Seeking Freedom
“Areyousurehe'llbe fine? Your... test came out clear?”
Andreas fidgeted, and the open show of nervousness in an enforcer would have been surprising if Mathias hadn't deemed it completely justified. “It wasn't only a test. I'm not sure how much Will explained of the symptoms, but basically I used my powers to regulate his blood pressure and made sure his liver and kidneys aren't in any way damaged. I won't lie. This is a difficult pregnancy, especially because of the multiple delivery, but I'm not going far, and I'm a phone call away.”
Andreas nodded and didn't ask Mathias to stay. Mathias couldn't blame the man. If circumstances had been different, he'd have preferred to remain at Jessie's side, but it would have been largely out of his own selfishness. With regular visits from Mathias and careful monitoring, Jessie would be just fine, and Mathias couldn't force his presence on the Lone Wolf Pack.
As he and Andreas spoke, Will emerged from the room and made a beeline for Mathias. “I realize you're uncomfortable with all this, Matt, but I'm sure we can arrange something. I'd much rather have you nearby, just in case. You know as well as I do that things can go downhill fast in a pregnancy such as this one.”
Mathias couldn't argue against that. “What do you suggest?”
“Dean and I were thinking, and we spoke to the others while you were helping Jessie. Dean offered to go stay in Willow Cove temporarily. You can have our room, and I could share space with Jessie and Andreas, or Gavin and Saul.”
Gavin. That was probably Jessie's human friend. They'd moved so quickly Mathias hadn't even gotten the chance to do the introduction thing.
Mathias didn't really feel offended, since he didn't have any expectations here. Besides, he doubted they even meant it as a slight. Everyone seemed incredibly worried about Jessie, too much to allow for the regular meet-and-greet process.
Despite all that concern, Mathias couldn't take Will up on his offer. First of all, he'd promised Jessie that he wouldn't interfere in his parents' relationship again. Not only that, but he didn't think he could sleep in the same bed where Dean had likely claimed Will.
Just the same, the fact that Dean was even willing to allow it spoke volumes about how the Alpha felt about the situation. It couldn't have been easy for him and Will to agree to do this, especially since Dean had missed so much of Jessie's earlier years.
No, Mathias definitely couldn't take over their space. “Tell you what. I'll leave my things here, and I'll sleep as a wolf in the forest. It would be just for the night, and during the day, I'll stay here.”
Will's eyes widened. “I can't ask you to do that.”
“You didn't ask. I offered.” Mathias chuckled at Will's look of horror. “Relax, Will. I'm a werewolf-Sidhe hybrid, and I've lived longer than your entire family put together. This isn't the first time I sleep in the wild. In fact, I enjoy it.”
“I just...” Will rubbed his forehead, obviously torn. “I don't know how to handle all this.”
“I think we should start over, don't you?” Jessie suddenly said. They all turned, taken by surprise. Andreas went tense, ready to leap to his mate's assistance, but it wasn't necessary, since Jessie was in Dean's arms.
Noticing that he had everyone's attention, Jessie continued. “This has all been very awkward and awful, but it doesn't have to stay that way.”
Dean nodded. “I agree. We have the same purpose here, and I still owe you a great deal, Mr. Girard.”
Mathias couldn't find an answer to that. He might have tried a hasty retreat, but he didn't have the strength to withstand Jessie's pleading eyes, or Will's concern and confusion.
That was how Mathias ended up half an hour later, seated in the small living room and surrounded by the members of the pack, with the exception of Andreas and Jessie. Everyone obviously knew his story, because there was a genuine degree of wariness in most of them.
Will didn't seem surprised or taken aback. With a calm voice, he made the introductions. “This is my friend, Mathias Girard. He has agreed to help Jessie through his pregnancy, as I mentioned to all of you before. Matt, this is my pack. You've already met Gavin. The little tyke is his and Saul's son, Shannon. You might have heard of Finn, Dean's other son, and, of course, his mate Parker. We have two other official members, Parker's friend Jensen, and his mate, Erdi, but they live in Willow Cove with Gavin's mother and brothers.”
As Will spoke, each of the mentioned men nodded at Mathias. Finn gave him a curious look, and Mathias suspected the man might have his own request for him, since his mate Parker was also quite visibly pregnant.
Despite this, it was the baby, Shannon, who broke the awkward silence that followed. He flailed a bit in his birth father's arms, reaching for Mathias with tiny hands.
Gavin rocked his son, trying to coax him out of his decision. When it didn't work, Gavin walked to Mathias's side and gently offered the baby to him. “He wants you to hold him, and I think you'll find he can be very stubborn.”
It was surprising that Gavin would do that, but Mathias couldn't possibly refuse. With a great deal of care, he took the tiny child in his arms. Almost immediately, he was invaded by a strange energy, one so intense it floored him.
The feeling was familiar, stirring the very same sensation he'd had when he'd first stepped into the house. No wonder he'd felt that way from the moment he'd come here. The tendrils of Shannon's power were wrapped around every inch of this place, and right now, they were reaching out to Mathias.
The magic reminded Mathias a bit of his grandmother, since it emanated the same welcoming warmth.“It's going to be okay,”Shannon seemed to be saying.“You're not alone anymore.”
Maybe Shannon was just a baby, but the purity of his affection soothed the sting of the less than enthusiastic welcome from the others. “You should have mentioned he had magic,” he drawled.
“To be honest, we don't know much about it,” Saul admitted. “Like Jessie, Shannon is a hybrid, and we've found that he has some sort of empathic ability. But we're not exactly sure how it works beyond the fact that he seems able to project emotions too.”
“He's quite remarkable,” Mathias said. “I suspect that by the time he grows up, he might rival a Sidhe in power.”