Pack

Chapter Four

"Why a boy?"

He paused, clearly choosing his words carefully. "Females do not run in my blood line."

What? That didn't make any sense. Ninth grade biology made it clear chromosomes determined the sex of a baby. From what I remembered, males have both X and Y. So how could females not run in his family? But . . . if he believed this wonky business, maybe I could use it as an advantage. "Maybe I'm not yours then?"

"I considered that." He placed a finger on his lips, tapping it a couple times. "But she went through all the trouble of keeping you away from me. If she'd had someone else's baby, why not break up with me and go to him?" He placed his hand back on the arm of the chair. "Either way, I had to know for sure if you were mine."

"After the hospital, did you find her again to ask?" I knew playing along only fueled his inane fallacies, but I needed to gain his trust.

"No." He shook his head. "She didn't want me, so I let her go. Besides, I had to focus on finding you. And she made sure not to make that trail easy."

"What do you mean?"

"Aside from the hospital's paperwork, I had no other way to track you based on a paper trail. She never registered your birth. I assume she paid your adopted parents to take you, or maybe she left you on their doorstep. I don't know. But without your name, or your adoptive parent's name, it was difficult to track you down."

"That still doesn't prove I'm your daughter. Are we going to do a paternity test?"

He shook his head again. "I don't need one. Your scent explains it all. You're my blood."

Scout reached out to curl his hand around mine. I looked down at our intertwined fingers. I inhaled Scout's sweet scent. It reminded me of something familiar, that I couldn't quite place. "What about Scout? We have different mothers, right?"

Jonathan nodded. "I met Scout's mom while I was searching for you. She was alone, struggling to raise triplets." My eyes swung first to Jace, then over to Adrian and Liam.

They all grinned.

"You took her children?" I screeched, rising up onto my knees. Man, this guy had kidnapping down to an art.

"They needed my guidance, Avery. I could offer them a life more suitable to what they required."

"They don't need their mother?"

"She's in their life. They see her from time to time." He leaned forward in his chair, placing his hands on his knees. "I didn't take them from her. She couldn't care for them properly. I helped her. And I helped them."

"That's your opinion." I'd somehow made my way to the foot of the bed, pulling Scout right along with me since we still held hands.

"It's better with him, Avery. Being here with you, and everyone else, this is home," Scout said.

I glanced over at Jace, Adrian and Liam, who all nodded in agreement. I turned back to Jonathan. "So let me get this straight. You are my and Scout's biological father, the triplet's stepfather and the triplets and Scout are half brothers?" He nodded. "And do the triplet's see their dad?"

"Their father passed away years ago. The boys were very young when he died. I'm the only father they know."

I stayed silent for a second, letting it fully sink in. I supposed he wasn't all bad if he offered to raise other people's children when they couldn't. Maybe Dean, Cal and Colt had a similar story, and Jonathan ran some kind of strange adoption program.

"So," I finally said, after a few seconds of silence. "If Scout and the triplets see their mom from time to time, why can't I see my family?"

His jaw clenched as his eyes hardened. "It isn't safe for them to be around you."

"Isn't safe?" My mouth fell open. He acted as if I was the unhinged one in the room. If anyone here had a few screws loose, it wasn't me.

"Now is not the time." He stood from the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. "We've had enough storytelling for one night. Everyone go to sleep," he ordered, shutting down the conversation. Jace slid off the bed. Colt and Cal shifted to lie down on the floor. Dean moved around on our bed, pulling back sheets and getting settled.

But I stayed frozen, eyes locked on Jonathan's. "No." It would take more than a command to shut me down. "This isn't over. Explain how my family isn't safe with me."

"Go to sleep." The gold around his eyes glowed. "Now."

Something prickled at my skin, making the hairs stand on end. My heart beat faster. My stomach clenched. My head started to pound. But my eyes stayed focused with a laser like accuracy. A low rumble erupted from the others around me. It was a warning, I knew it, but I ignored it. Jonathan had the answers I wanted. I shifted closer toward him. Kneeling on the edge of the bed, I straightened so we now sat at the same height. His eyes blazed gold, but still I didn't back down.

"Tell me," I ordered.

"Sleep. Now!" Jonathan barked, the gold of his eyes, engulfing the gray. Somewhere in my mind, a little voice reminded me his changing eyes weren't normal. That he wasn't normal. I ignored that too. Leaning forward, I opened my mouth to challenge him again, when an arm wrapped around my throat. Silencing me.

"Shh, Avery. It's okay." A hand patted my back. "Please don't fight."

I twisted around and my eyes locked on a set so similar to my own, I could've been looking in the mirror. Staring at Scout, I felt myself relax. His hand still held mine while the other curled around my neck in a partial hug.

I wasn't sure why I'd challenged Jonathan. Something had come over me. My ability to see the bigger picture had completely dissolved.

I'd wanted the fight.

I closed my eyes and inhaled a couple deep breaths. Arguing with Jonathan wouldn't make him believe I'd bought the garbage he handed out as truth. I needed to keep it together. As the lingering fog of anger cleared, I nodded to Scout.

He gave me a quick hug and another pat on the back. After releasing me, he motioned for me to move under the covers. As I shifted up the bed, I noticed that Dean now sat crouched down behind me. His hand squeezing my thigh, ready to hold me back. Colt and Cal stood beside the bed; their hands gripping the sheets as they leaned forward. The triplets had moved, and now stood beside Jonathan.

They all thought I was going to attack him.

Maybe I was.

I moved closer to Scout. Dean's eyes stayed glued on me the entire time. As I climbed under the covers, everyone else starting retreating to their sleep areas, never taking their eyes off me. Ignoring them, I snuggled under the covers and closed my eyes, never giving Jonathan another glance.