Chapter 26

Twenty-Six

JAMES

I t blew my mind that she was pregnant the day I left her at the heat clinic. In my heart, I knew I shouldn't have left her.

She was mine even before she stepped foot into the heat clinic.

I had already gone up the steps before Alana could call me inside the room. I knew she wanted to warn whoever was in the room. I couldn't believe I had babies. A family at long last. A family that I couldn't have.

As I stood outside the door, I could hear the harsh whisperings inside as they discussed me. I couldn't wait any longer, and I twisted the doorknob open. The beta looked at me in shock as I strode inside, my focus on the babies. Alana picked up one of them from the floor, and the baby clutched her arms when he saw me. He had on blue overalls, and he peeked over her shoulder to look at me.

My jaw dropped.

His eyes looked like mine, and his black hair. He was a mini-version of myself.

"Alana, this is crazy," muttered the beta, who was clutching the second baby to his chest as he stood trembling on the far side of the room across from me.

"And who are you?" I asked him, annoyed that he was able to spend so much time with the babies while this was my very last and first time seeing them.

"Oh my god," said the beta, unable to speak, staring at me like I was some wild animal.

"This is Jay," said Alana, placing the baby in my arms. I held him upwards to my chest, and he looked at me curiously without crying. My heart felt full and at peace, as I held him while we stared at one another. He would grow up to protect his mother with his soul.

"Hey, little buddy," I said, trying to keep it together. Tears threatened to fall, but I took a few deep breaths. This was my only chance to see them. "My son."

As if he understood, he placed his head between my neck and my shoulder, his chin resting atop my shoulder.

"He loves you already," said Alana.

"Why are you leaving Howl's Edge?" I asked, my protectiveness kicking in now. I didn't realize I had that inside me until I held him. "Why can't you live with me?"

"She's mated to a pack, in case you forgot," said the beta. "Plus, you'll just suck her blood and kill us all."

I ignored him, keeping my focus on Alana. I couldn't let him rile me up.

She and the babies were the only ones who mattered to me. Her soft beauty called to me even though I couldn't have her. My sleepless nights thinking about her was the only thing that soothed me. Or when I took my punishment, all I imagined was her pretty face and the curve of her lips and that I had to go through it to save her.

"He only drinks animal blood," Alana admonished the beta. "Meet your baby girl June before my alphas get home."

"Sure, risk the baby's life," said the beta sarcastically.

My hackles rose at his words. "I would never hurt my child. My babies, just in case you forgot."

"What the fuck?" said the beta. "While you were the absentee father, I took care of them. They're mine."

I gently handed Alana the baby boy. I would've punched his brains out by now if he wasn't holding my baby girl in his arms.

"Who's this?" said a male voice behind me.

Fuck .

I could tell by the way Alana's eyes widened I knew her alphas had arrived. I turned slowly to face them. One alpha was huge with gray hair and a beard. Next to him was a younger cleanshaven alpha who looked like he had a temper by the way he was glaring at me.