Fighter (Outsider Series) (19 page)

Trying to get over the awkwardness, even though that was nearly impossible with Caeden being her son, I said, “It doesn’t seem possible
, but I love him even more now.” My cheeks flamed even brighter having admitted that.

She used tongs to place a mountain of bacon on a plate. “I felt that way with Roger. Being married and sharing that part of yourself with someone else
does make you love someone more. I fell even more in love with Roger when I found out I was pregnant with Caeden. I felt like, together we had created the most precious thing.”

I blushed again, imagining dark haired children running around the yard.

“I can see that,” I finally said.

“I think,” she patted my hand and took the bowl from me, pouring perfectly circular pancakes onto the griddle, “that as you grow old together and experience the joys of life and marriage
, you fall even more in love.” Tears pooled in her eyes and I wrapped my arms around her.

“Amy, I’m so sorry.” The last thing I had wanted to do was make her cry.

She sniffled and gave me a watery smile. “It is what is. He’s gone and he’s not coming back. Time’s precious,” she grabbed a tissue out of the box on the counter and dabbed under her eyes. “Live and love in the moment.”

I flipped the pancakes while she composed herself.

“I’m sorry about that,” she said as I started removing the pancakes and piling them onto a plate. She grabbed up the bowl and started pouring more.

I moved onto a safer
and hopefully tear free topic. “We’re not going to go to college.”

“What?” she gasped and looked up. “But I thought-”

“I just realized that there are other things that are more important. Back then, I didn’t understand what being a shifter and an Alpha meant; now I do.”

She gave me a motherly smile. “You’ve grown up so much since I met you. You’re a woman now.”

“I think we’ve all grown up. Even Bryce,” I chuckled.

She laughed too. “
All of you have definitely changed in the last year, that’s for sure. I’m proud of you, Sophie. Of all of you.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“Dinner or maybe I should say breakfast,” her lips lifted, “is ready. Why don’t you get the boys?”

“Will do,” I removed the apron and put it back before heading up the stairs and down the hall to Bryce’s room. “Knock, knock,” I pushed the door open.

I found them both collapsed in beanbag chairs yelling into microphone headsets.

“Dinner,” I said.

“Thank God! I’m starving,” Bryce threw his controller on the floor and ran out of the room. Caeden took the time to put things away. I don’t really know why he bothered. Bryce’s room was a mess. You could barely see the floor.

“Did you have fun with my mom?” he asked as we started down the steps.

“We talked,” I shrugged. “It was nice.”

We joined Amy and Bryce at the kitchen table. Bryce was already stuffing a whole pancake in his mouth.

“Really, Bryce? Really?” I said as I sat down and grabbed the tub of butter.

He swallowed. “Yes, really,” he grabbed another pancake. “It’s the only way to eat them.”

“You’re so weird,” Caeden chuckled at his little brother.

I finished buttering my pancakes and then grabbed the container of homemade syrup.

“I’m fan-freakin-tastic. There’s a difference in that and being weird,” Bryce pointed at Caeden.

Caeden just rolled his eyes.

I smiled and soaked in this small moment of normalcy. They were so few and far between.

sixteen.

I traced my finger lazily down Caeden’s chest. He shivered from my touch and turned his head to look at me.

“Can’t sleep?”
he asked, his voice thick from sleeping.

I shook my head. “What do you think Travis is up to?”
A week had passed since the pack meeting and it was still all I could think about.

He didn’t answer.

“Caeden,” I prompted. “I know you’ve thought of something. Please don’t hide things from me.”

He swallowed and looked up at the ceiling of our bedroom. He put his hand over mine to still my movements.

“No, I won’t tell you…” he laughed without humor and rubbed his eyes. “What I’m considering… I don’t think it’s even possible.”

I sat up a bit
, and my hair fell over my shoulders, framing my face like a curtain. “Fine, don’t tell me.” I wasn’t mad. “But if it is possible… is it bad?”

“Very.”

I was never going to sleep now.

Sensing this, Caeden pulled me to his side
and whispered sweet nothings in my ear.

I woke up, completely drained. I think, I’d slept three hours, tops. I ran my fingers through my rat’s nest of hair and decided that was useless. I left Caeden in the bed and jumped in the shower. I took an extremely long time letting the hot water pour down my body.

I would be lying if I didn’t say I was scared of what Travis had pla
nned. He was unpredictable, that’s for sure.

I was scared of what he might have planned,
but I definitely wasn’t afraid of Travis himself. In my eyes, he was wimp. Everything he’d done so far proved that. He risked the lives of his pack as long as it meant he would survive.

I turned the water off and grabbed my towel off of the glass door and wrapped it around my body. I snatched a small
towel off of the counter and used it to dry my hair before braiding it. I padded out of the bathroom and into the bedroom. Caeden was still asleep with his arm thrown over his eyes. I shook my head and opened the closet door.

I dropped my towel and wiggled into some shorts and a loose t-shirt. I was just slipping on a pair of converse when the doorbell rang. Before
, I could move, it rang again.

My heart stopped.

Something told me that the person at the door was not of my pack or someone I knew. Fear coated my throat.

Caeden was already out of the bed pulling on a pair of shorts.

He looked over at me and his eyes were as wide as mine. He sensed it too.

If it came to a fight, it would just be the two of us.

Living so far away from the pack suddenly didn’t seem like such a good idea.

“Caeden,” fear made my voice spike. “Is someone supposed to be here?”

He shook his head no but I had already known that.

“Stay here,” he commanded. “There’s a panel in the closet, it’s hidden by your clothes.” He rattled off a code. “Hide in there if… if something happens.”

