Page 49 of Fallout

Parker stands from his chair. The others turn to look, but he waves a hand at them and they continue their conversation as Parker tugs on my hand. He guides me out of the room and for the first time since I heard the news, I am able to take a deep breath.

My hand trembles slightly in Parker’s as he leads me down the maze of corridors until we finally reach the back door. He opens it and tugs me with him outside. I allow him to guide me to an outdoor couch that overlooks the cliffs and water below. We sit down and Parker slips his arm around me, tugging me into his chest. I allow him to take my weight as he squeezes me against him.

This is nice. It’s here that I know nothing will ever be able to hurt me. Not as long as I’ve got Parker by my side.

“Do you want to talk?” Parker asks.

I shake my head, knowing that I’m not ready to talk about it yet. There is still so much to process and right now, all I feel is confusion.

11

I will figure this out.

Henley

Parker and I sit on a blanket by the edge of the water as we watch the sunset. Since we got the news earlier, he’s just been at my side, holding me close and making sure that I’m all right. He wants to talk to me, I can tell he does, but he is content to wait for me to be ready.

When I first heard about mate bonds, I was completely crushed. At the time, I was crushed because I thought Parker would never be mine. I didn’t think fate could ever choose anybody better than Parker. When I found out we were mated, I don’t think I understood exactly what that meant. Yes, we’re meant to be together. But it’s more than that.

Parker is my perfect match in every single way possible. And I know that no matter what trials or hardships we face, we will get through it together. That is the only thing that has me wanting to open up to Parker—because I know that when he hears what I have to say, he’s not going to run away.

“Being an alpha is a blood thing, right?” I ask.

Parker turns to me, his eyebrows furrowed. “Yes. Though it’s not always the firstborn, an alpha always has a son who will one day be alpha. It’s the way wolves work.”

I turn so that I can see his face better. I want to know that he’s not softening the truth for my benefit. “I’m a phoenix and you’re a wolf shifter, so what does that mean for your pack?”

“I don’t understand.” He tilts his head to the side as he studies me.

I sit up straighter. “I know that you can only have children with your mate, meaning me.”

Parker nods.

“But I’m a phoenix, so won’t that mean our children will be hybrids?” I ask.

He hesitates, then nods. “Sort of, yes. It’s not always a perfect blend. Our children could be fully phoenix or wolf or they could be a perfect mix of both. Hybrids are all different. Like Will and his sister. His sister can’t shift into a wolf and has exceptionally strong elemental powers. But Will has very little elemental magic and he’s mostly a wolf shifter.”

“What if we never have a child who can shift? What if they’re all like me?” I twirl a piece of hair around my finger.

Parker grabs my hand to stop my fidgeting. “Henley, it’s okay. You don’t need to stress about this. Not now, not ever. Fate doesn’t make mistakes.”

My shoulders relax.

He’s right. Fate wouldn’t have chosen me as his mate if we couldn’t have a child to take over his pack one day.

I lower my gaze slightly. “Will the pack accept me once they find out what I am?”

Parker squeezes my hand. “They have already accepted you because you’re my mate. You’re part of our pack. You’re our pack’s future Luna—knowing that you’re a phoenix doesn’t change that.”

I chew on my bottom lip. “So… I’m not going to be sent away?”

He shakes his head. “Absolutely not. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried. You, Henley Stone, belong with me.”

My heart thumps a little faster.

Parker’s smile grows as he watches me. “I love the way you react to me.” He squeezes my hand again. “I know that we haven’t got to spend a lot of time together because of the other supernatural roaming pack land, but I promise I will always make time for you. I’m done keeping secrets from you.”

His words cause my heart to swell, but I feel a pang in my chest because Parker isn’t the only one keeping secrets. I still haven’t told him about my ability to read the minds of other supernaturals. I still don’t want to tell him how I figured it out—Will’s thoughts should be his own. But I do need to tell him.