Baby and the Wolf by Victoria Sue

Chapter Eighteen

Ryker had failed so spectacularlywith Emmett and Calvin. Emmett was heartbroken, still not eating properly, and Calvin wouldn’t go near either of them. Marco had said physically the baby was okay. Hypothermia had caused the drop in the pup’s heart rate, but it had been temporary. Physically, they were both fine. Mentally was a totally different matter. He wasn’t even excited to finally get the response from the shifter council naming them as pack and him as alpha. He knew Regina had kicked some wolf butts for him, and he was grateful, but it all seemed a little too late.

He rolled over and took in Emmett’s pale face. “I’m moving us all into the new cabin today.”

Emmett’s eyes widened. “You are?”

“Being in the pack house isn’t a long-term solution, but you may always have a bit of a target on you as a panther omega, and I want all three of you safe. The large bedroom with the bay window at the end will be ours and the bathroom next to it. There are three bedrooms, but Calvin can be with us for the time being, and there’s room to build three more rooms on if we like.”

Emmett shook his head. “Three more? Isn’t that a little optimistic, Alpha?”

Ryker felt his face flush. “I might need an office.”

Emmett smiled, then bit his lips as tears filled his eyes. Ryker gathered him into his arms.

“Hush, he’s here. You’re all safe.” Ryker rocked him. “I’ve asked the Panthera to come on Saturday.”

Emmett sniffed. “Thank you.”

“She was incredible. We knew no other shifter could get near either of you because Riggs would scent one. We couldn’t take the risk of trying to pass a panther shifter off as a human, and your dad—much as he hated to admit it—would have been no match for Riggs. He’s strong but not shifter strong.”

“What about whatever killed Michael?”

“Why don’t you think it was Riggs?” Ryker countered.

“Because he talked about him in the present tense. He irritated him, but he wanted lackeys, followers. He said he was building a pack. There were different scent signatures. Marco said that. What if there were more omegas or even kids?”

“Calvin said he only ever saw Riggs, that after they met him, the enforcer and Michael disappeared. So, all we can do is patrol, keep an eye out and keep you safe. We’re going to accept another thirty wolves this weekend, which means we can secure the compound.”

“He won’t even look at me,” Emmett whispered, and Ryker pulled Emmett closer so he was cuddling his mate. If he lived another hundred years, he would never get sick of this.

“Give him time, sweetheart. He’ll bounce back. It’s just going to take time.”

“I know,” Emmett agreed. “He’s had his whole world ripped out from under him twice.”

“Do you feel well enough to get up while we move everything?”

Emmett nodded. “Yes, of course. Marco wants me to have another scan this afternoon, and I was wondering about going and seeing all the omegas.”

Ryker nodded. It would help Emmett heal and get back to normal. He hoped it would help Calvin as well.

An hour later, Chrissy let herself out of the pack house and joined Ryker at the bottom of the steps. He glanced over at her. “How’s Calvin?”

She shook her head. “In about the same state as Emmett, I expect. Physically, he’s okay.” She let the rest go unsaid, but Ryker knew.

“He doesn’t trust either of us to keep him safe, and I don’t know what to say to him.” Because Ryker hadn’t kept him safe. He had failed.

“If he was a human child, he’d be having therapy.”

“I just called Zeke,” Ryker admitted. “It’s one thing he doesn’t have.”

“Traditionally for shifters the alpha would keep the pup with him.”

Ryker frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that a pup, any pup, is hardwired to go to their alpha for protection. Even if that’s kicking and screaming,” she added with a wry smile. “It’s in his DNA. He just needs a nudge.”

“A nudge?” Ryker repeated doubtfully.

“Alpha,” Chrissy said with a sort of fond exasperation. “You can compel him to do as you say.”

“Which might cause even more damage. He has no control, has had no control in his short life. How would being bullied, even for his own good, help?”

Chrissy was silent a moment. “You’re forgetting two important things.”

Ryker glanced over at her.

“He’s a shifter. His biggest fear at the moment is that his security has been ripped away from him. That’s similar to a human child. All children need to feel safe, but with Calvin, that doesn’t mean me or even Emmett. It means you.”

“But I let him down,” Ryker admitted.

“You had no choice, Alpha. This time you do. You need to go show him what an alpha does. He needs to have confidence in you.”

“What about Emmett?”

“That will come, but unless he feels safe, he won’t be able to trust. He needs different things from Emmett.”

Ryker took a deep breath and nodded. “Where is he?”

