22. Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-one

“You’re not being kicked out of the pack,” Amelia assured him. “You haven’t done anything wrong. I need to see my mate, the alpha of this pack, because something has gone terribly wrong.”

They stormed through the pack house until she was in the general living area that the pack congregated in.

“Rome!” her scream carried through the house and down the corridors.

“How could you?” She was still at screeching level and Malcolm was hiding behind her.

“How could I what?” He looked at Saul and Theron to see if they knew what was happening. “Amelia, who is behind you?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know, buddy. What you allowed to happen to this child is irresponsible. Will you condemn our child to the same prejudices without standing up for her?”

“Stop!” Rome roared. “Clear the room. Not you,” he pointed to Malcolm when he tried to leave. “Sit down, love, and tell me what’s going on. You have a seat there.” He pointed to a chair for Malcolm to sit on.

Amelia pushed on Malcolm’s shoulder to get him to sit, and then she started pacing. “I wanted to meet the pack without my protectors following me. You know that. I went around and got a chance to talk to several people. One of them was Brittany. We’ll talk about her later. I decided to take a different path home, and there was this lonely cabin on the outskirts with this boy sitting on the porch.”

“Who are you?” Rome asked, the force of his attention on the young wolf.

“You’re scaring him.”

“No, I’m not. I’m asking a question.”

Malcolm stood on weak legs and bowed. “My name is Malcolm Jackson.”

“You’re the young wolf we took in about two months ago?” Rome was hit with a bit of angst in his gut. He should have welcomed the wolf after the first month. He was so tied up with his mate and preparing for the hunter that he’d let some necessary things slip.

“Sit.” Amelia’s voice was soft and motherly when she spoke to the teen wolf.

“We will swear you in on the next full moon to make you an official part of the pack.”

“Don’t say that like that makes it okay.” She was still ranting and raving. The surprise was that there wasn’t smoke coming from her nose. That voice, the one she didn’t want to listen to and sounded like her wolf, was telling her that her hormones were on over drive, and she needed to calm down. Ugh, that voice, but she sat and tried to get herself together.

“I’m missing something, love. Why don’t you tell me what it is?”

“Did you know that Malcolm was living in the cabin where I found him? He was given secondhand clothes that look like that.” She pointed at Malcolm, who was now hiding in the chair.

“That can’t be right. That cabin is scheduled to be demo’d. I put it off until I know what I want to replace it, which is why it’s still standing.” He stood to pace the room before stopping in front of Amelia.

“Saul, Theron, I need you now,” he called them over the pack channel his brothers had with him.

They both came running into the room, sliding to a halt, finding Rome kneeling in front of his pregnant mate.

Without moving, Rome went over everything he knew so far. “Saul, is that cabin not on the list to be demo’d?”

“It is.”

“I want it done today. I don’t care who you pull to do it, but before it gets dark, I want that cabin demolished.” He looked at Theron.

“Not yet,” Amelia’s voice was cooler, closer to normal. “He was out there and shunned by the tribe because he’s half human.” She watched in amazement as Rome’s eyes turned gold. Theron’s eyes turned a bronze color with hints of gold. The mark of a wolf that could be alpha but chose not to be.

“You’re half human?” Rome’s eyes were focused on Malcolm.

Malcolm was terrified, but that didn’t stop him from sitting up and squaring his shoulders. His wolf was insistent that they would not cower in front of the wolf they wanted to be their alpha.

“My mother is human, I never met my father. I thought I was human until the day I changed.”

“Your mother kicked you out?” Rome asked.

“My stepfather and my mother didn’t know what was happening.”

“Young man, I owe you and your wolf an apology. My mate is being hunted, and I have been focused on that and not on what has happened recently in the pack.”

“I will protect her.” Malcolm stood next to Amelia. Rome was still kneeling in front of her. “You’re a worthy mate. Many would not kneel in front of their mate thinking it makes them lower, never realizing it elevates them.”

Amelia and Rome stared at each other. Malcolm’s voice had gotten deeper, not like his teen voice, which was still cracking.

“Have I done something wrong?” Malcolm was fidgeting.

“Not a thing. I sensed the power in you, now you’ve allowed me to see it in action. I was happy to have you here, but now I’m excited to see what you will become as you mature. You’ll be powerful, but there may be more than we suspect.” Rome stood and threw his arms around Malcolm. “Welcome.”

“I need to find a family to take you and get you some clothes.”

“I have an idea,” Amelia said in that voice that Rome knew to be careful of. Sheela called it her mischief voice, and he had to agree with her.

“What were you thinking, love?” He threw the love in there in hopes it would make her think twice. It wasn’t going to happen, but he could hope, right?

“You find families for teens and those younger when they become part of the pact.”

“We do.”

“Your pack has acted disgracefully. I doubt the goddess Luna is happy with them. I suggest we take him in. I want Malcolm to become our son.”

