"Let's meet the long lost boy"
"So, I cannot contact them?" Xavier asked with a frown on his face. Just from seeing his face anyone wouldn't know how he was feeling, but Lorcan, after knowing him for so many years, knew exactly what he was feeling.
"They will come back," he tried to reassure the younger one.
"Is that why you were trying to avoid taking me to meet them?"
Lorcan looked guilty, "Damien was taking my help. So I was never really strong enough to take you."
"So you knew where he is?"
Lorcan nodded, "But he isn't there anymore. He didn't tell me where they went."
"That's just great," Xavier answered feeling more upset that he didn't get to see his parents and he doesn't even know where they are.
"Xavier, he will be fine."
"How can you be so sure? What if something happens to him? I mean with the threat of the hunters just around the corner? I know they are strong, but hunters play dirty, we all know that."
"Xavier, if it wasn't important then Damien wouldn't have gone."
Xavier remained quiet as he stayed in his seat. Lorcan sat still leaning on the chair, his eyes remained on Xavier.
"He said he needs to talk to some people, and he might need to travel for that." Xavier opened his mouth to ask but Lorcan interrupted him, "I don't know whom, or how far. He told me to have faith in him, and to tell you to not worry and focus on what's here."
"Stubborn..." Xavier growls, no matter how much he tries, how can he not worry about his parents with the threats around him?
"At least we know where you get it from," Lorcan smirked. Xavier only gave him a look but didn't answer. Lorcan continued, "Everything is good with her now?"
The growl died in his throat and the alpha smiled softly, "I think so. These last two days... things have been great. We trained, we talked a lot. I really think we are in a good spot."
"That's great. So when's the mating?"
Xavier frowned, "That is none of your business."
"Oh c'mon... you tell me everything!"
Xavier shook his head but couldn't hide the amusement on his face, "Not this."
"You know that I can just make you say the truth to me, right?" He asked wriggling his fingers as he leaned on the table.
"I know, but I also know that you respect people's privacy and you won't actually do that."
Lorcan grumbled as he leaned back on the chair about how children are turning out to be so freaking stubborn. Xavier rolled his eyes and just went back to his work.
Lorcan was still thinking about these two when his mind went back to the time where he had shaken hands with Selena. That day he had felt a sizzling form of energy in her, something he recognized, but something that was so very different from that of a werewolf's.
If what Damien said was true, then Selena should have received her powers when she turned twenty-one.
He looked at Xavier who was frowning at the laptop screen while typing furiously.
"What are you looking for?"
Xavier glanced at Lorcan before his eyes went back to the screen, "During the time the Lunar Eclipse was attacked, the local news covered the incident as a wildfire."
"So?"
"No one survived. I mailed the council too, asking if they have news of any survivors from Selena's pack since she is their leader and she has the right to know, but they denied me the information as they are not very fond of me."
"They cannot deny Selena though," Lorcan pointed out.
Xavier looked up at the warlock, "I haven't told her I am looking. We all believe that everyone died but I am just checking to make sure. I don't want to get her hopes up in case nobody came out alive."
Lorcan sighed and rolled his eyes, "Those old bastards need to get off their asses and do some work for once."
Xavier snorted but said nothing.
"Hey," Lorcan began again, "You said you two spoke a lot these days, did you notice anything strange in her?"
"Strange like what?" Xavier asked, now paying complete attention to Lorcan.
"I don't know; when I met her, we shook hands, but then there was this sizzling form of energy in her."
"Like... she is an alpha wolf."
He wanted to tell him, more than anything, but, what if they didn't receive the power, it was very much possible that the power went to someone from her coven. In that case, he didn't wanna give these people false hope.
Lorcan shook his head, "This is different from that of a werewolf's. It almost seemed like..." he trailed off.
Xavier frowned but waited for him to speak, eager to know what he was talking about.
"Her aura, it is stronger than an alpha wolf."
"How come we don't feel that?
"As a warlock, one who has seen quite a lot more of the world, it's clearer to me. And trust me when I say this, you've got one hell of a strong mate."
Xavier smiled with love and pride and Lorcan too smirked to cover up his worries.
'Alpha, we found a wolf-cub a little into the border, it's unconscious,' Seth linked Xavier.
'Stay right there, I am coming.'
'Yes sir.'
Xavier stood up and told Lorcan the story, and the witch decided to head out with him.
____|~.~|____
Seth and two more warriors stood silently by the unconscious cub. It couldn't have been more than three or four years old. Seth wrung his hands as he looked at the cub nervously.
He didn't have any visible injuries but the movements of his chest were slower than they were supposed to be.
"C'mon, alpha, where are you..." he muttered as he looked around. However, it wasn't the alpha he saw, but Aiden and Connor.
Aiden was feeling very agitated that day, so when he said he was going out for a run Connor decided to tag along.
"What's going on here?" Aiden asked frowning as he stopped by their side.
Their eyes fell on the little cub.
While Seth explained the situation to them, Aiden slowly walked towards the cub and knelt by its side. With the back of his hand, he rubbed the wolf's cheek, the baby whimpered but became quiet again.
"I have never seen such a young boy in his wolf form," Aiden muttered.
"Is that him?" They all heard as Xavier and Lorcan walked in.
"Yes alpha, he was just lying there, his breathing is uneven though and there is no one with him," Seth spoke.
"No visible injuries," Aiden added as Seth had missed that.
"He doesn't smell like a rogue, we should take him to the doctor,' Xavier observed and commented, "He is just a kid, goddess knows what he had to go through."
Aiden gently inserted his hands under the baby and picked it up in his arms. The wolf whimpered at the movement but cuddled against Aiden's arms and chest, making the heart of the man melt.