“Eating his breakfast, or rather pushing it around his plate,” she added dryly.

Okay then. Ryker followed Chrissy back into the pack house. He’d left Emmett asleep and Fox patrolling the cabin, so he knew he had at least an hour to see if he could get anywhere. Calvin was indeed just staring at the food on his plate. Dinah was in the kitchen and kept shooting him worried glances. Chrissy deliberately hadn’t come into the kitchen.

Ryker didn’t go right over; he paused and thought back to all the things he’d wished for as a child growing up among shifters. The things he’d never had. The sense of belonging. The security and the family that other shifters had that he never would because his mom was a human. He never even got an official naming ceremony.

A naming ceremony.

He smiled and got out his cell phone. He called Fox and Red first and explained what he needed to happen. Then he called Zeke, and lastly, he called Regina. If anyone could get the shifter council to agree, it would be her. They were all ridiculously happy to help.

Ryker walked over to one of the bench tables and sat down opposite Calvin. He saw the little boy tense.

“I wanted to say thank you.” Because apologizing wouldn’t work, and Ryker had an idea that this would. Hoped anyway.

Calvin raised his head in obvious surprise, and Ryker nodded. “Because you helped to keep Emmett safe when I couldn’t. He told me you gave him a drink of water. That’s very important.”

Calvin seemed at a loss for what to say.

“So, keeping Emmett safe is going to be your new cadet job.”

Calvin looked unsure, and he still made no reply, but then he looked down at the table. “I don’t want to be a gamma cadet anymore, Alpha.”

“That’s nonnegotiable, I’m afraid. I’m building a pack, and everyone who lives here permanently has to pitch in.” Calvin still didn’t reply. “Have you finished your breakfast?”

Calvin nodded, even though it didn’t look like he’d eaten much of anything.

“Good, because I need you to help Fox and Red move all the things to our new rooms.” He stood, and Calvin scrambled up. “Take your dishes to Dinah, please.”

Calvin did, and when he came back, for the first time he looked a little curious. “You have new rooms?”

“We have new rooms,” Ryker said and let that sink in. “Come on. Emmett can’t lift anything. It might hurt the pup.”

Calvin looked worried for an instant but obeyed. Knowing Calvin needed touch, even if he didn’t necessarily want it, Ryker held out his hand, and after a moment, Calvin took it. Ryker would count it as a win. They met Red and Fox at the cabin. Emmett was just coming out of the bedroom as they all walked in. He smiled tentatively at Calvin, but Calvin hid behind Ryker. Ryker sent Emmett an understanding look, and Emmett sighed.

“I basically need everything emptied,” Emmett said with a smile. “The new cabin has a separate bedroom for Calvin because he will be the oldest, so he gets his own room.”

Calvin shot Emmett a look, but Ryker saw Emmett didn’t react. Talk was cheap, as they said. This would take time.

They spent the morning moving everything, and then Emmett sat down. “My feet hurt,” he gasped and sat in the big cozy armchair in the corner of their living room. Calvin, who had been pretty much ignoring Emmett, but joining in with what Ryker, Fox, and Red were doing, rushed to drag an ottoman over and planted it in front of Emmett. Emmett gulped, and everyone seemed entranced for a moment before Emmett quietly said, “Thank you.”

Ryker distracted them all with food.

It was a start.

Saturday dawned bright and early.Emmett wasn’t sure exactly what Ryker was up to, but whatever it was, everyone seemed to know what was happening except him. He sighed again at the busy signal he got from Kai’s phone. He’d been getting it for a few days.

He felt rather than heard someone behind him and turned. To his amazement, Calvin was standing on his own, biting his lip. “Calvin, sweetheart, are you okay?”

He nodded, seeming unsure, but then held out his hand. “Alpha sent me to get you.”

Emmett stood on shaky legs. He wouldn’t cry. He wouldn’t. He took Calvin’s hand, and Calvin led him very solemnly around the back of the pack house where there were a few rows of chairs out. Ryker jogged over, thanked Calvin, and told him to go sit next to Chrissy.

“What’s happening?”

“Surprise,” Ryker grinned. “I thought you’d want to be here for when the Panthera and your dad get here.”

“Why? I mean, of course,” Emmett rushed out. “But what’s going on?”

“We are officially naming the pack.” Ryker looked very satisfied with himself.

“You are? That’s a thing?”

Ryker grinned and led Emmett to a chair in the front row. He heard the engine of the BMW, and sure enough, in another few moments, the Panthera was escorted up to the front next to Emmett. Her claw positioned themselves around her at the edges of the clearing.

