Chapter Twenty-Six
Kai was happy to get back to the den and the familiarity of their routine. But he knew there were some big decisions ahead. They left it alone at first, all three of them putting their focus on the day to day stuff. They talked, of course, about their week in the Weir and what it had been like. Once he realized Joe was going to be okay, Kai started to enjoy it. The wolves didn’t seem to mind him being different all that much and he’d made some friends, a novelty for him.
One evening, as they were giving the babies their bath, Joe made a suggestion.
“I think we should have a talk about the future, a proper one.”
He’d been expecting it, but it seemed Axel hadn’t, the alpha caught by surprise.
“Sure,” Kai said. “I think that’s a good idea.”
“How about tonight, after we put these guys to bed,” Axel said.
They sat around the kitchen, with, of all things, a game of scrabble, alongside tea and some coffee cake Ollie had made.
“I think we should each write a list,” Axel suggested. “Pros and cons of living in the Weir.”
They abandoned the scrabble and spent time doing that instead, reading their lists to each other. One of the big stumbling blocks for Joe was his work as a midwife.
“I think it’s just as much a part of me as being your mate,” he explained.
“You can still be a midwife in the Weir,” Axel replied.
“But his specialty is litters,” Kai pointed out. “And the dens will still need him, especially when Jensen isn’t available.”
“Being in the Weir doesn’t have to stop you being midwife for the dens,” Axel said. “We just might need to make a few changes.”
Joe was curious. “Like what?”
“Like getting you a designated driver with some fighting skills and some first aid knowledge. If you’re going to be traveling around the packs and dens, you won’t be doing it alone.”
Kai couldn’t but agree with that after what had happened to them outside Hilltop. So far, it had just been whoever was available to go with Joe when he got called out.
“And you need to train in at least one more person to work with you. You can’t do it all, Joe.”
At first, Kai thought the beta was going to argue, but instead he smiled, seeming genuinely pleased at how much thought Axel had given it.
They went through the rest of their lists, talking out each point until their tongues were tired. There wasn’t really anything stopping them returning to the Weir, except the vague fear of things being as bad as they were before. But Kai felt confident that with Axel’s parents out of the way, there wouldn’t be any chance of that.
Finally, they all took a pen and piece of paper and wrote their vote, the Weir or River Den. They each held them up at the same time.
Axel grinned and Kai giggled. Each of them had chosen the Weir.
“Then I guess we’re going home.”
“Once more, with feeling,” Joe said but he was smiling.
Axel waited until they’d been back in the Weir a month and his mates were well settled before he ventured up into the hills to see his parents. One of the council members had been visiting them regularly, so he knew they were doing okay. But the time had come for him to see for himself. Both Kai and Joe had offered to go with him, but he’d gently turned them down. This was something he had to do alone.
The cottage was as it always was, the leaves on nearby trees turning brown as fall set in. At first, he heard and saw no one and began to wonder if they were even there. But then his mother appeared in the doorway. She seemed shocked to see him, raising her hand to wave before letting it fall to her side.
“Hi, Mom,” he said when he reached her.
“Axel.” She seemed torn, stepping toward him before pulling back. Axel opened his arms and hugged her.
“It’s good to see you,” he said.
“I didn’t think you’d come,” she replied, pulling slowly from his embrace.
“You’re my parents, of course, I’d come. How have you been?”
She waved him inside and busied herself making tea and sandwiches, ignoring his question and his insistence that he’d already eaten. His dad was nowhere to be seen and she wouldn’t be drawn on that, either. When she finally did sit down, she couldn’t quite meet his eyes.
“How is your family?” she ventured. “Joe and Kai are well, I hope?”
“They’re great, Mom. Settling in great.”
“And the babies?”
“They’re thriving. Causing chaos, of course, since they’re growing ever better at shifting when you’re not expecting them to. I have some pictures.”
He’d asked Joe and Kai before printing them, making sure both his mates were agreeable.
“I’d love to see them,” his mom said.
He moved over to sit beside her, taking them from his pocket, and going through them. He got about three pictures in, to one of Joe holding Conor, when she burst into sobs. Alarmed, he set them down and tried to comfort her.
“Mom, what is it? What’s wrong? Is it Dad?”
