The flight to Silver Rapids seemed to last forever, without any guarantee that Bobby would even be there when they landed. When Darren’s phone rang, he felt like he would jump out of his skin.

He didn’t recognize the number, but he answered in case one of the other packs was calling with new information. “Hello?”

“If you want to see Bobby again, you’d better not say a word.”

Greg’s voice made Darren even more nauseous. “Hey, mom,” he said stiffly. Zander and Dustin resumed their hushed conversation in the seat across the aisle where they were going over a map of the Silver Rapids territory and strategizing the rescue. Darren turned to look out the window so Zander wouldn’t see how pale he’d gotten. “No, there’s no word yet.”

“Good boy,” Greg drawled in that patronizing tone that made Darren’s skin crawl. “Now listen carefully because I’m gonna give you a chance you don’t deserve. I don’t know what made you think you could get away with running from me, but you’ve got one shot to make it right. Since Z thinks he’s so clever, I’m sure he’s already set his sights on Silver Rapids, am I right?”

Darren closed his eyes and took a deep breath, praying for the clarity to make the right decision. He could only go with his gut and wished he had listened to it from the very beginning. “Yes. We’re about halfway.”

“That’s what I figured. There’s a park on the edge of the pack straddling the state border. Show up alone. I don’t think I need to tell you what’ll happen if you don’t.”

Darren gritted his teeth, choking back the sob in his throat. “If you hurt him…” he whispered.

“You always were dramatic. Why would I go and do that? He’s mine. You both are.”

“When?” Darren asked shakily.

“As soon as you can get away. I don’t expect you’ll have any trouble. Running is the one thing you’ve always been good at.”

* * *

While the Silver Rapids Alphas—an unconventionally mated pair who’d broken off from the Federation to create a pack of their own where wolves were free to pair off with whomever they pleased, regardless of class—were none too pleased about their uninvited visitors, they grew more sympathetic once Zander explained why they were there.

Both Jason and Kade swore that no one fitting Greg’s description had come through the territory, as far as they knew. They even offered to lend a search party in the interest of getting the Federation wolves off their territory as soon as possible.

Darren felt like there was a rock sitting in his belly the entire time he listened to them plan and strategize, but he had already made up his mind. Greg was right. He had always run when it was easy, just like his father, and while he’d thought he finally had a shot at passing on a better legacy to Bobby, it seemed like the sins of his past were destined to haunt him forever. For once, at least he was running toward his responsibilities rather than away from them.

He knew that whatever Greg had planned for him wasn’t good, but he had to take the risk. It was that, or taking a risk with Bobby’s life, and Darren would gladly die before he let that happen.

The omega waited until the time was right. Zander was with Jason and Dustin planning another sweep of the territory. Kade wandered over, his cold eyes warmed with concern as he looked at the omega. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man, a bit slighter than his mate, and while Darren wouldn’t have wanted to cross either of the intimidating Alphas, he would venture a guess that Kade was the one his packmates appealed to. Jason had been dead set against letting them onto the territory in the first place, but after Kade had taken him aside for a few minutes, he’d finally relented.

“You holding up okay?”

“All things considered,” Darren said with a flimsy smile. “I thought I might get a little fresh air though, while they’re figuring things out.”

“Sure. Porch is out that way,” Kade said, pointing down the hall.

“Thanks.”

Darren tucked his cellphone into his jacket pocket and followed the Alpha’s directions. He stopped and waited to make sure Kade wasn’t watching before he went the other way. The Alphas had understandably insisted on taking their weapons before inviting them into the surprisingly comfortable home they shared with a few other packmates. Darren knew he was taking a risk by peeking into a few of the rooms, but he got lucky on the third try and found the door to someone’s office propped open. Zander’s bag was sitting on a chair by the wall, and Darren quickly searched through it. He pulled out a handgun and checked to make sure it was loaded before tucking it onto his waistband.

