Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Logan steps into the doorway of Caleb’s office. Chunk is strapped to his chest.
Logan unclasps the carrier. “You want?”
I place a hand over my mouth, trying to hide my budding smile as Caleb rises from his chair, crosses the room, and swoops Chunk out of the carrier.
“Obviously,” he says. “Thanks.”
Caleb returns to his seat, bouncing Chunk into his lap. Logan, without a word, spins on his heel and walks down the hall into the conference room. He’s meeting with several shifters to discuss the border.
HPAW has yet to attack. They don’t know how to retaliate, not when we have proof of their fucked-up experiments. One word from us and they’ll have a riot on their hands. The humans may hate the shifters, but they’ll stand up for their own. HPAW was forcibly breeding humans. That won’t go over well.
Caleb says the anger would only last for a few weeks, but I’m not sure that’s true. I’d like to believe he’s being cynical. Humans care.
I prop my elbow on Caleb’s desk, the papers before me blurring. This is exhausting.
We scanned each human’s marking, searching for a match. We found several, and every shifter mate has been encouraged to provide information about themselves. I’m putting together informational packets for the humans—a low-stakes way to introduce them to their mates.
I didn’t expect the shifters to send in so much information.
Two have taken it upon themselves to provide their elementary school report cards.
Still, I’m including everything they sent—even the things that seem frivolous.
For all I know, the humans will love it.
I’d love to receive a packet full of Caleb’s achievements.
I would’ve found it endearing, even when I was still loyal to HPAW.
I’ve completed and given out most of them, but I have two left. I’m aiming to finish by the end of the day.
Chunk babbles happily to himself as we work. It only lasts a few minutes before he grows bored. He slams his palms against Caleb’s computer, then leans forward and begins chewing Caleb’s knuckle.
“Oh, he bit me?” He turns Chunk around, then peeks into his mouth. “Chunk has a tooth coming in.” He spins the baby toward me. “Look, Ev!”
He squeezes Chunk’s sides until the baby begins to laugh, exposing his gummy smile. I eye his gums, surprised to see a little tooth poking through his bottom gumline. It’s still just a tiny speck of white, but it’s definitely the beginning of a tooth.
“Do you think it hurts?” I ask.
Caleb returns Chunk to his lap. “Probably.”
The mark on the back of Caleb’s hand catches my attention as he reaches for a pen, the light color stealing my breath.
It’s still not as light as it was when we first met, but it’s no longer the dangerously dark color it was after I tried to kill him.
It was so close to blackening and dying, but now it’s a soft pink.
My mark may be gone, so I live vicariously through Caleb’s.
Caleb seems to notice where my eyes have traveled as he looks at his mark himself. His lips curl as he flexes his fingers, and I resist the urge to pull away when he reaches across the desk, snatching up my wrist.
I chew on the inside of my cheek as he lifts my scarred hand between us.
He kisses the skin. “You’re so brave.”
I move my fingers, causing the scars to stretch and pull.
“I’m not so sure about that,” I admit.
It’s not fun to admit, but I was terrified when HPAW took me. I had no idea what was going to happen to Adam and me, and when they brought us to that field, I was convinced we were going to die. I tried pretending to be brave, but I don’t think I was.
Caleb frowns. “How are you not sure?” He squeezes my hand. “You are so damned resilient. You fought, even when the odds were stacked against you. You didn’t give up, and I don’t know many people who can say that about themselves.”
My eyes fill with unwanted tears, and I hurry to wipe them away before pulling my hand back to myself. Now isn’t the time for this sappy talk. I don’t like looking at my mark or talking about the past.
Maybe someday I’ll be more open to speaking with Caleb about it, but that’s not going to be today. It’s still fresh, and I’m busy. There’s no time for tears.
“I think we should move,” I blurt out.
Caleb stills. “Pardon?”
“HPAW knows where we live. It isn’t safe…” I pause, taking a deep breath. I’ve thought a lot about this, and I’m confident in my decision. It won’t be easy, and I have a lot to learn, but I’m excited to learn. I love a new challenge.
“I’ve been thinking about it,” I admit. “About the house. About HPAW. About Chunk.”