She shook her head, trying to stifle her tears. “No, it’s me. I’ve been such a fool, Axel, such a fool. I could have done the right thing, been the mother you needed, been a grandmother. Instead…”
She pulled herself together, wiping her eyes.
“No, I promised myself if you came, I wouldn’t make it about me, I wouldn’t ask for pity. I made my bed and I’m old enough to lie in it.” She nodded to him. “Keep going, please.”
He hesitated then did as she asked, picking up the pictures and continuing from where he left off. By the time he’d finished, she could name all six of their children and tell them apart from the photos.
“Dex has your brother’s nose, I’m certain of it. And Amber looks like your sister Carly when she was a baby. Those eyes.”
She seemed at pains to keep control of her emotions, taking deep breaths and clenching her hands tightly.
“I made something for you, for your family.” She got up and went to the dresser, pulling open a drawer and taking out something wrapped in brown paper.
She sat back down beside him and handed it over. “My mother made one for me when I mated, and her father for her.”
Axel unwrapped it to find a hand bound book. He opened it and flicked through the first few pages, quickly realizing what he was looking at.
“It’s a family tree.”
And on the main page was him, Kai, and Joe, and spaces for their six babies. He sighed when he realized she hadn’t even known their names until he’d told her.
Other pages had his family history, going back as many generations as they knew of. And Joe had a page, too.
“I asked someone from the Cove about Joe’s history, and I was able to fill in some blanks. Kai’s is a bit of a mystery, beyond his father and grandfather’s names.”
He closed the book, holding it between his palms. “Thank you, Mom. We’ll treasure this.”
“What’s important isn’t the past, it’s the future. It’s your family. Without you, there is no future. I see that now, in a way I didn’t before.”
“And Dad?”
“You’ll need to talk to him yourself. He’s down by the lake, most days.”
With the book tucked under his arm, he said goodbye to his mom and went in search of his dad. He was exactly where she’d said he’d be, down by the lake, sitting on a fallen tree trunk. He didn’t turn as Axel neared, even though he was sure that he had heard him.
“Hi, Dad.”
He turned to face Axel, and Axel did his best to hide his shock. He’d never seen his father look so old. Much older than his years.
“You came back,” Shane said.
“We did,” Axel replied, emphasizing the we.
“How is the pack faring?”
“They’re doing okay. The transition had been rough on them. People are starting to return, but it’s slow going. I think once things are more stable, our numbers will pick up. Of course, right now, everyone’s waiting to see if their ability to shift returns. It takes a month or so, according to Seth. We’re not sure if it’ll actually happen for us because…” Axel realized he was going on and about to say something he’d regret.
“Because I’m still alive,” his father said. Axel winced.
“Not how I’d have put it. More than we don’t know if the transfer of alpha-ship counts.”
Shane stood up, staring out at the water, his hands in his pockets.
“You’re a father now.”
“Yeah. I brought pictures. Mom has them.”
He saw the faintest smile on his dad’s face. “I’m glad. She’s talked about them often. About all of you.”
“I’m sorry that this has been so hard on you. If there was any other way…”
But they both knew there hadn’t been. The welfare of the pack had to come first. And the pack was only as healthy as its alpha’s family. His family. They had to come first, always.
Shane’s shoulders slumped, but he nodded. “This was how it had to be. I see that now.”
His defeat didn’t sit right with Axel. There was no fight, no spark left in him. A few months ago, Axel’s words would have brought forth a fiery anger.
“Do you have sons?” his dad asked.
“Oh, yeah. Five of them. Two alphas, two omegas, and a beta. One little girl.”
“They must be keeping you busy,” Shane said. “But, of course, three sets of hands must help.”
It was his first proper acknowledgment of Kai and Joe.
“It does. So does having a leadership council. I don’t have to worry about every little problem, just the big stuff.”
“A smart choice. I could never have done that, let go of the power. But you never sought it, did you? You never wanted to be alpha.”
Axel didn’t answer. They both know it was so true, the question may as well have been rhetorical.
“They say the best people to have in power are the ones who don’t want it,” Shane mused.
From the cottage, Axel’s mother called his father.
“I should go,” Axel said. “If there’s anything you need, you will let us know, won’t you?”
His father sighed and turned to him, looking at him properly for the first time. “I don’t need much, alpha, not anymore.”