Jai

“Adam!” I yell after him as he walks with purpose, but he doesn’t listen.

“Adam, what’s wrong with you?” Dad asks.

Adam stares at Lorcan, eyes still wolfed over, chest heaving. “Give me what’s mine,” He mumbles.

Lorcan narrows his eyes. “What are you talking about? I don’t have anything that’s yours.”

“Come to me, little one.” Adam holds his arms out to the child, who giggles while jumping out of Lorcan’s arms and into Adam’s.

Dad, Lorcan and I all stare open-mouthed as the child lays her little hand on Adam’s face. He smiles, eyes returning to their usual brown.

“What the hell is going on?” Lorcan looks at Dad while asking the question, but Dad shrugs his shoulders.

“Hello, Daddy,” The little girl says, causing us all to gasp.

“What the hell?!” Lorcan bellows.

“Hello, Jessie,” Adam replies while pressing his forehead to the child’s.

When he finally pulls away, he presses a kiss on her forehead. She giggles, then lies her head on his shoulder.

“Adam, what the hell?”

Adam lovingly strokes Jessie back, holding her close to him as though he were afraid of letting her go.

“I know you’re confused, Lorcan.”

“You can say that again.”

“Look, long story short. . .”

“You don’t need to tell us that her mother is your mate; Melinda already told us. Well, she didn’t say it was you, but you know what I mean.”

Adam nods at Dad.

“So Melinda told you Alison rejected me, but I didn’t accept?” Dad nods. “She wouldn’t tell me why, and I couldn’t force her to stay with me. I let her go because what else could I do?

“I’ve spent the past three and a half years wondering if Alison is okay. Every time I visited Silver Paw, I didn’t see Alison, though I could scent her. I knew she was hiding from me, she may have rejected me, but I’m still her mate.

“I came because I needed to know if she was still alive. I know what rejection does to a person; one not accepting can be catastrophic. But something kept us both alive.”

Adam sighs while kissing Jessie’s head.

“I didn’t know about Jessie. Believe me; if I had known, I would have done more to make Alison see that we belonged together.”

“You really believe your mate didn’t want you?”

“What was I supposed to believe, Leander?”

Dad sighs before pressing his fingertips to Adam’s temple. Dad and his siblings have immense powers thanks to grandma Anja being who she is. Dad is able to show people past events by touching the temple.

I don’t know what Dad is showing Adam, but Adam’s eyes are so wide and wolfed over that I’m worried he’s about to murder the whole pack!

When Dad moves away, Adam’s eyes shoot between him and Lorcan.

“Tell me none of that is true?”

“We can’t,” Lorcan shakes his head while folding his arms around himself. “When Melinda took off from Silver Paw with Alison and Jessie, I came looking for them. I did because I only met Jessie recently. She was born into my pack, yet I’d never set eyes on her. Gianna delivered her and helped Alison through the birth, but Mike always made excuses as to why his family were never around.

“I should have tried harder to have him bring them to me. But the truth is, I’m always so busy that they just slipped my mind. I know how terrible an Alpha that makes me, but it is what it is.

“I realised; instantly that Jessie was related to us; I felt it when she ran to me. I was furious about why I didn’t know before that moment, and I demanded Mel bring her parents to my office. I wanted to question them, and I needed to know who Alison had slept with. I wanted to know who Jessie’s father was and why none of us was aware of who he was.

“When I arrived here, Jessie ran straight to me, giggling because she seems to have a canny ability to know her family instinctively upon meeting them. Melinda was having a breakdown, and I found out that she took off to save her mother from her father.”

“Where is Alison?”

Dad shakes his head. “Adam, did you ever mark Alison? Melinda said you did, but did she mark you in return? We’ve never seen a mate mark.”

“Yes, I marked her. She marked me.”

Adam, with his left hand, waves it over his neck. A mark appears there, causing me to look on in shock.

Do I actually know anything about him?

“I’d been rejected, but it didn’t fade because I didn’t accept nor reject Alison in return. I kept it covered because it hurt to have to look at it all the time. I assume as mine didn’t fade, Alison’s didn’t either?”

Dad shakes his head. “She kept it covered with makeup, so the man who kept her captive since she was fifteen didn’t find out. Look, Alison is here, Adam, but. . .”

“But what?” He probes when Dad fails to answer.

“That arsehole did a number on your mate, Adam. He beat her so badly that she’s barely alive.”

“Woah,” I grab Adam’s arm, and Lorcan snatches Jessie from his arms as he falls to his knees. All his strength seems to have failed him, and Adam can no longer stand upright.

That is quite a reaction—poor bastard.

“Daddy!” Jessie screams in fear and reaches for Adam.

I don’t even know how it’s possible for one so young to trust this man is her father. Okay, every shifter will know their kin instantly; it’s why Adam knew Jessie was his daughter. But I wouldn’t have thought this little girl would have no fear at all.

It shows what I know.

Goddess, I need to get out of this pack more!

Adam jumps to his feet, pulling himself out of shock instantly. He grabs Jessie and brings her to his chest.

“It’s okay, baby girl; Daddy’s okay.”

Jessie sobs on his shoulder. “Don’t leave me!”

Adam closes his eyes, and I feel so much sadness coming from him right now.

“Daddy will never leave you, Jessie. Daddy loves you so much.”

“I love you.” She mumbles, finally calming down.

“Oh my, Goddess! What are you doing?!”

Oh, shit!

Oh, Goddess.

It can’t be, but I know that it is. . .

My mate!

‘Claim her!’

‘Calm down!’ I yell at my wolf. ‘I will not dive at her; I don’t even know her name yet.’

‘You have to claim her; she’s our mate, Jai!’

‘I will in time, Cadmus, but not like this. I want my mate to want me because she chose it, not because she has no choice.’

My wolf growls inside my head, but I ignore him, unable to take my eyes off my little mate. Telling Cadmus that I wouldn’t force my mate to be with me is what I intend, but the wolf within doesn’t seem to care.

Goddess, help me!