Page 27 of The Chosen One Universe: Volume One

“He’s going to be okay. We’re going to do whatever we have to do to keep them all safe, right? Whatever it takes.”

“Whatever it takes,” Vaughn repeated.

“Whatever it takes,” Meshaq confirmed. “I’ll keep looking into things on my end, but I have a friend who owes me a favor. I’ll get them over here to set up the wards. It’ll probably be tomorrow. They don’t like to travel by portal if they can help it. Messes up their mojo.”

“Okay.”

“And, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to leave one of my pack members here for a while. At least until things settle and we make sure the wards are powerful enough to hold.”

Vaughn nodded again, but Sam could see that as they peeled back each layer of this, he was becoming more and more distressed.

Meshaq sensed the same and squeezed Vaughn’s shoulder before standing. “I have faith in you, Alpha. As does my goddess. She doesn’t see any immediate threat coming your way and she has her attention focused on us right now. We should thank her for that blessing and focus our attention instead on helping these cubs bond with their new alpha.”

“I can do that,” Vaughn said quietly, although his voice had a hint of steel. “Please thank the goddess for her blessing.”

Meshaq smiled softly as a flaming portal began to open a few steps away. “I will. Until tomorrow, Alpha Jerrick.”

He stepped into the flames, and they vanished behind him. Sam leaned over against Vaughn. “That dude is intense.”

“Yeah, he is.”

Vaughn rested his hand on Sam’s knee, but moved it away a mere second later.

Sam reached for it, put it back, and then added his hand on top of it for good measure. “So… this is weird.”

“I know.” Vaughn squeezed his knee gently and lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Sam. About that night at the bar. I… I let the wolf in me have control because I wanted you so badly. The consequences, though. When I realized what I’d done… I had to force myself to walk away.”

“You hurt me, Vaughn. I don’t ever want to feel the way I did when you walked away that night again.”

“I will do everything in my power to never hurt you again, Sam.”

Sam believed him, as crazy as it sounded. Now that he understood what Vaughn had done that night, knew that the attraction between them had been as intense as he’d thought, it somehow made it a little easier to swallow Vaughn’s rejection. He couldn’t have brought Sam into his world then. Now, Sam knew his secrets.

“I can’t believe you’re a freaking werewolf. My life is so weird.”

Vaughn laughed and bumped their shoulders together gently. “Maybe a little.”

“I feel like one of my students. Maybe I should pass you a note? Oh, or maybe I can pass it to Brooks or Travis to pass to you? That’s the way it goes, right?” Sam chuckled and stared out at the yard, his mind wandering to all of the changes the past day had brought.

Who’d have thought he’d be sitting on Vaughn Jerrick’s porch, or that Vaughn would be some sort of superhero werewolf alpha, or that suddenly, Sam would meet six kids who would turn his world upside down.

He’d always loved kids but hadn’t ever planned on having any of his own. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He’d considered becoming a foster parent, but after his dad’s accident, he didn’t think it was great timing. Some days his dad was okay. In pain, but able to function.

Other days he couldn’t get out of bed. The joys and mysteries of back injuries. Pinched nerves and ruptured discs couldn’t be reasoned with, and depending on the day, neither could William Baker.

“And what would your note say, Sam?”

Sam wrinkled up his nose and huffed. “I’m going to plead the fifth on that one. I claim sleepiness and life changing revelations as my excuse.”

“Want to know what mine would say to you?”

Sam’s heart gave a little nervous flutter and he couldn’t help but peek over at Vaughn. The alpha was staring at him intently, with hope and a little nervousness in his eyes. “Yeah,” Sam said softly. “I’d like to know.”

Vaughn grinned and leaned over. “I like you, do you like me? Yes or no.”

He’d whispered the words against Sam’s ear, sending a shiver of pleasure down Sam’s spine. His breath caught and butterflies danced in his stomach. “Yes,” Sam whispered back.

Vaughn straightened again, but when Sam snuck another glance, he was smiling so widely his cheeks dimpled. It was the most beautiful sight Sam had ever seen.