Dax
Morgan was takinga while to return and I was staring to get worried. I didn’t want him hanging out alone with that fox. After making sure Ashe was still peacefully asleep with the twins, I ducked out of the grove. It didn’t take me long to run into Morgan, who was returning.
“Hey. What was that about?” I asked.
“I was just talking with Red,” he said calmly.
I grunted in surprise. “I thought he left already.”
“I caught up with him to talk.” Morgan faced me. “I think the pack should give him a chance.”
I blinked, unsure if I’d heard him correctly. “Sorry, give who a chance? You’re not talking about that fox, are you?”
Morgan nodded. There wasn’t any trace of joking or sarcasm in his expression. “I am. He wants to join the pack, Dax. I think the others should think about it.”
I barked out a laugh. “No chance. He’s crazy if he thinks the pack’s going to accept him after what he did to Len.”
Morgan’s brows furrowed slightly. “But didn’t Len forgive him for that? Besides, he doesn’t seem to have a problem with Red at all.”
My humor turned into worry. “Morgan, you’re not actually serious, are you? He can’t join the pack.”
“Why not?”
His blunt question had me stumped. It seemed so painfully obvious that I was having trouble thinking of an answer.
“Because he can’t,” I blurted out.
Crossing his arms, Morgan said, “That’s not a reason and you know it.”
“Was he brainwashing you or something?” I pressed. “Did he do something to you for blackmail?”
Morgan let out an exasperated sigh. “Now you’re being ridiculous. We just had an honest conversation. He’s lonely, Dax. He has nobody.”
I didn’t understand his point. “And?”
Now a flicker of frustration crossed Morgan’s face. “And it reminds me of my own past.”
Realization hit me like a wave. I’d been too caught up in the past to think about Morgan’s feelings and I felt stupid for not noticing earlier.
“Morgan,” I said more gently, touching his arm as I spoke. “Red isn’t like you.”
“How do you know that?” Morgan argued calmly. “You don’t know anything about his past, do you?”
“Well… No, but—”
He let out a smug chuff. “Exactly.”
“And you do?” I asked, raising a brow.
“I have a suspicion he’s hiding a lot of things because he’s scared,” Morgan admitted. “But I don’t think he’s a bad person. I think he’s hurt, and he needs support to move forward.”
“Fine. I’ll agree with that. But why is thatourproblem?” I asked. “We have a son to think about, plus a niece and nephew. We have a family. Our responsibility is to them, not a stranger who’s harassed us in the past.”
“He’s also helped us in the past,” Morgan pointed out.
I grumbled and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Can you stop being logical about everything?”
He smirked as he teasingly ran a finger up my neck and made me shiver. “I will when you stop jumping to conclusions and being a grouchy alpha wolf.”
