Chapter 14

Bay’s heart actually felt as if it expanded as he pulled into the long driveway that led to the house. They’d only been gone for a few days, but it had felt like forever.

And it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot. There would be trials ahead, and more questions, and the terrible risk of exposure. He glanced at Manda, sleeping peacefully in the passenger seat beside him, and knew he would do anything to protect her from the rest of the world.

They couldn’t afford for their secret to get out. Especially now, when he was almost certain she carried their child.

He looked in the rearview mirror and caught Jake’s amber eyes staring back at his. Feels good to be home, doesn’t it?

Jake nodded and tightened his hold on Shannon. She slept soundly beside him with her head on his shoulder and the thick waves of her dark red hair flowing over his chest. That it does. You’ll never guess who I’ve been talking with, though.

Before Bay had a chance to answer, Jake said, AJ.

AJ? But how? He can’t mindtalk this far.

He can now. Ever since he caught that energy blast from Anton. And Anton can’t project at all. Not even to Keisha. AJ said he’s really worried that somehow he got Anton’s ability. Said he feels like he stole it. He chuckled softly. He wondered if I had any idea how to give it back.

Bay frowned as the house came into view. He wasn’t seeing their home and the end of their journey. No, not now. His mind was filled with sympathy for Anton, for the isolation the man must be suffering.

He’d always been there, before. Always in the background of Bay’s mind. At first it had bothered him, but now he knew how much he actually missed the connection. There’d been comfort in Anton’s presence. A sense of belonging he’d not felt before he embraced his Chanku heritage.

How must it be for Anton Cheval, a man whose mind had always been his most powerful weapon? Would he ever heal? Bay pulled into the parking spot in front of the house, leaned over, and kissed Manda awake. He tried to imagine what life would be like without the unique Chanku link he shared with his mate.

Empty. Life would be empty and without purpose.

Ulrich poured himself a cup of coffee and joined the rest of the small pack at the breakfast table. They’d all ended up here this morning, probably to discuss the message Deacon had gotten from AJ yesterday.

From the smell of bacon and pancakes, it appeared Millie had already fed them. He glanced around, hoping there might be something left, but the kitchen was already clean and everything had been put away. That’d teach him to oversleep, but the damned pups had worn him out last night.

And the night before. It appeared he and Millie had created monsters. Very, very good monsters.

Millie smiled at him and pulled his chair out. “G’morning, sleepyhead. I wondered if you were going to crawl out of bed. I was thinking of coming after you.”

He leaned over and kissed her, loving the sexy twinkle in her eyes. “If you’d come in to get me, we’d still be there.”

Matt and Deacon laughed. Daci merely shook her head and snorted. “Men,” she said. “You’re all alike. Human, Chanku … it doesn’t seem to matter.” Then she cast a sly glance at Millie. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you.”

Ric chuckled and raised his cup in salute. Then he sat in the chair beside Millie. “Good morning, brats.” He took a sip of his coffee, studying each of the kids over the rim of his cup. Young, maybe, but they were all powerful Chanku, each with a strong sense of the pack.

They were good people. Honorable and loving, and as true as any man could ever hope to call his friends, his packmates. And, just like him, they worried about the wizard. “So, any news about Anton?”

Deacon sighed. “I called AJ last night. He’s able to communicate long distances, but I get the feeling it’s tiring for him. The phone was easier. He said Anton’s planning to go back to Montana. He’s had some dream or vision—something about the Goddess. He told AJ he might need him, that Eve told him he’d know when. Other than that, it’s all just a waiting game.”

Millie squeezed Ric’s hand. “What about the girls? Are they okay?”

Deacon’s smile changed his entire appearance. When Ric first met the kid, he’d known exactly where the nickname came from. Christopher March—otherwise known as Deacon—had looked like a dour, rather morose old-time preacher. His Goth style and penchant for wearing black hadn’t helped. He’d lightened up a lot over the months he’d been here in Colorado, but he still wasn’t one to smile a lot.

