“It’s a very old story, and probably one few
people remember at this time.”
It was quite obvious that the duo wouldn’t allow them to pass just
like that, so it came as no surprise to Paris when his mother added. “It
concerns Paris’s parentage. His father lives here, and I think it’s time
for them to meet.”
“Oh.” The one word coming from Melanie spoke volumes of her
surprise. “Can you tell us who it is?”
“Once we’re there,” Paris said. He had no desire to hear the
details of his conception twice since the entire tale still pissed him off.
“If you doubt our reasons, you can have someone accompany us
inside.”
“You must understand that we are being extra careful, what with
everything that’s been going on,” Jace explained. “There’s no telling
if our enemies won’t try to take advantage of my father’s absence to
sneak in here.”
“I assure you this is nothing like that.” Paris’s mother shuddered.
“I hate magical creatures.”
That phrase seemed to be on the no-no list, as Paris saw both
werewolves tense. “Well, if you expect to live here in the near future,
you’ll have to get used to them,” Melanie said bitingly.
60
Scarlet Hyacinth
Paris counted to ten in his head. Really, his mother knew better
than to say stuff like that. For crying out loud, Elder Wade’s youngest
had just mated a magical creature, and a close friend of the family,
Corbin Mckenna, had taken the Sidhe prince as his spouse.
“She didn’t mean all magical creatures, just the bad ones,” he said
lamely.
The two werewolves didn’t seem convinced, and their questions
stopped there, as did their attempt toward hospitality. Paris struggled
to remain calm, telling himself that if these people decided to refuse
them, he and his mother could just go to the elder. Of course, he knew
his father—or rather, the man he had called a father for all his life—
would probably be waiting. Perhaps they could just run away, find
someplace secluded where no one would ever find them. Antarctica
sounded nice this time of year.
Paris dared to steal another look at Jace. The werewolf was very
handsome, and Paris found his long-neglected libido responding to
the man’s proximity. He forced down the lust, leashing his beast. The
last thing he needed was to drool over the Alpha’s son. This pack
might accept and be used to people of Paris’s sexual orientation, but
Paris wasn’t willing to take the chance.
At last, the car reached their destination, a large mansion that
simply oozed power. After passing another set of gates, they parked.
Melanie and Jace left the car first and nodded at Paris and his mother
to follow. As Paris entered the house, a sense of trepidation hit him.
What would he find in there? How would his real father be like?
Would the man hate Paris and his mother?
He was still musing over those dilemmas when they reached a
large, luxurious office. A handsome, auburn-haired man waited at the
desk. Paris surmised this must be Daniel, Soren’s mate.
“Hello,” the squirrel-shifter greeted them. “I’m Daniel Wade. I
understand you wanted to discuss something with my mate. You can
say whatever’s on your mind to me.”
The Swan Who Flew After a Wolf
61
The words weren’t spoken arrogantly, but rather, in a matter-of-
fact tone. Paris instantly liked Daniel. The squirrel seemed to exude a
sense of warmth and home that Paris had never truly found anywhere.
Paris glanced at his mother and nodded. He knew she wasn’t
happy with these circumstances, but personally, he already felt
comfortable with Daniel, and he thought that the squirrel might
understand their predicament.
“Oh, we’ve met,” Daniel said as he saw Paris’s mother. “Mrs.
Aria Marrow, right? You’re Alpha Marrow’s mate.”
Melanie and Jace looked shocked and uncomfortable, probably at
not having recognized Paris’s mother from the very beginning. Then
again, it