SHIVER (22 page)

He heard a twig break and swung around, scanning the area. The black wolf stood thirty feet off. Watching.

What the hell?

Aidan lowered the ax and met the wolf’s eyes. Everything he’d read about wolves said meeting their gaze was a big no no. But the wolf took no offense. In fact, he yawned—the wolf actually
yawned
at him. Aidan looked at it closer, wondering if it wasn’t a full-blooded wolf. Maybe the animal was a half-breed. Part wolf, part husky or Malamute.

No. Aidan would bet his life he was looking at a full-blooded Alaskan timber wolf.

Why the hell was it watching him?

The wolf suddenly perked its ears and turned its head to the side. Then it was off like a shot as though spooked. Next, Aidan heard dogs. Fox glided his team into the driveway and dropped the steel brake, stepping on it to anchor the teeth into the snow. The dogs pranced, some turning circles until they found a spot to settle down. None seemed to have picked up the wolf’s scent.

Fox slowly walked toward Aidan, his eyes landing on the pile of traps, before seeking out Aidan’s. “Can we talk?”

What was this? First Raven and now Fox needing to have words with him. Aidan set the ax in the log. “All right. Let’s go in and get something warm to drink.” If Raven found out about this meeting, which she undoubtedly would, he’d be called to task. Screw it. He was through hurting the kid. “Are your dogs going to be okay?”

“Yeah.” Fox rubbed his hands together. “For a bit, they’ll be okay.”

“I saw a wolf just before you showed up.”

“If a wolf tried to mess with my dogs, Lucien would raise a ruckus.”

“Doesn’t your mother have a problem with you running your team when wild animals are around?” Aidan was beginning to have a problem with it himself.

“There are always wolves, bears, and moose around these parts. Uncle Lynx has kind of a pet moose—we call him BW—who’s caused some mischief. Don’t worry, I have a gun in the sled in case I need it. But I’ve never had a problem. Plus, what Mom doesn’t know, doesn’t hurt me, right?”

Aidan chuckled. Fox had gumption laced with good common sense. If Aidan had had a son who wanted to run all over the countryside, he didn’t know if he’d be as okay with it as Raven seemed to be. “Your mom doesn’t know you’re here, does she?”

“That’s what I kinda wanted to talk to you about.”

They entered the cabin.

“What happened?” Fox asked, looking around wide-eyed at the destruction.

And here, Aidan thought, he’d made good progress cleaning up some of the mess. “I take it the place didn’t look like this the last time you were in here?”

“No.” Fox walked around the area, staying to the path Aidan had cut. “Who would have done this? And why? Earl didn’t have anything worth—” A look crossed Fox’s face as he cut off what he had been about to say.

“Do you know something?”

“No.” Fox turned away.

The kid was lying. What did Fox know about Earl Harte that no one else did?

“How did they get past the booby-traps?” Fox asked.

“I don’t think they did. I found evidence of blood inside like someone had tried to doctor themselves up.”

“Mr. Harte was never one to mess with.”

Aidan put hot water on the stove to boil and prepared cups of hot chocolate. “So, if he wasn’t someone to mess with, like you said, what kind of relationship did you have with him?” Aidan had wanted the answer to that question from the moment he’d first met Fox.

“Another reason I wanted to talk to you.” Fox rubbed his hands together.

“Did your mother tell you to stay away from me?”

“Um…yeah.”

“I got the same lecture this morning.” Aidan smiled, hoping to relax the kid.

Anger flashed in Fox’s eyes. “It’s not fair that she would do that.”

“Don’t be mad at Raven. She’s trying to protect you.”

“But she doesn’t need to.”

“She sees things differently.” Always had. Aidan poured hot water into the mugs and stirred the lumpy powder. Then he handed Fox a cup and indicated he take a seat on the chairs Aidan had cleared off earlier. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

Fox flushed. He set his cup on the table and tore off his hat, unzipped his jacket.

Aidan took a sip of his hot chocolate and waited.

“When I was about, uhm, seven, I was out with my small sled and my first two dogs that I started with. Back then, Mom made me stay closer to town. I was also told never to head this direction.”

“So, of course you did?”

Fox glanced up at him and gave a slight grin. “Yeah. I came across Mr. Harte. He was stuck. Truck off in the ditch and he’d hurt his arm. I helped him out.”

“Did he owe you his life too?”

Fox snorted and shook his head. “He scared the crap out of me. But when he found out who my mother was…he changed.” Fox paused looking around the cabin at everything but Aidan.

“Changed how?” Aidan frowned.

“I don’t know.” Fox shrugged. “Not happy, but kinda like he had one up on my family. It’s hard to explain.”

“No, I get it. He liked knowing things nobody else did so he could use it against them later.”

“Right, but he never did anything about me visiting him. I don’t think he ever told anyone either.” Fox glanced at the floor and then dragged in a deep breath.

“Just come out and say what’s bothering you. It’s the best way.”

Fox swung his gaze toward Aidan. “Are you sure?”

Aidan wanted to chuckle but kept the sound back. Fox seemed nervous enough. “Yeah.”

“Okay. Here it goes.” He rubbed his hands on his pants, looked Aidan in the eye, and then blurted out, “You’re my father.” He swallowed. “I’m your son.”

Time stopped. The sound of ringing rocked his ears. “W-what did you say?” He had to have heard Fox wrong.

“You said to let it out. Just say it.” Now Fox started to shake, his eyes wide, panicked.

