Page 74 of The Good Boys Club

To find my nana standing next to the kitchen table.

“Alpha! Nana! Hi, hello. Did you have a nice—uh, how was last night with the pups?”

She didn’t answer my question. “You having men’s troubles?” Her eyes betrayed her suppressed laughter.

“No, it’s for Ci, not for me.” Then I slapped myself on the forehead. Had I said the word foreskin out loud?

“You should take him to see Dr Drummond on the high street.”

I opened my mouth to object, tell Nana there was nothing wrong with him, but it might not be such a bad idea. Dr Drummond had patient confidentiality to uphold. She’d been one of the town’s main GPs since I was a kid, even treated my first STI. She could be trusted. Maybe she’d also know how to convincingly fake a helmet.

“Okay, thanks. So . . .” I couldn’t think of anything more to say, so I shoved the other half of my sandwich into my mouth. I had a big mouth, and an even bigger foot, and I tended not to keep the two separate enough.

Nana pulled out a chair and sat down.

“Yuhwanna coffee?” I asked, mouth still gummed up with food.

She nodded. “I like him.”

I swallowed. “I like him too.” I poured her coffee from the pot, and got the milk from the fridge. As long as we were talking truths, I’d be fine, wouldn’t put my foot in it.

“He’s good for you. Keeps you grounded. You’re different, but it works well for you both,” she said. If only she knew how different.

“Is this you endorsing the relationship?” My gut churned.

Nana puffed air from her nostrils, and for the first time in forever I got a decent look at her face. At the wrinkles surrounding her eyes and mouth, at the way her skin fell, thin and soft and slightly furry over her cheeks. She got so old . . . seemingly overnight. Though it hadn’t been overnight, had it? I hadn’t truly been home in over a decade. “You should have sought pack permission before pre-mating. It goes against every tradition we uphold.”

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” I said, choosing the designation over Nana because the seriousness of the situation called for it. She folded her hands over each other on top of the kitchen table, clearly waiting for a better apology from me. “But you can’t help who you fall in love with.”

“I guess you can’t,” she said. She smiled. “Mash, we need to have a proper chat.”

A heavy weight dropped in my stomach.

“But . . . I don’t wanna.” I gave her my big puppy-dog eyes.

“Sit,” she commanded.

I whimpered, but relented and sat next to her. “I know what you’re gonna say, and . . .” I dragged my fingers down my face and groaned. “I’m gonna do it. I’m going to accept the alpha call. Okay? I’ll take over as pack leader. I promise.”

After all, that’s why I’d returned now, wasn’t it? I may not even have realised it when I’d said yes, but the past few days with all the other wolves had confirmed what I’d known deep down—it was time to grow up and accept my fate.

“Oh, Mash.” She pulled my head down to her chest and squished it there. I heard the sobs racking through her lungs.

I couldn’t run from my destiny any longer. I was bound to serve my pack, and the time for that had long since passed. Nana was in her eighties, too old to shift. I should have accepted my responsibilities ages ago. I’ve been shirking them, and letting everyone down in the process.

Clem was running the pack and the reserve in my absence, but she had a business and a family to look after. It was so unfair of me to continually leave them in the shit.

I’d lost my job. I didn’t much care about my apartment. I was a thirty-four-year-old fuckboy, and I’d outgrown my playground. I only had a few friends other than Ci. There was nothing worth returning to Remy for.

Nothing besides Cian.

He was the only reason to stay.

The only reason.

Fuck, I was going to miss him so much.

“I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long. I’ve been . . .” A selfish ass. I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to make up for it.

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