Now he was definitely smiling. “Yeah,” he said. “Tala and Lisa are fine. They’re trying to decide whether to go to Montana for their deliveries or stay in San Francisco. Logan said he’ll do whatever they want, because Anton will have Adam and Liana for medical care. AJ said they’re hoping the two of them might be able to help figure out what the problem is. Logan can’t find anything to fix, so his hands are tied.”

Ric squeezed Millie’s hand and tried to imagine what it would be like not to have the link that kept them connected at all times. Not that he knew what she was thinking. That wasn’t the most important thing. No, it was the sense of a part of her always connected to him. As if their souls were never separated.

He didn’t want to think about it. The whole idea was much too painful, and for the wizard, a man who stayed connected to the entire pack most of the time, it must be devastating. He sent a quick prayer to Eve, asking her to keep an eye on Anton.

The whole pack needed Anton’s mind in good order. Ric hadn’t realized how much he’d come to depend on the wizard until that subtle presence was no longer in the back of his thoughts.

Ric searched for him. Nothing. It was hard to accept that he wasn’t there, even harder to believe he might never feel that connection to Anton again. All of them accepted the wizard as the heart and soul of the entire pack. The glue that held them together and made them stronger as a whole than any one of them could ever hope to be alone. He did it without overt intrusion, without affecting their choices or their actions, yet he connected them in a way both powerful yet inexplicable.

The thought of going on without Anton’s presence was more than a little unsettling. Ric sent another quiet prayer to Eve, and hoped like hell the Goddess was paying attention.

Stefan carried a big tray of sandwiches into the dining room. Normally, they’d just have lunch in the kitchen, but today seemed to call for a more formal setting. They had a lot to discuss, and he had a feeling it wasn’t going to be easy.

Xandi glanced up and smiled at him, but her eyes were red from crying and he knew how hard this was. Before he could comment, she turned away to finish fastening Lily into the high chair next to Alex. Lily chattered and giggled, totally unaware of the disturbing currents around her.

Xandi tried to tie Lily’s bib on. Giggling, Lily tugged it down. Alex reached across the small distance separating the two chairs and grabbed Lily’s hand. She giggled louder and then squealed. Alex erupted into giggles.

Xandi burst into tears.

Stefan set the tray on the table and gathered his mate in his arms. She sobbed uncontrollably against his shoulder, and her mind swirled with frustration and pain, the shared pain she felt for Keisha.

She said it feels as if he’s dead. She can’t sense him at all. There’s just nothing there when she reaches for him. He can’t touch her, either.

“Sweetheart, Anton’s tough. He’s been through some really bad things before. He’ll come through this. Have a little faith. No matter what happened, he’s still Anton. He still loves us and we will always love him.”

I know. She sniffed, took the cloth Stefan handed to her, and wiped her eyes and nose. Then she noticed the embroidered wolf in the corner. “Stefan! This isn’t a handkerchief. It’s one of Keisha’s good linen napkins.” She rolled her eyes.

He laughed. “Better Keisha’s napkin than snot all over my shirt.” When the corner of her mouth quirked up in a smile, he kissed her. Then he glanced at the kids. Both Alex and Lily stared at Xandi with wide, troubled eyes. “No more tears,” he said. “You’ll have both kids crying along with you.”

She nodded. “That’s all I need. I’m okay.” She took a deep breath. “Here.” She handed the soiled cloth to him. “Throw this in the laundry and keep an eye on the kids. I’m going to get some iced tea for everyone.”

He watched her go and tried to imagine life with Xandi without the connection, without her soft laughter in his mind, the sense of her love in his heart. It made him ache, an actual physical pain in his gut. How the hell was Anton going to handle it? His loss had to be devastating.

Liana and Adam came in through the kitchen. Just seeing the two of them together made the day brighter, especially after all Adam had been through. Not only bonded now, but possibly on his way to parenthood—it certainly appeared to agree with him.

