Chapter Eleven
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MACKENZIE WASN’T SURE he’d stopped thinking about Nico and the baby since they’d found out that Nico was pregnant a few days ago.
They still hadn’t told anyone, and Mackenzie was dying to.
He wanted to pick up the phone and tell Dean that their kids would grow up together.
He wanted to tell his parents that they were about to become grandparents to not one, but two babies.
But between the two of them, Nico was the one who had the most to lose, and he was the pregnant one.
The decision of who to tell and when was in his hands, as it should be.
Mackenzie had been doing his best to avoid talking to anyone in his family in the meantime, just in case, but he wouldn’t be able to do so forever.
He was especially afraid of Dean, who’d always been able to see right through him.
Luckily, Dean was busy enough that he hadn’t realized that Mackenzie was avoiding him, but eventually, he would, and Mackenzie hoped that by then, Nico would have made his decision.
He didn’t want to lie to anyone, but especially not to Dean.
A knock on the door made Mackenzie frown. He wasn’t expecting anyone, and Dean would’ve just walked in. Nico would have warned him that he was coming before doing so. Who could it be?
Hopefully, it was no one Mackenzie would feel the need to lie to. He’d never be able to look his mother in the eye and tell her that he was okay and that everything was as normal as it should be if it was her.
It wasn’t Mackenzie’s mother. When he opened the door, he stared at the man standing on his porch for a second. He knew who Saul was. They’d never talked, but Mackenzie lived in fox territory and recognized most of the other people who did by now. “Saul, right?”
“Yes. Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could talk to you.”
“Of course.” Mackenzie stepped aside to let him in. “Come in.”
Saul did so. He looked around, visibly curious, and Mackenzie wondered why he was there.
“Would you like some coffee?” Mackenzie offered because it was the polite thing to do, even though he really wanted to ask what Saul was doing here.
“That would be great.”
“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but I’m curious,” Mackenzie said as he led Saul to the kitchen. “You said you needed to talk to me.”
“It’s about something I saw yesterday.”
Mackenzie abruptly stopped walking. There was only one thing Saul could be talking about. Mackenzie wasn’t surprised that he and Nico had finally been caught. At least it was by a guard and not by Jerome.
“I didn’t tell anyone, not even Jerome,” Saul quickly added. “But I still think I need to talk to you and possibly Nico.”
Mackenzie sighed and walked into the kitchen. “I told him that sneaking around was a bad idea.” Yet they’d done it because it was what Nico needed. Mackenzie didn’t regret it, but that didn’t mean he was happy.
Saul sat at the kitchen table. “Why are you sneaking around? The two of you are together, right?”
Mackenzie nodded. “We are. We’ve only just met, but we’ve been dating. I like him, and he likes me.”
“But it’s complicated.”
Even more complicated than Saul knew, but Mackenzie wasn’t about to give him any details. Nico wouldn’t be able to hide his pregnancy forever, but his father would be the next to know.
“It is. I’m human, while Nico is the future bobcat alpha, and I don’t belong to his clowder. There’s also Silas, who’s making everything more difficult, and, well—” He hesitated and glanced at Saul. He couldn’t tell him the whole truth, but he needed Saul not to tell anyone about this right now.
“I’m not going to push, but I promise I won’t tell anyone whatever you tell me today. I don’t think that you and Nico are a danger to Jerome and his family, so what you’re doing is none of my business,” Saul said.
Mackenzie placed a cup of coffee in front of Saul. He was going to have to trust him. “Nico is a carrier.”
That gave Saul pause. “So he doesn’t have to marry a woman to have an heir.”
Mackenzie chuckled. “I like that that’s what you thought about right away.
It’s what Nico told me, you know? When we started seeing each other, I was worried because I didn’t think his father would be happy about us being together.
” He still didn’t, but he also didn’t think that Nico’s father would try to keep them apart.
From what he knew about the man, he’d want Nico to do the right thing and to be happy, and both of those things would happen if he and Mackenzie stayed together.
“If he wants the alpha position to stay in the family, Nico will have to have children. He told me he’d carry them himself, and that was that. ”
“Then the situation isn’t as complicated as you made it sound.”
“There’s still the fact that I’m human and that I’m new here. I’d understand if Nico’s father didn’t want me anywhere near his son. I’m sure there are plenty of people who would be better suited to be with him.”