The idea of actually using a gun terrified him, even though Zander and Alec had both spent plenty of lazy summer days making sure he knew how to use one safely. Even so, he knew that as long as Greg was out there, Bobby wasn’t going to be safe. He still prayed there would be another way, but if there wasn’t, he prayed he’d have the strength to do what needed to be done when the time came.

Guilt ate at him the whole way out of the house, but he pressed on. Zander wasn’t the one who’d gotten Bobby into this mess, and there was only so much he could do—only so much Darren could ask him to—to protect them. He took the keys he’d swiped from his mate and started up the rental. It would only buy him a few minutes once Zander realized he was gone, but hopefully that was enough.

Barely five minutes had passed before Daren’s phone started buzzing in his pocket. He winced and ignored it until he saw the first sign announcing the state park Greg had told him to meet him at. He finally answered. “Zander, I’m so sorry, but I have to do this.”

“Where are you?” the Alpha growled. Zander knew the fury in his voice was motivated by fear, but that didn’t make it any less intimidating.

“You know I can’t tell you that. If I don’t go, he could hurt Bobby.”

“He could hurt both of you if you do!” Zander cried. “Pull over now, I’ll find you.”

Tears trickled down Darren’s cheeks. He left the phone on speaker so he could keep both hands on the wheel. He was having a hard enough time keeping it together. “Whatever happens, I want you to know how much I love you, Zander. Leaving you was and is my greatest regret, but I’ve been happier with you these last few moths than I’ve ever been my whole life. I just needed you to know that.”

“Darren, wait!”

The omega hung up and took a deep breath before pressing down on the gas. When he finally arrived at the edge of the park, the lot was empty. Darren touched the firearm at his back just to remind himself it was there and looked around to make sure he was alone before he started down the trail that led deep into the Texan woods.

For half a mile, all he could hear were the crickets in the grass and his own footsteps crushing the dried leaves beneath his feet. He looked down at his phone, having silenced it due to Zander’s constant bombardment with messages and calls. There was a single text from Greg sent moments earlier.

“Meet me by the falls.”

Darren swallowed hard. There were too many signs pointing the way to get lost, and despite his fear, his desperation to see his son kept him moving onward. He hoped fervently that whatever Greg was planning on doing to him, he’d at least have the decency to leave Bobby somewhere safe.

The sound of the falls and the misty air greeted Darren before he reached the overlook fenced off by a rusty iron railing. Darren stopped short when he saw his son standing next to Greg. He should have known better than to think the Alpha had a shred of decency left in him. Whatever there had been, it had died a long time ago with Darren’s love for him.

“There he is,” Greg sneered in approval once he realized Darren had followed his order to come alone. “Guess you do have some brains left in you, after all.”

“Bobby,” Darren said, struggling to sound calm even though he was falling apart within. He reached out his hand. “Come here.”

The fear in the boy’s bloodshot eyes said everything. He had finally realized the truth that Darren had tried in vain to protect him from about the man he called father. Bobby took a step forward and Greg’s arm flew out to keep him back. His hand gripped the boy’s shoulder and Bobby winced.

“Don’t touch him,” Darren seethed. Before his first step toward them could land, Greg pulled a gun on him.

“Don’t move.”

“No!” Bobby cried, straining to reach Darren. “Don’t hurt him!”

“Shut up,” Greg snapped before turning his rage back on the omega in his line of fire. “Your daddy screwed up, as usual, but he finally has a chance to fix it. For us to be a family again. That’s what you want, isn’t it, boy?”

Tears flowed from Bobby’s eyes and he sniffed, seemingly unsure of how to respond.

“Leave him out of this, please,” Darren said, holding up his hands as he took another step closer. “He didn’t do anything. This is between you and me.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit,” Greg seethed. “You got him involved when you started poisoning him against me. Making him take your side.”

“I didn’t —”

Greg cocked the gun. “Did you really think I was just gonna let you go, Darren? That I’d let you run back to Zander with my boy?”

“Please,” Darren whispered, afraid to set him off. He’d promised himself he would never cower to the Alpha again, but if begging was what it took to save Bobby’s life, he would get down on his knees and kiss the ground Greg walked on. “Please, just let him go and you can do whatever you want to me.”

