Free Wolf-Bound: Unfamiliar Territory by Rachel Bo Page A

her eyes were still misted with tears. “That’s one of the reasons I love you so much, because you’re always honest with me.” She rubbed her red eyes. “This is another reason why I want it to be you -- because I know how much you care. I won’t regret this, Jen, but there’s no way I can prove that now. All I can say is that I know in my heart this is the right thing to do. Theron needs to be raised by people who know and understand what he is, and he needs to be raised by someone who wants children now. And there’s something else -- or someone, I guess I should say -- that the three of you are better prepared to deal with than I am.”
    Jen tilted her head. “Someone?”
    Tara’s fingers worried busily at the hem of her maternity blouse. “I-I’ve seen one of the fathers. Jacob. He’s here, in Alabaster. He showed up at the office a couple of weeks ago. He said his brother was…was dead. He seemed fine, at first. He said he wanted to help me raise the twins, so I had to tell him -- Well, I didn’t tell him; he figured out --”
    Jen sucked in a sharp breath. “That you’d lost one of the babies.”
    Tara nodded, almost sobbing again. “And-and he looked s-so horrible, and he started to ch-change, and he ran out, and --”
    Jenny went stiff with shock. The baby’s father had to be their rogue weyr. Abruptly feeling weak at the knees, she dropped down beside Tara on the swing. “Oh, no.”
    Tara nodded, misunderstanding her concern. “I know. He could possibly want custody, but I thought maybe, if he met the three of you and knew his son would be raised by weyr, with such a wonderful family…” Her voice trailed off.
    Jen stared out at the mountainside, struggling to wrap her mind around everything that she’d learned. Without a doubt, she must save Jacob. There was no way she’d be able to live

    44 Rachel Bo
    with herself if she knew Damien and Devlin had killed the baby’s only remaining father. As far as adopting the child, she couldn’t say no. Plans might change if they were able to rescue the weyr, of course -- if Jacob wanted custody and was fit, they shouldn’t fight him -- but for now, she could at least put Tara’s mind at ease. Stress wasn’t good for the baby.
    Jenny reached out and covered Tara’s clasped hands with her own. “We’ll do it.”
    Tara whipped her head around, eyes wide. “You will?”
    Jenny’s gaze pierced her. “If you’re sure.”
    Tara nodded. “I’m sure.” She smiled, patting her tummy. “Theron -- that’s his name, Theron Matthew -- he couldn’t ask for a better mother or fathers.”
    Her casual mention of Damien and Devlin both as the boy’s fathers, not father, touched Jenny deeply and brought home again the fact that Tara truly understood her situation. She now had at least one friend with whom she could be completely honest, and the thought made her so happy it brought tears to her eyes.
    “I’ll have to speak to Damien and Devlin, of course, but I can’t imagine they’ll say no.”
    “I guess they might be a little angry that I know about them.”
    Jenny shivered, just a little. “I have to admit, I’m not so thrilled about telling them, but they’ll deal with it.”
    Tara sighed. “I’m sorry.”
    Jen put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Don’t be. Everything will work out all right. I promise. Just please don’t let this situation make things awkward between us.”
    Tara shook her head violently, auburn curls swaying. “Hell, no. I don’t know what I’d do without my best friend. I can’t remember how I ever functioned without you.”

    Wolf-Bound: Unfamiliar Territory

    45
    Unasked Question

    Hours later, Jenny relaxed in bed, reading an e-book while she waited for her husbands to come home. She and Tara had talked more about Jacob’s visit and what it might mean, but after a while Jenny had insisted that they put the problem on the back burner. They’d spent the rest of the day doing normal things --