“Maybe, but Nico’s the one who chose you, isn’t he? I don’t think that what you or his father thinks matters. If he wants to be with you, that’s that.”
Mackenzie took a sip of his own coffee. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re right. We’re taking things slow because of everything, but I won’t deny I’m scared.”
“I’m pretty sure that comes with every new relationship.”
“Maybe. Well, now, you know.”
“I do. I’m not going to tell you and Nico that Nico needs to stop coming around, but with Silas and who knows how many allies of his on the loose, it feels dangerous to risk Nico like this.
He’s not just a shifter. He’s the future alpha, and if Silas was to hurt him, that would have repercussions, and not only on him.
I don’t want anything to happen to him, of course, but the two of you also have to think of the bigger picture. ”
“I’ll talk to him.”
“Good. I saw him yesterday. Anyone else could have, too, including the bad guys. Whatever you decide to do next, you need to be careful.”
“And you won’t tell Jerome?”
“I won’t. Like I said, my job is to protect him and his family. Nico isn’t a danger to them, so he’s not my business. Someone is bound to find out eventually, though. Maybe the two of you should talk about that and start thinking about what you’ll do when it happens.”
They were way ahead of Saul, or at least, Mackenzie thought so. Nico would be making that decision, though. He needed to know what had just happened and that someone who wasn’t related to them knew about their relationship.
Mackenzie wasn’t looking forward to it, but he had no other choice, so he took out his phone and pulled up Nico’s number. He didn’t have to wait long for Nico to answer, and he could tell that Nico was smiling when he did.
“Hey!”
Mackenzie cleared his throat. “Hey. Something just happened, but I don’t want you to worry.”
“I’m going to worry anyway since you just told me not to. What is it?” The smile was gone from Nico’s voice.
“I just had a visitor, Saul. He’s a human guard here in fox territory.”
“Okay?”
“He saw you sneaking around. He only mentioned yesterday, but something tells me it’s not the first time he caught you.
He mentioned it being a security problem.
I was honest with him, Nico. I told him that you and I are together, and he promised not to tell anyone because you’re not a danger to Jerome, but if he noticed, other people will, too, eventually.
I think it’s time to talk to your father. ”
Nico sighed. Mackenzie hated to do this to him, but they’d both known this day would come sooner rather than later.
“You’re right,” Nico said. “I guess I’ll do it now, as long as you’re fine with me moving in if he takes it badly.”
“I doubt it’ll come to that.” They’d have to talk about where they’d live once the baby arrived—Mackenzie suspected he’d have to move since Nico couldn’t exactly leave bobcat territory—but it could wait.
Mackenzie didn’t want to put all of that on Nico’s shoulders right before he talked to his father.
“But if it does, my door is always open for you. You know that.”
Nico’s voice was soft when he answered. “I guess I do.”
* * * *
WHEN NICO HUNG UP, his heart was racing.
He’d known he wouldn’t be able to keep his pregnancy and Mackenzie a secret from his father forever, but it looked like he’d have even less time than he’d hoped for.
There was no way out of this, though. Someone knew about him and Mackenzie, and while Nico doubted that Saul would somehow contact his father to tell him, he wasn’t wrong.
His job was to protect fox territory, and he’d allowed Nico to go back and forth without saying anything.
He stood to get in trouble if things continued the way they were.
It was better for everything to be out in the open, no matter how scary it was.
It was time to talk to his father.
Nico couldn’t do it on his own, though. He texted his brother, telling him he needed to come home immediately.
Chris had questions, but Nico couldn’t tell him on the phone, so he told him to just come, then paced his bedroom until he heard a car stop in front of the house.
He was pretty sure Chris had to have broken several laws to get here so quickly, but he didn’t care.
He was relieved, and he threw himself into his brother’s arms as soon as Chris was in his bedroom.
“Okay, I was worried before, but now, I’m freaking out,” Chris said as he caught Nico and hugged him. “What’s going on? Is it Dad? Mom?”
Nico shook his head and clung to his brother. “They’re fine. Everyone’s fine.”
“How can you tell me that everyone’s fine when you’re like this? What’s going on? You’re freaking me out, Nico, and I don’t like it. I’m the dramatic one between the two of us, not you.”
“I’m pregnant,” Nico blurted out.
Chris blinked at him. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He blinked again.
“I need to tell Dad. I can’t do it on my own,” Nico continued.