Dirty Little Secret

Rides and Questions

Jason's POV

     I watch as Nick tries to come to term with everything, my arm tightening around him softly  to pull him to me, as I look at the family around me.

    "You told us what you wanted to say. We heard you out. Any other demands you have?" I ask them, needing to make sure there wasn't something up anyone's sleeve.

   The mother, Sara, shakes her head, her face tired and worn as she struggles to keep her eyes off my little..... my Mate. "No! No. We don't want you to get hurt and we're sorry for scaring you. We understand if you're happy at the home you have, and if you're not sure you can handle the change, but whatever your decision, we just wanted to make sure that you knew the truth.... we just.. wanted to see for ourselves." She tells her, and I look away, feeling the pain from her eyes.

   This family has gone sixteen years with thinking that their son was dead, and now he's not. Now he was kidnapped and unknowingly held hostage for years by someone that was supposed to help them.

   I get it.

  But that doesn't mean I trust them.

   "Is someone going to drop us back off at the mall before someone finds out we're missing? If my parents went that far to get Nick then disappearing is the last thing I want to do. And I need to make sure you'll telling the truth." I tell them, knowing that if nothing else, this will give Nick time to decide what he wants to do.

   I'm starting to feel more and more like we should run, everyone squeezing in on us so tightly from all sides.

   But this is our home and we have loved it since the moment we lived here. And now that I have a choice in what happens next instead of falling prey to an unreliable Goddess, I will make sure that Nick never feels scared again, and that he finally gets the family he deserves, however he chooses.

    "I'll take you." The boy is who speaks up, and his father nods to the boy before walking towards his wife, holding her to his chest as the son and daughter approach us. "Come on."

    I gently place down the documents that were handing to us in my now empty chair, but Sara stops me. "Take the baby picture. You can use it for reference or keep it." She says and I almost say no, that is, until Nicks reaches out for the baby picture sitting on top.

    I watch as he hold it tenderly in his hand, holding it there securely before nodding. The man takes Sara into their home while the kids lead us back towards the van parked beside us, though they walk past it towards a car, the large three car garage having enough room for everything.

      I help Nick into the backseat and slide in beside him, holding him to my side as he rests against me, eyes staring down at the new picture in hand.

    The son and daughter get into the car in front of us, and after a minute of making sure everything is ready, we're pulling out of the garage into the street in the middle of the pack lands.

   I look around outside and think about how we've barely been here since we've move. We used to be so involved in our wolf culture and now we live on the edge of the pack barely knowing our neighbors and pack. Wolves are a way of people, and because of their selfishness, they took that away from us.

   My parents.

   I continue brooding, Ryan's snarls of betrayal, and words of advice doing little to soothe me, but I'm soon distracted by the two in front.

    "I'm Tessa, by the way. I know you never got our names. We didn't want to kidnap you, just talk to you at school, but dad wasn't convinced mom was right. He was worried and i'm denial. Hope is a frail thing. We didn't mean to scare you, we just wanted to be sure it was you and that you were safe." She tells Nick without turning around, her voice soothing, and I know he's listening even if he doesn't show it.

      "I'm Darren." Calls the brother from the drivers seat, and I pay attention. "I don't know what's going to happen, but if you guys need help for anything, you can come get us."

     I don't offer any information myself, instead letting the rest of the ride fall to silence.

     When we get to the shopping center, I open my door and help Nick out, nodding goodbye to Darren and Tessa before tucking my runt under my arms.

     The walk to the car and the drove to the house carry the silence all the way up to when Clary opens the door with a worried expression.

   In Nicks arms is Hailey, the small dog being fast asleep when we got back to the car where we left her. Clary's eyes fall to the dog and i stand relief floods her gaze. "See mom and dad, I told you Jace just wanted to get Nick his late birthday present."

   I frown at her words but don't answer as we walk into the house where we see a surprised Mom and a worried Dad sitting in the living room.

    "You said you would be back in two hours. It's been almost three and a half." Mom tells me, narrowing her eyes, and it takes all I have to stand her and let her lecture me as if I would ever hurt Nick. As if  she's not the one that kidnapped him from his family.

     "We took the puppy to the park and got some ice cream. I'm sorry I was trying to make Nicky feel better from missing the mountains." I say and even though I hate using his Omega sensitivity as an excuse, I know it's the only that will get her off of my back. And it works. Her eyes soften and she smiles at Nick apologetically.

      "I'm sorry you were upset sweetie. Your gift is pretty." She tells him, and after a few minutes of them playing with the puppy, the three of us make it upstairs, Clary pushing us all into my room at the top of the stairs.

   Nick let's Hailey go, and the dog jumps
on to the bed, throwing herself down before rolling around, panting from excitement of her new home.

    "So do either of you want to tell me why you're late and why I had to cover for you?" Our sister whispers from in front of me and I shake my head and point at my door, knowing it's the only place in my room that's not soundproof.

     "Come on let's go for a run." I tell them, and after telling our parents and leaving Hailey downstairs with them, we're out into the woods, stretching our wolf bodies as my mind races.

~~~~~~~~~
This chapter is a bit on the longer side for this book. I'm already halfway done with the updates so that's good. Hopefully I'll be done with the rest within an hour.

Thoughts?

Comments?

QOTD: Burgers or chicken sandwich?