“Hold on.” God, he needed to breathe. Hell, he needed space. No, damn it, he needed the
truth
. “Who told you I was your father?” Had Raven lied to him?

“Mr. Harte told me.”

Aidan fell back in his chair like he’d been hit. It was just the sort of thing his dad would do. “He was probably lying to you. Messing with your head.”

“No.” Fox swallowed hard. “He showed me a picture of you when you were my age. We looked the same. That’s how he figured it out.”

Aidan got to his feet. Even with the pain in his leg, he paced the small confines of the wrecked cabin. Questions came at him like knives, each cutting deeper to the bone. “Did you talk to your mom about this?”

“No. Mr. Harte told me that she would deny it. But I did talk to my grandma.”

“Fiona?” Aidan whipped around and tried to still his expression when Fox’s eyes widened in surprise. “What did she say?”

“She never told me for sure. But she told me all about you. And…uh…bought me your graphic novels.”

Aidan stared at Fox, saw the dark eyes, dark hair, and finally the truth in the shape of his mouth, the cut of his cheekbones.

He had a son.

Fire burned in his stomach, his chest. The pain almost brought him to his knees. Raven hadn’t told him. She’d lied to him. His own father had known and never told him. Even Fiona hadn’t told him. He needed to have words with Raven. But first he had to deal with
his son.

Holy shit, he was a father.

His heart pounded, and his lungs refused to draw air. He found himself scrambling to sit down before he fell down.

“I hope you don’t mind much,” Fox said, worrying his bottom lip.

Aidan’s gaze jumped to Fox. A lump formed in his throat. This boy, this young man was a part of him. He’d been denied knowing him, raising him, being a part of his life. No more. “I don’t mind. I’m stunned…proud and honored. And I’m so sorry I never knew.”

“That’s okay.” He shrugged a shoulder. “I know you had no idea.”

“I should have known. If I had, I would have been here for you.”

Fox looked down, the toe of his boot playing with a shirt lying on the floor. “What do we do now?”

“I don’t know.” Aidan rubbed his face. First thing he needed to do was find Raven. “But I’d like to be part of your life. Would you be okay with that?” Fear rushed into him. What if Fox didn’t want a relationship with him? Didn’t want him as his father? Seriously, what did he have to offer the boy?

“Yeah. I’m okay with that.” Fox smiled and Aidan recognized the same dimple in his cheek that he sported.

How had he not seen it before?

Fox stayed until his dogs grew restless. Aidan awkwardly patted him on the back and warned him to be careful. Fox gifted him a full smile, and promised to keep the truth he’d revealed until Aidan had a chance to talk with Raven.

They were sure as hell going to have a talk.

After watching until Fox was out of sight, he entered the cabin. The dank, dark, hellhole he’d grown up in. The same place Earl had met with Fox many times with no plans to ever tell his own son he had a kid. He must have loved knowing that he had a relationship with Fox while Aidan had no clue Fox existed. The fucking bastard. It was just the kind of thing he’d get off on. Aidan clenched his fists. All this time Earl had secretly laughed at him, ridiculed him over and over for not being married, not having a family, not being man enough. And all along Aidan had a son he hadn’t been aware of. A son Earl could have easily told him about, but chose not to for whatever sick reason the asshole had come up with.

Aidan punched the wall. His fist crashed through the drywall, his knuckles coming back bloody. How he wished the bastard was alive so he could kill him again.

Aidan jerked on his coat, grabbed his keys, and slammed out of the cabin. He couldn’t have it out with his father, but he sure as hell could have it out with Raven.

He’d
asked
her if he was Fox’s father and she’d lied to him.
Lied to him.
How could she? She’d known how much he’d longed for a family, and she’d taken that away from him.

He stomped over the cleared path, feeding off the pain stabbing up his leg. It sure as hell beat the pain cutting into his heart.

Right in front of him, between him and the SUV, stood the black wolf. Aidan came to a full stop, breathing hard.

“Scram,” he yelled, throwing his arms into the air.

The wolf crouched into attack position. Its front legs spread wide, head low, and growled in response. Its teeth glinting like knifes in the setting sun.

Hair on the back of Aidan’s neck stood at attention. Okay, so maybe he wasn’t going anywhere, just yet.

“Fuck.”

He wanted to leave. Needed to find Raven. Needed to give her a piece of his mind.

Tell me to stay away from my own son
. Deny him the right to be a father. He needed…

He needed…

He needed to stay put. At least until he got himself under control. If he went to Raven now, who knew what he’d do.

“Shit.” He kicked at the snow.

Last year he’d done the unthinkable. He and Sonya had gotten into a fight. A heated fight. He had lost his temper…and hit her. He’d never regretted doing anything more in his life. He’d watched his father hit his mother, beating her bloody. After his mother drank herself to death, his father had turned to him as a punching bag.

He’d lost his temper, just like his father had, hitting Sonya in a fit of rage. She’d promptly hit him back, knocking him on his ass, and broken off their relationship.

It had scared the shit out of him. He’d called a therapist, gotten into counseling, willing to do anything not to turn into Earl. He wished he could talk with Dr. Foster now.

But he had a fucking wolf barring his escape.

Aidan took another step forward, and the wolf bared his teeth again, its gums black, a sharp contrast to the gleaming white teeth. Its lips twisted as though to say, “Go ahead. Make my day.” There was no sound, the growl silent this time, and somehow, this act of aggression scared him worse.