Chapter 12
Silas, Tyrone, and Tyrese drove in silence as they returned to the Maryland compound. The trip to Mexico answered questions but raised a lot more. None of this made any sense. How could a man rape a woman and change her biology? Was there a purpose or just random bad luck? A disease, perhaps?
“I’m holding an Alpha conference in three hours in the lodge; I want the two of you there.”
“Yes, Sir,” Tyrone said, watching the road while Tyrese drove.
Silas smothered a grin. It was amazing what proper training would do for a man. The twins' physical and mental abilities impressed him. He’d made the decision to place them on his personal security detail after he’d seen them fight Jayden. His Alpha admitted how good the boys fought. Besides, since no one knew much about how hybrids functioned, it was better to keep them close.
“Drop me off at the main building.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Jayden had taken offense at what he deemed a too casual demeanor toward Silas and drilled the twins in proper protocol. As former soldiers, it didn’t take long for them to have a solid grasp of pack politics and hierarchy.
Once they reached pack grounds, the scenery changed. Jayden honored the earth and went through great lengths to keep things natural. Silas relaxed as the fragrance of the flowers and greenery teased his nostrils. The buzz of insects and laughter of pups in the distance blew past his ears. His wolf took noticed and whined. He’d love to run, but there were so many things he needed to accomplish before his meeting.
Silas pinched the bridge of his nose as his thoughts drifted to Jasmine. He wondered if she was okay. Had she thought about him? Was she breeding? A frisson of distaste hit the back of his throat. A gift of half-breed pups would be a slap in the face.
He was the Patron of the wolf. Not of the half-wolf. But his wolf had refused to be denied, and he’d complied by releasing his seed. Nothing to do now but wait and see. Over the years he’d wondered why his seed had never taken root. He’d asked the Goddess once, but she’d cautioned him to be patient. Had he waited hundreds of years for half wolf pups? He loathed the idea.
The car pulled up to Jayden’s home. Tyrone got out and opened Silas’s door while Tyrese grabbed his luggage from the trunk. After walking Silas inside, Tyrese released the luggage.
“We’ll be back at eighteen hundred hours, Sir.”
Silas nodded and headed toward the stairs. One of the pack’s omegas took the luggage to his room while Jayden met him in the hall.
“Good trip?” Jayden asked as they walked toward the office.
Silas stripped off his lightweight jacket and hung it on the back of one of the office chairs. “Yeah. Too much information. This thing has been going on much longer than we thought. The human breeder I met was over a hundred years old.”
Jayden’s eyes widened. “What?”
Silas slapped him on the back. “Yeah. Alpha conference in two and a half hours. Set up the room, bring my laptop, I’ve got a lot to pull together in a short amount of time.”
“How…?”
“Hold your questions for the meeting. I’d prefer to give the news once.” Silas strode to the desk, please to see his laptop already there, and got busy.
****
Tyrese parked the car in the condo’s parking area. When he opened his door, Tyrone halted him.
“We lucked out, you know.” Tyrone closed his eyes and then looked at him. “I mean with mom. I looked at those wolves and realized the only identity they had was in those walls. They had no clue about family. Nobody loves them.” He shook his head.
Tyrese understood. “That’s a big problem with this breeder deal. A wolf’s bitch cares and nurtures her pups. It makes us who we are, instills a sense of pride, of belonging.” He shook his head. “They and a lot of the wolves Arianna birthed don’t have that. Chances are they’re unstable, and don’t understand what the den and pack means.”
“There’s bullshit brewing out there, that’s for damn sure. I mean those women were human, or at least a big part of them is human.” Tyrone said. “But Silas didn’t sense a wolf inside them.” He scratched his head. “That’s weird. I thought the wolf gene was dominant.”
Tyrese shrugged. Leann had been shy at first, but the longer they talked she answered all of his questions. A wolf attracted her early on and they’d had sex. When she became pregnant, Pedro had her moved to the Alpha house. Her first set of twins were girls. One was sick, and she’d heard Pedro had killed the pup. She had no idea what happened to the other. From that time, she’d stayed in the Alpha house and laid with the men her Alpha brought to her. After her first set of female pups, the rest had been all male litters, but many had physical problems like shorter legs, one blind eye, heart and breathing problems. Pedro always terminated the lives of those pups.
“They’re not wolves. Just like mom’s not a wolf. She’s… different.”
Tyrone nodded, although he still wore a deep frown. “Were you surprised Leann and Leara decided to stay with the pack and move to Texas with Theron instead of trying to start their lives over somewhere new?”
“Not really.” Tyrese said. “That pack is all they know, and once Theron discovered Pedro dealt with the drug cartel, he had to move the pack to Texas for protection.”
Tyrone nodded and looked at him. “What do you think about all of this? About mom? Silas? Mom having pups. Is she like Arianna?” He shook his head. “Not her personality, mom is all about fam. But the healing? And being able to run or fight?”
Tyrese chuckled. “I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s mean when she’s mad. Always has been. But the thing is,” he lowered his voice. “If mom’s a breeder, so is aunty. Plus they don’t grow old like normal.”
“Damn, I hadn’t thought about Aunty. You think Mandy’s one of those breeders and they got together? That’d be cool,” Tyrone said, smiling.