Emmett kissed her on both cheeks and marveled again at the difference in her from a few days ago. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Zeke walked in a moment later, and he heard the slight intake of breath from his grandmother. He walked up to them both and, smiling at Emmett, very properly turned to the Panthera and inclined his head in greeting before taking a seat next to Darriel.

Not that Emmett was surprised. His dad was here around three times a week now and spent much of that time either playing with the kids or sitting and reading Darriel’s ever-increasing pile of books to him. He knew his grandmother and his dad would never truly be friends. His dad had said that, while it had obviously been Barry who had arranged for his mom’s murder, he still blamed the culture surrounding the panther clans that made his mom run in the first place. Emmett was glad they could at least both be moderately pleasant to each other in the same room. He’d forgiven his grandmother because, while he understood how his dad felt, she was doing her best to make up for it, and there was the little matter of saving his and Calvin’s lives.

More people filled the seats until eventually every shifter they had was in the clearing. “I believe the Mills River pack is watching the gate,” Regina whispered. “The clan of course will keep the compound safe.”

Ryker stood at the front, looked at Emmett, and held out his hand.

“That’s your signal,” Regina stage-whispered again, and Emmett shot her a grin. She looked very pleased with herself, and he wondered why. He stood and walked up to Ryker, glad he had thought to dress prettily. His new blue shirt—according to Damien—made his eyes pop.

For a moment, he missed Kai so very much and resolved to ask Regina if she had any way of contacting him. He was sure that between her, his dad, and the Mills River pack, they might know someone.

Ryker took his hand and turned to their audience and said simply, “Welcome to the Blue Ridge pack.” He waited until the cheers had died down. “I can confirm the name has been registered with the shifter council, and I would formally like to express my gratitude to the Panthera for kicking their collective shifter asses.”

A smattering of laughter rose, and Emmett grinned. “Really?”

Ryker nodded, but he hadn’t finished. “As of today, I officially name these shifters as members of the pack. Emmett Keefer, alpha-mate; Red Carter, head beta; Chrissy Jennings, beta; Fox Turner, beta; Marco Holt, medic.” And much to Emmett’s astonishment, Ryker named every single adult of the pack from memory, including all the omegas who had said they wished to join. “I also have a special and unique pack designation.” Ryker tightened his fingers around Emmett’s. “Zeke Coleman. Honorary beta.”

Zeke’s head shot up in stunned amazement, but he grinned, blushed, and accepted the cheering good-naturedly.

“Lastly,” Ryker said, “we are a unique pack, and with the sanction of the council, I am announcing the new position of gamma cadet.”

Emmett’s hand flew to his mouth to stop a delighted cry.

“Calvin, will you please come here.”

Calvin didn’t seem to understand what he was being asked or was so shocked he froze for a few long seconds until Chrissy leaned down and nudged him. Then he jumped up so fast, Emmett had to blink a few times to clear his blurred vision.

Ryker held out his hand in encouragement, and Calvin rushed up to him. Ryker bent and whispered something in his ear, and Calvin nodded and stepped up next to Emmett. Emmett struggled to hold in the tears when he felt the small hand slip into his.

“Calvin, as gamma cadet I officially name you as a member of the Blue Ridge pack.” There was more cheering and whistling, and Calvin leaned into Emmett for the first time since he had been snatched. “Refreshments are inside. Please help yourselves.”

Ryker took Emmett’s hand, and he bent and lifted Calvin up so he was at eye level. “Do you understand what I just did?”

Calvin nodded. “I’m a gamma cadet.”

Ryker shot Emmett an amused smile. “Not just, buddy. I named you pack. Which means from now on, no one can ever say you have to move or live somewhere else.”

Calvin’s face lit up. They’d both been telling Calvin that he would never be made to leave ever again, but he clearly hadn’t believed them, right up to this moment. “Really?”

Ryker nodded. “We have something else to ask you, but this is your choice. Do you understand what a choice is?”

“Sure,” Calvin said promptly. “It’s where I don’t have to eat squash even if Dinah tells me I gotta.”

Emmett gave up and wiped his eyes. “No, sweetheart,” Emmett said. “This question is about who you live with. Ryker and I want you to stay with us, always. You get your own room next to ours and live with us as our son.”

Then it was Calvin’s turn to cry. Except Emmett knew from the excited noises he made as he threw his arms around Emmett as far as he could reach, he wasn’t sad. They were finally happy tears.