17. Chapter 17 #3
“You look so much better now!” Kal exclaimed. “Here! I’ll help you down the steps.”
“Thanks,” Mike said as Kal hurried over to put his arm around his waist, leaning the tiniest amount of weight in his son’s direction even as he flashed Lark a secret smile. “Couldn’t do this without you.”
They ran into Khaki, Xander, and Hale in the living room. Fortunately, like Mike, the guys seemed as if they were almost fully recovered from injuries, too. Trey had gotten back, too, and was in the kitchen helping Violet and Jasper make dinner. Tacos, from the aroma coming in that direction.
“The DPD has put Roy up in a safe house with a full security detail,” Trey said, glancing at them. “We were also fortunate enough to get some pictures of the Sentinel crew from a doorbell camera on one of the nearby houses. Headquarters is working on getting an ID on as many of them as they can.”
“Did you get a chance to talk to Roy about what he saw today?” Mike asked. “You know, to make sure he won’t say anything about us.”
He must have seen the alarm on Lark’s face, because he quickly recounted the fight with Sentinel, explaining they’d been forced to reveal they were werewolves in front of the accountant.
“Yeah, I had a chance to talk to him before they took him to the safe house,” Trey said, moving over to the six-burner stove to start cooking several pounds of ground beef for the tacos.
“He’s obviously aware there’s something weird going on with us, but I think he’s so thrilled to be alive, and that he has us to thank for it, that he won’t be saying anything to anybody. ”
Lark wasn’t sure they could so easily write off the risk to their kind that Roy represented, but she trusted Mike and his pack to know what they were talking about.
As they all waited for dinner to be finished, Kal began to pepper Mike and the other guys with questions about what had happened earlier that day.
Their son sat cross-legged on the couch, listening with rapt attention as Mike detailed how they’d found Roy’s hiding place by scent, eyes widening in alarm when they got to the part where Sentinel had shown up.
He looked even more stunned when Mike told them about how they’d fought Roman and his crew and Sentinel at the same time.
“That all sounds amazing,” Kal said. “And scary. I could never be as brave as you.”
“Being brave doesn’t mean you’re not scared, Kal,” Mike said. “It means that you step up and do what you need to do anyway. You’ll feel braver after you become a werewolf.”
Kal stared down at his hands dejectedly, and the sight of him looking so forlorn almost broke Lark’s heart. “What happens if Mom’s wrong about me being a werewolf like her and I never turn into one? Will you still want me as your son?”
Lark gaped, stunned. From the look on Mike’s face, as well as everyone else, she wasn’t the only one.
Mike slid over on the couch, putting his arm around their son’s shoulders.
“Kal, I love you because you’re my son, not because you’re a werewolf.
I’ll always want you in my life, and nothing will ever change that, regardless if you’re a werewolf or not.
Not that I think it’s a possibility. Besides, you’re already a werewolf. Why would you even think you’re not?”
Kal lifted his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug, reaching out to pet Tuffie, who’d wandered over to offer comfort. “I know it’s silly, but I used to think the reason Mom had to take me and run away was because I wasn’t a real werewolf. That I’d never go through the change. And so far, I haven’t.”
Tears welling in Lark’s eyes, she got up from the other couch and went over to sit beside Kal, sandwiching him between her and his father as she wrapped her arm around him, too.
“You haven’t gone through the change yet because your body isn’t ready yet, but I promise you will,” she said. “In fact, the way you smelled blood earlier and knew it was your father’s is a sure sign it’ll happen soon.”
“You really think so?” Kal asked hopefully, looking at her. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, right?”
“Yes, I really think so,” she promised with a smile, giving him a hug. “And no, I’m not saying it to make you feel better. I’m saying it because it’s true. Trust me, when the time is right, the change will happen.”
Kal returned her smile with a big grin of his own, even as Tuffie did the same.
“Hear that, girl?” Kal said, reaching out with both hands to pet Tuffie. “I’m going to turn into a werewolf soon!”
Mike chuckled and caught Lark’s eye, and she laughed too. She hadn’t even realized Kal was worried about not going through the change, and was glad they’d been able to assuage his fears.
“Tacos are ready,” Trey announced from the kitchen.
Kal was off the couch and running for the kitchen island, where everything was set up buffet style, Tuffie bounding after him.
Mike stood and held out his hand to her. Lark took it, getting to her feet.
“Thank you,” she said as they walked into the kitchen to join the others.
“For what?” Mike asked.
She smiled. “For being a great dad.”