“Yeah, but not likely.” Tyrese said. “But the thing that’d bothered me for a long time was her leaving… you know? Mom dying. While we’d be left here a long while. It used to bother me big time. Now…”
“Now we don’t have to worry about that.”
“But they live longer when they have pups, mom just has us,” Tyrese said in a pensive tone.
“Um… if she’s not pregnant after that damn marathon with Silas, then it’s not going to happen. If I never hear my momma scream like that again it’d suit me fine,” Tyrone said, shaking.
Tyrese laughed, although he hadn’t been laughing that day when his mom and Silas had sex. He’d covered his head with pillows, turned up the TV and music to block her moans and demands. It still embarrassed him to remember how she’d demanded Silas…. He couldn’t go back there either.
After Silas had left, she’d remained in her room the rest of the day. He’d swear she tiptoed out around four in the morning, grabbed a bite of food, and ran back to her room. It took another day for her to face them, and then she’d refused to look at them. Callum was the only person she seemed comfortable around these days.
The Mexico trip had come at the best time.
“I’m with you on that.” Tyrese inhaled. “But we are lucky to have her.”
On that note they exited the car and headed upstairs. The moment they turned the corner to the condo, their stomachs growled and huge smiles split their faces.
“Mama’s cooking.”
Tyrese inhaled. “I smell baked chicken and yellow rice.”
“Candied yams?” He looked at his brother in shock and excitement.
“Greens and cornbread,” Tyrone said after taking another sniff. “There’s cake. She baked a cake, man,” he said, bouncing as he opened the door.
“And that’s how you do it. Taste this,” Jasmine said to Callum, placing a spoon near his mouth. She looked up as the door opened.
“Hi, when’d you boys get back?” she asked as she put down the spoon and walked out of the kitchen. Arms outstretched, she hugged Tyrone and then Tyrese.
Tyrese looked at the plates with half-eaten food and prayed there was more.
“Why didn’t you call and let me know you were on your way home?” she asked over her shoulder as she returned to the kitchen.
“We were in a hurry and didn’t think about it until a few minutes ago. What’re you doing?” He didn’t bother to recognize the little imp who was always underfoot these days.
“I’m teaching Callum how to cook and he’s doing a great job. We baked today.” She looked around the kitchen and then back up at them. Her dark brown eyes sparkled. “Hungry?”
“Yes, starving. Something smells good,” Tyrone said, moving into the kitchen. Tyrese watched Callum, he didn’t trust the smirk on the teenager’s face.
“I’ll fix you guys a couple of sandwiches then, just give me a few minutes,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “We didn’t cook enough for the two of you since I didn’t expect you.”
Callum turned away laughing.
His mom’s face glowed with happiness. She’d done something different with her hair, the curls fell around her shoulders.
Tyrese strode forward, pulled her in his arms. “You’re right, mom. I should’ve called. I’ll fix a sandwich or something.” He placed a kiss on her cheek. “You are one beautiful lady and I’m glad you’re my mom.”
Her eyes widened as they filled. “Aww, thanks honey.” She kissed him on the cheek and then leaned back, frowning. “Everything alright? The trip went okay?” She looked at Tyrone who’d moved close.
The front door closed. Callum had left, smart kid.
“We met three human women who’ve birthed wolves. They were pregnant,” Tyrese said.
“Let me hug her for a minute. I missed you, too.” Tyrone edged in and kissed her cheeks. “You are beautiful and I’m just… so happy to have you in my life.” He kissed her again.
She held him tight and then took his hands. “Okay, sit at the table and tell me what happened while I fix you something to eat.”
Tyrone looked at her plate. “You don’t have any more left?”
“I do, but not enough. I’ll fix more, it won’t take long. Now sit down and tell me about these women that got you running home to your mama.”
Tyrese groaned as he took a seat.
Tyrone laughed, picked up an apple, threw it to his brother and then got another one. He bit into it and chuckled. “That’s a good one, ma and true on so many levels. There was this woman, her name’s Arianna.”
Over the next hour, they filled her in on the unclassified part of their trip. They ate and answered her questions until she’d run out of steam.
“Wow. This is hard to believe. What if she’s like my great-great-grandmother or something?”
“I doubt that?” Tyrone said. Tyrese sent him a pitying look for speaking without thinking.
She arched her brow. “Why?”
“You don’t look like her.” He frowned at Tyrese.
“You don’t look like me and I’m your mother. I guarantee you that. I’ve got the blood tests to prove it. You wanna explain again why this woman can’t be related to me?” Her voice hardened.
There was one thing Jasmine Bennett hated. Bigotry. She’d drilled it into them when they were small. If something had a sniff of it in any form, she’d get riled. As kids, they knew better than to ever tease a child or adult who looked different or had special challenges. She had zero tolerance for slurs or slights. In high school, he and Tyrone had been popular because they accepted everybody as friends. Not best friends, but friends.
Tyrone sighed. “I’m sorry. I guess I don’t want her to be related, so that’s why I said that. She’s creepy, Mom.”
“She’s old and grew up in a different era. You’d be creepy too.” She smacked his hand as she stood. “I thought you guys had a meeting?”
Tyrese jumped up, looked at his watch and cursed. He pecked her on the cheek and headed for the door, Tyrone behind him. They had ten minutes.