And Liana positively glowed. She carried the pitcher of iced tea Xandi had gone after. Adam had a tray of glasses filled with ice cubes. Once Oliver and Mei arrived, Stef wanted to sit down and see if they could come up with any ideas, anything at all to help Anton recover. He had to get better, and this was the best place for it to happen, surrounded by his immediate family, the ones who loved him most, in the home he loved.

Stef opened his mouth to greet Adam and Liana when he heard voices. Mei and Oliver came in together. Mei was somber at best, but Oliver looked devastated. Of all of them, he’d known Anton the longest, had been with him through more shit than most men would have hung around for, but his loyalty and his love for the wizard had never wavered. If anyone should feel hope, Stefan figured it would be Oliver.

So why did he seem so hopeless now?

“You okay, Ollie?”

Oliver nodded. “It’s tough. I’m not dealing with this as well as I should. I think I’m pissed off, more than anything. Anton did everything he set out to do, but it seems like one hell of a sacrifice.”

Stefan forced a smile. “You of all people should know he won’t take this lying down. He’ll heal, and we’ll get him back. You have to believe that. Do you want to pick them up, or should I? Their plane’s due in around four.”

Oliver raised his head. There was a stricken look on his face. I don’t know if I can face him yet without losing it. Please, Stefan. I need to prepare myself. The last thing Anton needs at the airport is a blubbering idiot.

Which was why Stefan found himself waiting at the hangar belonging to the charter company at quarter to four, where Anton’s jet would deliver all of them. He stared at the empty sky, willing the small plane to arrive, anxious to see for himself how Anton was doing. He hated the emptiness in his mind that the wizard always filled.

Keisha had already contacted him, and the utter sadness in her mental voice had left him shaken. She’d said she felt horrible, like a terribly faithless wife, mourning her loss as if Anton were actually dead to her, even when he sat beside her, needing her love and her strength more than ever.

But, in so many ways, he truly was lost to her. He’d curled up in his seat on the plane and slept the entire way home. Usually he was curious about everything, talking to the pilot, discussing the trip with all of them, talking about what they’d done, where they’d been, who they’d seen.

Bragging about Lily.

He hadn’t even mentioned their daughter. Not once. He hadn’t asked about her, hadn’t said her name. That alone had Keisha worried sick. That, and Anton’s reaction to the events they’d all been part of—more specifically, his lack of reaction.

He’d been concerned about her injury until she showed him how well Logan had healed the deep gash where the bullet grazed her shoulder. Then he’d dismissed it entirely. Any other time, he would have been hovering about her for days.

He’d merely nodded when the feds had finally given them the word they were free to go home, as if his part in saving the life of the most powerful man in the free world wasn’t a huge event. That was so unlike the man she knew. He was a stranger to her. A stranger she didn’t seem to understand at all anymore.

She was worried about AJ, too. He’d looked absolutely stricken as they’d boarded the plane. She wasn’t exactly certain what had happened, but somehow, when he’d linked with Anton during the energy surge, he’d not only saved Anton’s life, he’d ended up with some of his powers.

Powers AJ wanted no part of. He’d begged her to tell him the moment Anton was ready to take them back. He’d insisted, as if there was somehow going to be some miraculous way for him to return them to Anton, but she’d been too distraught to ask how in the hell he intended to do that, when Anton could no longer link with anyone. It made no sense.

And poor AJ had been too agitated to explain.

Now, with her thoughts still in turmoil and her heart broken, Keisha was bringing Anton home. Waiting on the tarmac, Stefan watched the small jet circle the airport and come in for a landing. Out of habit, he reached for Anton, for the man who always answered his mental call.

There was no one there. Not even the vaguest sense of the wizard as the plane touched down on the runway. Unsure of what was to come, how he should behave, Stefan shoved his hands in his pockets and waited disconsolately for the plane to taxi to the hangar so he could take its passengers home.

