Page 49 of Reformed Wolf

Vesta took my hand and squeezed it. “It will not be for many years. He will be a child like any other. He will play and laugh and get into trouble.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “He will be happy. Pax… will be happy.”

I looked up into her blind gaze that saw so much. “Pax?”

“Yes, it is his name. It means peaceful, a calm center for the times of turmoil ahead.” She pushed up from the table with difficulty. “I will train him when it is time. For now, though, show him love and kindness, show him strength and bravery.” She gave Pax one final kiss on his brow, and I swore his pursed lips twitched with a smile.

As Vesta began to walk away, heading for the path that would lead her home, another question popped into my head. I called after her, “Was that why I had the vision about the hyenas? It wasn’t truly my vision at all, was it? It belonged to Pax.”

She looked back over her shoulder and smiled but said nothing more. I already knew the answer.

Chapter 21

Tristan

Fall had always been my favorite season. The deciduous trees turned from green to gold, as if by magic, and even though it was usually cloudy and wet, I would gladly spend hours among the trees. Nothing could break the spell—except maybe an early winter.

September wasn’t even over yet, and already frost had taken nibbles of our garden. Poor Damon was working overtime trying to squeeze a few more days out of our growing season, draping tarps over the more delicate plants every night. Ever since the hyenas attacked and the elements had rallied to help, it had shifted something in the air. I suspected we were in for a long, cold winter.

I looked across at where Dylan was laughing with Brody, and heat bloomed inside my chest. At least I didn’t mind being cooped up in the cabin this year, now that I had plenty to keep me occupied.

“Fatherhood looks good on you,” Shan said, nudging me with his elbow.

I laughed. “You too.” We were both on baby duty, giving our mates a much-deserved night off. Pax was still too young to appreciate the festivities, and I kept him close to my chest in a tight wrap, an extra blanket swaddled around him to keep him warm. “Who would have guessed we’d have kids at the same time. Or that I would have kids at all, for that matter.” I winced, remembering what I used to be like.

Shan shook his head, grinning. “Oh, I can believe you had a kid. The mate, though, that’s the real surprise. I can’t believe you found someone willing to put up with you.”

I mock glared at him. “It’s a good thing you’re holding a baby right now, or I would seriously kick your ass.”

“You would try,” he taunted.

A squabble broke out when Damon tossed an armload of wood onto the carefully constructed pyre Dawn had been working on. “What the fu—dge, dude,” she snapped, careful to mind her language around Malachi’s impressionable ears. “I finally had it perfect!”

Damon’s lip curled. “It’s not my fault you’re such an ass—et to our pack.” I snorted. Yeah, he definitely wasn’t going to say asset.

Fights were bound to break out from time to time when a group of people lived and worked together day in and day out in such a small space. Not this time, though. Stuart stepped between them and placed a hand on Damon’s chest. They shared a long look, warm enough that I was tempted to blush. Finally, Damon turned to Dawn and said, “Sorry about that. I’ll try to be more careful where I put the wood.”

She nodded, appeased. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Stuart nodded, pleased with himself on a job well done, but before he could walk away, Damon caught his wrist and dragged him back. He spoke low in Stuart’s ear, and all I heard was, “Stay,” before the rest of his words were plucked from the air and carried off on the wind.

Shan and I shared a look. “About time,” I muttered from the corner of my mouth. Those two had been dancing around each other for years. I knew Damon was self-conscious about being a beta, and that was the real reason he’d held off on making a move for as long as he had, but I also knew Stuart couldn’t care less about his designation. They would make it work.

Night descended, and the bonfire was lit. Everyone was drinking and laughing and having a good time. What might’ve driven me crazy last year now brought me the best kind of peace. I rocked back and forth to a tune no one else could hear, soothing my son and keeping him asleep and calm. Not that he was ever anything but calm. It was almost creepy that he was as quiet as he was. He wasn’t scared by loud or sudden noises, didn’t fuss when he was hungry, rarely woke up at night. He was the embodiment of his name—peaceful. If it weren’t for Vesta’s pronouncement about who he was destined to become, I might’ve been worried that his demeanor wasn’t more typical of a baby. As it was, though, I simply marveled at the way he watched and listened, taking it all in.

The wind gusted, blowing leaves through the clearing, and I turned to block the worst of it from Pax, even though he seemed warm and snuggly, not at all bothered by the cold. Goosebumps lifted across the back of my neck, but it had nothing to do with the wind. Vesta was here.

She was later than she usually was, and she moved with slow, shuffling steps. She seemed to be leaning more heavily on her walking stick. She approached me cautiously. “I hope you are not angry with me,” she said shyly.

I frowned. “Grandmother, why would I be angry?” I was more curious why she would think that in the first place. Couldn’t she tell what I was thinking without asking? She didn’t seem herself.

She sighed wearily. “Help me sit?” I eased her down onto a cut-stump stool then dragged another stool over to sit beside her. She held her hand out, and I took it in mine. “It is not always easy to see beyond the world as you know it. It can be a burden knowing what is coming and being unable to avoid it. I am sorry that fate chose your Pax to be the next seer. You never asked for that, and neither did he.”

I squeezed her hand gently. She felt frail suddenly, older somehow than mere months ago. “I don’t blame you, Vesta. Just because you saw it coming, that does not mean you caused it. And even if it could’ve been avoided, I would never dream of changing a thing. You brought me to the love of my life; how could I ever be mad about that? And Pax is the most precious, sweet baby, and we all adore him. He will no doubt face challenges as he grows up that I could not possibly imagine, but don’t we all? I could not have prepared myself for losing my parents, my sister, my pack. The best we can do is teach him to appreciate the good days, to live in the present and not get caught up in the what-ifs of the future.”

“Easier said than done,” Vesta said sadly, leaning her head on my shoulder. “I’m so tired, Tristan.” She yawned loudly, before her breathing evened out, deepening into sleep.

Little Malachi, with his unruly curls and grubby bare feet meandered over and sat by my feet, leaning back on my shins. He was worn out after running in circles for the past hour, and now with a full belly, he was running on fumes.

I smiled down at him, loving how surrounded I was by family. So many things were changing, I could feel it, so I told myself to savor this feeling.

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