Lethal Wolf (Ch 50)

You’re All I Think About

SLATER

Three days ago Slater had walked out on the other half of his soul. Since that dark day, he’d run the perimeter multiple times, looking for weaknesses and finding them. That led to some intense lectures and one fight with a guard for sloppy work. Losing Grady and Tanner, two of the pack’s top guards, had affected all the guards, but the remaining guards and their sloppy dismissive attitude toward pack security would not be tolerated.

Of course, Slater hadn’t been spared a lecture himself from his alpha about the stupidity of getting involved with a human female. Slater had tuned out of that diatribe of hate two sentences in, only to find himself focusing on Logan smirking behind the alpha.

Nathan had entered the alpha’s house at some point during the lecture, fully sealing Slater’s foul mood. They made brief eye contact, and then Nathan looked away. It killed Slater to see his brother back down so easily. Even though he had tried to get rid of Sophia—even though Nathan had been right in the end—Nathan was still a Novak, a strong wolf that couldn’t afford to show weakness in this pack, especially with Logan around.

When their alpha finally dismissed him, Slater went for yet another run and didn’t return until late afternoon. His wolf and he were both miserable and would be for a long time to come. There was no joy left in this pack. Or in his life.

Slater’s home, a small cabin only a half-mile from Nathan’s, offered sanctuary, but no solace. Perhaps he should move to a cabin on the outskirts of the pack’s territory, where he wouldn’t cross paths with his brothers or father.

When Slater stepped out of the shower, he stopped cold. Water pooled on the floor before he finally reached for a towel, all the while shaking his head at the sight before him. His collection of hats were strewn all over his bed and floor with precise spacing. A very strange message from a very small culprit.

Slater threw on his clothing as he scented the air, not that he really needed to. It wasn’t hard to guess who was behind the prank given the sticky handprints on at least ten of his hats.

There in the living room, wearing three of Slater’s hats stacked on his head, stood Hayden putting his mouth against the glass coffee table, watching his breath fog the glass. Slater scooped the child up, all the hats falling off his nephew’s head in the process.

“Where’s your mother, Hayden?”

“Mommy’s sleeping.”

“Ah, Drake’s keeping them up again. Your mother’s not going to be happy with you,” Slater said as he headed down the path toward Nathan’s house.

“Play, Uncle Slay.”

“You’ve played enough.”

“Hayden, this is not the time for hide and seek!” Nathan yelled in the distance, his voice clearly anxious, even fearful.

“Fu—” Slater started to say, before realizing he had a captive audience. He changed direction.

“I have him,” Slater called out to Nathan.

Nathan caught up to Slater a minute later and held his hands out to take Hayden from him. “Where was he?” Nathan asked.

“My place,” Slater said. “Playing with my hats.”

“He doesn’t know he’s not supposed to go to your cabin anymore.”

That hurt. A lot. More than it should have. “I won’t ignore my nephews or April.”

“Just me.”

“You chose this, not me,” Slater said.

“Yes, but I never intended to hurt you,” Nathan said. He kissed Hayden’s cheek and started heading back toward his house.

Slater listened as Nathan lectured his son about running off, about worrying his family.

Family. . .

Hell. “Nathan!” Slater called out, stopping his brother. “Why did you try to scare her off only to give me her note later? I’d left her at that point. That note sent me back to her, as you knew it would. You even apologized to me, though I had no clue what you were talking about at the time. You knew how I’d react when I discovered what you’d done.”

“I knew you’d be mad. I just didn’t think you’d disown me. That you’d hate me.”

“Fu—” Slater leaned forward and covered Hayden’s ears. “Fuck!” He had to say it. “Why, Nathan? You betrayed me instead of coming to me.”

He hugged Hayden tighter. “I never betrayed you. Never have, never will.” Nathan started walking away.

Slater raced forward, cutting him off. “Why send me back to her?”

Nathan shrugged his way past Slater. “I don’t know.”

“Bullshit.”

“Bullshit!” Hayden joyfully shouted.

“Great,” Nathan cursed. “Mommy doesn’t like that word, Hayden.”

“Why send me back?” Slater repeated as Hayden laid his head against Nathan’s shoulder.

“You needed her.”

He did need her, but it was moot now. He had walked away from her, to protect her.

Because he was watching out for her, as Nathan had been watching out for him.

“I’m sorry you left her. I thought you two were meant for one another.” Nathan kissed Hayden again, as if the child’s love anchored him. Maybe it did. “I was scared the bond might kill you, and even if it didn’t, it would be a blow to the pack.”

“Explain.”

“Blood-bonding a human would weaken you, preventing you from serving as the alpha heir.”

Slater had considered this already. Nathan would be a fine alpha in his place one day. That was why Slater had no issue with the blood-bond weakening him.

“I don’t want to be alpha, Slate. I’m not as strong as you.”

“You’re as strong as me. You’re just not used to the idea of being alpha. I would have been there at your side, as you’ve been for me. I would have watched your back, Nathan. Nothing would have changed, except the alpha line would have gone through you. You and April already have the next alpha,” Slater said, gently cupping the back of Hayden’s head as the child rested against Nathan’s shoulder. “He’s good-natured and smart. He’ll never be anything like Jacob or Logan.”

“You’ve changed,” Nathan said.

“In what way?”

“This. Giving me another chance.”

“I was mad,” Slater said as they entered Nathan’s house. Hayden ran off toward his room as happy as could be, as if the world was perfect. “But nothing you could ever say or do could come between Sophia and me. That was all my own doing.”

“You’re wrong you know. About her. She’d be safer here, with you.”

“How do you know why I left?”

“I know you. You left because you think it’s the only way to protect her.”

“She won’t blood-bond me.”

“Yeah, I know, thanks to me, right?” Nathan said, sarcastically.

Slater ran his hand through his hair. “She needed to know the truth. You just beat me to it. I’m sorry, Nathan, I shouldn’t have cut you off like that. I was—”

“Mad. Yeah, I figured that out.”

“Hell, Nathan. I walked away from her, and she’s all I can think about.”

The baby started crying. “I better get him. April hasn’t had much sleep lately.”

Nathan headed to the back of the house, leaving Slater to himself. For the first time in days, he felt as if he could breathe again. He had his brother back.

And yet the hole in Slater’s heart remained. It would never heal, not without Sophia.