Page 6 of Wild Reckoning

Quinton let out a loud whoop, and Killian could picture the hearty grin on his dad’s face. He shouted to the others that he’d been right, and then a chorus of congrats erupted on Quinton’s end of the phone. Bunch of nosy goofballs. The lack of motorcycle sounds clearly indicated they’d pulled over. “That means the little cub is my grandson!” His dad let out a rich, booming laugh. “Well, grandnephew, but I’m calling him my grandson.”

Killian was elated, but also unsure. What did he really know about molding a young mind?

That shit was a huge responsibility, but he was more than willing to do it. He also hoped he didn’t screw the kid up. Those little rug rats were impressionable, soaked up everything. Good and bad. It was the bad that stuck the hardest in a kid’s mind, though.

Killian should know. His mom and dad hadn’t gotten along. Fought like enemies, made up like bears in heat—lalala, ain’t gonna think about that—then had gone right back at each other’s throats.

None of them talked about her. Lively Everhart had walked out one day and never returned. A decade later Killian had heard she was doing well up in Alaska. Had found another guy to torture.

He wished the cold-hearted bitch all the luck. If she could walk out on her sons, she was dead to him. It wasn’t like she was the best mom to begin with.

The three of them, Killian and his brothers, were happy their dad had found his mate. Quinton deserved someone good after the shit he’d endured with Lively.

And Noah was the best for Quinton. Good guy. Human, but no one was perfect. Bad joke.

Lively was the main reason Killian had refused to settle down with someone who wasn’t his mate. Fuck all that drama. If he was going to suffer, the person might as well be his mate. Wait…

But as far as raising the toddler, Killian hadn’t turned out half bad. He had some solid morals, and he wasn’t an evil SOB out there causing trouble for the sake of causing trouble. Besides, he would have his family—which meant his dad—and Stewart, there to help if he ever felt like he wasn’t getting it right.

Then it struck him. He didn’t even know the toddler’s name. Stewart had been very protective of the little kid, which was expected when six men on motorcycles approached the two, but the guy hadn’t even volunteered his nephew’s name, not even after he saw Killian and the others weren’t a threat.

“You good with this, son?”

Killian jerked slightly. He’d forgotten his dad was still on the phone. Quinton’s sudden voice had scared the mess out of him.

The elation in Quinton’s tone had softened, now taking on a more serious, stop-to-access-where-your-head-is-at vibe. He loved how his dad could switch gears so quickly.

“I think so, though it’s a lot to absorb,” he replied honestly. “Never thought I’d find my mate on a back road. I also like the idea of helping Stewart to raise his nephew.”

Quinton let out a satisfied grunt. “You’ll do just fine, son. Listen, I’m gonna send Ryker back to grab his SUV. You got a family to haul around now.”

A family. How had Killian become such a lucky bastard? Like most guys, he’d thought about what it would be like to have a few cubs, but he’d known it was something out of reach. Unless his mate turned out to be female or he mated a descendant of Christian’s.

Both options hadn’t seemed likely, and it had never crossed his mind his mate might come as a package deal. “Thanks.”

“And maybe raising a cub will help you grow up some.”

“Couldn’t resist, could you?” Killian rolled his eyes at the backhanded compliment. Then he grinned. “Bye, Dad.”

He ended the call and focused on the road. The wind whipped around him. The motorcycle rumbled beneath him. His thoughts on Stewart and the little boy. His mate and his nephew. Life had just taken a big, heart-pounding turn.

When they finally pulled up at the mechanic shop, Killian parked and hopped off his bike. The car seat weighed nothing to him, but he’d seen the way his mate wrestled with it when he’d tried to transfer it to the tow truck. Before Stewart ended up pulling a muscle, Killian grabbed it with one hand, hauling the entire thing out.

Lifted it right over his mate’s head then swung it clear before bringing it down to knee level. The flawless maneuver had gained him a huge squeal and happy grin from the toddler.

“Hey, wow.” Stewart stared wide-eyed at him. “That’s… impressive.”

It never hurt to display some assets when trying to impress the guy he would spend the rest of his life with. And Killian was displaying right now. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.” He finished off his stupid brag with a wink.

“Bear!” Ethan grinned widely when his gaze lifted to Killian, and damn if that smile wasn’t a triple dose of adorable. Killian also wondered how the toddler knew what he was. That still stumped him.

“You never told me his name.” Killian closed the truck door so the driver could back the car into one of the bays.

“Ethan.” Stewart tried to play it off, but Killian saw his mate’s hands twitching, like he would catch the car seat if Killian dropped it. Never gonna happen. The toddler was in the safest hands possible.

Through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, the mechanic waved for Stewart to come inside, but his mate was nervous. “I can take him.”

“Nonsense.” Killian headed for the door, his mate right behind him. Once inside, they stopped and glanced around, getting their bearings. A pneumatic gun whirred in the garage, and the telephone on the service counter began to ring.

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