Page 6 of The Alpha's Son

William threw his head back and started to laugh.

“Sounds stupid, huh?” Joe asked.

It took several seconds for his father to stop laughing. “Nah, it doesn’t. In all honesty, it’s exactly what I asked your grandfather when it was my time to settle down.”

“You asked Granddad? But I thought you had already taken the reigns, and you knew you were going to stay here your whole life?” This was a revelation to him.

“Absolutely not. Why would I for a second think I had what it took to lead?”

Joe couldn’t believe this. “I always thought you knew what was best.”

William threw back his head and laughed again. “Son, thank you for your vote of confidence, but trust me, I didn’t have a clue.” He sighed and looked toward the house. “I’d watched my dad all my life and he seemed to have an answer for everything. Nothing was hard to him.”

“Granddad was always like that.” Joe smiled, remembering his grandfather. He was a good man, but he had passed away several years ago. Joe still missed him.

He felt like his grandfather was the only one to really know him and understand him. He’d been the one to recommend that he spread his wings, even told him it would make him a much better man.

Joe didn’t understand why at the time, but now he knew more than ever. He had to get away to see what he was missing, but to also find himself and learn what he wanted in life. In a strange way, he needed to miss the pack to know this was where he wanted to be for the rest of his life.

“You know, I went through something similar,” William said, after taking a sip of his drink.

“Similar?” Joe asked.

“Your grandfather told me to leave and find out who I was. He said the only way for me to learn what it meant to lead was to go find myself. Didn’t have a clue what he was talking about.”

“You … left?”

“That I did. Not for long, and not for as long as you, but I found myself and then I found your mother, and the rest is history.”

“And when you found … Mom, did you just know?”

William looked at him. “You’re curious about mating?”

“I guess I’m curious about it all, Dad. I told you, I’m back and I’ve got no plans to leave. I’m ready to come home and stay home.” He couldn’t help but think about one of the reasons he wanted to stay home: Darcy.

He was going to see her tonight. All morning, even while working with his father, he felt his wolf close to the surface, wanting to go and see his woman. His mate.

“You’ll find your mate and when you do, you’ll know.”

“How?”

William chuckled. “The young are always so impatient. She will become your whole world. Looking at her, being with her, you will find yourself at peace just to be near her.”

“And does Mom feel the same way about you?” Joe asked.

“Yes, she does.”

He loved that there was no doubt to his father.

“What about smell?” Joe asked.

“Smell?”

“Did Mom or does Mom smell a certain way to you that is so intoxicating, you don’t know how you’re going to live without her?” He thought about how Darcy smelled to him last night, and his mouth watered for a taste. Even his wolf was getting desperate to go to her.

“Yes, your mom smells amazing all the time. Whenever she is near, even if I haven’t seen her, I can smell her, and not in a bad way either.”

Joe couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry, Dad, I won’t go telling Mom that you said she smells bad.”

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