Page 62 of Forced Pregnant Mate

Chapter 24 - Jack

Sitting in the school hall watching Sam graduate high school, I feel like I’m going to burst with pride. I never imagined that I’d get so close to Lena’s brother that I could feel so proud of him.

Lena is sitting beside me, a smile of pure joy on her face. I know she’s waited for this day for a very long time. Sam has aced all his final exams and has the scores to get into any college he chooses. He has opportunities now that she never had.

We watch the last of the students collect their certificates and the captains give speeches. Sam gets a special mention because he transferred at the very end of the year and still made himself a valued member of the class with his passion for school spirit.

I see a tear run down Lena’s cheek as the captain talks about Sam’s effort and dedication, how he always went out of his way to help others and make friends. Some of the other students cheer, and I can see Sam blushing furiously as he tries to hide from the praise.

After the principal’s final address, the senior class cheer and head out of the hall. There is a lot of laughter and joking, but some sadness, too. These kids have no idea how much their lives are about to change as they leave high school behind and take on the world.

Outside, we meet up with Sam and a few of his friends. There is a party tonight for all the students at the park under Mt. Sneffels, our pack’s usual gathering place. Since it doesn’t start until much later, we have a family celebration at Mom’s house planned as well.

“I’m so proud of you!” Lena says, reaching up to ruffle Sam’s hair. He grins bashfully, ducking away from her.

“Lena, I’m like, grown up now, okay? You can’t be doing stuff like that.”

“Yes,” she says, nodding sagely. “It’s all over now. We better get you a walking stick. I can see the end is near.”

Sam laughs. “This is all punishment for me treating you like a snowflake, then?”

“Just slightly,” she agrees. I can see her trying to hold herself back, but she can’t. She lurches at her brother and wraps her arms around his shoulders, squeezing him as tightly as she can.

“You did good,” she mutters. “Mom would be so proud of you.”

I see Sam look away, trying to hide his sadness. He doesn’t have any memories at all of their mother, but he knows how hard Lena worked to be all of that and more for him. He knows what she sacrificed to get him here, and that it was a labor of love from her as well as an act of honor for their mother.

As we head towards the truck, I drop back a bit with Sam, patting him on the shoulder.

“Congratulations,” I say, giving him a bit of a shake. “You’ve had so much to deal with in your life, and you made something out of it. Not many people can do that.”

Sam nods. “Thank you, Jack. Thank you, for everything. The truth is, I didn’t really understand what Lena was doing for me until we moved in with you. I knew that Dad was abusive, and that Kelly was worse, but I didn’t see it for what it truly was until she was gone.”

“She worried about you every day,” I say, turning him to face me. “She didn’t feel good about leaving you there. It was almost a relief to have them show up with you the way they did. It gave us the chance we needed to save you and get you back in school.”

“Yeah, it was pretty bad,” he says softly. He watches Lena walk ahead of us, his eyes dark with memory. “As soon as she left, they started on me. I didn’t have much time to study. I know now that they want everything done for them, as much as they want control. They wanted me tired, weak, and without an escape route. I can’t believe Lena lived like that, just to give me a chance to go to school.”

“She did,” I answer, nodding. “Lena told me some of what she went through, and Bailey explained issues your father had within the pack. You don’t need to feel any loyalty to him. Just get into a good college and make something of yourself. That’s all Lena wants for you.”

“I’ve got some plans about that,” he says, grinning. “But before we do anything else, I need to thank you.”

“You already did!” I laugh, giving him a tap on the shoulder with my fist.

“No… I mean, thank you for taking care of Lena. Like I said, I didn’t really know how much she sacrificed for me. Now that I do know, I appreciate it so much more that she found you.”

Sam grips my shoulder and looks me in the eye. I feel a twist in my chest of deep emotion. There is no denying it for either of us—I truly think of him as my brother now, bound by our bonds if not by blood.

“It is my pleasure to give her all the love she needs and more,” I say. “And you’re home too, little brother. You’re safe now, in a pack that loves you and cares for you.”

“A family,” he whispers.

“A family,” I repeat firmly. I give him the briefest of man hugs, and we clap each other’s shoulders before pulling apart. Lena is standing right there watching us, and neither of us noticed her turn back to see what we were doing.

“Are you guys ready to go?” she asks, giggling. “Or should I start singing kumbaya?”

Sam laughs, and I can’t help but join in. We head out to the parking lot and get into the truck, both of us helping Lena get in so she doesn’t have to stretch or jump. Even though she says she’s fine, I don’t like seeing her bouncing around and hoisting herself into the seat.

We drive to my parents’ place, and as we pull up, I can hear music playing in the backyard. We go straight out to see Dad at his place by the grill, chatting with Bailey, while Mom and Gina sit at the table with Natalia.

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