Page 24 of Wolf Revealed

Wayne left shortly after that, saying he’d push his analysts harder, both the ones checking the evidence archive and those tracking down Roman’s known associates.

“Watch yourself out there,” Mike told him. “Roman almost certainly knows you were undercover back then, too.”

Wayne nodded. “Will do.”

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of the lieutenant, but whoever delivered those blows to Stewart and the other victims was unusually strong,” Samantha said softly, glancing at the lab’s open door, clearly wanting to make sure no one overheard. “Like as strong as a werewolf. Every strike ended up breaking bones.”

Trey quickly filled in his mate on what they already knew about Roman and his goons, including the fact that they had no idea what kind of supernaturals they were, just that were dangerous. Before they left, Samantha made them promise they’d all be careful, then gave Trey a kiss.

“Striking out here sucks, but on the upside, getting back to the mansion early will give you a chance to spend some time with Lark and Kal,” Xander said to Mike as they walked out of the Institute and headed for the SWAT SUV.

“True,” Mike admitted with a grin, already looking forward to that. “I kinda wish I could take them out to lunch and do some sightseeing. That way it wouldn’t be completely on me to keep Kal entertained, you know?”

“I don’t think you need to keep him entertained,” Xander said with a laugh. “I mean, I don’t have any kids, so I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure Kal is thrilled to spend time with you, no matter what you’re doing.”

“It’d be great if it were that simple,” Mike said softly, realizing he’d never felt so unsure about anything in his life. He wasn’t too proud to admit this father thing was terrifying. “But Kal hasn’t seen me since he was a baby. What if I don’t know what to talk to him about? Or worse, what if he gets to know me and figures out he doesn’t like me?”

Xander snorted. “Dude, you’re his dad. He already likes you. And from what I saw last night at dinner, and this morning at breakfast, you already know what to talk about. All you need to do is show him you care and that you’re there for him.”

Maybe Xander was right. Maybe he was overthinking things. He just didn’t want to screw this up.

“When did you get so smart?” he asked, glancing at his pack mate.

“It’s Khaki’s influence,” Xander said with a laugh. “She makes me smarter.”

Mike chuckled. He couldn’t disagree with that. It had been like that when he and Lark were together all those years ago. She’d made everything better, including him.

“Why don’t you grill some burgers in that kick-ass outdoor kitchen when we get back?” Xander said as they all climbed into the SUV. “It’s pretty warm today, so you, Lark, and Kal can have lunch near the pool. I’ll make sure you guys have some privacy.”

Mike started to say that wasn’t necessary, that he and the others didn’t need to put themselves out like this for him. But then he realized it wasn’t only for him. His pack mates were doing it for Lark and Kal, too. And they were worth the effort.

They were worth everything.

Chapter eleven

“Dad, you’re back!”

Lark smiled as Kal jumped off the couch and ran over to hug Mike, clearly relieved his dad was home. She was relieved, too. Even though Mike had said he and the other guys were just going to see if Trey’s fiancée had any leads, she’d been anxious about him tracking them down. She knew Mike would have to go up against Roman again, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t worried about it.

“We just FaceTimed with Grandma and Grandpa,” Kal said. “They’re coming to Dallas. Everett, too.”

Mike looked at her, expression curious.

“They’re overjoyed Kal is safe,” Lark said, uncurling her legs from under her and getting to her feet. “But like us, Mom and Dad are worried Roman is still out there, so they’re flying down along with my older brother to help make sure Kal is protected.”

“That’s probably a good idea.” Mike’s mouth curved. “And it’ll give me a chance to finally meet your parents in person.”

That was true. They’d FaceTimed with her mom and dad a lot after getting engaged and Kal was born, but then Roman’s bomb had happened, and everything had gone to crap. If they were lucky, Mike and his pack mates would find Roman before her parents got to town, and they could simply focus on trying to become a family again.

“What do you guys think about grilling some burgers out by the pool for lunch?” Mike asked.

Kal’s eyes lit up at the mention of one of his favorite foods.

“Sounds good to me,” Lark said.

Mike looked relieved they’d both accepted the invitation. As if he’d been worried they wouldn’t. “I’ll go get changed and meet you back here in a few minutes.”

He was actually faster than that, and when he came back into the living room—wearing jeans and a tee that deliciously hugged his muscles—Kal was telling her that he wished it was warm enough so they could go swimming. Lark was right there with him on that. It wasn’t often warm enough to swim back in Washington State, but when it was, she and Kal were always in the water. It was one of the few things that could tear him away from his video games.