Caleb stands, clutching Chunk to his chest. The sudden movement is startling, and I lose my train of thought.
“Continue,” Caleb orders.
“I want to adopt Chunk.”
Caleb’s grip on Chunk tightens. He looks like an overstuffed can of biscuits. “If we take him, he’s ours. My wolf won’t survive giving him back.”
My mouth is dry as I nod. This isn’t a decision I’m making lightly.
“I stole his file off your desk,” I admit. “I know there are several families who would love him, and maybe it’s selfish to keep him for ourselves, but the thought of not seeing him every day makes me sick.”
Sash and Logan have taken to bringing him to the office almost daily. I suspect it’s for our benefit, not theirs.
Caleb shifts above me, his throat bobbing.
His eyes are blown wide open, the vulnerability in them shocking.
“You don’t have to do this for me, Ev,” he whispers.
He leans down, pulling me in for a short, deep kiss.
His nose brushes against mine as he pulls away, and he sucks in a shaky breath before continuing.
“I love you, and I’m happy with what we have. You don’t owe me a child.”
Despite my best attempts to remain level-headed, Caleb’s soft-spoken words have tears flooding my eyes. I know he loves me, but I’m not doing this for him.
I’ve grown to love Chunk’s high-pitched squeals and excited kicks. I look forward to spending time with him, and I want more of it. I want a lifetime of it. I even want the midnight wake-ups and blowouts and snot bubbles.
I want to be there when he takes his first steps, and I want to teach him how to pull pranks on Caleb. I especially want to give him a name. It’s about time he gets a name.
“I love him,” I whisper. “I’m not suggesting this out of guilt. I’m suggesting this because I truly want it.”
Caleb’s smile is breathtaking. I take a moment to enjoy it before grabbing his face and pulling his lips down to mine. He happily complies, sliding his hand up my waist. I place a hand on Chunk’s foot, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Caleb’s office door bursts open. Logan stands in the doorway, looking awkward as he glances between us.
He clears his throat. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Caleb pulls away from me, but he’s beaming.
“You’re fine,” he says. “What is it?”
“Jack wishes to speak to an American news outlet.”
Caleb pauses. “What?”
“Sash just called,” Logan explains. “She said that Jack has requested to speak to an American news outlet. He won’t explain why, but he seems agitated.”
Caleb purses his lips and taps his fingers against his desk, thinking. Chunk plays with Caleb’s fingers, trying to capture them. It’s an endearing sight, and I let myself enjoy it while Caleb thinks.
I look up when Caleb turns toward me. “You understand what Jack must be feeling better than I do,” he admits. “Why do you think Jack wishes to speak to the Americans?”
I pause, taking a moment to think. I was furious to discover the truth about HPAW, and I imagine Jack is feeling something similar.
He was lied to, but not only that, he brought his little sister into an incredibly dangerous situation.
He very clearly loves her, and he must be torn up inside by the fears of what HPAW would have done to her—of what they were capable of doing to her.
“He asked what we were doing about HPAW,” I admit. “I didn’t have a good answer. If I were him, I’d assume silence meant inaction.”
Caleb drags a hand through his hair, mussing the strands.
Logan hums. “You think it’s a bad idea?”
“I think it’s a dangerous one,” Caleb says. “If Jack goes to the press, HPAW will retaliate. The American government will retaliate. Every pack will be dragged into this.”
His hand shifts, and Chunk grunts.
“So, what do you want Sash to say?” Logan asks.
Caleb exhales quietly. “Nothing. I’ll talk to Jack. It’s about time I introduce myself to the humans, anyway.”
Jack stands as we enter the common room, his hands flattening against the table. The room is filled, every human we took from the facility clustered together on the opposite side of the room. The three women involved in the breeding program are present.
I try not to stare. This is the first I’ve seen of them.
Two of them are holding babies. Their babies.
If Caleb is intimidated by the humans watching his every move, he doesn’t show it. He walks confidently into the room, meeting Jack at the table. I’m holding the remaining two mate files, and I wordlessly set them on the kitchen counter before joining Caleb and Jack.
“Are you going to let me talk to them?” Jack asks, quick to the point. “Because if you’re not, I’ll find a way to do it myself.”
