Twenty-Four Wyatt

"Of course I do," I scoffed. "You forced Tanner to come live with me, remember? And almost everyone in this office is human except for Eoin. He's the only family you brought on."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it." He lifted his hand, tapping the side of his nose. "You don't smell like you've been around humans."

"What do I smell like then?"

He sighed. "You're forcing me to be blunt. Fine." He leaned forward, his hands laced on the desk. "You smell like you've been fucking one."

I was certain my heart had stopped beating.

Of course, I had a feeling I knew what he was getting at. But I hadn't expected him to say it out loud. My father showing up at the office was one thing, but his somehow knowing about Tanner and me was another.

"My personal life is none of your business," I replied coldly.

"It is if it means you're going to sacrifice all of this for some… some human nobody." He reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I was looking forward to grandchildren, Wyatt. Not some half-baked fling with a puddle jumper."

"He's your best friend's son! Would Tony appreciate you talking about him like that?"

"What Tony thinks doesn't fucking matter!" he snapped. The moment the words left his lips, he recoiled a bit, slumping in his chair. "Not anymore."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"Tony and I… we had a falling out," he sighed.

I stared up at the man sitting across from me, the anger on his face melting into melancholy. Never in my life had I seen that expression from him.

"Is that why you're so upset with me?" I asked. "Because you're upset, so you're taking it out on me?"

"No… maybe… I don't fucking know."

"Listen, Dad, I know this isn't what you expected from me. For fuck's sake, this isn't what I expected from myself. But Tanner… he's my… my mate. And I'm not going to give him up."

My father's sad expression shifted to fear. "You… You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do," I replied, standing my ground. "Tanner is my mate, and you're just going to have to deal with it. I don't give a fuck about you expecting grandchildren. Go adopt if you want another one so badly."

"Don't do this, Wyatt," he pleaded. "You're going to lose everything if you do. What about the pack? What about your mother?! She's already worried sick about you."

"Funny way of showing it," I snapped. "The last time I saw her was when I graduated college the first time. It's been nearly five years since she's darkened my doorstep or even bothered to call." I lifted an eyebrow in his direction. "Not that you're much better. The only time you ever show up is to yell at me or tell me how much of a disappointment I am."

"That's not fair. I call because I care. I don't want you to make the mistakes I did."

"Well, you're so fucking busy worrying about my mistakes that you can't see the ones you're making." I leaned across the table, furrowing my brows. "My own parents are practically strangers to me."

"That's not what we're trying to do."

"Then please," I cried, throwing my arms wide. "Fucking explain it to me. Explain why you moved across the country, why you never visit, and why you only come down here to scold me for seeking out some minor happiness in this world."

There was a long pause.

"Why are you here, Dad?" I growled.

"I told you," he sighed. "I came to stop you from making the same mistakes I did."

"I'm not making them. Look at the spreadsheets! I'm actually doing a lot better than you ever did!"

"I'm not talking about the business." He took a deep breath, tearing his eyes away from me. "I'm… I'm talking about getting involved with a… a human."

I opened my mouth to retort but quickly snapped it shut. I stared at him for a long moment, trying to figure out what he meant. Of course, I'd overheard stories about prostitutes on business trips and things of that nature, and he'd never seemed ashamed of that. But this was something different. The weight of his words hinted at something deeper than sex.

"There's a reason we moved out to Maine," he sighed. "It was your mother's idea. Well… her demand really when she found out what was happening."

"Did Mom finally catch onto you and your buddies hiring sex workers on so-called ‘business trips'?"

"No," he mumbled. "She caught me and… and Tony."

My jaw practically hit the floor.

"There's a reason he's been my best friend since college and why I've spent so much time around him." My father looked up at me, tears forming in his eyes. "I've always known how special he was to me. But he didn't feel it the same way I did. To him, it was just a physical thing. I tried my best to stay distant, and I succeeded for thirty-five years." He paused for a long moment. "But this last time, I couldn't hold it back any longer. I knew he was irritated with his kid, and maybe my timing was bad, but I told him how I felt… how I've always felt… and he told me to never come back." He hung his head, staring at the floor. "And I was a fool for thinking there was any hope to begin with."

I still couldn't form words. Instead, I stared at the broken man in front of me like I was seeing a stranger for the first time. For my entire life, I'd had an image of what my father was, who he was, and what he liked. But in an instant, it was all shattered.

"That's why I had to come back," he continued. "I've been in town for over a week, watching the way you two act when nobody is watching. The pair of you look just like Tony and I did at that age. It's like staring through a window into the past. And that's why I had to tell you… to stop you from making the same mistakes I did. He'll break your heart, and then you'll have nothing. I can't let you do what I did."

"Dad," I said, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry you're hurting. Really. But you need to understand that Tanner is nothing like his father, and I'm not you. You can't magically fix all the wrongs in your life by living vicariously through me. That's not how this works." His face hardened as he sat up stiffly, but I kept going. "I've met your demands for taking over the business. It's time for you to retire and leave it to me. I'll figure out the stuff with the pack and Tanner on my own. I don't need your help with that." I glanced up at him, meeting his gaze. "Besides, it sounds like you have your own things to work out."

"So you're going to do it then?" he growled. "You're going to purposely defy me to prove some childish point and grind the family name into the dirt at the same time? If you get outcast from the pack, that makes all of us look bad. Are you really going to be that selfish?"

I stood up, leaning across the table. "Maybe if you had been a little more selfish way back when, you might not be so miserable now."

He bared his teeth, suddenly on his feet. "You're fired," he snarled, pointing toward the door. "Both you and that mutt! Get your shit and get out of my sight!"

I didn't react to him. Instead, I let out a long sigh, keeping his gaze the entire time.

"I'm sorry you're hurting, Dad," I said softly. "But I'll go. Just remember, it was you who did this. Not me."

Heading toward the door, I pulled it open. However, I stopped halfway through and turned around.

"Oh, by the way, all the software Tanner created is copyrighted to his name. I had a feeling this might happen, so I took the necessary precautions. This office is locked in a ten-year contract with his software company. You can break the contract, obviously, but the fee is steep."

"Then I'll sue the shit out of you both."

"Burn whatever bridges you want," I sighed. "I wish this could have been different, Dad. Goodbye."

With that, I left, pulling the door closed behind me. Sitting just outside was Tanner holding a pair of coffees and Phyllis, their faces full of shock. I guess my father had gotten a bit loud at the end there.

"Grab your stuff, Tanner," I said. "We've got our own company to start." I turned to Phyllis, giving her a soft smile. "If you ever want a change of pace, look me up," I said. "We could use a gal like you."

She nodded as Tanner came jogging back with both of our laptop cases.

"Tell Dad to take the hardware cost out of my final paycheck," I said, holding up the case. "There'll be more than enough to cover it."

"I… I'll make sure everything is taken care of."

"Thanks, Phyllis." I reached out, taking Tanner by the hand. "Let's go, baby."

"Are… Are you sure?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"I'm sure," I smiled. "I'd choose you over anything else. You're my entire world."

He nodded, tears forming in his eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too."