Anton hated everything about this. The way he felt cut off from the rest of the pack, the surreptitious glances the others made in his direction when they didn’t think he was watching. He knew they worried about him, that they loved him and wanted him whole, but, for now at least, they couldn’t do a damned thing to help him—and he sure as hell wasn’t whole.

No, he was fractured, his mind scattered, his life in shambles. It was frightening, really, how quickly he’d been reduced to this state. Frightening and humiliating, when he thought about it, that such a minor disability could bring him down so quickly.

He’d escaped to his office the moment they’d arrived at the house. It hadn’t been fast enough. He’d still had to walk what felt like a gauntlet of his packmates. Their loving concern had almost been his undoing. He didn’t know if he’d be able to handle sitting at the big table with everyone. Acting as if everything was just fine.

The ride home had been bad enough. He’d sat in front with Stefan and told him what he remembered of the evening. He’d described what he could recall of AJ’s sudden link and the way their minds had immediately synched. He still wasn’t certain what had happened, though he fully believed Eve had her hand in the outcome. Somehow, AJ had become the key to his survival. Anton wasn’t certain how, but AJ held something he needed. Something he couldn’t yet retrieve.

Not until he was ready.

“Anton? Dinner’s ready.” He glanced up from the stack of mail he’d found waiting for him on his desk. Bills and statements and proposals. How the hell would he manage his work if he couldn’t read the minds of the people around him? He’d learned to rely on that edge.

Of course, he could still rely on Stefan, but it wouldn’t be the same. Not for a man who wanted control in all things. “I’ll be there in a minute.” He glanced away from Keisha’s hopeful expression and shuffled the stacks of mail. When he raised his head a minute later, she was still there. Standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest.

Obviously not very happy with him. “What? I said I’d come in a minute.”

“Lily is awake. You haven’t even given your daughter a hug since you got home. You’ve avoided your packmates and you’re being rude to me. Feeling sorry for you only goes so far, Anton. Man up and deal with it. Is it so impossible for you to have a little patience with a mind that’s still far better than the average member of the human population?”

He wasn’t sure which was the more powerful emotion—anger or shame. He went with anger. He’d never been all that good about dealing with shame. He slowly rose and carefully planted his palms on the desk. “You forget, my love, that like you, I am no longer human, so don’t put me in a category with humans. It has no bearing on what I can and cannot do. Like you, and like our daughter, I am Chanku, only I appear to have lost those special abilities that define our very existence.”

Keisha took a quick step back, as if his anger had physically shoved her aside. Then she straightened her spine and glared at him. “You don’t know that you’ve lost your abilities forever. You told me that Eve said for you to return to your home and heal. Well, my love, you are home. Give yourself time to get well, but in the meantime, act like a man. I will not allow you to punish me or our daughter because you can’t deal with your perceived weakness.”

She glared at him a moment longer, magnificent in her anger. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, how much he admired the strength she’d shown throughout this past week. She’d been cool under pressure, unbelievably brave when faced with a madman with a gun. She’d been wounded, yet in spite of her pain, she’d gotten the president to safety and then stayed beside her mate while he hid away in the guest room at Luc and Tia’s house.

She’d been spectacular. He’d been absolutely worthless. He still was, yet he, who always had an explanation for everything, had no words to explain his actions. None worthy of his mate. She waited a moment longer. Gave him every chance in the world to apologize, but when he didn’t speak, she turned away in anger and left him standing there like a fool.

He was a fool. And he owed her an apology. More than that, he owed her his life. She’d saved him, time and time again, and now all he did was give her grief. She had a right to be angry.

He shoved the mail into a tray on his desk and followed Keisha to the dining room. Voices, laughter, Lily’s squeal and Alex’s funny giggles. Life waited in the other room.

He had to figure out a way to embrace it without giving in to despair. And he had to hope like hell that Eve was right, that he’d somehow get back to what he’d been, to the man he was supposed to be.

