15. Chapter 15

Since Walker was beginning to feel slightly better, we ventured over to Terran's home. I'd prefer he was feeling all the way better, but after days and days of him feeling the same amount of awful, I was going to rejoice in the upswing. Who knew? Maybe tomorrow he would be at 100%.

Now that I was mated, it seemed that my brothers and their mates did not like to go too long without seeing us. Something about family being an important part of each other's lives and all our children growing up together. I didn't hate it. And really, I half wondered if it was an excuse for them to get me to show up. Looking back, they always wanted me to be with them more than I had.

Much to my surprise, Walker swung down off my back as soon as we arrived and went into the house with Marcus and Maddox to play with the children. His tummy was slightly rounded now, and it pressed against his T-shirt, a sight I loved far more than he did. I thought it was sexy, something I vowed to show him was true.

He seemed to be keeping food down today, which I was happy about. That and his boost of energy, enough to practically run inside… I had a feeling he was turning the corner.

Terran and Luan, plus Tomas, were sitting near the fire drinking coffee. Tomas was big into coffee and had been showing them different ways to prepare it. My brothers weren't huge fans of fancy coffee drinks, but they were enjoying the tasting adventure and were building a nice friendship with the enforcer.

"Was there something you needed help with, Brother?" I asked.

Terran raised an eyebrow. "Can't I simply invite you over without needing your help for some project?"

"I suppose, but what would be the purpose then?" This was a common conversation, one I'd had for centuries. Today, for the first time, I saw exactly the purpose of it for possibly the first time.

Terran laughed. "I do hope you never change, Apollo."

I had no intention to, even though if I were being honest with myself, I already had. Not in the things that made me uniquely me, but still. I'd started to see things in a different way.

"I'd like to talk about next steps for this investigation," Tomas said. "Steelwick hasn't had any luck flushing out the alpha that we're after. The longer he goes free, the more risk there is to others out there."

I ground my teeth until my jaw ached. I hated that he was still out there. It was never far from my mind, and hearing that they were actively trying to get him and failing only made matters worse.

"I would like nothing more than to tear that alpha limb from limb." He had not physically hurt my mate, but he had threatened him, and that was enough for me. I wasn't a violent person by nature, though my mother would have liked it if I had been. That had been the whole purpose of mine and my brothers' creation. But knowing there was someone out there whose sole goal was to destroy my mate? That had me turning lethal.

"What did you all have in mind?" Luan asked Tomas.

"If we dropped some hints that Walker has been let free from Steelwick's protection and put in some formal-looking paperwork saying the investigation has gone cold, perhaps that would cause the alpha to let his guard down. We could use Walker—"

I growled. "You are not using my mate as bait. No way in hell." My voice rose, and it echoed in the forest. I hadn't meant to shout. But also, they were not going to dangle my mate out there as a way to catch a bad guy. That was a hard pass for me. He was pregnant for goddess's sake.

"We wouldn't, we would simply-"

"That's perfect," Walker said. When had he come out?

I whipped around. He was there, holding a cup of coffee out to me. There was no way he knew what he was saying. Maybe he misheard or possibly he was guessing. Actively agreeing to get the alpha to try and find him? He was pregnant, surely he misunderstood.

Only the look on his face said he very much didn't. My mate knew exactly what he was saying.

"No," I said.

How could he even consider this, especially with him being pregnant? Ever, really. He did what was right and reported his former Alpha to the right people. His duty to shifter kind was complete. His job now was to live happily ever after here in the forest with me.

"Apollo, I don't want this baby born with us living in secret." His voice was low, as if he was only speaking to me. "I want to be able to take him out of the forest and to the parks if we wanted to. I want to visit other packs, other places. I want to shop again someday."

"I will build you a park." How difficult could it be? "I will bring shops to you." I would move the stars in the sky for him. But this? Letting him be out there for his old Alpha to find? This was asking too much.

"I want pizza or fast food. Our child needs to meet other people. Other wolves."

I hadn't realized all of this was hanging heavy on him. And part of me felt the weight of what living here with me was making him give up. Only, if it kept him safe, I could not be mad at it.

"I will bring the wolves to you." I wasn't sure what wolves, but possibly some from Northbay Pack?

"Apollo." Walker put his hands on his hips, his voice stern and his eyes rolling. As if being adorably mad could make me change my mind. Not when his life was at risk. No. He could go on being mad. Mad and alive were a thousand times better than the alternative.

"You're not doing it and that's final," I was not going to change my mind.

Marcus and Maddox had come outside, and the two of them hissed out a breath. They winced. I assumed at my mate's foolishness, but then when I caught their glance in my direction, I realized how wrong I was.

"Oh, I don't think that's going to have the effect you think it's going to have, Brother," Luan said.

Walker crossed his arms over his chest. "Apollo, I made it through twenty-five years without you protecting me."

It took everything within me not to remind him that he was here because he was not so great at the being-safe part of life. I might've been new at this mate thing, but even I saw how horribly wrong that could go.

"I grew up in a pack that was not a nice one. You don't know what it's like to live in the outside world." And his words were not making me want to. "I'm perfectly capable."

"You are not laying a trap for a dangerous alpha to find you." Why couldn't he see what a horrible idea that was, and moreover, why weren't the others coming to my side of this?

"You would be there," which I had to admit gave me a little comfort, "And your brothers, if they wanted to be. Plus Steelwick. I wouldn't be alone."

"No," I said.

Walker narrowed his eyes, and something about the look sent a shiver down my spine. It was in that moment that I understood for the first time that I wasn't going to win this one. My omega, my stubborn, stubborn omega, was going to do this with or without me.

"That's not the way this is going to work," he said. "You are my mate and I love you. But what you are not is my father. The longer that alpha is out there, the more other shifters and humans are at risk. If I can help shorten that time, I'm going to. That is final."

He looked at me as if begging me to say a word edgewise. As much as I wanted to, I didn't. He was going to do this with or without my approval. I'd much rather know what was happening.

At least with it, I had a say in how everything was going to happen and I could protect him. My brothers too. They might not have been planning to join us, but I needed them by my side. I refused to let anything or anyone harm Walker.

After waiting a solid minute with his eyes glued to mine, daring me to open my mouth, he looked to Tomas. "Let me know when and where. I'll be ready."

I hated this—all of it. But there was nothing I could do to change that it was happening. All that was left was helping to plan, being there with him, and begging the goddess to help us.