Chapter 5 #2
“She is as the Mother of All intended for her to be. We all must accept Her will.” Hank tried to calm the situation down a bit.
“And, there’s Tracy to consider. She must decide how best to raise our daughter, though I hope to convince her to allow me greater input than she has until now.
” Meaning—any input at all. But Hank thought he had phrased that very diplomatically, if he did say so himself.
“Is that what you’ve come here to do?” the Alpha asked with a sneer. “Why did you feel the need to bring two goons with you? Were you afraid of the reception you’d get showing your face here now that we all know the truth?” The Alpha was angry, but so was Hank.
“That’s Master Chief Goon, to you, buddy,” Pax murmured loud enough for them all to hear. In any other situation, Hank would have laughed at the unexpected humor, but things were too serious at the moment to risk it.
“Not that the inner workings of the jaguar Clan are any of your business, but these are the men I was sent to find. They are my mission. A mission set by my Alpha,” Hank insisted, not backing down an inch. “If you have a problem with their presence, you should take that up with Mark Pepard.”
Few men in the world would go head-to-head with one of the richest and most powerful men on the planet.
Even among shifters, Mark was in a class of his own, and everybody knew it.
He was the reason jaguar shifters were no longer on the brink of extinction.
He was the reason they had hope for the future, and most shifters knew it, and respected him for it.
The wolf Alpha shook his head and let out a gusty sigh. Hank sensed the tension of the moment decreasing. Perhaps they wouldn’t come to blows right here in the middle of the airport terminal.
This time.
“I’ve got no beef with Pepard,” the Alpha said after a moment’s pause. “You two, on the other hand…” The Alpha favored Pax and Ari with a stern look. “You need to behave yourselves when you’re here at the courtesy of my Pack. Don’t start any fights.”
“We don’t start them, Alpha,” Pax said innocently enough.
“But we do finish them,” his twin completed the thought, and the Alpha frowned at them.
Hank held up his hands, palms outward. “They’ll be on their best behavior. We all will. We understand the consideration you’ve shown in allowing us to be here, among your Pack for a short time.”
“Just how short is short?” the Alpha wanted to know.
“My mission is to bring these two men to my Alpha. I’ve been given dispensation to stay here a few days in order to speak more with Tracy and get to know Emma a bit.
” He might have told the wolf Alpha that he hoped to bring the girls back to Jaguar Island for a visit, but there was no way he was telling Tracy’s father his plans before asking Tracy, herself.
“Alpha, this is Pax Rojas and Ari Rojas, both former Master Chiefs in the U.S. Navy SEAL teams.” Hank figured a formal introduction was only the polite thing to do.
It also warned the Alpha that the two men weren’t just muscle-for-hire, and that they wouldn’t take any shit from anybody.
The Alpha offered his hand. “Joe Villalobos,” he said to Pax as they shook hands. Then, he turned to Ari.
“We’ve had all our shots, and we know how to behave in polite company,” Ari put in, shaking the Alpha’s hand.
The faintest hint of smile that ghosted over the Alpha wolf’s face gave Hank hope.
“And I’m sure you know this, but I’m Heinrich Schleichender. Most people call me Hank.” He watched the Alpha’s reaction to his full name. He didn’t have to wait long.
“Heinrich? What kind of name is that for a jaguar shifter?” The Alpha turned, and they all started walking again. The confrontation had all but ended, but Hank was still wary.
“My father was German. Human. He came to Argentina after World War Two. And yes, he was one of the soldiers on the wrong side of that conflict. Not a really bad guy, or my mother would never have mated him. Jaguars, as you know, are native to the Americas, mostly South America nowadays, and we’re somewhat solitary except for family groups.
Many jaguars mate with humans or Others, which we believe has made our magic stronger over the generations. ”
“Well, damn.” Joe Villalobos’s steps slowed, and he turned to look at Hank.
“World War Two? You’re older than I thought.
I wanted someone Tracy’s age for her. Someone she could relate to.
My mate was of a different generation, and that made it tough for us sometimes.
I didn’t want my daughter to have to deal with that.
And now, her baby being a different species...
” The Alpha wolf shook his head. “You two sure aren’t making this easy. ”
“It is as the Goddess wills,” Hank said, feeling philosophical.
He’d had a lot of time to think about this situation over the past few days.
“I didn’t expect it. I don’t really know how it’s all going to work out.
But I do believe that your daughter is my true mate.
I want a chance to try to convince her of that and make a family with her and Emma.
I know it’s not going to be easy, considering how we started, but I think Emma should have a father and access to her own species as she grows. ”
Joe ran one hand through his hair, sighing again. “That’s fair, I guess.” The words were grudging, but the fact that he made the admission meant a lot. “I can’t say I like all this, but I do see your point.”
It was a start. At least Tracy’s dad was listening to Hank, not just reacting. Now, if Hank could just get Tracy to do the same.
“I will, of course,” Hank said, “support my daughter in whatever way she needs, including financially. I’ve already set wheels in motion to create a trust account for her—for Tracy to use for Emma’s needs, in whatever way she thinks best. I have no intention of being a deadbeat dad.”
“That’s good to hear, though I can provide for my daughter and granddaughter, and have been doing so from the beginning.” The Alpha sounded insulted, which hadn’t been Hank’s intent.
“I thank you for that, Alpha,” he said, respect clear in his tone. The last thing he wanted to do was alienate Tracy’s family. “Had I known, I would have been here for them both. I’m grateful Tracy had your support and love to see her through what must have been a tough time.”
Joe sighed heavily. “My daughter never has done anything the easy way, ever since she was a pup. She should’ve told you, and I told her that from the moment she revealed she was pregnant. It was wrong to keep Emma a secret. Babies need both their parents. Shifter babies even more so.”
Joe sounded a little more sympathetic, which lifted Hank’s hopes. He knew he would need allies in the fight to be part of Tracy and Emma’s lives. The more, the better.
“Any idea where I could find Tracy?” Hank asked.
He had a bit of time—more than he’d hoped for—but he still didn’t want to waste any of it. He had a woman to convince of his plans and a little girl to get to know.