I gripped his arm. “I’m
not
hiding.”

“Soph-”
he said warningly.

The doorbell rang again.

“We do this together, Caeden.”

He tenderly stroked my cheek. “Okay.”

I followed him down the steps and to the front door.

“Is it just me or does it seem kinda strange that Travis would ring the doorbell?”

“I agree,” Caeden’s hands flexed into fists by his side. His nails were already elongating and his eyes had taken on that flash of gold they had whenever an Alpha was about to shift.

He sniffed around the door. I already had and it was a scent I didn’t recognize.

“It’s someone from the Grimm pack,” Caeden growled. “Stay back,” he commanded as he opened the door.

I tensed, my body preparing to shift at a moment’s notice as he threw the door open.

A man with wild gray hair stood there with his hands raised in the air.

“I’m here to talk. I’m not here to do you any harm.”

Caeden’s chest heaved. “How did you find this place?”

“I have my ways,” the man chuckled. “May I come in?”

“Hell no,” Caeden growled.

The man sighed. “I guess I should’ve expected that. Enemy pack and all.”

“Why are you here?” Caeden asked.

“Travis is after you.”

“I’m aware of that, Jack.”

“Listen carefully
,
child
,” the man named Jack snapped, “
Travis
is after you. We, his pack, renounced him as Alpha. I have taken his place and we have no dealings with him. The Grimm pack is no more. We’re now the Hall pack. We’ll help you in any way we can to eliminate Travis. He’s just as much a threat to us as he is to you. Although, he seems far more interested in you for some reason. We don’t have to be enemies, Caeden. Travis is planning something, what it is, I don’t know. We renounced him before he could finish his speech.”

“Why renounce him and not kill him?” Caeden narrowed his eyes at the older man.

Jack shrugged. “He’s a kid in our eyes. I felt being renounced might snap him out of his… psychotic state.”

“Obviously not,” Caeden’s body was coiled tightly, veins popping out along his arms and neck.

Jack sighed. “I didn’t come here to fight with you. I just came here to let you know that we are no longer following Travis. I don’t want my pack attacked, unjustly. If you want our help, we’re here for you.”

Caeden took a calming breath. “Thank you,” he finally said, “I appreciate this.”

“I can assure you,” Jack said, “that if we ever hear from him again or happen to learn anything we’ll contact you.”

“Thank you,” Caeden reached out to shake the man’s hand.

Surprised, Jack took it.

“I’ll be going now,” he said. “I’m sorry to have surprised you.” He waved over his shoulder and then disappeared into the woods.

“That was weird,” I said.

“Yeah,” Caeden rubbed his face as he closed the door, “it really was.”

“Do you think this is a set up? A way for Travis to get information?” I asked.

“Hon
estly? No,” he rubbed his stubbly jaw.

Caeden padded into the family room and collapsed onto the couch.

“What makes you so sure?” I asked as I sat down beside him.

“I’m not one-hundred percent sure… It’s just… The look in his eyes was honest.”

I sighed. “This flippin’ sucks. We don’t know who to trust anymore.”

“I know,” stared up at the ceiling. “Some days
, I really hate being Alpha. I’m too young.”

“Don’t say that,” I rubbed his leg. “You’re a wonderful leader.”

He let out a snort of laughter and said seriously, “And, you’re a liar.”

“Caeden,” I said and flinched.

“Oh, babe I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it,” he sat up and wrapped his arms around me. I was already, unconsciously, rubbing the scar on my arm.

“It’s okay,” I mumbled.

“No, it’s not,” he picked up my arm and placed a light kiss on top of the scar. “That was such a shitty thing to say. Forgive me?”

I nodded. “You didn’t mean it. I’m just… really sensitive about it.”

“I know, babe, I know.” He pulled me against his chest.

“What are we going to do about Travis?” I asked.

“We’ll come up with a plan,” he pressed his lips to the top of my head. “I promise. No more rushing things. This time, we’re going to kill that son of a bitch once and for all.”

That sounded good to me. I snuggled closer to his side, thinking I might just be able to take a nap when the doorbell rang.

“What the crap?” Caeden said.

“Do you think he’s back?” I asked, sitting up.

“No… this is someone else. I think… It couldn’t be…” He mumbled as he sniffed the air. Caeden strode out of the room and pulled open the front door. He stood, staring and frozen, his mouth agape.

A tall good-looking guy built like a football player stood outside our door. He swept his sandy brown hair from his face and removed his sunglasses. With a smirk, he waved. “Hello Cay-berry.”

seventeen.

“Nolan?” Caeden gasped. “I haven’t seen you in years! What are you doing here?”
Then, they did the weird half hug, half chest bump, thing that guys do.

“In the flesh,” the guy said. “I heard you might need some help.”

“With what?” Caeden narrowed his eyes at the guy but I didn’t sense any anger or fear from him, so I stayed back.

“I heard that some psycho wolf was after my Cay-berry. I thought
that a tiger might be better suited to handle the situation,” he then winked at me. “And who’s this lovely lady?” he asked, stepping into the foyer.

“My wife,” Caeden said and moved back. He wrapped his hand around my waist and pulled me
possessively against his side. His mate mojo was kicking in. I poked his side in warning.

“Nolan Odair,” the guy held his hand out. Now
, that he was closer, I could see that he was a few years older than us, definitely in his twenties.

“Sophie Beau-” I blushed. “Sophie Williams,” I corrected myself.

“I’m assuming you’re recently married,” he looked between us.