Page 133 of Callen's Captive
“We had planned to say something later this week, but with everything that’s been going on, it didn’t seem right.”
Damien squeezed Blade’s shoulder. “Finally, some good news around here.”
They heard squeals and piled outside to see Tess hugging Anna. Callen moved behind Kate, placed his head on her shoulder as they watched the group talking about the good news. “Makes you think about the possibility, huh?” Callen whispered in Kate’s ear.
Kate grew stiff in his arms. “I guess.”
He turned her to face him. “You don’t want kids?”
“I don’t think I’d make a good mom. I didn’t exactly have a good role model, you know?”
“Actually, you had a wonderful mother from what I remember,” Hayden said from behind.
Kate poked Hayden in the chest with a single finger. “That’s twice you’ve said something like you know who I am. Spill.”
“Bossy,” Hayden said. “But then, you always were. Are you sure you want to know? You’re not going to like some of it.”
“I need to know what I am.”
“Don’t you mean who?” Callen asked, putting his hand on her back, slowing rubbing circles. She was beyond tense.
“I know what I said. What I don’t know is what I am. I shifted yesterday. Something I’ve never done or even knew I could do. And I’m way past puberty.”
“I can’t explain the science, but I can give you some insight,” Hayden started. “First, the easy part. You’re my cousin. Which also means you’re Drake’s cousin. All from the same pack.”
“No, I can’t be.”
Hayden straightened his back and puffed his chest out, to appear tall and intimidating as he towered over Kate. “Mind your betters, Lynn,” his voice boomed, deeper than usual.
Kate’s face turned mad as she put her hands on her hips and stepped right into Hayden’s space, like she was going to deck him.
As she was about to speak, Hayden pitched his voice high, as if he were a girl, and said, “My name’s not Lynn. It’s Katelynn, damn it!”
Shock replaced anger. Kate’s mouth dropped open. “How d’you know what I was going to say?”
Hayden laughed as he led her to a log to sit. “Because I heard it enough times as a kid. Every time grandfather called you ‘Lynn,’ you got all haughty and threw his attitude right back in his face. Hands on hips, foot-stomping the whole way until you were in his face. You even made him back up a few times. I think he admired that about you.”
“He refused to call me ‘Kate’,” she said, the memory rushing back.
“Because it means ‘pure’,” Hayden finished.
“And I wasn’t. I was—I am—a half-breed.”
Callen’s heart sank at her words and the hurt on her face, as if she were a child reliving the cruel taunts of her grandfather all over again.
“My father was shifter, but my mother was human?”
“I believe that’s what got them killed,” Hayden explained, his voice lowered, all the teasing and laughter of a few moments before gone.
“How did you figure this out?” Damien asked. He and a few others had taken seats on the logs by the central fire.
“She mentioned the hat man. It’s an odd term, but one I remembered from somewhere. It finally came to me, last night. It’s what she used to call my father. He had a whole collection of hats and a different persona for each. Hat man. I haven’t thought about those stupid hats in over twenty years since he never used them, except when Katelynn was over. Katelynn’s dad was the one with the affinity for hats. Maybe the hats were his. Anyway, Katelynn would pull out a hat from my dad’s closet, put it on his head and he’d entertain her, making a different goofy face or voice with each hat.”
“Do you remember Hayden as a kid, Princess?” Callen asked.
“I remember playing with hats, playing dress-up with them and a boy there with me. I spent a lot of time with him. And another boy was there, but he called mehalf-breeda lot.”
“Hayden and Drake,” Damien guessed. “Drake was a bastard even back then.”
