the procedure to help Hayden had gone exceptionally well. The girl was up and around the next day as if nothing happened. A lightness had also filled the girl, something even Jefferson missed. He hoped she and Nico would begin adding to their family. They deserved all the happiness in the world after what she’d been through. Added bonus, the judge allowed the IUD to introduced in court. It’d all been a blur of activity, but in the end, Holly gave one spectacular confession, and now, she awaited her sentencing hearing after firing her lawyer.

  As Jefferson rolled over in bed, he stared at his slumbering mate. Jochi... The man had changed Jefferson’s life for the better. Taking the bet sneaky snow leopard offered him at the time had been a little crazy, okay a lot crazy. He’d gone into it thinking he could shove the man away and turn his back. Boy, had he been wrong. But, at the time, he’d been content knowing his daughters were safe, cared for and loved. Jefferson didn’t need anyone, so, he was being honest with Charisma when he’d said he crawled into Susanne’s coffin when she passed. She’d been his everything—or so he thought.

  He pushed a silky strand of Jochi’s jet-black hair out of his face. Getting used to this type of relationship hadn’t been easy for him. There were quite a few worries he had. Mostly what he thought others might say when he introduced Jochi to his colleagues to his mate. However, as he settled into his new normal, he didn’t care.

  Jefferson’s life was his own.

  It’d also been why it was easier to walk away.

  He had everything he needed at home.

  “Bèndàn,” Jochi whispered. “Why are you awake so early?”

  Jefferson smiled. “It’s the first day of the rest of my life. I thought I would lay here a little longer and watch you sleep.”

  “Creepy,” Jochi teased.

  Jefferson gave a breathy laugh. “I guess it is.” He pressed his lips
to Jochi’s forehead. “I was just thinking about the last year and how you changed my life.”

  A slight blush tinged his mate’s cheeks. “I was frightened to death you would reject me.”

  “The brief thought did float through my mind. Then, you wrapped those sinful lips of yours around my dick, and I knew I was lost to you.”

  Jochi pushed the covers back then slid down into the bed until he hovered over Jefferson’s groin. “Like this?” He placed a kiss to the tip of Jefferson’s cock, and he groaned.

  “Suc—"

  A sharp cry of hunger interrupted them, and Jefferson cursed under his breath. Since they’d brought their son home, Déshì had thrived with them. He put on two pounds and was beginning to be sociable. However, when the boy wanted to eat, he let everyone know his displeasure of having to wait.

  Jochi pressed a kiss to Jefferson’s lips. “To be continued.”

  He palmed his mate’s ass and squeezed. “You bet your sweet ass.”

  “I love it when you go all wolfish on me,” Jochi teased.

  Jefferson growled. “Good to know.” The demanding cry of their son grew louder. “Go on, I’ll grab a shower and start making breakfast. We have a video call meeting with Emersyn at eight and then we have to prep for the news conference.”

  “A senator’s job is never done,” Jochi sighed as he donned his robe.

  “Think of it this way, after today, all of my attention will be on you and our family. You’ll never have to return to D.C. ever again.”

  Jochi smiled. “Sounds heavenly, bèndàn.”

  ****

  Jefferson stood behind a podium before a small crowd which included his family and friends. Friday afternoon, Emersyn called to say she accepted his offer and couldn’t wait to get to work.

  All of the information he’d gathered over the past thirty years along with the evidence Jochi obtained and Vigilante, had been sent to all the sub-committees and the FBI for further investigation. Two hours ago, he submitted his paperwork to retire. He was offered a date and time to make a speech in the Senate chamber.