“Daddy,” Bobby sobbed.

Darren’s phone buzzed again and he realized he had silenced incoming calls, but not his voicemails. Shit…

Greg’s eyes narrowed. “Come over here.” Darren took another step, but it wasn’t fast enough. “I said come here!” Greg bellowed.

The omega jolted, moving quickly to Greg’s side.

“Give it to me,” the Alpha ordered, holding out his left hand.

Darren thought of reaching for the gun, but Bobby was too close. Instead, he pulled his phone out of his pocket with a trembling hand and gave it to Greg.

“Looks like lover boy’s worried about you,” Greg said, his voice dripping with disdain. He picked up the phone and as he replayed each one of Zander’s frantic voicemails, Darren’s heart sank wondering if that would be the last time he heard his mate’s voice.

Then a woman’s voice came through the speakers, but it wasn’t one Darren recognized, so he listened more closely. When he heard the word clinic, he froze.

Two damn days it had taken them to get back with those results, and they had to pick the worst possible time to do it. The look on Greg’s face wasn’t nearly as triumphant as he would have expected. When he saw the rage come into the Alpha’s eyes, he knew something was wrong.

Greg dropped the phone and Darren winced as he crushed it underneath the heel of his boot. The Alpha didn’t blink or take his eyes off the omega. He kept the gun aimed at Darren. “You whore…”

Darren shook his head in confusion, taking a step back and towards Bobby. “I don’t —”

“He’s not mine,” he snarled, turning his attention to the terrified boy at his side. “All this time, you let me raise a brat that wasn’t even mine?”

Bobby started crying in earnest. Darren’s heart was pounding so hard he felt sure he was going to collapse at any moment. The adrenaline made it hard to process Greg’s words, but once he did, it all fell into place.

Bobby wasn’t Greg’s. Zander was his real father, both in spirit and by blood. The instinctual reaction of joy that flooded Darren was quickly replaced by terror when he realized what that meant.

Greg reached for Bobby and grabbed the boy by the back of the neck. It seemed to happen in slow motion, but Darren had Zander’s gun in his hand by the time Greg had dragged Bobby over to the railing. Bobby screamed and thrashed as Greg lifted him up to toss him over.

“You think you can make a fool out of me, take six goddamn years of my life? I’ll take everything that’s yours, you little —“

The Alpha froze when he saw the gun aimed at him, but it was too late. Darren fired without hesitation. Three rounds went right into Greg’s chest and the Alpha collapsed, snarling and twisting.

Bobby screamed and bolted for Darren. The omega dropped the gun and caught his son, hugging him tighter than he ever had. He let out a choked sob and couldn’t even make out the apologies coming from his mouth as he stroked Bobby’s hair and begged a higher power he still wasn’t fully sure he believed in to erase the awful scene from his mind.

Darren wasn’t sure how long they’d stayed like that, holding each other and sobbing. He was only just beginning to come back to his senses enough to think of going for help when he heard footsteps in the woods. He put himself between Bobby and the entrance to the path, but his heart lurched when he saw Zander followed by Dustin, Jason and a few other shifters he didn’t recognize.

Zander ran to gather them both into his arms as the others went to check on the fallen Alpha.

“He’s alive,” Darren heard Jason call, but the Alpha’s voice sounded like it was coming from underwater. Part of Darren was relieved, if only because that meant Bobby hadn’t actually witnessed the man he’d called father for five years die in front of him, but another part of him wanted to send Bobby back with the others and turn around to finish what he’d started.

“Darren,” Zander gritted out, pulling away to look them both over. “Are you okay? Are either of you hurt?”

Bobby shook his head, still sniffling too much to speak.

“We’re not hurt,” Darren said shakily. “I…” He took a step forward and fell into the Alpha’s arms. The exhaustion and sickness that he’d almost grown used to suddenly became too much to bear. Zander caught him and he could hear Bobby calling for him worriedly, but he was too tired to respond or keep his eyes open.