“It’s not.”
“All right.You can come with us, as long as you obey our orders.We’re both alphas, and you’re not.More importantly, you’re my son, and I won’t let anything happen to you.We’ll do everything we can to find your boyfriend, but as far as I’m concerned, you’re the most important person here.I’m sure your boyfriend agrees.”
Nico was sure that he did.Mackenzie would be pissed when he saw Nico there, but Nico didn’t care.He couldn’t afford to.“I promise I’ll be careful and stay behind you,” Nico said.“I’m not stupid.I don’t want anything to happen to me or the baby.I just can’t stay here and wait for you to bring Mackenzie back, not when something could have happened to him.”
Nico’s father squeezed Nico’s shoulder.“I’m sure he’s fine.”
Nico prayed he was right.
He and his father both shifted.Jerome remained in his human form and followed behind them, his phone to his ear as he made calls.He was also carrying their clothes, just in case they needed them.
Nico didn’t pay much attention to his surroundings, trusting his father to keep him safe.His focus was entirely on getting to Mackenzie.He had to be okay.Nico wouldn’t accept being left alone to raise this child.If Mackenzie wasn’t here anymore, Nico would resurrect him just to yell at him for getting himself killed.
Nico could smell Mackenzie in the air.He wanted to rush forward, but he’d made a promise, and he knew that if he didn’t keep it, his father would make sure he couldn’t go anywhere.Besides, he hadn’t been lying when he’d said he didn’t want anything to happen to himself or the baby he carried.He needed to be here, but he couldn’t afford to put himself in danger.That meant he had to stay behind his father, no matter how hard it was and how much he yearned to move faster.
“We’re leaving fox territory,” Jerome eventually said.When Nico turned to look at him, he wasn’t surprised to see the man’s expression was grim.Silas had been in his territory, and he’d grabbed someone Jerome cared about.Jerome wouldn’t let this go.
No one in the forest would.
Nico knew this was the day that Silas would die.Jerome and Nico’s father wouldn’t allow the man to live after all of this.This was their one chance to ensure that Silas never hurt anyone ever again, and Nico’s father wouldn’t waste it.Nico was glad.He’d never wanted someone to die as much as he wanted Silas to.
Mackenzie’s scent became stronger as they moved.It was mixed with what Nico assumed was Silas’s scent.Not that he could smell much under the heavy stench of blood and pus.It smelled like Silas’s wound was already getting infected.Silas had been staying in the woods, so that wasn’t a surprise.Nico just wished the infection had killed him before he could get his hands on Mackenzie.
Nico’s father suddenly stopped, and Nico did the same instinctively.He glanced ahead, frowning when he saw the entrance of a cave.He tried moving around his father, but just like earlier, someone grabbed him.It was gentler this time, probably because Nico wasn’t running ahead.When he turned toward Jerome, the fox alpha shook his head and let go.
“You’re not going in there,” he said.
Nico didn’t have to look at his father to know he agreed.Nico wouldn’t be getting anywhere near that cave, even though heknewMackenzie was inside.
He wanted to scream and go anyway, but he didn’t.Mackenzie would want him to keep the baby safe, even if it meant sacrificing him.Nico prayed it wouldn’t come to that.He couldn’t raise this baby alone.Mackenzie was supposed to be with him through all of this.
And he would be as soon as Nico’s father and Jerome rescued him.
Chapter Fourteen
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WHEN MACKENZIE HEARDa noise outside the cave, he didn’t say anything.He didn’t even move.He stayed right where he was by the cave wall, his gaze still on Silas, who was poking through his stuff.Mackenzie wondered if he was looking for a weapon.He probably didn’t need one to hurt Mackenzie, even in the state he was in.
Mackenzie didn’t understand why Silas had dragged him here.What did he want to do with him?Was he going to use him as a hostage?Or was he just going to kill him because he was human?Right now, anything seemed possible, which Mackenzie didn’t appreciate.
He didn’t get the time to find out.Someone appeared at the entrance of the cave, and Silas moved more quickly than Mackenzie had expected him to be able to.He grabbed Mackenzie and pulled him closer, placing him between himself and the man standing at the entrance of the cave.
“Silas,” Jerome said as he walked in.
Mackenzie almost cried.He didn’t think he’d ever been so happy to see Jerome.
Jerome wasn’t alone.Nico’s father appeared behind him, but thankfully, it didn’t look like Nico was there.Mackenzie had no doubt that he’d wanted to be, but this was for the best.Mackenzie wanted to keep Silas as far away from Nico as possible.
Silas’s wounded arm was hanging by his side, but he was holding Mackenzie close with the other.Mackenzie wondered if there was anything he could do to get Silas to let him go.When he glanced at Jerome, though, Jerome shook his head.He didn’t seem to want Mackenzie to try anything, so Mackenzie wouldn’t, not right away.He’d give Jerome and Dan the opportunity to take care of this.They knew Silas much better than Mackenzie did, so hopefully, they could talk him down.
Mackenzie seriously doubted that.
“You allowed this human into your territory,” Silas said, giving Mackenzie a shake.“Why?We don’t want humans here.”
“Youdon’t want humans here,” Jerome answered, sounding incredibly calm.“Not everyone agrees with you.I’d actually say that most shifters don’t.We’ve had enough of being separated from most of the world.We’ve had enough of being separated from parts of our families.”
Silas snorted.“Humans aren’t your family.They’rehumans.”
