Page 3 of Secrets and Ruin

“Yeah, I will,” I said, sighing heavily.

2

CHAPTER TWO

At home, I sat down in my office, watching the clock tick by, knowing I had to prepare for the inevitable conversation. I had scheduled a meeting with Niko over a week before. My brother knew Dirk was on his way and had assumed this was about that before I ever mentioned something to him.

How had he said it? A status report on what to expect after being in America for so long?

Oh, Niko, you have no idea…

I turned on my computer and fiddled with programs and settings until I was satisfied and completely out of time. Heath hovered in the doorway, his eyes stormy with worry, not for Dirk but for me.

“He could hate me for this,” I whispered.

“I know.”

“It doesn’t matter if he’s okay with Dirk being a werewolf or not… Once he finds out how it happened, he could hate me. I risked his son’s life and didn’t protect him like I had promised.” I was preparing myself for that conclusion.

After everything I had been through with this family, it was easier to expect the worst than to hope for the best. Hope had me trying to prove to Hasan that Heath was a good man but failing at every turn because my werecat father refused to see what was as clear as day. It only led to mean comments, arguments, and a father who hoped I would fail.

I was tired of hoping for the best when expecting the worst at least prepared me.

“I know. Jacky, it’s the last thing I want, but if you… don’t have them, you’ll always have me. You’ll always have Dirk, Landon, and Carey. It’s not any consolation for losing your family because of their hate and unwillingness to see how wonderful you are, but you won’t be alone.”

I gave him a weak smile, cherishing every word. He was right. Niko could be angry, and I might lose him as a brother, but I would have the patchwork family I had built here. I would probably still have Zuri, too. I wouldn’t be alone.

“Time for you to go,” I said, keeping that smile. “I’ll call you in if Niko wants to talk to you as Dirk’s Alpha.”

“Okay.” He came over and swooped in for a kiss, then he was gone.

Calling Niko right on schedule, he picked up in less than two seconds, showing up on my wall-mounted monitor. His smile was bright, his excitement to see his son clear.

Niko was a wiry man. There was something that said rockstar about him. A little too thin in places for me, but I bet women fell over themselves for him. His hair was just past his shoulders, but that couldn’t hide his cheekbones. His German heredity wasn’t the most obvious because I didn’t know how to identify that sort of thing, but he was clearly a European white guy.

“Hey, Jacky! Dirk’s flight just took off on time. Now, all we do is wait.” Niko’s smile was infectious, but I lost it quickly.

“Yeah, all we do now is wait,” I agreed. “You were right about what this phone call is about, you know. There’s some stuff Dirk and I wanted you to know before he landed in Berlin, so you had a moment to come to terms with it.”

“Yeah, I was expecting something like it. You’ve mentioned that he’s been a valued member of your team there. How’s he getting along with everyone? You have a lot of supernaturals in your territory now.”

“He, uh…” I tried to think about Dirk and the pack. He and Ranger were finally settling into something acceptable, no longer going for each other’s necks to pick fights. Dirk was more comfortable with his position in the pack, but that was tentative at best. It was only a temporary thing for any werewolf. It only mattered how long temporary was for each werewolf and the pack they were in. Dirk got along with most, but he also kept his distance because he was my nephew and in a relationship with Landon. He didn’t have solid friends among the werewolves, but Heath never made it a big deal.

“Well?”

“He’s still a pretty solitary man,” I said at Niko’s questioning. “He’s private, you know? Quiet. Does his thing and only speaks up when he feels it’s necessary. He’s reliable, though. He doesn’t let the other supernaturals push him around. He’s certainly not afraid of them.”

“Good. I never wanted him to be afraid. Smart, cautious, but not fearful.”

“Yeah…” Nodding, I could understand why Niko wanted that the same way Heath didn’t want Carey to fear him or Landon.

“You seem a bit out of it. Miss him already?”

“More than you know. I guess I should cut to the chase. No reason to let you interrogate me when you don’t know….” I took a deep breath, reading the confusion on Niko’s face. “Dirk is a werewolf.”

His jaw dropped open as I watched him process that. I wondered if he believed me as I watched his expression turn disbelieving before he pushed away from his desk, rolling backward as he looked around. For what, I didn’t know, but he was clearly processing, so I didn’t try to guess. Instead, I started telling him what else he needed to hear.

“You must remember the attack on my territory this time last year, Carey’s fifteenth birthday. He was supposed to go to a safe room with the other humans still on the property, Carey and Oliver. He didn’t. While I was trying to head off the majority of the attackers outside the house, Heath and Landon were preparing to take on any who made their way inside. Dirk decided he would sit at the top of the stairs and shoot anything he could see. He killed a lot of werewolves that night, but one finally took him off guard towards the end of the assault.”

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