Keisha and Xandi took the babies in for play time in the tub before bed. Oliver, Mei, and Liana volunteered to clean up after dinner and that left Anton staring out the window in his office. The fact it was dark outside and there was nothing to see didn’t really matter.

At least Keisha had accepted his apology, as lame as it had been, though she was still angry. He knew she didn’t understand the depth of his grief. Hell, he didn’t understand it himself. He’d never experienced anything like this, had no way to articulate his feelings. Telling her he was sorry for acting like such a bastard had been a step in the right direction, but not enough.

Not nearly enough.

He heard motion behind him and turned. Any other time, he would have sensed the intruder. He would have known it was Stefan, would have been just as aware of Adam coming through the door behind him.

He really didn’t want company. Not tonight. Keisha was still pissed off in spite of what she’d said when he apologized—he didn’t need to read her mind to know that. Stefan was disappointed in him, but not saying why, and he really wasn’t up to Adam’s quiet contentment. It was too damned much. He just wanted them to leave him alone.

Neither man said a word to him. He frowned, turned his head, and watched as Stefan went straight to the cabinet where he kept his liquor. He pulled out three glasses along with a bottle of the really expensive Hennessy, and poured shots in each glass. He handed one to Adam, took one for himself, and shoved the third into Anton’s hand.

Stefan’s eyes were blazing. He practically pulsed with his anger. Adam stood off to one side, but it was difficult to read his mood. He was difficult to understand even under the best of conditions, his mind often blocked to Anton’s curious thoughts. Now, with his comfortable stance and serious expression, he was impossible to figure out.

So why even try? Anton took a swallow of the cognac and sighed as it burned a trail down his throat. He took another and turned his back on the two men. He wasn’t trying to be rude, but they were the ones who had breached his sanctuary, who had interrupted his moment of reflection.

That thought almost made him laugh. Almost. The only reflection going on right now was his own sorry face staring back at him in the big window opening out to the back meadow.

He took another swallow of cognac and realized he’d emptied his glass. Before he could set it down, Stefan was tilting the bottle over it, filling it once again.

“Trying to get me drunk, Stefan?” He cocked one eyebrow in Stef’s direction. “It won’t work. I seem to have developed a tremendous tolerance for good liquor. Just about wiped out Ulrich’s hidden stash at the Marina house. I imagine Luc was glad to see me go.”

“Getting you drunk would be a waste of good booze.” Stefan topped off his own glass and handed the bottle to Adam, who set it aside on top of the cabinet.

Anton chuckled, but he realized he was staring at the amber liquid in his glass, not looking into Stef’s eyes. He wasn’t sure he’d like what he saw there. Even so, he raised his head and asked, “Well, if getting me drunk isn’t your purpose, what is on your agenda? You looked ready to take my head off when you walked in here.”

Stefan shook his head. “Pissed at the situation, my friend. Not entirely at you, though you certainly need to consider your mate’s feelings. Keisha’s exhausted and scared and afraid for you. That half-assed apology you gave her needs some improvement.”

Anton hung his head. “You’re right. I tend to get a little too self-involved when things don’t go my way.”

Stefan laughed. “Ya think? Gee. I never would have guessed.”

Anton shot him a sharp glance. “You’ve made your point. What else are you here for?”

“Figuring out what the fuck we’re going to do about your little problem.” He nodded at Adam. “I want you to let Adam take a look at you. If he can’t find anything, then we’re going to bring Liana in and let her have her way with you.”

Anton winked at Adam. “I like the sound of that. Go on.”

“Then if we can’t figure out what’s wrong, I thought maybe we’d all shift and go for a run, get away from the house and fuck like bunnies.”

Only Stefan. “Sounds good to me.” He shrugged and looked at Adam. “Where do you want me?”

