Chapter 3
Three
Peyton
Peyton laid on the sofa at Badger’s house with his phone in one hand and Dewi asleep on his chest with her thumb stuck in her mouth.
He didn’t feel guilty about going through emails when she was sound asleep. The two-year-old was already giving them fits. It was surprising she was a Prime Alpha, and that meant he or Badger needed to be there for her until they could instill self-control in her.
The last thing they needed was her sending their aunt out into a snowstorm again.
Or worse.
All because Dewi hadn’t wanted to wear the adorable outfit their aunt tried to put her in.
What are we going to do with you, kiddo?
Sound asleep, in her fleece onesie PJs, and with her brown hair in pigtails, she was the picture of innocence and not the intense weapon she’d likely become when she grew older and her Prime Alpha powers fully developed.
Tonight, Badger needed to run to Spokane to do an unnecessary welfare check and settle an overly anxious omega mother’s mind about her independent beta daughter.
Fortunately, Peyton had been able to stay with Dewi tonight.
Beck was sound asleep in his bedroom and would take the night watch shift later, after Badger returned, so Peyton could go home and get some sleep.
Trent was in Salt Lake City for an overnight trip to handle Enforcer business and would return in the morning.
Peyton loved his little sister and would die for her, but he didn’t feel prepared to run their pack much less raise her. Even two years on he felt like an imposter, that at any minute all the plates currently spinning in the air would crash and he’d let the pack down.
Any free time he had was spent taking care of Dewi. Because he didn’t want to miss any more of her childhood than he had to.
And because he’d sworn to their parents at their funeral that he would.
How did we go from celebration to…this?
Their mom had a horrible time when Peyton was born barely twenty-two years ago. The doctors said she couldn’t have more pups.
Then came miracle Dewi, the little girl he and Trent always knew their Mom wanted, the little sister they’d always dreamed of doting on.
And six months later…
The phone rang in Peyton’s hand, startling him and almost making him drop it on Dewi’s head. He managed to corral and answer it.
Badger. “How’s she, then?”
“Asleep,” Peyton whispered. “Ate a good dinner for me. Everything okay?”
“Aye. As I figured, just a nervous omega mum. On my way home. Beck sleepin’?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. He’s gettin’ a little bare around the edges. If we could set an extra detail to guard the house this week and allow him to take some days off, I’d appreciate it.”
“I’ll tell Trent to arrange it.”
“Thanks.”
With that they ended the call and Peyton started to put his phone down when he had a thought.
Instead, he held it up and took a picture of him and Dewi, smiling as he stared at it.
Miss you, Mom and Dad. Wish you were here.
Peyton was still awake when Badger returned home. He’d just put Dewi in her bed fifteen minutes earlier after she woke up to potty, and she was once again sound asleep.
Badger stood in the doorway of her bedroom, carefully eyeing everything as he always did now, making sure her window latch was secure. “She’s an angel an’ a demon,” he whispered, smiling. “An’ she’s gonna be a handful.” He turned to give Peyton a hug. “Go on home an’ get some sleep.”
But…
Peyton found he couldn’t release Badger, instead taking a long, deep breath, his nostrils flaring.
Badger drew his head back after an awkwardly long time had passed. “Eh, lad? Wassit?”
Peyton’s pulse spiked. “What… Who did you see tonight?” He finally forced himself to release Badger and take a step back. He hadn’t caught the woman’s name.
Badger warily eyed him. “Whyyyy?”
Stunned, Peyton stood there, staring. “I…I don’t know.”
Badger’s good eyebrow lifted. “Ye don’t know? Or ye don’t wanna say?”
Peyton licked his lips and scrubbed his hands over his face. “I… I don’t know!”
Badger pointed to the living room and they headed there so they could talk without waking Dewi.
“Now talk to me, lad.”
Peyton felt jittery, the urge to pace.
And the urge to grab Badger and sniff him all over.
More precisely, to sniff his clothes. “I just… I don’t know!”
Badger crossed his thick arms over his chest. “Yer actin’ a might tetched.”
“I feel fucking tetched!” Peyton dropped his voice at Badger’s warning shush. “What’s happening to me!”
Badger’s brow furrowed before lifting, a deep chuckle emerging from his chest. “Ooooh, boy.” He clapped a hand over his mouth, turning to go sit as he struggled to contain his laughter and not awaken Dewi.
“This isn’t funny!” Peyton hissed.
“Oh, but it is! An’ it’s even funnier yer not puttin’ it together.” He cocked his head at Peyton. “Here’s the deal. I’ll tell you on Friday afternoon. You clear your schedule for this comin’ weekend. An’ you spend every night this week here, watchin’ Dewi. Personally. So Beck can take time off.”
“What?”
“Ye want the answer or not?”
Peyton was horrified to realize that what he wanted to do was wrap his fingers around Badger’s throat and squeeze him, shake the answer from him. “Fine! Just tell me!”
“I will, I will.” His grin widened. “I’ll tell ye Friday afternoon at four. Be showered an’ dressed in something”—he waved a hand at Peyton’s old jogging shorts and his worn Seahawks T-shirt—“presentable.”
“Dammit, Badger! I—”
“Shh!” Badger glowered at him. “She wakes up an’ yer not gettin’ any sleep either until she’s sleepin’.”
Peyton couldn’t contain his low growl. “Tell. Me!”
Badger smiled again, lacing his fingers on top of his head. “Nope. That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.”
Peyton was horrified to realize his own cock was…
Well, tenting the front of his shorts.
Peyton turned, the older shifter softly cackling.
“Fine!” Peyton whispered, stalking out the door and fighting the urge to slam it behind him.
He didn’t even bother getting in his truck, instead running the short distance home, where he left a trail of clothes behind him as he stripped before he hit the shower and quickly pounded one out, leaving him shaky and leaning against the wall, his head resting on his forearm.
What the fuck?
Oh…shit!
His eyes popped open.
Mate!
Fuuuuuck.
He licked his lips as his cock inflated again. He had no clue who the woman was he smelled on Badger’s clothes—goddamn the sadistic old wolf for not telling him—and he quickly rubbed another out.
And a third.
That finally left Peyton shakily sinking to the shower floor where he closed his eyes as the water stung his face.
She’s my mate. Whoever she is, she’s my mate.
And Badger knows who she is.
Fuuuuuck!