جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 30

Caleb POV I arrived in Delta Springs in the early afternoon, exhausted and edgy after spending the whole day in a truck. I’d stewed on what I knew—or rather, didn’t know—for the entirety of the ride. I needed answers but had to find Frankie, and I hoped he could give them to me.The tourist trap of a town was far too crowded for November, and I had to settle for a room in a beat-up motel. But my lodgings didn’t matter. I wasn’t there for vacation.Tobias hadn’t given me any information about where I might find Frankie, but the town wasn’t huge, and wolves had a particular scent that was hard to miss—even among humans.I headed downtown, figuring it was the best place to start. Even if I couldn’t pick up a scent, I’d find out where the local watering holes were and ask around about businesses looking to hire day labor. If he was new in town, he might be hitting bars or seeking work. Elijah said he’d resurfaced in Delta Springs, but I didn’t know if he’d been there prior. Either way, I

Josephine POVI held Theo and watched Caleb go, my heart hammering so hard in my chest that I thought it might break through my ribs.“It was so cool, Mom. The bug had these orange legs and big eyes,” Theo said, sounding far away even though my fingers gripped his shoulders like a vice.“That sounds like an interesting bug,” I managed to reply, amazed that my voice didn’t shake. I turned to Theo’s nanny. “Hey, Bethany, would you mind taking Theo upstairs for a snack? I have some things to take care of in the shop.”“Sure,” Bethany said with an easy smile. Thankfully, she had no clue my life was crashing down around me. She would distract Theo from the storm of anxiety ravaging my heart and mind. Caleb had seen Theo. There was no hiding my son now. I’d seen the questioning look on his face and the shock that followed.“I’ll see you in a little bit, okay?” I said to Theo, who happily nodded as Bethany ushered him upstairs to our apartment.As soon as Theo was gone, I locked the shop doo

Caleb POVAfter tossing and turning all night, I finally dozed off just before sunrise and managed a few hours of shut-eye. My wolf metabolism saved me from a hangover, but it couldn’t make up for my lack of sleep. If I wanted to fix that, I needed to talk to Josephine and find out once and for all if the boy was mine.I left my motel room around mid-morning and got in my truck. I only had one destination in mind—Josephine’s shop. I stopped at a gas station on the way into town. Hunger gnawed at my stomach, and though eating was the last thing I wanted to do, I grabbed a quick breakfast when I paid. I grimaced after the first bite. The breakfast burrito tasted like chemicals and plastic. I was used to eating fresh venison or meat from the small farms that butted against our territory. Whatever garbage they’d mixed into my burrito wasn’t like any meat I’d tasted. I threw most of it away, vowing to find some real food later. I didn’t want to waste any more time.I pulled onto Josephine’

Josephine POVI hesitated. Having Caleb spend time with Theo was asking for trouble. What if Caleb figured out that Theo was his son? I couldn’t stop my hands from trembling, but my wolf wanted me to trust Caleb and let him take care of me. I wasn’t in a state to deny my wolf—not while fear still gripped my throat.He guided us to a picnic bench, and I let him. His presence was calming and sturdy. He put his hand on my back as we sat down, and I couldn’t resist the urge to lean into him for a moment. My wolf wanted me to soak up his safety.“Where are our ice creams?” Theo asked.I couldn’t even remember where I’d dropped them. I felt bad for making a mess but couldn’t change it now.“I lost them,” I said. I wasn’t about to scare Theo further by explaining how much of a panic I’d been in.“I’ll go get ice cream,” Caleb offered. “You two rest here.”I didn’t have the energy to argue.“Thanks!” Theo smiled. “I want a chocolate one, but Mom always has vanilla because she’s boring.”Norma

Caleb POVFate certainly had a way of doing something. Like deciding Josephine was my mate when I didn’t want one. It felt like the hand of destiny was still trying to push us together.“Something like that,” I said with a sigh. “I’m pretty sure the wolf, Josephine, is the one who sold Frankie the protection symbol that’s keeping him hidden.”“Fate has a sense of humor.” Oscar laughed. He was beginning to look like his usual self.“Sometimes a sick sense of humor,” I added.Oscar smiled, and we both relaxed and sipped our beers.“So,” he said after a moment, “you want to speak to Frankie.”“Yeah,” I confirmed. “I think he might have the answers I’m looking for.”“All right.”He glanced over his shoulder and nodded at a guy in one of the booths. It was hard to make him out in the dim light.“Hey, Frankie! Come over here.”My mouth went dry as the man got up and walked toward us. Frankie was in his forties but looked careworn. Leathery skin covered his thin frame, but his arms were stil