Caleb gestures to the table with deliberate calm.
“Sit,” he says evenly.
Jack hesitates, his fists clenching and unclenching, before he drops into his chair. He’s practically radiating angry tension.
Caleb remains standing. “I understand why you want to go public,” he starts. “You’re angry, and you want HPAW to answer for what they did.”
“They experimented on us,” Jack snaps. His gaze darts toward the cluster of humans, specifically the breeder women. “Unwillingly. Brutally. They deserve to burn.”
“Yes,” Caleb agrees. “They do.”
Jack momentarily falters. I don’t think he was expecting Caleb to so readily agree.
“But if you go to the press,” Caleb continues, “this won’t become a story about HPAW.”
Jack frowns. “What else would it be?”
“The Americans already know that HPAW’s Florida facility was infiltrated,” Caleb says. “And they know humans were removed. Your government has not released details because they want control of the narrative.”
Jack shifts in his seat.
Caleb continues. “If you speak first, you force their hand. When governments lose control of a story, they don’t respond calmly. They redirect.”
Caleb silently pulls out a chair for me. I sit, clasping my hands in my lap as Caleb lowers himself into the chair beside me. Caleb is handling this conversation better than I ever would. He was made to lead.
“Redirect how?” Jack asks.
“Toward a common enemy.” Caleb shrugs, gesturing toward himself.
“Toward me. Toward my pack. Toward the shifters as a whole.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table.
“They’ll frame this as an act of aggression.
They’ll deny the claims, then accuse the shifters of kidnapping American citizens.
The American government leads with fear. That’ll never change.”
Jack’s gaze flickers with uncertainty. “People will never fall for that. I’ll tell them that we’re here by choice. That you saved us.”
“The public will be outraged,” Caleb says. “For a week. Maybe two. Then another headline will replace it. But your government’s anger will last.” Caleb’s throat bobs. “Do you know what HPAW has done to us?”
Jack looks away, avoiding eye contact. The room is silent.
Caleb continues. “My responsibility is not to win a news cycle. It’s to protect my pack five years from now. Ten years from now. We will dismantle HPAW, but we’ll do it strategically. We’ll force your government to act without turning this into a war.”
Jack looks between Caleb and me. “So, you’ll remain silent to make a deal?”
“I’m leveraging their fear,” Caleb corrects him. “They want this quiet, and that gives us power.”
Caleb looks toward the humans, his attention lingering on each individual person. I know they won’t be happy to hear this, but I hope they understand.
“And if they don’t follow through?” Jack asks.
Caleb’s voice lowers. “Then I release every bit of information I know. We will go to war.” He rolls his shoulders, taking a moment before continuing. “But I won’t risk my pack to satisfy your outrage. I’m not against a war, but I’ll do what I can to prevent it.”
I squeeze my hands together, hoping Jack takes this well.
“You’re part of my pack,” Caleb adds, his gaze steady on Jack. “As is your sister.” Caleb shifts, addressing the room. “You are all a part of my pack. I will protect you.”
His promise settles heavily over the room, weighing it down. A baby begins to fuss. One of the women shifts, her chin wobbling as she adjusts the blanket wrapped around her child.
“You don’t have to trust us yet,” I say. “But you do need to know we aren’t ignoring this.”
Jack swallows, his clenched hands softening. His anger isn’t gone, but it’s less sharp. Less volatile. That’s a good sign.
“You promise they won’t get away with it?” he asks.
Caleb’s response is immediate. “I promise. HPAW has taken enough from us.” His voice carries through the room. “But we’re being careful.”
“I just…” Jack groans, his hands clenching into fists once more. “I need to know we aren’t doing nothing.”
I speak up. “We’re not.”
“I will ensure HPAW is dismantled,” Caleb chimes in. “No more experiments or violence. You have my word.”
After a long moment, Jack gives a single, tight nod. “Okay.”
Caleb doesn’t linger. His hand moves to my elbow, gently urging me to stand with him. I can feel every eye in the room on us, but for once, they aren’t filled with anger. They’re cautious and skeptical, but it’s an improvement.
It isn’t trust, but it’s a start.