Rome looked her over. She knew the heartbreak it would be to one day see him die, but it didn’t matter. She was already attached to this young wolf, and she was willing to do whatever it took to make sure he was well taken care of. Rome turned his attention from his mate to the young wolf. He looked at his stance, his unwillingness to show any more fear. Then he looked deeper and saw a young man with not only grit, but with a moral compass any parent would be proud of. He only expected the children that his mate would one day give him. He opened his heart to becoming a blended family and let the young wolf in.

“Would you like to become part of my family? To become my son?”

“Like adopt me?” Malcolm’s voice shook.

“We can if you want. When I say become a part of my family, you become my son. No take backs, and Amelia becomes your mother.”

“I…”

Rome took him in his arms. “Even wolves cry,” he whispered into Malcolm’s ear. Malcolm’s tears flowed and Rome held him until he stepped back, getting himself together. Rome looked at his shirt and laughed. It seemed his son was much like his mother. He was going to go through many shirts. He took the shirt off, grinning.

“Sit by your mother; she needs a hug. Theron, I want the person who assigned Malcolm to the cabin, and I want them five minutes ago.”

“I’ll bring them to you.”

“Let’s find you a room.” When Rome set up his private part of the pack house, he felt silly adding so many rooms. Who, he wondered, was he expecting to live there? No one, but his wolf insisted they needed so many rooms, and he listened to that side of himself. He and his wolf were one, but at times he felt like the things he kept buried deep inside, his hopes and dreams were guarded by his wolf.

“Your mother is pregnant. I’m sure you noticed.” They were walking down the main hallway. He stopped in front of a door. “This is the nursery. You’re too old for a nursery, don’t panic.” He laughed at the look on Malcolm’s face.

“Rome is proud that he and his brothers painted the room this light gray that should go with whatever theme I pick out.” Amelia leaned into Rome, kissing his cheek. He pinched her ass, making her laugh.

Rome led them to a door on the other side of the hall that was close to the nursery. “I was thinking this room. If you don’t like it, there are several others to pick from.”

The walls were painted a medium blue. They screamed “boy” to Rome when he was having the room done. The wooden floors were stained gray slate. There was a large desk and a walk-in closet with a dresser built into it. The room was just waiting for someone to come breathe life into it.

“My room, for me to sleep and live in?”

“I hope you’ll live in more than this room, but yes.” Rome smiled at him while he hugged his mate.

“Do you like it?” Amelia asked.

“I love it.” Rome’s pleased laughter echoed Amelia’s.

“Rome has to deal with his ratchet pack.” She gave him a deep kiss. “You and I have a room to breathe life into, and you need clothes. Hun, I will text you his sizes, have someone run to town, and we’ll order more to be picked up later.”

“Work your magic.” He gave his mate a deep kiss, and then he winked at Malcolm before leaving.

“Why did he accept me? Shouldn’t he be concerned about me around you?”

“Malcolm, you’re an open book to Rome and to me. We see much deeper than the surface.”

“What about the fact that I’m a half-breed or the color of my skin?”

“Youngling, you’re a wolf and wolves can be any color or race. Ask my French father or Rome. He and his brothers are the last of their race until our baby comes along. Your dark skin is beautiful, and I can’t wait to meet your wolf. Although I think you need a haircut.” He grinned sheepishly at her as he tried to run his fingers through his hair.

“One thing at a time. Let’s work magic on this room.”

Rome changed clothes. He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt and a black and white tie, sitting in his office waiting for whoever placed Malcolm in a cabin scheduled to be demolished.

“Saul, how’s the demo going?”

“On schedule. Do you need me?”

“Can you walk away?”

“I can. Everyone knows what they are doing, and the cabin is coming down. The roof is off, and they’re working on the walls.”

“Come to my office.” Rome wanted another witness as well as another point of view when he spoke to Randy. His mother fled in the night and stumbled across them. He welcomed them in and the child she was holding in her arms. His mother married a wolf that was already here, and they raised Randy together. Was he blind to what was happening in his pack? Content that the last century had caused no problems.

His stomach soured at the thought that he had maggots eating at the firm foundation that he established.

Saul knocked and came in when Rome called out. “I know that look, I don’t like that look. What happened?”

“Randy was the one who assigned Malcolm to the cabin. Not sure if we can call it that in this day and age.”

“Randy?” Saul took a seat, wondering if he entered a different world. “Randy?”

“You heard me.”

“That goes against everything I know about him.”

Rome agreed. Randy was given the position because of his kind heart. He greeted every newcomer and took care of them, like they were a brother or a sister. He didn’t believe it had anything to do with race as Randy was mixed. Could he have really been so appalled that Malcolm was a half-breed that he would treat him like trash?

There was another knock on the door.

“Come in, Theron.” Randy came in, following Theron. “Have a seat.” Rome gestured to the empty chair in front of his desk.

Theron stood behind Saul and Randy, providing security.

“Theron said you wanted to see me?”

Rome looked him over, making him wait for his answer. Randy was a beautiful shade of brown, or so he’d been told by more than one female wolf. His brown eyes were circled in green; he stood six foot with hair that reminded him of Malcolm’s but tidier.

“Do you know why I asked you to come?”

Randy dropped his head. “Malcolm.”