"I am taking him to the pack doctor."
Xavier nodded, "Keep an eye out," he said to Seth, "His parents might be searching for him."
"Sure, sir."
They didn't waste any more time as they rushed to the pack doctor. Xavier and Connor ran as Lorcan transported Aiden, the cub, and himself straight to Mason's office.
The doctors screamed in a shrill voice when three people appeared in his office out of thin air. However, he was fast to compose himself. His cheeks turned slightly pink from embarrassment but they were gone soon as his eyes fell on the baby.
"Lay him down on the table, who is this?"
"We don't know," Aiden mumbled, "We found him just inside the border.
They soon arranged a room for him and Mason checked him.
By the time Xavier and Connor reached the hospital, Mason had already talked to Aiden.
"He said that the kid is just dehydrated. There isn't anything to worry about."
Everybody breathed a sigh of relief. Mason assured them repeatedly that he would call them back as soon as the kid is awake, but Aiden refused to leave.
"I am not leaving him alone in a room where he doesn't know anyone," he had said.
In the packhouse, the three men met Selena and Evelyn talking while spreading over the couches. Ileana was up in her room.
"What's wrong?" Evelyn asked as soon as she saw the look on the men's faces.
Selena sat up and Xavier sat beside her, Lorcan sat on the ground leaning on one of the empty sofas and Connor sat with Evelyn.
"We found a kid, right on the edge of the territory."
"What?" both the girls asked bewildered.
Xavier nodded, "Mason said there is nothing to worry about, that the kid is only dehydrated."
"Well, who's kid is it?" Selena asked with a frown.
All the men shrugged, leaving the girls even confused.
"He was alone," Lorcan spoke.
"Aiden is staying with the kid."
"What the hell is going on?" Selena muttered.
"Hear this, the boy is in his wolf form," Connor revealed and everyone remained quiet.
Xavier wrapped his hand around Selena's shoulder and rubbed on the skin just below her sleeve soothingly, but that didn't lessen the worry on her face.
"Werewolves below the age of thirteen only transform when they have gone through a lot of stress."
"Poor kid," Evelyn too frowned.
By the time that Aiden linked them saying that the kid is awake, it has been a few hours.
The full family, including Ryan and Ileana, had gone to the infirmary to see that the kid now was in his human form.
He was leaning on a pillow and grabbing on to Aiden's shirt tightly as Aiden sat beside him.
"Who them?" he whispered and Evelyn could barely hold back the exclamation of how cute the kid was.
"They're family," Aiden whispered softly.
Selena stood by the door, she remained there frozen there while everyone entered the room, her eyes stuck on the little kid, the kid whom she had recognized instantly.
"Sel, you okay?" Xavier asked concerned but Selena couldn't find her voice.
She couldn't believe what was happening. She kept whispering to herself, "How could it be?"
Her eyes became teary and a single drop slid down her cheek as she took a single step into the room.
All the eyes, except the kid's, were on her now, and everyone looked either worried or curious.
Selena didn't care, she looked at the kid and took another step. Finally finding her voice, she whispered hoarsely, "Ni-Nicholas?"
The kid froze against Aiden and slowly moved his head towards the source of the sound. His green eyes widened as he too recognized her.
"Awpha?" he whispered back in his shrill baby voice.
Selena chuckled with the tears still on her face as she knelt down on the floor, "Hey Nic!"
Nicholas grinned widely and tried to get down from the bed. However, his feet were too little and Aiden helped the boy down without another word.
Nicholas ran towards Selena as soon as he landed on the floor.
"Oh, baby," Selena said weakly as she too wrapped her arms around him tightly. She kissed his cheek and held on to the boy like he'd vanish if she'd let go.
"Fuck..." Connor muttered as he too recognized the name of the baby.
Xavier was just going to ask what was going on when he received another link from Seth, "Sir, there is this man here, saying that his son is in our lands.'
Xavier sighed, relieved that the kid wasn't alone. He asked Seth to bring him to the pack and asked everyone else to go to the packhouse as they will talk there.
Only Aiden, himself, Selena and Connor remained.
"Seth thinks he found his father."
"Daddy?" Nicholas asked as he let go of Selena and turned towards Xavier, making the alpha kneel in front of him.
"Yes, we found daddy. And he is coming to meet you right now. Do you wanna go see him?" he asked with a soft smile.
Nicholas frowned, "Daddy told me not to listen to strangers."
Aiden chuckled along with everyone else, the kid was too cute.
Xavier smiled, "Well you know alpha, right? Your alpha and Aiden will go with you, is that okay?"
When Nicholas nodded, Aiden picked up the boy and they walked to the packhouse. Selena looked quite shocked and Xavier thought it was better to give her some time, he walked ahead with Aiden as Selena walked with Connor.
"Is it really happening?" She whispered and Connor wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"C'mon, let's meet the long lost boy."
By the time they reached the packhouse, Seth too was walking with a man behind him.
Aiden froze and Nicholas wriggled down his arms and ran towards the man, "Daddy!"
Selena too froze behind Aiden.
The man sighed in relief and hugged his baby boy, thanking God that he was okay. It was only then that he noticed the scent.
He kissed Nicholas's head and stood up with him in his arms as he looked in front of him.
His eyes danced between Selena and Aiden, happiness and confusion both clear on his face. Aiden wanted to smile, he did too, but inside his head, there were so many things going on.
"Jayce?"
"Mate."
Selena and Aiden spoke simultaneously and looked at each other before their eyes fell on the man in front of them.
Bothof them had a few thoughts troubling them. Selena, couldn't understand how Aidencould be Jayce's mate, wasn't Jayce already mated? Aiden on the other hand washaving trouble believing that his mate already had a son.