Adam laughed. “Well, actually I want you on your knees with my dick in your mouth, but I’ll go for your skinny butt in that chair.” He pointed to the comfortable recliner in the corner.

Anton liked that about Adam. The man didn’t give a rat’s ass who he was, what kinds of abilities he’d once had. Adam treated him as an equal, not as the undisputed pack alpha, though now that he thought about it, his role might quickly become disputed if things didn’t change.

Anton took a seat, had another sip of his cognac and set the glass aside. Then he leaned his head back against the cushion. Adam stood behind him, pressed his fingers to Anton’s temples, and went perfectly still.

It was strange, really, to think of what Adam was doing. Anton knew the man was taking a walk through the cells of his brain, but there was no awareness of anything. Not of Adam’s physical presence inside his skull, and certainly not anything mental. All Anton felt was the steady pressure of Adam’s big, warm hands against the sides of his face.

He concentrated on the strength of those fingers, on the calluses and scars from all the physical labor Adam did around the place. Amazing, that a man who was at home repairing a carburetor could so confidently, yet gently, crawl inside someone’s head, but Anton had seen Adam at work before. Had tagged along on his medical journeys through cells and veins and even into Tia’s womb during her daughters’ delivery.

He wondered if he’d ever get that chance again. If the ability to join Adam’s amazing mind would be his once more. His hands were so gentle, the night so quiet that Anton lost track of the time. Might have even dozed off a bit. He’d been sleeping so much since that night. More than he’d ever slept in his life, but when Adam pulled away, Anton was startled enough to know he’d been on the edge of sleep at the very least.

He was even more startled to see that Liana had, at some point, joined them. She’d been inside his head as well, it appeared. He wondered if it had worked and tried to reach out.

Nothing. Shit. Answered that question. He smiled at her. “Hello, Liana. Any luck?”

She shook her head. “I see the problem, but there’s nothing we can do to rush things. You’re going to heal. I’m almost positive the damage isn’t permanent, but you took a terrible blast to your brain when you pulled in so much energy.”

“That I did. In fact, if AJ hadn’t linked with me, I don’t know if I would have survived it.” Stefan refilled his glass of cognac. Anton took a small sip. The others had pulled up chairs and sat facing him. “Afterward, I had what felt like a visitation from Eve. She said something about AJ having what I needed. That I would know when I was ready to take it back.”

“Ah! That would explain it.” Liana smiled and glanced toward Adam. “I told you it felt as if something was missing, but I couldn’t figure out what it was.”

Anton frowned. “Missing? You mean something physically gone from inside my head?”

“Yes and no.” Liana spread her hands wide, palms open, almost as if she reached for the answers she needed. “We are each unique, with our own abilities, our own way of thinking, of reacting. It affects everything we do, every decision we make, all our choices and beliefs. Even our fears. It’s, for want of a better word, our spirit. Your mind is intact. Your brain has suffered a definite trauma. There is evidence of some swelling, even what looks like bruising, though nothing life threatening. However, the part of you that fires your thoughts, that gives you your unique signature and makes you who and what you are—that part of you was not evident. I searched, but I thought the fault was mine for not seeing it. Now I’m wondering if AJ has it for safekeeping. If, when you are stronger, he will be able to return it to you.”

“How long do you think that will be?” He glanced down at his hands cupping the glass of cognac and saw that his knuckles had gone white. He relaxed as much as he could. The last thing he needed to do was shatter a glass of good cognac. Stef would never let him forget it.

“I would imagine a couple more weeks. We heal so quickly. Your injuries aren’t that severe, especially considering what you accomplished. The amount of power you pulled in from all of us must have been tremendous. Even Adam and I felt some of the backlash.”

Stefan chuckled. “I think we all did. It’s got to take a lot to shut down the entire city of San Francisco. Everything from cell phones to lights and cable cars. Between the attempt on the president’s life and the power going out, it was a big news night.”

Anton slowly shook his head. “I feel sort of foolish, now. At the time, I was afraid of not having enough power to shut down the auditorium. It was a minor miscalculation.”

“Minor, my ass.” Laughing, Stefan turned to Liana. “So what now? What do you suggest?”

She cocked her head and stared at Anton. “Have you shifted since this happened? Sometimes shifting will help speed the healing process.”

“No. I had such a hell of a headache the first couple of days, and … Well, really, there just hasn’t been time.” Even Anton realized his excuses sounded feeble.

“Try it. I want to see if you’re still able to shift.”

“Now?” He really didn’t want to try. At least by not attempting a shift, he could maintain the illusion that he was still able to do it. Even if he couldn’t.

“Now, Anton. Please. No need to disrobe. Just see if the mechanism is still there. If the process of shifting from man to wolf is still a natural act for you.”

He gazed into Stefan’s amber eyes and felt the fear in the man who loved him. There was no need for telepathy to recognize Stef’s love—or his concern. Maintaining eye contact, Anton reached for the simple process that should turn him into a wolf.

And found absolutely nothing. It was almost as if that slate had been wiped entirely clean. He remembered how to shift, but when he reached for the workings in his mind that directed the change, there was nothing there. He didn’t say a thing. He didn’t have to. Everyone in this room recognized his failure.

Each of them mourned with him. He bowed his head and begged the Goddess for some kind of word, anything to encourage him, but there was no sense of Eve tonight.

He raised his head after a moment, almost done in by the compassion in the eyes of those here with him. He would have to tell Keisha. Have to make her believe his abilities would eventually come back.

First he had to convince himself. If he couldn’t be the man he’d always been, he was nothing. Nothing at all.

“Well, that sucks.” Adam’s droll comment caught him by surprise. “Guess that means running and fucking’s out for tonight.”

Anton glanced at Adam and caught the twinkle in his eyes. “I’m doing it again, aren’t I?” He shook his head, but he managed to dredge up a smile. “What can I say? I’m a glass-half-empty kind of guy.”

“Well, I’m not.” Stefan grabbed Anton’s hand and pulled him to his feet, but he spoke to Adam. “Keisha and Xandi are sleeping in our room. That leaves either Anton’s or yours. You okay with that, Liana? Think you can handle all three of us?”

“You’re kidding, right? Have you seen Ig naked?” Chuckling, she grabbed Adam’s hand and dragged him toward the door. “C’mon, boys. Potential mommy here. I can’t drink but bring the bottle.”

“I’m really gonna miss that guy.” Adam sighed, reached for the half-full bottle of Hennessy, and trailed out the door behind Liana muttering, “… hung like a damned baseball bat,” as he left.

Stefan squeezed Anton’s hand. “No argument. You’re coming with us. You’re going to get naked, and for tonight, at least, forget how screwed up things are and do a little screwing yourself. You all right with that?”

He thought about Stefan and all he’d been through, trapped for so many years as half man, half wolf. What Adam had endured when he lost his mate, and how much Liana, a woman who had once been an immortal goddess, had lost. And then he thought of what each of them had gained—love. A life much richer than they’d ever imagined.

He thought of how much he still had, even if his abilities were lost forever—the love of his pack, the love of his mate, and the love of his perfect daughter. He grinned at Stef, aware this time his smile was real. Then he grabbed his glass of cognac and headed for the door, tugging Stefan along behind him.

“Yeah,” he said. “I am all right. And I’m coming with you and I plan to get naked.” He stopped and looked into the eyes of a man who could have been his brother, who was, in many ways, all things to him. “But I realize now that there is nothing I need to forget. Things really aren’t as screwed up as I thought. Not as long as I have you guys. Thanks for reminding me what’s really important.”

Stef grinned at him. “I did that? Damn. Be sure and tell Xandi I finally got something right, would you?”

“Fuck off, Stef.”

“You too, sweetheart.”

Together, they headed out of the house and across the snowy drive to Adam and Liana’s room above the garage.